-Chapter 21-

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"Harmony?" Corinna read aloud the name on the whiteboard.

The chimaera nodded.

"It's... nice to meet you, Harmony." Corinna smiled.

The monster that called herself 'HARMONY' bowed her head, then wrote the words 'YOU TOO' underneath her name on the whiteboard.

Harmony...

It was strange to call the monster 'Harmony'. It felt odd, mismatched, like it was stolen from someone else. Even in this house, Harmony did not seem to belong in. The only place where her image seemed to match was outside, in the dark and cold wasteland.

With their introductions finished, the young woman and the chimaera remained silent, unsure how to proceed. The conversation had died only a moment after it had been born. 

Corinna had too many questions, so many that she feared that it would be too troublesome for Harmony, especially since the chimaera struggled to write with only three fingers.

How did you learn to read and write? 

Can other monsters?

Why did you spare me?

Why are you giving me food and shelter?

Why are you protecting me?

Why didn't you kill me?

Why?

Why...

The chimaera glanced up at the young woman, who in turn glanced down upon seeing those toxic green eyes. Corinna focused her attention on the crackling fire, hypnotised by the slowly dancing flames, almost drifting into a slumber if it weren't for the list of questions tumbling inside her mind.

*

Clutching the edges of the whiteboard, Harmony's eyes wandered back to the trap-door that led to the basement. She held onto her snout with her three-fingered paws, tracing the outline of the two elongated canines that protruded out of her mouth. Something called to her, pleading her to take it off- to take the mask off. She ignored it, letting her hand fall back to her side, her snake-tail writhing underneath her green cloak.

Instead of retreating back to the basement, to the shadows, to the darkness, Harmony chose to remain on the surface, for she knew that there was something she must do. The feelings and thoughts that she had wanted to convey, to express, finally formed words in her mind. They were three simple words, but still important.

*

Hearing the squeak of the whiteboard pen, Corinna turned back to the monster called Harmony.

Once she had finished writing those three words, Harmony turned around the whiteboard to Corinna.

The young woman read it.

'I AM SORRY'.

Corinna hesitated a moment, letting the words sink in. "What are you sorry for?"

The chimaera wrote underneath her apology the word 'EVERYTHING'.

Her first instinct was to dismiss the apology, to say it was unnecessary, that Harmony had done no wrong, but Corinna knew that wasn't true.

Harmony had tried to kill her. But when she had her pinned down, at her mercy, Harmony hesitated and then saved and freed her from that creature in the cave.

Corinna could not determine if those acts had fully redeemed the monster, if forgiveness was to be granted, or if the apology simply needed to be accepted. She felt forgiveness was something to be given when the act in question was justified. And, for Corinna, the act of killing was not justified.

At that thought, Corinna's mind brought up the memory of the imps, how she had revelled in their pain, intending to kill them for her own safety.

How can you be such a hypocrite, Corinna?

I thought you were better than this?

But you're just the same as the monsters here.

The young woman dismissed the guilt in her own mind and focused back on Harmony's apology. The chimaera seemed no longer to be a threat towards her. Perhaps it was because they now had a means of communication, Corinna felt safe. Harmony seemed more human, even with that snake-tail twitching and flicking in the corner of her eye.

"You wanted to escape, right?" Corinna asked, her voice cracking.

Harmony nodded.

"I don't blame you." Corinna smiled. "I've only been here a few days, and I already hate this place. I'd get pretty angry if I got so close and someone just-"

Harmony wrote on the whiteboard 'NOT JUSTIFIED'.

"Still..." Corinna paused and lowered her head. "Before I arrived in the Eternal Abyss when I was about to go through the portal, it seemed like they were waiting- waiting for you. I think they delayed it just so I could disrupt your escape."

The chimaera silently nodded.

"It seems so impossible to escape," said Corinna.

'THERE ARE STORIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE ESCAPED' wrote Harmony.

"I'm sorry, but it still seems so impossible." The young woman clutched at her waist.

'WE CAN ESCAPE TOGETHER'

Seeing those words, Corinna imagined herself escaping along with the chimaera. She could be free in a few days or weeks not imprisoned for fifteen years. She could be free before the Eternal Abyss tainted her mind and body. Before she turned into a monster herself.

The Abyss had already affected her, driven her to violence on the very first day.

What would she be after fifteen years?

*

Harmony wiped the whiteboard clean with her arm, the ink staining her fur green. She knew that they could escape if they worked together, remembering how Corinna helped with the construction of the bridge on the rock spire. With a steady hand, occasionally pausing, trying to find the right word, Harmony began to write 'if we work together we can escape since you're so smart and skilled in-'

*

"I can't..." the young woman croaked. She looked up at Harmony, at those bright green eyes. "No, I-" Corinna shook her head. "I can't escape-"

Fifteen years

"I must never escape."

Fifteen years

"I have to carry out my entire sentence."

Fifteen years.

The calculations were simple: one life imprisoned in the Abyss to save twenty-nine.

The chimaera's snake-tail flicked and squirmed into view. It wound itself around Harmony's leg then recoiled, disappearing underneath her green cloak again.

"But, I will help you escape," said Corinna. "Although it seems impossible, we'll try, right?"

*

Harmony hesitated in her response, looking down at the whiteboard, rereading the line she had just written: 'BUT YOU'LL BE ALONE'. Letting a small huff of breath out of her nostrils, she wiped the board clean and instead showed Corinna the message: 'when I escape the house is yours'.

"Thank you..." Corinna's voice was muffled as she huddled her body together, nestling her face against her knees. 




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