Page 41 of Dealing With Drak

“I will,” she vows, eyes bright with determination.

“Do not take long, do a quick sweep and come back out,” I advise. “You can go back in at any time, but it’s important not to get lost or hurt.”

“I was thinking that too,” she admits. “Great minds, I guess.”

“What is this?”

She chuckles. “It’s another silly hu-nim saying,” she explains, teasing me with my words from before. “Great minds think alike.”

“Hmm, perhaps not all hu-nim sayings are silly.”

I like that An-nana believes my mind to be a great one.

Removing my blaster from my belt, I pass it to her and let out a breath. I must remind myself that it is very unlikely a horde of hu-nims or zom-bays are lurking within this cave system. There are practically no signs of life in this area, so I must remain sensible… but I will tear apart this rock with my bare hands if I must.

Nothing and no one will take my Mean One away.

Once she has the blaster secured, I give her the light tool so that she may see her way through the impending darkness. She takes it eagerly, flicking it onto a lower hue and pointing it at the dark rock in front of us. An-nana readies herself and disappears into the depths of the small cave entrance before I can change my mind and demand that she does not leave my side.

Every moment that she is gone, it feels as if my chest is on fire. The burning sensation is uncomfortable and makes me weary. I do not like that we are separated, even if she will not be gone for long.

“So far, so good!” her feminine voice rings out, allowing me to expel a held breath. I can hear her just fine, and she is okay. If I can hear her yell, I’d be able to hear other creatures inside. My Mean One is going to be okay.

More moments pass, and I wait in silence, keeping my ears trained for any sign of trouble. If An-nana makes even the faintest sound of distress, I will hear it.

I do not know how long she takes, but it is short enough that I don’t claw my soul seed from my chest in worry. As she emerges, I don’t hesitate to reach for her.

“What are you—ohmygoooood,” she squeals as I lift her from the ground.

“You are safe,” I vow, more for my own ears than for hers.

She laughs and relaxes as I set her back down. “I found something, too!”

With an excited smile, the female lifts a small metal gadget that I do not recognize. “What is it?”

“It’s a watch,” she reports, holding it tightly. She doesn’t want to let it go. “Watches are human devices that tell time. This one was my dad’s.”

“Truly? How do you know?”

Smirking, she flips it over to reveal a small etching in the silver metal.

“That says, Logan. It’s my last name, and that’s my mom’s handwriting. She gave this to him before she died. I don’t know why he would leave this behind, but it was just laying on top of a rock. So, maybe they stayed here recently? I don’t know, but this is an actual clue. We’re getting closer, I can feel it.”

She is so pleased, and I find myself smiling with her.

“I should like to tongue twist with you, pretty An-nana.”

Perhaps it is a poor move to be so bold with her, but I cannot resist the craving any longer. I want An-nana to know what I am thinking.

Her head rears back in shock. “Tongue twist?”

I concentrate, trying to think of what Stee-vee calls mouths meeting for affection. Aprixians twist tongues but hu-nims… “Keesh? Ka-iss?”

“Kiss?” she guesses, and I nod eagerly.

“Yes,” I confirm. “I should like to do this kiss with you, my Mean One.”

She hesitates. “Why do you want to kiss me, Drak?”

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