The Odyssey of Scylla

Chapter 8

The ceiling of Death's quarters was decorated in a mural. It depicted a vast blue forest with a red pool in the center. He'd explained that that was the Kukunda's homeworld, Mahara. It was breathtaking in a painting; I could only imagine the real thing.

I rolled over, and Death was staring at the ceiling too. "Have you ever seen Mahara?"

"I've not been lucky enough. I was born in space and have been slowly heading there." He reached out and took my hand in his.

I ran my fingers over his. "Can I sing you a song?"

He pulled his gaze from the ceiling to me. "I would like that."

I sat up, and the blanket slid from my shoulders. "Now I want you to know that this is a song that mothers usually sing to their sleeping babies. They usually only sing the refrain, but I'm going to sing the whole song."

"I know however you choose to sing it, it will be perfect."

"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping

I dreamed I held you in my arms

But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken

So I hung my head, and I cried

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away...."

I let the words of You are My Sunshine pour out of me like water. I wanted him to feel how dear he had become to me during the time we'd been spending together. Death wasn't like anyone I had met before. He was an alien by my definition, but I was to him as well.

Being with him was different but exciting. I'd been unsure at first because of him being alien. His tentacles had creeped me out, but now they're an extension of his being. When he envelopes me, I feel safe and warm. He wanted me to know he cared, and I could only accept that if I accepted all of him.

"In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me

When I awake, my poor heart pains

So when you come back and make me happy

I'll forgive you, dear, I'll take all the blame

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away."

Death sat up and reached for me. I let him wrap his body around me and pull me back to the bed. He kissed me, and I knew he understood that he meant everything to me.

---

I blinked rapidly and shot up. I looked down at my body, expecting to see something mutilated and broken. But I wasn't. My skin was smooth and unmarred.

"Scylla?" Hokuto's voice wasn't as confident as it usually was.

I looked in the direction of his voice. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, but the strange colors wouldn't disappear. Hokuto was a burgundy compared to his normal honey coloration.

"Traverse, what's wrong with my eyes?" I searched the room for him.

He stood from his chair. "Nothing. The light waves your eyes pick up are different now. I was able to merge your human genetics with the Kukunda's. There were going to be changes because of this. Most of your body is human but your senses and the tentacles are most identifiably Kukunda. "

"Hokuto, do I look...." If I didn't look like me, Death wouldn't know me anymore.

I covered my face and started sobbing. Snake and E-Scale had taken my life away in more ways than just my body. They destroyed my relationship with Death, and they killed our child too.

Strong arms wrapped around my body. "Scylla, he will know it's you. He'll be unsure at first, but he knows about splitting. You'll just have to convince him that it's you."

"They killed me Hokuto, they killed Death's child and me." I looked at him and was surprised by his shock.

"You were carrying his child?"

"Yes."

"That would explain why he is taking your disappearance so hard. Scylla, we have to convince him that you are you."

I pushed him away. "Look at me. I don't look like me anymore, do I!"

Traverse came closer. "Scylla, your tentacles are the same color as your hair. Your skin is lighter than a Kukunda's, and your build is different. For one thing, female Kukunda look physically like males. However, you still have the anatomy of the human species. Your voice is also unique to you. I'm sure he can be convinced that you are, in fact, you."

"How do I do that?"

Hokuto shrugged his shoulders.

Traverse took my hands in his. "Tell him something only you tell him. I think that may be the only way of convincing him."

I thought about all the things we talked about behind closed doors. How we felt was the most important. I knew after a moment that only one thing would make him realize it was me. My words.