x
Asking me in all sorts of ways, but repeatedly nonetheless, who I was or what reason329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQiBxjR5Io
could I have to write such things. And after he untied the now even less threatening329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOikrIZTvZO
beast of burden, he helped me find my place on top of its generous back.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw9usEZH0G
He then went around it, patting its massive head as he passed quite comfortably in329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfBPK8GMAa
front of it; and then he too took his place to my left.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuC54ziO4V
Now, with the both of us sitting side by side and ready to go, he smiled at me329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpZr3KF9Pb
through the corner of his mouth before shouting for our advance. But the one he329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpT6VrNOiO
called ´Gorliochi´ merely let out a howl of sorts... “Quit your blubbering.” He then329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLs42BbWpP
began to pull those reins on the big beast’s neck repeatedly until finally, the beast329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPyX0aGyct
began to move... “There we go. By the way, you pay no heed to these misbehaviours,329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOohKXJ56Y
alright? Ol’ Gorli here likes to act a bit lazy these days.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFx19DigoCg
“I have never seen such a creature.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjzbkbRE9A
“Yeah,” He let out a sad and drawn-out confirmation, “There are not many like him329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzRxntGxYd
around anymore. Frankly, I would be surprised if we ever encounter another one of his329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHyGINaCfq
kind.” He looked at me and then threw half a smile through the right corner of his329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rt4vALEb4
mouth; “Now, why don’t you start by telling me what made you write such a thing?329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlU0kgJxt7
And more importantly: what is your real connection to that old fool? You know, he329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KWrlQKiVb
and I; we have been friends for the longest time girl, and I even spoke to him just329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbbs5QMQDc
recently.” He threw a quick look my way, obviously trying to fish for any kind of329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4YkHvvhY1
reaction; “And he has never mentioned a single word about any plans for an adoption.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4kbS6aeEF
“I am not that used to talking...” I warned, “what I mean is: I have not done it with329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXYX2xBHeg
that many people yet so, I might - how you say - run off at the mouth.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YoLXeCAdb
“Oh? Well then,” he explained through another crooked smile; one that revealed329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZpT5YE2Zd
how few teeth he still had left, and also how big his gums were, “You can be at ease329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xTltr5Rzb
since I am not that used to listening myself. “Besides,” he continued, “We still have329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JRsQFU73G
ways to go, and nothing to do for the whole way but talk to each other. You just go329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefsWT8XVlh
on for as much as you like without a worry. I am sure no word will feel unwarranted.”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3586jRJqud
“Alright,” I replied nervously, but also thankfully. “I guess it would be better if I just329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHyMXtM3BG
went back to the beginning; to the very first time I opened my eyes...”329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7mUfA6Pzd
“...” He threw me a look of disbelief, but after that initial scepticism, not once did329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl73M9wVYmK
he dare to interrupt me again. Not until I was done with that longest of replies, and329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCETZz2Rrec
by then, we would already be making ourselves comfortable inside his most peculiar329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFjLAw8QF9
household...329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJxhrggfES
“...I slowly opened my eyes, like I had done so many times before, but still, they329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DAoOyEVd0
could not trespass that pitch-black. It seemed that yet again I was to be frustrated by329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdHjjyGviw
blindness, and darkness was to remain as my only company. How long had it been329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrBGSyrW0G
since I first regained consciousness? How much time had already been stolen from329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyXpFUNbVw
me? To seemingly punish me even further; I was to endure it all while strapped to a329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFtKHgjyey
bed and surrounded by all sorts of sounds and smells that only increased my curiosity,329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6MTDgNJ4B
only fuelled my already immeasurable desire to see - what a sentence. Another kind of329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4i1yyIPxQ
darkness then swept over me as the shadows of frustration and anger began curving all329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUx6z9bbQe
around my mind, slowly turning into large black circles of depression.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTq8fpbwmAH
And then my body began telling what I could not: my fists clenched involuntarily329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9P4EzXfy9S
as my tiny arms trembled, my entire strapped body began to twitch and turn329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQCQLOtDAD
whichever way, and shortly after my teeth too were showing eagerness in joining329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkc5qylvRnd
that demonstration. I wanted to shout, to scream, to expel all that I was feeling, but329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLD9zTCZau8
before my mouth could make its first echo, I began noticing that this time it would329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnYQBcsU29
be different. The darkness that had always been there in front of me, no matter how329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2vQmavlcq
much my eyes would widen, began to dissipate and those feelings with it; slowly, they329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVtXpJlbVhT
all faded until other doings began to take over.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGXwEsiEE4
I began moving my head as much as those restraints would allow, and as soon as329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYr4PrQ5mZ
most of that blurriness left me, I found myself laying down in a poorly lit room.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJezjiKml0K
All sorts of machinery scattered about, there were also other beds like the one I was329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HP1a7xLK4
laying on, most of them empty but a few with others like me. I knew right away they329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNH4SUAnQxT
were like me.329Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdehz9hK2u
