Cascade

Alone In The Sun, But, Perhaps, A Fox Is Getting Married?

"Gray?!"

I whipped around as a shrill shriek pierced the air.

Cyber stood on the other side of the plaza, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping.

I sucked a breath in from between my teeth, my own eyes widening as I watched a series of emotions play out on her face.

Shock, disbelief; she brought her hands up to clasp her cheeks, something in the corners of her eyes reflecting the light.

A felt my heart jump, a warmth pouring forth along my ribs, and beyond my control, my lips curled up into a smile. "Cyber!"

And then she was running, across the plaza. I ran to meet her, meeting her halfway to catch her in a hug.

"Oof." I stumbled back a pace as she collided with my chest.

She scrambled, bubbling out half finished sentences, her hands coming up to run across my cheeks and shoulders.

"Is it really you?" Her eyes darted across my face, as she kept on, not waiting for an answer. "Where have you been? You've been gone for months! We'd thought you were gone!"

There were tears starting to drip from the corners of her eyes, shimmering in the afternoon sunlight.

I took a tight swallow, tightening my hug and opening my mouth to speak, but she didn't give me time.

Her voice was higher, her words scrambled and fast. "Are you okay? What took you so long to get back? Was It cannibals?"

Her brows furrowed together, hands going to grip the sides of my coat. "What is this? Where did this come from? Why do you have a cannibal's coat?"

I swallowed again, catching Cyber's wrists to stop her skittering hands. "I..." I caught myself. "Give me a minute, one thing at a time."

She jumped back. "Right, right sorry. Just, just, good gravy, you're alive!"

I took a minute to catch my breath as I bit my lip. What did I tell her? ... I...

Hi, how are you? I know I've been gone for seven months, but you see, I was kidnapped by a cannibal who wanted to court me. He dragged me to his home, which, while lovely at times, is the most overgrown, snarled, and stupidly laid out garden I've ever seen.

He wouldn't let me leave, and then I met some of his friends. One of them wanted to kill me and started sending beasts into Sil's garden in an attempt to do so.

Oh, what's that? Who's Sil? The cannibal, I gave him a name.

By the way, did you know that there is a kind of grass that is sharp enough to gore out the eye of a hog bison? I didn't.

And then Sil got hurt fighting, and the cannibal trying to kill me popped on over for a visit. He hurt Sil even more and I ended up beating him to death with a pipe. Then Sil's mom and the cannibal leaders came by to visit.

Sil got better, and then he let me come back because he knew that I missed my friends and family.

Oh, and Sil and I are mates now. Yes, I'm in love with a cannibal. Who kidnapped me.

...

That would not go over well. Not at all.

I took a deep breath. "Ugh, I'm okay. I'm good actually, maybe even great."

Her eyebrows pinched together, lips pursed.

I ran a hand up to rub the back of my neck. "I'm not hurt or anything."