Ben's Hen

It's Not So Bad

Ben gasped and quickly covered the cockatrice with his hand. He gaped at his brother. "Nate?"

Nate stood motionless without blinking. He dropped to his knees and fell on his face.

"Nate!" Ben knelt beside his brother. He placed two fingers on Nate's neck to check for a pulse. Ben frowned. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

Nate groaned.

Ben lifted his brother off the ground and wrapped him in a tight, bear hug.

"Get off!" Nate pushed his brother away. "What was that thing?"

"It's my cockatrice." Ben held his hand toward Nate.

Nate covered his face with his arm. "Don't look at it!" He stumbled to his feet and staggered into the wooden door. "What's wrong with you? Why would you keep it?" Nate ran into the hallway.

"It needs me." Ben ran a finger down the cockatrice's back. The tiny creature crooned with delight. Ben smiled. "I won't let anything happen to you."

He chewed his lip. "Where to keep you?" He scratched his head. "Hidden and safe." He stood and walked into his room.

"And why didn't Nate die?" He rummaged through a three-foot stack of books. Nothing about cockatrices. Only how to hide from dragons, what beers dragons prefer, and what happens when dragons drink vodka.

Ben kicked the stack of books.

He dropped to the floor. "Ooh, sorry." He collected the scattered books and, with one hand, re-stacked them. "Sorry. I really do love you. Don't run away."

The cockatrice cocked its head to the left and studied the books. It gurgled.

Ben shrugged. "They're my only friends. Help me through rough days and long winters." He smiled at the stack beside his bed. "We go back a long way."

The cockatrice belched.

"Right. You're probably starving. Why do you eat? Hm...rooster head, lizard body... Corn?"

The cockatrice shook its head.

"Insects?"

The cockatrice warbled.

Ben rubbed his chin. "How am I going to catch flies?"