Light Speed by Arkadie, L. (accelerated reader books .TXT) 📕

The nonum’toksbrought his belongings out of generosity. If he cannot appreciatethat, then it is not my fault. That is why I decide to no longerdwell on his frustration. I turn away from him to rifle through aset of garments that have been reserved for me. Here’s a pair ofnavy blue pants in stretchy material and a long sleeved shirt, alsostretchy. I’ve never seen anything like these garments before butthey appeal to my eyes. I even like how the material feels againstmy hand and then my arm.

“Hey you,” Chex calls to break myconcentration. He no longer sounds harsh so I look over at him. Heslowly steps over to where I stand. “I was just an ass, wasn’tI?”

“An ‘ass’?” I ask confused by how he’s usingthat word this time.

“Rude,” he quickly clarifies, and this timewithout being condescending.

“No,” I croak because of the way he’sstaring into my eyes. “You were just expressing what you felt.”

“Ad’ru, I was being an ass,” he bluntlysays. “And I don’t like speaking to you that way, and I’ll never doit again. I promise you.” He lowers his lips to mine and then histongue is in my mouth. Our kissing is slow and passionate. Iwhimper in his embrace, and he whimpers too.

He tears his mouth away from mine. “Youshould get dressed, now,” he breathes and then speeds out of theroom, clutching his favorite pair of trousers and a blackshirt.

The loneliness joins me after he’s gone. Ican certainly conclude that I do not like this feeling. Withoutdelay, I put on the pants one leg at a time. They cling to me likea second skin. Then I slip into the shirt. There’s a shelf insideof it that holds my breasts firmly in place. I jump up and downjust to test its resolve and then shake my shoulders—they barelymove. I can’t stop myself from grinning, satisfied. And the pantseven have pockets on the hips and the buttocks. I’ve grown to likepockets. They’re quite practical when needed.

I bend over to pick up an odd looking pairof boots. They’re navy blue on the outside and lined with furryblack fibers on the inside. The shaft extends to the knee and afterI slip them on, the long part tightens, snugly around my legs. Iwiggle my toes. They’re encased but comfortable, and so are thepants and the shirt. Everything I’m wearing is sufficient.

Chex’s eyes widen when I walk onto anoutside patio. He’s sitting on a white marble chair at a tableformed of the same material where the ci’ke, ton’rek, and ci’chaare displayed on a silver plate. The sight of him and the fruitfrom the Garden of Naught causes tears to glaze my eyes. Motherknew this day would come. She knew that I wouldn’t celebrate TheTilt on dut west. But could she have known that I would becomethis? I look down to examine myself.

“Wow,” Chex whispers as I rush over to joinhim at the table, but he hurries out of his seat to take me in hisarms. He kisses me before I can sit down.

The sweet juice of the ci’cha coats histongue. “Umm,” I moan, savoring the familiar taste. Until now Inever thought the ci’cha would ever become my favorite fruit.

“Yeah, that’s some really good stuff overthere.” He points his chin toward the table and then runs a handthrough my hair. “Or it could be because I haven’t eaten food infive hundred years. Are you hungry?”

I take a moment to assess how I feel.“Strangely, no,” I say but then all of a sudden something bafflesme. “Chex, you’re eating the fruit from the Garden of Naught whichis in Enu!”

“The Garden of Naught? That sounds scary.”He searches my face, seeking a contradiction to his statement.

“The Garden of Naught was planted in Enu byour grandmother, Zillael.”

“Wait. Don’t you have a sister namedZillael?”

“Yes, I do. She was named after ourgrandmother.” The thought makes me smile. “The Garden of Naught issupposed to bloom forever when seven sisters join hands in it. Butthe fruit is meant to be consumed only by us. The fruit nourishesand strengthens us in ways that aren’t even known to ourselves. Buteven the Enuians become ravaged by illness if they eat from theForest, and the ci’ke, ci’cha, and ton’rek are never to be consumedby any other creature or it will kill them.”

He lifts an eyebrow curiously. “So I shouldbe dead?”

“But you’re not.” I take a moment to think.“And it’s strange that you are regaining some of your Selelltraits, and you’re still hungry?”

He nods. “I guess so,” he saysthoughtfully.

“This is all very remarkable. Don’t youagree?” I ask.

“I do agree.” And somehow I feel likethere’s something like a double meaning in his reply that’s linkedto him growing firm against me.

We stare into each other’s eyes. It’sapparent his sexual desire for me has returned. After a moment heruns a hand down the side of my face. “I’ve never seen eyes likeyours on another person,” he whispers. “They’re pure emerald, likethe stone.”

“Are they?” I croak because my body isresponding to his signals.

“But what the hell are you Ad’ru.” He’sstaring at me as if he’s trying to figure out the answer to his ownquestion.

“I am of the beings of Heaven,” I whisper,completely under his spell. “And of Enu and lastly, of Earth. Ourmother is Ce’lah’ime and our father is Felix Benel.”

“And why do you all look alike? That’sstrange you know?”

“I don’t know, we just do. But my fatheronce said that humans were once conceived in the same way we werebut they have been separated because of their natural inclinationtoward idolatry.”

“Humph,” Chex grunts. “You keep talking likethat and I just might believe you.” He snarls and then takes a longthoughtful pause. I respect his silence and wait for him to speakhis words. “Everything that’s wrong with humans is because theyworship every damn thing in the world. Money, men, books, animals,even fucking wood and shit, and they’re even worse when they do itall in the name of your Creator. They’re stupid asses and don’teven realize it’s all been done before. Before their new gods camealong, there were old ones. The same shit, a different day, adifferent name,