/Fit/ Punk on Monster Island

“Geez Aunt Amy I’ll be alright yeah?” I separate from the teary woman.
“Oh but it’s so dangerous up there!”
I roll my eyes, “Right, you know this is Uncle’s idea? He says it’ll keep me out of trouble for the summer. Talk to him about it.”
She sighs, “If you just didn’t get into so many fights he wouldn’t have forced you to do this you know?”
A shrug is all I can respond with, “I guess...” I rub my side, there sits a bruised rib that keeps annoying me. A teasing smile creeps across my aunts face, “Hey it’s not too bad, maybe you’ll meet a cute girl over there huh?”
This time I’m the one sighing, “I think I’ll leave the Italian babes be.” I put in an ear bud, “Amy I love you.” She closes in for another hug and I pat her back promising to be alright. I turn and walk towards the small private jet brandishing my uncle’s company on the side. “Gespucci’s Dry Cleaning”.
"How he hasn’t been brought down by the feds is beyond me.” I mutter under my breath as I walk by the men in suits and up the lowered stairs. The cold blank faces on these goons put me off.
I sit down on a sofa inside and kick my feet up on a table. One of the pilots exit the bathroom and do a double check when he sees me. Shaking his head he goes up to the cockpit.
Hmph, Not everyone in Uncle’s business has seen me so it’s only normal to be surprised when they see Uncle’s “Problem Child”. I suffer from a unique form of Gigantism, my body is abnormally large but my body doesn’t seem to be too negatively affected like how my blood pumps or organs work. Doctors say I should be able to live past 50. Well, he also said that’s if I stop picking dangerous fights. I run my hand through the short spikes adorning my head. The spiked green mohawk probably doesn’t prevent getting weird looks either. The goons sit down as the plane starts up, pieces of steel flash from under their suit jacket. “For my protection I assume?” One of my massive hands point at the guy’s piece. He smiles and nods, “Only the best for Mr.Gespucci.”
I roll my eyes. They’re only here to make sure I got on the plane. I adjust in the sofa and wince as my bruised rib shifts. My father was a made man, Vito Gespucci. He was one of the best supposedly, next in line to be big don. I take a whiskey bottle from the cabinet behind me and take a swig.
One of the goons looks like he’s about to say something but is stopped by the other one. “Aren’t you only 17?” is written all over his face. Funny how some people’s morals work.
Well anyways my father decided to get hacked up one day by a rival family. No surprise there, you reap what you sow. I take another gulp.
That’s not to say I don’t love my father, of course I mourned him, it hit me pretty rough, he was a single dad trying to do the best he could while he was a mafioso. Most of the school guidance counselors, psychiatrists, anger management people, whatever, claim it’s because of his twisted death that I constantly get into fights.
I click my tongue. I was like this before that too, my father used to support my fighting as long as it was for a reason. I’d get into a fight and he’d ask, “Why’d you do that Joey?”
I’d always be honest even if it got me in trouble. Why? Because me and my father both respected a duel between men. If I said, “Well dad he was beatin a girl and I didn’t like it.” He’d nod and pat my head. If I told my old man, “I wanted to let him know I was stronger.” He’d give my hair a tussle as he smiled. The one thing he couldn’t abide was if I said “I don’t know.” I’d have whelps on my ass the next day that’s for sure.
Now my Uncle, he’s not too fond of the whole wild child shtick. The man says, “You’re making the family look bad when you do that you know? We aren’t just a bunch of dumb thugs goin about beating people for no reason!” Rich comin from the guy who will butcher you for looking at him the wrong way. He sure as fuck hated how I’d challenge his authority, even more so when it was in front of the other families.
A smirk comes across my face as a distant memory passes through my head. The fat man was so pissed after I barged into the room during a meeting to grab my phone I had left in there earlier. He tried to scold me to which I responded with a curt, “Eat a dick fatass.” Oh man he had his hands on me later that day, yelling that if I keep acting like that he’d have me whacked whether I was his nephew or not.
Well here we are, it’s the summer of junior year and I’m getting sent to Italy, “The old country” he says. Says I’ll learn a valuable lesson. Fat cunt, I’ve never even been there you expect me to be reverent to a shit hole I don’t care about. Now my aunt, she’s a queen, she treats me with the love my whore mother never did. Always cleaning my wounds, trying to rub my bruises with the old saliva napkin trick. She always tells me I should straighten up, that one day I could be in my Fat Uncle’s position. His son is too young to succeed him if he dies soon so I’ll be next up. I don’t want any part of that man. I just want to get into fights and ride my skateboard. I’m not a mobster I’m just a punk.
 I shift again in the uncomfortable sofa, chains rattling and the patches on my jacket scratching against the leather. I drop my combat boot covered feet onto the plane’s floor and stretch.
After I stretch I notice a third goon walk back from the cockpit and nod at the other two. They all stand up and gather around me.
I give them all an annoyed glance, “What you want an autograph?” I gulp heavily. My fists clench, I try to act tough but I can see where this is going.
“You’ve been a bad boy little Joey.” One of the goons pulls his gun.
The others follow suit, “Just kept your big mouth shut and didn’t fuck with him none and you woulda been a happy little camper.”
One of them waves the gun towards the door.
With a sigh I stand up, I tower over them even as I slouch under the ceiling of the jet. “Alright then assholes let’s get this over with.” I shove one of the guys out of my way, his eyes widen as the force knocks him back, my massive arms dwarf the average man’s legs after all. I take a couple steps towards the door.
“So what’s the next move of this dance asshats?”
They chuckle, “Well you jump shit for brains, what’d you think we were doin? Puttin ya in a corner for time out?”
I roll my eyes, “So do I at least get a parachute or am I gettin no chance here?”
They sneer at me until one of the guys shows mercy by throwing a parachute at me. “Hey what are you doin guy?”
“Yeah the boss said we were supposed to kill him!”
The new guy shrugs, “It just don’t seem right killin the kid like this is all, ‘sides there’s no way he survives out there.”
I smirk at the goodfella. “Thanks dude, I wont haunt you when I’m dead.” I open the door and we’re hit by a huge gust of wind. Their suits and ties flap as they try to steady themselves.
I’m either gunna be a total badass here, or I just threw away my last chance of survival.
I pull the cord and the parachute shoots out wrapping them all in the cloth. I leap forward and toss one of them out of the door. The parachute goes with him as a muffled yell gets quickly snuffed out by distance.
I grab the newbie and toss him on top of the other fella. I grit my teeth and tear a chair out of the floor smashing it on top of them. Blood pours out onto the carpet and coats the bottom of my boots. I walk towards the cockpit. “Let’s turn this plane around guys.” I can’t wait to see my uncle’s face, even if goin back there guarantees my death at least I can see that stupid fat face form the most shocked expression it can muster. A loud ping sounds as I fall forward, a sharp pain courses through my leg. “Fuckin prick!” I roll behind some furniture. A couple shots wiz by me. “Hey man just chill. I’ll let you live if you throw me the gun alright?” The goon grunts as he tries to get out from under the lackey. “Ha! Stupid kid how are you gunna kill me? I got the gun remember?”
“Stupid cunt you think I wouldn’t have picked up one of your pea shooters? I got cover you don’t, you’re the one who’s dead.”
He stands in silence for a second, giving me enough time to take off my boot and toss it at his head, his aim is off and a bullet shoots through the cockpit door. A yell comes from the other side as I sprint to the hired gun. It only takes a couple punches before his nose is pressed into his brain. I grab the gun. “Jesus I'm trying to get away from the whole killing thing. But I’m glad you made me do that one guy dad or this’d be a lot fuckin harder.” I curse as I take a step, blood pouring out of my leg. I put on my boot and kick open the door only to see one of the pilots is dead.
“You can still fly this can’t you?” I point the gun at the copilot who nods his head. “Turn it around, I left something at my uncles. My minor threat 7 inch and his head on a fucking platter.” I shuffle towards the back, I need one of these assholes belts and some bandages. A gunshot wizes by my head again. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” I take another dive behind some furniture. “You’re really gunna get into a gunfight with me?”
He shouts back, “Sorry kid, but you’re worth a lot of money right now. Nothin personal!” I roll across the floor next to the open door, the wind threatening to suck me right out. “I ain’t got nothin to live for anyways, but if it’ll kill this prick.” I grab a chute out of the emergency container. I fire a few rounds to get him behind cover then rip another chair up then jump out of the door, I drop the chair as I fly away from the plane and it flies into the engine. I choke on black smoke as I free fall down towards the large blue ocean. I laugh to myself, they wanted me to jump right? My eyes can barely open to the abrasiveness of the wind. When I think I’m close enough I pull the cord and abruptly slow down. “AH FUCK!” I grab my leg. Blood spewed out with the quick pull from the parachute. I wince, “At least my rib isn’t killing me anymore.” I start to get a little light headed, “I need to fuckin bandage this.” My eyes open to reveal the large blue expanse before me, but whether I’m losing my godamn mind from blood loss and adrenaline or maybe there is a god and he’s looking after me, I see an island. It’s not crazy close but I could most likely float there in under an hour. “I just hope Jaws isn’t looking for a quick meal.” As I’m about to hit the water I use my pocket knife to cut the lines and fall into the water.
I resurface. “COLD! JESUS THAT’S COLD!” I wipe the salt water off my face and start to make my way towards the land. A while passes and my eyes start to get real heavy. “Oh nooooo~you don’t puuussy.” I get woozy, “Stay awaaaa-ahh.” Before I can make it to the shore I black out, this is how I die. I just hope I went out the way dad wanted me to.

“I don’t want your cookbooks Jehovah get the fuck out of here!” I sit up quickly. “Huh?” I pat my chest a few times and check around me. It looks like I washed up on the beach. “THANK YOU POSEIDON!” with a sigh I flop on my back onto the soft sand. How did I survive that? I should have at least bled out even if I didn’t drown. “Oh right!” I sit back up and take my soaking jacket and shirt off, ready to tear my tank top before realizing something strange.
“I’m already bandaged?” I look down to see a well dressed bandage around my leg, a red spot where the wound is. I look around, “Did...did someone do this or did I wake up before...” Scratching my head I stand up out of the licking waves.
“Ungh.” I pound my hip a couple times in frustration as I try to walk on my wounded leg. “Let’s at least get into some shade alright?”
I try to convince my body. Somehow I manage to shuffle through the sand before finally falling back onto a palm tree and sliding down it. “It’d be a real dick move for a coconut to fall on my head about now...” I sigh exhausted. Looking out at the sea I think, “Where do we go from here Bull?”
My body flinches as a loud thud falls beside me, at first I thought it’d be a coconut and was gunna laugh but now...
The thing that flopped beside me is a body, its skin is pale and grey like a corpse and isn’t breathing. It looks like all of its limbs have been stitched together. My heart stops and a cold chill creeps down my spine as I’m frozen in place.
“Are you fuckin kidding me? Is that a-a a zombie?”
Once the corpse's head pops up and reveals its razor sharp teeth my body kicks into overdrive. I jump up to my feet and dash as fast as I can into the Forrest, my heart thumping into my ears is the only thing I can hear other than a constant high pitched ringing. I’ve seen more than enough zombie movies to know I’m not giving that thing a chance. My eyes widen as tears fill my eyes.
OH GOD WHAT IF I’M RUNNING INTO A FORREST OF ZOMBIES!
My breathing is rapid and I keep checking over my shoulder to see if the shambling corpse is chasing me. Unfortunately I do it one too many times and run face first into a tree...

My head jerks forward off of the rough tree I was leaned up against. My eyes start to focus up as a figure sits beside me. Oh god it’s the zombie! I’m being eaten alive. Please go back to sleep body, I really don’t want to see and feel all that.
“Oi! Idiot! Are you awake yet?”
A far away and abrasive voice seeps into my consciousness. Confused I look at the blurry figure to see its lips moving. “Oh thank god, the zombie must have left and this person is here to save me.”
To my surprise my eyes finish adjusting revealing the grey skinned corpse wearing a cutoff top and jean shorts. “I can’t believe you knocked yourself out. Are you retarded or just suicidal?”
I reach my hand out and place it on the talking woman’s head. She’s freezing cold to the touch. She might just be the real deal.
She looks at me like I’m stupid and throws my hand off her head. “Right, pleasure to meet you too Mr.Dumbass.” She crawls over to the other side of me, my eyes watching her in suspicion.
She looks insulted, “I’m just checking your wound, you’re welcome by the way.” She pulls out a clean cloth from her bag as she cuts open the bandage. To my surprise it looks like the hole has been stitched up, rather well too. She pours what looks to be some alcohol onto my wound and wraps the new bandage up. I try to act tough but I still wince a bit at the sting.
“Well it doesn’t look infected. But you’ll need to change your bandages a few times a day then just once a day then we’ll get the stitches out.
I nod blankly at her. She sighs and crosses her arms, “You get any brain damage or were you like this before?”
I scratch my cheek, “Is this real?”
She cocks her head to the side, “What being trapped on a deserted island with a cute zombie like me?”
A shiver goes down my spine at the word, “Fuck I was right...but uh...huh...”
“A Zombie?” I end up asking, “Uh, aren’t zombies kinda...you know...can’t talk? Also ravenous?”
She slaps her hand on my leg a couple times and stands up which in turn makes me jerk forward in pain.
“Right, this is the first time you’ve met one of us no doubt. Come on I gotta introduce you to the other girls.”
I feel like it’s my imagination but I feel like I’ve seen something impossible, a corpse blushing as she barely mutters something audible. “You owe us you know...”
I shake my head and try to stand up. When I stand up she looks at me surprised, “Wow...you really are big huh?”
Finally my turn to be a smart ass, “No you’re just short.” She stands at roughly 5’ 6”, though I’m almost two feet taller than her. I stumble a bit and catch a worried look on her face.
“Do you need help?”
I wave her away, “I’m fine man just take me where there’s a bed.”
She clicks her tongue as she walks through the Forrest.

After an hour of stumbling through the greenery I collapse into the short, well kept grass in a clearing.
“Here we are. I’m actually pretty impressed you clambered your way here.” She makes fun of me as I look up.
“A town?” I look at long cobblestone roads surrounded by various buildings, they look like old suburban homes. But it looks really nice and well kept. Finally human life.
I attempt to stand up only to fall down again.
“Hey machoman you proved you’re a badass; now take it easy huh?” She puts her small hand on my shoulder. “I’ll go grab a couple girls and we’ll help you out.”
I let out a sigh, “A couple girls? I think you underestimate how heavy I am. Just go find a couple dudes on the football team or something.”
She looks at me not sure whether to say something or not, “I’ll be back.” She walks off leaving me to bleed on the grass.

I’m laying on my back looking up at the clear blue sky when a voice comes from my right.
“You’re a human...a male human...” I laugh audibly at the obvious observation.
“You got me miss I’m a-” My voice catches in my throat as I see a small black feathered woman flicking her head around in different directions, getting a better look at me from every angle. I can’t help but stare at this winged woman, my eyes traveling from her scaled bird legs that connect to a pair of black feather plumed legs hidden under a loose brown dress. Finally I make it to her human like face below messy hair like feathers. She’s blushing, I guess it is kinda rude to stare at a girl like that, human or not.
“Ahem...Yeah I am. I’m Joey, or Bull if we become acquainted.” I weakly offer up a hand.
She leans closely and examines my hand as if it was covered in danger. “You remind me of Zasha, but you’re a male and more pink.”
The petite bird girl keeps observing me until I let my hand drop back onto the grass.
“Speaking of Zasha...” She whispers as a few footsteps approach me.
“Hey Carrie, keeping the weirdo company?” The familiar voice enters earshot. “Alright human these girls here will carry ya.”
I lean up ready to see a couple petite girls that I’m gunna have to turn down.
Oh how wrong I was. In front of me is a tall dark tan woman standing at 7 and 1/2 feet, she only has one large eye with a thick, long, blonde braid running behind her head and is wearing a brown apron with a few black stains on it. Beside her stands a chick standing just a foot shorter covered in green skin and toned up muscles. She flashes a smile at me revealing tusk like teeth. Shaggy red hair sits on her head and she wears a pair of jeans and a tank top.
They both attempt to lift me.
“Oh man are all humans this big? I thought they were supposed to be small and squishy, this one’s all big and hard.”
I know it’s just basic observation but I can’t help but grin smugly at myself. If I said I'm just a lucky guy they wouldn't get it.
“Well hell, the fella ain't what I'd hoped for when I met a man. I like 'em small myself.” The woman who is only a few inches taller than me puts my arm around her shoulder.
The zombie girl, apparently named Zasha speaks up, “Just take him to Chelsea’s house. She has more than enough room.”
I’m being helped towards a large building down the road on the corner.

We step through the pearly white doors into a neatly decorated and very open home. It smells like sandal wood and Clorox.
“Oi Chelsea! That new guy I told you about is here! Can he stay here since you have a few extra guest rooms to spare!?” Zasha yells into the open house.
I look around and see that everything is spaced far apart from each other, you could probably drive a car through here.
It’s gunna be another one of these creatures isn’t it...are there actually any other humans on this island? As I think to myself a head pops out from the top of a wide door frame a few rooms over. She startles me seeing as her head just popped out of nowhere, her long white hair dangling revealing her multitude of eyes. Skittering follows as she lowers herself from the ceiling and stands with all 8 of her legs onto the floor. The spider lady greets everyone politely as she walks over. She’s wearing an ivory sweater with her pale, white shoulders showing. The sweater is tight on her petite body, even her long abdomen is slim. As much as I hate to admit looking, the sweater in really tight around her massive chest. Those just shouldn’t be on such a small girl. Well small if you don’t count her height and width gained from the legs. I glance away trying to keep focus.
“So this is the human you were talking about? A pleasure to meet you, I’m Chelsea as our undead friend has said earlier.” Her long, slender fingers reach out and wait for me to accept her greeting. She seems really sweet and dainty, like a girl you just have this need to protect whether you know her or not, but just one look at her fangs in her smile and her razor sharp claws remind you she’s still a predator. Choking down my nervousness I take her hand in mine.
“My name is Joey, but please call me Bull, all my friends do.”
She puts her hand on her chest, “Oh Bull, like the animal? Because of your prestigious size compared to other humans I assume?” She giggles apparently finding the nickname funny.
I can’t help but smirk at her cute smile, “Yep that’s about it.” Wait did I just say I thought her smile was cute?
“Well please I’ll show you the way to your room.” She ascends the stairs and I'm moved to follow her, the two amazonian woman helping me climb. When we reach the top I notice a cracked door down the hall, it’s dark and I can see thick webs tangled all over the place in there.
“Oh please forgive the mess.” She directs my attention to the room a few doors over. When we enter the room my brows raise. Damn this is like one of the rooms in my Uncle’s Villa. The room is open, I assume for her large body, expensive and gaudy decorations surround the room. Paintings of flowers and floral covers on the massive bed.
“If this is fine you can stay here if you want.”
I nod, “Fine? This place is wonderful.”
She giggles and rubs my arm, “Oh don’t make me blush bull.” I fumble my way to the bed and they all say their goodbyes. My body remembers just how exhausted I am and I end up passing out.

*knock* *knock* *knock*
A polite knock raps on my door. “Yeah come on in.” I rub the sleep out of my eyes.
The door slowly opens as the 8 legged woman skitters in with a tray of food. My mouth waters at the sight of steak and salad.
“I hope you can eat this, the books we have on humans here are a little dated and it’s been forever since I last saw one of you.” She says worried as she walks it over to me.
“Oh no that looks fantastic thank you so much Chelsea!”
She sets in on my lap and she smiles while clasping her hands together, “I'm so happy to hear you say that! How are you feeling?”
My leg is still throbbing and other than being a little woozy from time to time I’m still alive. I try to convey that in a nice way, she seems like she actually gives a shit about how a feel. Strange I don’t even know her, she must be a genuinely good person.
She nods happily at the news, “Oh!” She gasps, “I almost forgot, I assume you’ll be stuck in bed for a while so I thought I’d bring you some reading material.” She goes out into the hall.
Other than playboys and magazines I don’t really read much...
She comes in with a couple thick text books.
My eyes widen as she puts them on the bed, they’re heavy as bricks.
“J-jesus man! You got anything for grade level 2 or 3?”
She giggles at my shocked reaction, “Well it does have pictures if that’s any consolation.”
I pick up the book and turn to a random page. “A black slime?” I say aloud.
She explains, “Well I figure this must be very shocking for you so I figure you could read up on the various races here, now that’s obviously not all of the species in this world and you wont find all of them on this sanctuary.” She clears her throat, “Luckily for you the Black Slime is one of them you wont be seeing.”
After skimming through I see a black slime’s favorite food is human flesh.
“Uhhhhhhh....You guys aren’t gunna eat me are you?”
She looks slightly hurt but waves it off, “No no of course not, you’re way too valuable.”
Before I can ask what she means she bows her head, “I think I’m going to go to bed, I hope you get a good night’s sleep. Please read up." She leaves the room leaving me to finish my food and crack open the book again.

The sun shines in through the window, waking me up and putting me in a bad mood. When I open my eyes I expect to be passed out at one of my friend’s houses or on the couch...turns out this wasn’t just a dream...
I run my hand down my leg until I find my bandage. “Yup this is all real.” I glance at the encyclopedias on the masterly crafted wooden bedside table.
“Well it seems like a bad idea to listen to a dead girl about health but doctor’s orders...” I slide to the side of the bed and stand up. I grunt in pain as I make my way to the door.
When I open the door a light creak sounds throughout the large house.
“Bull? Is that you?!” A surprised voice comes from down bellow. I lean up against the extended door frame.
“Yeah Chelsea it’s me, I just need to grab some new bandages and some disinfectant.” I sigh as I look at that long stairway.
“Oh please don’t trouble yourself! Let me take care of you.” She hollers back as she skitters around downstairs.
I’m about to object until I notice just how much weight I’m leaning onto the wall, those stairs will be the death of me...
“Alright.” I say softly as I struggle back to the bed.
A few minutes later and the skittering comes up the stairs. Chelsea smiles as she sets some silk looking bandages and some sort of rubbing alcohol. My attention is drawn to the silk bandages. I grab one and feel it. It’s soft like Egyptian cotton and is warm like it was just out of the dryer, it’s a tad sticky too.
After watching me inspect the bandage she finally tugs off my old bandages and steps back.
“How are they?” She asks me, biting her lip in anticipation.
I raise a brow in confusion, “Uh...these bandages?” With a nod I continue, “Oh, they’re really soft. To be honest these seem more like something you could wear comfortably.” They're just bandages what does she mean how are they?
She smiles, “Thank you, I  made them myself.”
I nod blankly. Of course she did.
“I’ll help tie the bandage if that’s alright?” I want to say no but the way she looks so insistent I just nod.
Looking away she motions at me for something. I cock my head then hand her a bandage.
She cocks her head back, “Oh! Thank you...but I meant you should remove your pants...”
“Oh r-right, yeah, my bad man.” I unbuckle my belt. The silence sure makes this awkward. After I’m done my pants are around my ankles.
I’m in my boxers and tank right now. My mind tries to keep itself occupied as she lowers herself and puts her claw like fingers on my thigh.
So what I can assume from the book, Chelsea is a long legged arachne. Their builds are a lot thinner especially around the legs, their 8 legs are almost double the length of the average Arachne’s and are mild mannered. One of the things it had said was their housekeeping skills which I could tell was superb the moment I walked through the front door. They are apparently masters of keeping out pests, down to the smallest gnat.
As I remember some of the other parts in the book I can’t help but feel self conscious around her...
I look down at the skinny woman with long white hair and red eyes tenderly dressing my wound.
Well they apparently make really good housewives...and uh...very compatible with humans as long as they don’t have arachnophobia...and contrary to human myth they don’t eat their mates...
“Bull are you alright?” She looks up at me with all 8 of her eyes, her hand tucking her bangs behind her ear.
“Eh? What do you mean dude?” I look away in embarrassment. What the hell am I thinking?! Especially now of all times!
“Oh you’re bright red! You aren’t getting a fever are you?” She leans in and puts her hand on my forehead. “You’re burning up! I better get Zasha.” Before she can turn I grab her wrist and assure her I’m fine, it’s just warm in here is all.
She smiles and goes back to her work. This feels like it’s taking forever, even more so now that I’m not letting my mind wonder.
“Alright that should do it.” She smiles as she rubs my knee. “I’ll be right downstairs so just yell and I’ll be up ok? No more sneaking out of bed, you need to rest.” After that she extends her legs to lift her up and walks out of the room.
I sigh as I fall backwards onto the bed. “This place is fuckin weird man...Did I fall through some wormhole on the way down. I shouldn’t have flown over the Bermuda triangle unless the damn pilots were blind.” Glancing at the encyclopedia I decide to flip through the Arachne’s chapter again, specifically the long legged species section.

