A False Innocence

It's been several days since I haven't been able to go home. I still don't know how I'll be able to get back.

I'm getting homesick, but as I said, if I let my emotions get the better of me - if I give in to my melancholy, nothing will come of it anyway. I need to toughen up.

I looked at Matcha, who seemed clueless about what was going on in my mind. It was as if she wanted to tell me to share my problems with her.

"You're better off, Matcha, since you don't have problems to carry. All you worry about is playing and having fun, and I don't have a problem with that. I'm not envious of you; I'm actually happy because you're not like me. Besides, you should be thankful you're a Pixiepop because you wouldn't enjoy being human. Humans grow up, and as we get older, our responsibilities multiply and become heavier. Sometimes we forget what it means to be happy. Some people do all sorts of things in life to be happy, but the truth is, humans are complicated and miserable. But even though I'm miserable, I still want to do what's right. I still want to be a good person."

Matcha grabbed one of my hands resting on my knee, and I slightly smiled because, even though Pixiepops can be bothersome, they're also affectionate.

Again, Matcha showed off her skills, as if she were in a circus show. Using her glitter power, she performed a trapeze act, balanced on a tightrope, juggled eight balls, and did acrobatics with her glitter clones.

She signaled me for a timeout because she needed a tea break. She opened her basket, took out a kettle and teacup, and even got a strawberry shortcake, which she gave to me. But how could I possibly drink and eat the tea and cake when they're as small as the mole on my neck?

Our fun was interrupted when a large flying Meadow Feral swooped down on Matcha and me. Matcha quickly hid inside my clothes.

The Meadow Feral's claws and beak were sharp. It scratched me and pecked at me, and its flapping wings were deafening. It seemed I wasn't the target of this predatory Vulturaptor, but Matcha.

I was tickled by Matcha's movements inside my clothes, but I couldn't pay attention to it anymore because I was busy trying to shoo away this Vulturaptor that I now wanted to choke.

Suddenly, it vomited on my face, and I felt nauseous and blinded as the hot blood, bones, and flesh splattered all over my face.

When I rubbed my eyes, I saw that it had flown away, and when I looked at my clothes, they were torn - and Matcha was gone.

The Vulturaptor had snatched Matcha!

"Hey, return Matcha here!" I quickly rushed down from the rooftop.

I looked for something to kill the pesky Meadow Feral, and the first thing that caught my eye when I headed to the kitchen was a knife. When I went outside, the Vulturaptor was already far away. I ran and followed its route.

"You're going to be in big trouble with me, you birdbrain! I'll teach you a lesson when I get my hands on you!"

Since I was barefoot, I couldn't avoid getting cuts on my feet. I waded through the river, passed by huge rocks, traversed a muddy patch, slipped on the slippery road, and fought against thorny vines. The Vulturaptor's cackling was really annoying to my ears.

The Vulturaptor is a flying and fighting type of Meadow Feral. It's vigilant, like a surveillance camera. It's carnivorous and usually preys on Squirtrels and Chipmonks. As for Pixiepops, it considers them a dessert. And only now did I realize that the questionable flying Meadow Feral I dreamed about was a Vulturaptor.

This Meadow Feral was flying around, and it seemed to be messing with me, slowing down its flapping just to watch me struggle to keep up while running. But I wasn't having it - I was getting really annoyed!

When the time was right, I targeted the sharp knife at the Vulturaptor, and the blade hit its neck.

The blade sliced through its neck, and blood gushed out.

I even saw it choking, and now its flight was erratic, like cursive writing or completely off-direction.

I laughed with a mix of joy and anger because it deserved what I did. When it fell, I buried its face in the ground. I twisted its neck before pulling out the blade. The blood flowed like water from a faucet, but when I opened its beak, I couldn't see Matcha. I pulled its tongue, hoping it would cough up Matcha, but it only let out a loud, raspy sound, as if it sent a signal.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and I thought a heavy rain was coming, but it turned out to be Vulturaptors circling in the clouds. That's why it made a sound; it was asking for help, and since it had swallowed Matcha, I had no choice but to cut open its belly. But before I could do it, I was swarmed by Vulturaptors, which scratched and pecked at me.

With their sharp beaks, they stripped me like a tangerine. I kicked and punched, but they were too strong.

Pretending to be dead wouldn't work because they would still peck at me, and instead, they would feast on me. So, I thought of crawling towards the river.

There was another Vulturaptor that seemed to know my escape plan, and it pulled me away from the river.

But I kicked its beak, which was locked onto my foot. I crawled with all my might, stood up, took a few stumbling steps, and jumped into the raging river.

As I was being swept away, I wanted to scream in pain as the water cleaned my wounds. When my body finally numbed from the intense pain, I swam upwards.

I clung to a large, flat rock and immediately lay down, facing the sun. I clenched my fists as I gazed at the sky, etched with the terrifying face of the Vulturaptor that took and devoured Matcha.

"I'll avenge you, Matcha. When I catch that Vulturaptor, it will be the one I'll devour."

I arrived home at night, but Beardman and Procko still hadn't returned. It seemed they wouldn't be back until tomorrow. I sat on the stool and examined my wounds.

I wouldn't allow myself to rely on Beardman for treatment all the time, or he might think I'm too dependent. I'm already freeloading in his house; when I get beaten up, I should at least treat myself. I decided to get those leaves he said would soothe my wounds.

I thought, the Pixiepops must be worried about Matcha. Should I tell them what happened to her? They'll probably get angry at me, won't forgive me, and I won't be able to return to their place. Besides, I'll just get angry too if they blame me.

"It's not entirely my fault; I did my best to save her, but it was too late." When I peeked through the window, I suddenly leaned against the wall.

I clutched my heart, which was racing with anxiety, because Matcha's Pixiepops companions were right outside the house. Some of them were at the door, waiting for someone to open it.

What should I do? If I don't open the door, they'll probably think I know something about what happened to her. And isn't the timing of their visit a bit too coincidental?

Maybe they could've come tomorrow instead, when I'm more prepared to face them, and I've had time to prepare my speech and facial expression.

But since they're already here, I need to face them. I opened the door.

"Good evening, my little friends, what brings you here?" I asked the Pixiepops enthusiastically, but my energy faded when I saw their sorrowful faces.

Even though I couldn't understand the words spoken by their leader, I wasn't slow to grasp their meaning.

"Sorry, I don't know anything about your missing companion," I said with a mix of sadness and bravery.