"So… it means a yes," he says, and starts tying my hands and then my ankles.
After finishing me tying, he goes to his bed and lies down. Within a minute, his snores fill the room.
They are so loud, like a lion roaring, and I remain on this hard mattress.
My thoughts take over my reality as I rest my head on my knees wondering . What happened to the soldiers? Will they return, or have they failed to find me?
When I was shouting in the jungle, I heard no response. Did anyone hear me?
With each new thought, hope slips further from my grasp.
No… no, Amira. You have to find a way back home. You can't stay here any longer. But first… I need to rest. I haven't slept properly last night as well.
I lie on the hard mattress, letting out a soft sigh with a sad smile . The princess who once slept on soft velvet sheets, surrounded by silk dresses, is now here—on a stiff, unforgiving mattress, dressed in simple cotton clothes. Life is truly unpredictable.
I close my eyes, trying desperately to drift off, but sleep refuses me. I lie there, still and silent, yet even after long minutes, there is no trace of rest in my body.
I keep turning and tossing on the hard mattress. Hours seem to pass as I try to sleep, yet nothing changes—my body refuses to relax.
A gnawing hunger begins to stir in my stomach, making it impossible to ignore.
I close my eyes tughtly and try to force myself to rest.
I should count to 100 , maybe I'll fall asleep . I start counting silently, one to a hundred, keeping my body still, hoping it will lull me to sleep. But it doesn't.
A frustrated groan escapes me. I sit up, pressing my hands to my head. Nothing is working. NOTHING AT ALL.
I can feel the warmth in my stomach now, the hunger growing stronger with every passing moment.
At this moment, I don't even know what annoys me more—the thunderous snores, the hard mattress, or the hunger gnawing at my stomach.
Richard… the same Richard, I praised a little while ago, the one I respect for being kind and helpful, who protected me today—he is suddenly the most irritating person in the world.I wish I could toss him right out the window. I am now getting really really frustrated.
I shake my head. What am I thinking? He's so good, so thoughtful. He even helped me when I had no strength left. And yet…I am bad mouthing him .
Ugh... But right now, he's driving me crazy. I really don't know what is wrong with me right now . I am just... not myself.
I am getting angry yet the same time i feel pity for him .
My stomach growls which take me out if my mood swings. I remember that mocking smile of Arthur. Ugh… how frustrating all of this is. He was right.
My gaze falls on the apple Richard gave me. I pick it up. I can already imagine that ridiculous, mocking face of Arthur when he sees , I have eaten it—because I get hungry, just as he predicted. And what did I say , I know my appetite. Huh ! But what I truly know? is how to get more and more trouble for myself.
My stomach growls again. I look down and rub my belly. "You always betray me, don't you?" I whispered while pressing my tummy.
I looked at the apple as I have allready accept defeat under my hunger. Just as I'm about to take a bite of the apple, I remember the bananas I had hidden under my mattress. My eyes widens and a mischievous smile spreads across my face. It feels like a small victory—my little triumph against Arthur.
I place the apple back and run my hands across the mattress, searching for the hidden bananas.
I find two and peel the first one, eating it quickly. Still hungry, I peel the second and devour it.
Still?? How am I not satisfied? I swear, it's like I never even ate those two bananas. My stomach feels emptier than before—like a bottomless pit, a big hole that devours everything in sight. What kind of herbs were those?
I search for more banana and grab two more bananas and eat them quickly, but… still, still hunger gnaws at me. What is happening with me? My stomach feels like it's laughing at me, a bottomless pit mocking every bite I take.
I swear, I've eaten four ,four bananas already—how is it still empty? Did those herbs turn my stomach into an endless well?
Determined, I run my hands across the mattress, searching for every hidden banana. I find them all—three in total, big and mighty—and peel the one. I devour the first, then the second, and finally the third, stuffing them into my mouth like a ravenous little creature.
Even as the last bite disappears, my stomach still rumbles loudly, as if to say, Is that all you've got?
I am now about to cry in frustration. How is this even possible? Seven bananas! Seven whole bananas! And yet… my stomach still grumbles, still whispers that it wants more. I glance at the apple.
No. No, I won't eat that. I've already had enough… haven't I?
I lie back down, trying to force sleep, but my eyes keep darting to the apple. I resist. I tell myself to be strong, imagining Arthur's mocking smile, the sharp gleam in his eyes as if he knows I'll give in. But the longer I stare, the weaker I feel. My resolve crumbles. I can't resist any longer.
