The Nightmare (The Mist #2) - Regine Abel Page 0,40
do, you lift the seat, grab your little birdy, and aim in the center. Not on the edge, not on the floor, not on the walls. In. The. Center. Capice?”
“It’s not little,” I grumbled, to which she waved a dismissive hand. “What does capice mean?”
“Understood, in Italian,” she replied. “And when you’re done, put the motherfucking seat down.”
The aggravation with which she said that sentence made me believe there was some sort of story there. But she didn’t give me a chance to question her about it.
“For a number two—meaning the solid wastes—you will sit on the toilet, do your business, then wipe with this,” she continued. “In either case, when you’re done, flush like this, then go wash your hands with soap. Any questions?”
“I’m not doing any of that nonsense,” I snarled.
“Oh, you will,” Naima said with conviction. “Otherwise, you’ll be walking around swimming in your own filth. And believe me, that stench by far exceeds that of a sweaty armpit.”
“If you’re trying to discourage me from pursuing a human life, you’re doing an excellent job,” I grumbled.
“Are you saying that the Mighty Zain is unable to handle basic hygiene functions that even the weakest human performs without blinking?” she asked, her eyes wide with fake disbelief.
I bared my teeth at her, and she burst out laughing, completely unfazed.
“This is me giving you a heads up so that you won’t be caught with your pants down… literally,” Naima said in a teasing voice before sobering. “Kidding aside though, do pay attention to what your body tells you. There will always be a sign. Heed it before it’s too late. That is true not just of your bladder and bowel, but also hunger versus overeating, the good pain from training versus the one from an injury in the making. The human body constantly speaks to us. You will need to learn to recognize what it’s trying to tell you.”
I nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed by how much more complex that transition was turning out to be. No wonder so many of the Transients who crossed over on their own didn’t make it past a few days, in some cases not even a few hours.
“Come, I’ve traumatized you enough with this,” Naima said, this time with something akin to compassion. “You must be starving. Let’s go feed you.”
I wasn’t starving but knew of hunger and the weakness that accompanied it. My stomach was hollow from having never received food before. My ethereal energy was enough to sustain me right now, but I didn’t want to unnecessarily waste it. Human food would be welcomed to continue fueling my vessel.
I followed in her wake as she escorted me out of the room and into the long hallway I hadn’t been able to enter the first time around. It was wide with a few doors on each side. A couple of agents conveniently happened to be standing a few meters away from us, ‘lost’ in an intense discussion. I smirked in a provocative fashion as my woman and I walked past them. Although they did a remarkable job of keeping a neutral expression on their faces while holding my gaze unwaveringly, the delicious scent of their fear wafted to me. Countless violent images flashed through my mind of all the ways I could dismember them, smash their heads against the wall, painting it and the hallway with blood and gore. If only my female would allow it…
“Behave,” Naima hissed, drawing my attention back to her.
Her frown, and the disappointment laced with worry emanating from her wiped away my predatory smile. Although it didn’t go away, my bloodthirst dampened, doused by my female’s disapproval.
We entered the cafeteria at the end of the hallway. Once again, a couple of armed agents conveniently happened to be there. Their emotions clearly broadcast they’d been expecting our arrival.
“They’re not fooling me,” I muttered.
“Nor are they trying to,” Naima said matter-of-factly, while gesturing for me to take a seat at an isolated table surrounded by a few carts laden with food. “They are here to ensure my safety and that of the other people in the facility. While we believe you will behave, we can’t be too cautious with human lives. Unlike you, death is permanent for us. There is no going back to the Mist to rebuild our energy.”
Although her bluntness took me aback, I appreciated the honesty. The only games I liked to play were those that involved hunting down prey or seducing my mate.