Oaf

The prisoners’ food laid out across the foldable tables made of flesh. The flesh the creatures on all fours were made of. Red and blue veins stretched across their back, even more grotesque when they were not standing upright. The prisoners’ raw food sat on the creature’s spine as another one laying down held their weight like a bench. In an interval a warm gust of wind would brush against Anthony’s legs. The breathing of the creature from its mouth beneath the table. Anthony barely moved his legs. He thought about how he did not wish to have his legs chewed off. No, he would not like that. Yes, he would comply. He would make the monsters' lives easy. He would eat the food, he thought, because he would need the energy to focus on his books. No learning with an empty stomach. No, that would be impossible.

One after another, they walked past the walls made of the same red material. Every building was being refurbished with the monsters themselves as the building blocks. The ceiling littered with the same red and blue veins as with the walls. Everywhere Anthony looked, his eyes would swirl up and down the massive web of veins. The floors were the only part of the building left untouched.

They arrived at the library where they would pick out their books. The only freedom granted to them by the monsters, for the benefit of the monsters. They would devour those who were frail and old, and had accumulated a massive amount of knowledge. The rumors said that was how the creatures learned. By devouring knowledge. But, no rumors had an impact on Anthony. Even if it were true, as long as he did what they said, he would live until he was frail and old. The scenery finally changed, only the entrance to the library was made of flesh. He made his way to the biology section and zig-zagged along the shelves, and in the middle of two someone pulled at his arm. “Here,” the man whispered. Anthony ducked and caught on instantly because there was no red in sight. No monster to read their thoughts.

“I have to keep moving,” said Anthony.

The man continued as if no words were said. “I’m going to set a fire at the end of the library.”

How could he be so sure they were undetected? The monsters don’t have eyes, they don’t have ears. How would he know the monsters could not read their thoughts behind the barricade of shelves? Anthony swore he would expose the man. He would think about what was said to him while staring directly at the veins, letting the monsters read his plans.

“Bring me books,” said the man. “I will set them on fire.”

Anthony said nothing and nodded. He walked off and grabbed himself a book on microbiology, and stood near the tables as he stared at the entrance where the red remained. He’s about to set fire to the library, he thought over and over. A few monsters who had contorted themselves into the walls, stretched and compressed their flesh off the walls transforming them into limbs and traveled to the end of the library. He sat near the entrance, so if there was a fire, he would be able to escape. He opened the book to see if anything piqued his interest, if he found anything he might have not known. But before he had the luxury to do so, someone held him in a choke from behind. He was pulled by his neck, making him jump out of his seat. He tried to fight the person off until he saw the knife grasped in their hand. “I’ll kill him!” they yelled. “I’ll kill him and everything he’s learned!” Anthony recognized the voice. It was the man he met between the shelves! He was lied to, the man did not set any fire. “Let me leave,” the man yelled. “I swear I’ll set him free! You can read my thoughts, I’m serious, let me leave and you save one!” The man dragged him out of the entrance, and the flesh from afar talked to Anthony. “We will come back for you,” they said to him. “We will come back for you.” He was dragged through the red halls, past the monsters standing upright like cabinets beside the walls made of the same flesh, and out the front doors where he was blinded by the blue of the sky. Not a monster went after them.

Dragged through the weeds, Anthony felt his body weaken, as if he would pass out at any moment. The man had firmly locked his head and he had no choice but to follow. He must have been dragged for a couple minutes which felt like an eternity, until finally the man let go. He was free. The man ran towards the sunset, soon the sky would shift from blue to red. Anthony waited there for half a minute but the landscape did not change except the shrinking of the sprinting man into the distance. He was kidnapped and must return, he thought. He stood still for another thirty seconds, facing away from the sun, awaiting their arrival, but nothing came for him. He took a step backwards and felt a cool breeze on his legs. Then, he took another step. And, another. He turned his body to face the hiding sun and was persuaded by its glimmer. He ran after the man.