Purple Prey: The Case of the Filthy Baboon

Chapter 6: The Mystery of the Charred Poet

After only a few seconds of convincing, we were now sitting in a circle, the, now empty ;), jar in the middle of us.As the one who suggested the game, I decided to go first.

"This is going to be Spin the "Bottle" meets Truth or Dare. Because Cosmic is like seven." I announced, spinning the "bottle". I crossed my fingers and prayed out loud, but to my visible disappointment, the lid of the jar pointed to Cosmic.

"Oh what fun!" he clasped his hands, awaiting my truth/dare :(. I reluctantly asked him the Question and he eagerly requested a dare.

"Uhm," my eyes darted around the room, trying to conjure an idea for what to force upon Cosmic Tomorrow. "Vandalise that bookshelf." I requested, pointing to a bookshelf and he burst out crying. Regardless of his feelings, he jumped to his feet to complete his Dare, surprisingly. He returned to the circle with splinters in his palms and the bookshelf was no more. He looked haunted in the eyes as he spun the "bottle". It landed on Elly. Elly happily asked for a truth from Cosmic, and Cosmic complied also happily.

"Okay Elysium, here's your truth: what is your deepest, darkest shame?" He said, still very happy.

Elysium's eyes went dull and she dropped her head to look at her hands in her lap as she began to tell us the story.

"It all started long ago in the distant year of 2088, I had been arrested for a string of breaking-and-enterings. I had some friends on the outside who were planning to bust me out. I knew that they would follow through, but being two years old, I simply slipped through the prison bars and made my escape through the vents. Though I didn't tell my accomplices in advance... They were captured during my escape and sentenced to death. Meanwhile, I began to track down the man who sold me out to the pigs and got me locked up in the first place. I would've been charged with aggravated assault, but being in the "Troublesome Twos" stage of human development, the law was in my favour. So, I was let off easy; only had to serve three months of community service. But I still hadn't finished. There were still a few... "loose ends" to tie up, and I admit, I acted violently and selfishly, since my comrades were still on death row because of me. After completing my vengeance, I decided to go back for my boys and I knew exactly who to turn to. I knew a guy, who knew a guy, about 46 years old, lived in the mountains of Venezuela and he was a poet by trade, but he had a lot of dirty little secrets he was hiding. I blackmailed him with those secrets and had him help me with the prison break. He was a brilliant man since he had discovered a foolproof way to break into any prison by utilising Earth's very specific gravitational pull." She took a moment to wipe a single tear from her face. This next part must be difficult.

"We managed to break out all 700 of my pals but ... my tiny baby arms were not strong enough to pull the poet from the rubble before the guards called for reinforcements. There was a blinding flash of light that lasted for two hours and, when it died down, I saw the immolated body of the poet. I have no idea what they could've done to him but nothing has ever haunted me more than that man that I could not save."

The room was silent for a moment.

"So that's why the government developed prison moons ..." Cosmic realised.

"And that's why you do so much weightlifting at the gym ..." I realised. "And that must also be why you missed my second birthday party ..." Elly nodded shamefully.

"It was my deepest regret I could not attend, Obsidian. Mother and I had bought you a gift and everything and I couldn't give it to you until the day after." She tried to hold back a sob. She then jerked her hand forward and spun the "bottle". It landed on me. I clapped my hands excitedly and requested Elly's finest dare.

"Okay Obsidian, here is your dare: go back into the kitchen, and eat something human :)." I gasped audibly. I did not want to, plus the dried bay leaves were gone >:(. But a dare is a dare so I trudged to the kitchen, walked over to the pot, lifted it up, unhinged my jaw, and tipped the head into my mouth, swallowing it whole. I did it in this manner to avoid the taste, or lack thereof, but the feeling of the boiled skin and the equally boiled hair that had not been plucked from the scalp against the walls of my throat was more than disgusting. However, to complete the dare fairly, I could not throw up. I waddled back into the library and resumed my position in the circle.