Blood Red (Adopted by Cannibals)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I stood silently beside Eliza, listening to the instructions delivered by the preppy girl. Her straight blond hair blew gently in the wind as she explained. Basically, she wants us to bake something within the allocated time given of two hours. At the end, the judges will come around to taste and decide. The judges are held a secret so we won't know who they are until the end. Sounds basic enough right?

"Get ready! 3, 2, 1, Go!" She yelled we got to work.

"We need a game plan. We have two hours, what shall we make?" We stared at each other thoughtfully. There must be something that will give us something unique. Neither of us are good at baking I made the occasional bread with mum and helped out with cooking but nothing else.

"Cupcakes?" Marcy questioned suddenly looking up at me. I had also been thinking of this, I guess it would work but I feel like this is what most would do.

"No, to ordinary." She continued and then went back to thinking.

"What about pinwheels? They are cannibals here and back home I haven't seen anyone buy them. Mum usually makes her own bread so this could give up a leg up in the race?" I smiled brightly and she smiled back. We have a game plan.

We rushed off to gather the supplies and got to work. It was a lot of fun working with Marcy. All the other teams were very busy and didn't seem to be talking to their partners at all. However, one team seems to be talking a little too much, or actually, they are arguing too much. Marcy and I, on the other hand, seem to have to much fun together. We continuously giggle over nothing and everything all at once. We have flour covering our aprons and even our hair. Got to say I'm happy to have joined this competition. I know Marcy wants to win so that she can get out, but I don't. It means that we will have to kill someone, and I can't do that. Not yet. I barely got out of it back home and I know that dad wants me to kill someone soon. I worry about that but if I can postpone it I will. I just hope that there is another team doing better while we show our participation.

"Hey, Nova?" Marcy asks me, her voice dropping a little. I wonder what this is about.

"What happens when we win? Dave said that if I want to get out I needed to complete my price?" I turned back to washing the dishes. I knew that she'd ask this eventually but still I wasn't sure how to answer. She knows that we are cannibals but how would she react to having to kill an innocent person, someone who is in the same position she was once in. I don't think she'd be able to do it, not so soon. No matter how determined she is to get out. I doubt David would even let her go, even if she killed the person.

"Nova please, I need to know." She stared at me with pleading eyes.

"Fine, you want to know what you have to go to earn your freedom?" I hissed turning around. I don't want my family or anyone to hear. I need this conversation to be over as soon as possible.

"You will get the honour of killing someone. That's what the price is. You will need to kill someone if you want to get out." I quickly turned back to the dishes, handing her a tea towel so that it looked like we had been discussing something else.

"I can't kill someone! I struggle eating human; I need to get out I don't want to become a cannibal." Marcy whispered looking shocked.

"Don't you get it; you already are a cannibal. There is no getting out. Even if we were to escape this-" I gestured around me a little. "-This will forever remain. These memories will haunt you forever."

"You want to escape?" You've got to be kidding me, that's all she got from my little speech. Tying to cover up this little argument I walked over to the oven to check the timer. Three more minutes and then they're done.

"Yes, I want to get out. But not exactly for the same reason as you." I whispered out at last. I do want to leave but I don't want to leave my family. They've been so nice to me and caring. And even the meat is delicious, how could I ever go back from this. My eyes darted over to the huge clock displaying the time we have left to finish. Four minutes. Just enough for us to add the finishing touches on. I glanced over to the team who had been arguing. They ended up making muffins and only now managed to get them in the oven.

"What if we were to try and escape together if we don't win. I don't want to win anymore. I can't kill. And whatever your reason is for escape hold it close." She placed her hands on my shoulders and shook me a little bit.

"Olay, yeah ill escape with you." I sighed defeated. Maybe we can make this work. Again, I doubt it but for once I wish things could work out and I would be able to go back to a normal life. Normal. That is so overrated. I don't want to be normal. I have nothing to go back to. An orphanage but that's all. No friends left, no family. Nothing. So why do I want to escape so badly? Why do I want to leave the family who cares and love me? I even like being a cannibal. I know its morally wrong, but I can't help but enjoy it. I look over at the seats where my family is. They are all smiling brightly happy that I am fitting in. I am happy that I'm fitting in. At this festival I'm even allowed outside, I missed this. But in the outside world, I would have to ask permission to go outside. I'd be allowed to go outside however much I wanted. I wouldn't have to clean all day and help with dinner. I'll be free. But still, I don't know if I can do it. My eyes moved over to my brothers. Xavier was kissing Laura passionately. I quickly darted my eyes away not wanting to intrude or anything. This community have everything they could ever want. They have each other. They will always have enough food. They have love, family friends. No one who will turn on you and leave you on your own. I looked over at Marcy who stared at me pleasingly. I'm guessing she can sense my turmoil. Before I could answer the timer went off catching my attention.

I took the pinwheels out and placed them onto the stove. Just like at home these are those old-fashioned stoves. We got out four plates. We put one pinwheel on each of the three plates and the rest on the fourth. The made the plates look nice with a few herbs around it like lavender and mint leaves. Presentation is everything as my birth-mother used to say. the three plates will be for the three judges, I just hope that another team has made something much better, something that will surpass us so we don't have to kill. As far as I know, there are only three competitions a day, so you're either competing or watching throughout the day. This was the third and last of the competitions so whoever wins will have the last kill tonight.

"Yes." I finally managed to get out.

"What?"

"Yes, I'll escape with you. Meet me tomorrow at the outer edge of the pit." And with that said the big timer went off and we stepped away from our plates remaining silent.

"Really? Thank you!" She gave me a tight hug which I returned. To anyone watching this would look like were happy with our outcomes so we stayed there for a moment before we released each other

"Participants, please place your dishes on the front table and the judges will be here momentarily to taste each one of them." The preppy girl stated standing in front of us. We carefully placed each plate near one of the seats. The other competitors doing the exact same with their three plates. Once we were all back at our tables, we saw three men arrive. The judges.I looked over at Marcy who stared wide eyed and I completely understood why asI turned back to look at the judges.