Countless Times

Cycle Number: ??? - The star that lost its mass

"Ugh, I swear to the gods, if you come into our garden one more time!" you yell at the strange fellow sitting in one of the orchard trees. You tightly grip the broomstick in your hands.

"Why are you always there? Are you a witch?" he asks as he jumps down from the tree.

He seems awfully familiar...

You shake your head.

You've never seen him before.

"Get out of here!"

He ignores you and smiles. "It's a nice orchard... can I have one of the oranges?"

You are about to tell him off again, but he looks rather hungry—a little skinny, in fact."You already took a bite out of the one you are hiding in your pants! Why ask now?!" you swing the broom up in the air with a whoosh. 

"Oh, this? No, this is my new pet snake, 'Spot'... I just like to hold him while I sleep."

The boy laughs and pulls up his shirt to reveal a tiny snake wrapped around his waist. Its head is near his belly button. You've never seen a snake that color before. It looks like the grass behind him.

The snakes face is playful as it seems to grin at you. You can't believe how happy the creature looks.

You blush when you realize his exposed skin, quite a handsome one at that. The small mole on his chin, his strong eyebrows, the way his ears are perfectly shaped... it is all so neat to look at!

You want to tell him off, to yell at him to leave, but you can't help but be drawn into his green eyes. You blush further when he asks,

"So you aren't scared of snakes! Are you a witch?"

You blush at him, confused.

"W-what gives you that impression?!"

He shrugs and smiles, "You don't leave that garden if you even step outside at all. The tower... Then the orchard? The old wooden broom? You haven't asked me to leave yet?"

You blush as he adds. "Oh, and that hair." He reaches out to touch your hair, but you smack his hand away

"A-and what do you think you're doing?!"

He laughs again and takes a big bite of the orange he had picked and peeled. "I like you want to be my girlfriend?"

You take a step back in shock. "W-what? Why?"

He rolls his eyes, "Well, because I haven't met another human in a long time...besides all the ones in the cages outside the farm."

You gulp before you narrow your eyes at him. "Well, you seem to have made it out. Wouldn't there be others around?"

He smiles sadly and nods, "I was at the city walls when they came, I managed to get away, but everyone else was left... I've been wandering for a year now."

You frown.

"What are you exactly?"

He laughs and shakes his head.

"What do you mean, what am I exactly? I'm a person just like you!"

You narrow your eyes, "no, you're not, I've never seen a person glow like you do."

He looks down and rubs the back of his neck "oh yeah, that...well, it's complicated..."

He seems to be hiding something. You point at him accusingly, "you're not human, are you? What are you? I want the truth!"

He sighs and sits down on a nearby rock "well, you're not entirely wrong. I'm not human, but I wasn't always like this."

You cross your arms, "Well, what are you then?"