“Excuse me Bull.”
A feminine smell and a sweet voice breaks my nap. Ugh, I keep falling asleep. Even for me this is too much.
I lean up in the bed and sit back on the headboard.
She offers me a glass of lemonade and some sandwiches. I gladly except and chug down some lemonade before taking a bite out of the sandwich. In between bites I notice Chelsea’s eyes lingering on my lap. I follow her gaze to see that the book I was reading was wide open on the section about her species.
“Ah, you’re reading about me.” She says bashfully, “It’s kind of embarrassing. But if you have any questions feel free to ask.”
Well I’ve read most of it...and it does get really, really personal. Like every detail about the species. And I mean EVERY detail. My mind finally comes to a question that seems appropriate for conversation.
“Alright, well are you a long legged archne?” I ask unsure.
“That’s right. Very astute. Other species often throw us in with regular arachne’s seeing as we aren’t as different visually as large and small Arachne’s. Of course the small arachne’s have it tough too seeing as they’re mistaken as just children.” She laughs to herself as if remembering something.
I do a mental fist pump, “Ok well here’s a question, it says that long legged arachne’s usually cannot produce silk. But you said you had made those bandages yesterday.”
She pouts, “So just because I’m an arachne means every bit of fabric I use is spider silk huh?”
Before I can apologize she flashes me a grin, “That’s fair because I do produce a lot of the town’s fabrics. So yes those bandages were from me.”
I click my tongue, “Bet you thought you were clever with that little joke huh?”
She rubs my head affectionately like she was petting a dog, “I’m sorry it’s just one of those jokes you don’t get to use too often. I had too. To answer your question, even amongst long legged arachne’s there are even further subspecies.” She scratches her chin. “To put it comparatively my species more so leans towards what human biologists have labeled, Pholcus phalangioides. Or cellar spiders.”
She glances over the page and continues, “Compared to some of the other arachne races we’re labeled as homebodies. Which is true. We hate leaving our home or finding a new place to live. And...compared to other long legged Arachne species...” She looks away and blushes, “Our abdomens are a bit thinner and longer.”
I can’t help but glance at the body behind her she tries to hide in embarrassment.
“Huh, well that helps a lot Chelsea thanks.” I sigh satisfied by her more than antiquate answer.
She nods her head and bites her lip before finally speaking, “Um...Bull?”
I look at her. “Well...In my books it says the human male is supposed to be on average a couple inches below six foot. You are significantly taller. Than that. Also from what little I’ve seen from images your physique is clearly abnormal as well. You almost stood as tall as Cindy when Cindy and Ona helped you inside yesterday.”
I assume she’s talking about the large woman with one eye.
“So are you some kind of subspecies of human?” She finally asks.
I chuckle a bit, “No there’s no real subspecies of human unless you count race. I’m just abnormal, I’ve been diagnosed with gigantism, that’s why my height is so much taller than a standard human’s.”
“Diagnosed?” She asks worried.
I scratch my matted down mohawk, “Well yeah...technically gigantism is a disease, and in humans it tends to lead to an early death.”
“Oh my, I’m so sorry Bu-”
I quickly stop her, “No, no hold up now I said usually. Now the doctor dude said I was a strange case where my organs are apparently strong enough to work just fine. So I shouldn’t have to worry about it.”
She heaves a heavy breath as she places her slender hand on her breast. “Oh that’s good.”
I can’t help but smile at her. “As for my physique, well aside from enjoying weightlifting I have fantastic genetics. People used to say I looked like a carbon copy of my father but a foot taller.”
Her eyes are glued to my body as I shift uncomfortably. It’s like I’m on display or something.
She finally speaks up, “Can I feel them?”
I clear my throat and nod. “Yeah I guess.” She just wants to know what human musculature feels like, pure science no weird meaning behind it.
I take my tank top off and her eyes turn into saucers.
N-no weird meaning behind it right? This is just curiosity right?
Her slender hand approaches my arm and rubs it gently.
I chuckle at her nervousness, mainly to cover up my own. “Here let me help you.” I squeeze and my arms inflate.
“Oh!” She says giving a cute giggle as she starts to lightly squeeze. “It’s like you’re made of rock.”
I grin at the entranced Arachne. She’s totally ‘mirin.
 She starts to slowly inch her way to my shoulders then my chest. Now the show really begins. As she puts her hand on my bare chest I begin to alternately pop my pectorals. She clearly enjoys it as her other hand explores my upper body.
I got to admit I’m enjoying this a lot too. But I’m starting to realize just how close she is to me. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, her long legs bowed to let her sink lower to fondle my body. Her blushing face and her happy smile, her long silky hair that seems to just lead down to her enormous pair of-
Oh fuck! I feel a familiar sensation assault my underwear. Oh shit I’m in my underwear! I start to slowly wrap some covers over my lap and try to kill the touching party. After I tell her I think that’s enough I let out a long breath.
“Dude you realize that she isn’t human right?” I look down at the dumb asshole attempting to tent the covers.
We talk about everyday stuff for a bit as I calm down. It almost makes me forget she’s an arachne and not just some pretty girl. Speaking of which...fair’s fair right?
“Hey Chelsea.” I get her attention.
“Hmm? What is it Bull?”
“Well it’s kind of awkward to ask but I’m just wondering...” My eyes trace her to her abdomen.
“Feel free.” She smiles softly.
“Well, your skin feels just like a human’s. But what does that feel like?” I can’t figure out a good way to put it so I just point and say directly.
And apparently I just shouldn’t have asked at all because now she’s scarlet red seeing me point at her abdomen.
“O-Oh! You mean my...my...my abdomen...” She says bashfully not daring to look in my eyes.
Ah fuck we were having such a good mood going too.
Before I can apologize for my rudeness she nods and turns towards the door, her body coming near the bed.
“It’s ok?” I ask.
She nods, “You let me touch you after all.” She squeaks out.
I gently set my hand on her abdomen and feel it. Wow it feels like a really hard plastic. So this is what an exoskeleton feels like? It’s cold and occasionally I’ll hit an almost invisible hair that sends a shiver through her. I let a long stroke from the front to the back. She squirms a bit and I decide I may be going too far.
I rub my head and apologize, “Um...I’m sorry if I went too far Chelsea, I was just curious is all. I didn’t know if that was a wrong thing to ask.”
“Oh no, no of course not you’ve done nothing wrong.” She looks back at me and tries to clear the air smiling widely but still scarlet red.
She bids me farewell and steps back into the hall shyly.
As I look out the window I can see the sun setting. “Geez time passed that quickly huh?”

The next day I go through the same motions of eating breakfast and reading a tidbit out of the encyclopedia. I never used to study so me reading a book like this is new to me and I sometimes get sidetracked in my idle thoughts before shaking it off and continuing reading.
*knock* *knock* *knock*
I shut the book and tell Chelsea to come in. The wide door creaks open and she squeezes her face in.
“Zasha is here too, if that’s alright?” She says politely.
“Nah man, you can come in but tell Zasha to wait in the hall.” I grin real wide as I hear the dead girl explode obscenities at me. Chelsea can’t help but smile as she tries to calm Zasha down.
“Hmph.” Zasha comes in annoyed.
“Hey Zasha, what’s happenin man?” I wave at her as she walks up to the bed and ignores me.
“Show me your leg asshole.” She sets her bag on the bedside table and stares at me expectantly.
I pretend to be embarrassed, “Oh my Zasha, I don’t know you very well.”
She clicks her tongue and throws the blanket off.
Coincidentally I actually read off some of the types of zombies. She’s one of the newer zombies apparent by how she was able to preserve her body. The Old Zombies often had to live in frozen environments before preservatives were around. Zombies usually resemble the same spirit as the life they had before undeath aside from being more daring. Seeing as they can’t die again they don’t mind the same dangerous things normal humans wouldn’t do. Just like movies if a zombie bites you, you turn into a zombie. But though they can eat humans they’ll find any meat to be just as good if not better. Though once again the book goes into more unneeded detail. Obviously barren...Usually pushy and the spouse better be ready to see pieces of her fall off occasionally.
Am I reading a text book or a Dating guide here?
“Hey Mr.Dumbass! I’m talking to you!” She slaps my leg causing me to jerk in pain.
“I’m still sore there you ass! What?!”
She rolls her eyes, “What a baby. I said have you been swapping your bandages?” She cuts off the silk bandage around my leg. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”
“She is the doctor afterall.” The Arachne in the doorway nods.
“Ah, that makes sense. Who better to keep someone alive than someone who already died.” I mutter.
Another slap before she dives into her bag.
I grab at my leg and hold my grunt in. “Thanks doc you’ve been a real help.” I say sarcastically.
She rolls her eyes and wraps a new bandage around the stitched up wound.
“Well you’ve been taking care of yourself at least.” She sighs as she stands up.
“Actually Chelsea has been helping me with that. She can tie a bandage without hitting me and she has great bedside manner.” I throw the covers back over my lower body.
Chelsea shakes her head, “Oh come Bull, she’s a really good doctor. She just likes you is all.”
Zasha shakes her head as she walks out, “Yeah we’re best buds. And you need to stop taking advantage of poor old Chelsea here. If I come back and you aren’t doing things for yourself by the end of the week I’m going to do more than hit you.”
“So much for the Hippocratic oath eh?” I rub my leg.
“I saved your ass didn’t I?” She sticks her tongue out as she walks out of the room.

“Well it’s been a week I wonder if the dead broad is gunna come abuse me again.” I rinse under my armpits in the monstrous sized shower. This tub might as well be an above ground pool. I step out and dry off with the towel. It feels so good. I assume she made these herself too. I wrap it around my waist and step out into the house.
With a yawn I walk down the steps. Chelsea should be washing my clothes as we speak. What a woman, maybe that book ain’t all wrong... I shake my head out as I get to the ground floor.
“Hey Chelsea where are you?” I holler out into the house to hear her a few rooms away. Following the voice I make my way over.
I step into the laundry room. She’s cleaning my jeans and tank top by hand, my shirt and jacket are neatly folded beside her.
“Hey thanks again Chelsea.” I really appreciate her taking care of me after all this, she didn’t even know me.
The spider girl just stares at me frozen for a second.
I walk out of the room then walk back in, “Hey thanks again Chelsea.” I really appreciate her taking care of me after all this...
She blushes and goes back to cleaning my clothes, “O-oh hey Bull. I didn’t expect to see you here in one of my towels. Caught me off guard is all.” She laughs embarrassed.
I raise my brow. “Oh? Liking the gun show  eh?” I flex my arm and squeeze my chest a couple times.
“Oh stop.” She still can’t meet my eyes but laughs as she finishes with my clothes. “I mended the hole too.”
“You’re too good to me Chelsea.” I take the clothes and hop into the downstairs bathroom to change.
With a limp I make my way to lean on a sofa. Did she make this too? It’s so soft.
I can’t help but stroke it with my other hand.
The door opens and in comes the fiery zombie.
“Ever heard of knocking tiny?” I sit on the arm of the couch.
She seems surprised to see me up and about. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to be up and moving.”
“It was that or have a mad doctor torture me.” I joke as Chelsea skitters into the room with me.
“Oh hello Zasha.” She greets the zombie girl with a warm smile.
Before Zasha can come with a comeback she gives up and greets Chelsea then returns to questioning me. “Alright Bull so you’re walking again?”
I shrug, “Barely. It still hurts like hell to walk up the stairs and of course I have a limp.”
She smiles triumphantly, “Well thank the good doctor because I brought you something.” She pulls out a wooden cane.
I click my tongue, “Fuck that man I’m not some old man.”
The zombie’s eyes narrow. “Eh? You mean I came her to give you this gift and you’re just going to be rude?”
I shrug, “I ain’t an old man, end of story, I don’t need a cane.”
She sets the cane down and crosses her arms, “Oh really?”
“Yeah that’s right. I can walk just fine.” I mimic her by crossing my arms and squinting my eyes back.
“Ok, let’s take a walk then.”
I curse myself in my head, why the fuck am I acting proud like this? Is trying to piss her off this much fun?... Yes, yes it is. But fuck this might not be worth it, maybe I should just accept the damn cane.
“Alright then, I’ll walk the shit out of this town.” Am I retarded? Eh whatever, if it’ll piss her off let’s just endure the pain.
She smiles like she’s won, “Alright tough guy, let’s go.” She opens the door and takes a step out watching me.
I brace myself as I stand up and limp towards the door. I’m probably gunna regret this later, it’d be smarter to back out while I’m still in the house.
“Ladies first.” I gesture as I close the door behind me.
She just smirks and hops off the porch down to the cobblestone street. I shake my head and follow behind.

The weather isn’t too bad today, aside from the pain shooting through my leg, this actually is pretty nice.
“Hey Zasha?”
She looks over to me.
“Why do you hate me so much?”
She huffs some air out, “Why would you think I hate you? I don’t even know you.”
I laugh, “Right, you sure show indifference to someone the right way. I’d hate to see how you treat someone you hate.”
She rolls her eyes, “What? You expect me to baby some human who washed up on the island? Take care of you every day and kiss your booboo? Not everyone can be Chelsea, I don’t know you so why should I treat you like royalty?”
I shrug, “That’s a good point.”
She eyes me up and down. “You alright?”
I mentally hit myself for showing weakness, my breathing is heavy and I wince with each step. “Yeah of course I am.” I give her a thumbs up.
“Whatever.” She continues walking down the sidewalk.
“You know for all these houses this town seems pretty empty.” I comment as we walk through the ghost town.
“Well it’s Saturday, everyone is off having fun inside or somewhere else on the island.”
“Fun huh? Like what?”
She clicks her tongue at me, “How should I know? I don’t keep everyone’s idea of fun down as a hobby you know.”
I roll my eyes. We walk for a minute before I bring up conversation, “Well what do you do for fun?”
She stays silent. Before I can tease her she gives me a vague answer, “I like to sit around inside.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah so what?!" She huffs.
“Lame. I wanted a better answer than that.” I playfully shove her.
She looks at me angry, “Oh yeah what do you do for fun?”
“I go looking for fights.” It comes out a bit more hollow than I thought it would.
We walk in an awkward silence until I suddenly collapse onto the sidewalk. I grab at my leg and slam my fist into the ground. Damnit here it comes, she won.
“Bull are you alright?” To my surprise she quickly kneels beside me and inspects my leg.
“Yeah I just really wanted to get close and admire the craftsmanship of this cobble road, it’s truly beautiful.”
She hits me in the back of the head. “Dumbass! If you weren’t feeling up to walk why’d you come out here?!”
She's really lecturing me.
“What?! You’re the one who challenged me! What kind of doctor forces a patient who got shot a week ago to go on a walk?!”
She looks actually hurt by what I said, “I thought you were well enough...I just wanted to get to know you.” She says under her breath.
I rub my eyes with my fingers to get the stress out. “No look Zash, I’m sorry. I’m just hurting, it is my bad. I'm the dumbass who decided to try and act like a tough guy when I knew I wasn’t ready.”
“Zash?” She looks at me like I just let a real raunchy one out.
I roll my eyes, “Yeah that’s right. You know, Zash, Zasha.”
She looks at me annoyed, “Yeah no shit. Can you get up tough guy?”
I groan as I stand. “Y-yeah, I’m fine.”
She takes my hand and puts it on her shoulder. Guess I’m using her as a cane then. God using a girl as a cane is even more embarrassing than a normal cane. What kind of man am I?...
We limp back down the road. “So you get into fights? For fun?” She finally brings that up.
This time I’m the one who’s silent. Why do I get into fights anymore. It used to be fun. I lived for it. I’d get into a fight and it didn't matter if I win or lose the thrill kept me alive. But it seems like it just became a job after I moved in with my Uncle. Like I stopped fighting for myself and started fighting just to spite him. Maybe after I leave here I can start fighting for myself again. Enjoy it like my father did. Like we both did when he was alive.
I sigh and shake my head, “Well...Kinda...I’ll change my original answer if it’s confusing. I like to lift weights. Also I’m sure you may have noticed the patches on my jacket? I like moshes and hardcore shows a lot.” I yank my floppy mohawk a couple times to emphasis.
“Hmm.” She seems content with that answer.
We hobble back to Chelsea’s and she helps me up the porch steps. “Hey, when I get better, let’s go sit around your house sometime.”
She laughs at me, “And end up getting into a fistfight? No way.”
She turns around and walks away. Though before I can enter the house she stops and calls me.
“Don’t die...You still owe us...” She blushes before walking away.
She said it again. What does she want from me? I’m a castaway I don’t have anything to give except for a couple chains a ruined cell phone and a badass jacket.

It’s been a couple weeks on this island and I’m good enough now to walk around with a limp no problem. The stairs don’t kick my ass like it used to and I’ve even helped Chelsea with some chores. As I close my eyes and daydream in the afternoon sun shining through the window I hear some faint whispers from behind the door. Curiosity gets the best of me as I pull off my covers. But before I can get up a gentle knocking comes from the door.
“Yeah? Come on in.”
Once again Chelsea creaks the door open to squeeze her face barely through, being considerate of my privacy.
“Carrie is here to see you.”
I think to myself for a moment, “Oh you mean the bird girl I met when I first got here?”
“Ah yes, the harpy.” She turns and whispers to the girl, “See I told you he remembers you.”
She opens the door and nudges the black feathered harpy into the room. Carrie looks around nervously but curiously, like she was inspecting everything to the very last spec of dust. After she flits her head in at least a hundred different directions she finally looks at me and nods. “Hello bull.”
I wave at the stiffly standing Carrie, “’Sup.”
“Um Bull I have some personal things I need to address, so I’ll be hiding in my room for the rest of the day. Carrie here will take care of you if you need anything.” She skitters up behind the small girl and puts her hands on her shoulders.
I rub my mohawk a few times, “I mean I’m getting stronger everyday, I don’t really need someone to take care of me.”
“Oh...uh...Then I guess I’ll go-” Carrie is cutt off by Chelsea rubbing her shoulders and starts talking to her more so than me.
“Well I figured this will knock out two birds with one sto-” She clears her throat, “I figure this would work out for the both of you. If you need something Carrie would be more than glad to help you, and she really wants to be with you.”
A blush rises on the Black Harpy’s face, “It’s not like that! I just asked some questions about you is all.” She shifts nervously holding a couple of really heavy books in her wings.
Chelsea looks at me and winks while rubbing Carrie’s head.
“Well that’s fine with me as long as it’s not too much of a burden on Carrie.” I resign myself to the bed as I throw my cover over myself.
“It’s no trouble.” She mumbles as she looks for somewhere to sit.
“Ah thank you so much Carrie, and thanks Bull.” She heads out of the room.
She keeps looking around before finally sighing and sitting on the wooden floor.
“Yeah there isn’t much for furniture in here. I can assume why...” Chelsea set her place up a lot like a blind person would where she’s so long and wide with her legs. She nods and shrugs at my comment.
Deciding it’d be the right thing to do I toss her a pillow. “Well here this should be a bit easier on your ass.”
She takes it graciously and sits on it.
I expect to be bombarded with questions seeing as that’s why she wanted to see me, or at least that’s what Chelsea conveyed. Rather, we’re sitting here in silence until she grabs one of her books and begins reading.
After a minute or two of watching her flip through pages I eventually follow suit and grab a book of my own.
Harpy, harpy, there it is. Harpies, land harpies, raptors, poultry...Guess she’d be just a harpy. Hmm. I read to see there’s multiple kinds of harpies under Harpy. This matches her to a tee I think. I flip to the Crow-Harpy.
Apparently unlike other harpies aside from their raptor counterpart they boast a very high intellect. As opposed to their other sister harpy species. Crow-Harpy’s are usually alone and prefer to watch social interactions from a far. Their personality usually is shy and evasive a polar opposite to the usually outgoing harpies. Crow-harpies are very curious creatures and will take every detail in and experiment with things they don’t understand until they have a basic understanding of it, they’re famously good at puzzles and make great problem solvers. Crow-Harpies lay eggs the usual way of other Harpies and like their sisters they are an all female race, requiring a human male. They mate for life much like the birds of nature and though they’re not as openly affectionate as other subspecies under the regular harpy they can be quite clingy at times. Though if you’re a Casanova this is not a good wife for you, she will notice the slightest difference in your stride and that will be ended the day it started.
What the hell? That wasn’t important information! Who the fuck wrote this?
I turn to the cover, “Bik’Teeq Mon’Fooker, are you fuckin kidding me? This really is a catalog for trying to bang monster chicks.” I grumble to myself. But I must say, it does actually provide really great information aside from steering the topic from time to time.
So if I want to get a conversation from her I gotta get the ball rolling.
I sigh. I don’t know what to talk about I never was very good with girls...
“Hey Carrie.”
She nods but continues reading the book.
“What are you reading?”
“A book on auto-mechanics.” She says again without looking up.
“Huh...sounds kind of boring, I tend to read something a bit lighter myself.” I laugh nervously.
“But you were just reading an encyclopedia about Harpies weren’t you? I can’t imagine that’s much of a page turner.” She says casually.
I can’t help but be embarrassed by the fact I was reading a book about her rather than just asking...
“Uh...How’d you know that I was-”
“The encyclopedia is about various species and you were glancing at me every so often after reading a line or two as if comparing.” She quickly answers me.
I shut up, Jesus they are sharp aren’t they.
“So...what do you do for fun?”
“I usually read.”
no shit? “Ah, that’s cool.”
“I thought you said reading was boring.”
Godamn this is hard...
Silence follows after having my ass beat in a verbal debate, I thought the damn book said they were shy.
“Well uh...Do you have any questions for me?” I try to beat this dead horse a little further.
She blushes a bit and hides behind her book a little further.
Ah, she’s using the book to distract her from social interactions. Looks like I can get the upper hand here.
I smile mischievously as I throw the covers to the side and grab a pillow. “Oi, Carrie I’m bored, come one you gotta entertain me here.” I set the pillow in front of her and sit down.
She is scarlet at this point, her eyes frozen on the page, not even able to read. Gotcha now.
After I burn a hole through her head she finally mumbles something almost inaudible.
“W-why?”
“So you’re a crow-Harpy yeah?”
She nods her head.
“You like reading yeah?”
She nods her head.
“You single?”
She nods her head before realizing what she’s done. Her talons pierce the book cover as her entire body goes red.
I can’t help but laugh my ass off. “Hey! Hey! No I’m sorry I shouldn’t tease you like that I’m so sorry!” I try to calm her down, but it looks like she’s about to cry.
“Dude really I’m sorry! I just wanted you to open up a bit, I may be big and scary, but I wont hurt ya.” I pat her head a couple times as I recover from my laughing fit. I do feel kind of bad for how embarrassed she got.
She looks like she had a stroke and is just frozen, with a million mile stare.
I try to match her gaze, “Hey come on, I’m single too you know. Nothing weird about it if that’s what you’re embarrassed about.”
“Y-you’re single too?” She manages to mumble out as she avoids my eyes.
“Yeah, to be honest I’m surprised a girl like you hasn’t found someone, as far as harpy’s go you’re the cutest one I’ve seen.” I ruffle her head fathers as she sweats in nervousness.
“B-but I don’t like women.” She blurts out defensively as if she needed to let me know something important.
I laugh at her sudden statement, “Uh, ok. I never said you were gay. But just so we’re clear I do.”
She stands up and slowly paces around me, her eyes and head flicking a hundred different ways around me.
“Uh, I don’t think you’ll see whether I’m gay or not by just looking at me you know?” I chuckle at this weird girl.
Finally she sits down, “But then how would I find someone if I’m not into other women?” She looks at me, her head cocked to the side. Looks like this enigma has opened her out of her shell.
“Uh...What do you mean?” I finally stop laughing. Anymore and my sides would have split, this chick is weird and fun to tease.
“Well there’s only girls here.”
My eyes widen, “H-huh?” Did she say only chicks...now that I think about it the few people I’ve met were all girls. I figured that was coincidence though.
“Uh...Why?” I finally ask.
She thinks to herself. “This island has no human males present, and the among other species males are either nonexistent or quite rare.”
“Wait there’s more places than this island like this?” I figured this was just some crazy fucked up wormhole alternate dimension shit.
She nods her head, “Well yes, tons of them, some places have both humans and other species living together.”
How haven’t we figured that out?
“They are normally located in locations satellites normally can’t observe or strange anomalies like the Bermuda triangle to keep people away, the times we’ve interacted with humans are normally reciprocated with contempt or fear. We’re used as evil creatures in most of human legends.”
She's in my head man.
“Huh.” That’s all I can say in response.
She sighs, “But it isn’t always the human’s fault, many of the species are hostile or even use them as a food source. Much like why human fear snakes and stay away from crocodiles.”
“Huh that’s interesting. Thanks for telling me all this.” I pat her back a couple times.
Me seeming to end the conversation has her revert back to shy mode.
“So then how did you get here? I assume you weren’t born here seeing as there’s no dudes.”
“I flew here, I like the location. The population is small and the night sky is really lit up here. Tons of plants and interesting life. Most of us come here, very few are born here. Mainly because there’s no males.”
“So why is that? Are males not allowed on this island?”
She shakes her head, “You’re here aren’t you?”
“I didn’t exactly sign any transfer papers though.” I rub my neck.
“Males are allowed. It just happens there aren’t any here. Males don’t normally come to this place themselves, the few times there’s a male here is when someone brings their husband. Chelsea’s parents for example came here after escaping from a disaster at their home. I never met her father though.”
“Huh.” I figure that this time we’re done with the subject, “Well that’s enough about all that noise. Let’s talk about you.”
She shrinks at the mention of talking about something personal.
“Hey come on now, we were talking just fine no reason to get all shy on me now. Tell you what, let’s play a game.”
She cocks her head at the interesting proposition in front of her.
“If you answer a question, I’ll have to answer a question, no matter how embarrassing. And of course if I answer a question, I get to ask. We’ll go back and forth and the first person to give up loses.”
She still seems skeptic about how describing a normal conversation is a game. She’s smart after all.
“So you give up? I win?”
She shakes her head.
“Ok then I’ll go first.” I clear my throat. “What’s your favorite color?” I’ll give her a slow ball.
She thinks for a moment before answering, “Blue.”
I gesture for her turn. At the prospect of learning something unknown she perks up a bit.
“W-what’s your favorite color?”
“Promise you wont make fun of me?” I should have saw that question coming.
She nods though so I answer. “Grey. Everyone says I’m boring and that it’s not even a color. But it calms me down, and there’s so many shades of it.”
She accepts my answer with a smile. “I like grey.” She even agrees.
“What’s your favorite food?”
She smiles at the question, “Gummy worms.”
“Got a sweet tooth huh?”
She nods happily, “Back where I lived before here, there used to be a store that would make them.”
Nice I got to know a bit more without asking a second question.
She thinks for a while this time. “Why is your hair like that? It's a stripe and all green. That’s not normal from what I’ve seen.”
I grin, “Well it isn’t normal I guess. It’s because I like it. And even if other people don’t I don’t care.”
She stares at my green hair as she nods.
“So you like to star gaze?” I ask remembering one of the reasons she moved here.
She looks like she has a hard time answering this, “Well...Us Harpies have really bad night vision, and we have a really hard time staying up after the day ends. So it’s something I’ve only been able to do a couple times. But sometimes if I can stay awake Cindy will help me outside so I can watch for a few minutes, but I usually fall right asleep. I never get to actually observe...” She looks frustrated at herself.
I chuckle to myself, which causes her to look at me annoyed, “I’m sorry it just sounds cute. You just falling asleep staring up at the sky. I bet Cindy carries you home after too huh?”
She tries to retreat back into her shell but I come up with something to stop her, “Well hey maybe I can take you out to star gaze sometime. I’ve always been a bit of a night person anyways.”
She perks up at having another potential partner in crime. “Really?”
I nod and give her a thumbs up.
“Can we do it tonight?”
“Excited huh? Alright, we’ll do it tonight.”
She hops up and trots to the window excitedly, almost doing a cute little dance as she smiles outside. Looks like she’s excited for night to come. When I look out the window I see the sky has turned orange. Geez time sure flies fast. She comes back and we end up talking until the sky darkens. Then almost instantaneously as the sun sets she cuts off mid sentence as she falls forward into my lap and begins sleeping.
“Huh. Really aren’t a night person.” I stroke her head as she cuddles up in my lap. I don’t know her very well, and yet this just feels natural. A knocking at the door startles me and causes me to snatch my hand back.
“Nooooo~.” She mumbles in her sleep.
Fuck I might die of a cuteness overload here. “Y-yeah come in.” I whisper loudly at the door.
The door creaks open revealing a freshly groomed and strangely shiny Chelsea. “Oh I figured she’d fall asleep.”
She skitters inside and looks at the scene in front of her. “I hope she wasn’t too much trouble, she wanted to visit the “male human” so badly.” She whispers back.
I wave it away, “No it was fun for me. Did you just get out of the shower? You’re glistening.”
She blushes deeply. “Uh-uh...yes something like that...”
I mean that wasn’t a weird question, we all take showers.
“I didn’t mean to be in there that long...” She looks frustrated. “How will she get back home?”
“She’s tiny I can carry her home.” I assure her.
“Uh-but your leg.” She worries.
“The stitches come out tomorrow. I’m basically all fixed up, besides this will be good for me. I might be gettin flabby.” I pat my stomach.
“Well I can assure you that you’re wrong there.” She rolls her eyes and giggles softly. She bites her lip. “I-I could show you to her house.” It looks like her just saying that took all the energy out of her. Like it physically hurt her to say.
“No just some directions should be enough.”
She exhales and looks relieved. Afterwards she looks troubled for imposing. But regardless she tells me where to go.