I sit up and reach for the apple, heart pounding in a mix of excitement and guilt. And then my eyes fall to the floor… to the towering pile of banana peels stacked in front of me. Seven messy, squished, yellow skins—evidence of my own ridiculous gluttony. I stare at it in disbelief. My jaw drops slightly. Have I really eaten all of these?
The sheer absurdity of it makes me pause. My stomach still growls, and I can't help but let out a small, frustrated laugh. Seven bananas… and I'm still hungry.
I look at the apple in my hand. No matter what, Arthur will taunt me later. But , he does that anyway. Right now, I can't just sit here and starve.
huh ! ...Starve?
my eyes widen on my thoughts.
After eating seven bananas, starving is definitely not the right word.
I take a bite.
The apple is sweet, and I like it immediately. In the quiet stillness of the night, even the sound of my chewing feels painfully loud. I try my best to chew slowly and quietly so I don't wake Richard.
But honestly, I doubt he could hear anything over those thunderous snores of his.
I take a bigger second bite and chew normally this time. If it wakes him up, then so be it.
He snores so loudly that no one could possibly sleep peacefully in the same room with him.
No… wait. I shouldn't say that about Richard. He's a nice guy.
My thoughts are already split in two—one part of me thinking of Richard as a kind, helpful person, while the other part complains about him at this very moment because his loud snores won't let me sleep.
Frustrated, I keep chewing my apple.
Suddenly, the snoring stops.
He is still facing the wall.
The moment I realize the room has gone completely quiet, my breathing stops as well.
Did he wake up?
Panic rushes through me.
I quickly place the apple on the floor—only the core, the uneatable middle part, remains now. Then I grab all the banana peels scattered around and hurriedly stuff them behind the mattress, trying to hide every trace of my midnight feast.
Richard's sleepy voice suddenly breaks the silence.
"Why aren't you asleep?"
"Uhmm… I…" The words get stuck in my throat. I have no answer ready.
"Stop making noise. At least let me sleep."
"ME?" The word slips out louder than I intend.
Before I can explain myself, his snores return.
And there it goes again—the roaring sound filling the entire room.
I lie down and try to block the noise. First with the blanket, then with my palms, then pressing my fingers tightly over my ears.
But still… still I can hear it.
"Agh," I mutter under my breath.
I should have told him just now that I can't sleep because of his snores.
But honestly… I don't think he was awake enough to hear anything I had to say.
I keep turning from one side to the other.
Suddenly, an idea crosses my mind. Maybe I should throw the banana peels out of that small window. Yes… that would solve the problem. Then they won't find them here.
But what if they see them in the morning while walking behind the hut?
Still… finding the peels outside would be far better than discovering them hidden under my mattress.
Carefully, I lift the mattress and gather all the peels in my hands. Then I stand up, facing the wall, ready to throw them out through the window.
Just as I am about to toss them—
"What are you doing right now?"
Richard's voice cuts through the silence.
Startled, I quickly crouch down without turning toward him and shove the peels under the blanket. Thankfully the room is dimly lit by a single lantern, casting faint shadows across the walls, so I guess he doesn't see the peels .
I don't turn back. I stay frozen in the same position, barely breathing, waiting for him to fall asleep again.
But then he speaks once more.
"Can't you sleep? Is there some problem?"
I hesitate. How am I supposed to explain my problem right now? I'm just disturbed his sleep, and yet he's asking if something is troubling me.
"You can tell me," he insists.
Slowly, I turn to look at him.
He has sat up now, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. His head hangs low, almost touching them, and his eyes are still heavy with sleep.
"Actually… I… I can't…" The words stumble out slowly. How should I say it? It would sound rude. He's been kind to me, helped me so much today, and he's clearly tired. If I tell him I can't sleep because of him—
"If you could tell me quickly, that would be nice," his sleepy voice says again.
"I… am… I am not used to sleeping… with the sound of snores," I finally admit hesitating and keeping my eyes lowered.
"Do I snore a lot?" he asks.
I simply nod, still looking down.
For a moment, he says nothing.
Then he slowly stands up, his eyes barely open. He walks toward the door, one hand dragging along the wall for support as he moves. Reaching the door, he opens it and steps outside.
The door closes behind him.
