Owen Changes His Mind

5. Cornered 3/3

Owen woke up alone in Graecie's house. Good. He slid out of the bed, winced, wobbled. Apo had hit his head really, really hard.

"Owen."

That was Apo's voice. Owen looked up. He saw an empty room. Was he hallucinating?

"Don't you ever dirty my name again. Don't think it, don't speak it. We're through."

Ah. Right. Owen knew he was having auditory hallucinations now. He remembered sending Apo to prison because he'd lied. It was poetic, he had to admit, in a way. Apo escaping, and coming right back into his reach just as he remembered his past. A past that didn't need him anymore. A past that had sent him into the maze. Apo would never escape the maze.

No longer needed...what if Apo was no longer needed? A seed of a deadly idea bloomed in Owen's mind. It would be difficult. He'd never been as well spoken as he'd like to be. But Owen would have to make it work.

"I value you as a friend," the hallucination said.

"Oh shut up," Owen said aloud. He paced as he schemed. He would have to convince the clearing that Apo attacked him, which was the truth. The truth would set him free. And then he would be free to dispose of all the rest of the vermin in the maze. Owen checked his inventory. Flowers; useless. Backpacks; hmm. Some food. Hah. Someone had taken his weapons, but they'd left everything else. Stupid of them. Owen started to make a new weapon, but paused. He didn't have any metal on him.

"Fruit trio? Fruit trio!"

"I'm glad you're my friend, Owen."

"Shut up," Owen growled, louder this time.

"Owen?"

Owen jerked upright. "Graecie?" He gasped softly, his voice completely different. Graecie believed him to be kind and benevolent; he couldn't growl at her. "Graecie where are you? I- I went into the maze, I'm sorry- Apo attacked me-"

Graecie appeared in the doorway and swallowed. Magic squeezed her hand from behind. Owen could see more people behind them, but not who. Graecie spoke. "We have more information now, Owen. We have reason to believe you are a danger to the demons in this clearing. Is this true?"

"What!?" Owen gasped, furious. He took a step towards the two. "I would never endanger the clearing! Apo is spreading lies about me?"

Graecie shrank but held her ground, eyes wide and fixed on Owen. "Well, is it true, Owen?"

"No!"

"How do you feel about Guts?" Graecie continued.

"They're - " Owen's face twitched as he struggled to control it. "They did try to poison someone once, don't forget."

"How do you feel about Krow?"

"Oh, right," Owen growled, spinning around and putting his back to Graecie. "Are you going to interrogate me about every single demon just because of a, a-" his shoulders bunched. He'd just slipped up and he knew it.

"A what, Owen?"

"Apo," he growled, "has reason to hate me."

"Why?"

"Rraugh, because I- he- he's a demon, does he have to have a reason that makes sense!? Come on Graecie, you know what they're like!" Owen grimaced. He knew his reasoning was lazy, had holes. He was better than this, if only he could calm down-

"No, Owen, I don't! Tell me."

Owen glared at the wall in front of him, then visibly forced his body to relax and turned around.

"Tell me," Graecie pleaded again.

"I don't think demons are... " Owen tried not to make a face.

"Tell me what demons are like, Owen." Graecie folded her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Cunning. Intelligent. Quick. Devious," Owen listed, raising his own eyebrows in challenge.

"You're making those traits sound negative," Graecie shot back.

"Intelligence isn't a bad trait to have," Owen almost shouted.

"I can't believe this. Our demons are valuable members of this glade, Owen." Graecie shook her head, staring into Owen's eyes. "You've lost it. You're crazy," she murmured. "Please come with me."

Owen's mind raced. Why was Graecie already convinced he was at fault? Had Apo been that convincing? He thought about it. No, although Apo was logical, he wasn't very influential. Unless... he'd already been wrong about Apo once. Owen decided to keep an open mind, and to go along with Graecie. "Alright, lead the way." But Graecie stepped back to reveal Guts, who took hold of Owen's upper arm. "Don't touch me," he growled, but he knew it was too late. Owen fought back, but he was still woozy and weak from his head injury. Guts easily handled him. Perhaps for the first time in a long time, Owen felt shame- shame that not one, but two demons had gotten the better of him in as many days. What was happening to him? He'd gone soft. Owen felt weak. He screamed in his jail cell, but everyone had gone. There was no one left to hear him.