Veroxtral- The Story of a Boy

It’s the eighteenth of November. My caretaker this month... he’s useless. He’s only fed me once, and thinks I should be the one to fear him. I hate him. He expects me to clean after myself, to do his job for him, and to not bother him with any “trifles” as he put it. His name... something. He’s strong, it shows on him fairly well. He believes he’s stronger than me though. I’m hungry, and he thinks he’s safe. He’s made one to many mistakes.

I am a Veroxtral. A hybrid as the others say. They believe I am part beast for my appearance. My claws, my ears, and tail, all of them black as night. They see me as a beast for my actions as well, and for that I cannot blame them. I see myself as what I am though, and that is dangerous. I have always been in this house, ever since I could remember. There’s about six rooms and two water rooms, of which I use no one in particular. I can live however I want here, no one can change that.

“Hey Freak!” The man shouted. He was in the living room, and didn’t need to shout. I could hear him from anywhere in this house, even if he whispered. I growled at him from one of the bedrooms I had decided to sleep in, angry with his tone of voice.

“Get in here, I wanna talk to you!” He shouted again. I stayed where I was, sprawled across the floor on my stomach trying to sleep. I was watching my hand as I extended and retracted my claws, watching them grow and shrink with the smallest gesture. The man stomped down the hallway with a loud groan, undoubtedly angry with my disobedience. The door swung open behind me and crashed into the wall, just barely on its hinges. He’s destroying my house everytime he walks into a room. I want him gone.

“When I say something, I mean it! Get up!”The stranger barked. I layed there ignoring him, not caring really if he meant something or not. He growled under his breath and grabbed onto my leg. I spun around and drove my other leg into him, throwing him off feet. He let go of me as he stumbled backwards and fell.

“Do not touch me!” I hissed. The man was against the wall with a dark grimace. He looked at me with burning fire in his eyes, and his fists clenched. He was mad, but so was I.

“I will do whatever I feel like! You’re lucky to even have me here. If I wasn’t on parole I’d-” I got up and glared at him. He’s threatening me. This is my house. He is threatening me in my house! I do not respect him, I do not value him, I do not care for him. I hate him!

“You would do nothing!” I hissed angrily. “Leave this room, now!” My command came, no quarter of tolerance for this brute who had intruded into my home. The man had stood to his feet, cradling his side partially. I hurt him. He is weak.

It: Kill him.

“I’m putting this in your report.” The man stated. I don’t care if he puts anything in the report. The report does nothing, it’s paper with black ink all over it. They can send their messages to tell me no, but I will do as I please. This is my house. “You are nothing but a dog to me. Understand? If I say something you will do it. The two of us will be spending the next two weeks together. How much longer do you think you can holdout without eating?” He grinned.

It: You can always eat him. Look how he holds himself... He’s already injured.

I glared at him angrily. “I thought so.” He thinks he’s won. Nobody wins in my house but me. “Go to bed. Tomorrow you’re going to help me clean up this house with all the messes you made. When I get back from submitting the report you had better be up” The man then left the room and closed the door behind him, locking it. He was mumbling under his breath about how hard I kicked him. I smiled my toothy grin as my fangs caught the glint of the ceiling fan light. My mouth was hurting again. It was a soft subtle pain, almost like a sore muscle that hadn’t been used.It was watering too. The feeling was almost pleasurable, like the satisfaction from pulling out an old tooth that gnawed on your jaw, cutting into your maw as the loose bone hung by barely any flesh at all. It would feel good to finally be rid of it.

My stomach was hissing it’s displeasure with me, enraged of how I didn’t get any food from him. My body ached from it’s malnutrition as I ran my hands along my stomach, rubbing it softly to ease its pain.

It:You will devour that man.

I layed back down on the ground, resting my chin on my arms listening to the house. He was in the furthest room, the largest one. It was mine. I could hear his heavy greedy breathes suck up my air before expelling his putrid scent, staining my room with his disgusting odor. I payed close attention to his every breath, listening as they became slower and more distant, softening in their noise. I waited for it to get fainter. As it did I felt my stomach twist in pain, commanding me to wait no more. I ignored it.

