Page 14 of Eat Me Alive
“Yes, he is at the risk of dormancy. He needs sunlight now more than ever.” Sateva responds.
“Wait, how long has he been in the sunlight?”
“Apart from the nights, ever since I bound him.”
“You do know there’s a thing called too much sunlight, right?”
Yes, that’s it…
She is voicing out my doubts. The suniskilling me.
Sateva gasps and snarls. “There is no such thing!”
“Teva, calm down.” Another deeper voice speaks.
A male. Sateva’s human. I want to tear my binds and remove him from our presence. I want to snatch away the female who also has the answer to my safety. If she keeps saying things that displease Sateva, she will no doubt be eaten. I have to protect her…
Indicating their distance, the rustling has now turned into crackling.
“See, look at this. It’s bone-dry and brown.”
“I water him everyday!”
“It’s not enough. What about the surroundings?”
“I—I—” Sateva’s words are stumbling out brokenly. “You do not understand. He is strong. He is the source. I water him so he spreads it throughout the land.”
“But you’re giving him too much sunlight. Water is drying before it can soak in.”
“That is not true! Sunlight is everything to Terra.”
Twigs snap and I am struck again by another ray of sunshine, telling me they have parted the hanging leaves that covered my prison.
There is a pause, then a gasp. “Oh my god.”
I am blind in this miserable prison. A deep groan is the only sound I can muster. As she slowly approaches, a rapid pounding invades my hearing.
Lub-dub. Lub-dub.
What a strange human. She carries with her the sounds of seductive drums.
“Please don’t eat me,” she whispers to me.
“He is not like I am. He will do you no harm.” Sateva reassures her.
The thing in my belly roars as her smell assaults me. I cannot put it into words but it makes my fingers, my toes curl.
“Ingar, he’s fried. Please cover the mirrors. It’s not helping him, it’s killing him.”
“No!” My sister screeches. “He will die without sunlight.”
“Teva,” the male began. “I brought her here because she is good at what she does. Let’s trust her, okay?”
She is sobbing uncontrollably. She fears my death. She only meant to protect me, but did the opposite instead. The human female is correct. The sunlight is becoming too much. I am parched.Fried.
The metal chains have become one with my skin, and when it is tugged, I hiss in pain.
“I’m so, so sorry. I have to slice this off.” She apologizes. This surprises me.
