Truth Or Fiction

Chapter Eighty Nine

Kristoff unfurled his scroll, unsure why he had a shiver of dread run up his spine.

Ryan tightened his belt as he left the crew's quarters and started to make his way down the gangplank.

Malinda froze as she realized what was about to happen in the scroll, who Ryan was about to find. She could only hope that wouldn't happen this time around.

The food barge had just arrived, meaning they were likely to have a doozy of a time cleaning up the trampled bodies that were a usual side effect.

"Worst day of the month," Hades sighed, Persephone gently rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb.

Lately, though, the crowds have been bigger and bigger. Ever since that old bat had come to the Isle. It was as if the residents were expecting a change in the food quality.

Henry shuddered slightly. A bigger crowd at the food barge...well it could only mean one result.

More food for the hyenas.

Ryan wasn't exactly sure why they were expecting that. Twenty plus years hadn't changed anything about the food they ate, why would a new resident?

"Because the 'new resident' was the reason for the horrible food and now you all will get edible food and won't have to queue like this!" Akiho cheered.

But then again, there hadn't been a new resident in over twenty years with the exception of the babies born on the Isle.

"Babies that should have been taken off the Isle at birth," Esmeralda said.

Though Mal had been working hard to try to get some decent food sent over to the Isle. Mal and Uma both in fact, from what they told the crew the last time they were over on the Isle.

"I wonder what's taking so long, especially now that Leah's off the council?" Anna asked.

"I can think of at least one person who might be delaying the process if he's still there," Elsa said, thinking of a certain duke.

"Hey, fair warning, it looks like it's a bad one," Nick warned him as they made their way to the barge. "Gods, how many people showed up this time?"

"How...how bad do they get?" Akiho asked.

Jay sighed. "You don't want to know."

"It looks like a third of the Isle," Ryan sighed, though he knew realistically it probably was a lot less than that. "The hyenas are going to eat well tonight, that's for sure."

"Though they're not usually one third of the Isle bad," Harriet said with a slight frown.

"Hell, the lions and Shere Khan, his girlfriend and son might eat well tonight as well," Jake nodded. "I don't think there are enough hyenas to eat all of these people before they start decaying."

"The...the tiger has a girlfriend?" Emir asked.

Evie nodded. "He also runs a pawn shop."

"Evie's the only one he likes," Hadie added.

"And on that morbid note, let's get started," Henry told them.

"Different month, same routine," Malinda sighed.

"I'll talk to the barge attendants, see if there was any trouble. Well, besides the usual mess. You lot start clearing the bodies. Remember—."