Chapter 4

Lucy woke up in pain, and had Rual sleeping on her body.

'He must've grieved himself to sleep," she thought to herself.

Lucy's wounds had healed enough to stop bleeding. She looked at Hess. Her body wasn't moving at all, and her eyes were still. Lucy had lost the adrenaline she had earlier. A wave of nausea hit Lucy, and she vomited. Reality was hitting her. She killed a person. Lucy didn't consider Hess as an evil person that had to be stopped at all costs. Lucy thought of Hess as misguided by current situations. She wanted to change the way Hess thought, not steal her life away. Rual woke up from the noise that Lucy was making, and ran over to her to hug her, despite her vomiting.

"I thought you died," Rual cried, holding tightly onto Lucy.

"Hess is dead," Lucy spoke in a shocked tone.

"You're alive," Rual responded.

Fear rushed into Lucy's mind, 'How will the villagers react to this?'

Lucy knew they wouldn't look kindly towards a person who claimed to poison their water supply. Now she had killed their leader. Lucy looked around for any witnesses. Panic was causing her heart to race. Her breathing was rapid and shallow. It wouldn't be long, until someone came to check on the situation with village leader Hess. Lucy knew running away would be seen as an admission of guilt.

"We have to hide Hesse's body," Lucy spoke quickly.

Rual thought, and nodded.

"Help me move her that way," Lucy told Rual.

They dragged Hesse's body towards the craw fish traps. Lucy cut off the flesh of Hesse's calves with Hesse's stone knife, and put the meat into the trap. It was thrown back into the ocean. As they dragged Hesse's body, it got lighter and lighter with each piece of flesh thrown in a fishing trap. The body had arms and legs of bone held together by tendons. Hesse's eyes hadn't clouded over yet, and were open. She stared at Lucy and Rual, while her dead body was dragged along the beach. Lucy was afraid to look at Hesse's eyes staring back at her.

"We'll have to wait here for a while," Lucy said as they dragged the body into some tall grass.

"Can't we just leave it here," Rual asked, "We're really far away from the village."

"Someone might see us going back, and go search where we came from when their leader doesn't show up," Lucy responded.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Low tide."

Lucy plunged the stone knife into Hesse's torso again and again. Lucy screamed in frustration as she was stabbing her body. Lucy threw the stone knife into the sea. Rual watched it spin through the air, and splash into the water.

"Do you think I'm a bad person, Rual?"

"She tried to kill you," he responded.

"This wouldn't have happened, if things were different," Lucy spoke with tears in her eyes.

"It's just the way it is."

"But it doesn't have to be," Lucy sighed.

Lucy thought she would be able to get away from the fear and hatred that plagued her former world in this new place. She wanted a fresh start at the least.

"Your problems chase you, when you run away from them," Lucy spoke aloud to herself.

"Are you going to fight them, or give up," Christian asked.

'I'll never give you the satisfaction of seeing me defeated, Christian,' Lucy thought.

"Why are you fighting, Lucy," Christian asked.

"I'll fight for a better world for everyone!" Lucy shouted, "It is time."

Lucy and Rual dragged Hesse's body into the ocean. The holes Lucy had stabbed in it were to prevent gas bubbles from forming, and causing the body to float and wash onto the shore. They walked back home. Rual unaware that Christian was walking next to him. Christian didn't leave any foot prints in the sand.

'Why did you help us, when we were sick from the poison ivy?' Lucy thought.

"I was helping myself," Christian responded.

'Did you prevent Rual's death?'

"No," he lied, "I wanted to watch you suffer."

Lucy knew it was obvious to Christian that she'd be saddened by Rual's death.

'What do you want from me," Lucy asked in her mind.

"I told you, I want your help," Christian responded.

"What are we going to eat," Rual asked.

"We're going to fast for awhile, Rual," Lucy answered him.

'97 Deity Points have been earned,' the system announced.

It was the most DP that Lucy had earned at one time. She looked at Christian for an answer.

"Why are you staring at me," he asked.

'Never mind,' she thought.

"We can't use the fishing traps for a while, Rual," Lucy spoke, "Not until they eat all the bait."

