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But he reminds me that as foul as I am, there are some far more monstrous. And it’s not the extremities of their features that make them monstrous.
It’s their temperament.
I wade forward out of the water, staring into his eyes. Outside of the water, he sees a human face on a body atop eight striding tentacles.
“You’re beautiful,” he says, before correcting himself upon seeing my rage. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry. Whatever you need, I can get it for you. Whatever–”
I let him carry on for some time, never bothering to interrupt him. When he’s done speaking, I wade closer.
My food is spoiling.
“I was going to spare you,” I utter to the man as his eyes fill with dread. “But then you spoke.”
Taking two of my tentacles, I grip two halves of him with unrelenting suction, then begin to tear him at the seam.
A golden compass falls from his hand as he dies.
My meal is delightful but overly filling. I fear my eyes were much larger than my stomach.
Scooting forward across the sea floor, I collect the golden coins and trinkets that dropped from the wreckage. When I’m done, the only sign of my wrath, aside from the wrecked docks, is the driftwood that litters the surface.
These dark elf lives were not without meaning. For now, in my lair, I will have a reminder of how terrible each of them were.
3
PENNY
The night sky illuminates my path as I creep forward on the precipice of camp, unwilling to awaken anybody else. The sand beneath my feet encumbers my movement slightly. To stay quiet, I have to exert myself a good deal, planting my toes into the unstable sand and crouching forward with every step.
But once I’m clear and able to find a place of peace and sanctity, my one escape from the harshness of reality, it will all be worth it.
I don’t want to think of what the dark elves will do to me, should they discover me missing.
“Just keep moving,” I whisper to myself. “You’re almost clear.”
I look above me to the stars, which shimmer brightly without interference. I’ve heard that there are places in the world where you can’t see the stars. Nobody has ever elaborated on why they’re hidden, but I would hate to be anywhere where I can’t see them. I am grateful to bask in their glow.
The stars guide my movement, forming constellations that carry me forward against the directionless and uncaring world.
As I reach the point where nobody can hear me, I stand upright, moving slowly through the sand. Occasionally, I still look back over my shoulder to ensure I’m not being followed, but after a while, I feel at ease.
I appreciate the soft crunch of my feet dispersing the sand as it harmonizes with the dull roar of the rushing ocean.
I try to march in pace with the tides, counting the rhythm of my stride.
“One, two… three… four. One, two… three… four.”
I am finally, truly alone. There are no people to cast me a sideways glance, questioning my interactions. There are no men to ogle me and feel me up.
“Finally free,” I whisper to myself, fully aware that this escape is only temporary.
I’ll enjoy a temporary reprieve. But no matter how many times I ‘escape,’ I always have to march right back to the dark elves. I do belong to them, after all.
“Let’s not dwell on that,” I say aloud, kicking some of the sand back into the ocean with my bare feet. As I do, my foot collides with a crell, and I leap back to avoid its claws.
I have to enjoy this time to myself. I can’t stress about returning now.
But being alone… it still feels isolating. Even as I isolate myself from the overbearing sun and from the threats and violence of Malachi, my heart yearns forsomething, though I can’t articulate or identifywhat.
