Tracey and Juan were reassigned to berry picking, and Dose back to shepherding. He couldn’t get over how marvelous it was to be able to reach into something with such a spiny and tangled exterior and pull out these little dollops of fruit. He looked over and saw Tracey.

“How’s it going Tracey?”

“Same soup, reheated.”

There were a few beats of silence.

“Heard there’s going to be mutton for dinner.”

“cool.”

He smiled, “What’s your favorite color?”

“Colors are just ways to differentiate objects so having a favorite wouldn’t make sense. It’s like asking if I have a favorite flavor of air. Or style of water.”

“SSHEEIT” He had cut his hand on an especially prickly branch.

“What’s wrong”

“Well I was reach—”

“Juuuuuuuuuuuuust kidding I don’t give a fuck.”

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He shook his head and threw all of his haul into a basket he made the other day.

“You have to open up to me one of these days Tracey,” and walked away.

“Fuckkkk off you boot gobbling gremlin” Tracey kept cursing under her breath as she was picking berries. Just because she’d been sent here doesn’t mean she had to be happy about it. And fuck Juan anyways.

“Having fun with Juan?” Dose had wandered over with her three sheep.

“I would be if he’d stop trying to “free me” or, “figure me out” or whatever.”

They looked at each other, and then at Juan’s bare torso.

“But he isn’t—”

“Yeah, There are worse things to look at”

They watched him disappear near the town hall. As soon as he came back out towards us there was commotion on other side of the hall, followed immediately by the town hall bell.

“The fuck”

“I don’t know but lets go.”

They dropped their shit and sprinted over to the town hall.

Inside they met up with Juan.

Tracey spoke up first, “Juan? What the fuck?”

“Oh good, you two are here,” he looked at our empty hands, “What, no resources?”

Dose jumped, “S-sorry! I just heard the bell and figured—”

Tracey jumped in, “Don’t fucking apologize to him Dose. Juan? Pull your head out of your ass the bell was rung, we’re here, what’s going on.”

“Well, sure I just think you could’ve thrown—”

Tracey said, “What. Is. Going. On. Juanlian?” with flared eyes.

“Ok, so I sent out a scout to see if there’s anything around and…”

He paused

So Tracey continued, “…and?”

“And he’s all fucked up. And I have no idea why.”