Page 34 of The Program

A low rumbling reverberated through his chest as he responded to the threats before him, but to me it sounded weak and half-hearted. I couldn’t say what it was about the sound that made me believe Dave was disinterested in us, but it was definitely more than simple weakness.

Curious, and unsure why I felt so safe to do so, I stepped forward. Libby grappled to hold onto my arm and pull me back, but I was too fast and slipped out from her hold before she could properly latch on.

‘Artemis, don’t,’ she hissed out through her teeth. Her fear for me was evident through the tremble in her voice.

‘It’s okay, Libs. I’ll be fine.’

‘Just because you’re practically indestructible doesn’t mean it won’t still hurt you, A. Get back here!’ she snapped.

Without taking my eyes off Dave I waved her off, which only seemed to incense her further. ‘Stay back, Libs. Let me handle this.’

I didn’t wait for her response, quickening my pace until I was right in front of Dave’s snout. His two, red, venom-filled fangs protruding from his mouth, slowly swung my way, and his dried skin creaked and cracked as he fought through the mummification to turn his head.

When his deep red eyes, just as dangerous a colour as his fangs, met mine, I saw a depth of sorrow and ancient wisdom burning through them. They pinned me in place, and I didn’t try to fight it even when I felt a stabbing sensation probing my brain.

One slow blink from Dave and understanding dawned. It was him. He was inside my head.

Suddenly, he lurched forward, the tip of a single fang embedding itself into my right arm just below my brand. It was a shallow wound and he retreated again as soon as he’d made it, and a soul-deep understanding of this creature before me instinctively settled within me.

Sure, he’d just injected me with his venom, but he didn’t mean me harm. His eyes were calm, but there was an almost pleading quality to them as I watched them close one last time.

And the sound he made, his final breath, would stay with me forever. It was filled with peace, like he’d been waiting for a long time and had finally found what he needed to truly let go.

The sounds around me were muffled while I stayed transfixed on the magnificent creature before me, and he me. Despite closing his eyes, I knew I was the one that held his attention as the redness inside his fangs trickled out and spider-webbed into his body. The whole process looked slow and painful, the poor beast releasing an agonised grunt as it finally spread to his brain. Then he crumpled to the floor and his body caved in on itself, crumbling until he was nothing but dust.

He was gone.

But he’d left something behind.

A miniature version of Dave stood in the centre of the cloud, sneezing as it swirled around him. It was an adorable sound that he quickly followed with a high-pitched bleating noise that reminded me of a goat. They were one of the few animals on Earth I had seen while trapped inside the facility Libby and I had grown up in, and to hear it from this tiny creature melted a piece of my heart.

It bleated again, the sound conveying its confusion at the situation, and I couldn’t stay still a moment longer. Hands reached out to pull me back, but I merely shrugged them off and knelt in front of the little Dave.

‘Well, if it isn’t Dave Junior,’ I cooed. ‘It’s okay, little guy. It looks like Daddy’s gone now, and I’m so sorry for your loss, but I promise you’re safe.’

He sniffed at the wound Dave had left on my arm, recognition lighting up all six of his big red eyes. They stared up at me with such innocence and trust that I opened my arms for him to climb into. Only a fraction of the size of his daddy, he was still a massive thing. I’d probably liken him to the size of a large canine, and he almost bowled me over in his eagerness for affection.

I wrapped my arms around him, stroking my hands down his skin that was a deep purple. A slightly darker shade than the tree trunks outside. Perfect to blend into the shadows and the underbrush.

Suddenly, my arm started to tingle, which then grew into a burning sensation quickly followed by a wave of dizziness so strong it actually knocked me on my ass. Dave Junior fell with me, still nuzzling affectionately at my chest, but as I locked eyes with Libby as she approached, I knew something was seriously wrong.

I didn’t have any more time to think about it, because the next moment I was overcome by another wave of dizziness that carried with it an overwhelming fatigue. Still holding on to Dave Junior, I succumbed to unconsciousness.

???

Something warm and wet slid over my cheek, slowly rousing me from the most peaceful sleep I could ever remember having. There were no dreams, nonightmares, and the urge to whack away whatever was slathering up my face was more due to annoyance than any defensive mechanisms.

It slid over my cheek again, this time travelling further across my other cheek and back again without pausing. And again. Over my forehead. My chin. My mouth.

When it stroked over my nose it left behind a residue that blocked my ability to breathe, and that’s what had me finally bolting upright, frantically wiping at my face to clear it.

‘Serves you right,’ came Libby’s voice from the side. There was an exasperated quality to her comment that confused me.

Swiping at the gunk also covering my eyes, I cracked them open to peer at her only to come face to face with the most adorable little creature I had ever seen. Big red eyes blinked at me above a short snout that ended with a round red nose, and I was reminded of the old Earth folktale about a reindeer with the glowing red nose.

Without making the conscious decision, my hand was already stroking down supple purple skin that was softer than anything I had touched before. Small fine hairs covered the creature like peach fuzz and tickled my palms and my fingers, the texture velvety and smooth.

A rude noise tore from Libby’s throat as she watched, and though I felt she was hoping I’d snap out of whatever it was about this adorable creature that enraptured me so thoroughly, my fingers kept trailing down its back towards a long, sturdy-looking tail.

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