I turn the knob and the door opens. “I guess we all keep our doors unlocked here huh?” Makes sense, the community is pretty small. I walk through the dark house. The house is regularly sized and feels weird where I’ve been staying in the large and open Arachne’s house. After opening enough doors to reveal mountains of books, papers, materials and what I would call junk I eventually come to her bedroom. A queen sized bed is in the corner surrounded by book cases and sketches tacked on the wall. A desk is in one corner with a microscope and a pair of binoculars laying on it. “Geez this chick is a grade A nerd.” I gently set her on the bed but she squeezes tight around my arm with her wings. I pull the blanket up with my other arm and gently slip my hand out.
“The sky is so pretty bull~” She talks in her sleep. Looks like she thinks we went to see the stars. Well hopefully the dream ends in me taking her home so she can keep believing we did tomorrow. I bet she’ll be pissed otherwise.
I make my way home and am greeted by Chelsea who thanks me profusely and assaults me with “Is there anything I can do?” “Are you sure?” “Are you hungry?”
I eventually convince her it really was no trouble and climb up the stairs to my room.

“There, the stitches are out.”  Zasha yanks my leg hair as she stands up. Man this chick sure loves messing with me.
“Thanks Zash, for real.” I extend my leg a couple times and eventually stand up from the bed.
She huffs as she grabs her bag. “Yeah, you should be thanking me. Supplies coming into this island are few and sparse.” Well now she kinda makes me feel bad for using up their stuff and I don’t even live here.
She sighs when she looks at me, “Really it’s fine. If you want to make up for it, get some chores done around the town.” I guess it was obvious I felt guilty.
“I think I’ll do that. Does anyone need any help with anything?”
Upon my offer Chelsea interjects. “You just got your stitches out, you don’t have to go straight to work.
“I’m fine, I don’t even limp anymore. See?” I walk casually through the room showing off my strut.
“Well...” Zasha thinks for a moment. “I think I remember Cindy needed help chopping some wood.
I grin and flex my arm, knocking on it with my other hand. “That’s the stuff I’ll be most helpful with. Where’s she at?”
Zasha points at a house along the tree line I can actually make out from the window.
“Alright, I need a good stretch. I’m going now.” I wave as I excitedly walk down the stairs and out the door.

Before I make it to the house’s door I see a bunch of logs stacked up next to a stump with the gargantuan lady working away at it.
“Oi!” I call out as I walk up to the lady wearing some kind of craftsman’s apron and jeans. Though once I actually get close to here my voice catches in my throat.
She’s wearing an apron and jeans and that’s it. Her tits, which have to be twice as big as my head are swishing around behind the apron erotically as she wipes the sweat from her brow.
“Well if it ain't the greenhorn.” The one eyed woman says in a lower mature voice. “I have to say, I’ve been hoping a male would wash up on this island, but you’re not what I expected friend.” She shrugs in indifference. “Guess we can’t have everything.” She goes right back to chopping wood.
I scratch my head and feel my head grow hot. “Uh...What do you mean?”
She doesn’t turn her head as she works. “It’s obvious ain’t it? A town full of women, nothin wrong with wantin a cute little humie to wash up to spoon up with. A woman has needs after all.”
Right, she doesn’t pull punches.
“W-well what’s wrong with me?” I grab my mouth wondering if that really came out. What? Why should I care what she thinks of me? It’s not like I care what her preference is.
She sighs as she sets the wood in the pile, then turns towards me. “Listen boy, it ain’t nothin wrong with you. You’re a strappin young lad, in fact the only one here. But when I spoon I prefer the big spoon. One of the few reasons I’m into humans after all.”
I feel like I’m just shooting the shit with one of my guy friends at this point. She is just open about it and blunt.
“Not that it ain’t nice to have someone I can about see eye to eye with. Many of the other species here are small or medium. Well I suppose if a couple of them lamias reared up they’d probably tower over me...”
Leaning on her massive axe she narrows her eyes at me, “So why are you here boy? If you’re in the mood for a quickie I’m busy.”
I shake my head, “Uh...Well I came to chop some firewood.”
She smiles at me earnestly, “That so? It’d be mighty kind of you. I gotta get back to the forge myself, so that’d be a big load off.” I nod and take the axe from her.
“Let a big, strong man show you how to swing an axe eh?” I smile cockily as I put a log on the block.
She chuckles as she stands a few inches over me.
“I like you boy. Maybe bein pampered like one of these little lasses wouldn’t be too bad.” She wipes the sweat from her brow and tries to squeeze the sweat out from her long, messy braid.
I flex an arm as she tries to walk frilly like back to her house.
She may be large but her body looks soft like any other woman here. Though at the end of the day she could probably still tear both my arms off.

After an hour I manage to get half-way through the piles of wood. The summer sun is beating down on me so I decide to take off my tank top. It falls onto the grass with a plop. “Gross.” I laugh to myself as I chop smaller pieces off of a tree trunk. As I’m swinging the axe girls from the town stare at me as they pass by, some in confusion and others in a captivated way. I haven’t seen a lot of these girls before so no doubt not many know about me. The only times I’ve been out of the house are when most of them away. There sure are a whole lot of different girls here, it's crazy just how much I don't know about the world.
As I come down to the last log I split from the last batch I made, a strong hand pats my ass causing me to jump up in surprise.
I turn to see the One eyed woman smiling at me toothily. Her large rounded teeth only further remind you of her difference between a human.
“You’ve really been at it ain’t ya boy?”
I wipe the sweat off of myself as I set the axe down. “I try to help a woman in need after all.” I try my best to act like the classic 50’s family man.
She rolls her eyes and pulls out a beer from her back pocket. I take it and crack it open. She does the same.
Unlike the other girls she doesn’t try to hide that she’s staring at my body. I almost feel violated the way she’s just looking down at me drinking her beer, not once taking her eye off of me.
Hard to feel like the man here. I don’t care what you are, I ain’t gunna be out macho’d by a chick.
I finally let out a belch and set the bottle down before sauntering my way up to the giantess. I throw my shoulder around her and pull her in a dominant embrace. “I’d say we got some work done today. Seeing as I’m all sweaty and you’re covered in ash."
The look of surprise on her face is kind of cute. I guess she’s never been the one who was manhandled before.
She may be a few inches taller but I’m clearly more muscular and wider.
“Oh no!” I yell quickly as she jumps and looks around at my sudden shocked gasp. “I’ll protect you Cindy.” With a grunt and using some serious muscle I manage to scoop her up into a princess carry.
Oh fuck she’s pretty heavy, I probably couldn’t keep this up for too long.
I smile at the now thoroughly shocked Cindy. “Oh sorry, I thought I saw a snake. Didn’t want my cute little blacksmith getting bit after all.” My veins are popping in my forearms and my right leg is shaking. Probably a bad idea doing this seeing as I was just shot in the leg.
A blush comes to her dark tan face as she shifts in my arms trying to comprehend this strange feeling of submission.
But with that shift comes a large weight shifting towards me loosely from behind her dark brown apron. The massive orbs invoke a hint of embarrassment within me. A weakness Cindy quickly sees.
“Mmm, alright then Mr.Man. I think I could reward ya. You ever bedded a Cyclops before stud?” She teases me in her husky voice as she rubs my bare chest.
Ah fuck...she figured out I was a total cherry-boy. It’s a losing battle now.
“O-oh! You’re a cyclops huh? That’s interesting. Let’s talk about that dude.” And with my weak attempt to change the conversation she topples my defenses. I eventually give up and set her down.
She chuckles to herself as she picks up the axe. “Well that’s all for today boy. Thanks for the help, I truly appreciate it. Come back anytime.” She looks smug as she tosses the sweaty rag that is my tank at me.
But as I take the walk of defeat back to the house she stops me, “W-well you know boy...maybe my humans don’t have to be small after all...Now get, I got shit to get done ‘round here.” She waves me away, a light blush coming to her dark cheeks.
I walk home a little taller, a draw then.

“Man I can’t find cyclops anywhere.” I flip through the C’s sections of both of the encyclopedias.
A skitter comes from my left. “Ah good morning Bull.”
I turn to see the always smiling Chelsea. “Oh good morning Chelsea. Sleep well?”
She smiles even brighter. “Yes! Thanks for asking. What are you reading?”
I rub my eyes. I ain’t much of a morning person. “Well I’m looking for cyclops all over this book but I can’t find them.”
She seems doubtful, “That doesn’t seem right. Did you check the Monoeyes? They’re a subspecies of theirs.”
I slam my head into the book. I have probably skipped Monoeye a hundred times before just skimming the book in boredom. “N-no I haven’t. Thanks Chelsea.” I’m actually retarded. She just finds it funny as she laughs into her hand and walks off into another room.
Monoeyes...There. Cyclops: The cyclops are a large race, often an average of eight feet. Their muscle fibers are evolved to be able to withstand more than the average specie’s stress. For this reason a Cyclops could seem weak and thin but be strong enough to lift a truck over their head. Though like their other monoeye sisterspecies they have a problem with depth perception but1 they have a keen eye for detail, especially with steel and metal. They are often master craftsmen and were sought after for guidance by some of the master craftsmen of our ancestors. A Cyclops’s strength and stamina make it hard to endure the more intimate parts of the relationship but they take care of their families like a mother bear. Though don’t expect to wear the pants in the relationship.
I slam the book closed. I’m sure the rest is gunna be more shit about Bik’teek’s dating tips.
Well that’s still interesting to know. I yawn as I stand up off the couch. I decide it’s time to go do my part around here to pay back their hospitality.

This island is muggy, this tank isn’t doin much to cool me down.
“Oi! Ogre!” I hear a voice call out and scan the area. There’s an ogre around here?
“The big guy wearing blue jeans in this heat.” I turn to face the voice.
“Oh...Don’t tell me.” I tap my head with my finger as I stare at the familiar girl. The green skinned girl crosses her arms and taps her foot as she watches me.
“O-Olga?”
“Ona.”
“Fuck.” I sigh at myself and offer an apology.
“It’s fine, we haven’t really met yet other than once. I don’t remember your name either.”
She seems really laid back. That makes me feel a bit better about forgetting her name.
“Alright.” I offer her my hand, “Ona. I’m Bull.”
She snorts at the mention of my name and shakes my hand, “So you’re supposed to be human?” As we drop the handshake she puts her hands on her hips.
“Well a couple weeks ago I didn’t even know other Species existed.”
She smirks, “You sure your mother didn’t know any Giants? Ogres? Trolls? Bohemoths?”
I rub my head. “My mother probably knew every dick out there...” I mumble annoyed. I don’t like to speak about my mother much. I met her a couple times and that was enough for me.
She shifts awkwardly, “Oh, uh...it was just a joke. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
I shake my head, “No, no I kind of made it weird there. But no I’m human.”
She slaps my arm, “Well from what I read humies are tiny and weak compared to us Orcs but clearly they’re outdated.”
I laugh, “No I’m just abnormal, most men would be shorter than you.”
She nods her head, clearly happy to know she’s superior. Don’t let it get to your head, humans are on top for a reason after all. What was that thought about? Human pride? Never thought something like that would cross my mind...
“So what are you up to Bull? Mingling with the pretty ladies of the island?” She nudges me as the townsfolk pass and throw glances at me.
“That’s what I’m doing right now ain’t it?” I smirk, “But no I’m looking for stuff to help out with seeing as you all were kind enough to help me.”
After she rolls her eyes at my lame pickup line she rubs her chin. “Well if you want, you could come help me. I was just about to go hunting.”
Kind of hard to notice the bear traps hanging from her booty shorts.
“Well I’ve never hunted before. But I could try to help.”
She smiles, “Well this isn’t going to be like hunting a deer. We hunt bears on this island. Or at least I do.” She motions for me to follow her so I do.

After entering a shack outside of her house she throws some chains around me and makes me carry a few spears on my back. She also places a large box in my arms.
“Alright, let’s hunt.” She looks primal as she rubs war paint on her face. Her arms are defined as she picks up a spear. Not too big to be unattractive but just enough to let you know she’s strong. (unless you like muscle chicks, then imagine whatever you want dude)
As we march into the woods I bring up the point again. “Yeah like I said, never hunted before.”
She ignores me as she smells the air around her and takes a jagged path through the woods. Her expression is serious and resembles the face of a predator. Eventually we find a clearing and she makes me set the supplies down.
“Alright hunter, open the box. I’ll handle all the up close and personal stuff seeing as you’ve never done this before.”
I unlock the small crate and flip the lid. Inside is a crossbow. It's massive. It comes with a crank and a large bow string. The bolts are quite long as well. I’ve seen enough video games and movies to get these.
I pull back the string with my hand and load a bolt in it. When I look back at the surprised orc I ask if I did something wrong.
“Well...No, it’s just you’re supposed to use the crank. I didn’t expect you to just be able to pull it back like that. Geez you might be as strong as Cindy.” She grabs a couple spears and we go set up a few bear traps.
“So you like to hunt Ona?” I ask as we’re placing traps.
She smiles, “That’s right, hunting, fighting. It’s good stuff. I come from a long line of warriors. My ancestors probably used to mess with your ancestors from time to time.”
I nod my head, “Yeah a good fight is always fun.” I can’t agree more with her there as I prepare some bait.
“Oh you like to crack a few heads to eh?” She looks back at me with interest. “I figured you were a warrior seeing as you have the hair of one. Many of our people share the same haircut.”
I rub my mohawk. Well not exactly for the same reason but sure...
“We should spar sometime Bull. Everyone else here hates fighting for entertainment. And Cindy is always so busy in her workshop. By the way,” She points at the crossbow in my hands with her spear, “Thank her for that rookie.”
I admire the craftsmanship, “Man she really is good.” I say to myself.
We shoot the shit for a while as we walk through the woods. Until she stops mid sentence and starts to sniff the air. “A male not too far from here.”
I smell the air and get nothing, orcs must be natural hunters I guess. I crouch down as she runs through the Forrest low to the ground.
And there on a stream is a bear drinking water. She grabs my arm and aims the crossbow at the bear signaling me to wait. After she creeps up to the bear she gives a let loose signal.
As the bolt hits the bear in the neck her spear stabs and snaps into the bear’s back leg. The black bear roars as it stands on its hind legs and swipes backwards. Ona dodges out of the way and grabs a second spear from her back.
I load another bolt as she dodges his swipes. My next shot is off and hits it in the side. The bear tries to find the invisible attacker and is punished for it as Ona stabs its chest with the spear. Another roar erupts from the large black bear as I load up another bolt. Between swipes Ona tries to stab at the bear.
As I raise the crossbow to my eye the bear throws his arm into Ona. She’s thrown to the ground onto her back, her midriff is covered in red.
“ONA!” I yell as I lose the bolt. The bolt shoots over the bear as I quickly toss the crossbow down.
Ona crawls back as the bear stands on its hind legs about to come down on top of her.
“OORAH!” I tackle the bear on its side and we slam into the ground. I begin to pound the bears face and nose with my fists that are almost the same size as the bear’s paws.
The bear swings wildly confused at the new attacker rapidly beating its face in. The bear manages to almost bite my hand. When I pull my punch in defense the bear starts its counterattack. I roll off the bear and stand between the Orc and the black bear.
“You with me Ona?”
“Y-yeah. Take this.” She tosses a spear beside me. I pick it up and snap the tip off. Holding the short blade in my hand I wait for the bear to swing again.
I slash at its face when it misses and it starts to roar while backing up.
“Oh no you don’t! You don’t get to hit her and get away without us eating you!” I jump towards the bear and it tries to leap towards me. I manage to weave through the claws, one of its paws slashing my left arm a bit.
But with a heave I slash open the bears neck. I fall on top of the fallen bear. And continue stabbing at its throat until I’m sure it’s dead. With a final stab I leave the spearhead in its neck as I run towards the fallen Ona.
I crouch down and inspect the wound. She’s bleeding quite a bit but it looks like just a flesh wound.
“That’ll leave a scar.” I say as I take my tank top off and wrap it tight around her stomach.
She breathes sharply as I tighten it, “Think it’ll look sexy?” She tries to joke through the pain.
I lift her up, “I don’t know, I’ll have to see you without your shirt sometime.” She lazily pushes my face away as I hold my arm.
She looks at me, “That looks a little deep too...”
I shrug, “I didn’t bring any other layers really. My pants wont do too good a job.”
She flinches as she tries to slide her top off. “Here.”
I take it and slide my arm through the cut off top.
“Jesus your arm wears it like a sleeve.” She winces as she tries to laugh.
I take off my spiked belt and tie it tightly around the shirt.
“Here, let’s go back quick and find Zash. I’ll grab Cindy and come back for the bear once you’re taken care of.”
I swoop her up into my arms and job through the woods.
“Ugh, some hunt this was. I’m supposed to be the veteran hunter here.” She seems disappointed as my grey tank top quickly dyes red.

Once I make it to the town I find the first person I can. They look at me like I was crazy but they eventually see the situation and point out Zasha’s place.
I slam open the door to Zasha's which leads to the Zombie girl jumping up from the couch I can see from the doorway.
“AH! What the hell!?” She yells before she registers what’s going on.
I run in as she directs me to a bed in the backroom. As I set down Ona she rubs my shoulder in thanks.
“Alright! Get out!” Zasha shoos me out of the room.
And hour later and Zasha steps into the hallway.
I look at her expecting good news. “Yeah Bull she’s fine. Now lets get you patched up-Oh godamnit you’re bleeding on my floor!” She yells at me as I notice the blood puddle formed under me.

She slaps my arm after disinfecting and stitching the cut.
“Hey that’s fresh you know!” I yell in pain as I squeeze my arm.
“That’s for bleeding on my floor and making me have to stitch you up a SECOND TIME! Jesus be more careful you lunk.” She sighs as she rubs my arm where she hits it. “What happened?”
I sigh, “Ona said she wanted some help on a hunt. The bear slashed at her and I tried to fight it to keep it from her.” I point at my arm, “That’s how I got this. When I rushed in after punching it I managed to get a stab into its neck.”
Zasha looks at me blankly, “You fist fought a bear?...Are you retarded or just plain stupid?”
“Listen that’s the only option I had at the time I couldn’t let it kill Ona!”
Zasha rubs my cheek, “You’re a good guy Bull.” But she quickly goes to pinching it, “But you’ll get yourself killed!” I manage to slap her hand off my face and stand up. “I’ll be back to check on Ona later.”
“Where are you going?”
I walk out of the front door, “I gotta find Cindy to help carry this bear back, Ona will be pissed if she doesn’t have its head.”

Cindy is standing on her porch in a pair of trousers and a rough tunic. “Well if it isn’t Manly McMan! You comin to visit your little flower-” She drops her beer on the porch's railing and takes a closer look at me. “That’s a nasty cut. What happened?”
I explain the situation and tell her why I’m here. She looks at me like I’m an idiot but just exhales and shakes her head.
“I suppose I could help ya carry that creature back here. I assume you’ll try to do it yourself if I don’t afterall.” She steps down from the porch and follows after me. “I finally get a break and here we are. You better treat me later for this boy.”
The walk there is long and I end up doubling back plenty of times but we eventually find the bear’s corpse.
“Sorry about dropping your crossbow.” I apologize as she picks the crossbow up and puts it in the case.
“I’m just glad you saved lil sis.” She walks to the bear I’m standing beside.
“Oh are you two related?” I ask.
“Nope, we’re just close. Do I look like I got any Orc in me? Nope pure Cyclops here.” She thrusts her massive chest out in pride.
We lean down and each shoulder the bear. Even though I’m holding it up with the side that’s not wounded I still grunt in pain. Cindy looks at me.
I answer what her eyes are conveying, “Yes I’m fine. Come on let’s get this back.” We trek back to the town. The evening is here as we unload the carcass at Ona’s shed.
“I really appreciate it Cindy, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” She nods her head and waves as she makes her way back to her house.
After closing up the shed I make my way back to Zasha’s.

This time I knock. It’s pretty late but I did tell her I’d be back to check on Ona.
The door opens up. I’m bracing myself for the inevitable insult or physical attack from Zasha when to my surprise the girl of the hour opens the door.
“O-Ona? What are you doing u-hup?!-” Before I can finish the sentence she slams into my stomach and squeezes me tightly. Lightly I pat her back until she lets go.
“Alright dude. That’s great and all but really you should be in bed.”
She smiles back at me, “I’m fine, just a flesh wound afterall.” It looks to me like she’s straining herself. Her face is trying to hide her pain and fresh blood is seeping through the stitches.
“Ugh.” I roll my eyes, “Come here.” I scoop her into my arms gently, “You’re gunna pop your stitches doin dumb shit like that you know?” I notice Zasha standing there with her arms crossed.
“Oi! Zash man, you were supposed to keep the patient down for the count so she doesn’t hurt herself.”
Zasha yells back, “You try keeping an orc in bed you idiot! You think I didn’t tell her that?!” She grumbles something under her breath.
I look down at the orc girl in my arms, “You should be more careful. What were you thinkin runnin around like that eh?”
She picks at my shoulder a bit, “Like you’re one to talk Bull.”
I look to see some blood squeezing through my wound as well.
“Plus I wanted to make sure I could thank my hero properly for earlier.” She leans up and kisses my cheek. A stupid grin comes across my face.
“Ugh, get out of my house so I can sleep.” Zasha rolls her eyes.
Ona clicks her tongue as she rubs my chest, “Oh Zasha don’t be so jealous.”
Zasha spits at the word, “Yeah right. If that lunk wants to be with you that doesn’t affect me.”
Ona laughs, “Oh come on Zasha don’t get all mad. You know your name is in the pool too. For all I know he could choose you. But he wont because you'd be the worst pick here.” she sticks her tongue out cruelly.
Uh do they not like each other?
Even in this dark house I can see Zasha blush.
“Hey, hey. Who said anything about choosing. I probably wont be here long enough to start a relationship anyways...Though I’m flattered and all.”
Ona cocks her head at me then back at Zasha, “He doesn’t know?”
Zasha sighs and shakes her head, “Not yet.”
Now I’m out of the loop. “Uh...What?”
“Nothing now get out.” Zasha pushes us out and closes the door.
Ona continues groping my chest. “So big guy, my place or yours?”
With that I lose any sort of suavity I had. “U-um. Well I mean we’re hurt after all it seems like a bad idea.”
Ona groans as I carry her towards her house. “Come on Bull I’m all revved up after the hunt! Just one quick round!”
I don’t think I’ve ever been felt up this way before. “Listen you’re out of commission there stomach wounds. Besides I’m more interested in what I don’t know.”
Ona goes quiet and quits begging for a moment, “If nobody has told you yet then I can’t tell you.”
“Awww come on man! Why am I being left in the dark about something that seems so sinister?”
Ona looks away awkwardly, “Well it’s not sinister...at least I don’t think it is...but maybe you might...”
This is getting nowhere. I’ll just have to ask Chelsea when I get home.
We arrive at her place and I open the door and place her on her bed downstairs.
“Ah. So comfy. Still a no Bull?” She rubs my arm as I gently set her down.
“Yeah it’s still a no. We’re in no condition.”
She giggles, “I wouldn’t say that...” She points at my pants. You traitor!
I turn away and quickly get out of there, “Good night Ona!”

