The Feast: Her Point of View

"You understand the plan?" He had asked. "Yes," I had replied. And with that, we parted ways. Did I even realize that "Yes," was the last thing I'd ever say to Him? Probably not. Now He's hunched over my body, begging me to stay with Him. I can barely see Him now. My right eye is fuzzy; my left has gone out completely. The whole right side of my brain…just…isn't…there. How did I end up here? Some things are clearer than others are. He'd better get out of here. Someone might be…

Watching.

Watching her run away from the table with her green backpack. Jealous that she thought of hiding in the horn. Seeing someone else across from me hiding in a patch of trees. Her running out…yes…I remember. Lover Girl. This is her fault. Her fault. Her fault I'm lying here on the ground as my body shuts down. He's holding my hand now. At first, I felt His grip of terror like pins on my hand, but not anymore, it's slowly…

Fading.

Fading away like the pain in my arm from Lover Girl's arrow. She'll pay dearly for that wound. My second knife makes contact. Blood pours. I smell it. It brings out the animal in me. I tackle her, and pin her to the ground. She tries to struggle, to call for help. I jam her windpipe and check for her boyfriend. Nowhere to be seen. I tell her that I promised if He let me have her, then I'd give everyone a show. I give her one more chance to say goodbye to her boyfriend. She instead chooses to spit in my face. The blood and saliva run down my face and it feels cool in the blazing heat.

As cold as my body is starting to feel now. My legs and my arms feel like ice. Trying to send signals to them to move sends a heat wave down my spine that stops at a place it shouldn't. Why won't it move to my arms or legs? Everything's freezing...

Up.

Up is where I find myself, in the air in the arms of a mammoth, a beast. At first I think it's Him, but it turns out to be someone else. Someone I had forgotten about. The Other him. The Other him throws me on the ground, screams at me about how I killed the little girl. Who is the little girl? I didn't kill her. Did I kill her? I don't remember now. All I can remember is trying in vain to crawl away from the Other him. The Other him and his giant stone. I scream for Him, but He is too far away to save me from the Other him. The Other him's stone flies towards my head and…and…

And here I am. He's sobbing now. Regretting ever leaving me alone. Or is he afraid? He knows that this is the end. Do I know this is the end? I don't know what I don't know anymore.

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I lose all feeling in my limbs.

My breathing quickens, and then begins to slow for good.

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

His cries of, "No, Clove, stay with me Clove!" start to fade away, even though His mouth still moves. He starts to grow fainter in my vision, His figure replaced by an endless wall of black.

And if I die before I wake,

The cold that has overtaken my arms and legs moves up towards my head.

My heart stops.

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

And I am gone.