"What about the pickle food," Rual asked.

"I forgot about those, but they're not pickled yet," Lucy responded, "We'll hunt for wild plants and fruits tomorrow."

"Where is our leader," a person asked from a group of people.

"I don't know," Lucy spoke without making eye contact.

"We don't have any food," she said.

"What does that have to do with me," Lucy asked, "Go hunt food."

"Hess gives us food from you."

Lucy realized that Hess had been supplementing the village's diet with her sea food as a way of avoiding the dangers of hunting. Lucy was giving Hess a large pot of food that was too much for one person to eat.

"We didn't find any craw fish today," Lucy lied, they were left in the traps to eat the pieces of Hesse's body.

"It's your fault we don't have any food or water," the woman spoke.

"Go drink from the stream, and hunt and forage," Lucy responded coldly.

"Life was better when Hess gave us large water pots, and food. You ruined that."

"Those water pots were stolen from me. I did all the work of making them, and got nothing for it. The food was tribute to the village for protection, but you all tied us up and tried to poison us to death with poison ivy," Lucy said.

"That was punishment for breaking our rules, and not obeying."

"That rule only exists, because you fear men having any power," Lucy gritted her teeth.

"Men are dangerous, Bone Taker," the woman responded.

"My name is Lucy."

"Where is our leader Hess?"

"I said I don't know," Lucy responded quickly, "Who are you?"

"I am hunting leader, Misha."

Misha stood a foot taller than Lucy, and was very muscular compared to Lucy, who was on the plumper side of the weight spectrum. Lucy stood at exactly 5 feet tall. Misha held a very dominant look as she looked down on Lucy.

"I don't know anything about Hess," Lucy spoke, "If you want something from me, you can trade for it."

"Hess disappeared after you threatened us, where is she," Misha asked.

"I'm not her keeper," Lucy responded.

"What is that," Misha pointed to the scab and dried blood on Lucy's shoulder.

"I cut myself on a sharp rock by accident."

"Where is Hess?"

"I said I don't know."

"I wasn't asking you," Misha said to Lucy, and looked at Rual.

Rual was afraid, and spoke with hesitation, "I don't know."

"Tell us the truth," someone yelled from the crowd.

"I don't know," Rual said in a small voice.

"Where is Hess," the group demanded.

"Leave us alone. You have no proof we did anything," Lucy yelled at them.

"Admit it," Misha demanded.

"No," Lucy yelled.

The group stood off against Lucy, who stood her ground.

"Check her home," Misha told a woman in her group.

A couple woman barged into Lucy's hut, and carried out baskets full of green malachite.

"She's a demon that turned our leader into stones," Misha told the group.

"Are you crazy," Lucy asked, "We mined those rocks."

"I never seen rocks like these," Misha spoke, "These are made by a demon."

"I can show you where I found them," Rual spoke to protect Lucy.

"They don't care about the truth, Rual," Lucy told him, "They want to hurt someone, because they are hurting. They're misguided."

"Lies," someone from the group responded.

"If you'd listen to truth and reasoning, you'd know these rocks aren't made by a demon," Lucy answered.

"She's possessed by an evil animal spirit," Misha told them.

"Demon," Someone from the group yelled.

"Trouble follows you around," Christian said to Lucy.

"Shut up," Lucy yelled, "What do you want from me?"

"Give us Hess," Misha responded.

"I don't know how to give you Hess."

"Give us our stuff back," Misha said.

"You'll accuse me of cursing anything I make," Lucy responded to Misha.

"It's your fault it's destroyed," a group member spoke.

"You blame me for your own actions. I made those things, and they were stolen from me. I never got anything for them. You'll never trust anything I make," Lucy yelled.

"Chase out the demons," Someone yelled from Lucy's hut.

They had lit her home on fire. The group of people chased Lucy and Rual down the beach. They ran until they ran out of breath.

"Stay away from us, demon," Misha yelled.

The group turned back, and Lucy saw they were next to where Hesse's body was hidden. Her heart picked up it's pace again, and Lucy vomited. She never wanted to see this spot again. Lucy needed water to quench her dry throat, but the stream was near the village a mile behind them. Rual was also wheezing for air.