And with that I enter the Arachne’s house. “Hey Chelsea you awake?”
Some skittering comes from the ceiling above as she climbs down. “Sorry I was just dusting. Why do you need something?”
I get straight to the point, “Hey I heard something strange today. Is there something I’m not being told here?”
She holds her hand to her chest, “W-what do you mean?”
I sigh and shove my hands in my pockets, “Well today I was talking to the girls and they said something they said they couldn’t tell me, when I asked them they either said, “I can’t tell you.” and “If nobody told you yet I can’t.” So what’s happening?”
She sighs into her hand unsure what to say. “Well...please forgive me...But I can’t tell you either...Not yet...”
I rub my forehead. “And why not? Am I gonna be skinned alive? Tortured for everyone’s entertainment? Used as a holy sacrifice?”
“B-Bull! We’d never do that!” She looks hurt by my half-joking guesses.
“Listen Chelsea, I’m being kept in the dark here and I’m the only one out of the loop, it obviously has something to do with me and it’s hard to see it being a good thing.”
Chelsea thinks for a while. “I’ll see if I can’t get permission to tell you...But you’ll be kept in the dark for at least another week. For now...Just try to make friends with the girls, get closer.”
I sigh as I walk up the stairs, “Thanks Chelsea...I guess.” Yeah I’m getting voted on whether or not I’ll be killed.

“Ugh...” I wake up in pain as I squeeze my arm. “Man I roll around too much in my sleep.”  I wish Zasha would have hooked me up with some drugs. It might not be fatal but it still hurts.
I look at the decorative clock on the wall. “2 AM huh?” I sigh as I rub my eyes. This has to be the tenth time tonight. I guess I’m not getting any sleep.
I hop up from the bed and rub the bandages on my arm. I’m just going to go outside and walk around until I’m tired again.
I quietly open the door and sneak down the stairs, trying to keep from waking up Chelsea. With a soft click the front door closes behind me. I let out a heavy breath. Man it’s hard for a guy my size to sneak like that.
Taking a step out into the darkness of the night the night’s cool air provides a serene breeze on my bare upper body. The cold air helping to dull my wound. Guess I’ll just kind of walk around the town. I take a few steps across the cobblestone and realize this might be rough without shoes. I debate whether or not I want to go grab my stompers but before I turn back something catches my eye.
Over at the treeline I thought I saw a dull white flash surrounded by a dark shadow. The flash was less like a light and more of just the color. A reflection of the moon off of a shaking leaf?
No it couldn’t be that...
Ignoring the fibers in my body telling me, “Hey dumbass its the middle of the night and there’s obviously bears in there.” I start a steady pace in the direction. Once I get to the treeline I notice a path.
“Ah...fuck it let’s see where this goes. Maybe it’ll be a bit of a hike and I can go back to bed without tossing around like a retard all night.” I spit onto a tree as I wade through the path.
Whoever made this clearly doesn’t suffer gigantism since I’m still batting away branches as I get a series of small scratches on my upper body. I end up batting tree limbs away from me, only to discover a sharp branch in the dark as it pokes into me. Fuck no way’s it worth this...
I look back the way I came. No, I wont let it beat me, gotta take the bad for the good. Maybe something cool lies up ahead.
I continue forward, branches swatting me in the face and jabbing into my leg. Eventually the trees sparse out a bit more but the vegetation grows. The brown dirt of the well walked path under my feet still shows but tall bushes tickle at my stomach. These bushes quickly turn into real assholes though. Occasionally my bare feet would snag in a brier vine or some sharp bulbs would flap back against my bare gut as I wade through the tall weeds. Jeez some path...
I sometimes catch a bunch of thorns in my hand as I push my way through the brush. It’s like they walk through here without any sort of machete or something to get rid of all this aggressive plant life.
Eventually I get out of the hell bushes and back to trees. “Thought I’d never be happy to deal with this shit again.” I groan to myself as the branches seem to beat me to death. I let out a sharp gasp as I step in some sharp rocks. It looks like a dried up stream, the rocks are still moist but jagged and cut into my feet.
“Oh come on!” I yell at the path. I steel myself and spit on the journey in front of me. “No way, if you’re gunna be this much of a dick nature then I’ll make sure I win.” I continue forth through the jagged rocks and slapping branches. I finally reach my destination...I think.
A tall and thick wall of reeds encircles an area, every once in a while a dead looking tree stands tall. These reeds are almost as tall as some young trees.
“This is it? Fuckin bullshit man...” I kick the ground under me, obviously that was a mistake as I fall down and grab my foot.
“Godamnit-Wait what?” From the ground I spread the reeds. The path goes on under here, the reeds are just blocking something. Standing up and pushing my way through the reeds I endure the occasional scratches and continue forth until I’m on the other side. What’s there astonishes me.
“That’s...That’s pretty metal man...” Is the only thing that comes from my mouth as I look at the sight in front of me. The reads form a ring around this small area of land where the grass is short and dry, the area is lit up by enough fireflies to give a faint glow and the moon eerily shines through the trees above. But it’s the rock formation that makes me think this is where I’ll be sacrificed by the girls of the town...
The rock resembles a large skull  with its mouth agape it is raised above and connected to a lower boulder that looks smooth and long enough I could lay down on it comfortable with a couple more feet to spare.
Jesus this looks like it was naturally formed but it looks like a cult’s offering shrine...
“A human...is it finally time that the burden that is my life is banished? I thought I escaped the priests...”
A melancholy voice seeps into my ear from behind. Oh no I’m getting straight up killed by a cult here.
“Humans are all the same...Fine then expel me from this god awful earth...” I turn around to the feminine voice behind me.
I cock my brow at the girl in front of me. She doesn’t really resemble a cultist...just some goth chick...
The girl in front of me has long black hair that drapes around her shoulders, her face is white as paper, not pale, but actually devoid of pigment. She wears a long black dress adorned in silver pendents. She looks like she’s gliding as she slowly steps towards me, her dress flowing  in the air as if time has slowed.
“Oh why must you suffer the journey to hunt me down? Is your pain worth my demise?” She gently rubs her hand over the series of small red cuts all over my chest and stomach. “I came out her not to raise the dead...not to hurt you humans with my wails...yet here you come walking a path of cuts and briers just to find misery... just to damn me to hell...”
Her teary, dead eyes look up at me as if pleading for an answer.
“Why young one? Do you follow this path for god? To appease the man who put you on this earth just to suffer as I do...Did I perhaps bring you misery a time before that grew from cold sadness to a fiery hot anger?”
She uses her bright white hand to move some of her dark black hair out of her eyes to get a better look.
She sounds like she’s choking back tears, “Oh no...don’t tell me you wish for your death? And sought to be killed by my wails?...Such a vibrant young body full of strength with the resolve to walk a path many would turn from...just to extinguish his life from this realm...” She takes a step back as a tear falls down her face.
My mouth was just hanging open by this strange display...I finally shake off the strange situation in front of me.
“J-Jesus man...way to bring down the mood...” I chuckle nervously.
She continues looking at me with a blank face still waiting for an answer. I guess she just wants to know why I’m here at the end of the day...despite her going through a whole scene...
I scratch my head. “Uh...Well um...I’m not here to kill you...I uh, don’t even know you...Second, I don’t really feel like killing myself. Besides there’d be better ways than cutting myself up in the forest and finding some chick to, did you say wail?, me to death.” I shrug as I look back at her still face.
She continues staring. I guess I never answered her...
“I just thought I saw something in the treeline then found this path man. So I followed it and just struggled with it until I got to the end. So I guess the reason I’m here is I’m stubborn and just wanted to see what was at the end of the road.” I chuckle nervously as she stares at me expressionless.
She ends up giving me a smile, though her eyes still look wet and sad. As she pats my chest she as as if she was talking to a child, “Going through all that suffering just to get to the end...You are like other mortals...”
She walks away from me after trying to strengthen the dismal aura around here. She steps up to the statue bathed in the moonlight.
I clear my throat as I step up beside her, “Did you build that?” I point at the formation.
She shakes her head, “No sometimes nature’s design can be as scary and morose as any sadist’s...”
So that’s all you’re gunna say about this natural formation of rocks eh?
“Well it looks pretty badass.” I take another look at the rocks. It would look fuckin sick on an album cover that’s for sure.
The gloomy women turns to me at that comment, “What a strange thing to say at a portrayal of death and decay.” Her expressionless face now forming a look of interest.
I wave it off, “Oh please like you’re the only alternative person in the world.”
“Alternative?” She mumbles to herself confused.
I try to put my hands in my pockets but the hundreds of small cuts sting as they rub against the rough jeans.
I scrunch my face up in pain as I set on my hips. Unfortunately the girl saw the whole thing and probably thinks I’m a pussy now.
“The path took its toll on you didn’t it?” She asks.
I try to deny it but the cuts all over my body are stinging now that it’s brought to attention.
“Eh, I guess...It isn’t too bad though, I can live with it.”
“Hmm you don’t have too.” Before I can ask what she means she links her arm around mine and holds her other hand on my shoulder as she squeezes in.
Whoa! I figured you meant I should just kill myself seeing as that’s the vibe you’ve been putting out. But this isn’t too bad actually...
It doesn’t hit me at first but now I realize; I don’t feel any pain from the cuts and slashes on my body anymore.
She stares blankly ahead at the skull as I look myself over. No they’re still there...I just don’t feel them.
I finally test this by poking at my cut on my shoulder, the fresh wound made by the bear.
As I jab my finger on the bandage that’s covering my stitches I jump. But not because the pain is intense like my body expects but because the woman clutching my arm yelps in pain as a few tears fall down her face.
“H-Huh? What!?” I pull myself from the woman and I immediately feel all the small stings and the pain coursing through my shoulder where I poked it. I clench my hand around it and contort my face in pain as I wait for the pain to settle back down.
The girl begins to make her way to me before I stop her with my hand. “N-no! I’m fine!”
We sit there in silence as I ride out the wave of pain. With a long breath I let my body relax as much as it can with the sharp stings from the cuts and the dull pulsing pain from my shoulder.
She wipes a tear from her face as she asks me in her frozen dismal face, “I could have prevented that pain...Why did you stop me human?”
“If you do that you feel it instead of me right?” I can gather that from the reaction she just had when I poked my wound.
She nods drearily, “Of course...You may cease your suffering as I take the burden instead...”
I sigh and give her a lighthearted grin, “Well there’s your reason. I’m not going to let a girl get hurt for me. Besides I’m used to a little abuse.” I shrug as I admit I’m a bit of a problem child. Tons of fights, some have been life threatening.
She floats her way to me and takes a closer look at my shoulder. “What happened human?”
I flex my other arm as I boast of my newest tale. “Well this chick was getting attacked by a bear so I stepped in and wrestled it to death. The bastard got a lucky hit.” Few can mog on a bear, it's a tale that will follow me 'till the end.
She sighs, “She probably would have felt responsible for your death if you died...Blamed her own weakness and maybe even taken her own life out of survivor's guilt...”
Uh...yeah I was kind of hoping you would praise me for my bravery you know...
“Right...” I roll my eyes.
“Who was she?” She asks.
“Oh you might know her. Ona the orc girl. We were hunting bears, she got a hit to the gut.”
She nods her head. “Yes I know her.” She sits on the rock formation as she looks at me.
“You would have died a very painful death...Wild animals don’t usually show mercy you know? It would have torn you apart and ate you while you struggled in vein...”
“Gee thanks.” I roll my eyes and lean on the boulder.
She looks up at me, “And if you had known that, would you still have attempted to save that woman rather than flee?”
I shrug, “Yeah probably. I know I wouldn’t have just pussied out and ran away.”
She speaks in a small teary voice, “Oh so eager to take on suffering and agony for the sake of others...Perhaps you’re ignorant to the feeling...or perhaps you lust after the misery...”
I cock my eye, “Oi! I’m not a masochist or an idiot.”
She rolls her head towards me, “And yet here you are walking through nature’s cruel thicket with only trousers to speak to a banshee in a macabre scenery.”
A banshee huh? That’s new to me.
I find myself leaning heavily on the boulder until I finally lose balance and fall back onto it. I yawn. Man this whole day has worn me out...who knows if I’ll be able to make it through that sadist’s playground again.
The banshee scoots over to me and pats her lap. I lean up from my half laying position and look down at the expressionless woman. After I sit there doing nothing she strokes my head with her pigment missing hands and pulls my down to her lap. In this position I end up laying on the long rock with my head on her lap looking up at her doting face as she gently pets my head. My pain goes away and I feel my exhaustion finally kick in. Before my vision fades I get a closer look at her face. She’s beautiful.

“Dad! No!” I jump up sweating as I rub my eyes. I feel refreshed but the pain I feel on my shoulder is still there. I look around and remember last night. “Right...I’m still in this hellho-” I flinch as I see the skull boulder is gone and the reeds have turned into ankle high flowers. The once dead and sharp branched trees are now alive with apples and life bearing fruit hanging on them. I hop of off the rounded boulder I was laying on and make my way back. This time the path is clear, the tall bushes that once housed thorns and spiked balls are now flimsy and can be pushed away by the light breeze. The sharp rocks have turned into soft, rounded pebbles with a cool and refreshing stream cleaning my cuts as I walk. The trees limbs don’t seem to hang into the path too much and their leaves seem less like blades now but more like soft tickling paper.
“Man...I wonder if the blood loss from yesterday got to me.” My bandage definitely has a red hue to it.
Ugh that same memory haunted me last night, the damn skull boulder probably didn’t help instill too much of a good night’s sleep. I peel out of the treeline and walk my way back to Chelsea’s. Some of the villagers give me worried looks. Before I can actually make it through the door a small hand pats my back. I turn to see the shy Carrie. She sits there her eyes round as she bites her lip.
“Oh! Carrie! How you doin man?” I ruffle her head feathers.
She tries to fix her hair while she talks, “I looked all over for you Bull! Where were you!?” She lets out a yelp as if she was angry.
“I’m sorry Carrie. Did you need help with something?” I ask as I cross my arms. She’s cute when she’s mad. In a different way than Zasha. What? Zasha ain’t cute, she’s just a bitch.
“No I didn’t! But we were all worried about you! Zasha is searching the beach!”
“Why would she look there?” I scratch my head.
“She said she wanted to see if that retard washed up again.”
I pull my hand down my face, Gee thanks Zash.
“And I was flying around all over when I heard! Chelsea was about to run outside before she froze at the doorway.” She's going a mile a minute before I can even interrupt her. “And Ona was going to look for you too but Cindy had to restrain her so she wouldn’t hurt herself. Which made Cindy really mad because she wanted to use her eye to help find you.” She’s breathing pretty hard after getting that entire tirade out.
I breath in, about ready to respond before she mutters something quietly blushing. “Y-you gotta stay alive you know...otherwise we can’t-” She cuts herself off as she sees me staring.
“Otherwise we can’t what?” I leap at that. She looks down at the floor in silence.
“Otherwise we can’t what!?” I grab her shoulders and plead with her.
She just shakes her head not looking me in the eyes.
“What can’t you guys tell me? What are you all going to do to me? Am I going to be killed?”
“No! No!” She yells frantically.
I let out a huge breath of relief, “Then  what?”
“I-I can’t tell you...”
“Please! Is it so bad you’re all afraid I’ll fight back!?”
She’s about to shake her head but looks up at me with her head still pointed down, “I-it’s not bad...at least not for me...”
“But what does that mean-” I’m cutoff from the door opening quickly behind me.
“Bull you’re back!” Chelsea looks tired as if she’s been worried sick. “Where were you?!”
I sigh, “I couldn’t sleep last night so I went out on a walk to get me tired. I ended up finding a comfortable spot and fell asleep.”
“You slept all the way to the afternoon Bull! We were beginning to worry.” Chelsea looks relieved but still stressed as her chest expands and contracts up and down.
I look up at the sky, “Yeah I guess I did...” To be fair it was a big day yesterday and I went to bed pretty late.
I turn back to Chelsea and apologize.
She lets me come in as she tells Carrie to go find the others and tell them I’m back.

Chelsea makes me some water and some sandwiches as I sit on the couch with the encyclopedias.
First Ona. I find the orcs page and see a few different categories. She’s in the Western Orc species I would assume.
:Western Orcs are often seen with green skin and large rounded teeth. The average orc be it male or female worships Strength. Prestigious size is a sought after trait for a partner as well as strength in battle. Orcs themselves are strong and brave. Though intellect may not be their strongest trait their hunting ability is. Their senses are 10 times stronger than a humans in the weakest orc. Usually standing an average of the higher end of six feet they have a wide build as well as bulky. Females are seen as warriors as well as care takers but resemble a more feminine frame. Though even they are stronger than the average human by quite a lot. Fun fact, orcs are very fertile, so expect to have a big family. Displays of strength arouse them and they are very devoted to their spouses. As long as you can find an orc woman to respect you they make great wives.:
I sigh as I flip to the B section. Thanks Bik’Teek. And I mean it this time, if I would have went through with that noise she was trying last night I’d be a dad right now.
After glancing around through the B’s I can’t seem to find it. “Hey Chelsea!?” I say while I take a bite of my sandwich.
“Hmm?” I see her walk in as she hides something white behind her back.
I try to glance behind her by leaning back in my chair but she shakes her finger at me, “Is there something you needed Bull?”
“Yeah where would I find a Banshee? I can’t seem to find it here in the B’s.”
As I said Banshee her pleasant, happy face fades into a light smile. It looks empty like she’s trying to hide her sadness.
“Oh, you found Bernadette...Last night I presume?”
“Y-yeah...She’s kind of a downer isn’t she?” I laugh awkwardly at the strange sight of seeing Chelsea not beaming.
“Yes she’s quite a depressing girl. Um, tell me Bull...”
She looks away as if trying to find the words. I wait her out. “Did she... “Do” anything to you?”
I scratch my head, “Uh, yeah she can apparently take your pain and feel it for you.”
She starts to fumble with her words, “No I mean anything...uh...indecent?”
I raise a brow at her, “Uh? Indecent?”
She waves it away, “No, no obviously not. Forget I asked.” She laughs it away nervously. “Banshee would be in the second book under Undead.” She quickly skitters up the wall to the second floor.
Guess she wanted to get out of here quick.
I grab the second book and go to the U’s. There we go, Banshees.
:Banshees are a sad tale. This species appear to be human in appearance aside from the deathly pale eyes and lack of pigment, they wear only drab black clothes and are often seen as evil monsters that will lead to one’s demise. This is a misconception, Banshees can usually tell when death is near and prefer to watch from a distance. They will sing their song of death before the mortal dies, their ear shattering wails and crying is unpleasant to hear but the crying and wails the dying mortals hear are usually caused due to the Banshee  taking all the pain from their death and holding onto them so they may pass on to undeath peacefully. That’s right, a Banshee’s scream will bring a man back from the death to live not as a mindless thrall but as a man caught between death and life. They see the world through a dismal filter and are often melancholy. Though there is exception to this, the Banshees are a helplessly romantic race and while still melancholy they are truly happy when being with the one they love. In fact Banshees are doomed to die if they cannot find a partner to accept them. This is due to the Banshee’s diet. The male human’s essence. Be it soul, emotion, or intimacy. A Banshee is barren like almost all undead but make extremely faithful wives. She can be a drag most of the time, but the smile of a Banshee is one of the wonders of the world that only their husbands get to see.:
Wait a second...human essence? I-is that what Chelsea meant?
I quickly set the book aside and clear my mind before there’s a loud knock on the door.
I get up to open the door. “I’ll get it Chelsea!”
The door swings open as four girls start yelling at me. The crescendo of complaining drains me.
“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ONE AT A TIME!”
The zombie jumps up and slaps me on my cut.
“FUCK! That’s fresh man!” I squeeze my shoulder as the four girls push me towards the living room. Quickly Chelsea makes her way downstairs to join the rabble.

“Listen! Like I told Carrie I just fell asleep in a nice patch of grass.”
Chelsea shifts awkwardly. She can tell there’s more to the story seeing as she knows I met Bernadette.
They all look at me annoyed.
“Dumbass you just go out and walk into the woods in the middle of the night after being attacked by a bear?!” Zasha crosses her arms as she spits that at me.
“Well technically we attacked the bear-”
“Yeah! What was all that last night about how we were too hurt to do anything?! You left me like that so you could go run off into the woods?!” She just looks dejected from last night rather than me actually being missing.
"Tch, spread those legs any further and you might split in two..." Zasha mumbles at Ona.
“I needed some help around the forge today too. Thanks a lot.” Cindy has clean clothes on so it looks like she actually didn’t have anything to do today.
“I-I was scared Bull was hurt!” Carrie blurts out as she hides behind her wings.
They all looked at the ground as they nodded their head in agreement.
I rub my shoulder, “Listen I’m a grown ass man, I can handle a little forest. If I can fight a bear I’m pretty sure I can handle a twig or two scratching me. I’m sorry I worried you but geez guys who cares? If I die nobody will give a rat’s ass, my dad’s dead, my mother is hopefully dead, and my Uncle is hopefully dead but wants me dead anyways. I think literally my Aunt is all I got who’d care and she probably already thinks I’m dead right now anyways.”
“What!? We’d obviously care! How could you say that!?” Chelsea says behind her hand in surprise.
Zasha blushes, “You still have to pay us back...”
I cut in at Zasha, “Hey I’m workin here ain’t I? I helped Chelsea with some chores, Cindy with some wood chopping and I hunted a damn bear! Surely I’ve paid off a few stitches and some rubbing alcohol by now.”
She shakes her head.
“That’s enough Zasha.” Chelsea wants to cut her off before she can say something.
“No, no! What was she about to say?! What do you mean by that?! Was she about to spill the beans about what you all are hiding from me?!” I stand up as I try to Coax it out of Zasha.
Chelsea tries to calm me down, “I will tell you this Sunday. We want you to adjust here first...”
I sit back down and stare at Chelsea, “Adjust huh?...You make it sound like I’m staying here for some time. Like I can’t leave maybe?”
Chelsea looks away and her razor like fingers are playing with each other.
Carrie speaks out again, “No you can’t.”
“Carrie!” Chelsea tries to quiet Carrie but I jump out of the couch and kneel in front of Carrie.
“I don’t want him to hate me when he finds out...” she mumbles into her wings.
“w-well obviously that’d be bad for me too...” Ona blushes as she looks away from my prying eyes.
Cindy looks away and nods to some invisible man.
Chelsea wants to refute that but can’t.
“Find out what Carrie?” I ask gently. “I wont hate you no matter what if you just tell me...”
Carrie peeks out from behind her black wings, “D-do you like me Bull?”
I smile earnestly and tell the truth, “Of course I do.”
“A-and you’ll still like me no matter how horrible it is?”
I nod and swallow.
“NO CARRIE!” Chelsea yells out at Carrie as she stands up from her silk hammock. “She said we can’t tell him yet! So we can’t. It’s not time!”
Carrie bites her lip then nods as she hides behind her wings again. Curled up into a big black ball on the armchair.
I groan as I stand up. “Goddammit! No guys on this fuckin island and what I need right now is a good fight!” I stomp my ass out of the house and slam the door behind me.
I march angrily down the street and off towards the beach. I was so close to figuring it out. I kick the road before I hop into some grass and into the forest. I meant what I said too, I’d still like Carrie even if it was something as bad as making a communal lamp out of my skin.
I shout obscenities into the woods until I get to the beach. I sit my ass down onto the beach and let the waves hit the bottom of my combat boots.
After an hour I finally hear some loud flapping as the crow girl touches down beside me. She flicks her head a few times as she nervously approaches a step or two at a time.
“B-bull?”
I look at her silently.
“Are you mad?” She whispers, her voice almost inaudible with the waves splashing.
I spit out into the sea and groan, “Yeah...Not at you though...”
A small smile creeps across her face as she hops over next to me and sits down.
We sit in silence for a while before she finally speaks up. “Y-you can’t leave this island...”
I nod my head. “Because you guys are planning on what to do with me right?”
She sits silently for a bit before continuing again. “Well...sort of...once “A” decision is made you’ll probably stay on this island. But remember we’re in an anomalous zone. There’s no easy way out.”
I remember her saying that, “Oh right...” There’s no real way to leave this island. At least not by standard means.
“We used to have an ancient genie who lived here and we could come and go as we please. But she passed away years ago. Now the Grand Royal Estate sends envoys every couple of years with immigrants, supplies and luxuries.”
“Grand Royal Estate?”
She nods, “They’re a conglomerate of species including humans that help towns and cities as well as species who need help. They actually told me about this place when I was looking for a somewhere to go.”
I rub my mohawk as I realize just how much is hidden on this strange planet.
We both stare out at the sea as the sun starts to set. Carrie leans into me as she shivers from the ocean breeze.
“You gettin chilly Carrie?” I laugh as she nods her head and huddles close in, shivering and blushing.
I wrap my arm around her and pull her in to keep her warm.
“Well like I said...even if this big decision is whether I die or not. Nobody back home would miss me anyways.”
I laugh at my self-depreciating joke. She tries to deny it but I just shake my head.
“I’m just happy I got to make a few friends.” I squeeze her tight as the sun finally sets. And with the setting of the sun comes the extra weight of an unconscious body leaned up against me.
“Fuck, you really aren’t a night person are you?” I laugh to myself as I scoop her up and walk “home”.

