The Light That Shines From Above

Chapter 28

I shifted my position, moving so that I was facing him with my back to the bathroom now. He seemed so unsure of the mattress. Pushing on it with a strange expression.

"I don't understand how this is comfortable."

I shrugged, "When it's all you know," then glancing to the coffin thing, "besides it's got to be more comfortable than sleeping standing up."

His purple eyes meet mine, "Doubtful." He noted the change in my position, shifting his own body to face mine as well, "So a dog? But you've never had one?" He brought the conversation back to its original intentions.

I shook my head, "No. I would have liked to. A big one, like a saint Bernard or Irish wolfhound," I made sure to picture them so he wouldn't be confused, "honestly I haven't had a favorite animal picked since I was six."

"And what was it then?"

"A dolphin." I remembered the animal, "My room used to be covered with little figurines." I recalled the white shelves in my teal bedroom.

My fingers continued to play with the strings on the hoodie, my body leaning forward as I asked, "What's yours?"

I didn't know much about him either. While it was an easy question it was nice to know the simplest things about a person.

"A Bilben. You haven't seen one before. They're usually dark brown, with plated scales. They can fly and get pretty big, kind of in between the size of my smaller and medium craft."

My mind went to dragon. The mythical creature that had red reptilian skin, flew, and breathed fire from the movies.

"No this one looks different." He corrected my mind, "And you have ones that breath fire?"

I let out a small laugh. He genuinely looked concerned, "No those aren't real. They make them up for stories on earth."

"Why?"

I shrugged one shoulder making my hair fall over it, "For fun. Lots of people enjoy them."

I sifted through different memories then he nodded, "Favorite color?"

"I like blue, but like an ocean blue shade."

"Why that one?"

"I was born in Florida. We lived right on the beach and I always loved the view. It was something I missed sometimes when we'd move to a new place, the water never was the same." I explained, "Yours?"

"Green."

"Every shade?"

He shook his head, "No but it isn't a shade here, on Occolla I mean." I was confused but waited for more, "You pictured the forests back on earth, the green was so vibrant. The tree leaves and vines, even the ground was saturated in it. I liked that."

I tried to think about what I had imagined. Perhaps when comparing his forest to ours. I had envisioned the jungle though; one I had only seen in pictures.

"Favorite food?" He moved on.

"Um, a burger." I thought back to all the food on earth, they were suddenly all my favorite in their absence, then tilting my head, "I can guess yours."

"Really?"

I nodded, "the tentacles."

He laughed, "You're right but that's not what they're called."

I smiled at the sound of his laughter, "Well it's what they look like." I replied, then a bit more serious, "Honestly though what is it?"

"It's another animal you haven't seen. They are on the other side of the forest, usually reside on the ground."