Claire stood aloof watching the rest of the girls who were scattered around the rice field, but whose words could reach one another without having to raise their voices.
Claire could overhear their discussions. She was in akimbo keeping track of both the words and succeeding actions of the girls.
It was the next day. Literally day 1 of Damien's misery in the dark. There was nothing the girls could do but talk. Some of them had wanted to return to the village of the Cannibals but they had all talks but no action.
Few of them did try and walked few steps away from the fence of the castle, but came back running back saying they heard a growling in the woods. Which they immediately ascribed to the wolf.
Claire neither joined them nor left the position she had been standing on for about an hour now. You could ask whether or not she was tired of standing. She didn't look it.
All she did was look from one girl to the other, picking and weighing every of their words to determine its value?
She got tired of standing and slowly began to walk in the direction of the girls. The girls would occasionally steal glances at her before now. But now, they had the excuse to glare as she approached them.
"It's a prank."
She said, getting to the girls.
"Huh?"
The girls chorused. One after the other, they began to collect into a ring of circle around Claire.
"It's a prank."
Claire repeated. Her face tough and unamused. There were black circles on both her eyes. She passed the night without catching a sleep.
"What's this --"
Allison signalled Jada who had wanted to lambaste Claire obviously. Allison did the asking.
"What's a prank? What are you talking about?"
Claire looked from Jada to Allison.
"All this is a prank."
"All this? And what does that mean?"
That was Mira taking her turn.
"Damien is pulling a prank. Nothing is wrong with him."
"Do you have a dea--"
Laurette was raging already but Allison gave her a reason to calm herself again.
"May I know why you said that? How are you sure that he's pulling a prank? At least we all saw the arrow."
Claire looked from one of the girls to the other till she was tired of looking. A sudden smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"It's obvious. How could he die over an arrow? He's fooling y'all. It's a pity that y'all can't see beyond your noses."
She looked down. When she looked up again, there was a wild smile seeped in her face. The smile came to an abrupt end when she added,
"Y'all are as dumb as ever."
"What the fuck did you just say??"
Laurette lost it and ran to her. A two hot backhand slaps in Claire's face and a sweeping off her feet. Literally.
"This psychotic bitch!!!"
Laurette kicked Claire, who was now lying on the earth, in the ribs. Claire laughed.
"What did you take our silence for?"
Allison walked closer to Claire and Laurette.
"Did you think we were silent because we forgave you? We were only pretending to!!!"
Allison chuckled for no reason.
"And what did you take us for? Fools!!!"
Allison for no reason pushed Laurette away from Claire and pulled Claire up. Laurette wanted to snap, but twitched her face. Postponed to another day?
"Tell me, what did you say? You said all this is a what?"
Claire looked up slowly at her,
"It's a prank."
She repeated. Allison met her face with two heavy and ruthless punches. A tiny clot formed in the corner of Claire's mouth.
"You bitch."
The rest joined in and began to hit her all over her body. Even Ayisha and Mira!!!
"How dare you bitch!!"
"How dare you shoot our benefactor an arrow."
"What's funny bitch?!!!"
"Why are you laughing?!!"
"Apologize right now or we'll beat you to death."
"Still laughing?"
"Die bitch! Die wench!! Die now!!!"
"Please say you are sorry Claire?"
Evelyn had her hands clutched to her mouth crying. She didn't partake in the gang-beating. She was the owner of those last words.
Claire was kicked and hit all over her body, especially in her ribs and stomach. She kept saying the same thing. She coughed blood.
At the sight of blood, Evelyn flinched. She couldn't stand it anymore.
"Please stop, stop... you'll kill her."
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