I’m laying in my bed the next day staring up at the ceiling unsure as to whether or not I want to get up today. I yawn as I enjoy the wonderfully soft silk bed. So I guess I’ll get my answer at the end of the week. Or the beginning of the week if you’re weird like that. Eventually I decide to leave the comfort of the bed and open the bedroom door.
“Oh my! Bull you startled me.” Chelsea lets out a gasp and laughs in her girlish voice.
Apparently I decided to get up at the same time she decided to get breakfast ready for me. She looks like she was about to enter my room with a tray of food.
“Well how about we go downstairs and eat together?” I thankfully take the silver platter as we walk down the stairs together.
The air is still awkward from yesterday. I guess I looked pretty mad because she’s trying to keep to herself which for her is very unusual, she’s more of the bothering, doting type.
“So any plans today Chelsea?” I say as I bite into a morning steak and egg combo. As a man who loves his meat I gotta say living with a carnivore is awesome.
She looks pleasantly happy that I’m initiating conversation with her as she just smiles and lists off what her daily routine usually is. Quickly she asks to be excused as she climbs up the stairs.
Almost as fast as she leaves she’s back. “Here you go Bull.” Her trade mark smile is accompanied by the homemade gift she presents me.
“Oh wow! That’s awesome Chelsea! It’s too hot on this island to be wearing a T-shirt all the time.” I take my shirt off and set it on the table and grab the piece of fabric in her hands. Yeah this is definitely “home made”. The silk is so soft and it feels well put together too; like even I couldn’t tear it. I slide the newly made white tank top over my head.
“This is seriously great Chelsea it feels great and breathes real well.” I turn my body and squeeze my chest to feel the fit. It feels slightly elastic if it needed to stretch out any but it’s a perfect fit. “How long did it take you to make this?”
“I’m so glad you like it! About an hour. I had it made yesterday but I forgot to give it to you.” She smiles bashfully as I compliment how great she is.
Man she made this giant tanktop in an hour? This could be a sleeping bag for a small kid when it comes to the amount of material needed for my clothes.
She sits back at the table and continues with breakfast. “And what about you Bull? Any plans?”
I shrug, “I guess I’ll help out around town. Maybe whenever this whole whole island vote thing passes everyone will decide not to have me hung or thrown into the sea.”
She looks at me confused, “Island Vote? And why would anyone throw you into the sea?”
“Well you told me I should get closer with the other girls I figured that was so when my name came up I wouldn’t be immediately thrown to the sharks.”
Chelsea looks troubled for a moment, “I already told you it wouldn’t be anything like that...And it isn’t a vote. She set the rules and guidelines for the island as well as this particular matter...”
I raise a brow as I shovel some eggs and steak into my mouth, “She?”
The arachne fidgets a bit trying to figure out if she can divulge that information. “She’s what you’d call the mayor of this island I suppose. Her family has been her for over a couple millennia now.”
“Wow. How is that possible though if there’s no males? I mean that’s a lot of kids.”
Chelsea shakes her head, “It’s only about four or five generations. And when the time comes they leave and find themselves someone suitable to be their husband.”
I guess they live pretty damn long don’t they?
“Huh.” Not much more I can say on a matter I have absolutely zero knowledge about.
Chelsea mutters to herself as she eats, “It’s about that time for her to start searching for a husband, she’s not getting any younger.”

After breakfast I try to help cleanup but Chelsea makes sure to wave me off saying it’s not my job. So I leave the house in search for some chores. I look around town in search for someone working. But it appears everyone’s out just enjoying the day. Occasionally getting shy waves or being approached by people I have yet to meet and exchanging greetings. A lot of different species on this island that’s for sure. Carrie told me one time that the population here is maybe a thousand scattered across the island. With maybe a couple hundred living in this village.
“A thousand chicks here without a single man on the island. I’m sure they’re either in heaven right now or hell.” I chuckle to myself as I feel a soft, feathery pat on my back. “Oh hey Carrie I was just thinking about you.”
“Huh!? You were?” She brings her wings up to hide her face.
“Yeah. Anyways what’s up?”
Carrie points towards the forest, “Cindy said she wanted me to find you because I can’t help her with her work.” She seems disappointed in herself.
“Huh? You can’t? Why’s that?”
She spreads her wings out, showing off her very petite light frame body. “I’m not strong enough.”
Yeah that makes sense. The times I’ve picked her up I’ve realized that I’ve curled dumbbells heavier than her.
“Oh alright then. I was looking for something to do anyways so lead the way.”
She nods her head and starts walking towards the trees. I follow suit.

“Wow...” I look up at the small mountain. “I did not know this was here.”
Carrie nods her head quickly, “The mayor actually lives somewhere on this mountain. We don’t know where though.” She spreads her wings and flies up the mountain.
“Tch, wish I could do that.” I start to hike my way up the tall slope.
Once I hear the sound of clanging I can tell I’m getting close to the busiest woman on the island.
“Hey Cindy.” I get her attention without looking at her as I nod at Carrie who’s already perched up reading a book. I see a few bags have been filled with what looks like ore. “I assume you want some help mining?”
Cindy turns with a wide smile on her face which I assume by her cheerful voice. “Oh Bull! Boy is it glad to see you, it’s hot as hell on this mountain I tell ya. I was hopin you’d spare your darlin Cyclops some rest while you use them strong hands of yours to get these rocks off.”
As I stare up into the blue sky I can’t help but ask, “Hey Cindy? Quick question for ya dude. Why are you saying it like that? And also why are you saying that with your shirt off?” I saw the Cyclops’s bare back from a distance and knew I was in for quite the feast on the eyes. But now I’m kind of realizing just how embarrassing the situation is.
“Oh come on now, don’t be such a prude. It’s hot up here and mining just makes it worse so I took off a layer. After you mine a bit I’m sure you’ll toss your shirt to the side too.” She chuckles as she clasps my shoulder and walks by me.
To be fair yeah I’m already wanting to take my shirt off with the walk up here alone. And I suppose on an island with no males she just must not know any better.
She lets out a relieved sigh as she sits next to Carrie. “Besides I thought I’d give you a show for helpin me and all that. Don’t think I don’t notice your stares around me boy, this eye can see top detail a mile away.”
No she definitely knows what she’s doing...
“Ok I’ll just start mining.” I take off my brand new tank and tuck it into my back pocket as I pickup the pickax. After I struggle for a bit I hear a large pair of footsteps behind me and a “tsk tsk”. “Boy ain’t you never used a pick in your life?” She takes the pick from me and tries to show me how to properly do it while getting the most out of it you can from the chunks.
I grasp the concept but it’s hard to focus on with the HUGE display bouncing around in front of me.
Eventually she just pats my head and hands back the pick and I get to it.
About an hour passes and I feel like I’ve filled a good portion of a sack. I set the pick down and wipe the sweat off my face as the humid island air and sweltering sun combines with the cool breeze of the mountain.
Carrie is smiling at me as I wave at her. “You look really hot. You want me to cool you off?”
I nod my head and make my way over to the sitting Carrie and Cindy who’s lying on her back with her arms behind her back. The sun making her bare upper body glisten.
“If you keep staring I wont cool you off you know...” Carrie looks up at me pouting.
Was that jealousy from my crow-harpy?
“I wasn’t staring.” I deny fervently. I expect Carrie to give me a water bottle but rather she just starts flapping her wings at me.
Oh jesus that’s good stuff...
The wind feels like and industrial fan at max speed right in front of me. I can actually feel the sweat slide away from my body and fling out somewhere behind me. After a few minutes she starts to breath a bit heavier and stops.
“Wow Carrie, you’re definitely a keeper that’s for sure.” I pat her back and lie down in the sun myself.
“Oh is he done already?” Cindy pokes fun at me as she talks to Carrie.
“No I’m just taking a bit of a breather before I start again. I don’t do well with heat.” I grumble at her teasing.
Cindy just laughs haughtily as she continues shooting the shit with Carrie.
“So you still haven’t gotten to use that telescope I made ya huh?”
“N-no...” Carrie says softly.
“That was a real pain in the ass you know? It ain’t easy to make somethin so complicated.”
“I’m sorry Cindy...” Carrie seems really down about it.
“Aww I’m just teasin ya honey.” I can hear Cindy pull her into an embrace.
Just listening to their conversations calm me as I rest my body.
“I saw a really neat looking Theraphosa blondi out in the forest earlier this morning on my way here.”
“Well bless ya little sister. Now what did you say you saw?”
I can hear Carrie pout beside me. “A Theraphosa blondi, also known as the Goliath Birdeater. It’s the largest spider in the world. I actually had no idea they inhabited this island.”
Cindy laughs, “It don’t sound to me like a spider you’d very much enjoy there crow girl.”
“Well actually despite their name they rarely eat birds they’re an opportunist predator though so they will eat about whatever they can get their hands on.”
Remind me not to go walking through the forest barefoot again.
They stop talking for a bit. Before I hear Carrie whisper. “Do you think Bull is asleep?”
I hear the ruffle of Cindy’s rough pants against the rocky ground as she leans back to check on me.
“S’pose so, the poor little guy musta been all tuckered out.” She laughs obnoxiously. I almost want to yell at her but decide to keep feigning sleep.
“B-bull?” I hear a small whisper beside my ear. Then silence.
“Did you know Bull’s single?” Carrie finally chimes back in as she says quietly.
Well this is getting juicy fast. I feel like the right thing to do would be to wake up now but I just can’t help myself...
“Oh is that so? A strong specimen like that is walking around this earth without at least a harem? I mean with genes like that it seems like it’d be natural for everyone to want to pass them on. Humans are a strange race I tell ya.”
“Bull’s awfully nice isn’t he?” Carrie whispers.
“Well most cherry boys are. He’s just a young, innocent pup.”
I want to defend myself from Cindy but hearing the praise from Carrie feels too good to spoil.
“He’s carried me in his arms a few times now, sometimes I’d wake up and I can’t help but pretend to be asleep so I can enjoy it...”
Cindy lets out a muffled laugh, “Look at you blushing!...But I wont lie he’s picked me up once and I can’t say I don’t see where you’re coming from...his strong arms were definitely heaven...”
I can feel their stares as I lay here. I almost feel bad for eavesdropping like this but I’m in too deep now.
“Well go on Carrie, it looks like he’s out like a light. Cuddle up with him.”
“W-what? No way what if he wakes up?” I hear Carrie panic softly.
“Mmm, well if you wont I just might.” Cindy says awfully seductively.
“No we can’t do that yet! Ona already got in trouble for trying that already.”
I hear Cindy click her tongue, “That damn Millicent and her rules.”
“You can’t say that while we’re here on the mountain she lives on! What if she hears you?!”
They go back to talking about daily life and I decide to wake up a bit later as to not arouse suspicion.
“Oh sorry guys, this shoulder injury makes it hard to sleep at night, guess it’s catching up to me.” I stand up and walk towards the boulders, trying not to ogle Cindy too much along the way.
Sounds like they may have a crush on me. I can’t help but smile like an idiot and show off as I mine the wall in front of me. No way am I not letting this get to my head.

“Alright that’s a day right there.” The Cyclops ties the four big burlap sacks full of ore onto a strong piece of wood she puts along her back behind her neck.
“You sure you don’t want help with that?” I ask as I see her squat up with ease.
“Don’t spoil me too much Bull or you may find me come to rely on you.” She winks as she marches down the mountain.
As I see the sun start to set, the forest reminds me of someone I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
“Hey do you guys happen to know a Bernadette?” Once again like the last time I said that name the mood kind of turns from a merry and relaxed tone to a more awkward and tense atmosphere.
Carrie nods her head silently while Cindy is more direct. “Now don’t tell me you’ve met our neighborhood Banshee?”
I guess Bernadette might be kind of an outcast around here, it’s hard to imagine Carrie to not have something nice to say about someone. Though it makes sense considering her personality.
“Well yeah I did. Actually I met her the night I went to stroll around the forest and fell asleep in some meadow.”
Carrie occasionally looks over at my face then back to the ground.
“Well did she rape you?” Cindy stares me down as we walk.
My body physically jumped at how direct she was. “W-what? Why the hell is that the first thing that comes from your mouth when I said I met her?”
Carrie is now looking at me waiting for an answer as well.
I sigh, “No she didn’t. Jesus guys...”
Cindy spits out a loogie into the forest, “Well you can’t blame me for askin, you’re a man and she’s a banshee, they survive off you lot you know?”
I shrug, she has a point. “Well aside from her depressing nature she seemed like a fine chick to me.”
We walk in silence for a while before I try to bring up the topic again. “I don’t ever see her walking around does she just not go outside?”
“She tends to avoid people. She sits in her house all day and waits to go out once she can be alone.” Cindy looks disgruntled that she’s still having to talk about the Banshee.
“Well where does she live? It’d be alright to talk to her again.”
Cindy throws me a sideways look, “Surrounded by pretty ladies every day and that’s the one you want to talk to? Must be something wrong with ya boy.”
“Woah calm down. She just seems like she needs a friend is all. I’ve been there before and it sucks.” Not a lot of people want to hang out with the crazed punk who gets into fights almost daily.
Cindy sighs and shakes her head, “Listen boy I’m tellin ya now. Banshees ain’t like you humans, they like to be left alone alright? So I’d say you’re fixin to be let down if you want to try and make nice with her.”
Carrie reluctantly speaks up, “Cindy that’s not fair. She still lives on this island so she has as equal of a chance as the rest of us you know...”
Cindy groans as she hears that. It sounds like they’re once again in on something I don’t know about.
I help drop off the ore as Cindy thanks me. As I tell her to put on a shirt I leave and walk Carrie home.
All in all it’s a pretty nice way to end the day.

I’m nodding off for a nap on the couch when I hear the door slam open. What the fuck is going on? I jump to me feet ready to fight off an intruder until I see a familiar green skinned girl with bandages wrapped around her stomach. “Ona?”
“Yup! Whatcha doin Bull?” She waves excitedly as she stands in the living room. Chelsea come downstairs and notices the dirty footprints on her hardwood floor.
“Ona are you here?” Chelsea calls out.
“Yeah it’s me Chelse!” Ona hops on the couch beside me.
“Oh it’s nice to have you, please sit down I’ll get some drinks and snacks.” Chelsea smiles earnestly as she sweeps the footprints off the floor.
It really says something that the sign of dirt footprints on her floor is all it takes to realize Ona is in the house. Guess she’s used to this by now. She’s too kind for her own good.
“So what brings you here Ona?” I lean back into the couch.
She whines, “I’m soooo bored. So I thought I’d come over so you could entertain me.”
I sit back and cross my arms. To be fair I was just sitting around here nodding off, that wouldn’t be such a bad idea. “Alright what do you have in mind?”
Ona leans in closer and whispers into my ear as she strokes my arms, “Like I said I wanted you to entertain me.”
I scooch further from her putting a bit of distance between us and clearing my throat. “We’re too hurt for that anyways. Sorry to send you home empty handed.”
She laughs as she hits my arm, “I was just joking! Kind of. But I do want to do something.”
I roll my eyes. “I don’t know what there is to do on this island.”
Chelsea comes in with jerky and a few glasses of lemonade. “Alright! Thanks Chelse!” Ona digs in and slurps some lemonade. Chelsea waits for me to take my portion before doing the same but with more grace.
“So Chelsea.” I ask after taking a swig of the fantastic lemonade. “Is there anything we can do for fun around here?”
Chelsea looks over to Ona. “Would cards suffice? If not I own a few board games but they’re outdated.”
“Cards sound pretty good. Ona?” I offer.
“Strip poker it is!”
I quickly cut Ona off, “We can just play normal poker if we all know how to play.”
Chelsea clasps her hands happily as she skitters to go grab a deck of cards.

“Got any sevens?” Ona asks as we each hold five cards.
“That’s go fish. Do you know how to play poker Ona?”
“Uh...no.”
Why did she suggest poker then?
“Well I think go fish would be just as fun.” Chelsea smiles as we re-deal the cards.
We play a bit as each of us talks about nonsense.
“Sunday is coming up Chelsea.” Ona says as she grins at her.
Chelsea smiles softly as she tries to keep Ona’s mind on the game.
“Must be awfully excited...After all you’ve had the most time after all.”
I narrow my eyes at the two as Chelsea tries to avoid the conversation and Ona teases her.
“It’s only a few days away why not just break it to him now and see where it takes us yeah?”
I quickly voice my agreement.
Chelsea shakes her head, “If you want to be part of her collection of statues then fine.”
Ona giggles, “Guess not Bull." She shrugs as if to say, I tried. "Got any 9’s?”
I lose my chance at uncovering the mystery and my two 9’s. I can’t complain too much I’ll find out in a few days anyways.
“So Chelsea, what’s it like living with a man in the house? Just walking in here I can smell the musk.” Ona sniffs the air.
“Well it’s no different than before really. It’s just really nice to have good company is all.” She blushes behind her cards as I listen to her answer.
Ona complains, “It really is no fair that you get to live with Bull. I could have shared my house with him too!”
“You only have one bed in your house Ona.” Chelsea sighs as she gives me her 3’s.
“That just makes it better.” Ona smiles mischievously. She pokes Chesea’s arm as she teases. “Oh come on Chelse, stop acting so prim and proper you’re a woman like the rest of us. Are you telling me you haven’t tried anything yet?”
“Ona! That’s enough!” Chelsea slaps at her prodding finger lightly.
Poor Chelsea just doesn’t understand that she’s feeding the bully’s fire like that.
“Hey Bull.” She chooses me as her new target. “Who do you think is the prettiest girl on the island?”
I shrug, “You all have your qualities.” I say nonchalantly. No way am I getting myself into teaseville, USA.
“Oh come on, that’s such a cop-out answer. Ok if you could have your way with one of us who would you choose?”
Chelsea looks at her counterpart in annoyance.
“Why would I tell you that? Now do you have any kings?”
“Oh look he has someone in mind! Do you think it’s you Chelse?” She goes back to teasing Chelsea after seeing I wont participate the way she wants.
“O-ona please. Focus on the game.” Chelsea tries to ignore her to no avail.
“You think when you would bring breakfast in bed or take care of him he really wanted to just grab you with those big arms and throw you on the bed?”
“Woah! Hey now come on! Keep it PG-13.” I whistle at Ona and tell her to bring it in.
Chelsea keeps glancing up at me from behind her cards. Clearly embarrassed.
I didn’t win a single game, I never was good at Cards. And at the end of the day it seems like Chelsea is quite good seeing as she won almost all of the matches other than a couple where Ona straight up cheated at times. Chelsea of course being too polite to call her out on it.
“Well that was fun.” Ona stretches as she gets up. “Want to come help me warm up my bed Bull?”
I shake my head, “Nope, got stuff to do. Chelsea might be able to help.”
“I’m not that desperate for attention yet. No offense Chelse you just lack a Y chromosome is all.” She waves as she stomps through the house and leaves. Chelsea follows her and closes the door that Ona decided to leave open.
Ona really is the anti-Chelsea.

I shift around in my bed, unable to think. I’m way too anxious for that. Tomorrow is the day. I assume it’s gotta be a pretty big deal the way they’re all trying to hide it from me.
I give up on trying to get any sleep and decide to take a walk outside. The sun set a while ago and the cool breeze is comfortable enough I can wear my jeans a jacket and my silk tank top. After walking around town a few times I notice some flashing coming from Zasha’s window.
Is Zasha awake? I think I’ll go bother her. It’s been a while since she berated me. I imagine she’s probably having bitch withdraws.
I knock on the front door. I see the door creak open as the grey skinned zombie girl looks up at me. She looks wide awake like she was still enjoying the night but her attire says otherwise. She’s wearing a pair of boxers and a loose short sleeved button up shirt.
“Did you get lost Bull? Do I need to walk you home?” She says sarcastically.
“No I just wanted to see how you looked in your pajamas. Not bad.” I nod my head and give her a thumbs up.
With a blush she gives me an angry looking face a slams the door. Now that’s just rude.
I knock on the door that immediately swings open. “Go away.”
“No way man. What are you doing right now?” I ask.
She crosses her arms, “I’m trying to get this necrophile to fuck off away from my house.”
Necrophile? Huh. I think she has the impression I’m trying to get into her boxers. I never really thought about her that away. Sure she’s cute but it’s hard to see her as a straight up dead body the way she mouths off at me and moves around. A-and I’m not trying to justify anything here.
“Oi play nice huh? You’re clearly doing something. I can see the flashing through the window. Are you doing mad doctor experiments or something?” I wiggle my fingers and make spooky sound affects. She is obviously not amused.
“I’m watching a movie asshole.”
WHOA WHAT? SHE HAS A TV!?
“Please god!” I fall to my knees and plead to the zombie-girl. “Please let me watch with you.”
“What? Why?” She looks shocked at my prostration.
“Come on share this gift with your neighbors!”
She clicks her tongue, “I already am.”
“Oh someone else is in there too?” I try to look around her but it’s just a hallway that leads towards the living room.
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “Alright fine, you can stay until she goes home. Don’t be annoying.” She steps aside as I cheer her name. “TV party tonight! TV party tonight!” The lyrics fall on deaf ears as I pump my arms towards the room in the back. The door opens revealing a pretty bare bones room aside from a bed, a dresser, a closet a TV and a small bedside table. Not much going the way of decoration. But what really stands out is the dreary sight sitting with her legs to her side leaning against the wall on top of the bed.
“So again you come to be with the dead...Is life truly so unappealing to you mortal?” Bernadette asks me blankly.
“No, I guess it’s just that undeath is equally as appealing.” I scratch my head and shrug as I make a joke back to her.
She doesn’t take it as a joke though as she sighs. “A bold claim human.”
I sit down on the floor in front of the bed to watch the movie. The two undead girls watch TV on the comfy looking bed.
“Hey Bull, you can sit up here with us you know?” Zasha says gently as she pats the bed between her and Bernadette.
“No it’s fine I think that’d be a bad idea.” I turn my attention back to the television.
“I think it’d be better than blocking the TV with your massive head you ogre!” She says annoyed as I realize what the problem is.
“R-right sorry!” I sit down on the bed and slide back to where they are.
“Yeah sorry I take up a lot of room. It’s why I was down there.” I sit awkwardly as Zasha is squished between her headboard and me, while Bernadette finds herself almost falling off of the edge of the bed.
“Well at least like this we can see the damn TV.” Zasha grumbles as she tunes back into the movie being played on the screen.
“I hope you wont mind... “Bull” was it?” Bernadette starts to request something.
“Yup that’s right, we didn’t really introduce each other before. I heard you are Bernadette.”
She nods her head and wraps her arm around mine and squeezes in towards me. “Bull. You were named because of your abnormality furthering you from regular humanity to make you the black sheep. How tragic.”
“Uhh...I like to think of it as a term of endearment...But cool.” I chuckle to myself at her strange perception.
“Well, “Bull”, I’m falling off the bed so I hope you don’t mind if I anchor myself onto you like a parasite.”
I shrug, “Guess not.”
It turns out we’re watching a movie about some princess being locked in a tower by an evil wizard. Pretty generic fantasy movie. But it looks like these girls are eating it up.
“Ugh, you’re killing me here you big musclebrain.” Zasha starts to complain. I figure she’d start punching me or something until I figure a way to magically create extra space on this cramped bed but rather she grabs my arm and wraps it around her as she leans close into my chest. “Geez now I can breath.” She still complains but I can see a faint blush come from her cheeks. Dead chicks breath?
You know you could call me lucky right now if you were into these kind of undead chicks. A cute girl wrapped onto me on both sides as we watch a movie about a heroic knight going to save some princess who he will inevitably marry. Good thing I’m not a weirdo into these hot female creatures on the island.
The movie ends and I’m forced to claw my way out of this corpse pile on top of me. “You’d think for creatures of the night they could stay up a bit later than this.” I look down at the drooling zombie and the knocked cold Banshee. I grab the blanket and pull it over Zasha. I decide to grab my jacket, but instead of putting on I cheesily decide to cover Bernadette with it, it’s large enough to act like a small blanket for her. I turn off the TV as the credits roll and sneak out of the house and back to Chelsea’s in the cover of the night.

