dead and gone

Keetie had been spending the darkened season lounging in the hot springs, soaking up some warmth from the earth, since the sky decided to be lacking. She hadn’t seen Sitka in a few days, and missed her playmate and companion. Alas, she could only hope he hadn’t fallen victim to the strange illness creeping across the land.

Keetie had been keeping to herself, and was relatively healthy so far. It was hunger that drove her to other lands, and she was rather forlorn at leaving behind the warmth of the springs.

Her journey took her by the beach, and her eyes grazed across a handsome young man wandering aimlessly across the sand. She scrunched up her pretty nose in consideration. The last thing she wanted was to get infected. Ooze did not look good on her complexion.

She would have turned around and left if she hadn’t heard a soft growl in the undergrowth where beach met earth. A glance told her the owner was a mouth, with a mushroom for an eye and ooze from its lips. Dear god, that had to be contagious. She scampered down the beach with a shudder, through that brought her closer to the man. Perhaps he could take care of the mouth - he was already infect, right? “Are you lost?” she purred softly.