Page 7 of Eat Me Alive
“Will you not speak to me?” Her voice trembles.
I lock my knees and stand. I feel myself towering over her. I see her shadow, barely, below me. With one last bit of my energy, I snarl at her. She knows I am not jesting. I am angry at her, but I am also humiliated at what I have become.
My arms are spread apart while human-made chains hold my weight. These damning reflective glasses face me, catching sunlight that’sburningme. I can survive much longer if not for these…things. I used to see my own failing form on those mirrors before my vision wasted away. It had been hard to watch, and for this, I try to be thankful for my lack of sight.
The fury in me is ugly, but there is nothing else to feel when all these humans have done is destroy what we have. What once was the glorious Esoterra has now become an infested wasteland. I know Sateva is only trying to help. There’s no malice in her intent, and even if she had not done what she did—chain me to keep me “safe”—I might have done the same to myself. I should not be so hard on her.
I am in pain, parched, I do not owe anyone my kindness, I convince myself.
I feel her prodding at the thing the humans had crammed into my slit. A suction to collect seed, they had told us.
“You do not have much anymore.”
It is a punch to my gut—being emasculated so unintentionally. So easily. It is much worse that she does not say it to slight me. It’s the simple truth. The humans have wrung me dry.
“I have sought help from outside.”
I do not like this. Fear grips me once more.
“What help, Sateva?”
“You only speak to berate me, Datu?”
“What help?”The ground shakes when I ask again.“Did you lead more humans to me?”
“You are unwell. You have been muttering nonsense.” Her eyes shine with worry. “Every male is gone while you are in constant pain. I must do something.” I hear her crying, and I want to hold her, to apologize.
It is an awful situation. I never meant for our relationship to be so strained. “I have no choice, you are going to die if we do not seek help.” She reasons.
“Thishelpis the death of us!”The winds wail my torment. I am…devastated. More humans to trample on my land.
“Calm, Datu! I beg of you. We cannot have any more earthquakes.” She raises her voice and the grip I have on my emotions falters.
My dais shakes, and I feel the wood around us creaking, groaning with my rage.
“We were never meant to be seen by them.”The wind roars.
“It does not matter. I have sought help from Ingar…he is good, Datu. He is not like the others. I trust him.”
“You cannot trust humans.”I am weak from my burst of emotion that my knees buckle. My flesh stretches like rubber, pulling the chains to keep me upright.“You have been tainted, Sateva.”
“He has voyaged Dreigg’s passage forher. For you. He will help us. All I need you to do is open the island’s jaws and let them in.”
Her.I am unsure who speaks of.“You ask too much of me.”
“I do not want you to die, Datu.” I feel her kneeling in front of me, and she clutches my ankles, pressing her face to my shins. Her tears sink into my skin. “You are all we have left.”
The stone in my heart cracks and I fold into her. I cannot reach her, but she knows what I need. She embraces me as she sobs. The wind whispers words of reassurance, but I feel it…change is coming, but not the one I want.
“Everyone is gone. It is just us females, and we starve. I have learned much from Ingar. It helps stave off the hunger.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and back away from her hold.
“I will open the gates for a condition.”I am resigned. I cannot live like I am right now. This is not how it should be.
“Name it, and you shall have it.”
“The humans will be sacrificed to the Cinder Tree after I am well.”
