“Where are you going?” he asked, arching his neck back in a reptilian motion. It exposed the smooth scales of his throat, and they gleamed in the sun.
“Home,” I barked.
His reply was excited. “I’ll come with you.”
Cold anxiety closed in around me like a block of ice.
“No,” I said sharply. “No, thank you.”
In my hurry to escape, I stumbled and dropped my fruits.
I made the snap decision to abandon them. I couldn’t spare the precious few seconds to bend over and pick them up. If I did, Farr’vye might catch up to me.
Crap. And I was hungry, too…
But avoiding this awkward social interaction was more important than eating. I broke into a stiff jog back to my hut and slammed the door.
Not two minutes later, there was a chipper knock announcing Farr’vye’s presence.
2 /Farr’vye
Out of all thehumans in the village, Assistant 23 was definitely the strangest. He was not like the others. He was shy, deeply nervous, and skittish.
And that fascinated me.
After Assistant 23 dropped his food and ran away, I picked up the fruits he’d left behind. He would be hungry tonight if he didn’t eat. I knew I had to help him.
As I walked toward his hut, situated in the furthest corner of the village, I couldn’t keep a smile off my face. Our first conversation had gone better than I expected. He’d actually spoken to me! My efforts were rewarded not with simple one-word answers, but an entire conversation. I was glad I’d taken the risk.
Ever since Assistant 23 joined the village, I’d always been curious about him. He was so different from the other humans. But he was painfully shy, like an insectoid that buried itself in the dirt and lived under a rock, scurrying away in fear when you lifted their hiding spot.
I was compelled by him. I wanted to examine him. To know him.
But most of all, I wanted to see his real face.
A low thrum of desire pulsed through my feelers. The idea of stripping his clothes back fascinated me. I wanted to crack open his shell and see the soft parts of himself that he kept hidden.
I had always been a curious individual. Perhaps too curious for my own good. As a youngling, I’d been scolded for pursuing knowledge in… less than kind ways.
As an adult, I knew better. I didn’t want to hurt Assistant 23. The idea filled me with great displeasure.
Yes, I wanted to keep him safe. I simply wished to know what wasinsidesuch a unique creature.
I reached his door. I knocked.
A frustrated groan sounded from the other side.
“What do youwant?” he cried.
“You forgot your fruits,” I replied brightly.
“Leave them outside.”
“They will rot or become infested,” I pointed out.
He huffed. “They won’t! I’ll take them right after you leave!”
“Why will you not accept them now?”