"We have to keep going," Lucy said between breaths.

"Do you want to give up yet," Christian asked.

"I'm not giving up," Lucy growled.

'Plus 13 Deity Points.'

Lucy smiled at Rual, "We'll be okay."

"Where will we go," Rual asked.

Lucy pointed down the beach, away from Hess village, "That way."

They walked for miles. Lucy carried Rual on her back during the night to let him sleep. Lucy walked slower the 2nd night. They hadn't found any fresh water yet. On the third day, after walking over 50 miles they found a river. Lucy and Rual stumbled to the River, and dropped to their knees to drink from it. The water was warm, and they drank til they couldn't. Lucy looked up the river, and saw alligators sun bathing. She pulled Rual away from the water, and pointed towards them.

"Can we eat it," Rual asked.

"They're too dangerous for me to hunt," Lucy responded.

"I'm hungry."

"Me too. Let's look over there for some food," Lucy pointed to the forest.

Rual was used to walking trodden paths, not dense areas of plants. They found some berries that were edible according to Lucy's system. They were beauty berries. The berries were purple, pea sized, and grew in clumps. They tasted gritty, like wet rotten wood with a very slight raspberry/cherry flavor. Lucy and Rual didn't eat very many of them. The raw taste wasn't very appetizing. Lucy found a honey locust tree with large thorns, and broke a couple off.

"Collect wood for making a fire," She told Rual.

Lucy looked around, and found some large grubs. She skewered the wiggly creatures on the honey locust thorns. They were the grubs of red palm weevils. Rual started the fire, because Lucy was unskilled at friction fire starting. The had a fire on the beach, far away from the alligators. Lucy roasted the grubs next to the fire. She dreaded tasting them, but when she ate one, it tasted like bone marrow from a cow. Lucy didn't eat the heads, and spat out the chewy skin. She tried not to think about what she was eating.

Lucy couldn't stay up through the third night, and fell asleep with Rual. The next day brought a hard decision, keep looking for human settlement or stay put. Each had its own advantages. If the next group of people was matriarchal as the last, Rual would have the same troubles. The culture could also be reversed, and women treated as sub-human. Lucy wondered how neutral or polarized the next people she met would be regarding gender rights.

"Have you ever met people from other villages, Rual," Lucy asked, "Besides myself."

"Yes," he answered.

"What were those people like?"

"I didn't talk to them. Leader Hess talked with them. She didn't let them stay near the village. It was a group of men."

"Hess must have wanted to keep strict control over the culture. Meeting men with more rights could have incited dissent from the males of Hess village," Lucy guessed.

"We men chose to stay in Hess village because other places are constantly at war. We didn't want to be forced to fight and die," Rual stated.

"Who told you about other villages fighting?"

"Village leader Hess."

"She could've lied to retain absolute control over you all," Lucy commented, "But people do fight a lot too. It's hard to see the truth."

"What are we going to do now?"

"I'm not sure, Rual. What do you think about finding new people to live with? We could live alone, and wait for people to find us, or keep searching for them."

Rual thought for a moment, "You are kind to me. There should be more people like you somewhere. I want to live with kind people."

Lucy sighed.

Rual reminded Lucy that there is also good in people. She had been focusing on the bad aspects. If Lucy turned her back on the world, it felt like she would be losing part of herself to Christian. She had lost her friends and family, when she was torn away from her former world. Lucy wanted to protect Rual, and prove to Christian she can win against him. Prove humans can be peaceful in adversity. Lucy gripped her fists tightly, and screamed.

"Ah, let's do this!"

"What are we going to do," Rual asked.

Lucy placed her hand on Rual's shoulder, "We're going to find the good in people. We should get moving."

They traveled upstream along the bank with sticks of beauty berries to snack on. They stayed as far away as possible from the water to avoid a potential alligator attack. It made traveling more difficult, because they had to carefully move around trees and bushes. They could smell camp fire smoke after an hour of walking. Lucy told Rual not to run. They had to approach the situation carefully. These were strangers. They watched people while hiding behind brush. Their homes had walls made of dried mud. Lucy estimated they built stronger homes to keep out alligators. Lucy and Rual watched the way the people lived.

