The Mandela Catalogue

The Sad

We were walking up the stairs to my flat.
"so I have not really learnt much about h-humans but were to lure and kill them, I'm guessing for food." it says
"then what do you eat?" I ask
"I find dead animals sometimes, specifically on the roads. Leftover food in bins. And maybe an unfortunate being who may have been unlucky enough for me to kill them" it says.
It had slim, long arms that nearly reached the ground with large bony fingers that attached to them. You could see its spine outlined down it's back that led to high, slender legs. It's neck was long and led to a small head with no hair. It walked on.

"so what kind of people do you kill, cause you haven't killed us yet." I say
"it is simple really, if anyone pisses me off enough, they get killed. Or if I'm provoked" it says.
"but overall, even if they are ruining the planet, I find the humans kind of cute. Tiny little mammals that rule the earth." it says.

"your different from the others, in appearance." I say
"how may that be?" it says
"Well, if anyone to take one glance at you.... They'd know for sure that your an alternate, where with the others you need to find a slight detail. They look more human. You look like a creature you'd find in your closet where as they would just look like birth defects if they were more common. " I say
"that does make sense. So your saying I am probably one to not trick humans in appearance but in sound? Or what if I was not made to trick them at all, maybe to go at them instantly or.... I was supposed to help you?" it says

"yeah" I say, we reach my door. I open it and let Fox and the alternate in first, I close and lock the door behind me.
"DAMIEN!" I hear Michael yell from the living room.
"well hello there!" it says
"it's fine Michael, it's with us." i say.
"oh your just gonna casually bring in an alternate, WHICH... shall I say, isn't supposed to be saying hello in a nice and mannered way... Without warning us and that it could potentially have killed us before you even got through the bloody door." he says.

"it hasn't killed you has it?" I ask.
"no?" Michael says.
"then you can trust it." I say
"so what is your name?" it says
"Michael, also... Do you all speak in posh English?" he says
"yes, it is not posh persay. More like an older version that isn't like your modern English. We were made that way unfortunately, but sometimes one will speak your modern slang and it is funny." it says.
"eh, where did you even come from?" Michael says.
"that is personal." it says
"Why is your master gonna come kill you and us if you say?" he says
"we don't have a master but no, it's just a faint memory that I can't really remember." it says.

"so do you have anything we can refer to you as other than 'the alternate'? " I ask
"well, we don't really have genders but for all I know I am male. The others have these nicknames for eachother like 'the crawler' 'frowner' 'Smiling Man' and for me 'the sad'." it says.
"can we name you?" I ask
"why not?" it says.
"what are some of your favourite words or objects." I ask
"I like twigs or bugs." it says
"you sound very introverted, Twig will suit you!" I say.

"wait! Smiling man?" Fox asks.
"yes, the man who always smiles." it says
"I saw him when I was younger, he was there when my brother died but he was frowning." he says.
"you-?" it pauses.
"you saw the smiling man frowning and you survived?" it says.
"my brother didn't though." he says looking at the floor.
"that's unfortunate. He seems to appear when the situation is bad. He may appear frowning but rarely. It's very rare if he saves the person, that would mean he likes you." it says.
We all look at each other.
"he's saved our asses multiple times." Michael says.

"even shot a couple with his pistol" Jackie says.
"well you must be very lucky. You must repay him." it says.
"how?" I ask
"give him a gift. Then he will for sure carry on saving you with no expecting of something back." it says.
"I have a good idea." I say.
"then he will probably like it" it says.
"yeah!" I say
"we should go to your petrol station and find something, I think I saw something that he'd like. It'd go with his outfit very well" I say.
"sure, we'll leave first thing in the morning!" Michael says.
"uh... You OK sitting in the back of the truck?"
"yes."

(sorry for the short chapter but here!)