Page 66 of Citrine

"Gills? I have gills, Wroahk! I'm a fish? No, no, no. This is… This is…"

"You don't look quite as weak anymore."

"Seriously, Wroahk? Seriously?"

I don't really see why she's panicking. It is strange that she woke up with an extra body part, but she's a strange thing. Nothing surprises me about her anymore.

She falls to the ground and scratches at it, yellow eyes red and puffy. I sit by her, feeling a new emotion rise from my gut. I have no word for it, I just know I am feeling it toward her. It is not... unpleasant.

She suddenly screams again but this time, she runs behind the large tree in an instant. My tentacles reach around the tree and bring her back out, dangling her upside down by her limbs. She looks disgruntled but I wait for her to speak.

"I wasnaked, youdolt!"

I don't understand her words, but I hear the rage behind them.

"Put me down right now, Wroahk!"

I release her and she falls to the ground. She yelps as she falls and glares distastefully at me as she rises back to her feet.

"How veryrudeof you! I should… oh, never mind! I forget you're an alien sometimes.Menare all the same!"

"I am not the same as you."

She grunts and dusts herself, still glaring at me.

I reach out for her again and pull her closer, tracing my grasper over the bumps on the side of her chest, now hidden under her black layer of extra skin.

I prefer it when it is brown. The bumps feel rough and irregular against her, but familiar to me.

First, she stole my voice. Now, she's stealing parts of me.

"How can you steal my body?"

"Do you think I want this? I am now breathing through my torso, which last time I checked, isn't exactlyhuman."

"And you are…human?" I ask skeptically.

"Yes, I am… I was… I don't know anymore!"

She screams again, wriggles out, and starts moving around me and mumbling.

"Oh, mygosh, how will I ever be able to go back toEarthnow?! In amagicalworldwhere they rescue me, I'll be poked and prodded by thegovernment.I'll be turned into alabrat. Alabrat, Wroahk!"

"You sound concerned about that."

"Isn't it concerning?"

I have never seen emotions expressed so freely in a living being as I've seen in her. Her eyes, her nose, her mouth, and her entire body move with her change in emotion.

It's fascinating.

"I know you're nothuman, but I swear, you're just like amanwho looms over awomanwhen she's changing atire, telling her it's wrong but not offering to do anything. That stupidsenioritycomplexthat doesn't benefit anybody!"

"What's aseniority complex?"

"It's you, right now, assuming you're just better than me."

I cock my head to the side and look at her. The fragile skin that holds her frame together would easily be punctured with a graze of my teeth. Her limbs I could snap with negligible force.

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