-Chapter 49-

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Day: 25

Days Left: 5455

Lives Saved: 0

Corinna had woken up far earlier than Harmony, ready to rebuild the wall and the fireplace as soon it was daylight. After eating her breakfast, she changed into an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts, then walked outside barefoot. As the process would be messy, she tied her hair up in a ponytail, exposing the brand on the back of her neck that read 'treason'.

Harmony eventually stumbled out of the tent and wandered outside, finding the young woman digging a small hole.

"You started without me." Harmony pouted.

"Oh, sorry." Corinna paused in digging, resting her arm on the shovel. "I thought you wanted to help build the fireplace."

"Isn't that what you're doing now?"

"I need to make the bricks first."

"How long will that take?"

"Don't know. I've only used pre-made bricks before, first time making my own. And since this soil has a lot of sand in it some of the bricks will break. Have to make extras. Could take most of the day. I reckon I'll finish the wall by tomorrow."

Harmony nodded, a bit disappointed that they couldn't make the fireplace today.

"You can go to the portal if you want. I'll be fine here." Corinna resumed digging. "And I'll have the bricks ready to build the fireplace tomorrow!" She beamed at the chimaera, then placed the shovel down on the ground and stepped out of the hole.

After glancing back at the sky, where the portal was, Harmony returned her gaze to the young woman. "I want to help."

Corinna grinned and clapped her hands together. "Alright! Let's fill up these buckets with water!"

After filling up a bucket with water from the sink, Corinna poured it into the hole, creating a grey sludge. With her bare feet, she stepped into it and stomped. When it reached the right consistency, she sat on the ground and slopped it onto a large plank of wood, kneading it before filling a small rectangular baking tree with the mixture. Instructed by Corinna, Harmony mimicked and filled a second baking tray. Smoothing it down with dabs of water, they then popped the mud bricks out of the moulds and laid them out on the ground to dry. They repeated this process several times.

Harmony often got distracted by the smallest of things and played with the mud with her talons. She was then ordered back inside to eat some food when Corinna found out that she yet to have breakfast.

Once she had finished her meal, Harmony returned outside carrying the record player and set it down. With music, the chimaera was able to finally concentrate on the task, kneading the mud to the beat. Though Corinna had already lost herself in the methodical and rhythmic routine, she no longer felt the strain and weariness as it had been overpowered by the laughter of hearing a chimaera attempting to sing through her fangs and growls.

With the element of fun added to the mix, the time seemed to fly by. Waiting for the bricks to dry out, Corinna and Harmony sat up against the wall of the house next to each other, eating tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches. Their feet swayed to the music, soon resulting in a kicking competition and smearing mud on each other's faces.

Even after having sandwiches, Harmony's stomach growled.

"Still hungry?" asked Corinna

"This form needs more food than humans," replied Harmony.

"Oh, then I can alter the schedule so that..." She paused. That wouldn't change anything. They needed more food. "We should have got more packets at the drop-off then."

Harmony shook her head. "If we had taken any more, then we would have to fight for it."

Corinna lowered her head. If she wasn't here, Harmony would have enough food to never be hungry. 

Returning back to work, most of the bricks had finally dried out. Corinna began laying them out into a square with one side left open.

Frowning in confusion, the chimaera asked, "why are you building it so far away? You're not building an extension to the house already, are you?"

Corinna laughed. "No. I'll get round to that another day. I'm building a kiln."

"A kiln?"

"Yeah, to heat up the bricks, so they're strong and sturdy." She glanced up at Harmony. "Told you it would take some time."

After stacking the bricks into a kiln structure, she plastered it with the remaining mud, then placed some kindle in the bottom layer and set it alight with the cigarette lighter. Corinna carefully positioned as many bricks as she could inside the kiln.

"So we just need to wait?" asked Harmony.

"Nope!" Corinna beamed. "We've got to make a ton more bricks!" She gave out two thumbs up paired with an exuberant grin. "Let's get back to it!"

Harmony slouched her shoulders and groaned. She looked back at the hole in the wall, thinking that she could have easily just boarded it up with planks of wood. Though that wouldn't solve the issue of heating.

"You regret staying now?" asked Corinna, already digging another hole to make more mud.

"No." The chimaera shook her head. "This is still fun."

When it began to grow dark, they packed up the supplies and left the fired bricks outside in a pile ready for construction tomorrow.

Day: 26

The next day, Harmony prepared to go to the Land of the Lost and the rock spire, only leaving after Corinna promised that they would build the fireplace together.

"Don't worry," said Corinna. "When you return the wall will be fixed. Tomorrow we can build the fireplace."

Harmony ruffled the young woman's hair, then left, heading to the Land of the Lost. Corinna watched until the chimaera's figure disappeared before beginning digging a hole. Once again she mixed the earth with water to create mud which she slathered on the ground, then placed bricks on it, stacking them until they formed a wall.

Using the ladder, she finished the top, finally boarding up the wall. Afterwards, she had a quick lunch break, then returned to plaster it all with leftover mud. She spent a short moment standing far from it, admiring her work before making more mud ready to create bricks for tomorrow as Harmony seemed to have little interest in that part.

The last time Corinna had to be alone in the Eternal Abyss was on the first day. Though the realisation frightened her, she remained vigilant, the manual labour distracting her fears and anxiety. She was tempted to put on some music as Harmony had suggested but knew that she had to rely on her sense of sound to detect any hostiles in case a monster approached.

Harmony had assured her that no one dared go near the house, as they feared the chimaera. But when Corinna pointed out that the clay golem had broken into the house, Harmony was lost for answers. Regardless, Corinna trusted that Harmony was correct, as she had been living here for almost two years. Still, the young woman kept her spear nearby just in case.

After placing more bricks into the kiln, Corinna turned around to retrieve more. That was when she saw someone standing on the house porch:

A woman with a knife in her hand. 

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Recommended Song for Chapter

Song: Swing Let's Swing

Artist: The Lucky Strikes

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Happy Pride Month everyone!


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