The Ballad of a Buried Beast

Chapter 5.

What are you?"

The images paused as I assumed a response was being formed. After a few seconds, I was proven right: one new voice message.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhh..."

The voice sounded... different. More refined. There was less static, but the wheezing was still prevalent and loud.

"Aaahhhhh-hhhh... Looooonnnne. Aaalooo--OOO-oone."

"Alone?"

The images returned, and I found the creature nodding.

"Alright, not what I meant, but-" I glared over at the kitchen and let out a short sigh of relief, "That's-hah-, that's good to know. Thank you."

I ran my eyes through the ceiling as I tried to rephrase the question.

"But-uh, when I ask what you are, I mean, like..." I twirled my hand in the air a bit, "What are you? What are you called? -oH!" I snapped my fingers, "-A name! Do you have a name?"

I waited as the images paused, and to my relief I was soon met with another voice message.

"Missss-sttaaaaa-aaake-?"

I raised an eyebrow at the message, but before I could comment another one followed up.

"Mmmmm-moo... Monnsss-sstt-t-t-er..."

Another.

"Demmo-... Deeeem-o-ooon?"

And, another.

I pressed play, and I ended up jumping a little as it just consisted of nothing more than a wheezed, high-pitched scream.

That seemed to be the last one; after the blood-curling squeal, the images returned and I checked to find it remaining in its chair. Except, now it was different--it's posture, I mean. The creature's ears were down, sloped forward as it slouched a little. It looked defeated? Sad?

Could demons be-

I frowned for a moment, catching the word in my mind as I remembered its answers.

"Uh, -hmm..." I hummed to myself for a second, "What you just said, is that what you are called, or what you've been called? -Like-uh, -no, lemme rephrase..." I pat my knee for a bit as I furrowed my brow in thought, "My name is... Jack. People call me other things sometimes--right?--but I am Jack. That's my name: Jack. J-A-C-K," I spelled. "Do you have that? A name, like mine? Something you are, despite what others-uh, I guess, I guess call you? Something like Jack? -Which is-uh, again, me."

I felt a bit silly in my explanation, but as the images stopped I just waited and hoped for the best.

Bink!

I hit play.

"Nn-... No-o."

I nodded, but despite the somewhat sad response found myself cracking a smile. "You're speaking better," I mumbled to myself. This was getting easier.

I'm not sure if the creature heard that, but with the following images it sent I found its ears had perked up a bit. -And, know what? Rightfully so. Poor bastard could use a compliment.

Wait-

I blinked at the sudden thoughts and shook my head a bit to refocus.

"Alright-uhh..." I placed the phone on my lap and tapped a fist against my thigh, "Well, I can't just keep calling you nothing, y'know? That's sad. We gotta figure something out for ya... Hmm..."

I lifted the constantly-notified phone from my lap and checked my inbox. It consisted of just Mal0 Ver-

Oh!

"How 'bout Malo-?!" I blurted out. A smile began to run across my face at the indisputably genius idea, and as I scrolled through the newer images I found the creature tilting its head again.

"Y'know-uhh, Malo! Like that app you're using to message me, yeah? It's called Mal-zero, Version one point O, point O. We could go with 'Malo' for short!" I explained. "-What do ya think?"

The images stopped as a new voice message appeared.

"Mmmm... Mmma-aaalll-o? Maaalll... -Malloo-oo."

"Yeah, -Yeah, that's it," I smiled. "Malo, right? -I think it suits ya," I made the remark while looking through the new images. Watching its ears gradually perk as its lower jaw mouthed the name brought me to a smile. "Yeahhh, yeah, this'll work--yeah. You look like a Malo. I can get with this!"

New voice messages flooded my inbox, and I began to silently cheer as each one was filled with the new name from start-to-finish.

"Mal-!"

"Maahll-o!"

"Mmaaalloww!"

"MalO!"

"There ya go!" I nodded with an open smile. "Keep going!"

"Malo!"

"Maaalo!"

"Mal-"

The voice message cut off, and after a few seconds new ones appeared.

"Juh-..."

No way.

"Jaaaa-"

Malo's doin' it!

"Jaaa-ACK-!"

"You got this!"

"Jaaaa-aAck!"

"Ja-ack."

"JACK!"

I stood up in celebration and pumped my fist in the air. "LET'S FUCKIN' GO!" I celebrated. "That's what I'm talking about, Malo! HELL YEAH-! Put 'er-!"

I swung my hand in front of me in a mock high-five, but to my sudden shock it actually hit something and I yelped.

"Woah-, what-?" I stumbled backwards and fell into my chair as a blurred shape froze and disappeared in front of me. Quickly, I picked up my phone and scrolled through the newest pictures.

The collection was filled with the both of us celebrating; after I stood up, it mirrored me and began to dance around. When I raised my hand and threw it forward, Malo appeared to be right in front of me.

I went to the next picture, and my eyes widened to find my hand slapped against the fur of its side, right beside its abdomen. I pinched the screen and zoomed in, it looked like I made a physical indent; its fur separated between my fingers.

"Holy shit-" I covered my mouth to hide my shocked smile and then pulled my hand away to look at it, "Holy shit-! Malo! This is-... Haha-, that was awesome!"

My phone fell silent as the images stopped, and soon I found my smile fading as no new voice message came.

"Malo?"

I shook my phone a bit and tilted my head.

"Hey, Malo...! Malo?"

Something moved out of the corner of my eye.

"Malo?"

There was no response, and for the rest of the day I wouldn't receive one. After first contact, Malo had disappeared.