Page 44 of Citrine

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Wroahk

No matter what I'm doing, no matter where I am, my attention always returns to the female.

I've watched her sleep for the second night in a row yet the storm in my mind has yet to stop raging. It's doing nothing for my raging thoughts to be so near her, but the expression on her face when she sees me approach is something I've never seen.

I want to see more of it.

As I approach the grassland, I see she's now standing, like she's waiting. I can't stay too long on land, yet I cannot leave her here.

"Good morning!"

Her voice is high pitched, making her fumble through the clicks of my language. My grasper twitches with the desire to insult her, but I keep it still.

Her tone and body say she is happy, but it doesn't feel right. Like it's a trick.

She maintains her distance from me, and I can see every tense muscle in her body. She can't run far from me, but it doesn't mean she isn't going to try if I frighten her.

Why should I care? I won't have to expend much energy catching her. I don't respond to her greeting, though I do I wonder why she's excited.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a great day! I've already eaten and I'm ready for a little chat."

"We cannot stay here," I immediately say, trying not to prolong my time on the surface.

"Why not? It's nice here, and I have found a way to make myself comfortable after my arm started healing. Look, I made myself a littlebed." She points to the base of the large tree and I see a rough compaction of the grass, mashed together like they'd been pressed on.

She looks proud of her ridiculous nest.

"I figured since the grass doesn't hurt my skin, it's fine if I create a little sleepingbagfor myself. Anyway, why don't you want us to stay here?"

"I'll dry up."

Her eyes drift down to my tentacles as her mouth forms a round shape. She puts her grasper to her chin, and I can see that she'sthinking. I'm tempted to just toss her over my shoulder and take her with me, but I cannot hurt her.

"Okay, let's go! It's not like I can say no to you, anyway. I'm just happy to be here with someone," she says, her face not looking like it usually does.

Is she lying? Yes, I think she is, but I don't understand why.

Sometimes she is very angry, and it seems real. Sometimes she is very happy, and it feels like a trap.

What would motivate her to lie about being happy?

I reach to carry her since she's very slow, but she moves out of the way, fear flashing across her eyes for a moment before her happy face trap is back. I retract my grasper and let her walk behind me, listening to her little gasps and mumbles as we head to the lake.

Much to my annoyance, I now must watch over this fragile thing constantly because it will die from not speaking.

Is there anything that won't kill it?

We settle along the shore on opposite sides with me watching her from the water. She nestles on a small stretch of sand and my upper body is slightly above the water. Her mouth hasn't stopped moving since we decide to move to the water.

"It's funny that the last face I saw before I woke up here was mymother's, begging for herloverto still be alive. She birthed meyet I was less important to her than thehijo de putathat beat on her every single day," she scoffs, anger brewing in her eyes.

She calms herself with a breath and continues talking, although I really wish she would stop.

"Maybe the reason I went to visit her that day was because I hadhope,faiththat the female mypadreoncelovedandcherishedwas still in there, somewhere. He was such a goodman." Her voice changes again, her face falling.

My tentacles itch, but I pay them no mind.

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