Seven Ways To The Abyss

DAY IN DAY OUT

The alarm clock blared but Sofia was too lazy to get up, her hunger kept her bound in place.

Let me take over Elaina requested

"Over my dead body"
she trusted Elaina, just not when she was hungry

"Sofia!" Amaline screamed

It was time to go to school, she had to suck up whatever was going on and pretend everything was okay, she drew in a sharp breath and stood up abruptly, so fast it made her stomach feel like it might rip.

In a matter of minutes she was ready, and headed down, her face still perfectly portraying the facade she'd set up

She smiled

Amaline hadn't noticed something was wrong

Was she supposed to?

Why do I care

And so they left, Sofia for school Amaline for work.

The day went as planned, school and then an event, they shared food but Sofia passed, her hunger craving more than what they had to offer

As promised she still had to be the judge for Sarah, Aaliya and Dajo's debate, now she was wishing she had backed out.

They led her to the canteen

This would have been lovely—if Sofia could eat human food.

The warm aroma of freshly baked bread filled the small eatery, mingling with the tang of spicy pepper soup and the sharp scent of sizzling akara. Sofia sat at the table with Sarah, Dajo, and Aaliya, trying to ignore the gnawing hunger twisting in her stomach. Not the kind of hunger that bread, soup, or akara could satisfy.

"You're not eating again?" Aaliya asked, her brow furrowing. She tilted her head, her long braid swinging over her shoulder. "You didn’t eat anything at the event either."

"Yeah," Sarah chimed in, poking at Sofia's empty plate with her fork. "What's up with that? Are you on some kind of crazy diet or something?"

Sofia forced a smile. "Not really. I just... have a sensitive stomach." It was the closest thing to the truth she could offer without raising suspicion.

"Sensitive stomach, ke?" Dajo muttered, his deep voice sceptical. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his intense gaze fixed on her. "Then why do you never drink water either? Even sensitive people need water."

"Maybe she's one of those aliens who survive on sunlight," Sarah joked, laughing lightly.

Sofia's smile faltered, but she quickly recovered. "You caught me," she said, her tone playful, though her fingers gripped her backpack tightly.

The conversation moved on, and Sofia allowed herself to relax. Despite their curiosity, she couldn’t deny there was something comforting about being in their presence. Sarah's endless chatter, Aaliya's quiet attentiveness, Dajo's sharp but steady humour—it all felt... warm, even if she couldn't fully join in.

"Hey," Sarah said suddenly, snapping Sofia out of her thoughts. "You’ve got to try something at least." She grabbed a piece of bread, broke it in half, and held it out to Sofia. "One bite won’t kill you, right?"

Sofia hesitated. The smell alone made her stomach churn, but Sarah's eager expression was hard to refuse.

"Fine," Sofia said, taking the bread. She broke off the tiniest piece she could and brought it to her lips, feigning a bite before discreetly slipping it into her napkin.

"See? Not so bad, right?" Sarah beamed.

"Yeah," Sofia murmured. "Not bad at all."

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