“I want it to be quick and easy.” I mumbled to myself. I remained motionless, my tail not even moving in the slightest. The hunger worsened as I put off my task, forcing me to bite down on my own lips as a distraction. I had bitten to hard though, and small drops of crimson began to escape my skin, touching the pink flesh of my tongue. As soon as I tasted that sweet salty red I knew I could wait no longer.

Then fortunately, the sound I had been waiting for had washed through my house. A loud, obnoxious, disgustingly heavy snore. He was fast asleep, and would not awaken anytime soon. This man would not be leaving this house.

I slowly arose from the ground and reached for the small string connected to the ceiling fan. I grasped it gently and pulled it down, clicking the light off. The room darkened, but remained purely visible. One of my caretakers said they glowed... others said they pierced souls. For me though, they see and that was all that truly mattered. I approached the door and lifted it up slightly. The hinges squeaked their relief as a great weight had been lifted, and I reached towards them to remove the pins holding the door in place. I gripped the side of the door opposite of the knob and pulled. The door came out soundlessly with no effort. Gently I put the door down and walked to my largest bedroom, where that greedy man had decided to rest.

My footsteps were soundless as my bare feet padded down the hallway, my tail dancing behind me with excitement for my midnight activity. I approached the doorway, less than surprised to find my door open. Inside the man was in the soft cushion that was my bed, in nothing but a small thin piece of white clothing that only covered his hips. The rest of his clothes were in a pile on the floor next to the foot of my bed. They still stunk with his rancid sweaty scent that made an old festering corpse smell like perfume.

I approached the man by the side of my bed. My ears flicked as they heard the sound that made them active no matter my state... a heartbeat. Almost with no command I felt my claws slide out of my finger tips the rest of the way, curling back ready to pierce the man’s thick neck. I leaned over him, my face inches away from the pulsing in his chest, twisted so I was staring deep into his closed eyes. My stomach churned and twisted painfully, pushing me to get on with the deed as my tongue darted across my lips with ambition. I raised my left hand high above me, pushing a few fingers out to create an effective hook. The man stirred slightly, sensing the impending end of his life. I waited there slightly, expecting him to awaken, but he didn’t. He stayed asleep, and he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. I took a deep breath and sighed.

I forced my claws deep into the man’s neck, feeling the tip of my middle finger hit bone. The man’s eyes flew open and stared at me. Blood began to pour from the puncture in his neck, collecting around my fingers at first before falling down beneath him. His body did not move though, and his breathing barely spiked. I pushed my middle and outer finger into the man deeper, trying to pop the vertebrae of the man’s neck out of place, and it did. Effortlessly. The man’s eyes stared at me completely lifeless, right back into my yellow shining eyes.

I pulled my hand out of his neck, the man’s red fluid gushing out in a feeble attempt to save his already passed life. My stomach growled angrily as I gazed over my prize.

You murdered him.

Me: No, I killed him. For food.

It :What if they don’t send anybody else to take care of you?

Me: Then, it’ll be too soon.

It :Then who will you eat?

Me: Anyone I find.

It :What if they kill you?

Me: I will kill them first.

It :Will it be for food?

Me: ...

It :You will murder them then.

Me: ...

It :...

Me: ...

It :...

Me: The man is dead.

It :...

Me: I. will. eat.

December 1st

I ate him. I ate the man. It made a large mess, on me and my biggest room. He didn’t last for as long as I had hoped. I picked the bones clean before the end of the week. I didn’t eat anything off of the head though, and it was starting to rot. I stayed out of that room the rest of the month and hadn’t been in it since. The people who send other caretakers waited until the end of the month before sending a new one. I’ve spent my entire life in this house. Nothing will change that. It is my house. No one will change that. Everything in it, on it, or beside it is mine. It was before dark... maybe around one. The clock said it was 100, but I think it meant one. I don’t think my clock knows what it’s talking about, because everyone who came here said it told the wrong time. They offered to fix it but I wouldn’t let them. It’s part of my stuff, and nobody is allowed to touch my stuff. The people though, who send other’s... they sent their person late. That clock usually reads 400 before anyone gets here, and that was a while ago.

