Chained - Cannibalistic love

Chapter 10

Most of the day consisted of us going from event to event with Ryan happily talking to everyone while I was just dragged along against my will. I kept my mouth shut afraid that if I let my real feelings show, I would be killed or punished in some way. So, I stayed quiet and let the people talk. No one asked me any questions, they all went through Ryan who happily told them what they wanted to know about me, about his wife. As if. He doesn't even know a thing about me other than the few conversations we've had. And those are few. He doesn't even know the basics about me; like my favourite colours (blue and pink) or animal (pet is a dog and wild animal is a wolf), or even where I was born. Nothing. Instead of mentioning any of this to him, I spend my time looking around, trying to figure out the layout of the festival. Figuring out the best route for escape. Where the other kidnapped people are, the ones who are still in the sauna shed. I have to help them. I don't want anyone else to die. But I know that if I don't get out today more people will die for the feast tonight. And more the next night. And so on until the festival is over and they run out of people to kill and eat. And while I am here, chained to Ryan, I fear I will be forced to eat the meat, eat other humans, and become a cannibal like them.

My wrist is red and raw from being pulled on so much. At first, I was the one pulling, trying to get away and somehow make his life harder, but after a while my wrist hurt too much to continue so I gave up. Now it's occasionally him that pulls on the handcuff to get me moving, usually when I forget to pay attention caught up in making an escape plan, or when I refuse to move out of spite. But that little defiance is always short-lived considering his strength is superior to my own. I did notice, when looking down, that Ryan's wrist was also red, like my own. However, it doesn't seem to annoy him in the slightest. He acts as if there is nothing as if he doesn't feel the pain. And even the struggling girl attached to him with the handcuffs, he doesn't seem bothered with.

Throughout the day we passed all kinds of activities. There were games for children, which were purely for fun and entertainment. And I admit I may have enjoyed watching them play.

After the kid's games, we passed the first 'real' activity, knife throwing. Both men and women participated, excitement in the air. Ryan stayed to watch, which unfortunately for me, meant I had to stay and watch too. Everyone, spectators and contestants alike, seemed to get really into it. All but me. I feared their deadly perfected aim. I had tried to hide behind Ryan slightly trying to keep myself entertained without watching their deadly perfect aim, each one better than the last. But Ryan wouldn't have any of it as he quickly realised, I wasn't paying attention, and instead moved me to be in front of him. I still tried to turn away but eventually, his hand (the one not attached to me with the handcuffs) grabbed my chin and forced me to watch the competition.

The competition was for adults with some of the older kids, who looked to be around 14, practising beside the adults. And just like the adults they were practicing on targets in the shape of a person. With two red marks on the centre of the head and in the centre of the body, worth the most points. Their aim was already deadly precise, and I could only wonder what their aim would be like as they grew older if their aim would be just as accurate on a moving target. They were already starting to hit the red marks on the target. There were still a couple of knives that didn't make it into the board and instead clattered to the floor. There were also a couple of knives that would catch the board but slightly outside of the centre ring.

The adults on the other hand were all precisely hitting the two red marks, knife after knife hitting the mark, none falling to the ground having missed the target, and none outside the rings. I could tell that they had been practising since they were children to get to this level. And it made me wonder what kind of childhood they would have had if festivals like this were normal and knife throwing was a sport. But right now, I'm only glad that they aren't practising on real people. Although gauging by their perfect aim, I doubt there would be any fun for them in doing that, since after the first hit I would expect the poor person to be dead.