Eta’s little savage wheeled her down the corridor, whining about her feet dragging.

I can't just pick them up, silly. Ha! Well, can’t hold it against him. It’s not like the little guy knows just how long I was cooped up in a bed.

She noticed her vision had narrowed again for some reason. What used to be an all-encompassing panoramic had constricted into and even thinner tunnel vision. At least it was still a pretty view.

Although, that part did make it difficult to navigate down the corridor.

Is the little savage blind? How could I not have noticed before…the poor thing. Well, I’ll take care of him.

Suddenly, a wall appeared right in front of her, and the little savage hadn’t a clue.

“Left, left, left!” She cried. “You’re gonna run into a wall!”

Completely obedient, he whipped the chair around like a carnival ride and Eta laughed with glee.

As though her laughter invigorated him, their pace picked way up. Streaks of yellow parted way as Eta whizzed on by, probably even faster than she used to be able to walk; except this time, she was flying through the stars.

Way, way back in the day, she was a very precocious child to say it sweetly, and a real terror according to the rest of the town. She had a little buddy named Dust-mop and the two of them were quite the pair, dropping eggs off Hank’s, perching balloons of paint above Tom’s, ripping the last few pages out of Mary Ann’s ‘romance’ novels—that last prank earned her a good whoopin’. Never get between Mary Ann and her ‘romance’.

Thinking aloud, she asked, “remember those pigs? The ones numbered one through five, but we skipped four? Harry overturned his whole Pattyshack to find the last one! It was brilliant!”

“Yeah, the book had some neat ideas,” the little savage replied.

Silly boy, those were Dust-mop's ideas, not some book's, but how could you know that? You’re just a little savage.

“You know,” Eta began. “Those two up ahead didn’t look like they were in the mood for fun and games. Don’t you think this is a little too much?”

Even Dust-mop knew his limits. Seemed the savage didn't share that trait with her old childhood companion.

“Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.” Buried in contemplation, he sounded like a generator's ten-jin. “Nah! It’s a game, you’ll see how fun it is, and then we can play together!”

Uncanny how the little savage reminded her of Dust-mop, albeit far less restrained. Still, Eta smiled at the thought. Her visitor was trying to brighten her day, and, for that, she was grateful.

I get so few visitors, nowadays.

Through her tunnel vision, she saw the path ahead open into what would have been an intersection had it not been for the cave in. Dust-mop—er—her little savage reared the wheeled kitchen chair around and sent them down the only remaining pathway, one that appeared no different from the previous one.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Eta asked.

“Where else?” He replied.

True, there wasn’t another option. Likely, they’d find the two escaped visitors, tag them ‘it’, and run away, not that Eta particularly cared about the point of the game. She was more than happy just to have someone look in on her. Just like Scru—no, no, no.

She never saw the town through a window. She never saw Scrub-bucket hanging from the well. She never saw her own body splayed apart. And she damn sure didn’t know anything about some silly ‘apocalypse’. 

  ‘This is Cap’n Jack, coming to you alive from Oenusville on this crystal clear Tuesday. Now for the weather:     'It’s good. Now for the news: It’s boring. The consensus is in, and it’s decidedly Not the fucking apocalypse!’

  That’s good. I was starting to worry.

Eta giggled and flew through the stars as her visitor entertained her down the halls. I hope we won’t get in trouble for this…Bah! Who cares? If you can’t have fun when you're old, when can you?

Precocious Eta and her little savage had a blast.

That came to an end real quick when they reached a cavern on the other side.

Strung up all along the walls were big hides, presumably getting stretched as they dried. Eta wasn’t a tanner so she didn’t want to jump to the wrong conclusion.

A pot-bellied lizard sat in front of a sewing machine, his meaty claws crossed in contemplation as he looked at two trophies strung against the wall. The lizard turned to them, and with wide eyes, leaped to his feet. He ran over, knocked the little savage out of the way, and began massaging Eta’s shoulders with his meaty claws.

It was comforting.

Dust-mop—er—the little savage complained, and Eta felt a bit sorry for his treatment, but before she could voice a stern lecture on the treatment of others, a deep, gravelly voice spoke up, and despite the lack of distortion, Eta recognized it immediately.