I think the man was messing with my clock. I wish I kept him alive while I ate, that way he could stare at me as I ripped open his chest and feasted on his entrails.

I was on top of the large wooden square on legs in the food area, my legs hanging off the side of it lazily while I stared at my clock.

101

The person is really late.

I got up and walked around my house, peering into the doorways of my five clean rooms, making sure nothing was touched. I was bored and hungry again. I think maybe I should eat the new caretaker when they come. No... Then they wouldn’t be able to feed me the rest of the month. People don’t go very long without rotting. I tried it before, rationing their body. I got sick and a bunch of weird white things had appeared in the meat, and they didn’t taste good either. Then the house was full of buzzies. Small little black winged creatures that filled the house with noise. The next caretaker was disgusted to come here and find them. He had to kill them all.

Then I got to thinking. How many people have come here? I couldn’t answer that question because I could only count to 4. I did some thinking though and got a bunch of little white circles someone left and sorted them. When I was done I figured out I had 4 divisions , of 4 groups, of 4 discs plus 3. Those were the ones I ate or didn’t leave here alive. There were 4 groups of 4 discs who ran away early. Plus 2. I started to count the numbers of people who said mean things or I didn’t like. I figured out that they were all of them.

I heard something indistinct. I got up immediately and jumped upright off of the small wooden sitting square. It was the sound of metal clicking and turning. The outside door... The new caretaker was here.

Quietly, I made my way down the hall watching the door as the knob shook frantically. Most people usually had the door open by now. This one isn’t good at opening doors, whoever they are. I sniffed the air as they continued to struggle with the lock. There was barely any smell of sweat coming off of them, and even something that smelled fairly sweet with chemicals. Like food, except good. It was strange though, and didn’t smell like you would want to eat it. Almost like how a strange bar people rubbed on their hands did. Another reason not to eat the caretaker.

Finally the door swung open, not forced but more leisurely eased its way against the wall before knocking softly into it. I retreated slightly as it did, hiding myself against the doorway to the eating area. The outside light did not touch me as it grazed over the inside of my house, illuminating the various items inside.

I looked to see the new caretaker, but only found a bunch of bags and cases hovering on a pair of legs. The legs stepped into the room and lowered to the ground, and it was then I saw the top of someone’s brown haired head. It was the caretaker, but why did they bring so much stuff?

The person set everything down with a light sigh and leaned back. I recognized the curves of a woman instantly as she arched backwards in a stretch. I smelled something else on her though. It had been awhile since I last did but I remembered it easily.

When the woman finished stretching she looked around. The light from the outside door made it hard to see what the rest of her looked like, cloaking the feature of her face in a silhouette. I could only make out her pale complexion

“Hello?” She called out. She began to look around seemingly unsure of herself. She didn’t trust her personal safety, and was smart not to.

“Leave.” I growled.The woman jumped unexpectedly and looked at my general direction. She was more spastic in her movements and was starting a retreat for the door. I could taste the all to familiar scent, fear.

“I’m not supposed to.” She shouted into the darkness. “I’m supposed to take care of ... I think you.” She stated uneasily, but with solid determination a bold step forward was made.

“Feed me than leave.” I growled. “That’s all I need from you.” I don’t want her here, with her things and items. They aren’t mine so they shouldn’t be in my home!

“Ok, fine. I need to stay a bit in order to do that though.” She explained. Her gaze followed my general direction, most likely away of my general location. “I’ll feed you and then leave, ok? Can you turn on a light though? I can’t see.” This woman reeked of fear by now. I could hear her heartbeat racing despite the distance between us. The woman might die of fright before I would touch her.

