It was Kookee. The big shaggy alien pet of that red Maeleon, Kur’tok.
Did my rational brain recognize that? Yes.
Did it matter? No.
Because my mind was on fire, I fucking screamed and ran away as if my life depended on it.
Terror soaked through me. I acted on instinct alone, more fear-driven animal than man. Running in the opposite direction, I crashed through the dense foliage, pushing desperately past ferns and low-hanging branches in my attempt to flee. Blood pounded in my ears. My own haggard breaths sounded terribly loud.
It was dark. I didn’t know where I was going exceptaway. But as the seconds passed, and my brain caught up with my body, I slowed down.
Kookee wasn’t a threat. Kookee was a big, lumbering fuzzball who ate fruit and slept and farted.
My legs burned as I stopped running, hunched over and panting hard.
“Why… are you… so stupid?” I muttered to myself. “You’re afraid of a… freaking… cute furry animal!”
Then I realized Kookee was pretty far from home. It should’ve been safely in the village, not all the way out here by itself.
I chewed my lip harder. Was it my responsibility to lead it back? For a second, I entertained the possibility of not getting involved. That was the easiest option. But if I did nothing, and Kookee wandered off and got lost, or worse, I’d feel awful.
Sighing, I turned around and walked back in Kookee’s direction. When I saw the huge beast munching on leaves, a wave of relief washed over me. At least it hadn’t wandered off while I was running away like an idiot.
“Okay, big lug, let’s get you back home,” I said.
I patted Kookee’s dense, silky fur with my glove. It probably felt amazing on bare skin, but I wasn’t about to expose myself again, not after that near debacle.
Just as I gently turned Kookee around, I heard another crashing sound—and it was heading straight toward us.
I froze.
This thing was loud. And unlike Kookee, it was fast.
Oh, just kill me now!
My first instinct was to abandon Kookee and run. Again.
But even I had a conscience. If I let poor innocent Kookee get hurt while saving myself, I’d be torn up over it for the rest of my miserable life.
There wasn’t time to think. In a flash of inspiration, I grabbed the nearest stick on the ground and brandished it in front of us like a baseball bat. It wasn’t going to defend us fromshit. It was more of an emotional support stick than anything else. But at least it was something.
In the blink of an eye, the foliage exploded, and a lithe purple shape leaped out. I screamed and whacked it over the head milliseconds before my brain caught up with my muscles, and I recognized the lithe purple shape of Farr’vye.
4 /Farr’vye
My intention was notto stalk Assistant 23. Truly.
But I did not resist my impulses either.
After he told me to leave, I kept my distance from his hut. It never left my line of sight, but I remained far enough away that he could not see me watching.
Staring.
Wanting.
After hours had passed, his front door quietly cracked open, and he crept outside into the darkness. I remained still and silent. I did not want him to know I was still watching him. As Assistant 23 walked in the opposite direction, I battled the urge to follow him.
It was exceedingly difficult.