I woke up the next morning. But I wish I hadn’t.

Before I could stand, I was bent over, puking my guts out. I guess I owed my body that. I should have done this yesterday, but my body let me get some rest.

I didn’t stop at round 2. Nor at round 3.

Two maids showed up and cupped their mouths. One of them said, “I’ll fetch Master Trent!” and the other immediately looked for cleaning supplies and a cloth to wipe the floor.

Trent showed up and rushed to my side, gently putting his hand on my shoulder. “That’s it. Get it all out.”

“Trent,” I said through my puke breath.

“Hmm?”

“Where’s the chief?”

“Oh, you won’t be seeing him today.”

“Why not? I wanted to ask h—”

“Because your punishment for all the damage you’ve caused is still in order.”

I forgot. Fuck.

* * *

My body stopped puking after a while, and I lay in bed for about an hour. But at the first sign of my improving health, Trent dragged me away. He went out of the house, past the huge lake into the residential area for most of the village which I’ve now dubbed the workers district.

We stole looks from people as they stopped working, but only for a moment, as Alster had always gotten in trouble and Trent was always disciplining him, so I’d gathered. Nothing out of the ordinary… until Trent drew two fingers and his mouth and whistled. People stopped sweeping around their homes, trimming lawns and trees, and painting walls, to look our way.

“Everyone. I’d like to make it clear that Alster did something terrible yesterday. And he is here to apologize.”

Trent punched me to speak.

“Uh, yeah. I sort of broke someone’s window with a rock, and then I left late at night and some, uh… knights stopped me and brought me back. I’m very sorry.”

Trent shook his head. “Do you see the complete lack of remorse in his apology?”

Huh?

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

He continued. “I’m ashamed to call him my son. He has inconvenienced us all too many times. So today, I’d like to invite you all to blow off some steam.”

He whistled and called for Arthur, who also lived around. Once Arthur came, Trent whispered his plan into Arthur’s ear who immediately went to fetch something from a shed. It was some big wooden platform with three holes, one big enough for someone’s head and the other two for their arms.

Wait a minute. I recognize this thing from a movie.

It was a pillory. Were they going to make me go in that? I refuse!

No sooner was I trying to run away, than Trent grabbed my arm.

“Despite our success with delivery, I know there’s a substantial amount of tomatoes that didn’t make it. Please, hit my boy with everything you got.”

Arthur opened the latch to the pillory and lifted half of it, and pushed me down, closing it back. The wood was rough and splintery. My arms got bloody from just trying moving slightly.

Damn you, Trent! I’ll never acknowledge you as my father!

Arthur and some workers gathered up a crate of rotten fruit, most of which were tomatoes. Though many hesitated, a few people were eager and first in line to grab some. That included Olsted and some others I didn’t know. Ten in total—looking at me like hungry lions. Olsted aside, just what had Alster done to piss these people off?

Olsted struck first. His tomato burst on my head. He smeared it all over my face with his hands and stepped aside. Other villagers threw it on my arms, legs, and back.

People started laughing.

Being humiliated like this made me livid. The rotten juices got in my eye and smelled like ass. Wait, what was that?

Fuck! There’s a bug in that one! It’s crawling on my face!

I couldn’t move to get it off. The slimy body slithered across my face.

“Just wait till I’m out of here. I’ll get all of you back for this,” I shouted in fury.

Trent raised his hand to stop the throwing and lifted my head up with a solid grasp on my chin. “Listen here, Alster. I’ve had enough of your attitude. This is my last warning. If you don’t shape up, you’re out of my house.”

I spat on the ground.

Half an hour later, I could no longer see. The tomatoes were all over my face and I was unable to move a finger, much less wipe myself off. I could tell this event really brought the community together, though. What was originally a gathering of only around twenty, soon attracted a few hundred. Some people started singing and someone started a competition for who could come up with the best name for me in stocks. I was the red-stain bandit.

Most of them left feeling refreshed and ready for the day. And it was all thanks to getting to hit me with rotten shit.

Eventually, as the village started getting back to normal, I stood there, bent over, with bloody arms. My anger had evolved. I no longer wanted a quick revenge on the villagers and Trent. I wanted a slow burn, something that wouldn’t die out as quickly. And for that I’d need a cool steady head to draw out my creative juices.

This place could burn to the ground for all I cared.

Trent and Arthur released me but didn’t dare touch me.

“Alright, Alster. I think you’ve earned yourself a bath. Go to the lake with a pale bucket and rinse yourself off. But don’t jump in. You’ll kill all the fish with that stench.”

Trent also said something about needing to talk to the chief, so he left Arthur in charge of me. After I’d gotten myself clean, I was to start working the fields along with everyone else. When I first arrived yesterday, I’d pitied everyone for having to move crates all day long. But it wasn’t until I started field work that I realized they’d had it easy.

Trent said I was going to be doing it all day for at least a week.

I needed to do something.

But first I’d get clean. I couldn’t think with all this muck.