'I can't remember'
Gavin is right. You have let him do most of the talking. And even then you have no idea what this place is even called, or why the people speak english. Although, judging by the lip movements that might not actually be english and something in your head is invisibly translating everything. A part of you was hoping this was all just some delusion, a dream that you are about to wake up from. But now that you are warm and kind of settled you are going to have to drum up some answers to some very obvious questions, and fast.
‘Err…’ You start with a classic opening, jaw slack and eyes duller than dishwater. ‘Well, actually I…’
You seize upon that desperation welling up inside of you. Bending it to your own deceptive purposes you begin to feel overwhelmingly sad, even depressed and being careful not to overdo it you start to put on a waterworks show. Manticore’s can cry after all, albeit with an oddly purring kind of sobbing as tears soak into the fur covering your cheeks. Gavin is now the one to be distressed, looking about to confirm if strangers are staring. What has this monster done to this poor girl?
‘I can’t remember.’ You manage to say between the sobbing. Slumping over the table as you hold your head in your claws. ‘It’s all gone, and I don’t know what it even is.’
‘H-Hey, don’t cry. I’m sorry I asked. Look, they’re coming with our food now. Just… please don’t cry.’
Several manageably lazy rodents later you are trying to keep the contents of your stomach down as Gavin leads you back outside. The rain has stopped, but the sidewalk is dirty wet underfoot and you notice the gaps behind your claws and between the pads where your feet are getting wet. It is a disconcerting experience. Gavin is trying to flag down a taxi. One of the bizarrely more vertical automobiles than you are used to drives on up.
‘Come on in,’ Gavin encourages as he gets into the taxi and out of the cold.
You follow, fumbling around awkwardly from your horns to your large scorpion-like tail. It is hard not to worry that your odd behaviour will cause suspicion. It will takes days at least, probably weeks, to get used to even the most rudimentary of actions using this new body. Hopefully you can pass all of it off as a consequence of your sudden and convenient amnesia. At least Gavin is buying it for now, you almost feel guilty for using him.
Written by iscin on 27 December 2017
The end (for now)