Page 55 of Possession

You think that I am eating you?

I bring a scrap of egg to my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. I don’t know, but I stop existing sometimes, don’t I?

Impossible. Nothing cannot exist; everything exists.

What do you mean?

Consider an egg. It is taken from the cow or donkey—

Chicken. How is it that he knows so much about the universe and so little about Earth? Chickens lay eggs.

Does it matter? Whatever animal creates it, the egg is laid. It is then brought to the skillet, cracked open, and cooked. What was once a white and round egg is now yellow mush.

It’s still an egg, just scrambled.

But it has been transformed, changed. You eat this changed egg; it goes into your body. Your body takes its nutrients, and then you excrete the remains. The excretion returns to the ground, becoming one with the soil. Grass grows, the “chicken” eats the grass, and another egg is produced. So, if I am “eating” your existence, then you must become something afterward.

I push my plate away. I don’t think I’m hungry anymore.

The point is that nothing can be destroyed entirely.

I understand, but I go somewhere when it happens. You can’t feel me; I can’t feel you. I don’t know what that means, but I’m losing the existence that I know. Maybe I turn to space dust or become an egg—it doesn’t matter. What matters is that neither of us want this to happen.

Agreed, he says after a moment.

If Henry and the mages heard of something like this happening before, it might be worth mentioning. That’s all I’m saying.

Aris is undoubtedly getting stronger, burning my head with his presence and chipping away at my own. Is that why I’m disappearing? Is he just starting to… override me?

Maybe there isn't room for the both of us anymore.

“Are you finished?”

We snap to attention at the sight of Henry before us, bending to collect my plate. The smile on his face is hesitant but genuine, and I can’t keep my lips from quirking in response.

“Yes, thank you. It was good,” I say. We both glance at the sizable amount of food remaining, and my smile becomes a little forced. Luckily, Henry doesn’t comment.

“What are you going to do today?” he asks as he scrapes food into the trash.

“Uh, I’m not sure.”

“There’s a library here, and some hiking trails. The lake also might be frozen enough for ice skating, if you know how to.”

I don’t. “Well, Aris and I…”

Do not tell him. We cannot trust him.

He’s being so nice.

I don’t care.

“Aris and I have a lot to talk about,” I say, and Aris grumbles at even that admission.

Henry nods slowly, eyes kind as he says, “I know that the past few years have been hard. If you need time, take it. That’s why we’re here. I don’t want to push you.”

“Thanks,” I say quietly.

He nods again and stares at me for a few seconds, as if expecting something more, but I don’t know what to say and have nothing to give. A few more seconds pass before Henry finally goes.

---