x
Asking me in all sorts of ways, but repeatedly nonetheless, who I was or what reason348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ986aDEk93i
could I have to write such things. And after he untied the now even less threatening348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAUYEeeYmR
beast of burden, he helped me find my place on top of its generous back.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xU1dFY156
He then went around it, patting its massive head as he passed quite comfortably in348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AjvcoFEOv
front of it; and then he too took his place to my left.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbswG4IBumS
Now, with the both of us sitting side by side and ready to go, he smiled at me348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPKoWB0OKE
through the corner of his mouth before shouting for our advance. But the one he348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsuzl9LmBU
called ´Gorliochi´ merely let out a howl of sorts... “Quit your blubbering.” He then348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIjh6ubNly
began to pull those reins on the big beast’s neck repeatedly until finally, the beast348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuYKv28117
began to move... “There we go. By the way, you pay no heed to these misbehaviours,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVOnXE3Nb2
alright? Ol’ Gorli here likes to act a bit lazy these days.”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEmN0aadcr
“I have never seen such a creature.”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3djsqOQxNm
“Yeah,” He let out a sad and drawn-out confirmation, “There are not many like him348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1y0R4kyNi
around anymore. Frankly, I would be surprised if we ever encounter another one of his348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqR7dQXO1Jf
kind.” He looked at me and then threw half a smile through the right corner of his348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZibOEIR5ZB
mouth; “Now, why don’t you start by telling me what made you write such a thing?348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMHk4B5h4z
And more importantly: what is your real connection to that old fool? You know, he348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nNf5RtNGV
and I; we have been friends for the longest time girl, and I even spoke to him just348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fyrV663su
recently.” He threw a quick look my way, obviously trying to fish for any kind of348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBD11XcKir
reaction; “And he has never mentioned a single word about any plans for an adoption.”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEJdITBG5V
“I am not that used to talking...” I warned, “what I mean is: I have not done it with348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKrbIP3MNg
that many people yet so, I might - how you say - run off at the mouth.”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsL2WNoFeEO
“Oh? Well then,” he explained through another crooked smile; one that revealed348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62yE70HvhD
how few teeth he still had left, and also how big his gums were, “You can be at ease348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbeXkPRKiw
since I am not that used to listening myself. “Besides,” he continued, “We still have348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1ME0llEfF
ways to go, and nothing to do for the whole way but talk to each other. You just go348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOKmBoJIMH
on for as much as you like without a worry. I am sure no word will feel unwarranted.”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9LX0OvepI
“Alright,” I replied nervously, but also thankfully. “I guess it would be better if I just348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxG9gZVkjU
went back to the beginning; to the very first time I opened my eyes...”348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3AF3C7sUgh
“...” He threw me a look of disbelief, but after that initial scepticism, not once did348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFaK9jyAbQ
he dare to interrupt me again. Not until I was done with that longest of replies, and348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCEYbUvUDY
by then, we would already be making ourselves comfortable inside his most peculiar348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwdOwelBeM
household...348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2DKyJO2x6
“...I slowly opened my eyes, like I had done so many times before, but still, they348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcICWpLsk9K
could not trespass that pitch-black. It seemed that yet again I was to be frustrated by348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmTcOawZU6
blindness, and darkness was to remain as my only company. How long had it been348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPahJWAJ8q
since I first regained consciousness? How much time had already been stolen from348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nOsEaRPUg
me? To seemingly punish me even further; I was to endure it all while strapped to a348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoX438HtQ8o
bed and surrounded by all sorts of sounds and smells that only increased my curiosity,348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfg9eHG7L4X
only fuelled my already immeasurable desire to see - what a sentence. Another kind of348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBnfWLENm2
darkness then swept over me as the shadows of frustration and anger began curving all348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6KMOS20SY
around my mind, slowly turning into large black circles of depression.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPP7qmkBd5p
And then my body began telling what I could not: my fists clenched involuntarily348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSztQKT2OG
as my tiny arms trembled, my entire strapped body began to twitch and turn348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwbzpHxfc0
whichever way, and shortly after my teeth too were showing eagerness in joining348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRImFhE2DJp
that demonstration. I wanted to shout, to scream, to expel all that I was feeling, but348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtiPCvAJcs
before my mouth could make its first echo, I began noticing that this time it would348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnKTPyktBF
be different. The darkness that had always been there in front of me, no matter how348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRWqG0MkqFp
much my eyes would widen, began to dissipate and those feelings with it; slowly, they348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxifJZ8J7UT
all faded until other doings began to take over.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6CVqfHm9J
I began moving my head as much as those restraints would allow, and as soon as348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQMns4nSGI
most of that blurriness left me, I found myself laying down in a poorly lit room.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbHAJao4IV
All sorts of machinery scattered about, there were also other beds like the one I was348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgLreyXStV
laying on, most of them empty but a few with others like me. I knew right away they348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ073SEOPmsW
were like me.348Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnABsISOCI
