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Though he had made a certain degree of adjustment to the total lack of lighting in the prison, Basil didn’t have to adjust to total sensory deprivation, until now. No companionship whatsoever, with perhaps the daily visit of the guard to bring him the meager food and water to keep him alive, and to check on his binds upon his wrists and ankles to make sure he couldn’t escape.
Basil had made attempts to release his arms and legs from the ties that held them, but the threats of Princess Anise to the guards were enough to motivate them to make sure he could not escape. As a result, painful swelling was a constant with him until they finally adjusted. By that time, the lack of proper nourishment and activity were more than sufficient to keep his binds stronger than he was. Much stronger.
In this highly restrictive state, the only two positions he could find more or less comfortable was sitting with his back to a wall (while he had the strength to get into such a position) then lying on his side.
The only source of light was when the guards came in to check on him to bring his meager mounts of food, and double check his binds. After a number of days, Basil pleaded exhaustedly to the guard if he could have just a few minutes of light. However the first inquiry was returned with no response. Twice more he begged and pleaded, however the next time a guard gave a firm kick to the thorax to keep him quiet. In the last attempt, the guard gave his sympathetic feelings, but explained that Anise or someone whom she sent would make sure her orders were carried out to the letter, and at random times, so there was no safe time to allow him such luxuries.
No more pleas were made.
With all the sleeping Basil had, literally days would go by without any light, as it was not uncommon for guards to deliver his daily grain portion and drop of dew while he slept. Eventually he discovered that this was another of Princess Anise’s orders, to make sure he was asleep before the food and water was delivered.
Sounds were also kept to an almost deafening silence. So in this state of mind, Basil spent all of his waking time with nothing but thinking to preoccupy his mind. Thinking about the hopelessness of the situation, about the sea of blackness that seemed to have swallowed him alive, in such a merciless way. At times emotions of hopelessness accompanied tears and sobbing, which caused his whole body to shake to the point that it made his swollen wrists and ankles virtually burn with a stinging, excruciating pain.
Eventually he was able to adjust. Physically. But from that point on he began a downward spiral of this mental and emotional state. It began with loathing of Princess Anise for her merciless treatment of him, but eventually it lead more toward punishment of himself, finding so many aspects if his life that he felt brought him to this place, and in a state of total hopelessness, anticipating the eventual end of his life in this horrible place. For no one knew where he was, neither friends nor family could help him. No one could.
After long and tireless thought and consideration, Basil finally came upon the focal point, a warning sign to the moment in his life that he felt what brought him to his point. It involved a conversation between himself and his younger sister, Heather.
--
Basil sat on the couch in the family room, with head held in hands from another stressful day at work. More letters from his department heads, demanding faster progress and more expectations put upon him and his team, as well a more setbacks that made deadlines more and more impossible to reach, and then his team itself.
Walking past him, was his sister Heather. She stopped and gave her brother a sympathetic look knowing at least to a certain degree what he was going through, from moments of frustrated yelling that she could hear from the other room, and knowing the relative of one of her brother’s subordinates.
Usually she just walked by, knowing how her brother would react, but something inside of her made her change her mind. Maybe she could find out what was wrong, and if she could help. So without a single word, she walked over to the couch her emotionally distraught brother was located, and sat next to him silently for several moments before speaking.
“Ba- I mean, Riley?” She inquired softly. “What’s wrong?” Heather’s looked at Basil with a longing expression then with a slight tilt of the head. “I know you don’t like to talk about this, but I really want to help, if you will let me.”
No words came from the distraught beige ant for the longest time, but a soft, yet firm inhale broke the silence. “My life is a mess. That’s what’s wrong.” Indigo eyes then look penetratingly to his younger sister. “And unless you know someone who can change the past or knows magic, it looks like I’m stuck. Thanks for your concern.” Head then is returned to its former position.
“Riley, I usually just leave you alone, but it really hurts to see you this way. I want to help.”
“Then don’t look at me.” Comes the cold, sarcastic response.
Heather then sat up and with arms folded, head held high, she states triumphantly. “Then I /won’t/! I’ll never look at you again, Basil Riley Harvestwatcher, if that’s all it takes to solve your problems.” She obviously wasn’t serious, but to add to her feelings, stated simply: “Because I love and care about you that much.”
Basil sat silently for several seconds before he lifted his head to peer unwaveringly at his sister. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Heather simply nodded.
Basil then does perhaps the last thing anyone could have expected from an ant, who was in such a upset, bitter mood. He turned and after putting his arms around his sister, gave her the biggest hug. “Thanks” He manages before emotion overcomes him.
