The Unwanted Wendigo [ManxMan]

Chapter Seven: Skull and Cross-shells

~Chapter Seven: Skull and Cross-shells~

There is a dead fish's head on a wooden pike outside my window.

I am not sure how long it has been there, as I rarely actually look out my windows - I still do not like to be reminded of the fact that I am under millions of tons of water - but it looks fresh enough, if the faint trail of red leaking from where its body should be is any indication. And directly behind the disembodied fish head are two planks of wood with different types of lightly-colored shells somehow attached to it.

Now, this might have actually looked cool - well, okay, it does look cool - if it were not for the fact that the positioning of it all reminding me a lot of a pirate flag. A very creative pirate flag, but a pirate flag nevertheless. It has the fish skull - even if the fish is actually still fresh and not just bones - and two crossed planks of wood with bone-colored shells in a very obvious 'X'.

This a threat or something?

If it is a threat, though, it is not very, well, threatening. It would be one thing if it was a humanoid skull, but anyone can kill a fish. And shells? Those are not intimidating at all. Maybe it is more threatening to a Mer, but to a wendigo? Are they trying to make me laugh?

Someone clearly put effort into this thing, though, even if the reason for it is a bit unclear. Still, instead of hiding under my covers at the first sign of a possible threat like a good, little wendigo, I snort and roll my eyes. If whoever did this wants to scare me, they are going to have to try a lot harder.

That does not, however, stop me from immediately seeking out my demon, who is just leaving his chambers, and draping myself over his back the moment I find him. "Someone wants me in pain," I announce dramatically in his ear, making him cringe away at my volume.

Still, it has the desired effect of making him turn his head as far as he can to try to look at me. "What?" Atasah inquires, incredulous. "Someone wants to hurt you?"

"They left an ominous fish head on a pike outside my window," I inform him, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Clearly, someone wants to give me...stomach cramps."

"Stomach cramps?" Atasah asks, not lowering his voice to match mine as his face scrunches up in confusion.

Scowling at the back of his head for not playing along, I explain, "From laughing too hard."

There is a pause as Atasah tries to figure out what I am talking about before he huffs in annoyance. My demon then wiggles his way free of my full-body clinging and turns to me. "Did someone really leave a fish head outside your window?" He asks, and I am sensing a bit of concern, which will just not do at all.

"Yep, and a whole bunch of shells in the shape of cross bones," I reply, because even though I do not think his concern is necessary or even wanted, that does not mean I will actually do anything about it. For now. It might be interesting to let him stew on this for a couple of minutes before I tell him just how not worrying this is.

But then, does telling someone not to worry make them worry less or more? Or do they just keep worrying the same, regardless of what is said?

Humming quietly at my own inner thoughts, I almost miss what Atasah says next. "I...don't think that's a good thing, Wendy," my demon replies, and I absentmindedly pat his head, still mulling over the impact of telling someone not to worry versus leaving them to their own thoughts.

"Only you could kill a wendigo," I tell him, briefly meeting his eyes before showing off my teeth in a not-smile.

Kill it with fire and all that.