My long nails wrapped around the old wooden boards of the train tracks buried amongst layers of grey gravel. The steel beams running either side were boiled under the sun slowly cooking them and my own body. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYdzhZ3qel
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5B8Mq9Ukr
The sky was clear, as it had been for a week now, with not a grey cloud in the sky. It was the perfect temperature too. The air was cool but not cold enough to freeze me or hot enough to choke me. It was pleasant to idle in on my wander to the house in the distance. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZDB8vreNl
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWpVF0Qbuu
I kept my eyes locked on the tracks running as far as the eye could see through overgrown fields of grass that rippled like water in the breeze. My pace turned to excited running and my heart gripped at my chest when I saw a flash of orange and blue emerge from the house in the distance. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUl83sXRaF
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRn0z5Fwvo
I bounded over the river and paused on the other side where people were moving across the empty road to the shops lined either side. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxtmTVMspl
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmkbkASEm9
I was in clear sight of them now. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZcg9tTaP7
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxMza0nnN9
"Soup!" the tiny voice blew on the breeze to catch my attention again. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59lWVshoJM
It was so faint, but it was the sound I was waiting for. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLLL3m8Zrk
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVkcwAV5dJ
A portly man approached the tracks as quick as his waddling body allowed, placing distance between us so he could squint in the direction of the house. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElI4Z0AUX7
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB9H4OXyYM
He was the news agency owner here. His balding head with a halo of grey hair and leathery skin once roughed by laborious work in his youth was easily distinguishable. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDkiQJqtIJ
His corner-shop was only a few meters from the tracks so he could have the time to waddle out each afternoon I made my appearance to make himself known. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEfTVLUC6Y
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytY3xzACAG
I used to call him Bartleby. He preferred Bartie.388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wqCadIa1O
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvh3sPVA4jS
"MISSY!" Bartie cupped his hands around his mouth before pointing them to me "you've got to stop feeding the beast!" 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0KywHCKGs
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHV3RBGzw8
I snickered at his concern and walked past Bartie before he cleared his throat to halt me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡid3NrEDeNa
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIq20QrbPf
"You be good to her, Soup, you hear?" he scowled and waved a finger to me "I'll know if you do anything to her!" 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KHqRELHvQ
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLEZI0u5LY
He had no reason to worry so much. It was the same empty threat he had been giving me for three months straight now. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvZ7ruV6dI
I just shook off Bartie's concern and raced for the woman waving for me to come. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGIv1HJG0Q
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAGfu3oQiE
I was smitten with her. She was so kind and had this wonderful light voice that was rougher around the edges. She had the most adorable freckles painted on her face and a lovely round body that she liked to swamp in knitted jumpers or flowing dresses she made. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO82kj2LElS
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr2XseuVn5
When her features began to form on the figure bobbing closer into focus, I grinned wildly and pushed myself to sprint for her laughing face bent down to search for me through the sea of grass. I swam through it to break through to her open gate held back for me. Her scooter was heaved back into its stand here too. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhLuZJbPLD
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Kn4uzASBB
Missy stood on the wooden stairs to her porch hugging the front half of her little wooden home. It was a very cost place made entirely of old wood painted in a muted green. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylBbyzzZPo
It had herbs growing in the windows glimpsing into her sewing room in the left where she had spools of fabric hung on the wall next to her machine and dotted cloth mannequins. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQqCS6guoy
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUv74JKqpmu
Her right window had parts of her kitchen on show. I had peered into it a few times when I had been too eager to wait, watching her cook on her gas oven nestled within stone countertops while she shooed me away with a smile. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1CsZjyTZ3
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQAde8ke7T
Missy had the window wide open to waft out the smell of the food she had been cooking. The rich beef spiralled around the earthy tones of stock and tangy herbs freshly plucked from her windows. I could smell the carrots and buttery pumpkin I knew were harvested from her garden nestled out the back. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSIE9fFwoV
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uQLLcEF8l
That's how we had met. I had been raiding her gardens at night before she caught me and chased me off. After a few nights of futile attempts to stop me, and several vegetables left discarded in my escape, she started offering me her leftovers before it became proper meals. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCe1pYkTjA
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrYGldDlrA
She didn't know what to call me, so she called me Soup. It was her favourite thing to feed me, and the easiest on her budget made selling homemade dresses. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqMuntZkoE
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI0nCIuuS0
"Soup!" Missy cooed down to me waiting at the bottom of her stairs "I missed you! I'll grab your food. I think you'll like it today." 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5mEfKBf0i
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrfPsV4TAp
I liked how her voice rose excitedly when she saw me. It sounded like she was greeting a lifelong pet dear to her heart. I didn’t mind that; I was just glad she loved me so dearly to put this much effort into caring for me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvcW3Vw7zR
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVLmmiTzsO
"Beef soup with my own vegetables and the local meat. I cooked it with teriyaki before putting it in" Missy exclaimed as she returned carrying two stone bowls and carefully placing one down on the grass for me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS25rbejWgq
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwFaGKPSY0
My mouth was watering when I saw the mixture of colours beside me. Steam spiralled from the fresh meal Missy set down so she could fan out her checkered blue and white dress to sit on the stairs. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I8biXEQw9
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOlu9tKYoD
She cradled her soup in her lap while I blew onto mine to try and cool it enough to scoff it down. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAdbo4yaMn
My stomach was begging for the hot meal that little birds and discarded rubbish along the roads could never satisfy. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MxuOJ907N
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCkIzxNB0j
"Thank you" I grinned to her and wrapped my hands around the hot bowl so I could lift myself onto my legs and drink it down. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIng0pfdqE1