I stayed motionless for a moment thinking about the situation. Reluctantly I moved towards the switch and pushed it up, illuminating the eating area. I heard the woman close the door and sift through her bags. She pulled something out, and then some other things and started to walk to the eating area. I stood there to face her directly, my back straightened and hands at my side. I kept my claws extended to instill fear.

The woman jumped with a shriek upon seeing me, and eyed me cautiously. No suspicion behind her eyes, only fear. She was holding a few partly see-through boxes in her hand. They had different colored lids, and looked like they had different contents.

“S-so, they didn’t give me any food for you today so I brought my own. I just need to heat up some things so-”

“Why 3?” I asked interrupting. She jumped a bit again, but not as badly this time.

“Well, I thought you’d be pretty hungry so there’s 3 parts to all of your food.” The woman extended one of the bins towards me in an offering. “This one doesn’t need to be heated up to taste good. Go ahead.”

I remained motionless not reacting in the slightest. I only stared at her and the bin. I observed her hand and noticed how frail she was. Her arms were thin and pale. Her frame wasn’t supported by much of any muscle either. She wasn’t a skeleton though. She had meat where she needed it. Her chest... was alluring. Her face, although in fear looked rather nice as well. Her hair was a soft brown, shoulders length. She was wearing a scent of fruits and chemicals. To much of it by far, to the point it overwhelmed my nostrils

“Are you going to take it?” She asked expectantly.

“What is it?” I asked in suspicion. It can’t be food. It’s just a box.

“The food I was talking about.” She replied. I looked to her in question before looking back at the box. My stomach hissed it’s impatience at me to just take it. Reluctantly I obeyed it, greedily snatching the small box from her hands with no warning. I raised it to eye level and brought it closer to me. There was something inside of it. I looked at her and then the box again. The woman watched me as I turned and adjusted the box. The items inside of it moved around as I did, bouncing against the walls of the see through box.

It’s like a can of food, just see through. I just need to open it.

I stuck out my pointer finger and protruded my claw. The woman started to say something but my icy glare at her instilled silence.

I pushed the claw into the top of the box, surprised to see the material bend slightly before giving way to sharpness of my claw.

“Wait, what are you doing?” The woman asked suddenly, startling me. I growled at her and started to cut away the top of the box. “Wait, no. That’s not how-”

“Silence!” I shouted. The woman shook her head and took the box away from me. I was about to lunge after her when she stuck out her hand curled in a fist with a single finger poking out. She was telling me to wait.

“You don’t open it like that.” The woman sighed. She curled her fingers around the edge of the top of the box. I watched her silently, glaring at her. That was mine! What’s she doing anyways, she doesn’t have claws. She can’t open it.

Then to my amazement she pulled up the color part of the box peeling it away from the rest of it. She put down the colored top and handed me the box. “There.” She smiled handing the box back to me. Inside were some orange sticks, yellow curves with red on one side, and a red thing with green leaves on top. The woman had opened the other two boxes up, putting the tops off to the side preparing them. She looked back at me curiously.

“Are you going to eat?” She asked. I sat down on the ground cross legged thinking. This stuff smelled like food a little. I used my still protruded claw to pierce through one of the red and yellow curves and brought it up to my mouth. I took a small nip, and tasted something very sweet and a little sour. I put the rest of it in my mouth and ate it. I started to eat more of the yellow curves when I heard something clang against something else.

I looked up to see the woman had taken out a large eating disc and was putting things on it. “Don’t touch my stuff!” I growled. The woman looked back at me confused and started to explain.

“I’m just warming this food up. Don’t worry, I won’t break anything.” She stated in an attempt to put me at ease. The woman then proceeded to walk over to the black beep box and pushed a button. Part of the box swung outwards, and the woman put the eating disc inside of it. What was she doing?

“So... do you like your food?” the woman asked. I didn’t say anything. I just looked down at my box and ate the last yellow curve. There were only the red things and the orange sticks. I wanted more yellow curves. I didn’t have any though. Maybe since the red things are red like part of the curves, they’ll taste good too.

