My Pet Human {UNDER SERIOUS EDITING}

Chapter Twelve: 'Drugged'

"Hey Ben." Charlene smirked, with a small wave. Ben winked at the human from the doorway as Malroy shuffled in.

"T'sup?" He asked. She shrugged nonchalantly in response.

"Ughh... I've been sick this week so I've been stuck at home with her," She stuck out her finger to point at Malroy, "to keep me company."

Ben smirked himself. "Aren't you, as a pet, meant to get along with your owner?" No one saw this, but Colton was nodding in agreement the moment Ben started talking logically about humans.

Instead, Charlene rolled her eyes and let out a low grumble. "The day she stopped making me pancakes for breakfast was the start of our feud." She informed him.

Ben made a little 'tut tut' noise and shook his head at Malroy in mock disappointment. "The animal welfare organisation's gonna be up your ass, Mal. You better do something nice for your pet or she'll be taken away."

Malroy huffed out a laugh. "Go ahead."

All this talking was slowly but surely making Colton confused. The human, Charlene, was having a simple conversation with two dominant beings, as though there weren't any barriers in place separating her from being Laquanian herself. She was a pet, same as him, yet the aura she gave off felt as though she... belonged. Colton didn't even know that humans interacting equally with Laquanians was possible. The world was forever separated by size and proportion, and the Laquanians had clearly used theirs to their advantage.

Malroy sank back into her single bed beside Charlene and reached over to scoop the human girl up into her palm. Ben sat down beside her, with his own pet held carefully in his cupped hands. Malroy placed Charlene on the soft mattress of the bed and she stumbled around on the material, trying to keep her footing. Ben tilted his hand so that Colton could slide down onto the bed with her.

Charlene stood there for a moment with her thin arms folded, as if taking him in. Now that she was up closer, he noticed that her hair wasn't brown at all- it was a deep ebony colour with thin red streaks that had obviously been dyed. He wondered briefly to himself how she'd even managed to dye her hair in that fashion as a human. Perhaps it was Malroy's doing. Charlene's hazel coloured eyes were large and rimmed with a light sprinkle of freckles, and she stood about the same height as him, if not a little taller. She continued to study him for a few more seconds while their owners chatted before holding out a slender hand. Colton shook it hesitantly and swallowed. He'd barely talked to another human before.

Yes, you have. The voice in his head groused. Stop denying it, 238821.

"So." Charlene said. "You just came from the pet shop, I'm guessing?"

Realising that this was a question, Colton nodded once. "Yes. I was there for a week."

Charlene raised an eyebrow. "But surely you're older than 14... I was adopted five human years ago and I'm only 19." She said in confusion.

"I was kept at the Institute longer due to obedience problems." Colton explained in his annoying monotone. He'd grown so used to speaking without expression over time that it was hard to break the habit. Charlene's eyes filled with pity.

"That's a horrible place, isn't it?" She mumbled, and Colton nodded solemnly in agreement. The Institute wasn't exactly your average holiday home, to put it that way. "I remember when I was there and the Masters kept me in solitary for bad behaviour. They stuck me in a holding tank with the lights off for a day, without any food or water."

"Yes, I had the same punishment. Twice." Colton told her softly. He wasn't even looking at her anymore. It only made remembering the past easier.

Don't fight your own memories, 238821... The voice muttered, as if annoyed.