- Shari -

 

"Urrgh!" (Shari)

 

Again!

I wake again up at this place after fainting.

When will all of this stop?

The only positive point is that when I wake up, this time my headache seems to be miraculously gone.
Even more surprising is that my stomach feels perfectly calm and I don’t feel exhausted at all.
Like my memories until now were nothing but an illusion.
The one thing that is off would be that my head feels weirdly light.
As if I am kinda intoxicated, despite feeling somewhat clear.

Because this strange feeling is distracting, it needs some time before I realize that all my limbs are free.
Now that my restraints are gone I only need to stand up to escape.
However, when I try to do so, I find that my arms and legs are not responding properly.
It takes all of my willpower just to raise one arm a bit, while my legs are much worse.
It’s not that I am too tired to move.
Rather they simply won’t respond as they should.

While I'm set down by this development, which again prevents my escape, I spot the slime girl on the other side of the room.
The moment she senses that I’ve noticed her, she exuberantly waves her hand at me with a huge grin on her face.
I still don’t know what she's playing.
Is she trying to trick me somehow or is she insane and wanted some kind of pet?

After she is done with her extensive greeting, she crawls to me.

 

"P-Please don’t feed me again!" (Shari)

 

I directly plea by reflex, reminiscing the past.

 

"Okay, but if you need any just say so, what’s mine is yours. All of it! (Liqu)

 

She replies with an affectionate smile, saying the last part with a wink and the hint of a kiss she throws at me, which I hopefully only imagined.

Huh; so easy?

 

"R-Really? You are not just going to do it like the other times?" (Shari)

"It’s okay now. More important: How do you feel?" (Liqu)

 

Why is she asking this?
It disturbs me how my head feels, but I am hesitating to answer, remembering the last time I told her what is wrong.
On the other hand that might be my only chance to get an answer regarding my condition.
So I decide to ask what is on my mind.

 

"M-my head feels strange… light, kind of floating. And I can’t really move my limbs. Did… Did you give me something? Some kind of drug?" (Shari)

"No, but I think I know the reason." (Liqu)

 

She knows!
Then she needs to tell me!

 

"What is going on? What is the reason?" (Shari)

"It might be because your brain is mush." (Liqu)

 

She leaves me completely stupefied.

 

"H-how do you mean this?" (Shari)

 

Maybe I misunderstood something or we have a different sort of comprehension.

 

"Like I said. Your brain is mush, melted, liquefied!" (Liqu)

 

Is she kidding?
I mean, I feel fine in general.
Does she just not know enough about humans and how important a brain is?

 

"No, this can’t be! Look; if that would be true, that would be a severe damage! I would be dead now!" (Shari)

"No, I can tell for sure your brain certainly melted." (Liqu)

"I don’t know what you want! I’m okay! My body is completely intact!" (Shari)

"I didn't say that you’re not okay. But if you’re referring to your human body I can’t agree with you." (Liqu)

 

What is she saying?
My human body?
I don’t understand!

 

"Good thing is we’re already there, so no need for explanations!" (Liqu)

 

How does she mean this?
Where are we?

 

"What is going on?" (Shari)

"Well, you could just look down at your legs." (Liqu)

 

I do as she says and can’t see anything at first.
But when I look closer I notice that they are kind of swollen.
I give a questioning look to the slime.

 

"What does that mean? What is with my legs? (Shari)

"You better check yourself." (Liqu)

 

She says with her permanent smile.

I manage to bring my hand to my lower leg and poke it with a finger.
Out of the touch strangely I feel nothing.
Specifically no pain at all, just dull touch.
So I poke harder and harder, trying to sense something.

Yet, rather than the sting I hoped for, my skin gives in as I break through it with my finger.
Startled I instantly pull my hand away.
And stare in shock at the hole.
Instead of blood, a blue viscous liquid escapes from it.

Freaked out I scream at Liqu:

 

"What is going on?! What is this?!" (Shari)

"That’s the slime that spread all over inside your body. It became a bit more, but where did you think it was going?" (Liqu)

 

No tha-that can’t be!
I’m full of this stuff?

Before I have time to process this development, the hole in my leg somehow widens.
Suddenly greater amounts are gushing out.
I try to stop it with my hand, somehow moving it through sheer terror.

However, as I try to plug the hole, my hand starts to lose shape.
It’s liquefying in front of my eyes, while the hole keeps spreading and soon encompasses my whole leg.

When I start to cry in my panic, my tears are feeling strange.
The moment the first is falling I realize that they are the same slime; like everything else!

Soon a puddle forms below me.
When it reaches my other leg it seems to sink in, giving in under my weight.

 

"No, no, no, no, no!" (Shari)

 

I barely can hold my balance using my disintegrating hand, afraid to touch the liquid with my intact one.
Yet, once I look at it, I detect already small streams coming out of my nails.

 

"It has such a nice color!" (Liqu)

 

While I whirl around in terror, I spot Liqu watching the ordeal with greatest interest.

 

"Please! Help me!" (Shari)

"Don’t worry! Everything’s fine!" (Liqu)

 

Did she plan it like this?
Was I supposed to die like that in the beginning?

When my legs are eventually completely melted, my torso follows with increased speed.

 

"No! Save me! I don’t wa-Gllrrb!" (Shari)

 

Slime is gushing out of my throat, muffling my cries.
As I sink deeper in my own slime I see how my outstretched arm, which I intentionally kept away from the mass, dissolves and falls down, turning into liquid.
Soon my shoulders are drowning, too.
I feel how slowly my head gets encompassed leaving no feel behind.
I lose connection to my eye the moment it sinks in.
When it reaches my last eye the world gets dark.
The last thing I see is how that slime is waving at me as if to say goodbye.

So it feels like this to die?

I float through nothing, without being able to feel.
Since there is just darkness, I have no way to concentrate on anything.

Suddenly there is a call.

 

• "Still rather static."

 

I recognize somehow the sound of my own thoughts, but I am sure I didn’t think them.
Yet, they feel and sound like my own.

 

• "It seems like you can’t make it alone. Let’s assist you."

 

What I can’t do?
I’m not into talking to myself and that tops it by far!

 

• "Pull yourself back together."

 

Back from what?
Dying?
I think that’s a bit much to expect!

I feel something like a drain to some point.
There is a gathering that provides me some kind of center.

 

• "Like this."

 

With this thought of mine, I call forth a picture of my body.

Why do I see this?
I know how I look!

The picture imprints itself deep in my mind and instantly everything starts to shift.
I feel how I assemble myself in a certain way according to the picture.
As soon it attains a basic shape I sense how the form further solidifies.
I feel my fingers twitch, how my legs are gathering and my face starts to feel according to my memory.
Finally, my body feels like I remember it.

Then I open my eyes.