Page 84 of Folds
“This vessel used to enjoy gin and tonics, but we don’t have a need for human sustenance. The air is humid enough, and your sun provides so much energy; we’re practically glowing.”
To demonstrate, Sorscelgra extends a long delicate hand across the small table. I’m not sure I see the glow, but I’m nonetheless mesmerised by how beautiful her skin is. Under the bright fluorescent lights of the restaurant, the velvet texture of her skin shimmers with a golden undertone. The softness of her skin is contrasted by her thinness, the bones of her knuckles and wrists forming harsh angles where she is otherwise curved.
I don’t hesitate to place my hand in hers, to feel the warmth and fuzziness. My hands are stubbier and more calloused, and I've spent years chewing my cuticles. The fronds at the top of her floral head flutter at our contact.
“You feel so good,” she murmurs. “We want to touch all of you.”
Butterflies like I haven’t felt in years erupt inside me. This isn’t even a sensual touch, nothing special really, but her words set off a fluttering sensation that makes me squeeze my legs tighter together.
“What would you like to eat?”
As if the world hadn’t been taken over by a hivemind, a waiter comes up to the table just as I’m about to make an attempt at flirting. This is a normal date after all. I order my usual, cutting down the number of starters I would order for a date since there is no one to split them with.
“You’ve mentioned liking human things, but you can’t eat. How do you know what the food tastes like?” I ask, pulling my hand back and taking a sip of my wine.
Her petals curl in slightly. “Well, it’s a part of the process to gain control. All humans are one squishy organism, surrounded by bones and muscles and goop. Once we’ve become one with them, we manipulate the bodies on a genetic level to accept us and overtake evolution. And a part of that is gaining access to their psyche.”
“Is the original person still there?”
“No.” She leans back as my cucumber and peanut salad is placed on the table. It’s stacked high with extra coconut flakes, just the way I like it. “To put it harshly, all the humans you once knew are gone.”
I take a pair of metal chopsticks from the cutlery bucket on the table and begin to eat. So it is just like I thought.
I’m the final girl in those dystopian horror films my ex loved.
I’m the only person on the planet who isn’t assimilated.
I'm the last human on Earth.
A chilli slice catches in the back of my throat at my first bite, and I start to choke. My very short life flashes before my eyes as I struggle to breathe. Average home life, average parents, average dating experiences, average everything. Nothing about my life up to this point has broken the median of normalcy until this moment, and I’m just sitting here eating the same thing I always get.
Sorscelgra, in the form of another patron from the table behind me, pats me carefully on the back while the one I’m officially on a date with passes me a glass of water. I take small, careful sips until I can take an even breath.
Holy shit.
“Do you want children?” I ask, heart pounding in my ears.
“We can’t reproduce with you, but we could find one of the small versions of us to raise if you’d like.”
“No, no,” I wave my chopsticks around. “That’s perfect. I don’t really like kids or babies.”
“Ah, yes, that was our impression of you as well.”
“Do you know everything about me?”
“Most things, but it’s subjective. We can assume your tastes are the same, but they can change very easily. We also want to learn you for ourselves.”
It’s such a strange way to put it. It’s alien and weird, just like them. And for whatever reason the only thing on my mind right now is whether Sorscelgra can kiss. Her face has the shape of a human’s, but there are no lips or nose.
Does that make me a bad person? I don’t feel remorse or dread when I think about being the last woman on earth. The only emotion pumping through my body right now is a lust so strong I’m worried I might start panting.
“Do you want to have sex with me?”
I don’t know why I’m rushing this. There shouldn’t be any reason for it. We are the only consenting organisms around, but normally I wait until the second date before I get this crazy for someone. I want to know them a little better before I profess my undying devotion to them.
“If it’s for the purpose of mutual pleasure and connection, yes.”
“Let’s order a takeaway.”
