MHOS Part 31: Lake #1 Cannibal Town

I awake feeling fantastic.. I slide out of the mud hole and give a spin and as I look down the bruise are shadows, the cuts are fine line scars, I bend and flex and my ribs feel amazing. I know I didn't heal this fast in the mud baths last time.. this has something to do with the cannibalism. I owe Alastor a thank you for it now don't I? I get dressed and head up to the surface to find Alastor sitting in the Gazebo sipping on an early morning coffee.

I come out of the water and say "Good morning Alastor, I am going to go have coffee and a smoke then I will begin the search." Alastor follows behind me holding a coffee out for me. I look down at his hand, take the coffee and keep walking. Alastor continues following me curiously as the coffee in my hand didn't slow me down.

I reach Gary and open up the passenger side go grab the compact in the glove box and pull out some pre rolls. Alastors smile broadens and says "Oh I see" as he slides one out of the compact and puts it between his own lips. We walk through the shopping sector and I grab myself a lighter, a cold beverage and a breakfast wrap. We get back to the Gazebo, I go to light the pre roll and Alastor is already holding out a lit match. I take a slow, deep inhale as he lifts the flame to the tip and it begins to glow. He shakes the match to put it out as he take a drag "Lavender?" he asks. "And catnip" I nod. He exhales appreciatively.

We sit on the table top looking out at the lake in silence as we smoke together. He puts his out and says something about thirst and I had him the cold beverage I had already purchased. Alastor looks up at me and thanks me as he opens it and takes a drink handing it back to me. I put it on the table between us and twist the breakfast wrap in my hands until it snaps in half and give him the other half as I begin eating. Alastor looks at me before he takes a bite saying "You really do think of everything don't you?" I take a sip of coffee, tipped the cup to him and said "I didn't think about underwater living meaning no coffee & no smoking." He chuckles as we continue to sit in silence.

I can feel Alastor wanting to start a conversation, and before he gets a chance I slide off the picnic table and dive off the gazebo into the lake below. I head to the furthest reaches of the lake and come across an underwater tunnel with a group of people lined up to jump into it. I swim over and ask "What's this area?" and one of them men in line says it's the underwater expressway to Central Cannibaltown for amphibious people. There is another directly above us on land for the air breathers." New information for my brain to chew on.. "Central? Cannibaltown?"

The man says "Wow you must be really new here. We're in the first ring of hell right now and that's Limbo. Pentagram city is the central city in Limbo where you go when you don't know where you belong. The most powerful overlords have businesses here to let you get a taste of every ring to see where you belong.. when you figure it out, you catch a train above ground, or take the underwater express tunnel if you are amphibious, when you find where you belong. You get dropped off at the central city of your perspective ring in the same basic area. All the rings are laid out in the same basic manner to make adjusting easier. It's also good for the people who travel between the rings for work. Like you" he waves at my entirety "Sirens never settle, they use these tunnels a lot.. like.. a lot.. when you get it, you'll really get it.. the layout is pretty straightforward." he turns around to see the platform empty and says "Well, I gotta go, have fun learning the ropes, and learn these tunnels, they're important for nomads." He jumps into the tunnel and a current sucks him out of sight.

I sit at a table there and grab snacks from a vending machine and call it lunch. As I chew I stare off into the distance and think "When I am not working for Alastor I will explore the tunnels." The landscape between the tunnels and the mud holes was mostly empty looking, but I figure the best way to draw this little man out is a siren song.

I don't say any words I just vocalize.. swimming, spinning, some little ditty about sunshine I used to hear on the radio back on earth.. some distant memory of a song I couldn't put words to.. but I remember it made me happy. Purple is flowing through the water dancing to the happy and more happy people who came swimming out of the shadows to join in, in return. I weave my way through them all one by one dancing with them and having fun. The target was nowhere to be found but I left a crowd of happy people dancing in my wake so I call this a successful outing.

I head back to the underwater Bodega and as I sit listening to the singing coming from behind the caves I smile. I guess hunting doesn't always have to be bloody to be fun. I go into all the little shops and take the time to look at everything. Supposedly it took someone 3 days to search the lake.. but as I am back from the furthest depth minus the tunnels to the other rings of hell, I call bullshit.. Either the last person scammed him or he's trying to lengthen the search time we have together by lengthening the search of every lake. I want this done fast so I decide to sing the Siren song at the entrance of the caves "Come with me my love, you're already mine, swim with me tonight, come in the waters fine" and people start swimming out of their caves.. caressing..

I take note of which caves no one swam out of and pulled a couple to the mud baths with me and the rest followed.. the cheerful dancers songs became sexual in nature and the dance became a swirl of kissing and touching.. reminiscent of the orgy started in the waters of Lust. I admired the scene as people came out of corners I hadn't noticed before to join in.

I swim into the caves no one swam out of one by one taking trinkets in my lovely new tote and set up a cave of my own as I wait for the crowd to swim in a pattern. And as I am gathering I notice that the algae glows a blood red in these waters instead of the blue green of the Lust waters.. and although it's something I noticed, it's not something I need to inquire further about.. Glowing algae is glowing algae and it looks beautiful in the cave I am setting up. My stomach begins to grumble and I head back to the Bodega to see what's on the menu.

Nothing I want..

I head back to the swirling mass of people fucking.. and no target is in the crowd..

I sigh

Turns out not hunting for blood all day makes for a pretty boring day and not eating flesh all day makes for a boring meal. I think I will call it a day here, go to the surface and do some hunting. I can continue searching the lake tomorrow if need be, but he's not here. Those two songs called everybody in and I saw no sign of him.

I get to the surface to find Alastor sitting in the Gazebo in the same spot I left him at breakfast with the mess cleaned up. He watches me swim to shallow waters and walk out of the lake as though it's the first time he's seen another being move before. It was a little unsettling.

"Well?" he asks. I look back at him and say "Nothing. I started a dance party to get everyone in a good mood and ended it with the siren song and sadly skipped out on an orgy." Alastor interrupted "Brash" as I finished with "I searched the entire lake, investigated every store, cave & person and would like to go. Now if you'll excuse me I spent the day doing your thing, the evening is for me to do mine." Alastor follows me back to Gary saying "And your plans for you?" I say "Eat, fight, and fuck."

Alastor rolls his eyes "Brash" he says as he silently follows beside me. I look back up at him and say "Where are you going?" and he replies "To feed you. You are done searching for the day, you love the burger platter at the tavern, and you are still healing despite how much better you think you may feel right now. You'll let me take care of you because I have no use for you if you're dead."

I smirk and reply "Brash" and drive Alastor to the tavern for dinner in a comfortable silence.