“What are you doing with my black box?” I found myself asking while piercing a red thing with my claw.

“I’m just- Oh hold on. You’re not gonna eat that whole are you?” she asked, pointing to the red thing hanging off my claw.

“What do you mean?”

“The strawberry, you aren’t gonna eat it all at once right? You don’t wanna eat the leaves. They don’t taste so good if you do.” She explained. The woman finished whatever it was she was doing with my black box and pressed part of it. My black box began to hum and light up.I looked up at her and then the red thing. She said it would taste bad if I ate the green part. She knows things that I don’t... She might be right.

I shook my head and slid the red thing off my claw, piercing into an orange stick instead. I popped the orange stick in my mouth whole and spat it out immediately. As soon as I chewed it I could taste how I didn’t like it. I tried spitting out the bad taste but couldn’t get it out fast enough.

“Bad!” I shouted at the orange sticks. I started to pick them up and throw them, until none were left in my box. The woman was leaning against part of the food area and watched me.

“I guess you don’t like carrots?” she asked. She picked up the orange sticks and turned them over a few times. She began to pick up the others I had thrown, and as she did I noticed how much quieter her heart had gotten. I could still smell her fear, but it wasn’t as bad.

“The thing in your hand?” I asked. She nodded. “Their bad.” I grumbled. I was left with the red things with green parts. The woman said to not eat them.

“Did you try those yet?” she asked. I didn’t say anything. The woman looked at my black box and looked back to me. “Can I have one?” She asked kindly. I stared up at her ready to shout out no, but stopped myself. I wasn’t going to eat them. She brought them here. Maybe you have to do something to get rid of the green part. Finally I made my decision and handed back the box to her. Instead of grabbing the box though, she grabbed one of the red things. She picked it up by the green thing and bit into it, eating everything but the part she was holding onto.

I picked one up with difficulty. My claws were fully retracted and they still were in the way. I dropped the fruit several times before finally picking it by the green. I mimicked her exactly and ate it, keeping the green part in my fingers.

It was sweeter than the curves and wasn’t as sour. It had more juices which seemed to gush out when I bit down on it. It was a good food, but it was still strange.

“There you go.” She smiled. I got up and took the box with me. I walked down the hallway and into one of the rooms. I wanted to eat alone. I don’t want her here. She’s only here because of her food that became my food.

“Leave.” I said barely loud enough for her to hear. I closed my door behind me and started to try and eat more of the red fruits while laying on my bed. My claws kept getting in the way as I did, but surely I managed to eat a few of them without the green parts. I heard the woman’s soft footsteps approach my door and stopped eating. She knocked softly on my door and waited for me to respond. I didn’t.

“Hey... You there?” She asked. She was still nervous. “I want to talk to you. I... Can I come inside your room?” I growled under my breathe at her, but didn’t actually say anything. She was silent for a few moments. I would have assumed she wasn’t at my door anymore if it weren’t for the fact I could hear her breathing and still smell her.

“If you don’t say anything I’m going inside, ok?” The woman continued. I stayed on the bed and set down the box on the floor . It was almost empty and I was still hungry. “Ok, I’m going in... don’t be mad alright?” I heard the door click open as she turned the knob and the hinges moan as the door slowly swung inward. A strange aroma began to fill the room. It was salty and strong. I didn’t bother to turn and face her, but carefully listened so I could tell where she was.

She began to slowly walk towards me, not trying to be sneaky but more not to disturb me. I could tell by how deliberately she made noise with her every step. The floorboards had no problem aiding her in making noise, as they squeaked every time her weight shifted.

“Hey... I have more food.” She stated. She walked up beside me, and accidentally kicked the box of red things. I shifted my gaze only slightly to see just part of her. “It’s hot... so you might want to wait a bit.” She set the box down in front of me on a smaller, more smooth wooden box that held up a light.

“I didn’t say you could come in.” I growled.

