Chapter 12 - Livestock

"Yo kid wake up."

I feel multiple soft slaps on my face, I open my eyes and notice that im sitting down and it looks like im inside some cell, I turn to look at a guy who looks old enough to be my dad staring up me, i slur some words.

"whaz gon un."

the guy starts laughing hysterically and shouts.

"ah so your alive and well huh kid?"

damn this guy is loud there is no reason for him to be shouting, and besides this guy's voice has alot of gruffness to it, and then i ask him.

"can you please not shout?"

the guys sits next to me and puts his arm on my shoulder and gleefully says.

"come on kid you dont need to be so serious."

I dont say anything, he takes his arm away from me, then extends his hand and says cheerfully.

"the name's Sid, whats yours kid?"

I hesitantly shake his and reply.

Collin, my name is Collin."

we stop shaking hands and then Sid goes from being playful and with seriousness in his voice says.

"kid I hope you are prepared for this hell hole."

"do you know what's going on and why they are keeping us here?"

Sid replies.

"the cult are keeping us here until they are ready, to eat us."

I reply.

"eh?"

Sid breaks out laughing, points at me and says.

"come one kid whats with the expression on your face?"

i ask myself.

"did he just say what i think he said?"

"Did you just say they are going to eat us?"

he non chalantly replies.

"yeah these fanatics eat humans."

i stare with dead eyes at sid and exclaim.

"so those crazies are cannibals!"

sid slowly stands up, then puts his hand on my shoulder and then says smiling.

"kid i like you, your expressions on your face are really the best."

i plead to Sid.

"please stop making light of this and take it seriously."

"well there is not much we can do kid, that green liquid they give us, blocks the flow of our mana."

he pauses and continues.

"the effect of that green stuff lasts for about a week or so, at least thats how much I counted since the two weeks I've been here."

I think to myself.

"so they dont eat us right away?"

even with this information, I wonder how does a cult have something like the green stuff in their possesssion, I then ask Sid.

"the green liquid they are using, isnt that the stuff they use for prisoners with dangerous levels of magic power to keep them from using their magical abilities?"

Sid nods and replies.

"yeah and now these freaks have it somehow."

"how long to they a keep a person here bwfore they get them?

he replies.

"the guy you replaced, was here for about 2 months before they took him away."

i reply.

"so what? we just sit in this cell until we meet our end?"

Sid, was about to open his mouth to answer my question, but then we hear shouting outside of outside of our cell.

"time for food!"

I look at Sid and ask.

"they feed us?"

"yeah that is what you do with livestock."

no words escape my mouth, I'm shocked beyond disbelief, i then give a look of pity to Sid and said.

"its ok to be afraid you dont have to put a tough guy act."

he shoots a scary looking expression directly at me and replies.

"what are you saying kid? who's scared?"

he is still giving me a scary look, but i can clearly see him trembling, I then reply.

"your words and action dont match."

but then he replies seriously

"Im not afraid of dying, im afraid what might happen when they eat me."

before i get to say anything, me and Sid get interrupted by someone wearing all red, with a mask that's painted white, and the man says.

"here you go eat up."

He drops two loafs of bread through the cell, Sid heads over and grabs both of the breads and hands one to me and jokingly says.

"eat up, they need us good and fat for when they eat us."

I reply to him frustrated.

"stop saying scary things so casually."

we finish eating and the same voice from earlier shouts.

"time to sleep!"

I lay down on top of a blanket on the floor, I close my eyes and slowly drift to sleep.