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Grace exited the stall, recalling how bizarre her whole interaction with Uma was.  What the hell did she know?  Why did she act like that?  Is a farmer going to show up just like she said? She mused.  Tracking Uma down and asking her more questions could wait until later; there was too much on her mind as it was.

 As she left the bathroom, she couldn’t help but wonder what Arina was up to now.  Even though she hadn’t known Arina long, she expected her always to be near.  She told herself that I hope she can make some new friends here.  She turned toward the dining room area, where Phoebe cleaned up some dishes.  Upon deciding to head that way, she takes a couple of steps and immediately winces.  Her legs felt heavy and cumbersome while the rest of her body tingled.  A twinge of heat pulsed between her legs, forcing her to stop in her tracks and take a deep breath.

Existential dread ebbed away at the back of Grace’s psyche, threatening to overtake her at any moment if she wasn’t careful.  Sure, she had found her resolve after losing the first match, and she had a new plan of action; unfortunately for her, in reality, the situation, in general, was quite grim. There’s no way I’m getting out of this unscathed, huh? She thought to herself as she placed a hand on her forehead, feeling the slightest hint of unnaturally sticky sweat.  I also have to protect Arina.  Where will I live if I do make it out of Mollusk Match with functioning hands?  What will my life be like? She mused.  The contestants obviously wouldn’t just be dropped back off to live their lives.  They would be in varying states of inhumanity and were all now privy to information on top-secret government activity.

Grace shook her head, slapping her hands onto her cheeks. “Relax,” she whispered to herself.  She inhaled slowly, taking a deep breath before exhaling.  Margaret taught her how to deal with stressful situations years ago.  She opened her eyes and  hesitantly took a step forward.  Much to her excitement, her leg operated like normal.  The invisibl weights dragging her down had vanished for the time being.  She considered this a small victory, pressing forward as she entered the kitchen area.

“Hey!  What’s up?”  Phoebe asked, turning to face Grace.

Grace’s heart rate picked up slightly every time she saw Phoebe’s bestial, crimson eyes and emerald scales.  “Oh.  I guess I’m just killing time right now.”  Uma and Arina currenty dominated Grace’s mental bandwidth for very different reasons.  And, when she wasn’t focused on them, a million other things to worry about would take their place.  Because of that, distractions of any kind were welcome.

“Fair.  Ella is lying down on one of those couches in the lounge,” replied Phoebe, gesturing toward the center of the room.  “Are you looking for Arina?”

Grace’s mind was in a million different places right now; it was hard to focus on a singular task.  “No.  I’m sure she’s just exploring right now.  Just…  A lot on my mind, I guess,” she carefully responded, walking over to the dining room table as she took a seat.  No matter what kind of mental gymnastics she performed, she was unsuccessful in getting her adrenaline to die down.  What is she hiding? There were more than a few red flags all over the Uma situation.

“Yeah, I can tell,” Phoebe replied after a moment of silence.  “Is there anything you need to talk about?  I know I’m not Arina, but I’ll try my best,” she said with a slight smile and a hint of slyness in her voice.

Grace winced, immediately feeling defensive.  “Okay.  Yeah, Arina is my first friend here.  But, that doesn’t mean we’re glued at the hip.”

Phoebe tilted her head with a faint look of confusion before smiling again  “My bad.  I’m bad with humor, so my apologies.”  She took a seat next to Grace and stretched, letting out a loud yawn.

Grace felt a twinge of embarrassment over the way she reacted.  “You’re fine.  It’s not like you did anything wrong; I guess I’m just on edge right now.”  On top of the whole Uma situation, she couldn’t stop wondering what she was turning into.  Her legs disobeyed her occasionally, and she secreted slimy sweat.  What did any of that mean?  Other people had been developing more noticeable animal-like attributes.  Phoebe appeared to be turning into some kind of reptile while Rose had been turning into some kind of rabbit.  But, what about her?

“I think we’re all on edge.  Even those of us with a good poker face and nothing to look forward to if we make it through Mollusk Match.  It’s hard not to feel that way when our captors have done everything in their power to assert the fact that we have no control over our bodies or our lives.”  Phoebe grimaced, staring off into space as if deep in thought.  “I have accepted whatever fate awaits me here, but it still kind of sucks to feel like I’m someone’s pawn.”

Grace nodded, listening to every word.  She was right; it did suck to feel like a pawn with no autonomy.   “I agree that it sucks…  But don’t accept whatever fate Lucius and the other VVIPs have in store for me.”  How could she?  Her most important task was to get out of Mollusk Match with her humanity intact, and with Arina by her side.

“So, umm…”  Phoebe began to change the subject but stopped, trying to find the right words.

“Hmm?” Grace curiously replied.

