Page 49 of Citrine

Now, every part of my body craves her touch again. As new as it might be, it's now an instinct as deep and primal as my need to hunt.

It took all my restraint to not latch on to her and take her down to the depths with me so my newfound discovery will not be extinguished. The only thought that stopped me was that she cannot swim, and I cannot harm her.

Although her constant talking is annoying, she can do it as much as she likes as long as she keeps beingkind. As long as the new world she has introduced me to doesn't collapse on itself, I'll keep listening to whatever she decides to communicate.

Even if it makes no sense.

Still, my mind struggles to accept it. I should drift with the currents, eating and killing whatever comes my way.

If I understood her correctly, she sayskindtouch comes from protecting the weak. The slow ones usually have no option but to starve to death. The moment you stop being strong, your death is almost assured.

This feeling of warmth she gives is pleasurable, but it also weakens me.

If I'm weak, then I will die. If I die, who will stop her from being hurt?

My life has become impossible now. I can't go back to a life where I existed without this feeling of warmth. I wish I still hated her, that I still wanted to fill my belly with her. Now, I have to stay in this shallow, hot water, feeding off bottom feeders to stay close to her just so she won't be hurt.

Her definition of harm is wider than mine. If she doesn't talk, she hurts. If she isn't in the presence of another being, she hurts.

I don't understand it, but I can tell from her eyes that it is true. The requirements of her protection are getting higher, but all of it seems to be worth swimming into the new reality she has provided for me.

It's still nonsense, but I think I'm starting to understand her confusing concept about staying with people. By protecting her, I can have access to her and herkindness.

From her words, it means more than those touches, but I don't know what yet. I can at least understand the concept, when it comes to her touching me.

Is that what she does to others?

No. She will not.

If anyone or anything tries to do that to her, I will have to squeeze them until every bone in their body cracks and the pressure makes them split apart.

I can almost taste the victory bite.

I leave her for the night, venturing deeper into the waters. There isn't much to hunt when the darkness takes over the skies but taking a swim helps me to clear my head and stay focused.

I've been taking more swims lately and venturing deeper than I've ever gone before.

I didn't have any desire to explore the waters I found before I met her. I only went just far enough in search of better prey. When I found none, I stopped searching and established the best and most advantageous territory for myself.

Since it's freshwater, it hardens on my skin and causes drag, but I can still out-swim anything in these waters. I can't hold it properly when I'm on land because it's nowhere near as refreshing as the water in the ocean.

All I can do is endure it until I can find something better.

Until I can find both of us something better.

Venturing deeper into the water, the pressure changes. The number of the Many Teeth increases the deeper I go in and I find signs of their nests everywhere. The droppings they leave after consuming their prey are plentiful, and I can pick up signs of their migration.

It goes deeper, but I don't like the taste of it down there. Fortunately, they're getting farther away from my cave and moving into deeper waters, where the pressure changes.

She won't run the risk of running into the Many Teeth so deep into the trees. I disgust myself by rejoicing in that, but I don't feel as guilty as I used to feel.

The yellow one is mine.

Instead of moving farther downwards and placing myself in the territory of the Many Teeth, I go upward instead. I reach the surface in a few laps and my head breaks through the water.It's colder now. The sky is darkening, yet I can feel something approaching.

Two somethings, both of them running and breathing harshly.

They are strange and I assume not native to this area. I move closer to the shore, careful to not make any sounds.

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