HOME | Neteyam

Chapter 5

Warning: Mention of blood

"Okay, how about this. What are your favorite hobbies?" Neteyam asked me as he raised the stem he took from a plant tat can only be seen inside a cave. It was full of these humongous bats that, of course, I let him handle. I also had him spray the repellant with me so he wouldn't attract venomous animals.

I wanna laugh because he's already panting, his braids are messy and some beads fell from it causing his hairs to loose, he's got dirt on his body and worse on his face. But he's still smiling, enjoying rather, as if what we're doing was an old game he used to play.

His other hand is on his waist as he pant and scrunch his nose. I pulled myself from the tree I was leaning to and approached him. "You still want to play this game, huh?"

He smiled cheerfully. "Of course, it's exciting playing with you." his fangs are showing.

"Okay, uhm, my favorite hobbies are my works as botanist, sketching, and playing with my animals." I gave a half smile as he handed me the stem. I put it inside my bag carefully.

The only burden I've got to worry is carrying this bag I brought to store these stuffs we're foraging. But sometimes, Neteyam would snatch it away from me and carry it himself, which I would try to snatch back but he wouldn't let me. It's not because I want to stick with my independency or my pride, but because he would unconsciously play with the bag and twirl it around.

"Those are wonderful hobbies. You know, you might want to sketch me sometimes." he suggested as we started walking again, going to our last destination which is in the center of the forest.

"Hah! You wish." I sarcastically laugh. For over couples of hours he have asked me lots of question about myself, and there will be times that he'll sort of put me in some psychology shits that he would ask another question for free even without having got to help me into something. George, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found.

"What? Why?" he asked laughing as he waved the big leaves in our way. "Mom would always say that I've got good features on my face. You might enjoy sketching me."

I shook my head and laughed. "Neteyam, listen..." we stopped walking and I looked at him. "...she only said that because you're her son. It's called charity, bro. As an artist and a scientist myself, I would tell you otherwise."

I started walking again and I felt him getting tensed up from behind and gasping. "Wow, that's mean! Your mouth knows no limitation."

I shrugged. "Those are facts."

He stopped walking but I still continued on my way. "You meanie." I felt him running towards me and the next thing I knew, he once again snatch the bag from my hand and ran with it.

"Give that back to me!" I yelled at him as I tried to follow him. Of course he's stronger, faster, and taller than me so I couldn't catch up. He's running slowly but the bag keeps on swaying and I'm really worried that before we even got to go home, those things inside are already wrecked.

He just laughed at me but started to slow down and take care of the bag. "Enid, how long have you been here?"

I looked at him, his face is serious. "You can't ask question without helping me right?"

He smirked then showed the bag he's carrying.

"You snatched it from me, it doesn't count."

"Well, there's no contract about that."

I giggled at how silly and smart he did there. "You got me there. I've been here ever since I was 8 years old."

While walking, he looked down on me and examine my face. "Alone?"