Close Nemesis

Chapter: Twenty-Six: A Call

ZIERÉ:

Hours after having returned to my home on the outskirts of Entrek after visiting Oppugnant's new lair on Garbatrak, I now rest my head tiredly against the pillow that sits underneath the curved metal of the black headrest. While it had been daytime on Garbatrak, it is nighttime on Occos II.

I woke up recently to go to the toilet, and now, I can't get back to sleep. My loose blue satin pyjamas feel simultaneously rough and smooth against my soft fur. I've been staring at the stars from the 'O' shaped window that sits beside my bed. Lavender rises from the horizon, gradually obscuring the deep purple night sky as the day dawns upon the city of Entrek.

Defeatedly, I decide to hop out of my bed so that I may have a shower and wash my fur.

Following my shower, I return to my bedroom, drying my now matted fur.

From the dresser, I pick up a mint green polyester tank top and fit it over my arms.

Then, I exit my bedroom and continue towards the kitchen, which has unfinished floors and walls much like the rest of this house.

I open the battered cream coloured tempobox and take out a silver, hexagonal shaped tin containing perished cream. The tin reads in Scwabarkian: perapplae flavour.

I unscrew the lid of the yoghurt container, before taking a copper spoon from the nearby box of utensils that sits upon the tiled counter. The spoon's handle is decorated with zigzagged carvings that glow a pale pink. As I scoop some frozen perished-cream into my mouth, I taste the sweet bitterness from the perapplae. It takes me minutes to completely devour the yoghurt tin before tossing it into the sink to be washed later.

Then, I walk over to the nearby wooden table, where a brown holocrete folder sits. I open the holofolder, and take out two small sheets of brown paper, along with a black nerlant ink pen and an adjustable holocrete ruler. I spend the next hour drawing a design for my new space automobile design: a part metal, part holocrete car. Suddenly, my sleek black space phone rings. I pick it up, and hear a sweet, charismatic voice.

"Hi, are you Ziurr-ree Nelter?" the voice inquires nervously.

"Yeah?" I respond awkwardly. "But it's Zi-er-ray, not Ziurr-ree!"

"Sorry, mam! Anyway, this is Xalir Smilsonth here. My girlfriend Laiva has died, and so, with my advanced Plassilmaver memory, I was revisiting my memory concerning Laiva's predetermined funeral requests, and I know I saw your name on the top of her close friend's list. Would you mind coming to the funeral in two days?"

I nearly drop the phone in shock. I know Laiva faked her death and stuff, but I didn't expect to be invited to her funeral. But I will follow her instructions and check in on Xalir. So, I respond to Xalir's question.

"Zieré, are you coming to Laiva's funeral on Plassilmavern?"

"Yes, of course!" I answer. "I'll see you there!"

See you there? What kind of person are you?

IDAJ

"So, we're stuck in this predicament?" Ayegar remarks with a chuckle. "Cool!"

"Not cool," Oel grumbles in reply. "Damn, you always see the best in these situations, Ayegar."

I roll my one eye away from the group, glancing down at the dust covering the dry, rocky floor of the cafeteria.

"Hey, Idaj," Oel voices in a soothingly warm tone. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lie.

Soarle's words remain at the forefront of my mind. He said that unless I abandoned my pirate life, then I wouldn't be able to leave this place. Part of me wants to abandon my piracy, but the other half of me is hesitant to do so. I can't just abandon my life. This is who I've been. Sure, I wouldn't call Lygor's crew true pirates, but they still carry the traditions of a pirate's life. They're my family. I can't just leave them. Especially Ninadge. She can't be the only girl on the crew.

Unfortunately, my future is at stake, and I might have to make a tough decision in order to live my life to its fullest.