“Bull. Excuse me for barging in but you wouldn’t wake up and it’s important.” A gentle shake cracks my eyes open slowly.
“Oh Chelsea...What’s up man?” I mumble as my eyes begin to close again.
She shakes me again, “I really hate to be so forceful but I insist Bull, it’s within your best interest to be ready before Millicent arrives.”
I sit up and rub my eyes, “Yeah alright...” Today’s the day I figure out what’s going to be done with me. Perhaps this Millicent will gobble me up as a human sacrifice.
I stand up and make my way to the shower. After I dry myself and put on my freshly washed clothes I make my way downstairs. To my surprise everyone is there, including Bernadette who is plastered tightly beside Zasha. Guess she doesn’t do well with anyone other than Zasha. I can’t help but think the two undead girls are cute as I step into the living room.
“Uh...hey guys.” I nod at the gathered group in front of me. They all look more nervous than I am. Even Cindy has an aura of reverence opposed to her usual boorish self.
A series of greeting follow as I lean up on a wall.
“Millicent will be here within the hour.” Chelsea informs the group and pats my shoulder as she joins in with the conversing girls.
I stroke my mohawk, letting it go occasionally as it falls into a mess of disheveled hair. I should figure out a way to put my spikes back into it. I sigh in annoyance as the short hair just sticks out in every direction.
An aura of nobility surrounds us as conversation seems to halt all at once. Its as if an alarm went off in all our heads. After a moment of silence the door opens and the girls in front of me try their hardest to look prim and proper. I turn to see what is slithering through the door. I gulp heavily, as if I was a rat before a snake. A long snake woman who’s length has to be at least twenty feet stands straight and elegant as she makes her way through. Her long tail eventually connects to a loose, white dress. The silk has to be the finest fabric I’ve ever seen. Golden trinkets and bangles make her dazzle. She has womanly curves that lead up to a modest pair hidden away behind the white silk. Her arms are covered in green scales and ruby encrusted jewelry. Her shoulders are bare and covered in pale skin that continues to her upper chest and neck leading up to her elegant face. Her face looks young and has an aura of importance around it, despite her beautiful appearance there is still a strong sense of danger. Her head is adorned with a circlet that keeps her “hair” out of her face. Long vipers drape down her back from her head and occasionally snake around her form to look at what’s in front of her. She doesn’t even glance at me as she stops beside me and directs her attention to the girls in front of me.
“You needn’t be here. You may all leave now. ” Though she stares at the bowing girls in front of her, her vipers are all staring right at me as they sway around each other never taking their predatory eyes off of me. I am frozen in fear as the girls shuffle their way out occasionally throwing a glance my way.
As Chelsea shivers and makes her way to the door the Mayor known as Millicent stops her, “I am aware of your agoraphobia young Chelsea, you may take refuge upstairs. Understand that eavesdropping will result in swift and harsh rebuke.”
Chelsea nods and lets out a relieved sigh as she thanks the woman in front of me. This whole time she had been looking into the living room, her vipers staring me down to submission.
“Very well human, let us begin.” She slithers into the room and coils her tail until she rests comfortably onto of the pile of herself. I step inside and stand awkwardly.
“You may sit.” She gestures her hand at the armchair in front of her.
I nod as I sit down. We sit in silence for minutes as she looks me over. Her gaze checks every spot of me as her serpent hair peeks out from behind her any way they can, whether its from under her arm, over her head or beside her neck, they seem to be scanning me as well. Once she nods she continues, “A human suffering from gigantism. Very rare, though what’s even more unusual is that your body seems well adapted to the abnormality that is your prestigious size.”
I can’t help but be frozen in place as she talks. “You were either a warrior or one predisposed to delinquency judging by your knuckles and posture. Though with what I can tell your origin is it is most likely the latter. I hope you aren’t causing any sort of trouble on this island?” Her brows raise as a serpent or two hisses.
I shake my head.
 “You may speak human. I have not paralyzed you yet.” She stares daggers into me as I turn away from her intrusive gaze.
“O-of course not.”
She accepts my answer and continues, “Your heart is beating quite fast isn’t it? I can sense that. You must be afraid of me. Or perhaps your anxious to hear what the islanders have been hiding from you? Hmm?”
I manage to look back at her face, “Yes miss, I am.”
Her vipers stare at me as she looks me over again, “Bold may be my assumption but if you have not been told than you’ve surely noticed this island lacks males.” As my face is frozen in her gaze she continues. “Discovering this island may either be a blessing or a curse for you human. It does not matter either to me, for the payment of this knowledge will be your life.” I shiver as she says that, I squeeze my fists ready to fight for my life.
“Oh? What’s this? You think you have any control here human?” Her glare freezes me to the core, the only things moving on this armchair now are my heart and lungs. I can’t move an inch as she uncurls herself and slithers around the chair a few times looking at me from all directions. “I will admit your herculean strength human but that will not compare to a Gorgan.” She closes in as her body wraps around the armchair a few times. Once she is wrapped tightly around my legs and chair she rests on top of herself and pushes herself towards me, just inches from my face.
“Many a human have tried for mine and mine family’s life, many a human was digested or turned into a permanent addition to our collection.” Her vipers rear back as they hiss. “I wonder if you’ll be another one of them? Or will your resistance crumble and abide my my word, my law.” She strokes my cheek. I can almost feel my nerves screaming at my muscles to move but to no avail.
“Time will tell pet.” She unwraps herself from me and coils back into her starting pile. “Within an hour you will be unparalyzed. So for now, listen to your duty to the island.” Her snakes calm back down as she stares at my frozen face. “Your life is mine, as is all who comes to my island. I am a benevolent queen. You all have your freedom as long as the rules are followed.” Her eyes sharpen, “Though benevolence does not repudiate comeuppance.” She makes sure that sinks in before continuing. “You may not harm anyone on this island, and are dutifully required to contribute to the island however that may be. Outside contact must be approved through me during one of the monthly congresses. Such congress is today of course, and so shall there be one next month at this day and so forth. Any large project must be approved through me, construction of a house is simple enough should you please but any communal building that will require excess material of course will be reviewed by me.” She closes her eyes and breaths deeply as she finishes the practiced speech. “Now we move on to your specific duty.” As she continues she points down at my pants, “Being the sole male of this island means you will be married immediately. I will do you the courtesy of acquiring your own mate. Though this will be extended to the month’s end. Any longer and I will press the choice myself. If there is refusal that will result in predation I’m afraid. It has been a while since I’ve had a human after all, and you’d be filling meal for months.” She towers over me as her body unwinds below her. “That is all human, I needn’t know your name for your stay here is not yet set in stone depending on your choices. Once you’re paralysis wears off, expect to see me in a month.” She slithers out as her vipers continually staring at me as she leaves.
What the fuck just happened?
I still stand frozen as my eyes bounce around my narrow view. Sweat drips down my body. Did she just threaten to eat me if I don’t marry one of these chicks? The girls’ faces I know flash through my mind as I think on all this. So this is what they couldn’t tell me huh? No wonder, it’d be hard to break that kind of news to someone, “Hey turns out you have to marry one of us by the end of the month.” Yeah that’d be embarrassing. Plus if they were told specifically to not tell then who knows what would have happened if they let it slip. Most likey they’d be fuckin eaten by Millicent.
An hour finally passes and I fall forward onto the floor. My whole body is cramped as I try to stretch and get the kinks out.
“Ow, fuckin charlie horses all over.” I twinge in pain as I get up. A wave of relief passes over me as I open and close my fists. “It’s nice to move” The feeling of relief quickly turns to stress as I slam back into the large armchair. “I gotta marry someone by the end of the month huh?” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Fuck man I’m only 17. The ‘ol ball and chain already slapped on this early...” My head falls back on the back of the chair and stares at the white ceiling. “I mean I guess I could be dead...” An intense heat flushes to my cheeks, “And it’s not like my choices are all that bad...” I mumble to myself. How did I become attracted to these girls. Not even a few weeks ago I thought they’d eat me. Am I weird? I mean I’ve always been weird but am I some kind of deviant?
These thoughts aren’t doin me any good. Whether I want it to happen or not it doesn’t matter, I gotta marry someone or else I’m gunna be eaten. I lean forward and rest my head in my hands. “Now it falls to who I’m goin to choose...”

A few hours later and the door opens, some shuffling comes in awkwardly as they sit in the living room with me and Carrie goes up to fetch Chelsea. The end result is six girls sitting in a circle staring at me.
I scratch my head and laugh uncomfortably, “Uh...you guys are...uh...probably waiting for an answer here or something huh?”
They all shift in their position as they look in silence. I suppose they’re just as embarrassed as me.
“Well how about you just break the bad news to everyone and tell ‘em you already chose me?” Ona tries to look smug as she sits there with her arms crossed and a blush on her cheeks.
“H-Hey! He hasn’t chosen anyone yet bitch! He’s not smart enough to make a decision like that! He’ll probably wait till last second and be forced to marry some random girl.” Zasha keeps glancing over at me.
“Yeah little sis, who says he chose you? I think he likes a woman with a little meat on her bones.” Cindy gestures to herself with her hand, lingering on her massive chest.
A dreary sigh comes from Bernadette, “Oh forced to marry into a union without love...misery is sure to follow...I’m willing to take that burden from you Bull...”
Chelsea quickly clears her throat at that, “No offense Bernadette but I think Bull would be willing to find someone he loves rather than taking on your um...”kind” offer.”
“W-well! Bull said he liked me already!” Carrie shouts out as she hides behind a couch.
“WHAT!?” They all shout simultaneously aside from Bernadette and Chelsea, Bernadette looks unfazed and Chelsea bites her lip at the news.
“Whoa, whoa! Out of context here! I haven’t picked anyone!” I sigh defeated as I pick myself up of the couch.
“Alright let’s go ahead and get this part out of the way, obviously I wont marry anyone who doesn’t want to marry me. So if anyone here is interested go ahead and raise your hand.” I expect to see Carrie, Cindy and Ona raise their hands so the choice would be a simple 3. However to my surprise the whole room raises their hand.
“O-Oh.” I let out in embarrassment as what is basically a confession comes from every girl in the room. “T-that definitely complicates things.” I chuckle nervously as I stare at the floor. The room is silent.
“Ok...” I sigh, “I honestly don’t have anyone in mind here...You’re all pretty and your personalities are cool as fuck too...So I think this is what I’ll have to do.” I manage to work enough strength up to look up. They’re all staring at me at the edge of their seats.
“I think what we’ll do is I’ll try to get to know each of you a bit more until the end of the month. We’ll go on a few dates and obviously things wont go any further than they already are now until I’ve made my choice. I feel kind of scummy for doing it like this but I only have a month so letting things play out naturally wont cut it...”
Everyone assures me it’s fine as they hear my idea.
“W-well I personally don’t think it’s fair that Chelsea gets to live in the same house as you!” Ona blurts out. “She could try to make a move or, “accidentally” walk out of the shower nude a few times!”
“W-what?! I’d never do something like that!” Chelsea holds a hand to her mouth in shock at this accusation.
I look at Ona skeptically “I uh...really can’t see Chelsea doing that.”
Cindy speaks up, “Well still Ona has a point I tell ya. You wakin up to a pleasant mornin every day to a pretty girl like Chelsea does seem to give her quite the advantage.”
Everyone agrees with this and at the end I can’t help but agree too. “Well yeah, that’s a point.”
Chelsea looks disheartened.
“I’ll figure out somewhere else to stay for the time being.” I’m just as disappointed at the aspect of not being treated like royalty and enjoying the divine comfort of that room.
Carrie speaks up, “But where will Bull stay?”
I shrug, “I’ve been homeless before. I’ll just find some place to crash.” Woo Gutter Punk!
They all look kind of guilty as they hear that.
“It’s really no big deal guys. At least here I don’t have to worry about running into the wrong guys or being mugged in my sleep.” Though the giant tarantulas might be pretty nerve wracking.
“So I’m going to go ahead and step out, I’ll figure out who I want to date tomorrow first and find you. Goodnight girls.” I nervously pace towards the door, “Uh...I’m uh...It’s cool you guys all feel like this by the way...Sorry if I hurt your feeling in the end, I still really like you all.” I close the door behind me after trying to comfort them. It does suck that they all like me like that, I wish it was just one of them, it’d make my life a lot easier...

I yawn as the sun bleeds into the damp cave and wakes me up. I stand up and stretch my back and shoulders. “Ugh...This cave sucks. I need to get a few amenities, like some light, a sleeping bag would be cool.”
I start to descend the mountain and make my way through the forest. Alright first girl I see is who I date. I walk into town and walk around casually as I make small talk with the other girls of the island. They seem a lot more flirtatious and handsy than normal, I guess they know they could be a potential mate. I guess it makes sense they’d all want me, it’s not that I’m a catch as much as being literally the only option here.
As I’m caught in thought I’m basically tackled from behind. I turn to see the green woman behind me, wearing blue jean cut-off shorts and a rolled up quarter-sleeve. “Oh, Ona. I Figured the bear came back for revenge.” I rub the orc-girl’s back as she squeezes me in embrace.
“No he’s hung up on my wall.” She sighs as she lets go. “So! Let’s go on that date Bull!” She grabs my arm and squeezes into my side.
Well I did say the first one of them I saw is who I’d choose.
“Alright then. Where do you want to go? I don’t know the place well enough to choose anywhere.”
She thinks to herself for a moment, “Oh I got a place!” She starts to pull me as we head in the direction of the forest.
We jog through the forest together as she holds onto my hand.
“You’ll love it up here Bull! I know I do!” She turns and winks at me as she says “And you’ll love the view that’s for sure.” seductively.
I gulp as we sprint through the forest, causing deer to run in fear and smaller animals to hop away as the two apex predators crash through their territory.
“Don’t worry food we aren’t after you today!” She yells and laughs loudly. Seeing her carefree smile as her short, ear-length, messy, crimson hair flails around in the wind. Her toned legs flex as each foot hits the ground. My heart beats faster as I really take a look at my date. Her feminine face is showing an expression of pure joy, hell even her four rounded tusk like teeth are cute when she opens her mouth in laughter.
She finally slows down as I hear running water. “We’re close now.” We walk hand in hand through some shrubbery until we see a large crystal clear lake in front of us, complete with a waterfall and river flowing out into the forest.
“Whoa man, this is pretty cool. I’ve never seen a waterfall before.” I’m captivated by nature until I hear the unmistakable sound of a zipper unzipping. As I turn around I see Ona in a pair of black panties and bra. I can’t help but stare at her toned body as she throws her shirt over her head.
“Mesmerized Bull?” She asks as she makes a cute pose.
I shake my head, Right we’re going swimming, keep it together you virgin.
I start to take my shirt off. This results into a cheer from the spectator. Blushing, I continue to strip down to my boxers.
She strides over and rubs my upper body affectionately. “Mmm such strength...” I take her hands off me.
“Hey now, not on the first date sweetie.” I chuckle as I hide my embarrassment. “Let’s swim.” I step into the water and stop once I’m up to my waist. She follows but the water goes up to her midsection. She may be tall compared to a human woman but I still dwarf her.
I enjoy the cool sensation and the natural sounds of running water. I expect to see Ona enjoying the soothing song of nature or to be trying to molest me but to my surprise she’s focusing intently on the water around us.
“You alright Ona?” I ask but she puts her finger in front of her lips. We sit there in silence until she slams her hands underneath the water and grabs a large fish. “Aha! Got one!” She shows me her prize as she takes a large bite out of the side. I smirk, truly savage, but the look on her face make her seem cute rather than uncivilized.
“Mmm.” She swallows her bite and tosses it far off onto the shore. “Here’s the game Bull-”
I interject as I cross my arms. “We’re playing a game here?”
“Shutup.” She punches me in the arm, “And I play for keeps you hear? There’s going to be a gamble of course.” She smirks smugly at me. “And I know I’ll win.”
I laugh at that, “Oh is that so? You must think you’re hot shit. Just remember who had to bail you out the last time we had a little fun.”
She rolls her eyes, “So here we go. The one to catch the bigger fish wins. We have until the sun sets.”
I nod, “So what’s the gamble then tiny?”
She squints her eyes at that. She sure hates having her strength downplayed. “The gamble is if I win you have to sit back and let me do whatever I want with you.” She eyes my body and I shift uncomfortably.
“I don’t know about all that...” I waver as she crosses her arms.
“Oh I thought you were the one who bailed me out? What happened to all that shit talk?”
I can’t resist the challenge, “Alright, but if I win...then you have to wear a big girly wedding dress if we get married.”
She blushes brightly, “W-what!? No way! I’m not wearing some dumb dress!”
Now I cross my arms. “Take it or leave it tiny.”
At the name she immediately accepts the deal. “Say bye to your virginity humie.” She focuses her attention back onto the water. As do I.
Not even a few minutes later She grabs a large spiky fish, it has 8 eyes and a beak for a mouth. She sticks her tongue out as she tosses it on the shore.
Jesus fuck I’m kind of wanting to get out of this water now...
I see a dark spot and throw my hands down pulling out a large eel. It’s a lot longer but not as wide, we chalk it up as a tie to her biggest as I toss it like a football down the river.
The next fish she gets is what looks like a mammoth sized sea turtle, however the large shell seems to be covered in jellyfish like tentacles and instead of a head it has a fifth arm as if it was a starfish. She knows how to hold it to keep from touching its tentacles.
Once again she’s in the lead. She catches a few more before I catch my next one.
“Gotcha bastard!” I grab the wide fish and yelp as a human like face emerges from the water. The length is almost six feet and is round like an eel but with a few long fins along its side. The human face spits water at me as it flaps out of my grip and back into the water.
Ona laughs her ass off, “That still wasn’t as big as my turtle.”
I wipe the gross spit off my face as I wait for the next fish.
She reaches down quickly and lifts something out by a large tail. The tail is long and segmented with what looks like a scorpion’s stinger on the end. She snaps the tail off and tosses it as she grab the rest of the creature and pulls it out of the water. The fish looks like it has plated tan armor and one large eye quickly rolls all around looking at its environment. Its mouth opens and closes revealing a set of human like teeth. Its fins look like a jets wings and turbines. The weird rounded muscles on its fins spray out water as she holds it up. She struggles with it as she marches it to the side of the river before punching a hole through its undoubtedly hard as steel carapace.
Fuck that was a huge one...I’m going to lose my virginity at this rate... I click my tongue as I occasionally look over at my opponent.
Something passes by my foot and I pull it up. The creature resembles a regular squid with a beak at the top of its head rather than below its tentacles. When I manage to lift i out of the water it hisses at me as it shoots blood at me from its eyes. I drop it as I rub my face. It burns like boiling water as I throw fresh water on it.
“No don’t do that it’ll make it worse!” Ona tries to stop me
It’s too late and now I’m squeezing my face in my hands groaning in pain. She wades close to me and removes my hands. My eyes are still shut to keep the blood from getting in my eyes. She starts to rub my face with some kind of sticky liquid and the pain around my face starts to fade. “Start spitting on your hands and rubbing your face Bull.” She says seriously as she continues rubbing my face. I decide to follow her directions and it ends up helping a lot. She stands back as I rub my spit into my face. After a bit the pain subsides and I thank her.
“Saliva naturally cancels out the Gore Squid’s Venom.” She says as she looks back at the water. “By the way I’m still in the lead.”
I shake my head and wipe off my face. Man she literally just spat on my face and called me a loser.
She keeps taking out fish after fish. At this rate I’ll never win.
As the sun starts to set I gulp as I fantasize what might happen to me. I’m quickly snapped to attention as I see a pair of eyes and a dorsal fin emerge from the water a few yards out eyeing Ona. It submerges itself as quickly as it showed itself. In just that instant my body felt a sense of danger so I start to creep my way over to Ona.
“Hey Ona. I think I saw something...” I make my way towards her.
“Oh no you don’t I’m getting into those boxers Bull. No way I’m gunna let you cheat.”
A large black shadow forms in the water, rocketing towards Ona.
“Ona!” I jump forward in front of her as the eyes and dorsal fin show. She’s shoved back in surprise as I brace myself.
From the water comes a long alligator like snout, it flies out like a rocket, its mouth gaping open as the pair of eyes follow behind it. Its grey scales look thick enough to take a bullet. The pair of jaws has to be at least 5 feet long as it tries to snap down around my neck. Luckily I manage to grab each side with one of my hands. My arms are shaking as I endure its strength. Its breath smells like rotting fish as its tongue tries to shoot out and spear me, just inches away from my face. The tongue looks like an arrowhead and seems girthy enough to kill me in just one stab. I wrestle with the splashing creature as I try to drag it to shore. I almost lose balance as its long shark like tail splashes in the water trying to push itself close to my face. I manage to spread the mouth wide and keep my face a safe distance from its spearing tongue. Once I’m in a more shallow water its full body comes into view. Its grey scales lead from its giant head with a pair of black insect like eyes that lead to a large dorsal fin. Instead of pectoral fins it has two long razor like talons that look like they could grab onto anything and stay firmly locked in place. Its long body finally extends into a shark tail. I use my arms to slam it downwards as I use the rest of my body to help sling it onto the ground, my grip weakens and the jaws clamp down a little closer around my neck but now I manage to slam my knee onto its throat and begin working away with my arms. I pulled it close enough to the shore where its strong tail can do no good, it flips around trying to push itself through the air. Its talons dig into the ground and try to find purchase somewhere. The tongue writhes in agony. As my knee keeps its body steady. I roar as I start to pull the monster’s mouth apart. The jaws slowly open as I see skin start to tear along the corners of its mouth. With an audible crack I manage to rip its jaw in two. It writhes underneath me as it tries to escape. “Oh no you don’t asshole!” I drag it onto dry land and begin to pound it with my fists until it stops moving. I fall backwards, my hands keeping me up as I breath heavily.
“Bull!” Ona yells as she slams into my side and hugs me tightly.
In between breaths I groan at her, “You’re gunna be the death of me.”
She doesn’t let go as I pull her into an embrace, “I’m glad you’re alright though Ona.” We sit on the shore holding eachother as the orange sky changes the ambiance of the forest.
Once I have my breath under control I whisper into her ear, “I win.” She nods her head into my chest as she rubs me with her hands. “Bull~” She whispers seductively. She kisses my neck as her hands travel up and down my body.
I chuckle at her display of affection, “I won Ona, not you,so my Virginity is safe.” I grab her hand and subdue it in mine as I nudge her face away with my head.
“Oh coooome oooon. Please!? I need you.” She rubs her body against me
The book was right, orcs really are aroused by feats of strength. I need to be more careful around her.
“No means no Ona.” I get away from her and stand up as she whines needily.
“AND!” I continue as I look down at the pouting Ona. “If we do end up getting married, you have to wear a frilly dress of my choice.”
She looks like she’s about to puke as she hears that.
I roll my eyes, “Oh come on it wont be that bad, besides it’s not like you’d be wearing it for much longer after we get married.” I wink at her as she stands up smiling.
“I like the sound of that...” She says tracing my chest as I put on my jeans.
I walk her home, the whole time she squeezes into me and gropes me. I make sure that everything stays above the belt as I walk her back home.
“Alright Ona, this is it. I’ll be the gentlemen and leave it off here.” I smile as she clicks her tongue at me.
“I can’t believe you’re gunna leave me like this AGAIN!”
I chuckle and stop by Chelsea’s for some needed items.

“Oh that’s much better.” I groggily say to myself as I get out of the webbing made sleeping bag and turn off the gas lantern beside me. I get up and throw on my clothes as I once again descend from my mountain. I make my way through the forest to go find one of the girls in the town but to my surprise I come up on someone I know.
“Hey Carrie! What are you doing?” I shout to the crow-girl who’s head is twitching around trying to observe something every which way possible.
She jumps at my voice and takes a few quick hops back. “B-Bull! It’s you!”
I stomp my way over to her. “Yeah it’s me, what are you doin over here?” I look down to see some kind of mushroom with a long, thick stalk with thorns and a bulbous head.
“O-Oh! It’s a Anguilliformes Ascomycota. It’s a Mushroom Eel.”
I scratch my head at that. “Right...Never seen one of them.”
She smiles and begins talking excitedly, “It’s because I discovered it!”
I nod my head and smile at her enthusiasm. “So you named it Mushroom Eel?”
“Yes, watch this.” She pulls out a small jar and opens the lid she then tilts the jar as a small beetle slides down then eventually out towards the ground. Before the beetle can even hit the ground the bulbous mushroom opens up and a small mouth shoots outwards towards the beetle and drags it back inside before closing again.
I nod my head, “Man nature is pretty fucked huh?”
She cocks her head.
“Forget it. So if you’re done playing with...fungus...want to go on a date?” I offer as I put my hands in my pockets trying to look as casual as possible despite the embarrassment.
She lights up and hops around as she gathers her things.  “Yes! Yes! Please!” She smiles as she puts everything in a bag.
I chuckle, “Alright then, are you free now?”
She thinks for a moment. “Well...I am, but would you mind visiting me at my house later? Right before evening?”
Knowing Carrie she’s not going to try and jump me like Ona would so I agree.
“Sure, but that wouldn’t give us much time for a date seeing as you’re out like a light once the sun sets.”
She shakes her head, “I need you to keep me awake, it’s really important.”
I just shrug, “I’ll do what I can. See you later then?”
She nods excitedly as she flies upwards through the trees and towards the town. I better go find something to do for now.

