Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 92-

Day: 121

Days Left: 5359

Lives Saved: 0

Corinna shuffled around under the duvets trying to find the most comfortable position. She had been doing so for hours now, attempting to go to sleep but something was preventing her. It was the conversation she had with Rin. No matter how hard she tried to shake it off, Rin's words returned and as did all the doubt. Corinna had talked about her family quite a lot. Had she been sickening everyone with that topic? She recalled back how many times she had spoken to Harmony about them. It was no wonder Harmony went to the Land of the Lost every day by herself; she must have gotten tired of listening to Corinna about her relatives.

Shaking away those thoughts, Corinna moved onto her back then felt something jolt and groan on the other side of the bed.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Corinna asked.

"Couldn't get to sleep either," replied Harmony.

"Something on your mind?"

After a pause of hesitation, Harmony rolled over to face Corinna. She looked away as she mumbled, "how do you go outside every day without your mask?"

"Well... I guess since I haven't had a mask, I don't know what I'm missing."

"Are you not afraid?"

"Of course, I am."

"Then how do you still... if I didn't have the hope of regaining my mask I would've just stayed inside all the time until another one arrived."

"You would?" Corinna swallowed. "Should I have been doing the same?"

"I don't know..." Harmony gazed off into the distance. "This area is safer than most, fewer prisoners, but still, being maskless makes you a huge target." The young woman gazed back at Corinna. "I mean you haven't run into anyone on your way of meeting me."

Corinna hesitated, gazing down. After gaining a pinch of courage, she told Harmony about her encounter with the amphibian, how it hadn't attacked her.

"You could have been hurt, Corinna," said Harmony after hearing the story. "I knew I should haven't left you by yourself."

"But I didn't get hurt." Corinna sighed, already regretting telling Harmony anything. "It... they thanked me. They didn't hurt me."

"They're erratic, unpredictable. One day they're calm, the next they attack anything on sight." Harmony paused, seeing the pouting face of Corinna. "Please, don't try to approach them again. You never know what they'll try to do."

"I still think that they might not be as dangerous as you believe they are." Corinna paused. "They are probably just lonely. All they needed was to be shown some kindness, some compassion. This world is so desolate and lifeless, to spend your sentence all alone..."

"Okay..." Harmony breathed out. "I get what you're saying. Just be very cautious. Keep your weapon close." She smoothed the hair on Corinna's head. "But there are still other prisoners out there who will do you harm." Her hand paused over Corinna's cheek as if considering something, but then retreated back. "You'll be going to Ivette's as usual tomorrow, right? I'll walk you there and back. I promise I won't be late again."

Corinna wriggled underneath the sheets, tucking her legs close to her chest. "I'm not sure if I'm gonna go..."

"Why not?" asked Harmony, discerning an underlying sense of unease in the young woman on the topic.

"Rin and I had a bit of an argument." Corinna wrapped her arms around her legs in a tight embrace. "I don't think she wants to see me anymore."

"After one argument? Was it about something serious?"

Sighing, Corinna glanced up at Harmony. "I... I'm not sure if you could call it 'serious'. I don't think I did something serious..."

"Then why do you think she doesn't want to see you again over something not serious?"

"A lot of my relatives argue and fight. Most of the time they make up, but a few hold grudges over something small for a very long time. Since our house is so big, they're able to never have to interact with each other for years."

"And you think that's going to happen with Rin?"

"The Eternal Abyss is larger than our house... it's possible. Though I might have to see her during food drop-offs-"

"I meant... do you think she'd hold a grudge? Do you believe this argument is something that cannot be fixed?"

"I-" Corinna stuttered, tears forming in her eyes. "I made her cry. I don't think I've ever made anyone cry before. I've always tried to avoid it..."

"Because you were worried that someone would hold a grudge against you and never speak to you again? Just like some of your family do?" Harmony wiped away Corinna's tears and stroked her cheek. "Everyone gets emotional now and again. Everyone cries, sometimes over something serious, sometimes over something trivial. If we all shut out all the people who made us upset, then no one would talk to anyone. We... forgive. If the matter between you and Rin isn't serious as you believe then surely you can make up. I don't really know her very well, but she seems rather logical, not the type to hold grudges over something non-serious."

Corinna nodded, unsure if her face was flushed from crying or from Harmony caressing her cheek. "Do you... do you find it annoying when I talk about my family?"

"I don't find it... 'annoying'-"

"But you hate it, right?"

"No, I don't hate it. I'm... envious. I don't have any of my memories. I'm not sure if I have anyone waiting for me on the other side, any family, any friends. But you still have most of your memories, and you wrote a lot of it down. Even when your mind eventually forgets, you'll still have them in your notebook."

"It's okay. I'll stop talking about them-"

"No, please don't do that. Talking about your family helps you remember, right? I don't want you to forget them. Besides, ever since you got here, I've started making my own happy memories to get me through." Harmony laughed. "Though I doubt I'll be able to fill a notebook like you. But, I think I might start writing them down, so when things are looking... dark, I'll have something to lighten everything up."

"Harmony..." Corinna wiped away the last residue of tears from her eyes, then smiled. "Thank you..."

The two women soon fell asleep, locked in a comforting embrace that neither wished to break.