Heather finds she has to hold back her tears as her brother hugs her tightly, and she returns the gesture in like kind. “You’re welcome.” Her soft voice cracked as the tears were finally released.
Basil only felt his eyes water momentarily, before letting go of Heather. “Things have been such a mess since Shamrocks’ death…”
“I thought so.” Stated Heather softly. “He was your closest friend, and that can’t be easy to let go.”
“It’s not. I… I still have trouble remembering he’s gone. I’ve found myself going to his chamber twice before reminding myself he’s not there anymore. I can’t seem to get used to it. I try, but I can’t.”
“You shouldn’t have to. Not yet, anyway.” Thus councils Heather as she attempts to look her brother in the eyes. “Obviously I can’t speak from experience, but I can imagine how painful loosing him was like. And in such a brutal way…”
“Heather, please. I don’t want to remember.” Basil cut off his sister a little harsher than he’d have liked to, but he feels confident that she’ll be expecting that.
And expecting that she did, as hardly a flicker of a response comes as a result, but one final word of thought enters her mind, and must be released like water held by an ant-made dam. “Friends like the two of you should not have been separated. Not like that.”
Younger sister than sat back in the couch, silence overcoming her as well. “But that’s not all, is it?”
Basil finally rises from his position leaning forward before looking at Heather with a degree of surprise. “No, it isn’t. It this lousy job, not that news like that should be of any surprise to you, from all the yelling I’ve made that you no doubt have heard.”
“I’ve heard.”
“I wish they’d just put someone else in that position. I’m not the type that should be in it, not that the ants below me help any.”
“Greenway again?” Comes the matter of fact response.
Response comes quick and sharply. “Again.” A soft sigh is released. “I swear, that guy wouldn’t know the correct end of a digging tool if I didn’t point it out to him every fifteen minutes.”
“Seriously?” States a wide eyed and on-the-verge of laughter Heather.
“No, not really.” Again sighs the belabored Basil. “But he /is/ the most difficult. Not that the supervisors over me help any. The other day, Greenway droped the water supply for the workers, and I’m under strict regulations on how much water I’m to use down there. Well, if my stupid superiors wouldn’t work us so hard, then maybe we wouldn’t need so much water.”
“Then what happened?”
“A few days later I went to the superiors and demanded that our water rations be increased, reminding them that they were the ones who put Greenway in my group, and that they needed to be more lenient.”
“Did they?”
“No, they didn’t. Which really irked me, because they gave me the same response as they always did. ‘We’ll look into it.’ It was just their way of getting me to leave them alone. So I ask this, if I’m such a problem, then why don’t they get someone else?”
“I don’t know” replies Heather with a shake of the head.
“Neither do I.” Stated Basil hopelessly, who then slumped back into the couch, with a scowl on his visage.
More than a minute seemed to pass before Heather asked a question that has bothered her for some time now. “Tell me something. Why did you take the job, knowing you’d hate it so much?”
“Because I got tired of them bugging me about it.”
Heather simply shook her head and did an near eye roll to her brother. “It’s not dad we’re talking about here, and you’re not seven years old…”
“They bothered me every day, twice a day for four months! Shouted Basil so loudly that his voice echoed throughout the chamber.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Well, now you do. Look, Heather, I appreciate you’re wanting to help, but talking about it does nothing to solve my problem.”
Heather remained speechless for quite a period of time, but was reluctant to leave her brother alone. More than anything, she want ed to help. Soon though, Basil looked directly at her and while suppressing most of his irritation of ‘being watched’ looked athis sister one more time. “Heather, thanks. But for the time being, I’d like to be alone.”
Heather then without another word, did just as asked, and quickly departed for her own room, but took one last look at her brother. At the same time, Basil looked up at Heather and when eyes met, Heather left for her room.
--
“I always wanted to be left alone, and now it looks like I’m getting my wish.” Laments Basil, as he lies restrained upon the hard ground, with nothing but the image of his sister in his mind. Tears again well up then roll down his cheeks encumbered at the stinging pain of knowing he’ll never see his sister again. “I’m sorry, Heather.”
The beige ant soon fell into a deep, heart wrenching sleep as nightmare after nightmare came upon him, with images all the same, of friends and family turning their backs upon him, placing full blame to him as to why he was imprisoned.
In the weeks that followed, Basil began to have other disturbing dreams, and to have his imagination betray him to the point that he began to have increasing difficulty in telling the difference between reality, nightmares and imagination. Many were images and dreams of friends and colleagues that told him all his faults and what he did wrong. Even Sienna’s pet aphid wouldn’t come near him.
While an end to life never before now seriously came to Basil’s mind, at least an end to this nightmarish reality was surely desired.
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