bivo. Why anyone would want to wall in a herd of bivo is beyond me, but if this human wants to ‘finish’ it then why would I stop him?
“Sure,” I agree. “I’m going back to my mate.”
I don’t know why I bother telling him that. It seems like the right thing to do, and more than anything, it slipped out without thinking about it. I turn my back on the human and walk back towards… what?
A City lies in front of me covered by a glimmering dome. A dome… right, home. This is my home. I stride across the desert. Amara. I have to get to Amara.
I can see her face. Smell the scent of her hair. She’s what matters. I reach the airlock to enter the City and touch the pad for entry. The code is… I know it. It’s…
“Let me help,” the human male says, appearing out of nowhere.
I jump to one side, tail rising between my wings and hands balling into fists.
“Hey, I’m helping,” the human says.
“Right,” I say, forcing my tail back down and unclenching my fists.
He enters a code while I watch, and the moment he does, I recall it. I think. I knew it but now that I recognized it its gone. Running my hands through my hair, I try to push the fog away, but it doesn’t help.
“Thanks,” I say, as the door swishes open and we walk in.
“That was amazing, by the way,” the male says.
What was his name? I can’t recall it. I know it, I know I know it. It’s right there, but it won’t come through.
“Heh,” I grunt.
“Never seen anyone take out an alpha like that,” he continues while we wait on the airlock to cycle. The space is too small. Despite the fact that I can see through it all the way around, I want out. It’s too close.
“Heh,” I say again, balling my fists.
Amara. Home. I have to get home. My scales itch, the fog in my head surges, and the space is closing in on me. I shift from foot to foot, tail twitching. Finally the inner door opens, and I push the human male out of the way to get out.
“Hey,” he exclaims, but I ignore him and rush down the street.
The street is empty. The buildings are broken and decaying. The streets themselves are in bad repair, filled with holes that should have been repaired if anyone was caring for the area. Where are all the people?
The air is thick, hot, it’s hard to breathe. Home is here, somewhere. I come to an intersection and stop. The buildings on each corner are tall, five or six stories each. Once they had windows, but those are all busted, leaving yawning dark openings that could be hiding anything. Creatures could be hiding in those dim places. Waiting, testing to see if I’m strong enough.
Is my home here? It feels like it is. I feel Amara. I know her and I have to get back to her. Her and my son. My son. He needs me. Why did I leave them?
I can’t recall which direction is the way home, so I decide on an unclear instinct to go right. I walk down the middle of the road while the scales on the back of my neck itch. It feels like I’m being watched though nothing dares to challenge me.
Why can’t I remember? I thought home was this way but now nothing looks familiar. I don’t know these places. These empty, broken buildings are not places I know. They’re not home. And above all, there is no sign of Amara.
“Amara!” I yell.
My own voice echoes back, taunting me.
This doesn’t make sense. Where is she? Has something happened? Why is this all different than it was? Where are the other… who?
Anger surges along with the fog, and I run. My feet slap against the material of the street, my tail dragging along it, the only sounds. I run for blocks until the dome comes back into sight ahead.
This isn’t right. The dome shouldn’t be there. I’ve gone the wrong way.
Turning back around, I stare down the empty street. The suns are dropping towards the horizon casting a dimming amber light. Frowning, I search for any sign, something familiar, anything that calls me towards her.
Nothing.
None of this looks like anything I know. Fine, I close my eyes. She is my treasure, my soul knows her, she is mine. I know where mine is, so I reach out and try to