33 The fast-approaching threat

Fifty-eight giggled at her statement, sitting back down on the floor. She took up the flower that Beth had tossed to the side and pulled it here and there until it looked like a properly folded flower. Putting it back to the spot that she took it from, the girl started on another flower. 

"At least they're better off than us." She said, making the first fold. "Though we're all the creator's property, they eat and sleep much better than us." 

Her tone betrayed her longing for that life. Beth knew that the sigh was for the food that the girl didn't get to eat. Servants, unlike the slaves, were given food twice a day and according to the rumors. Their diet included things other than a loaf of bread and the creamy gravy. Her mouth watered, thinking about the possibilities that the position opened up. But she knew that not all servants were lucky. 

There were of course those servants who stayed in the lower town and had the same food as them. The only difference between the slaves and such servants was that the latter had less physically taxing duties to perform. They were those who failed to get selected to serve the gods in any important duties and hence acted as mere messengers or carriers or even cleaners to the E districts, waiting for their turn to get selected all their lives. 

Some indeed were lucky if they waited it out long enough, but some spent their entire lives in the lower town living amongst the slaves. Beth knew that she didn't want to end up like them when she leveled up. She wanted a better life after all the slave labor that she had done with a ten-year-old's body. 

"Someday soon, I'll have all that too." She murmured, turning away from the door. 

"Hmm?" Fifty-eight asked, looking up from her work. 

"What?" Beth asked, acting clueless.

"You just said something." The girl said, looking at her with her big innocent eyes. 

She didn't bother to answer her. Yawning loudly, she complained, "I'm sleepy, ugh."

Fifty-eight smiled, nodding at her reassuringly. "It's okay. You can take a nap. I'll fold more." She said, picking up another colored paper.

Beth nodded and lay down on the cold floor, stretching like a cat. She turned towards Fifty-eight and watched her fold the flowers one after another. Though she was getting tired, she was unable to sleep. Since the last one week, she had always been on guard. When the minor gods allowed both her and Fifty-eight to join the other slaves for decorating the E districts, Beth was surprised. 

She couldn't help but doubt their intentions behind it. It would have been fine if they excluded one of them, but oddly, they allowed the both of them to come along. What worried her most was that One had suggested that Fifty-eight work alone while Beth joined other teams of slaves. But Beth had insisted otherwise and had finally ended up helping Fifty-eight with the flower duty. 

It was now evident to Beth that they were suspecting the girl for the tree incident and not her. There must have been someone or the other who spotted her watering the plants. No wonder that they were looking for witnesses. They must have killed every witness to wipe their slates clean of the incident. It was more dangerous than she thought it would be. She reached out to caress the bracelet hidden inside her pocket. What could she do when they came for her? She wondered, brainstorming heavily. 

"Aren't you sleepy?" Fifty-eight asked, smiling at her knowingly. 

Beth beamed at her companion. "I'm too lazy to sit up anymore." She lied.

In truth, Beth was tired and sleepy. She just couldn't close her eyes, knowing that it would leave the girl in a compromising position. She hadn't warned Fifty-eight about her doubts since she didn't want her to panic. So all she could do was stay awake and make sure that the both of them are safe till the festivities begin. And then, she could drag Fifty-eight along with her in search of the royals.

"Do you know why six is afraid of seven?" The girl suddenly asked, looking at her pointedly. 

Beth groaned. "No. I don't want to hear the lame jokes again."

The girl had gone around all week, cracking such silly jokes around her whenever they were together. She was getting more and more used to Beth being around her most of the time and was getting comfortable around her- enough to bring out her weird side. 

"Because seven ate (eight) nine!" Fifty-eight said, laughing to herself.

Beth turned away, rolling her eyes. But there was definitely a ghost of a smile on her lips. She too had gotten used to having Fifty-eight around, though it was a headache most of the time. As she turned, her eyes scanned their surroundings. Her expression suddenly changed, spotting something outside the door. 

She quickly looked away, not wanting them to notice that she had noticed them. Three was standing outside the building with another minor god- one of those who she had overheard that day while she was cleaning. Their eyes were glued to Fifty-eight and appeared to have been talking to each other hastily. Her heart throbbed against her chest rapidly. 

The moment that she dreaded was fast approaching. She glanced quickly in the direction before averting her eyes once again. The minor gods were not there anymore. She was sure that it was because of her being along with the girl. Beth prayed that she would get more time before they decided to act. She looked outside the room. 

There was not much sunlight that was lighting up the common room of the building anymore. The servants had started to light the candles placed around the room outside the one they were sitting in. She spotted the free minor god who owned the place, walking around, inspecting every nook and cranny. The bell would soon ring for the festivities to start. She needed to keep the girl safe at least until then, Beth thought, licking her lips nervously.