The Mimic

Hello, my name is Ralph. Why Ralph? I was named this by a party years ago. I think it’s close to 200 years ago or so. They all live here with me in this castle. Oh, you’re wondering how I can talk, think, feel, and more right? Well, that’s thanks to the girls I was with. Mimics, my species, are born by splitting off smaller pieces of ourselves. Think of taking a cheesecake and making it smaller and smaller, but imagine it can grow larger with time. That’s where I come in.

For me though, I couldn’t gain any weight, I couldn’t become larger. I was the size of a Chihuahua. We can often eat a normal sized human easily. I can move easily, I can scatter fast, but my size? Well, that’s where everything sucks for me. Let me take you on an adventure of my own. Something to help you understand who I am.

I remember waking up behind a large rock in a cave, my parent wasn’t around. I suppose they left. I say “parent” and not mother or father because we don’t have sexes, nor gender, but we do enjoy names. Calling us an “it” doesn’t ever actually offend us. As I’m sitting behind a rock, looking around, not sure what to do. I see a rat scammering by. As soon as I see it, I thrust my tongue out and into my mouth it goes.

The blood, guts, fur, nails, organs, they all had their own unique taste but I didn’t mind. I realized that I had to survive. What should I do? I realized I didn’t have a simple way to move, so I began to hop, but then I realized I could move side to side as if I’m walking. This worked well enough.

Days had passed. I had no real thought in my head except 1 word, “food.” Every chance I got, I would eat a rat. Sometimes a cat would wander in. The orange ones tasted the best, the black ones I would leave alone, most of them would see me and scurry off immediately. They must know what I am.

Right now, I don’t know what I am. Who I am. “Food. Food. Food. Food.” Is all I could see in my mind. At this point in time, I didn’t know how to speak. I could grunt, I could murmur, but I didn’t have any actual idea. So how does 1 think, feel, act? I think that’s within the being itself. I have been told I am as smart as a 10 year old child that could read at a scholar level. Whatever that means.

A year has gone by. I have learned to walk, hide, even change my colors ever so slightly to blend in. A witch, dragon, and bard had walked through my cave.

“Hazel! You said this was the way! You have the map!” Said the Bard.

“Well yeah… but this wasn’t on the map, I thought it was. These tunnels don’t make any sense at all.

“Girl’s, stop fighting, you know my stomach can’t handle this,” said the dragon girl.

“I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t mean to upset you. I know how you get,” I saw the witch and the dragon girl do this thing called “hugging.” I wish I could do that.

The 3 of them walked around my cave for a bit of time, and I followed them. They had no real idea where they were. 3 days had passed and they were still hopelessly lost. I knew this cave like the back of my lid.

When we mimics move about, we have a coin-like sound. Always mildly high pitch like someone is carrying change in a pocket. I remember sitting behind a rock. I edged closer to watch when a rat scurried fast past me and I tripped over it. I grunted just loud enough for the 3 to hear me.

“What was that?” The bard lady said. The witch waved her wand and I was hoisted up. Since I was so small, I fit in her hands. I was shaking. I was tiny. I didn’t know if she was going to kill me or pet me, but instead the look on her face told me everything. She was sweet. She didn’t want to hurt me at all.

“Awe, girls look! It’s a micro mimic! Isn’t it adorable?” Said the Bard lady.

“Hey little friend, you’re so cute!” Said the Dragon.

“Fer….end?” I said harshly.

“Oh wow! It can talk! I’ve never seen a talking mimic before!” Said the dragon lady.

“Oh yeah, but it’s rare, not super rare but not something you see everyday.” retorted the witch.

“Hey little friend, do you know how we can get out of this cave?” Asked the Bard.

I had no way of pointing because I had no technical limbs but I could turn and point with my tongue. The witch, the bard, and the dragon followed the direction I pointed. We all see the exit. “Thanks, little mimic.” Said the witch, “Oh here,” the witch reached into her pocket and handed me hard meat. They call it jerky. I ate it graciously. It tasted really good.

She set me down on the ground, and turned away from me, “friend?”

The witch turned to me, “What was that?”

“Friend? No… go?”

“Little mimic, would you like to come with us?” Asked the dragon.

I hopped up and down trying to scurry to the dragon. Instead she picked me up and held me in her arms. I felt like something I had never had before. Someone who liked me, loved me, cared for me.

We traveled to a local inn down the street, the inn keeper was a bit put off by the fact that I was a mimic.

“It’s a bit unnatural but it’s so tiny even for a mimic. Aight, if that thing does anything to my rooms, yer payin’ for it”

“Sure, no problem.” Said the bard.