After they finished collecting the mussels,

Nasha and Shadow-Thing

treaded back up the hill

through the forest.

The sun was warm now,

but once they were under the leafy canopy,

a cool, quiet world settled over them,

the birds sang,

the insects chattered,

and both of them were lulled

by the rhythm of their own footsteps

as they dodged roots and rocks

upon the path.

Strangely,

Nasha was tired of talking,

and once again she wondered

about his name.

For a moment,

she considered giving him a name,

but

a tremor of anxiety

ran through her skin

at the thought —

Would that give her

ownership of him?

Responsibility?

Soft gusts of wind

slowly swirled through the forest,

caressing Shadow-Thing’s skin,

and fiddling

with the scraggly tufts

of his hair.

When they got back

to Nasha’s hut,

she dropped the bucket

on the floor next to the hearth,

and tossed some kindling

and a couple logs

on the fire.

She hooked her iron pot

over the flames,

poured a pitcher of water into it,

and then placed a steaming tray

at its top.

Shadow-Thing watched Nasha

as she did this,

his eyes lingering

on the hem of her tunic

brushing against

the backs of her thighs

as she moved around the hut.

“You might as well sit down,”

Nasha told him.

He did not understand her,

but he sat down on the floor

anyway.

Nasha began slicing potatoes.

Shadow-Thing watched her,

the fire crackling noisily

from its new mouthful of fuel.

Though he had certainly eaten

his share of mussels at the bay,

he was still very hungry.

The sun coming through the window

was very lovely,

and Nasha felt

unusually

joyous.

The morning was intoxicating

with its richness.

She finished cutting the potatoes,

and threw them into a frying pan,

dousing them with oil

before she placed them over the fire.

She was thirsty.

She took a cup from the shelf,

and poured water into it from the pitcher,

taking a long drink that spilled out

of the sides of her mouth,

the water dripping down her chin

onto her neck.

Nasha wiped her mouth,

and noticed Shadow-Thing

watching her,

his big blue eyes

like yawning singularities

hungry for the delights

of reality.

Nasha stirred the potatoes

as they started frying.

Steam began to rise

from the pot of water,

filling the air

with the pungent scent

of the cooking mussels.

Shadow-Thing’s belly

trembled in anticipation

as the scent filled his nose.

His eyes fell upon Nasha’s neck,

tracing its muscles to the

necklace of painted red teeth

hanging at the top of her chest.

Inspired by curiosity,

he got to his feet,

and walked over to her.

Nasha watched him in amusement

as he reached out

and took the necklace into his fingers

as she stirred the potatoes.

“Lion’s teeth,” Nasha told him.

“It was my mother’s.”

He lightly pressed

the sharp tips of the teeth

with his fingertips.

They were still sharp.

Nasha could feel Shadow-Thing’s

hot breath

on her chest

as he bent and examined

her necklace.

His broad shoulders spread across her vision,

and his pulsing nearness

flooded her senses.

Shadow-Thing played with the necklace

for a moment more,

before lifting his head

to look into her eyes.

Her cloudy green irises

flickered

with both excitement

and fear.

Shadow-Thing

lost interest in the necklace,

turning and bending over

the steaming mussels

to inhale their odor

deeply into his nose.

His stomach roared

in anticipation.

Nasha laughed.

“You have the appetite

of an infant!”

she said,

but her eyes turned sad.

“Not much longer now,

don’t worry,”

she said after a moment.

Shadow-Thing moved

from the mussels to the frying potatoes,

a completely different smell

that tantalized his hunger further,

unleashing torrents of saliva

in his mouth.

“Gruh!”

he announced, happily.

Nasha finished cooking,

put half of the food

on a plate,

and handed it to Shadow-Thing.

She watched him as she nibbled

on her own breakfast.

He gobbled down the potatoes

greedily,

and then plucked the mussels

out of their shells

one by one,

smacking his lips

as he swallowed them.

After he was done,

he burped,

and looked up at Nasha,

smiling widely at her

in gratitude.

Oh, Nasha,

she said to herself,

you are such a fool.

to be continued...