Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 19-

Day: 2

Days Left: 5478

Lives Saved: 0

The world was once again darkness and Corinna panicked that she had become blind.

"No..."

"No..."

"No..."

Even though she knew that she was touching her face, Corinna could not feel her fingers on her skin, as if she had become numb. But when she looked down, there was a relief, seeing her body.

As the memories soon returned, her distress dissolved into calmness. She had been here before, in her last dream. Only until now could she remember.

Somehow, she sensed that her mind had been breached, something slithered its way in through a small crack. The young woman knew who it was, and instinctively turned around to face the intruder: Queen Corinna IX sat upon the newly materialised throne in the abyss of Corinna Warren's unconscious mind.

After bowing and showing her respects to the monarch, Corinna Warren looked around at the darkness. "I forgot... this place, what had happened last time." She turned back to the queen. "When I was awake, I completely forgot about... this, whatever this is."

"Prisoners only have memories of the connection whilst asleep," explained Queen Corinna. "There have been accounts of prisoners 'pretending' to mend their ways as they knew about the possibility of being released early. "

"So, when I am awake, I will not remember anything that goes on in here?"

"Correct."

"I won't remember any of our conversations?"

"Correct."

The young woman nodded. Her hand gripped her waist, her feet shifting weight onto the other. "Your Majesty..." Corinna's voice trailed away. "No, nevermind, my apologies, Your Majesty-"

The queen sighed. "We are inside your mind, Miss Warren. We can hear your thoughts."

Blushing at her own blunder, Corinna prepared herself to ask her question again.

"Your family is still alive and functioning." Queen Corinna slumped to the side, her elbow on the throne's armrest, using her palm to prop up her forehead. "They have been well-behaved, inciting no incidents of violence or retaliation."

These were not the details that the young woman had wished to hear.

"Then what do you wish to hear, Miss Warren?"

"Are they happy? Please, are they happy, Your Majesty?"

"Are they happy that you have been imprisoned?"

"No, I didn't mean-" Corinna corrected her tone. "No, Your Majesty. I meant their general happiness. Are they happy? Do they still have fun? Is everyone eating all of their meals? Have the children been going to bed at the right time? They get very restless if they haven't been read and sung to-"

"What is the use in knowing this?" The queen rolled back her shoulders and stretched her neck. "You will not be able to remember when you wake up."

"No, Your Majesty..." Corinna considered dropping the subject, but the words somehow fought back against her reason and escaped. "But the me currently, the one that can remember, well... I still find it reassuring to know, even if it's only in my dreams. Please, Your Majesty, are they happy? Is my family happy?"

Queen Corinna tittered. "And why would We know such useless information?" She leaned back on her throne, cocking her head up. "It is such a useless thing to report."

The young woman bowed her head, unable to steel her nerve to counter the omnipotent gaze that lied behind that blank and featureless mask of the queen's. Despite having seen many portraits and pictures of Corinna IX from times before the mask, Corinna imagined demon-like eyes underneath, thin and red pupils, fiery with animosity yet impossibly cold and impassionate all at once. The image was soon erased, in fear of the queen happening to see it, which she undoubtedly did.

"Now, onto matters of importance. The precise reason why We initiated the connection tonight." The queen straightened her back. "You are helping The Chimaera to escape, are you not, Miss Warren?"

Corinna knew that it was futile to lie, as the queen could hear her thoughts, so she replied with the truth. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Have you forgotten that if you escape, your family will be executed?"

"No, Your Majesty, I have not forgotten," said Corinna. "I am only helping the chimaera to escape."

...Fifteen years...

"Only the chimaera."

...Fifteen years...

"I will carry out my entire sentence."

...Fifteen years...

"I owe the chimaera a lot. It has given me shelter and food, even though I was the one that- that prevented it from escaping last time."

The queen shifted in her seat. "Regardless of what happens, the viewers will find it entertaining to watch."

And with those last words, the image of Queen Corinna IX slowly vanished, along with her throne, leaving Corinna alone in the darkness of her mind.

*

Corinna awoke to the sound of hot water whistling. Peeping through the gap between the folding-screen door, she saw the monster standing in front of the kitchen units, cooking breakfast- more of the silver food packets.

Glancing back, the chimaera noticed Corinna then turned its attention back to cooking when the young woman retreated back to bed after being spotted. Once the food packets were ready, the chimaera poured the hot contents into two bowls.

After pulling on her socks, Corinna pushed the screen-door aside and stumbled into the kitchen area. "Hey!" she spluttered, breathless. "I was wondering if-"

But the monster had already gone down into the basement with its own bowl of food.

"I was wondering..." she continued despite knowing it was too late. "If we could eat together..." Corinna finished her question with a strained murmur.

She took her bowl of food, sat in one of the armchairs, and stared at the extinguished fire. Wisps of smoke still lingered, spiralling upwards in a slow dance around each other. As a consequence of looking at the ashes in the fireplace, Corinna's mind confused itself, causing her food to also taste like ashes, bitter and dry despite the breakfast being covered in a sweet sauce. Regardless, Corinna forced herself to eat, scraping the bowl clean, and was grateful for the food she had been given, even if her taste buds were not.