Helga (unedited)

Chapter 8: On the mountain, in the clouds.

We were on the mount Fisacicre (fee-sah-see-cray), Helga and I. I don’t know, but we were spending more time together; her and I. The town’s people were about in gossip. The males, the old ones, shook my hand awkwardly and called me ‘player-player’, so said ‘player-play-her’ (meaning Ngi). The women made unpleasant faces at me; sniffed-in noses, rolling eye-brows, all treating me like a dog, and not like the dog the old men meant when they said, ‘You dog you,’ as they lightly punched my shoulder. Of all the women that spoke in displeasure, the only woman that I wanted to speak wasn’t speaking. Ngi resorted to hiding herself. I didn’t mind her hiding, so long as she didn’t come to unjustified conclusions. Helga and I on the mount conversing. It was the best place to converse with someone; above the world, amidst the clouds.

‘Are they still talking?’ asked she about myself and Ngi. I didn’t enjoy it when she asked such questions because it meant that it was affecting her.

‘You’re a demon...Uhm, well fire-girl,’ I stumbled, ‘none of this crap should be bothering you.’ If it bothered her, believe me, it would bother me as well.

‘I’m not bothered, more than annoyed,’ she returned.

The days moved on and we grew apart. I had to choose between keeping mon amour and Helga. I chose the former- it was logical. There was something about Ngi that made her essential to my being. Without her I was lost and with her I was a god. Helga took it well that she had to be solo once more. She was solo before me, and what that meant is that she was just retuning to be the person she was.

Soon, Helga disappeared. The nights became darker than usual, colder, and dangerous.