The sun had been shining down onto the camp for previous four days, and Wayne’s body almost writhed with pain equally thoughout all of them. The three days before the sun shone itself, it had been cold, wet, and rainy. Now, the burning ground he stepped on radiated the heat, feeling as if it were blistering his skin, even more so than the blisters on his fingers and hands. Doing as the stoat had told him days before, whose name he had never gotten, Wayne kept his head low, but he really felt high and dry. The Warden was unusually surveying the Pit himself along with the other members, ambling around at a snails pace, always moving his eyes to different targets. Tomorrow was the next collection day. Wayne wanted to get out.

  “Kevin,” the Warden said, “come here.” He made a gesture with his finger.

  Everyone in the camp still believed Wayne’s name to be Kevin; to Wayne, it didn’t matter what he was called right now. Dropping the pickaxe immediately upon hearing, he walked to their short, tubby master.

  “I’d like to talk to you for a bit... Something about you harassing your team leaders?” Evic was nowhere to be seen.

  “I didn’t harass anyone.”

  “Well then, why is team leader Evic coming over to me, and telling me that you told him to ‘Go fuck himself, and quit being a whining bitch’?”

  “What?! I didn’t say that!”

  “And you expect me to believe someone who has only been here for a week, while the other has been here for years? Evic may be a little dull, but he’s still your team leader.”

  “And you’re just going to take their word for it?”

  “Yes, that is unless you have proof you never said those things?”

  Wayne scoffed with himself. How could he have proof? That bastard of a weasel had been acting like nothing had happened all week, yucking it up with others!

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  “I don’t.” Wayne said plainly.

  “And another thing... I’m gon’na be blunt. Son, you work ethic is bad and I don’t think you’re cut out for it.” Wayne despised him calling him ‘son.’ “There’s plenty of people here who can do twice as much as you in two hour’s time, and over the last week you haven’t improved. I’m bringing this up now because, well, tomorrow’s collection day.”

  “And?” Immediately after speaking, Wayne realized. Am I free of this place? The porcupines didn’t seem too bad when they were here. All of the mistreatment rumors were probably lies.

  “Well... I’m giving ya away. You’re leaving tomorrow.”

  “Alright.” He said matter-of-factly, knowing there couldn’t be much done about it.

  “Not to mention, we just got a new person today. He’s right over there being trained.”

  Wayne looked back to see a large, mangy, oddball-looking rat, who was spouting what sounded like nonsense as Wayne could now hear. Their arms flailed as they talked and talked to the person next to them, the person who was training them. Evic. Wayne couldn’t hel but smile a little, seeing how the person who got him into trouble is now being annoyed beyond wit’s end. The smile went away quickly before he turned to face the Warden.

  “What do I do now?” Wayne assumed he didn’t need to bother doing a good job according to himself anymore.

  “Go back to your axe. I want to see you working ‘til tomorrow.”

  Wayne stepped back into place, his body suddenly aching again as he picked up the tool. His body knew when it would start working again. Even before one swing, he now heard the rat more clearly on what they were saying. Their voice was a nasally, high pitched ramble.

  “That monument no one kno’s where it is? I kno’ wh’re it is! I seen it! There’s words on th’ side of it! I kno’ what they say! They say-!”

  “Will you stop wi’tha blabberin’?! I’m tryin’ ta show you how ta do this! Be quiet!” Evic interrupted.

  Wayne began to work, trying to ignore their conversation, while also focusing in on it. Every eighth word was cut out due to the bang of the pickaxe against rock. He wasn’t really listening. In one ear, out the other. Just new noise to work to. Wayne did notice once Evic was finished, however, that they walked over to the Warden’s cabin in a droopy manner, almost as if they had their soul sucked out of them.