NOVEL NEXT Chapter 110: Poor Beans
I woke up to the smell of Ostpoor omelettes. I had fallen asleep on the sofa.
“Well, someone’s finally up.” Marmar stood over the stove and gave me a quick glance. She was in the kitchen, which in the trailer was only two steps away from the sofa.
“You’re up.” I was impressed that she could function after the way she drank last night.
“Ah… Oh, I always wake up early.” She smirked. “And I’m always good in the morning.”
“Hmm… Is that so…?”
“Yes, that is so,” she mimicked me. Now get up and get dressed. “We have another busy day.”
“Right…”
There were mushrooms in the omelette. I chewed on it and stared out the dirty window. I could see the top of the big tent, the cages lined along the side, and the rides in the distance. And I didn’t realise I had eaten the last piece until she took the plates off the table. “Why don’t you head on over to the coop. I’ll catch up.” She suggested putting the plates into the sink.
“To gather the eggs?”
“Yeah, for what else?” A condescending tone layered her question.
“Right…”
So, while she cleaned the plates, I strolled over to the Ostpoors. I ducked into the dome and climbed the wooden runway to the big doors. I took a deep breath and pushed open the doors. The monsters were inside, sleeping peacefully. “Okay, let’s see…” I rolled up my sleeves and shoved my shoulder against a giant bird. It didn’t budge. “Fuck…” I put every ounce of strength I had into it, but the bird went on snoring. “Dammit.” Since I couldn’t move them, I decided to crawl under them… “I’m going to die. Oh, god, I’m going to die… Goddess…” There was nothing underneath. It was empty. So I crawled back out, repeatedly muttering, “I’m going to die…” When I stood back up, I was covered in hay. There were 22 more nests to go through…
Thankfully, Marmar showed up when I was under the third one. Though she wasn’t happy to see me.
“What are you doing?” She stared down at me as I crawled out of an Ostpoor nest.
“What does it look like?” I sassed, having had enough of her bullshit. I managed to get one egg.
“Don’t give me that tone, girl.” She shook her head but helped with the rest of the Ostpoors. “When did I tell you to gather the eggs, girl? I told you to wait.”
“You did?” That was news to me.
“Here, go on, get it.” She tipped a sleeping Ostpoor and pointed her wooden hand at the egg underneath.
“Hm, alright. Thanks…”
After the Ostpoors’ eggs were gathered, she said, “I still gotta fill their feed. So why don’t you start milking the goats.”
“Okay,” I huffed, exhausted.
***
She came to get me on her way to the birdcage. “Not done yet!” She blabbered.
Dammit, I thought, but answered, “Almost done.”
“Well, make it fast.” She shook her head and leaned on the fence door.
My mind was lost in my plans. I needed to get close to the twins, not waste time milking goats. I needed to figure out the location of their trailer and map their daily routine, so I could coincidently run into them. Over and over again.
“You’re going to spill it, girl!” Marmar screamed. “Where’s your head at.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Sorry, don’t buy you milk.”
“Right…”
***
We fed the birds, and I went over to grab the burlap sack when she smacked my hand and said, “No. We only feed the Amphipteres once a week.”
“Oh, and we fed them yesterday.”
“The long-legged elephants?” Everyone knew of the amusement park’s long-legged elephants. Anyone who entered the amusement park would see them walking around every now and then.
“Yeah, we have to clean them every week.” The hinges of the hatch squeaked as it fell open. “The customers don’t like it when they’re dirty. They complain, and we’re the ones who get in trouble, so always be thorough.” We climbed into the storage container.
“Okay…” I nodded along.
It was dark in the container. The only light came from the opened hatch. Marmar explained, “We keep it dark, so the rabbits get fat. They have nothing else to do but eat.” There were cages stacked on top of more cages. Each filled to the brim with fat bunnies. On another corner, it was the same, but with monster beetles. “Grab one of those,” she pointed. “We still need to feed the Starsling.”
“We feed the Starsling every day?” I grabbed one filled with fat beetles.
“No, three times a week.” She threw greeny foods into the rabbit cages. “We just need to give them enough. They’ll store it away for the week. The Amphipteres’ll take a few days to digest the stuff we fed them yesterday. Just follow my orders, and you’ll learn.”
“Okay…”
***
“Beans, Silva wants to see you,” Reem blocked her path.
“Wha!?” She almost dropped the tray she was holding. “What? Why?” Her lips quivered. They all feared Silva.
“I’ll take this.” Reem took the tray from her hands. It was filled with a customer’s order. “Nia’s waiting outside for you.”
“But why? Why me?” She moaned.
“Go now. You don’t want to make Silva wait. You know how angry she gets when people make her wait.”
“Ah, ah…” She trembled. “Okay,” she gulped and moved toward the door with clammy hands.
Nia was waiting outside by the exit-nostril. “It’s going to be hot today, isn’t it?” She made a pleasant remark about the weather when she saw the suspect.
“Ah, yeah, I guess…” Beans took a nervous glimpse at the wispy clouds above them.
“Let’s go,” Nia motioned with her head. “Silva and Kan are waiting.”
“Kan? Reem’s fiance?” She was confused. “What’s going on?”
“Hmm…” Nia studied her. “You really don’t know.”
“What?”
“Well, then you’ll be cleared up quick.” She smiled.
“What’s happening?”
“You’ll learn when we get there.”
“O… okay…” She followed behind her with a pounding heart and a shivering spine.
Nia knocked on the metal door, and Silva’s voice came from within, “The door’s open.”
