Chapter 8

**Acacia Point of View**

Three weeks.

It has been three full weeks since I thought I saw a shadow of a person in my room. After that night, I never saw something like that again but that does not mean it was a very normal three weeks period.

For the past three weeks, I've been plagued with weird dreams. I could neither stay awake completely not sleep dreamlessly. The dreams followed me every night.

Weeks of being locked up can do that to a person. That was the logical reason I came up with for the whole level of sufferings I've been going through.

Alone and locked up with nothing to do or talk to, my wits have started to go deranged. No matter how many times and how many ways I tried to open the main door or just any door that can lead me out of this damn place, nothing worked.

My window was still open, all thanks to heavens. A few days ago I did try to climb down from the window and collected all the bed sheets and long cloths I could find. By the time I returned to my room to do so, all the cloths I gathered in the basket were gone to God knows where.

I then knew I'm not assuming things when I thought I was being watched.

The past weeks all I did was explore and re-explore. By the time I finished going through the whole castle for the first time, I noticed that I was able to go into all the rooms except for one room on eighth story that I am currently on.

Unlike my first observation, there weren't just four rooms on the floor, there were actually five in total; of one I couldn't open. Being on the far end of the north wing covered behind an unusually large pillar, I did not notice it in the first.

It was only when I was re-exploring for the fourth time did I notice it.

The room has no locks though. The doors are the same as for every other room, carved with their emblem. Only, the carving on this one stood out. Although the emblem is the same one, the carving method itself was slightly different.

It was much deeper, nicely engraved and every line stood out so prominently that the room itself was special.

For a moment, I thought that whoever was keeping me here must be staying in that room since the room seems to be locked from inside but over past few days; there was no hint that proved my theory.

There was heck no sound or anything that came from that room or from outside that room.

"This is going to be a very long life." I told myself. I sighed at my tedious terrified life wrapped with mysteries and held my head in my hands.

The morning has been tiring like every other day from the past five days. I fell sick for whatever reason and have been vomiting nonstop from five days.

I picked the water glass from the table and took a gulp when I felt a little dizzy. Looking at the result my hard work drenched in my vomit, I stood up to clean it.

With a wet rag, I cleaned the whole tea table and threw the sheets of paper that I was working on as they are of no use now.

I have to draw them again.

When I found nothing of familiar language to read, I found large yellowish sheets of paper in one of the study rooms on eighth floor. It was definitely not that kind of paper we find in these days. They looked more like parchment type sheets along with which few feather quills and a type of ink were found beside.

One can never understand the joy of finding them in my situation. If it weren't for them, I would've gone insane long back. So from the moment I found the ancient style stationary, I started to use them to draw sketches of buildings and blueprints.

After my exploration of the castle and other establishments from my small trip, I got many ideas. However, I know for one that I would never be able to use them anywhere in future.

But designing itself helped me stay sane.

By the time I cleaned everything, another wave of nausea hit me and I ran to the bathroom. Five minutes of dry heaves, I started to worry about the sudden health issue.

It can't be food poisoning. I was always provided with hygienic food and I did not remember overeating.

Must be some kind of allergic reaction!

If only I have my bag with me. I always carry a box of medicines everywhere with me. There must be something for stomach bug.

That noon, I had a very light lunch and went to the study room to continue making sketched. In the time of past three weeks, I made nearly twelve sketches of different methods and designs. Sometimes, it was fusion between past and the present styles while some where intriguing drafts of the past styled establishments.

When late hours of afternoon came by, a sudden thought went off in my mind. Standing up immediately, I went to my room and saw heaps of fire wood near the hearth. Examining them for a few minutes, I went down to the kitchen to find another kind of wood and tools.

In the kitchen beside the hearth, there's a pile of different types of wood used for cooking. Going through them, I chose few lighter pieces of softwood that are easier to handle and cut.

After I separated the wood I need, I went to the shelf where cooking tools are kept. From it, I took out two small knives, one small axe which is much lighter than those heavy one which are used to cut hardwood.

But they are not enough to make wooden designs of my sketches. I need more tools to handle the wood.

"Oh, isn't there a storage room behind the kitchen." I walked to the storage room which is used to store mainly kitchen related items and unused cloths.

I walked and skipped through the unorganized lanes of junk and finally found a trunk of tools. Sighing in relief, I picked the needed tools and gathered everything to the study room.

Well at least I have something more to do now.

For next few days, while struggling with my sudden illness and making miniature designs of my sketches with the wood, my days were much busier and fruitful.

Only, over days, my sickness did not go down and I was getting tired easily. I was getting dizzy and my body in general was getting exhausted easily.

Not to forget, I was unable to eat much. The days felt shorter and nights much shorter.

What is happening to me?

What am I coming down with?

It can't be anything serious, right?

Over the past few days, my food changed. Whoever it was, they were providing me more nutritious and easily digested food. I did not stop working on converting my designs into miniature models.

Out of all the sketches I made, there was one that I really loved and was proud of myself that I was the one who made it. I started to make models with that one.

It took me fifty days to complete the miniature wooden model of my first and most liked design. Fifty days, nearly two months and time went pretty quickly. With some work on hands, when time passed by, I didn't even know.

My sickness was gone after few days of working on the model and over the past two months, I realized I've put on some weight.

Weirdly enough, even after eating less calorie food and working on my feet most of the day, Instead of staying fit, I gained weight with a slightly protruded stomach.

I did not even do anything to gain stomach fat. And to top with that few dynamics of my body and health have been changed.

Although I wasn't vomiting and sick anymore, I easily get tired. My feet started to hurt if I stand more than half an hour. I need to take a rest for several minutes before I could stand up and work again.

My periods seems to have left my body altogether. I did not once menstruated after finding myself on this island few months ago and my periods were never late.

Don't know what is happening to me.

I scoffed when I remember one of those scenes from TV series where a woman goes through same symptoms and finds herself pregnant.

I would've thought that same if I didn't knew better. I would have died of heart ache if I'm not a virgin.

But then again, what other diseases have similar symptoms to those of pregnancy?

It's not like I'm being an obese?

It's not possible. I'm getting worried now.

Puking, exhaustion, protruding stomach, sleepy and easily getting tired, craving food sometimes and easily changing moods.

What might it be that I'm coming down with?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello Sweeties,

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