Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 57-

Day: 37

Days Left: 5443

Lives Saved: 0

Corinna continued to help Harmony with her hoarding problem, discarding one type of object twice a week. Once the blood moon had ended, business returned back to normal with the two heading to the rock spire every day and waiting for the sky to open up so that the chimaera could escape. Meanwhile, they trained together, Corinna's instincts sharpening, now able to survive for almost two minutes without being hit.

After the training sessions, Corinna would sit down on the sand and write more of her memories in her white notebook. She had to staple a second notebook to it due to how large her family was and how much she wanted to remember.

Occasionally, she would look up at the rock tower with sadness in her eyes and see the chimaera. By the end of the night, Harmony's head would bow down low, no longer gazing up at the closed portal in defeat. It had been over a month since the portal had last opened but to Harmony that meant her escape was getting closer and closer every day.

Corinna had asked how often this portal opened, but the answer was dispiriting as it appeared to be random and sparingly as the country's crime rate was the lowest in the world. But this made Harmony confident that the security on the other side was weak.

So as not to dishearten the chimaera, Corinna did not remind her how the technicians had controlled the wind, preventing Harmony from escaping before. Despite that, the chimaera had almost succeeded. Corinna thought it was likely that if Harmony did manage to escape, with how strong her monster form was, she could also easily defeat any guards on the other side. The only problem was waiting for the portal to open. The young woman suspected that it would never open whilst the chimaera sat right before it. They were probably sending new prisoners through other portals to avoid the chance of Harmony almost escaping again. But what choice was there? Corinna had not seen other openings, but she imagined none of them was so convenient as this one.

Though she knew that must help Harmony to gain freedom, something deep down inside of her wanted her to stay. She wanted her to stay down here with her. Corinna bit down hard on her lip. Those thoughts were supposed to be long gone yet they refused to surrender. It was still too premature, too childish with all the blushing to call it 'love'. A mere crush- that was it. Something harmless.  Something that could easily fizzle away with time. She could no longer deny the attraction, how Harmony made her happy just by being with her. And the feeling was only growing stronger day by day. But nothing will come it. It can't. It mustn't. Regardless, she knew that she wanted Harmony to be happy. And if that meant escaping The Eternal Abyss and leaving her behind, then that's would she would do. She will help the chimaera regain her freedom.

Every day, as she watched from the ground, Corinna's heart would flinch and twist in pain as she imagined the chimaera leaving. At times she wanted to return back to the house, but the alternative was far worse. She needed to be there to say farewell and see Harmony off whenever it happens, or to catch her when she falls.

Day: 42

Observing Harmony from below, Corinna sat on the beach, drawing circles in the sand, whilst the chimaera worked on her escape plan on the rock spire. Caught in a daydream, Corinna stared into the horizon, gazing out at the ocean, the waves lapping at the bottom of the rock tower.

In her distracted state, Corinna had forgotten her notebook when they left the house. Fortunately, Harmony had reminded her about her spear, concerned about her safety.

But the notebook...

If only she had remembered her notebook...

Corinna listed the names of all of her family members. She was certain that she had missed some for the list was too short. Who had Corinna forgotten? If only she had brought the notebook with her.

She ran through the names again, somehow missing even more. She clutched at her spear on her lap, speaking the names out loud. Each time she got louder and louder until she was eventually screaming it. Her hands grasped at her dress, at her chest, at her neck. Her breathing was reduced to sputters and coughs.

She breathed in.

Then breathed out.

Breathed in.

Breathed out.

Harmony watched the scene from above on the summit. She hesitated, her hand on the rope, contemplating abseiling back down to comfort Corinna. Her eyes wandered over to the sky, where the opening was, then back to the young woman. The wooden plank bridge rattled as the supports were weak and needed fixing. Harmony dismissed any thoughts of Corinna, clearing them from her mind, and focused on following through her escape plan.

Corinna had calmed herself down now. She told herself that as soon as they returned back to the house, she would go through the list in her notebook.

So long as she had the notebook, she wouldn't forget anyone.

"...arhhhh..."

Corinna look around.

Something shrieked.

She found the source of the noise.

It was one of the creatures from her first day here, one of those water nymphs that had dragged her down into the ocean. It clung to the bottom of the spire that jutted out of the water. The nymph resembled a skeleton, its skin tightly wrapped around its frame, exposing the shape of its tendons and rib cage. Parts of its flesh collected into clumps and folds, floating in the sea. Its hands reached out to the rock, clutching onto it. The rock crumbled just from the mere contact, collapsing into the ocean along with the creature. It made another attempt, struggling to stay afloat, to keep its head above the water. Once again, it tore at the rock, and it broke off with the nymph sinking back into the water.

The spire was breaking apart and getting thinner every day now. The foundations had been worn away by the water to the extent that a starved corpse could weaken it.

It was dangerous for Harmony to be up there. It could collapse soon, and she wouldn't be able to escape. 

---------------------------------

Recommended Song for Chapter:

Song: Crazy in Love (Cover)

Artist: Swing Republic