“Hey Cindy what’s up?” I find Cindy working on some sort of project.
“Boy! Did you come all the way out here for a date with yours truly?” She sets the saw down on top of the wooden frame as she winks.
“Not this time, soon though. I have plans tonight.” She nods her head looking disappointed despite her trying her hardest to hide it.
“Alrighty then...What are you here for? Better not be for your plans tonight. I ain’t gunna be in a three-way boy I just ain’t that kind of girl.” Her massive eye looks down on me as if I insulted her.
I roll my eyes, at this point I’m used to her bullshittery. “Nope, just checking to see if you did that favor for me.”
She snaps her fingers, “Oh right! Been so busy I forgot about all that. That wasn’t an easy order to fill you know? “Oh it’s just a few heavy circles and a long pole.” Well I hate to break it to ya champ but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take work I tell ya.”
I nod and earnestly thank her again, “Yeah I really appreciate it, I wish I could offer you more than that bear pelt.”
Her one eye narrows, “Well there is something you could offer.”
I shake my head, “I’m not messing with anyone like that until I have my answer.”
She shrugs, “Worth a shot. Well boy it’s right in my shed back here, you’re welcome to move it whenever you find a right place. Or use it in there whenever.”
I follow where she’s pointing and thank her profusely.
The heavy, wide, wooden doors slide as I push the over. A big, goofy smile stretches across my face. “Everyone has something on this island, and now so do I.” I step inside and grab the long iron bar, I set it in the middle of the large room and go to grab the metal plates. I stack enough plates on each side until it feels right. With a heave I lift it off the floor and start raising and lowering the bar with plates on it over my head. King of nattie can't slack off and turn soft after all.
Oh this’ll keep me occupied until later.

I take a quick shower at Cindy’s and make my way over to Carrie’s as the sun starts to sink on the horizon.
She’s probably asleep by now. She sure as hell isn’t a night-owl.
I knock on the door and to my surprise the door opens.
A groggy harpy rubs her eyes as she stands in the doorway dressed in tight pink shorts and a loose T-shirt.
When I grin at the cute sight in front of me she quickly hides herself behind the door.
“O-Oh! Bull it’s you!”
I nod at her observation, “That is true. So can I come in?”
She bites her lip and hops on each one of her bird feet until finally nods.
I squeeze my way through the cracked door and take a step inside.
“U-um I’m going to go change.” She takes a quick pace to the back room at the end of the hallway.
Her tight, nylon short shorts giving me a good view of her petite yet ample derriere.
Damn. That’s definitely not making it out of my head anytime soon.
After a few minutes she comes out dressed in a conservative dress and fixed hair feathers.
“Thank you for waiting. And thanks for waiting earlier too.” She says to the floor as she stands in front of me.
“Uh, yeah no problem. So what did you have in mind?”
“I want to star gaze with you.” She responds quickly before blushing.
She shot that right out as if her life depended on me hearing it. I squeeze her shoulder, “Chill dude, I’m nervous too believe it or not.”
She finally meets my eyes. “You are?”
I nod and look away. It’s hard for me to look into her eyes too.
We walk to her bedroom and grab her telescope and she grabs a couple books that look like they’ve collected a bit of dust.
I carry the telescope, it’s really heavy, to the point where I doubt Carrie could carry it. It’s completely cast iron except for the more intricate insides.
She hops by me and practically dances her way to the door excitedly.
She must have been waiting for this a while now.
We leave her house into the dark outdoors. Her footfalls are different now, and she’s shivering. She seems to reluctantly press onward as her head darts in every direction.
“Hey Carrie you cold or somethin?” I put my hand on her shoulder and give her a comforting squeeze
“N-no...” She jumps as my hand touches her shoulder but she quickly finds comfort in it as she starts to press herself against me.
I chuckle, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of the da-” I cut myself off. That makes sense, she never gets to experience the darkness due to her sleeping habits.
I keep my hand on her shoulder, “I’ve always been out late at night myself so you’re safe with me Carrie, just lead the way.”
She seems to take comfort in that as she stops shivering and walks with renewed vigor.

We march our way up a slope for what seems like forever before we reach a clear area that falls to a steep cliff overlooking the beach. There’s no moon out tonight so it’s pitch black. Of course because of that...I’ve never seen so many stars. I stand there in amazement as what seems like billions of stars shine brightly in the sky.
Man I’d never realized just how pretty stars could be. The city’s lights make looking up at stars impossible and the chaos of it just keeps you distracted from the sky anyways.
“Can you set up the telescope for me bull? It’s really heavy.” She says that while staring up at the sky.
About thirty minutes pass but I figure it out. Carrie was snickering at me as I tried to figure out the contraption.
Jesus this isn’t a hard piece of machinery or anything, I totally made myself look like a retard in front of a cute girl like Carrie.
I clear my throat and display the assembled telescope. “Ladies first.”
She giggles as she hops her way to the rather large telescope. It’s complex enough where you have to use cranks to dial in where you’re wanting to look like you would an artillery gun.
That chick Cindy can make some real impressive shit apparently.
Carrie locks herself into that telescope for eternity as I sit down beside her in dejection.
Some date this is, she’s just enjoying star gazing while I sit here in the grass...
I laugh at myself. I’ve sure came to like these girls a lot to be disappointed at not having their attention.
She looks at me from her telescope when she hears me laugh. “O-oh! Sorry Bull! Do you want a turn?”
I shrug, “Just watching you is enough for me.” I can barely make out the blush on her face. “Besides I don’t know what to look at anyways.”
“I’ll show you! Come here!” She smiles bright enough to make me think the sun has risen.
I shake my head and crouch beside her as I look into the peephole.
It looks even more beautiful like this. I stare in awe as she shows me a bunch of clusters and constellations, at the end of the day they all look pretty but I can’t see any of the stories she tries to tell me.
A huge yawn and a thud comes from behind me as Carrie ends up falling backwards into unconsciousness.
“It was only a matter of time huh?” I click my tongue with a smile on my face. “Guess I’ll clean up the mess then huh?”
I break down the telescope and pick up her star gazing books then put them in the backpack and sling it over my neck. I throw the telescope over my shoulder before gently scooping Carrie into my other arm.
I stomp my way through the forest back to the town. She’s so light it’s amazing how she isn’t just swept away with the wind.
I set down the telescope and open the door before picking it up and closing it the same way.
What a pain you are Carrie. I smile at the tiny bird-woman snoozing away in my arm. I push her bedroom door open and gently lay her down in the bed. I set everything back where it was, or at least think it was, it’s kind of a mess of papers and books in here.
I make my way out the door before remembering something. Hmm...I wonder...
I turn in the doorway and make my way towards the sleeping beauty. I get on my knees beside her and lean in close. “Carrie?” I whisper to her. She’s barely breathing, complete and utter sleep.
I take one of my massive hands and brush some of her head feathers out of her face.
I let out an overemphasized sigh, “If only you were still awake...I wanted to get a goodnight kiss at least. Oh well. I guess I’ll have to get one from somewhere else. Chelsea seems pretty fond of me afteral-”
Her eyes shoot open as her face goes bright red. “B-Bull!? You can’t just go around kissing girls like that!”
A grin grows across my face, “I figured you were faking it.”
Her words catch in her throat as she turns away.
“I was just kidding Carrie, I haven’t kissed anyone yet. I’m going to wait until my choice is made.”
It seems to settle her down but just barely.
“Alright goodnight Carrie I’m going back to the cave.”
“Wait!” She shouts.
Her outbursts are rare so it surprises me and I give her my attention.
“C-could you sleep in here?” She glances up at me from her bed a few times.
I think about it, If it was any other girl I would have turned her down immediately, they’re pretty aggressive after all and would easily take advantage. But Carrie seems like the kind of girl who actually means she just wants me to sleep nearby.
I give in, “Yeah sure why not?” I smile as I lie down on the floor next to her bed. The wooden floor is slightly uncomfortable but it sure beats the cave floor. Besides I don’t have to worry about being eaten alive by anything in here. As my thoughts start to wonder Carrie whispers at me. “Bull...I meant up here...”
My eyes open to see Carrie looking at me from her bed and lifting the covers, offering me a spot on her bed.
 “I uh, kinda figured you meant that Carrie but I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” She sure is making it hard to say no seeing her dress all disheveled up on her tight body and her wanting face staring down at me from above.
She hides her face as she slowly slinks off the bed bringing her cover with her. I hold my breath as she slides over and squeezes in tight beside me, her head resting on my chest and her long wing wrapping around my front, bringing covers over both of us.
Well I can’t exactly tell her to get off me...not that I want to anyways.
I enjoy her warmth as she tightens herself in embrace around my body. Naturally my arms seems to wrap around her as well, bringing her in as we cuddle in the dark. Our breathing slows as we both fall asleep.

My eyes slowly open to a natural light shining in through the window. My back is stiff but I still feel the warmth from last night to my right. I look over to see a smiling Carrie. Oh shit how long has she been awake, I hope I didn’t look like too much of a slob.
“Good morning Bull.” She says softly as she rubs her head against my chest.
I smile back at her. “Good morning Carrie, sleep well?”
She nods, “Very well.”
A quick shock to the back of my head alerts me of danger. “Oh god. I gotta get out of here.” I pry my self away from Carrie trying to be gentle and kind about it.
“W-what’s wrong Bull?” She says worried as my back faces her.
“If I stay any longer there’s no way I can keep from kissing you, it wouldn’t be fair, I need to give everyone a chance.” I look at the wall stoically and walk out.
As I close the door behind me I look down at my legs. Fucking morning wood! Go away! If anyone sees me leaving the house with this I’m going to be killed!
I awkwardly walk my way out of the house trying to get the bulge in my jeans to die down.
I step out into the morning air and quick walk towards the woods.
“Oi!”
I hear a familiar voice call out at me. Of all the people...
I turn towards the orange giantess, “Oh, ‘sup Cindy!”
She grabs the collar of my jacket and lifts me off the ground, “Now you wouldn’t happen to be goin around bangin yer potential wives now wouldya?” Her massive eye glares at me.
“N-No! Of course not! I haven’t even kissed a single one of them!”
She drops me and lets out a huge breath, “To think I was about to haveta kill ya there for a moment. I mean I can’t let you just do my friends that way, we all care about ya you know!” She slaps my shoulder and laughs in relief before she spits on the ground and rubs her nose with her finger.
I fix my jacket. “Huh, I’m surprised you trusted me I mean it does looks pretty bad, me coming out of Carrie’s house and all.”
She nods, “This eye can see detail up to a mile away I could easily tell if you were lying or not.”
“D-damn that good huh?” I gulp.
She laughs, “Ha! Yes and no, I can see detail a mile away but I ain’t that good at readin people.”
“Then how’d you know I was telling the truth?”
She points down at my pants, “Well obviously you wouldn’t have that if you just got done doin the deed.” She smirks at me mischievously, “Unless one of us is just that lucky?”
I cover my pants, “H-hey! Keep your eye up here alright?!” I attempt to walk away before being put in a headlock.
“Where are you goin boy?”
“I need to take a shower and stuff.” I get out of the headlock with enough struggle. She matches my strength almost evenly. If I met a male cyclops I’d probably get my shit pushed in.
“Well I got a shower so how about you come on over, I got some work for you to do anyways.” She motions me to her house.
I groan, “This early in the morning?”
She gives me a rude look and taunts me, “Oh what now? You too spoiled to just help a girl out for tha’ hell of it? Gotta have ‘em fawn over you like Ona or Carrie huh? Alright.” She steps beside me and squeezes tightly around my arm, her gargantuan breasts attacking me. “Pleeease Bull! I really really need your help.” She gives me the puppy dog eye.
I roll my eyes and recover my arm from the valley of neverendingmorningwood. “Alright fine. It’s not like I’m that easy to manipulate you know?” I start off towards her house.
“Oh shucks Bull sure you are.” She continues taunting at my back as I walk towards her house.

I step out of the shower and rub my head, Man my sides are startin to get a bit long I need to get a shave.
Walking through the high roofed and spacious house makes me feel right at home. Ah finally a building that’s Joey sized. I admire the building then walk outside to a Cyclops sitting in a wooden chair drinking a beer.
“Oh Bull, you look clean. About time.”
I sigh, “Alright what do you need help with?”
She sets the beer down and steps up to me. Her height  made obvious now that she’s beside me just by a few inches. “Well you’re supposed to be datein us damn it! I want my turn!”
I nod my head and laugh to myself, “You know man this feels weird as hell, chicks do not dig punks back where I come from.”
“Makes no sense to me you’re fine stock.” She squeezes my massive arm in her equally as massive hand. Strangest 'mire I ever got.
I click my tongue as I pull away, “You know it isn’t just about passing on genes. I’m not going to pick one of you based on what kind of offspring we’ll produce.”
She laughs at my reaction, “Oh relax Bull it ain’t like that, though it definitely is a plus. We cyclops do often search for husbands and wives based on that. But that’s just one of the reasons I got a complex for humans.” She sighs wistfully as her gigantic hand presses against my chest over my beating heart. She seems like just another innocent girl as she does this.
“I find the finding love for love thing you all do awfully attractive.” I take her hand and squeeze, getting a light blush on her orange cheeks.
“Let’s go.” I nod as I pull her along side me.
“Well there he goes in macho mode again.” She rolls her eye at me as she lets me take the lead.
The trip through the forest is accompanied by her usual teasing and my usual retorts until we hit the destination.
“The beach?” She asks me.
“I figure a date on the beach would be romantic enough for you. I mean if you rather go somewhere else...”
She shakes her head, “No this is fine.”
A smile creeps across my face, “Besides seeing you in a bathing suit is a pretty huge plus.”
She just smiles back maliciously. “Is that so? Well I’ll go ahead and get changed then.”
She drops her Leather pants onto the ground showing me a view of her thick and soft legs up to a brown loin cloth. As she sheds her button up white shirt, her girls bounce into view. They’re monstrous in size but somehow still perky.
“Well come on now boy strip. I want to see your body too.” She grins as she acknowledges herself as the victor at my attempt to tease her.
I just can’t beat her.
I toss my tank to the side then pull down my jeans. I’m standing in my boxers as her eye traces up and down my body. I can’t help but ogle her too.
“Seems to me like you just want to get straight to the good part huh boy? And here I thought you were here to show me this great “human romance” business.” She crosses her arms, covering her gargantuan chest but pushing them up to make them just as irresistible.
I shake the dirty thoughts from my mind, She’s right dude, this is a date. We gotta get to know her, they’re just tits alright. Besides you’ll be able to look at them later if you end up marrying her. Until then though, they’re just another pair of tits.
I breath out deeply as I calm myself. “You just startled me is all. Forgive me.” I try to act the gentlemen as I direct her attention at the sea. “Shall we?”
She smirks at me and nods as she takes my hand.
We get to about waist deep and enjoy the light waves.

“It’s nice that the waves are calm today. It feels nice.”
“You’re not wrong there...” She seems a bit stiff as her giant eye darts across the water.
I cock my brow at that, “Hey, you alright tiny?”
She looks at me annoyed and snaps at me angrily, “Well yeah why the hell wouldn’t I be?!”
She catches me off guard with that one, “Uh...right.” We sit there in silence until she breaks it with a long sigh.
“Hell Bull I’m sorry...It’s just that...Well us Cyclops ain’t a fan of showin our weakness is all...” She stares at the sea unsure of whether to go on.
I laugh, to which she gives me a stern look, “I’m sorry you just look cute is all. It may suck for you but it’s a great sight for me.
She pouts as her cheeks brighten slightly, “Well I’m glad you like seeing me weakened...”
I walk over and pet her head, her long blonde braid going down her back and falling into the water.
“Oh come on don’t act like that Cindy. What you’re scared of sharks? I mean they’re a strong predator that’s nothing to be ashamed of man. Watch enough shark week and anyone would be afrai-”
“No it ain’t that! Just the ocean. I’m scared of the damn ocean.” She stands stiff as her eye follows the next wave as it slowly rolls in and crashes against her stomach, to which she responds with a light shiver.
“Oh. Nothing wrong with that either. The ocean is a scary place after all.” We continue in this silence for a bit.
“Well personally I’m happy I learned that about you. That is what these dates are for.” She looks back at me, her face looks scared and fragile. “How about we forget we’re in the ocean, we’re just in a big lake is all.” I grab her head and focus it towards me. “You know I’m scared of dogs.”
Her face shifts in confusion, “What in the hell? You’re scared of dogs? Like you mean dire wolves right?”
I shake my head, “Nope, even a regular bloodhound makes me paranoid.”
She laughs, “How in the hell are you scared of dogs? I mean at your size it’d take a pack of ‘em to kill ya!”
I really want to just throw some ocean water on her face for this teasing but whatever I guess it’s working...
“I like skateboarding.” I say out of the blue to change the conversation. She tilts her head, obviously caught off guard at my sudden outburst, “Yeah back in the city I used to ride everywhere. Concerts, occasionally school...when I went, fights, sometimes just nowhere.”
“Now what is a Skateboard?” She asks.
“Oh it’s great dude! It’s basically this small 2x10 board right?(for Bull size) And it’s got wheels on the bottom and you ride around on it. I don’t mean to brag but I used to be pretty good myself. I actually did a 180 melon grab down the school steps once that got some pretty good feedback on youtube.”
She looks lost in thought but at least she’s not scared anymore.
“Well what do you like to do Cindy?”
She rubs her arm, “I like to hear stories myself. Sometimes when Carrie visits she’ll bring me some books and I can read them before I go to bed. If I’m lucky I can coerce Zasha to lettin me watch that television of hers. She’s got a few good stories on there. But I think I like to watch someone tell the story themselves.” She smiles as she says that. “Yeah that’s definitely my favorite. The more animated they are when they tell it the better it is for me.”
We just talk about random stuff for what seems like forever.
“What do you like to eat?” I ask.
She smiles as she sees this conversation carrying on, “Well I suppose Beef is my favorite. Maybe dog after that.”
I can’t help shiver at the thought of seeing a dog on my kitchen table, but at least it’s dead.
“What about you Bull? What gets you filled up proper?”
“Well Beef is definitely up there. I think I’ll have to agree with you, a nice juicy steak is a godsend.”
She smiles in agreement until her face goes into a look of complete terror.
“What’s wrong Cindy?!” I look around to see what could have flipped her switch.
She’s frozen stiff as her mouth opens and closes, “S-something touched my foot...” She looks distressed as if a sea monster had just shown itself. I look down to see a colorful little fishy swim away.
She sure hates the sea.
“Well here. Let me get you out of here then.” I wrap her up in my arms and carry her to the beach. She shivers in my arms as the waves splash around us. She clutches tightly to me as I splash my way to the shore.
We end up just standing like this for a while before she finally realizes she’s out of the water. A tear streams from her massive eye. I wipe it away, “Hey now, you’re safe. I got you.”
Her heart is pounding as she looks up at me from this position.
“Thank you Bull!” She embraces me. Her shift in weight however causes me to tumble over into the sand. I mean come on she’s not exactly a wee lass.
We laugh as we lay on top of the sand.
“Well there you go being my hero again.” She rubs her hand on my arm affectionately.
I grin at her, “Can’t help being dashing.” I rub the moist area around her eye and then help her up onto her feet.
The sun sets on the beach as we realize we actually were talking in the water for quite a while.
“Shoo-wee! I tell ya, it’d be awfully romantic to end this date off with a kiss at sunset.” She looks at me her eye half closed as she leans into me.
I rub her cheek and squeeze her hand before taking a step back, “As much as I want to I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair. I promised to give you all a fair chance and go no further than we were before.”
She sighs disappointed, “Yep, that’s my Bull alright.”
I walk her back to the house and turn down her offer to come inside for coffee in the dead of night.

“Oh yeah!” I drop the dumbbells on the cave floor as I wipe the sweat off my forehead. “That’s juicy boys.” I squeeze my arm as I take a step out of the cave the mountain’s wind giving me a nice chill. “Sometimes this mountain’s alright, other times it just feels like a frying pan.” I throw my tank on and walk down the mountain.
I sigh to myself as I walk towards the town, I really feel uncomfortable dating all these chicks at the same time. It’s going to feel even worse when I have to turn down 5 girls who actually seem into me. But this really is the only fair way to do it, I like them all equally and don’t have time to see if any one of them just naturally outshines the others. “And to think I used to think that bastard on the bachelor was so lucky...” I mumble to myself as I step on a twig. The weird part is how the twig seems to jump back at me and bite down on my leg. Must be one of them strange Hissing sticks I’ve heard so much about. Of course the fact that it has bitten me twice kind of makes me realize I’ve never heard of a hissing stick. Also, that’s a fucking snake godamnit. “SON OF A BITCH!” I grab it and break its neck as I run quickly back to the town. “I’m going to die! I’m going to die!” I swing the snake over my shoulder. I hope to god Zasha has some antivenom.

I slam the door to Zasha’s open as sweat lines my face and clothes.
“ZASHA! I DON’T WANT TO DIE A VIRGIN PLEASE HELP ME!” I run up to the zombie who has reared back in shock at the sudden giant crashing into her house.
“B-Bull!? What are you saying?! W-We haven’t even went on a date yet! Are you saying you chose me?! I-I-”
“No! Dammit! I got bit by a snake get me some fucking antivenom!” I throw myself down on the couch as she looks at the snake and sprints to the back room.
Oh god I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die.
“Here you go eat this.” She comes back calmly and hands me a bar of some kind of medicine. Huh I thought you had to deliver antivenom through a needle.
“Thanks Zasha!” I bite down on it and chew it before spitting it out. “What the hell!? This is a bar of soap!”
She slaps the bite mark on my leg.
“OW! That’s fresh you know!?”
She scowls at me, “Don’t come in here saying stupid stuff if you just got bit by a constrictor! There’s no venom idiot.”
“Well how was I supposed to know!” I shout back.
“God why’d you get yourself bitten by a snake for anyways! Antivenom isn’t cheap you know!”
An opportunity this good cannot be wasted. “So I could have an excuse to see you baby.” I hit her with the finger guns as I sigh in relief. I love the feeling of not facing immanent death.
“Y-You could have just came to see me you know...you didn’t have to get yourself hurt.” She mumbles at me as she fidgets with her fingers.
I smile at the cute display in front of me, That was a joke but fuck it let’s roll with it.
“Sorry, I guess I just thought you’d tell me to go away if I came to just ask you on a date.”
“No I wouldn’t! I’m eligible to be your wife too you know!” Bait Taken.
“So you’ll go on a date with me then?” I ask.
She nods her head as she walks to her room, “Let me change first you idiot.” She rubs her eyes as she walks back towards her room in just a long T shirt, if it was just a little shorter I could make something good out...