“You didn’t say anything.” She contradicted.

“I told you to leave.” I turned more to glare at her. She wasn’t as scared as before, but she still was cautious. She was far enough to be out of my direct reach.

“I’m not supposed to leave. I’m supposed to take care of you.” She was stubborn for a caretaker. Especially a female one for that matter. Every single person who ever came here wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest to leave.

“You did, now leave!” I hissed. The woman took a step back and then shook her head no.

“I haven’t. I just got here, there has to be more things you need. What about your hygiene?” She asked. Her voice was stained with concern. Why is she in my house!

“My what?” I asked in dark voice, trying my best not to continue growling at her. My tone wasn’t enough to scare her so it wouldn’t do much of anything. I didn’t want to waste my efforts.

“Being clean, like taking baths, cutting your hair, cleaning your clothes. I mean no offense but you look disgusting.”

“GET OUT!” I yelled. I will not be insulted in my own house, she has no right to be here! She will not call my disgusting in my house! She will not use my stuff! Everything in this house is mine!

The woman’s eyes widened in fear as my chest began to heave with my increased heart rate. She stepped back silently, and began to walk away stopping in the doorway.

“I... I was supposed to clean out the last caretaker... Which room is he-”

“Room at the end of the hallway.” I mumbled.

“Which one?”

“On my side” I added. The woman looked down at the hall, then again at me. She sighed and then proceeded to the room she first came in and began to sift through the stuff she brought in my house.

I stared at the small box above my wooden one. The top was still on. It was a bright red... I wanted the food in it. The top was still on... and I forgot how to take it off.

I reached for the box and carefully pulled it towards me. It was warm to the touch, and it’s smell was still strong. I tried to mimic her, the way she just pulled it off. I couldn’t though. My claws couldn’t get under it right, and using my fingertips didn’t work either. It became clear I had two choices.

One, make the woman open the box for me. Two, rip open the box.

I was still hungry. There wasn’t enough red and yellow things to fill me up. I can’t open the box by myself, and it’s worse because there’s warm food in it. It’s always better when it’s warm, and soon it won’t be!

I growled out in frustration and put the small box down on top of the other. She did this on purpose! She knew I couldn’t open it! She wanted to make me beg her for food, to crawl on my stomach and ask for her to open it! I’d rather starve than beg her for help!

:What about ripping open the box?

Me: ...

I got up off of my bed and stomped down my hallway with my box in hand. The woman stopped everything she was doing and spun around to face me. She still had a long black... thing in her hand attached to a curved box.

“Open it!” I hissed holding out the box to her, impatient with this ridiculous game. I will not make her laugh knowing I came to her! These are on my rules! This is my house!

“Is that it?” She blinked. I growled and pushed the box further out at her. She took it, and paused for a moment to stare at me. Her chest was still heaving... she was trying to not be scared. I think... calming down.

“Open the box for me.” I said in a low and very unhappy tone. The woman nodded as if she were previously asleep and just woke up, and finally popped off the lid.

I wasted no time taking the box away from her and going back to my room, where I spent the rest of the day eating. My door was closed, and after a few hours and a loud Vrrrr! sound went on for 2 of them, the woman left.

Her light pit pat on my floor no longer destroying my beautiful silence. It was absolutely beautiful. There was a problem though. I was full... I had never been full without eating my caretakers. It made me unhappy.

That caretaker woman... she did it. It was when she asked about the high jeans. It wasn’t that I was insulted that made me unhappy. It was about how she talked about it. The fact she did. I don’t know what it is, but she made it seem weird for me to not be doing it... Does she mean the water rooms?

Thinking about her made my head hurt. I had to go to bed.

: Kill her.

Me: It’s the beginning of the month. What if she gives us food like that every week?

: What if she doesn’t give you anymore?

Me: ...

: She’s bad. They are all bad. They are in your house. She did things without your say so.

Me: I tolerated it today. It won’t be happening again tomorrow.

: ...

Me: I’m going to sleep.