Page 13 of Eat Me Alive
Oh, shit, are those her ribs?
“They’re skin and bones.” I whisper to Sunny. “I’m starting to think we’re food.” There’s no humor in my tone.
Her brows furrow in confusion. “I thought we were here to repopulate the species?”
My gaze slices through the crowd. Female. Female. Female. Every single one of these plants look feminine with those identifiable curves and delicate platings.
“Why do you say that?”
“Oh, I read a lot of botanical books…?” She must have realized she said something she should not have.
“That doesn’t make sense. Spit it out, Sunny.”
She holds her hands up. “I read a lot of sci-fi monster smut, okay? It’s typically how this works except we’re not in outer space."
Her words aren’t clicking in my head. I don’t understand her. “What?”
“Fantasy and sci-fi romance reader?”
My frown deepens as I slap a palm over my forehead. Frustration leaks out of my pores. “Sunny, this isn’t some romantic bullshit. Get your mind out of the gutter.” I hiss before turning away, marching over to Ingar.
I should feel awful at the way I just treated Sunny, but it’s ridiculous she’s romanticizing the disaster we’re in. Ingar’s plantgirlfriend is all over him, nipping his chest. She looks…hungry. When she sees me, she glowers.
I skid to a halt, not wanting to get eaten.
Ingar notices this and runs his hand over her deep fuschia hair. Affectionate.
“It’s alright. She’s a friend. She’s the one who’s going to treat your brother.” He reassures her.
“Datu,” she croaks. “His condition worsens by the day.”
She talks!
I can’t hide my surprise at this. “Where is he?”
“He is in the heart of the forest. He is stubborn and refuses to find other ways, and now he is dying. He is convinced it is the only way us Terra can live.”
They call themselves Terra. A whole sentient species of plants. Despite the nightmare this has all been, I’m still stupefied that this is all actuallyreal.
I just nod despite my confusion. I’m antsy and full of nervous energy. I need to move. “Take me to him.”
Datu
My thoughts are tumultuous. I cannot remember the last time my sister brought me water. I can barely remember the nights that go by, but the days, I remember all too clearly. The critters come and go, not even sparing me a glance.
My mouth is dry, lips cracked as I attempt to lick them. It is no use. There is no more moisture left in me. The slats of reflective material—used to capture the sunlight that peeked through the thick forest canopy—is tilted my way. It is my constant tormentor. I cannot see, but I know it is there. It always is.
I feel the pull of the Otherside. I am so close. It is a harsh reality to think what had once been my source of strength has now become my death. My sense of smell has been rendered useless, but my hearing is sharper than ever.
There is a thrumming so much like my own somewhere. It is faint, but distinct enough that I know it is not Sateva. It follows a sporadic rhythm that I lean into it as much as my manaclesallow me.
Somewhere in my focus, there is a rustling of leaves. It gives me hope that everything is not as dry as I thought. My belly growls, loud and insistent.
“Be of care, there are serpents as big as you are here.” I hear my sister’s voice. She has come back to water me with another person. From the sounds, there is more than one person.
A spurt of strength allows me to lift my head. I strain my eyes until I feel the sun burn my retinas. Has Sateva brought someone who can help me? Is this the human? She does not sound like how I imagined… She is soft-spoken and timid. Familiar.
“Let me get this straight, you bound him so he wouldn’t go dormantandsafe from the females?” A soft voice asks.