“That girl-- Uma, was it?  She went into the bathroom at the same time you did.  Did she do or say anything while you were there?”

Just as the adrenaline with Grace started to subside, another surge washed through her body, her hands growing clammy.  “She tried making small talk with me from outside the stall and was pretty nosy.  I basically just told her to leave me alone and talk to me when I’m not in a literal toilet stall.”  She thought that was a believable enough excuse.

Phoebe gave Grace a strange look. “That’s all?”

“Yeah.  What do you mean?  Do you know Uma?”  Grace started to feel defensive once more.

“Oh, no, no…  Sorry.  That sounds annoying, sorry you had to deal with that,” Phoebe insists as she scooches her chair back and stands up.  “I’m going to go check on Ella.  I’ll talk to you later.”  She then waved and trotted off.

Grace couldn’t help but feel there was something off about Phoebe’s questioning, but she decided not to push it further. “See you later,” she said quietly before getting up and walking off.

There was plenty for Grace to ruminate on; she just had to be careful not to drive herself crazy in the meantime.

Grace spent the rest of the day mostly lying around and trying not to lose her marbles.  She was a worrier by nature, so the constant compounding of new information was a lot to take in.

“Everyone may return to their rooms for the evening,” a male voice called from the intercom.

Grace jumped slightly, and snapped out of her stupor as she sat up.  Usually, Yulia spoke with them in this manner, so it was a little odd to hear someone else’s voice.  Finally, she thought as she walked to the elevator.

When she reached the third floor, there was a small hallway with a reinforced door at the end.  She let out a low sigh and walked up to the door.  How was she supposed to get in?

“Please standby,” another male voice called from a speaker on the door.

Grace complied, standing with her arms crossed as she fidgeted.  Were security measures like this really necessary?  They probably didn’t want contestants sneaking onto floors that weren’t meant for their respective group.

The door suddenly unlatched, letting out a mechanical whirr as it slid open.

“Please step inside quickly,” the voice insisted.

Grace walked past the door as it quickly closed shut behind her.  In a few short steps, she was already in the living room of her new space.  There was a couch and some chairs, along with a few bookshelves.  To her immediate left was another hallway. She slowly walked around the room, noticing the sterile white walls and gray carpeting.  At the end of the room, completely opposite the door, there was a tiny kitchen with a refrigerator and microwave.  She grimaced, approached the fridge, and pulled it open.  There were some drinks, and that was about it.  The freezer had some cheap, frozen snacks.  After closing the freezer, she checked the cupboards.  Just as expected, she found cheap foods that could be made with little effort.  “Can’t remember the last time I had microwave mac n cheese,” she muttered, picking up a bright yellow plastic cup.

Grace quickly caught on to the fact that they likely wanted all of the contestants to eat their best meals in the communal space.  Honestly, they were definitely pushing for them to spend as much time down there as possible.  Beyond the couch, chairs, bookshelves, and kitchen, it was pretty barren.  She headed into the hallways, taking in her surroundings as she inspected the walls and floor, which were just as boring as the living room.  Fluorescent lighting hummed overhead, already serving to annoy her. There were four evenly spaced doors on the right-hand side of the hallway.  They were labeled, in order, Phoebe, Ella, Grace, and Arina.  They looked like the standard doors they had in their old living space, which could all be locked from the inside.

“Well, let’s have a look,” Grace mumbled to herself, opening the door to her room.  She stopped and blinked, doing a double take and rubbing her eyes before looking again.  It looked basically identical to her room in the old living space.  A medium-sized bedroom with a bathroom attached.  It only took her a minute to confirm the layout was basically a mirror of their old space.

“Hey!  Is anyone here?”  Arina’s voice called from the living room.

Grace perked up, her heart fluttering as her body grew warm.  “Yeah!  I’m here!”  She insisted, leaving her room and exiting the hallway to see Arina taking in her new surroundings.  “We’re the first ones up.”

“I guess I’m having some good luck then,” Arina laughed.

Grace hesitated, staring at Arina.  She still recalled what Phoebe had said about Arina being in the news.  She would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about how Arina ended up in Mollusk Match, but she still couldn’t bring herself to ask.  All that mattered was who Arina was in the present-- right?  Her thoughts quickly transitioned back to what Uma had told her.  That farmer was really going to show up, right?

“Grace?  What’s up?”  Arina asked in a low voice, taking a small step forward.

Grace snapped back to reality.  “It’s been a really long day; I’m just spacing out, that’s all,” she replied with a slight smile.  “I’m sure you’re feeling it too.  Hey, let’s head to my room for a bit.”  She quickly changed the subject, ignoring the strained look on her friend’s face.

