Page 86 of Citrine

"What have you done to me?" she demands, like I have an answer.

"Get back in the water, you'll dry up."

She takes her eyes off me for a moment, focusing on something behind me.

"Was something following me?"

"You swim like you are injured and weak. Of course, there was something following you."

"I don't care for your quips, Wroahk! I don't care if you think of me as weak or useless. What I will not stand is you stripping away myhumanity!"

"I can assure you there is nothing you have for me to take."

"Oh, really? So I'm just really crazy and yelling at you for no reason, then. Typicalman!"

I don't know why she thinks I am doing this. She was the one who stole my body and my voice.

She is also bravely shouting, despite there being an abundance of predators around. Maybe she really is becoming like me.

I like it.

"Just come back inside the water."

"No! I'm going to find something to eat! And don't you dare follow me."

I slink behind her, ready to pull her back at the first sign of desiccation. If I broke that rule, I might as well just keep breaking it.

She finds more of her plants, and they make me shudder. If she really is stealing part of me, then they'll weaken her quicker than drying out.

"I swear you're the worst kind ofstalker. Why are you hiding behind the trees?"

"I am not hiding. I'm staying closer to the water so I can hydrate quicker. You should do the same."

"No,thank you," she responds with venom in her voice.

It makes that odd feeling stir in my chest again. To think how despite having no actual venom, she has become more intimidating.

I watch her eat her leaves, waiting for some kind of reaction. I don't have to wait long because the leaves don't stay long in her body before she retches. When she raises her head, all I can see in her eyes is panic.

"No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening. Please, this can't…"

She falls to her knees, eyes to the sky. She whips her head back down, reaches down like a ravenous beast, and throws the leaves into her mouth, crushing them between her teeth. Not long after, she retches again.

She spends so much time pushing against nature.

I reach my limit at this point and move closer to intervene before she grabs more.

"What are you doing?"

"Let me go,diablo! You ruined my life!"

"I will not allow you to hurt yourself."

"See if Ifuckingcare! I have had it with your attitude and your desire to own me! How would my poorpadreinheavenfeel when he sees hisdaughterturning into a monster?"

She thinks she is a monster?

I look closer at her, noting that I no longer think of her as disgusting, not even the parts of her that aren't from me.