Page 26 of Tainted Kitten

It takes me a moment, but a thought crosses my mind, and my eyes widen.

“My place!” I blurt. “She told me this morning that she wants to die looking up at the sky in my grapevines when it’s her time.” I move to take my phone out, but before I can even make a call, it starts ringing, and Derek’s name flashes across the screen.

“Is she there?” I ask, not even saying hello when I answer the call.

“Yeah, your girl is here. Well, when I say here, I mean she is laying out in the grove. What the fuck is she doing?”

“Thank fuck! Derek, man, you gotta go sit with her until I can get there.” I plead.

“Why?” He sounds like I just asked him to pry his own eyes out.

“She’s had a bad day. Like one of those days that might lead her to make a bad decision that can’t be reversed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Shit. Yeah, I get it. I’ll go out there but hurry up. I’m no good at that talking stuff.” Derek complains, and I nod, even though I know he can’t see me.

“Thanks. We’ll be there soon.”

7

Rhys

Iwonder if aliens have feelings like us weak humans do? I wonder if they commit depraved acts on each other and reap pleasure from it? I wonder if they ever get so sick of living the alien life that they just want to quit their existence? They probably don’t have feelings. Otherwise, they’d be all depresso about their shitty green skin. Surely.

The night sky is crisp and clear, with not a cloud in sight. The stars are bright, teasing me with their twinkling and the possibility of alien life somewhere out there beyond this shitty world I live in. When you think about it, we are all just tiny organisms in a gigantic universe. Does my existence even matter? If I were never born, the world would still be the same place. I guess the only difference is that all the crap I have endured at the hands of other people would have happened to someone else.

That doesn’t seem very fair. No one deserves this shit. Well, except for those who dish out the bad stuff. I hope they all suffer an anaesthetic free castration. It’s a pity I won’t be around to witness that joyful event. I’m sure I’d get great satisfaction from watching it.

“Did you know stars don’t actually twinkle?”

I pop my head up off the dewy grass to see Derek cast in shadows as he looks up at the sky. How’d he know I was here?

“They don’t?” I ask, confused. “They sure look like they do.” I lay my head back down on the grass and gaze back up at the stars.

“Nah. It’s the earth’s atmosphere that makes them appear to twinkle. Kinda doesn’t seem as magical when you know that.” Derek looks down at me, and I frown.

“Well, now that you put it that way.”

He chuckles. “Sorry. We can pretend they twinkle if you like?”

I nod. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

“Can I sit?” He asks, and I shrug even though he probably can’t see the action in the dark.

“It’s your property. You can do what you want.”

“Huh! I wish.” He grumbles, and I pop my head back up to look at him again as he sits down near my feet.

“You wish you could frolic in these fields with another guy and not disappoint your dad?” Poor Derek is a closet gay. Apparently, his dad is a homophobe.

“Yeah, something like that.” He responds, sounding as down as I feel.

“I’m sorry. I really hope you can beyouone day without worrying.”

“You’re good people, Rhys. My little brother is lucky.” At Derek’s words, I let my head flop back on the grass again.

“More likeI’mlucky. He’s the good people. I’m just… trash.”

“Nah, you don’t smell like trash, so you can’t be trash.” Derek chuckles, and a small smile tugs at my lips.

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