[Dylan]
Somehow, I was able to locate the Omega's quarters after hours of searching. I was too ashamed to ask, and the few pack members I didn't feel so ashamed with looked angry. I was pretty sure I wouldn't get a response from them if I were to ask them any question so I didn't ask.
I was tempted to follow the footpath Avira had followed, and ask her dor directions but she wouldn't be happy with me if I did plus I was beginning to see a chance for us to be friends, and I didn't want to ruin it. I moved away from the Beta's corner, and headed for the Alpha's quarters, maybe I'd see some Omega's, who would be leaving for their quarters now, and trail after them.
Luckily, there was one. An advanced woman who was only a step away from being complete blind and a young boy who was assuming the role of a seeing eye dog. I didn't need anyone to tell me that they were Omegas. The way they were shabbily dressed was all I needed to know that they were Omegas.
I followed them from behind, although I was far from them so as not to arouse any suspicion until they got to the faintly familiar environs of the Omega's quarters, and I headed for the spot I was given by the Alpha's messenger.
By the time I got to my spot, it was already a few minutes before five o'clock, and I was tired. In fact I could feel every bone in my body making a squeaking sound. The pain from shifting coupled with the pain from walking aimlessly for two hours in search for the Omega's quarters caused all my joints to hurt.
I laid the plank, after throwing most of my clothes on it to make it more comfortable, not caring that I was yet to eat a thing since I left my pack. At this point, relaxing my hurting body was much more important than any other thing. Eating can come later... or not.
*********
I suddenly woke up with a start. It was not a nightmare I was sure but I was sweating profusely. My breath hitched in fear, and it had nothing to do with me. Somehow, I knew Avira had managed to get herself in trouble again. I mean managed to get us in trouble again. Just when I thought of treating myself to a peaceful rest, and now this. My eyes travelled to the small sized, dirty looking clock on the wall, and I realized that I had only slept for about twenty minutes.
The panic persisted, and I sat up quickly, rubbing away the sleep from my eyes. I needed to brace myself up for what I knew would be coming any moment. But how on earth did she manage to get into trouble twice just for today? And how can anyone be so merciless to whip another twice in a day?
It was taking longer than usual to drop. The whip, and I wasn't sure why. Maybe the Beta considered the fact that he had whipped her mercilessly only this morning, and had a change of heart. But I was still breathless which meant that whatever was happening was only a delay, and not some rescue. So I waited for the pain I knew was coming, and it did.
"Arghh!" I half screamed when I suddenly felt a sting on my back but I was quick enough to stop myself from screaming enough to be noticed by the other Omegas around me. They had luckily paid me no attention since I got here, and I wanted it to remain that way. The way they acted, it was as if I wasn't here, or like I didn't even exist, and on rare occasions when any of them did look at my direction, they looked at me like I was a transparent glass, and they were looking through me rather than at me.
Whatever she was hit with, it wasn't the same whip with which she was hit this morning, or yesterday, or the days before. This whip had thorns I was sure, and the merciless bastard who welded it didn't care about the person at the receiving end.
I checked my body for marks even though there were usually no marks. The pain I had just received was nothing like I have felt before, so I was surre there would be marks this time but there wasn't, only the lower part of my back burned.
I felt the second hit on my left shoulder, and I couldn't stop myself from screaming this time. Luckily, I already had my mouths stuffed with clothes so that the others around me only heard muffled sound. I waited for the next, with my muscles tightened, and my eyes closed but for a few minutes there was nothing. Only the pain which reverberated in my brain and my heavy breathing which was a result of fear.
When I eventually opened my eyes a few minutes later, every trace of fear was gone, and I was sure the Beta had finished with the exercise.
I looked around me to find the others staring at me with surprise. Although some of them looked away,the others continued looking at me, but it was more like they were looking through me.
I reached for my backpack, and brought out a wrap of dumplings, and a large loaf of bread. I didn't feel like sleeping anymore.
"Feel free to help yourselves if you want," I said aloud, to no one in particular, and pointed at the large loaf. On a second thought, I reached for the loaf, cut a little from it, and threw it into my mouth after which I settled for the dumplings.
At first, I thought they weren't interested in the loaf as none of them said or did anything. Maybe they weren't hungry, I thought, even though I haven't seen them eat anything since I arrived, or maybe they did eat something while I was walking around in search for the Omega's quarters. Or maybe they'd rather starve than accept a loaf from a stranger whose name or identity they didn't know.
But a young boy came by, the same boy who had been a seeing eye dog for the nearly blind woman. His movement was slow at first, and his eyes were fixed on mine as I munched on the dumplings. He reached for the loaf slowly, as if he expected me to take it out of his reach, or stop him but I chewed slowly and looked away. When I returned my gaze, the boy was gone, and so was the loaf.
There was commotion among the others as they struggled against each other to get a share from the loaf but I didn't pay any attention to it.
I put the last piece of the dumpling into my mouth, and laid on the plank now a little more comfortable with the clothes I placed on it, and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep, and wishing Avira would not get us into any more trouble today.
I shifted in the position I was, in search for a more comfortable position, and realized just then that the pain was gone. Every last one of it.
Strange!
"Thank you so much," "Thank you for the loaf," "Thanks a lot," I heard from around me in chorus. Their voices rolled into each other, and it was impossible to hear most of what they said.
I turned towards the other side, and invited sleep for real this time, not sure whether to respond to them or how to respond. They had successfully disrupted my thoughts, and I wasn't sure what I was thinking before I began to hear their voices.