“My princess!,” The boss said. “I’ve finally rescued you!”

Eta fanned herself. Such blatant flattery…Oh my.

“Boss, you charmer, you,” Eta shamelessly replied. So what if she was old and haggard, the boss was desperate…clearly desperate if he had eyes for her.

Her tail swished happily back and forth. That’s funny, I don’t remember having a tail?

The boss wheeled her in front of two trophies pinned to the wall, and Eta was in shock. Her two visitors, gagged and bound, struggled against their bindings, strung up on the wall like one of the hides.

Eta gasp, and despite her better judgment, prepared a stern lecture. “Boss! I expected more from you. Chasing these two around, that was all in good fun, but this…this goes way beyond a prank. Look at the little one. He even cut his hand!”

Boss’s mouth fell open and looked to the little savage for help.

No, he’s not going to get you out of this one. You really need to hear it, boss.

The little savage shrugged and twirled his finger by his ear. The boss, somehow understanding that silent communication, knelt down in front of Eta, took her dainty hand in his soft claw and opened his mouth, giving her a good view of his sensually long tongue.

Mmm. What was I angry about again? Oh yes, the boys. Don’t forget about those two boys.

“My dear princess,” he said. “This is a very grave situation and the fault lies with me. I was inattentive and my business partner is a moron.”

He stroked her palm. Eta noticed just how careful he was with those razor-sharp claws, such a considerate fellow.

“Your old life is gone,” he stated. “Oenus completely mismanaged that world and Death now has it in its grasp. I understand Death was quite antsy. I have sewed you a new body, one capable of becoming a god and you now reside in my territory until Oenus pays me with his knowledge. Can you understand this?”

Eta held up one finger. “Who is Oenus?”

Dragon pointed to the little savage.

“I see,” said Eta as her vision narrowed even further.

Eta held up another finger. Boss nodded.

“Do you still want to play Canasta, boss?” She asked, shamelessly.

Boss grinned. “The preparations have been made, but first, I need you to address a problem. I believe having you settle this would be in everyone’s best interest.”

He pointed at the boys strung to the wall. “They have been very unreasonable and I need you to make a decision. You see, I am a reasonable creature, myself, and am still willing to make a deal with them; however…”

Dragon held up his other claw. Bits of thread and blood hung down from a gaping wound and Eta gasp.

“Boss! That is an atrocious cross-stitch!” She cried.

Boss tilted his head, looked down at his hand and laughed heartily. “Indeed. Without the aid of my machine, I must confess, I am terrible with a thread and needle. Perhaps you can help me after we address this problem?”

Very gently, Boss cradled Eta’s face in his claws and forced her to turn to the two strung up boys. Eta tried to turn away, but Boss was firm in his grip.

“You see, I am a reasonable creature, and am willing to make a deal,” Boss said. “But they attacked me in my own territory. I will only make a deal with one of them.”

He forced Eta to look him in the eye. “I promised Oenus a full princess and you are quite shy of that. We will kill the birds of stone, as they say.”

His eyes narrowed. “Accept the reality of this world, Eta. I am only willing to make a deal with one of them. You, my deadly princess, are going to stand up from this chair, walk over to those bunsacks, and kill the other one.

“As this request would otherwise be unreasonable, I will even give you a sword for this job, one those bunsacks so graciously handed right to me.

“But you need to choose, Eta.”

Eta held up one finger. “Can we play Canasta, first?”

Boss nodded.

He wheeled her to a makeshift card table and gathered a deck of tanned hide. Eta hummed a catchy tune and giggled at Boss’s rough handling of the cards.

Seemed his claws were not suited for shuffling.

Eta reached across the table to help, it caught her off-balance, and she nearly fell out of her chair. Luckily, she put a foot down just in time.

“Let me give you a hand, Boss,” she offered. “You’re as bad at shuffling as you are at cross-stitch.”

She smeared the cards of hide around the table as they were unsuited for proper technique, relishing the moment.

It feels so great to be able to lend a hand!