I'm Not an Animal (Slow Updates)

Chapter 9

I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't run anymore. And I kept running. I kept running until my body forced itself to shift into my human form, then I fell flat on my face as my arms stopped being legs. I felt like I was going to throw up. I tried to push myself up but my arms fell limp at my side and my jaw crashed into the ground. I lay there, helpless, for five minutes before the tears came.

I didn't sob. I didn't scream. I didn't wail. The tears rolled silently down my cheeks, falling to the ground and wetting the grass. I turned my head to the side and closed my eyes, shutting out the world. I could hear the birds chirping in the trees above, so oblivious to me. There was a rush of air as a bird flew past my head, then a thunk as something hit the ground beside me.

"You okay?" Asked a chirpy voice.

"Go away." I said. My voice was cracking. "Either that, or shoot me."

"I'm not gonna kill you. But I'm not gonna leave, either." I opened my eyes and looked up to see a girl. She looked about twelve, and had brown eyes, long brown hair and a genuine smile. She was wearing a tie-dye shirt with rainbow circles on it, and khaki shorts. There was a rainbow feather tucked in her hair. She held out her hand to me, and I slowly took it.

"Who are you?" I asked quietly. My throat was aching from all the screaming.

"I'm Ruby." She took her hand from mine and I instantly fell back to the ground.

"Ow." I said dully, pushing myself to my knees. My limbs were on fire. Ruby winced and lifted me back up.

"Sorry 'bout that. Didn't realise you were so unstable."

"I'm not 'unstable'. I just ran for... How long have I been running?"

"I don't know."

"I'm from Grayton Suburb."

"That's ages away! It's at least one hundred kilometres." She threw her hands up in the air and let my arm go. I staggered, but didn't fall. Ruby winced again, but then grinned. "You've already got your feet back! Look at yaself! Walking like a pro."

"Who are you?" I groaned.

"I told ya! I'm Ruby. Or did ya forget?" She started walking in a circle and I groaned again.

"I mean, who are you? As a person? What's your SA?"

"I'm a Rainbow Lorikeet, in case you hadn't realised." She pointed to the tie-dyed shirt and the feather.

"No, actually, I hadn't noticed."

"Yeah, well, I know what you are."

"Really? What was your first clue?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the Tiger-stripe shirt. Or was it the orange hair?" I glared at her and she held up her hands in her own defence.

"You're hilarious." I said sarcastically. I sat down and leaned back on my hands. I looked around, then reached over to grab a bundle of sticks. "Grab me something to tie these with, would ya?" I called. Ruby looked at me strangely, but obliged, and walked over to the trees to try and find one with vines.

I walked around the little patch of grass until I spotted three flat rocks. I pulled them over to my stick bundle and smiled gratefully as Ruby came back with some long strips of grass. I bound the sticks into cross-shapes and then dug little holes in the dirt, popping them in. I piled tiny rocks around the crosses so they wouldn't fall out, then shifted into my Tiger form. I dug my claws into the rocks, writing as well as I could.

R.I.P. Mum
R.I.P. Dad
R.I.P. Jack

I shifted back into my human form and pushed the rocks forward so they sat before the crosses. I curled up into a ball and held my legs, burying my face in my knees.

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked slowly. I shook my head violently and hicked as I cried. I started breathing heavily, then I tipped back my head and screamed to the sky. Ruby fell to her knees beside me and pulled me into a tight embrace. I buried my face in her neck and whimpered softly. My tears fell into her hair and her neck, but she just held me tightly and rocked gently.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." I whispered.

"Shh... It's okay. It's okay." Ruby breathed into my ear. I held her tightly, a little too tightly, but she didn't mind. I pulled my knees up to my chin and Ruby pulled me in tighter. I whimpered quietly again, my tears making tracks through my dirt-stained face. I closed my eyes to the chirping and screaming of birds and all I could think about was the things I no longer had.