She comes back out with her short hair combed down and her grey skin a bit more covered up with her usual blue jean short shorts and a wide neck shirt that shows one of her shoulders poking out. “Well where are you taking me then?” She asks as she grabs my arm and wraps it around her shoulder.
I shrug and pull her in as we walk out the door. “Well I don’t really know much about the island. I was kind of bed ridden for most of my stay and the rest has been occupied by other things. We could go to a lake I know of or maybe stroll through the forest...” I run out of things to say. I really don’t know anything about this island.
“I don’t really like the outdoors that much...” She says as she thinks, “Are you fine with just dinner and some TV?” She looks up at me.
“Yeah that sounds nice actually, contrary to what everyone has been forcing me to do I’m not much of a nature guy. I’m from the city after all.”
She squirms under my arm, “Sorry I’m not all girly like the others. I just never got the whole outside stu-”
“Oh relax I like that. I feel like I’d run ragged if I had to hump a tree every day. A cute homely girl is perfectly fine for me.” I squeeze her in a bit to show my approval.
She smiles at that.
I roll my eyes as I laugh to myself. Girly like the others, does she not realize who her competitors are? A warrior woman who’s turned on by brute strength. A massive cyclops who just seems to try to emasculate every one she meets. And a depressing goth chick who gets off on Edger Allen Poe.
“Well then where are we eating?” I ask.
She points up ahead to a large building in front of us. “Oh that’s where we were walking to. It’s a restaurant?”
Strange to think that there’s restaurants on this island. The fact that I got stranded on it and the wilderness all around it gives off a deserted island vibe. But It does make sense, this is a small town with a lot of modern conveniences like plumbing, electricity and hell even Zasha has a TV.
We walk through the unlocked door to a wide open building where tables are spaced far apart from each other. It doesn’t look too busy but there’s a few tables filled.
“Ah hello Zasha. And this must be the human. A pleasure to finally meet you.”  The woman is standing in front of me with skin like a natural chitin, four legs and two arms and a pair of antennas with a large abdomen behind her dressed with casual clothes draped over her. She kind of looks like an ant.
I shake her hand as she leads us to some seats.
I order a lemonade and Zasha orders a tall glass of alcohol.
“Trying to enjoy yourself?” I look at the glass in front of me. My mouth waters at the sight of fine whiskey. “I think even I’d get drunk trying to down all of that.”
“Well alcohol doesn’t affect me and it’s good for us Zombies.” She explains as she gulps down some of the glass.
“Why’s that?”
She fidgets nervously, “Oh you know...for beauty reasons.”
I don’t get it, I don’t get women. “Huh, alright. So what do we serve here.”
The menu is separated into sections. Meat, Vegetables, Others. As I eye down the Meat section I see a lot of strange options, I stop at the human and get a cold sweat.
Zasha notices and rubs my shoulder, “Um Bull. It’s artificial if that makes you feel any better. We don’t have a good supply of human flesh after all.” She chuckles nervously. I do the same as I gulp and look around me.
The vegetables look normal aside from types of mosses and fungi that I couldn’t imagine a human eating. I figured other would be just deserts and what not until I see different types of blood, souls and other options down to...a male’s essence? I’m not sure whether to ask or not but I have to know.
“Uh...Zash?” I point at the menu to which the dead girl somehow manages to blush.
“Oh, well there’s succubi and other girls of that nature on this island...” She tries to say casually as she clears her throat, “You’re better off just ordering something you know about alright?”
I nod my head. I’m not delving any further than that...
The ant lady comes back around and asks us for orders. “I’ll have the bear steak, medium rare.” I give her my menu. Zasha hands the menu over as she asks for a regular old beef steak, though she wants it raw.
“So Zasha I’m kind of curious on how you got onto this island. Not like there’s any other humans on here so I doubt you’re from here.” I take a drink from my lemonade as she starts to speak.
“I actually floated here. I got lost in the ocean after my boat sank, so I just laid there until I found this island, and here I am now. I had the most medical knowledge so I became one of the few doctors on the island.”
“Huh and nothing tried to eat you while you were out there?” I ask genuinely interested.
“Well I’m filled with preservative after all. Anything would be poisoned.” She turns her attention to me, “Actually here’s a point. I never asked about how you had a gunshot. I figured I’d be killed again by you if I poked my head around where it doesn't belong.”
I sigh as I play with the straw in my drink. “Well my Uncle tried to have me killed. I was luckily able to hop out of the plane with a parachute.”
She nods, “Huh. Any backstory to that or is he just an asshole?”
I laugh at her sarcastic remark. “Yeah he’s just an asshole but he’s the head of a crime family. And I just couldn’t keep from picking on the little guy.” I chuckle as I remember how mad he used to get.
“You picked on your Uncle, who’s the boss of a crime family so bad he wanted to kill you?”
I nod.
“Were you an asshole by any chance?” She asks engrossed in this alter ego she didn’t know I had.
I shrug, “Well I guess. I got into a fight every other day, picked on some guys. Was heavy on the take-no-shit attitude.” I squint my eyes in contemplation, “Yeah an asshole is probably right.”
She snorts, “Hard to imagine you like that. You seem so kind on this island. Helping the other girls out and trying your best to deal with the situation you’re in.”
I look at my hands. Have I grown soft? No. No way that happened. I’ll make sure the next guy I see is getting a beating.
“Well that’s just because there’s no posers or rich kids here is all. You’re all girls, can’t exactly get into fights with girls.” I finish my lemonade.
“Huh, I’m starting to reconsider my feelings.” She says nonchalantly as she sips her Liqueur.
Ouch harsh girl. I actually kind of liked you too you know.
She smiles, “Oh don’t look like that Bull I was just kidding. Take a joke dumbass.”
My face must have shown my thoughts as I laugh in relief. We talk about nonsense until the doors come crashing open.
“I got some more meat for ya Dorothy!” The toned green woman comes in dragging a large Elk.
There’s Elk on this island? That makes no damn sense this is a tropical climate!
She catches me looking at her as she waves. She sprints to the back room, presumably to drop off the Elk and comes running back to the table. “Bull! I didn’t know you came here!” Ona wraps herself around the back of my neck and hugs me tightly. “When are we going on another date?”
Oh god hearing this out loud just feels like a kick to the morale balls.
Zasha is looking angry as she watches us. “Oh hey Ona. I didn’t know you worked here. And I don’t usually, I’m on a date with Zasha.” I present Zasha who is sitting across from us with her arms crossed.
Ah fuck I blew it huh?
“Oh! Well let’s say we blow this place and we go have some fun somewhere else?” Ona ignores Zasha as she pokes my face.
“Hey Ona! Come on now we can’t do that-” A loud slam comes from the otherside of the table.
Uh-oh the Zasha bomb has gone off. Merciful god let there be survivors.
“Ona! Get the fuck out of here before I beat you black and green skank! He’s with me right now!”
I sink in my chair and make myself as small as possible. Oh thank god it’s not at me. I figured I was in trouble. These two have went at it plenty before, I don’t know why they hate eachother so much.
“Eh?! What was that?! You’re plain stupid if you think Bull is going to pick a dead bitch over me! Why would he? You can’t cook, you’re a bitch to be around, hell you can’t even have a kid.” Ona fires back.
I shift awkwardly. I really don’t like how this is going. It was nice knowing you Ona. Not even the whole town could keep her from killing you now.
To my surprise Zasha doesn’t yell back. Instead she stares angrily before turning her back and shaking.
Oh no...She’s charging her power level...
Once again to my surprise I see her run out of the restaurant.
“Hey Zasha!” I yell out as she slams open the door. That’s it?
I chase after her. It doesn’t take much quickly catch up to her in the street due to our difference in strides.
“Zasha hey!” I grab her and turn her towards me. Her face is contorted in a pained expression as tears run down her face.
“Z-Zasha?” I ask bewildered. Can Zombies really cry? That makes no fuckin sense- No not the time.
“What’s the problem Zasha? I figured you would have killed Ona back there.”
She shakes her head as she throws my arms off. “She’s right. Why would you pick me? I’m just some dead girl who can’t even give you children.” She sobs into her hands as she falls to her knees.
What the fuck is going on here man? Zombies crying has nothing on Zasha crying. I figured I would have seen the second coming before that.
“Zasha.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her in tight. “Dumbass.” I pet her short pixie cut hair. “Why would I go out with you if I wasn't interested in you huh? I was having a good time. Let’s go back. Please?”
She shakes her head into my chest. “You’re just nice too us is all Bull. It’s alright if you don’t want me just don’t lead me on please.” My tank is absorbing her tears.
“Dude please. If that were true then why would I have come after you rather than following Ona? Quit wallowing in self pity huh? I want to go back there and finish our meal, then I want to go to your place to watch TV.” I stand up and offer my hand.
She wipes the tears from her eyes as she sits there. “You’re seriously considering me?...I’d make a terrible wife-”
“You guys give me too much damn credit I’d make a terrible husband. Really, like total trash. So if we end up getting married, let’s both learn together huh?”
She nods and grabs my hand as I lift her up. We walk back closely to the restaurant and we sit back at our table. I manage to throw enough jokes to get her back in a better mood by the time food comes. I guess Ona just left after that because she never came around again.

We shut the blinds in her room as we cuddle up in the bed. She decided to put on an action movie with a ripped up dude shooting down helicopters with a machine gun in one hand and a rocket launcher in the other. I like her style.
“Zasha, promise me you wont worry about shit like that again alright?” I talk gently to Zasha as she leans against my arm. I hate to bring the topic up again but I really don’t want her thinking that she has a disadvantage over the others. “Even if you don’t end up being the woman I choose, just know that I did and am currently crushing on you pretty hard.”
“Dumbass.” She whispers as she cuddles up on my arm.
We enjoy the rest of our night up till I go home.

I take the razor blade and set it down in a bowl. “Yeah that’s good enough.” I rub the bare skin on the sides of my head and wink at my reflection. “Lookin pretty hardcore man.” A loud growling echoes through the cave.
I pat my stomach as I realize my hunger. What should I do for lunch? I snap my fingers, “That’s the plan man.”

I knock on the pristine white set of double doors.
“Come in!” I hear Chelsea’s faint voice on the other side of the door.
I trample into the sterilized home and kick my boots off in the entry way. “Honey I’m home! I’m starvin Chelsea what’s for lunch woman?”
I hear a lighthearted laugh coming from the kitchen and make my way there.
“Well you came just in time. I just started getting ready on lunch. I’ll make you some too.” She looks over her shoulder dressed in a silk sweater and an apron. It smells like a BBQ in here where she’s cooking three different kinds of meat on a massive stove you’d see at a steakhouse. One looks familiar like pork but the other two I’ve probably never eaten before.
“It should be done in a little while Bull, please sit down.” She points to the long dinner table in the dining table through the wide doorway.
“Alright thanks Chelsea.” I sit down in a chair and tilt it back on two legs. As I wait for the food I have a feast of my own for my eyes. Chelsea is happily cooking up grub at the stove as she hums quietly. Her long white hair bounces around as she moves her attention to each stove top, occasionally taking her sharp, yet dainty fingers to throw the stray hairs back over her shoulder. Her body bounces to the left and right as her legs extend or bend to move her to each pile of meat without taking steps. Up to now I never really realized it but her abdomen is kind of cute. It’s long, slender body shaking around as she does, I wouldn’t mind feeling it again.
I shake my head, man this place has really fucked me up good .“thinking an abdomen is cute” Jesus man.
She flips all the meat onto a large tray and carries it towards me with a big smile on her face. Her apron might need a little more fabric because her F cups are really strained under there. She sets the tray on the table and grabs some plates and cutlery. Her face lights up as she hands me my share of food and motions me to dig in.
I could get used to seeing her like this. I smile back and thank her.
It’s heaven, she’s such a good cook and I missed this so much. I almost cry at getting to eat her delicious meals again, especially compared to my measly excuse for food at the cave.
We make small talk as we eat the banquet of meat in front of us.
“Hey Chelsea you free today?” I ask as I set my fork on my empty stack of five plates.
She nods her head as she chews. “Why yes I am.”
“How do you feel about going on a date tonight?” Well "going" is kind of a stretch, there’s no way to get her out of the house without threat of being eaten by the mayor.
She does a little clap and smiles bashfully as she agrees to it. “I’ll go take a shower first. Wait for me.” She squeezes on my arm as she passes.
Well nothin to do now but let my mind wonder.
“And apparently my body.” I’m standing in front of Chelsea’s room. The door is closed and there’s no light coming from under the door, not even natural light from the sun. Does she not have a window in there?
You know it’s real ungentlemanly to snoop around in other people’s rooms without permission.
Is what I said a few minutes ago, now I’m in a pitch black room. Seriously I can’t see shit. There wasn’t a light switch just some weird sticky substance on the wall. And this carpet is crazy bouncy like I was walking on a thick sheet of rubber bands. I give up and turn around back to the open doorway where some light is shining through. I strain my eyes as I see strange thin fibers in the air, reflecting the light.
I ignore it and try to make my way out but trip over something in the darkness. I flail wildly, trying to catch myself. Luckily I find purchase on something as my body crashes into a big bundle of something soft and flexible. I sigh to myself in relief, “Jesus lady get some lights alrea-” I stop mid sentence as I try to pull my body away from this bundle.
“Huh?” I try to pry my body from it but I’m stuck, my struggling only seems to get me wrapped up tighter as I bounce around in futility. “What the fuck’s goin on dude?” My eyes finally start to adjust to the dark.
“Well fuck...” This entire room is just covered in webs. A few thick areas that look like she could hide and sleep in a few different spots surrounded by just messes of webbing. I don’t even know how I made it in here without getting stuck in the first place. I try with all my might to brake the webs but to no avail. I’m off the ground by an inch or two just watching the doorway. Waiting to get chastised for entering a girls room without permission.

I hear the bathroom door open and the skittering comes from down the hall towards my direction. Oh god this so embarrassing, but at least knowing Chelsea she’ll just spoil me and help me down saying, “It’s ok, it’s ok.”
Chelsea’s silhouette stops in the doorway, wrapped in a towel to cover her upper body as water drips from her abdomen and legs.
“Oh, h-hey man. I uh, got lost...” I try to laugh it off.
We sit here in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. Oh shit did I actually piss her off. I didn’t know Chelsea could even get mad. I open my mouth to apologize only to be stunned by her expert movements around the room. She moves around the walls and ceiling avoiding the sticky webs and flies next to me at mach five. All that in under a second, she’s lighting fast and in a room of traps like this too.
“Hmm.” I hear her say as she folds her arms.
A shiver runs down my spine, something doesn’t seem right...
“A pest caught in my web. And a big one too. What to do, what to do...” She pokes at me with her fingers, the sharpness threatens to draw blood but she pulls back right before they can pierce.
“Uh...Chelsea sorry abou-”
She skitters on the web wall I’m on and applies more webbing onto my limbs.
“You could last me a long time you know?” She says in a sinister voice as she puts her large body over mine, putting her face to face with me.
I gulp. She’s uh...just kidding right.
She opens her mouth to reveal two very sharp fangs, they’re dripping in something as she puts her mouth to my cheek. He rubs the fangs against my skin, her lips dragging across my cheek leaving the strange liquid and her saliva.
“Maybe I wont eat you though.” She leans back as she looks me over, her hands start to travel around my body slowly going south. “I could always use you to start a little brood you know? How do you feel about that?”
She rubs her body against mine as she threatens my neck with her razor-like fingers. Her towel has fallen off and stuck onto another mess of webbing.
Well goddamn those are awesome! So this is Chelsea’s rack huh?
“Oh!? Are you thinking over my proposal?” She shakes her chest around as my face goes red in embarrassment. Is this a dream? I mean this is definitely Chelsea right here but this sure as hell ain’t Chelsea!
“H-Hey! Chelsea let’s just simmer it down a bit alright I mea-”
She places one of her dagger like fingers to my lips as she kneads my flesh with her other hand.
“Don’t spoil this beautiful body with that voice of yours.”
What?! My shitty personality and punk rock twang voice are my best features! That’s it damnit I’m breaking out of here!
“Oh so cute look at the fly struggle in my webs. Don’t wear yourself out too much, we have a long night.”
Yeah I don’t know what I expected these could catch an airplane mid flight.
“So uh Chelsea man. Gunna need ya to calm down here. I still haven’t picked a wife yet and all you know!” I laugh nervously.
“Oh. Well that makes it better, Arachnei choose their husbands you know. A lot like this actually.” She slides one of her long, dangerous fingers down into the waist of my jeans.
Please god save me!
And in a flash her finger jumps back out of my pants, a small scratch and a deep cut into my jeans where she pulled it out so quick. Her face looks utterly shocked.
“Ch-Chelsea?” I ask.
She gets off of me and looks around herself. “W-what’s going on! Bull why are you here?!” She feels her orbs pulling her down towards the ground as they swing. She yelps and covers herself as she expertly races off around the room and out the door.
“H-hey man what about me?!” I yell as she clambers out of the room going at least thirty miles per hour.

I fix my tanktop as we sit downstairs, her in her web hammock and me on the silk couch.
“I’m so, so, so sorry Bull! I really didn’t mean for that to happen! I had no idea what I was doing! I was just going through the motions when I was going back to my room and instinct took over when I saw you struggling in my web!”
I clear my throat, “No it’s cool man. I mean I did straight up walk into your room without permission. I do gotta say you scared the hell out of me though.” I chuckle to myself now that it’s over, I never expected Chelsea to act like that.
She blushes deeply, “I’m so sorry Bull! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
“Well I mean it’s not like I wasn’t really rewarded in a way when we were up there...” The whole scene wasn’t exactly unpleasant especially as I recall the shirtless Arachnie.
“B-Bull!” She’s beet red as she crosses her arms over her chest and looks away from me.
I laugh at her embarrassment. A little payback for earlier. “Yeah hell of a first date.”
She can’t look at me for the rest of the night as we talk about nothing in particular. Really is just a nice, homey atmosphere around her. Well when you aren’t caught in her webs that is.

“ALRIGHT! SOMEBODY SPILL THE BEANS!” I yell to no one in particular in the middle of the street, the girls looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. I’ve been trying to hunt down Bernadette for a week now but whenever I ask they change the subject or make up some excuse to run off.
I slap my face in realization. “Why don’t I just ask the one person who actually likes Bernadette.”

I knock on the door and hear a “Go away!” from the other side.
“Hey Zash it’s me dude!”
“I know that’s why I said go away!”
I click my tongue. “This door can’t stop me you know?!”
The door opens up to reveal a half-asleep zombiegirl who’s wearing my jacket and a bra and panties.
“Hey! That’s my jacket! I was wondering where I left it!” I point at the olive drab canvas jacket covered in various band patches, the Germs patch might need to be resewn her soon-
In the middle of my thought process I grin deeply as I see her realize everything. She’s blushing furiously as she stands there frozen.
Too asleep to realize you were wearing my jacket to nap in huh? My mouth slowly opens as my face forms into a hysterical expression. The second I start pointing and laughing the door slams and I hear her running away.
I bang on the door after a while and she opens it revealing herself in a pair of jeans and a shirt. With a huff she threw the jacket at my face. Aw man it smells all girly now! I take another sniff. Ah, man it smells all girly now...
“Tch. Pervert.”
“Hey don’t be like that you looked really cute like that. It’s getting saved in the ‘ol bank.” I tap my head with my finger.
She glares at me, unsure whether to take the compliment or get angry at me not forgetting what I saw.
She decides to just sigh and lean in the doorway. “Alright What do you want Bull?”
I tie the jacket around my waist. “Where’s Bernadette live?”
“I gotta go, something came up.” She starts closing the door.
“H-hey!” I stop the door, “Why wont anyone tell me where she lives damnit! I thought you liked her.”
“I love her, dumbass. She’s my best friend on this island.”
“Gee thanks I thought we were besties.” I gross my arms and feign anger.
She rubs her face with her hand. “Besides why would I tell my only potential husband on this island where one of my rivals lives?”
I smirk at that, “Oh is that so? Well the-”
“She lives off in the woods straight that way, you’ll see the building it’s hard to miss.” She says nonchalantly and slams the door before I can respond.
“Alright.” I start walking in the arbitrary direction she pointed me in.

“This is going to be a den of dragons or tigers or something like that isn’t it. Maybe she’s marching me to an old minefield.” I’ve been hiking for over an hour now and haven’t seen anything but trees and the occasional out of place wildlife. “What a gyp dude, she totally just threw me into the wildernes-”
I climb through a bush to find a tall, four-story stone house. It’s grandiose is breathtaking. The large manor is in a baroque style. High archways and decorative statues line the wall with exquisite pane glass windows that stretch as tall as one of the storys. The garden around it is well kept as vines grow up the walls in an aesthetic way. I approach the heavy wooden doors with cast iron handles. I use the knocker and hear a loud thumbing echo throughout the other side.
After a while the heavy door creaks open revealing the paper white face of Bernadette.
“Oh, the masochist...” She stares blankly through me.
“Again, not a masochist. Stop that.”
“What brings you here mortal?” Her words almost seem to reverberate through the high ceiling entryway. It’s pretty much a cathedral here man.
“Well I was kind of hoping you’d join me on a date you know? If you’re free.”
She stands there in silence momentarily. “You wish to interview me for marriage as well? I’m not sure I would pass your screening but if it pleases you...” She slams the door shut behind her and wraps herself around my arm, her ghostly black dress seeming to float in the air as she steps down the foundation steps with me.
“So where to?” I ask at the goth chick hanging from my arm.
“I’m in your care. If I’m to be your wife and you my husband you must make these decisions.”
Kind of an old way to look at it but alright. “How about just a stroll through the woods until we figure something out?”
She tightens her grip on my arm and nods in approval.

We step through the forest, enjoy nature and feel the gentle breeze on our faces coming from the beach not too far from here.
Or at least I am. She’s been silent this whole time just clinging to my side. I’m not complaining, a beautiful girl like her on my arm just adds to all this.
We stop and observe a massive redwood, there’s no trees around it making it stand out even further. This place is a mess, why’s there a fuckin’ redwood in the middle of a tropical island? Maybe I should hang out with Carrie and figure this island out once and for all.
“A grand tree, branching in all directions. It’s grand and strong, and for that reason the lower trees must wilt and die for it...”
Is that profound? Idk just kind of depressing really.
“Speaking of trees.” She looks up at me and pauses from my side.
“Well not to brag but yeah. It’s a redwood for sure.” I wink at her.
She cocks her head, “You’re comparing your familial tree to a redwood? As in long and powerful at the expense of others?”
Uh...we’re talking about family trees? “Actually...yeah. That describes my family tree to the tee.”
I look around at the clearing around the redwood. “Yeah my family are all old fashioned Mafioso. Been that way for a long time now. So you could definitely say we’ve grown powerful at the expense of others.”
“At others expense hmm? I wish to hear a story from your past.”
I let out a short chuckle, “my past” it's only been a little over a month and a half, but I suppose it is in the past now.
“Well, what do you want to hear about Bernadette?”
She squeezes into my body to get comfortable, “The first memory that comes to mind.”
One flashes in my head inspired by this dark conversation we’ve been having. I look down to the girl dressed in black cuddling my arm, if it was anyone else this is something I would have kept tucked away.
“Well...There was this one time where a made man was pocketing a lot of money that belongs to Uncle. It was almost like a cartoon really, we had just got done with some job and it ended up with us getting unmarked gold bars, couldn’t be traced anywhere. I had been there to observe the family business, this is back when my dad was alive so he figured I'd follow in his footsteps.”
“Oh your father has left this world?”
“I never told you huh? Yeah he’s been gone for a while now.”
She “hmm’s” In indifference, “My condolences Bull. Continue with the story.”
“Well anyways we had a guy name Vito “two shoes” because he always wore two shoes. He thought he could hide a few gold bars and get away with it. That was the trap; Uncle has been onto that guy for a while now so he was waiting for this to happen. When Vito Two Shoes gets home he takes the bag of bars into his house where we’re all waiting for him.” I scratch my head with my hand. “It was pretty fucked really. He was on his knees begging for forgiveness but Uncle was pissed. Said he gave him enough time to stop himself and that this was the last straw. So every guy in there, including my father beat him to death with gold bars.”
I hear a ghostly chuckle from my side. I physically flinch at the unexpected emotion she displayed.
She’s laughing as if I just told her a really good joke. I can’t see her face behind her hair so I’m not sure what kind of expression she’s making. Her body stops shaking as she snuggles her cheek into my arm, “Truly tragic, I would have spared him the pain if I was there. Though the irony of the situation is quite comedic is it not?”
Uh...no not really.
“Yeah, sure...”
We talk about various past stories as the day turns to evening.
She rubs my arm to get my attention. I see her pointing at something in the distance. It looks like there’s a deer on the ground. The deer is struggling to get up for some reason. I watch as its legs kick around and it fumbles back on the ground painfully. She nods me over as if to suggest we go to it. So I escort her towards the deer.

Now that I’m close up it looks pretty rough. A huge bite has been taken out of its back leg. I can see some stuff I shouldn’t see sticking out. I feel pretty bad for the creature, there’s no way it can heal something like this, even if there was a five star veterinarian in the area. Bernadette releases herself from my arm and slowly sits beside the deer. She places a hand over the deer and winces. After she gets used to the pain she motions me with her head towards the deer.
With a sigh I kneel down by the deer’s head and pet it a few times before lifting it onto my lap and snapping its neck. Bernadette jumps as a tear falls down her cheek.
I help Bernadette up and we walk back towards her home. We walk in silence as she holds onto my arm.
“Life is cruel.” She ends up saying.
I look over at her. Usually she’d say that with a monotone voice and blank expression as if uncaring but this time she looks almost perturbed.
“Well creatures have to eat you know. It’s just nature.”
She shakes her head, “I know that. I meant how I was born a Banshee. If I was born a spriggan or dryad I could have helped that creature.”
I pat her hands with my other arm. “You aren’t saying you wish you weren’t a Banshee are you?”
She shakes her head again, “I am who I am. I just abhor suffering and wish I could have done more.”
“Hey you did more than anyone I know could have. I just wish you didn’t have to feel that pain.” I take my arm back from her and embrace her as we walk. “Such a pretty face shouldn’t form such a pained expression.”
She reflects on this for a while before bringing it up again, “You’re a strange one mortal.”
By the time we get back to her home the moon is full and sitting high in the sky.
“Well. I enjoyed our time together.” I pat her shoulder as we climb the steps to her massive doorway.
She looks over me with her eyes for a while, studying me. “You meant that didn’t you?”
I shrug, “I mean I’m not trying to get into your ghost panties or nothin man. Just saying.”
She opens the heavy door and stands in the doorway. When she turns back her pink cheeks shine brightly in contrast to her bright white skin. “I-I’d like to meet again...Bull.” She closes the door behind her quickly after she says that.
I smile as I walk back towards the cave. Big titty goth gf in the bag.

I stand on my lonely mountain and look over the forest below in my jeans, letting the wind blow across my skin as I think. We only got a week before I gotta pick one of these girls but here we are, still unsure as which woman to take for my wife.
	I think of Zasha the zombie girl who saved me from bleeding to death on a couple different occasions. She may act like a total bitch at times, but that has its charm too. I definitely have a thing for her and the time we spent together recently only furthers that thought.
	Carrie flies through my mind next. Literally flying, she’s so small and skinny and the way she patters around always looking confused or enthralled is so damn cute I’d lose all my street cred just to pat her head once. Her affection definitely isn’t one sided, I wouldn’t mind having more fun together as a couple.
	Ona, that fuckin trouble maker. She’s a lot like me in a way, she goes around picking fights and poking fun at others. If we were together back in the city we most likely would have hooked up by now. I better watch my back though if I get with her, seems like she’s always getting me into dangerous situations. I don’t mind too much though.
	That Cyclops Cindy. I never really had a thing for big girls, I like them shorter than me which was guarinteed before coming here. Every day with her is a bundle of laughs and a good challenge. Despite the fact that she’s challenging my manhood. I wouldn’t mind making her my woman and not the other way around.
	Chelsea is a doll man, total wife material. Straight out of the 50’s, cooking, cleaning, sewing you name it man. Though that one time was pretty crazy...crazy hot maybe...Well she’s a total babe none the less. If I settled down with her life would be easy street with a beautiful, busty wife at my side.
	And finally Bernadette. Chick’s fuckin crazy boys. I mean she’s ice cold but sometimes her profound saying are actually worth a listen and a think on it. Not gunna lie, she’s hot as hell, full mast. I feel like she’s warmed up around me, not everything is so morbid to her now a days. I definitely wouldn’t mind having her on my arm.

I sigh, “I’m a pathetic excuse for a man...” This experiment only made shit harder for me. Now I have feelings for all of them. I tilt my head up and let the sun beat warmth onto my face as the light shines through my eyelids. Alright, here’s how I’ll do it, the first girl to pop into my head when I look down to think is who I subconsciously want the most. Alright and that girl is...