3 Little thing

"Who?" Neaf's heart skipped a beat as the sudden voice echoed through the room, causing him to stumble and fall to the floor in shock.

The reflection in the mirror bore no resemblance to the person he remembered, except for the name. If this wasn't shocking enough, now this sudden voice, he couldn't fathom what else could possibly shake his world or tear his heart apart in the process.

"Your boyfriend," a raspy voice seemed to come from nowhere, making Neaf's headache worse as he frantically looked around, feeling like he must be dreaming, or maybe he needed an asylum.

"You fool, I was just joking. You surely don't need an asylum, you need me," the voice interrupted his thoughts, leaving Neaf feeling like he was losing his grip on reality.

"I don't need anyone. Who the heck are you?" Neaf cursed, his sanity slipping away.

"Here comes your saviour, Neaf Stellar. I would appreciate it if you would mind your language with me," the voice chided.

Neaf jumped and landed on his backside as a small, red, flying creature suddenly appeared in front of him. It was indescribable, with wings, devilish horns, a robotic face, and a human-like body. The tiny being, barely half an inch tall, gazed at him with a wide smile.

"You think so loud, I can hear your thoughts, so bad, isn't it. By the way, my name is Axtral,"

Axtral moved closer to Neaf, whose eyes seemed ready to pop out from their sockets, and blinked innocently, behaving as if he wasn't the cause of Neaf's current condition.

"Axtral? Who are you? Who am I? Why am I here? What is happening?" Neaf fired off questions as rapidly as a bullet train, or perhaps like a broken radio, his brain unable to process the situation and his mouth speaking whatever came to mind.

"I told you, I'm Axtral, and I don't think your name changed in this world either. You are Neaf. You're here because I want you here, and as for what is happening, I'm not that aware myself," Axtral cheekily answered as he flew and perched on Neaf's shoulder, making him go all stiff.

Neaf watched the little monster-like thing sitting on his shoulder as he tried to understand the so-called reasoning or nonsensical answers this little thing gave him, despite not knowing him and his head feeling numb.

He could at least confirm his name, as the little thing had already mentioned it, but the rest of the answers seemed like rubbish.

"I am not a little thing, I am Axtral. What if I call you something other than your name? You wouldn't feel great, right?" Axtral glared at Neaf with his small eyes, looking offended by his behaviour.

Neaf raised his eyebrows, observing this grumpy creature being all offended, when it was not him who should be offended. It was Neaf himself who should be more offended by how this creature was sitting on his shoulder and behaving like a boss. It was all quite absurd.

"Can you tell me what is happening?" Neaf pressed on his words, rolling his eyes due to the unbearable nonsense going on in his life.

"So you don't remember? You died pretty badly, and I am the one who gave you this life. You don't look pleased at all," Axtral sat comfortably on Neaf's shoulder, dangling his feet over Neaf's collarbone.

"I should be pleased?" Neaf sarcastically questioned, as he never asked for a second chance, especially not with this type of creature and environment. It was far from the dream scenario he had in mind.

"Of course, isn't this what humans do? Forget it. You were the one who said if you got a second life, you wouldn't want to be human," Axtral spoke matter-of-factly, flapping his wings and making its feathers rub over Neaf's cheek.

Neaf felt like he needed to bang his head to death. He had asked for so many things in life, but why had he never gotten any of them? And what about him not being human? Then who was he? Even if he looked different from his former self, he certainly looked human.

"Oops. Your brain is so dangerous. Man, cool off. You surely look human, or did you want to look like something else?"

"I am going to kill you," Neaf gritted his teeth as he picked up Axtral by his wings, ignoring the fear that erupted inside him at touching this peculiar little creature.

"Leave me, you're so shameless. How can you touch my wings and dangle me like this?" Axtral wriggled around, trying to get Neaf to loosen his grip so he could escape.

"Sure, I am shameless. You better answer me, or else I am going to eat you. That's it," Neaf warned, frustration bubbling inside him. The gruesome death and now this show was enough to test his patience.

"How dare …you," Axtral stuttered, seeing the human who was ready to eat him. How could a little human even claim something like this? He felt so embarrassed.

After giving a chance to this human to live, this was how he was repaid? Nonsense.

"Let me show you, if you don't believe it," Neaf said, without waiting for Axtral's response, he brought Axtral toward his open mouth.

Axtral stopped wiggling as he saw Neaf's wide-open mouth. "You stink," he exclaimed.

"I stink or not, but I am going to chomp you off," Neaf declared as he began to take Axtral inside his mouth without a second thought, desperation clearly visible in his eyes. He was ready to pull out any stunt, if he got the answer.

"Wait... stop... I am going to answer. You are in the year 2050," Axtral quickly responded as his feet touched Neaf's slippery tongue, with Neaf's teeth ready to chew him.

"Ahhhhhhhhh,"

Neaf exclaimed as he heard the answer. Startled, he dropped Axtral inside his mouth, causing Axtral to scream out loud. Neaf immediately spit him out as soon as he processed what he had just done.

"You dirty.."