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Thoughts of heading back to the library and talking with Franky again had me walking outside as soon as light touched the sky. I packed some necessities for my five-hour journey of collecting mushrooms and tree sap before rushing out the door. I saddled up my equestrus, which was similar to a horse but not as pretty, and took off in the direction I needed to go first. Hot and humid, the thick air had me drenched in sweat by the time I reached my first stop. Luckily, it was an uneventful mushroom picking. The worst creatures came out at night because they hated loud noises and light, but there were still encounters I wanted to avoid during the day.
After shoving the last five mushrooms into my bag, I got back on my equestrus and headed toward one of the rivers I knewhad the healing abilities my doctor customer was looking for. My master had used the water on me many times to fuse my body together and bring life back to the limbs he attached to me. I’d only had to go there once alone, for my arm. It was a highly sought after item but not everyone was brave enough to come out and get it.
Not sure if I was brave or desperate. What if video games still didn't fill the void inside of me? What if things didn't go very far with Franky? He'd learn about me not being welcomed in the human world and block me like the others. If that didn't do it, then seeing what I looked like would.
There were monsters people saw as beautiful, mesmerizing, and sexy. Not me. Never me. Only some parts of me were nice. Maybe they all just needed to see my old master's favorite part of me. The one he saw as perfect. I clenched my cheeks, not sure I was ready to see if anything could ever feel good there.
It did for many in the films I took as payment from a soldier on base when he needed his wounds from a bar fight to heal quickly. They were videos of people being together sexually. He called it porn. I preferred ones involving two men over the others. It's what helped me figure out what my type was too—tall, slightly built, and red-headed. It's what drew me to Franky's profile aside from him being male and on base. He only showed part of his face, was wearing sunglasses, and stood directly in the sun. What I'd give to know what sunlight felt like on my skin.
A loud popping sound came from nearby. All tensed up, I looked around, unsure if I was alone anymore. I had to hurry. Out in the deepest parts of the woods wasn’t safe for anyone, even larger creatures than me. A lot here didn't see me as a monster or a threat. I was eyed as food more than most. It was the human looking form. It was like I didn't fit in anywhere. With a rushed-out sigh, I looked around the river, reaching into another one of my shoulder bags for four jars. I quickly filledthem with water and on the last one, something shot out of the water, wrapping around my ankle. A purple tentacle with spikes protruding out hooked into my skin.
My loud screams pierced the air. Worried I'd attract more unwanted attention, I shook my ankle as hard as I could, using my other foot to kick and stomp on the large limb.
“Get off me.” I stomped down harder to no avail. Breathing through the pain, I reached into my bag and grabbed a knife. With a loud grunt, I slashed at the tentacle until it lost its grip on me. I didn't stop slamming the knife into the thick, purple flesh until it disappeared back into the water. With a sigh of relief, I finished filling the jar and closed it up before I slipped it into my bag with the others.
It's always a close one out here.
Water dripped from the sky. I guess humans called it rain, but ours sometimes burned when it touched you or caused you to be temporarily paralyzed. I pulled a waterproof coat from my backpack and covered my head. With two bags full and one half packed on my back, it was easy to jump back on my ride.
“Let's go, Girl. We gotta get out of here before it comes down harder. We never knew if it could do more than just make us wet.”
I’d rather not wait around and find out.
It couldn't kill us, but I didn't need it to weaken me for other predators either. A little splash of water hit my fingers and a tingling sensation took over as I pulled on the reins tighter. My equestrus went faster as I squeezed my legs around her. I pulled my thighs tighter against her and she raced through the trees, stomping on branches.
“Come on, Girl. We need to at least get to a safe place.”
We weren't going to make it to the library before I lost feeling in my hands and legs—the places that weren't protected from the water.
I pulled her in the direction of a pile of large rocks that had fallen from the mountain in the last quake. They would be safe to hide in until I got feeling back. The last thing I needed was a delay but if I didn't stop, I'd risk not making it to base at all. Before my equestrus could fully stop, I jumped off and used a flashlight to check under the rocks. Nothing was there but glowing wormlies—little, wiggly critters. They were completely harmless and glowed in dark places. Once all the way safely inside, I dragged another large rock in front of the opening.
I wasn't too worried about my equestrus. She had the ability to become invisible as a defense mechanism. As I rested against the rocks, I listened to the rain until it stopped spattering against the leaves and rocks. Feeling was slowly coming back and once I was able to use my legs fully, I got to my feet. Without touching the ground or anything around me with my bare hands, I waited until I was completely out from the rocks before standing up straight.
My equestrus showed herself again and I climbed onto her back, steadying my bags on my arms and around my neck. The ride home was a slow and difficult one with my body being tired. I was still bleeding from my ankle, and all the walking around had my legs screaming at me.
I didn't go to the base after all. Rest and sleep were needed before I could travel again. A little food wouldn't hurt either. I was welcomed home by my trees moving their branches and vines out of the way for me and . . . I guess her name was Girl. I never called her anything else. I let her loose in the yard and never had to worry about her running away. Her species was loyal to the first person who broke her in.
“You did good today, Girl.” I ran my fingers through her mane and took all my bags inside. After setting everything on the table, I stripped out of my clothes and filled the tub full of well-water. It wasn't weird to be naked here. We weren't ashamedor embarrassed like humans. I found them so interesting and wanted to ask Franky so many questions if we ever met in person. Henry got annoyed with my questions, and he only contacted me when he knew of someone looking to make a trade. He was doing it to help me out, but I often wondered if he was getting paid something too. I never asked.
Would someone ever want to be a part of my life without needing something?
The water was lukewarm from the hot day as I climbed into the tub. I washed my body, lowered myself in the water, and leaned against the back of the tub until my skin wrinkled.
I kept dozing in and out. When Ollie nibbled at my fingers, I finally got out and dried off. My clothes stayed off as I moved around the yard again collecting zucchini, carrots, and potatoes from my garden. I didn't wear them when I didn't have to. Darkness fell over me as I was entering my house. There's no way I would've made it to the base and back okay. My decision to come straight home was the best one I'd made in a long time. I was surprised to still be alive.
I locked the door and pulled the curtains shut. Using only candles for light, I grilled my veggies and ate alone like I always had. Once full and ready for bed, I cleaned my dishes and crawled under the covers. I hated how quiet it was in here. It made it easy to hear all the noises outside—as everyone woke up. Some did it screaming or screeching. Others chirped like crickets or bellowed like frogs, but louder.
Music wasn't an option at bedtime. Too loud. I folded the pillow around my head and pressed each side to my ears to muffle the sounds. My hums filled the room as I glanced up at the stars on my ceiling, pretending I was lying outside in the human world, waiting for Franky to join me on the soft grass.
I have never been so interested in a human from the Monster Match app before. Once they lost interest, so did I. He hadn'tstopped talking to me yet though. He didn't care about what kind of monster I was and was looking forward to talking to me again. I couldn't stop thinking about what he’d said either.
“Things could change if I have a reason to keep coming back.”
I really wanted to be his reason. I could be. And he could be my new master.
Five
Franklin