"The men and women are working different jobs," Lucy commented to Rual.

"The women aren't yelling at and beating the men," Rual observed.

"They're working together, and not fighting. It doesn't look like they're at war, does it?"

Rual shook his head.

"I think we can give them a chance," Lucy said.

Rual nodded his head, "I think they're good people."

"Let's leave for now."

"Why," Rual asked.

"We're new to them. They don't know anything about us. We should approach them slowly," Lucy whispered.

"Hey!" Rual yelled and got their attention.

Someone from the village ran towards Rual and Lucy to investigate the noise. Lucy felt afraid.

"Over here," Rual yelled, and waved.

"Who are you," the person asked.

"I'm Rual, and she is Bone Taker, I mean Lucy."

"Why does the boy call you Bone Taker?"

"I use bones to make quicklime cement."

"What is quicklime cement?"

"It's a mud that turns hard as stone," Lucy responded, "Who are you?"

"I am Semal," the man answered, "Where are you from?"

"We're from a village towards the east, that way," Lucy pointed.

"Do you know Hess," Semal asked Lucy.

Lucy nodded, and tried not to give any facial expressions, "Yes, I know Hess."

"She let us hunt in her territory, when we were starving," Semal stated.

"Did you go to Hess village," Lucy asked.

Semal shook his head, "We stayed out. Hess said there was a sickness of the spirit effecting the villagers, and to stay far away. Why did you leave Hess village?"

"We- I had a disagreement with the other villagers."

"What happened?"

"I didn't like the way Rual was treated," Lucy omitted quite a few things.

"Why," Semal asked Lucy.

"Men are mistreated by the women there."

"You're a woman," Semal stated, "Why did you leave?"

"We were poisoned by poison ivy smoke to kill us, because Rual carried a weapon inside the village. That wasn't allowed. Men aren't allowed to carry weapons in Hess village. I asked Hess to forgive Rual for the mistake."

"Why did you break the rules," Semal asked Rual.

"He was attacked," Lucy answered for him, "He was scared. He wanted to feel protected."

"What attacked you," Semal asked Rual.

Rual didn't respond.

"What attacked you?"

"Stop pressuring him, he's just a kid, he was really scared by it. Don't force him to talk," Lucy begged.

"What attacked you?"

"Someone," Rual said in a shakey voice.

"What happened," Semal asked him.

"You don't have to say anything you're not ready to talk about, Rual," Lucy told him.

"Someone," Rual started talking, "Someone did things to me."

"What did they do," Semal demanded answers.

"They touched me," Rual murmured.

"So?"

"They put their fingers in me, and called me a bitch-boy."

"Rual, I'm so sorry that happened to you," Lucy tried to comfort him, "Who did that to you?"

Rual hesitated to talk, then spoke, "Misha."

"A real man knows how to fight back," Semal commented.

"Stop shaming him," Lucy yelled at Semal.

The other villagers had shown up.

"Why are you yelling," one of them asked.

"They are from Hess village," Semal told them.

"Why are they here," the person asked.

Semal explained the details to the group. He said Rual was mistreated, and didn't mention the rape to protect Rual's honor. Semal stated that Lucy and Rual fled from Hess village.

"You are refugees?" the person asked Lucy.

"Yes," Lucy nodded, "Who are you?"

"I am Risha. Wife of village leader Semal. What do you want?"

"We were hoping to live in the area, and see if we want to join your village."

"What are you good at," Risha asked Lucy.

"I can make large pottery, and other things," Lucy answered.

"What other things," Semal asked.

"That depends on if I can find metal ore."

"What is metal ore," Semal asked.

"It's a special kind of rock, the one we were using before was green malachite," Lucy stated.

"We have green rocks," Risha pointed to her beaded necklace made of malachite.

"That is metal ore," Lucy told Risha, "I can turn it into copper metal. It's hard as a soft rock, and doesn't break easily. It's good for making tools, including blades."