Soup spilled down my chest to burn trails down my skin before I could swipe then up. The chunks of beef were chewy and wedged between my teeth. The bitter teriyaki coated all its layers to bring out the meaty flavour. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMLd0E3yp4
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjMHv6WKwX
It was the cheap meat again. I don't think Missy could afford anything like the ones that fell from the bone or had soft marbles of fat throughout rather than thick coats. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCl5g3lTKa
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CJhRKgyZh
She grinned and watched me try to keep my balance as I felt the meal burn a new hole in my stomach that growled for more. My legs trembled, not used to being so relied upon when I had all four of my limbs to power me effortlessly now. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgfIF16iBL
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9De5d7OxvV
I placed the bowl beside her and lowered myself back down. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OCYAEy3sO
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4g5WJygoB
"More please" I pointed.388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkqdr88Of6
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eAk8T4BT1
She couldn't understand me but smiled like she had. All she heard were the same noises I did whenever I spoke in this form. It was just a mixture of growls and low snaps that I preferred to keep quiet, so I didn't scare her. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriRo4WZMu4
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KUIbyXWHb
Missy liked it when I talked to her, and I liked it when I made Missy happy. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ylMRuM8jd
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvXmv5VKvB
"You're hungry today" she mused "did I not feed you enough yesterday?" 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wI5zZAcxT
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrGqaVEyGh
I just smiled and watched her retreat back inside, leaving her bowl on the stairs. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSeePLMzXP
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNQKHshQcB
Missy was the type of person I would grow old with as a human. I often let my mind wander to what we could be if I hid behind my skin again as a human and tried to form a relationship with her in this home built for two. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNbJj5a0f6
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHj8gS6Qem1
Despite having a sunny personality and being loved in town, Missy liked her quiet life. She didn't want her heart to be broken or taken advantage of. She was worried she was too poor to ever please a man or mother children. She hated that she was too scared to reach out and form those connections. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfEEdxmS9K
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAxVEfoKTz
She liked me because I was an animal to her. I had no commitments other than one hot meal a day. I wasn't going to make her sad or upset her simple lifestyle with big ambitions. I didn't drain her trickling budget or offer anything outside the trinkets of lost belongings or junk I presented her with. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3n4gcnEhzB
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡym3rGAoQjA
I didn't want to ruin that. I kept in this form and didn't dare to try and act on my daydreams of being accepted into her life as her partner with open arms. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthDxKpRN7K
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRWoJLNsTE
I ate my soup and accepted her new name for me that spread through the town. It was simple and the way things were. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq6gCSVTeE
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuO3tEEscq4
"Here we go!" Missy returned from the house along with two slices of crusty sourdough she had pushed into the bowl "buttered it for you too, you greedy guts. I'm surprised you didn't eat mine." 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4hllXJwLq
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxOvQJRFhp
I was lucky to have her. She was too kind to be so afraid of life itself. Missy deserved more than it was handing her.388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpH399Ss74h
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszbTQJDzlH
I took the filled bowl to drop one of the slices of bread into her own before shovelling this one down greedily. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSa1AjcULs
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gxrxjv6jv
I could feel the warmth of it leaking down my front from the inside and bubble in my gut gurgling from so much liquid drowning it at once. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgOdlVap3jT
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtyGb9Y7La
I snapped down the tough meat, licked the bowl, then headed back for the wall of grass awaiting me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMkNVMvUZR
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrwj7xaSuS
"See you tomorrow?" Missy called out with a worried frown. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OQoiBAxmN
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ikqHL4FFe
Of course, she would. I would never leave her wondering where I had gone. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRN31yPdUno
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybRUxIwKiv
I nodded and disappeared into the grass to follow the train tracks back to the East. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbat8TstGB
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbOIxAZ2y0
I stared up at the moon nestled in amongst the glittering stars from my grassy ledge curved over several meters from the tracks behind me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrgY24Uv56
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0NqRSSEyq
The field surrounding me was dancing with wildflowers that stirred at the touch of glowing fireflies blinking through the air like showers of floating embers. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NqDfxL8IL
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5B9CTRCNHC
They flitted like fire in the cool air and amongst the flowers. The fireflies reached for the stars themselves and I watched them ascend to the dusted void above. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPfZLCVnHo
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lPor2qFyH
It was so peaceful here with only the moonlight basking over the land. There was no artificial glow of streetlights or the sound of cars screeching on tar. The only sound piercing through the silence was the scraping of metal as the train thundered by on its nightly route to distant towns. Each lit window slashed over the grass below, reminding me of the loud and bright reality amongst the dark serenity until it was gone again. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnxYXEFA2m
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvsgDEisop
One day I might go visit those places. For now, I had my reason to stay here. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvo1CLHk0it
I wonder if she just stopped to stare at the beauty of the moon too. Maybe she sewed in her room while wondering about things beyond her reach like I did? 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3lycY6YIz
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXyTHfqZnw
I smiled at the moon and laid back, so I didn't have to take my eyes from it. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBKsZWyyJj
The soft grass would be my bed tonight. Usually, I roamed for food or trash on the roadside for several kilometres to try and salvage something until sleep sapped my energy and I collapsed wherever I was. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrqYFYlaW8
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0qj4OMSIjy
The moonlit field of fireflies would be nice tonight. I could wait until Missy gifted me with her wonderful food tomorrow. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56PwSH7Kyo
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9I7UWsnfn
I curled up with my hands wrapped around me, pretending they were hers cradling me and breathing warmth into me. 388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBdCRdZBQQ
388Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVHE90QMKv
One day...
Penana
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