Harsh Sounds [Part 2]

I stood and let the liquid fall down my cheeks. The high pitched voice had become mean, the hands more rough than ever before and all because the long haired thing had opened my ears. Slowly, very slowly, I took the small bag and stepped out further into the soft stuff. I was still hungry, but confused, and hurt by all the unexplainable changes to the hands and voice. Upset enough that I didn't want to eat. More liquid slid down my face then liquid started to drip from two other holes in my face.

I wiped the liquid on my coverings and sniffled. Then I got myself to open the baggie. Inside were small, squishy balls. I put one in my mouth and chewed it. It too was a different texture. Not one as enjoyable as the crunchy, liquid filled one had been, but it was all the hands would give me to eat. Of that I was pretty sure. I ate and tried to get the liquid to stop running down my face. There was nothing I could do about my newly opened sense. The energy that embraced and pushed to my core came whenever it did. There was no stopping it.

My head bowed as I continued to eat. Somehow I managed to get the liquid to almost stop as I continued to chew the squishy balls. The slowing of the liquid didn't stop for long. In fact, even more gushed out when I had nothing more to put in my mouth. Gasps and short vocalizations left my mouth and I rocked. I buried my face behind my hands no longer feeling safe and okay with the hands and voices. I didn't register the jingling of metal, nor the whisper of the soft ground as someone approached.

Something big sat beside me, but I didn't move. Only when I felt fingers on my arm did I try to pull tighter on myself without much success. The arm that crossed my back, pulled me firmly against the body next to me.

"It's okay, Son," the very deep voice said. "It's alright."

The second hand touched my back and lightly rubbed it. Soft touch. Gentle touch. I wiggled my arms to be able to hold onto the body I was pressed against. The arms around me shifted, but the light rubbing on my back continued.

"You have grown more hair since I saw you last," the very deep voice said.

I moaned then cried harder. It was my hair that had started so many problems with the high voice and smaller hands.

"Is there something wrong with your hair?"

My head moved side to side slightly.

"Then what's upset you so much?"

Again my head moved side to side.

The very large hands that belonged to the very deep voice continued to rub my back until my tears could stop and continued even after they had stopped. I let my hands feel the body I held onto, or at least what I could feel through the coverings. A smooth back—like mine; sides—like mine; legs, bigger—but like mine; a bulge between the legs.

"Hold on there, little guy. No need to touch there, you know what's there."

My brow furrowed even more before I shook my head side to side.

"Sure you do. You have one, too, but smaller."

Again I shook my head. I didn't have a bulge between my legs. It was smooth there.

One of the hands that held my arms moved down to feel between my legs. "You're a girl?" the very deep voice asked.

I tipped my head to the side, not sure what the voice meant.

"You're a girl," the voice repeated.

I shook my head, still not understanding.

The hand slid across my chest then under the coverings to feel between my legs. "That's impossible," the very deep voice said, pulling both hands away from me.

I tipped my head to the side, confused at the voice's confusion.

"How were you born without sex organs?"

My brow furrowed.

"Nevermind. …Do you have a name yet?"

Name? The edges of my mouth turned down. I didn't understand the meaning behind the words the very deep voice spoke. Would the voice get upset like the high voice did if I couldn't answer?

"Do your parents call you anything?"

Parents? The two voices that were in the same space with me. I shook my head.

"What parent doesn't name their child after, what 10-11 years?"

I lowered my head and turned it to the side. What parent did what the hands had done to me if they truly cared? More liquid pricked at my dry eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry."

I put a hand over my mouth to try and stop the sound that was rising in my throat. Arms and hands pulled me against the body once more. I did the same, pulling some of the coverings into my fists.

"Johann?" Bodrai asked.

"Evening, Bodrai," Johann responded. The arms and hands let go of me. "I saw your son crying and came over to see what the matter was."

"Many things, but you needn't concern yourself with them."

A moment of silence followed before a hand brushed over my head. "See ya around, Kid."

The soft ground shifted and I reached for the body. Those hands were kind; the voice caring. But nothing answered save the whisper moving away from me and another approaching on my left. I tried to get to my feet to follow the departing whisper, but the big hand took my arm and pulled me inside. The hands put me in the seat and food was in front of me. Then I was laid down. I lay for a long time before I fell asleep.

I was kept inside for several repeats of three feedings and sleep. The voices were quiet while I was around. The hands touched me even less. Only small sounds let me know I wasn't alone. When I was laid down, I heard soft voices through the door. The words were hidden beneath the squeaking walkway before silence returned. I rolled over and tried to sleep, but I could not.

I rolled over again and again. Finally, I got up. As quietly as I could, I left the room and went down stairs. A sound outside caught my attention and I snuck outside. Chirping filled my surroundings. I stepped toe-heel out onto the soft ground. I was almost to my sitting place when a screaming roar shattered the near silence. I was knocked to the ground, the impact emptying my lungs; a heavy weight on top of me. I tried to get a breath in, but I couldn't. A new energy surrounded me and penetrated into me, forcing me to groan. I groaned again with the next penetration of energy.

Something cold touched my nose. I coughed hard. Air finally entered my burning lungs. My body hurt, my head hurt, and my limbs were going numb. Purring vibrated my body, soothing my pain. The cold thing remained against my nose as the energy surrounded me. It wrapped more and more this time than in times past, building as my eyes twitched. I coughed more and gagged. The energy penetrated, feeling like it passed through my core instead of just reaching it. I felt my eyes roll upwards as nothingness took me.

I woke with a moan, not feeling well. My head still hurt and the rest of me felt heavy and sluggish. I tried to move, but only managed to roll to my side. I coughed as something tickled the back of my throat. I felt a very large hand rub my arm and thigh though a covering. I purred. A long thing behind my legs moved side to side. The hand moved around to my back.

"How are you feeling, Kid?" Johann asked.

I stopped purring and frowned.

"I thought the big cat was here to hurt you, but after I scared it off I couldn't find any wounds."

I shifted slightly, being able to move a little more. I reached back and grabbed the wiggling thing and lifted it. It stilled in my grip and was fuzzy.

"I saw that last night. Was the cat the first animal to contact you?

I shook my head.

"So more have come."

I nodded.

"So it would be safe to assume that each animal you encounter leaves you with something."

I nodded then tried to open my eyes, but shut them tightly.

They felt bruised. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the two voices Johann had referred to as my parents. How would they react to this fuzzy, wiggly thing? I could just imagine it not being good. I whined then coughed. I coughed hard enough I nearly threw up. An arm slid under my neck and lifted me so I was sitting. I let go of the fuzzy thing and wrapped my arms around the body. The arms held me too, rubbing my bare back. I buried my face into the shoulder and sniffled. Something else came with it and I touched my nose against the coverings and drew air through my nose. A smell came with the air. I liked it. I shifted a little and smelled a different place, and it was the same just not as strong.

The arms let go slightly. "I take it you couldn't smell before last night?"

I shook my head then shifted to smell something else.

The arms loosened more and the hands rubbed my arms. "There is something I don't understand."

I sat up, tipping my head to the side.

"If the cat opened up your sense of smell and left a tail then what was given to you by the others besides hair?"

I tapped my fingers against the body then rubbed my ears.

"Touch and hearing. But what else?"

My brow furrowed and the tip of my tail curled and uncurled. There was supposed to be more?

The voice let out a soft sigh. "You have hair in your braid the same color as the fur on your tail."

But how could that be? My head didn't itch as it had the other times. I shook my head. I hadn't been given anything else.

"Did something startle the other animals after they opened your touch and hearing?"

I shook my head.

"Okay. Rest a little longer."