Just a moment later, I hear the faint sound of the latch of the door sliding into place.
Where did he go?
A wave of guilt washes over me. He is such a sweetheart, and yet I keep causing him more and more trouble.
I can't believe I'm actually feeling pity… for....my kidnapper.
Soon, I hear knocking on a door. Not the door to this room, but the one next to it—Arthur's room.
Did he go to complain to Arthur?
My heartbeat quickens instantly, and my body stiffens with tension. He could have simply told me to be quiet himself… but instead, he goes to Arthur.
So much for being sweet.
Of course. What was I expecting?
He is still my kidnapper, after all.
What will Arthur do now?
The knocking soon turns into loud banging.
A moment later, I hear the door open.
In the deep silence of the night, their voices carry clearly through the walls.
Arthur's voice reaches my ears first, heavy with sleep. "Why are you here?.....
What are you doing? Why aren't you sleeping in your room?" His voice grows less sleepy with every question.
Then Richard replies, his own voice still thick with sleep.
"Let's sleep together."
"What? No no no . There's no space here for two. And why are you here?" Arthur's voice sounds irritated now, the sleep quickly fading from it.
"We talked about this. You'll sleep with her—I mean, you'll sleep in her room so she doesn't run away."
"She won't. The door is locked," Richard replies lazily. "Here… we can sleep together. Come." Richard added .
While Arthur's voice grows more awake with every word, Richard sounds the complete opposite—more and more sleepy.
"She won't?" Arthur repeats, sounding shocked. "Seriously? After everything that happened today?"
"Let me sleep," Richard says, his voice turning into a fake, dramatic whine.
"Yeah? Then go sleep in your own bed, not here. Ugh… I know why you're doing this," Arthur mutters. "You always liked this room more and wanted to sleep here."
"Well, that was before you turned it into a… a store," Richard complains sleepily. "Look at all these things lying around. Any moment something could fall and crack your head open."
Silence follows.
Richard… didn't complain about me? He didn't tell Arthur anything.
A small smile spreads across my face before I even realize it.
He really is a sweetheart.
Then I hear Richard's sleepy voice again. "Are you sleeping here or not? If not, close the door behind you."
A moment later, I hear the latch of my room unlock.
The door opens.
Arthur stands there.
He looks straight at me.
Before either of us can say anything, Richard shouts from the other room, his voice still full of exaggerated, sleepy whining.
"Hey! Close the door!"
Arthur ignores him and steps inside my room. He is about to close the door when he suddenly looks down at the floor and sighs. Then, without a word, he turns around and walks back outside.
A moment later, I hear the door of the next room close.
"I knew you would do that," Richard says.
"Shut up," Arthur replies sharply.
A smile creeps onto my face at their bickering, but the moment Arthur returns toward my door, I quickly bite my lips to hide it.
He enters the room again.
This time he shuts the door behind him and walks toward the bed, clearly not looking in my direction. In fact, he seems almost determined not to look at me. He adjusts the blanket, shifts the pillow, then sits down like someone who suddenly forgot how beds work.
He is about to lie down when his gaze falls on something on the floor.
The apple.
More precisely—the half-eaten apple.
His eyes move from the apple… slowly… toward me.
The moment I realize where he is looking, and his gaze is shifting towards me. I instantly lie down and pull the blanket over myself before he can say anything.
If I pretend to be asleep, maybe the humiliation will disappear.
But even under the blanket, I can feel it.
That stupid, victorious smirk still sitting on his face.
My stomach drops.
Of course he would notice that.
Of course he would.
Just a while ago I had refused to eat it… and what did i say , I know my appetite. Now here lies the evidence of my defeat on the floor.
Wonderful.
Fantastic.
Not only did I prove him right…
I also managed to make a complete fool of myself.
And now I have to spend the night in the same room with this person .
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
I keep my face hidden under the blanket so he can't see me.
After a moment, I slowly turn toward the wall behind me. The mattress still feels hard beneath my body. As I shift, I hear him turning as well.
For a brief second, I wonder if he is also trying to face the opposite side… just like me.
Despite the mattress still being uncomfortable, the room is finally quiet now. The thunderous snores are gone, and even the hunger that tormented me earlier begins to fade.
A yawn escapes my mouth.
My eyelids grow heavy, the exhaustion of the long day finally catching up with me.
So I close my eyes…
and drift into sleep.