The two of them went to Grace’s room and sat on her bed. The whole time, Arina was completely silent. Grace flopped onto her back and stretched her arms out.  “Ugggh…  I’m going to sleep like a rock tonight,” she grumbled, letting out a yawn.  To say she was overstimulated was an understatement.  Maybe she could enjoy some lightehearted conversation with Arina before bed tonight.

“Yeah…”  Arina quietly responded, staring off into space.

Grace winced.  Was Arina upset now?  Why?  “Did I do something?”  She asked.

“It’s nothing.  Don’t worry,” Arina offered with a strained smile.  “I-- umm…  Did you find anything interesting today?”

“Well, the kitchen is really well stocked down there.  I was thinking of making omelettes tomorrow if you’re interested,” Grace quickly replied, eager to change the subject to something mindless.  “What do you like to eat for breakfast?”



Arina stared off into space.  “Hmm?  Oh-- what was that?”

“What do you like to eat for breakfast?”  Grace responded.  It was later and they were tired; no big deal.

“I guess, umm…  I usually keep it light.”

Grace winced.  That was barely a response, and there was no effort from Arina to keep a conversation going.  It was obvious that her mind was occupied by something worrisome  “Like yogurt and granola?”

Arina suddenly turned and met Grace’s gaze with a strained look.  “Hey, did you talk to Uma today?  Did she do or say anything to you in the bathroom?”

Grace felt an immediate mix of frustration and worry.  On one hand, she didn’t want to be questioned again after Phoebe did so earlier.  On the other hand, she didn’t want to handwave away Arina’s concerns.  “She annoyed me and tried to get into my space, but I made her get the hell away.  I told her we can talk when I’m not using the bathroom if she wants to be my friend.  Other than being annoyed by her, nothing else happened,” she lied.  She would worry about clueing Arina in on the situation if Uma’s premonition about the farmer came to fruition.  She was far too confused and uncertain to say anything yet.

“I-- I see.  I’m glad to hear that’s all it was,” Arina replied with a relieved tone, her smile returning to her face.  She scooched closer to Grace and rested her head on her shoulder.

Grace was relieved to see this reaction from Arina.  “Don’t worry about me so much.  I promise I’ll always be fine,” she said soothingly.  It wasn’t a promise she was 100% confident in being able to keep, but she would try.

Arina gripped Grace tightly, adjusting as she crawled onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her.  “You…  Really mean that?”

Grace blushed, feeling the warmth of Arina’s body against her.  “Y-- yeah, of course.  I want both of us to be safe.”  She ran a hand over Arina’s back, admiring the supple curve of her body.

“I-- I know you would never lie to me or abandon me.  I have no idea what I would do if you did,” Arina muttered, shaking her head.

Grace felt a twinge of concern.  Should she tell Arina the truth right now?  Would Arina get mad if she found out later that she had been hiding all of that stuff with Uma?  “Please just trust me.  No matter what I do or say, it’s because I believe it’s what’s best for both of us,” she said, trying to reassure Arina.

“I-- I trust you, but please don’t keep secrets from me if you don’t have to.”

Grace blinked. Arina’s grip on her tightened; she could even feel Arina’s nails digging into her.  “H-- Hey, that kind of hurts,” she responded.  What the hell was going on with Arina?  Something wasn’t right.

“I’m sorry!”  Arina squeaked, pulling away from Grace.  “I-- I think I’m going to lay down for a bit by myself.  I need to get rid of his migraine.”  She stood up and gave Grace a slight smile.  “I am too tired to function properly. So sorry about that,” she added, offering a weak laugh as she scurried away.

“Hey, it’s fine, don’t worry about--,” Grace started to say in response.  Before she could finish her sentence, Arina had already disappeared, leaving Grace completely alone.

Grace stared at the closed door in silence.  Only the air conditioner’s hum echoed through the stagnant air.  “What the hell is going on?”  Grace muttered, lying on her back as she stared at the ceiling.  Arina was acting strange, and even Phoebe seemed suspicious of her interaction with Uma.  She closed her eyes tightly, trying to find the right choice to make.

Yulia sat on her recliner, watching the monitors with a dull expression as the final group of four girls made their way into Verdant Farm while looking around in awe.  “At least they haven’t taken complete control from me,” she muttered, tracing her finger around the rim of her wine glass before downing the contents.

A guard let Yulia know there was a guest she promptly allowed into the room. An older man with a toothy grin and overalls stepped in.  “Good to see yeh again, Miss Yulia,” he cordially offered.

“Yes, likewise,” Yulia responded before quickly changing the subject.  “Your job as the mediator of the second match starts tomorrow.  I would like you to repeat your duties to me.  You must perform exactly as I need you to.”

“Heh heh…  Of course, young lady,” he cheerfully replied.  He knew it was essential to perform as Yulia expected, regardless of what the VVIPs may have wanted.

CHAPTER END

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