“Go ahead,” Nia held open the door for her. And as soon as she stepped in, she closed it.
“Beans?” Kan wasn’t expecting one of the waiters to show up. “What are you-”
“Down,” Silva spoke into her black ring.
The curse was activated. Beans fell on the floor, writhing in pain. “Aaaawwww!”
“Stop!” He screamed. “It’s not her!”
“I see…” Seated behind her messy desk, she watched Beans’ agony with a cold smile. Her elbows rested on the wooden surface. She pulled and pushed the black ring on her middle finger, playing, and lagging to take action.
“What are you doing!” Kan became anxious. “I would’ve recognised it if it was one of the restaurant staff!”
“Fine. Curse, stop.”
The pain vanished, and Beans stopped screaming, though she did continue to groan for a little longer…
“Why would Reem think it’s one of her cooks,” he growled, biting his thumbnail in frustration. “Let me see the list. I knew I shouldn’t have left it to her.”
“Hahaha…” Silva laughed. “She is an idiot, isn’t she.” He frowned at Silva’s jovial response. “Right. Right. I should’ve asked Nia to show it to you. Beans, when you step out, tell Nia to come in.”
“Huh?” She began to regain her sanity. For a second, she saw red.
“Huh?”
“You can leave. Or do you want to continue receiving my love?” She brought the black ring close to her lips again.
“Ah, no! Please.” She pleaded.
“Go.”
“Yes!” She yelped and rushed to the door.
A disoriented and frantic Beans fell out of the trailer and onto the ground.
“Hm, I guess you were telling the truth,” Nia commented and helped her to her feet.
Kan showed up at the door, right behind Beans. “Let me see that list!” He yelled. “I can’t believe you’d bring over Beans. I’m sorry, Beans.”
“You want to see the suspect list?” She helped Beans dust off the dirt on her pants.
“Yes!”
“Okay.” Nia agreed. And told Beans, “You can go back to the restaurant. If Reem asks, tell her you were cleared.”
“Ah? Huh? Oh, okay…”
“Good.” Nia smiled and entered the trailer and closed the door behind her.
“What the hell was that!?” Beans screamed through her teeth. Unlike what Nia had said, she didn’t learn a thing. She was confused going into the trailer, and she was confused coming out. Dishevelled and traumatised, she scurried away from the trailer, back to the restaurant.
***
On top of a grassy knoll sat two long-legged elephants. On their backs were baskets big enough to carry 2 or 3 humans. There were two women beside the elephants; one was shaking in her boots, and the other was petting an elephant.
“What did she want you for?” The elephant enjoyed the tender massage from its caretaker. The corners of its lips were ever so slightly turned up, and its eyelids were relaxed.
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Her friend trembled. Her dishevelled blond hair made her look crazy.
“She didn’t tell you? What did she say when you got there?”
“Ah… ah… She activated her ring.” Deep fear-soaked wrinkles distorted her face. “She activated her ring the moment I entered. I don’t know. I don’t know.” She trembled. “Then, when I came to, she told me to get out.” Tears began to swell in the corner of her eyes.
“Alright. Alright. Forget it.” Her friend donned a sympathetic frown. “Here comes Marmar and the new girl.”
“Hey girls,” Marmar greeted them.
And I followed her example, “Hello.”
“Thanks for coming.” The calm one stopped petting the elephant, but it wanted more, so it rubbed her arm with its trunk. “Hahaha… This guy always wants me to pet him.”
“What’s the matter with you?” Marmar asked, the nervous one shaking in her boots.
“Ah, forget her.” Her friend talked for her. “Silva called her to her trailer; something’s going on.” She shrugged. “I heard she called over Lina and Beans too.”
“What?” It piqued my interest. “Why? Why are they calling them over?”
“We don’t know,” She shrugged and brushed her dirty-green hair behind her ear with the side of her thumb. “Something must’ve happened.”
“What did she ask?” I bothered the nervous blonde.
“She doesn’t know.” Her green-haired friend talked for her again. “Don’t bother her.” She was bothered by my bothering.
“I mean, didn’t you notice anything? Didn’t Nia say anything?” I couldn’t help myself.
“Ah…” The blonde was frightened out of her wits.
“What did she do…” I was getting nervous. Unlike them, I had a clue as to why they were called over.
“Sheryl, that’s enough,” Marmar warned me.
“Ah…” I took another look at the trembling woman and sighed. “Alright, fine.”
“Is the water on?” Marmar pointed at the pipe sticking out of the ground. A droplet dangled on the tap’s rim.
“Yeah, it should be.” The green hair nodded. “Should I go get you guys the hose?”
“Please.” Marmar smiled.
“Alright.”
The green hair ran off, and Marmar ordered me to fill up the buckets we were holding. “Go fill these up.” She handed me her bucket. Thankfully, they were regular buckets, and I could carry them. “What are you doing! Didn’t you hear me?”
“Ah, sorry.” I was too focused on the frightened blonde. She looked utterly lost. I also began to feel nervous, but I somehow managed to grab Marmar’s bucket and stumble over to the tap.
They would call for me. I knew it. I was certain they’d call me over. But how could they know it was me who snuck in last night? I left no evidence. In my head, I ran over everything I did in the cellar. I left no evidence. Did her boyfriend see me? No, I was sure of that. My mind was filled with questions. Did they have someone with mana tracing abilities? I felt myself getting a headache. Though I kept a calm face for Marmar, I was panicking inside! What should I do!?