Anger, fear, sadness. Red felt all these things.

  Her name was not always Red. It changed. Isran changed it. Her old master called her Achle. Achle was boring, it was not her real name.

  She was called Vanessa. Long long ago. When metal birds flew in the sky.

  Red could not recall what they were called. Red knew they moved fast, not much else.

  Things were not the same for Red anymore. Her body was different. When she became two she picked the smaller part of her body. Her former master was strange. Old. He was funny sometimes.

  He was not Isran. Isran was strong, Isran was shy. Isran was beautiful and handsome. Red liked to be with Isran.

  Isran was in danger. Red was angry. Locked up.

  Red disliked being locked up. The strange people came to take Isran away, Red tried to save Isran. Elysi locked Red up. Elysi let them take Red. Red was angry. Not with Elysi. Elysi was weak. Isran was strong.

  Red thought about Isran. She could hear Isran. Isran was no longer in danger. Red was happy. Isran was awake.

  She would wait. Red could wait. Isran would come for her.

  “Oh it’s no worry, it is my job after all.”

  Red could feel Isran. The dark pce made Red angry. But Red could feel Isran close. Isran was here. With many others.

  They did not matter. Only Isran.

  “I’m thankful either way.” Isran’s voice.

  Red moved, Red was happy. Isran was here.

  When the door opened Red did not rush out. She did not want the bad people to take her away again.

  Isran was there, smiling. Isran’s smile was beautiful.

  “Hey, Red.”

  Red could not be good anymore. Red wanted Isran too much.

  Isran grunted when Red coiled around her. Red was bigger now. The strange people had fixed her. She was stronger for Isran. That made Red happy. So Red did not attack them.

  Isran ughed a bit and touched Red.

  Red liked it when Isran touched her. She liked when she touched Isran.

  The strange people left, Red was with Isran and the others.

  The blonde one with gray skin Red did not like. He smiled too much. He felt strange, like he did not belong. Isran felt different from everyone too, but a good different. A different like the one whose mouth did not open, and the one who was very pretty.

  Red stayed on Isran as the day moved forward. Isran did not leave the house. Isran was weak. Red could feel it.

  The way Isran moved, the way she felt. Weak. But Red was not worried. Isran was strong. Isran would get strong.

  Isran sat down and grabbed Red, Red released her hold.

  When Isran y Red down on the table she began to speak.

  “You do not attack innocent people Red.”

  Red wished she could say things, so Isran could understand her. She did it for Isran. Why was Isran upset? No Isran was not upset. Red could feel disappointment.

  “You were locked up because you attacked people who were trying to help me Red. You do not attack people trying to help me.”

  Red was not happy. How was Red supposed to know? Elysi never talks to Red, Red wants to talk to Phaedra and Calliope. But they do not talk when Isran was in danger. They cry.

  No one talks to Red. Only Isran talks to Red.

  Red moved. Isran had to understand. No one talks to Red but her.

  Isran tilted her head with a sigh.

  “Just promise me you will not attack innocent people.”

  Frustration. Red was feeling frustration. Why was Isran not understanding her? They were not innocent! No one told Red.

  Isran sighed when Red began to move. Isran had to understand.

  Isran was quiet. Isran was different. Not shy. Not confused. Not reserved.

  Isran felt scared, tired, weak… different. Why was Isran different?

  She still felt the same. It was still Isran. The strong ones that spoke to Red would not take Isran away. Not after they had promised. They told Red to watch Isran. They promised Red Isran would be safe. Why was Isran different?

  Red reached slowly and wrapped herself around Isran’s arm. She was bigger, only a small part would wrap around Isran, but that was okay. She just wanted to feel.

  It was Isran. Isran felt the same. Why was Isran different and the same?

  Isran sighed and lifted Red into her p.

  Red liked that. She could feel more of Isran. Different but the same. Strange.

  “How do you feel being bigger?”

  Red moved slightly. Happy and sad. It would be harder to be around Isran, but she was stronger, Isran would be happy she was stronger.

  Red could feel Isran did not know what that meant. That was okay. She would wait for Isran to ask and would tell Isran. Then Isran would be happy.

  “I should probably wash you.”

  Red did not know why Isran wanted that. Red was new, Red was better, no need. But Red would let Isran do anything.

  The water was warm. Red did not like it.

  Isran twisted her and squeezed her. Red liked that, so Red did not compin.

  Isran felt away. She was here but not here. Her mind away. That was the same. Isran was different but the same.

  Red understood now. Isran had changed. But Isran was always the same. Never different. Good change. Isran was not shy. It was not a feeling Red could find. Red liked Isran in any way.

  Isran did not like being shy. Red could feel it.

  “Oh… I thought you had gone out.”

  Red could feel Elysi. Elysi felt good. Elysi felt happy. It was a good feeling. Isran made them happy.

  Isran smiled at Elysi. “Was just scolding Red.”

  Elysi tilted her head. “I’m surprised it’s being compint.”

  Red did not care how they called her ‘it’. Red was ‘her’ but she had not told them. Even Isran called her ‘it’. It did not bother Red. Red was cloth. Red was it.

  PROTECT

  The voice of the silent one. Red did not know what she had to protect Isran from. But Red would protect Isran from anything.

  Isran put Red on a strange thing.

  “You need to dry.” Isran mumbled.

  Red did not understand very well. But Red was heavy, so she would stay. Water made it hard to move. Isran did not like water on the floor. So Red would stay till the water was gone.

  Red thought about her previous master. He was kind. Red thought that already. She wanted to see him. He could help Isran become strong. Help protect Isran.

  She could feel him. He was alive, not gone.

  Sometimes Isran was gone. Red was happy that was over.

  She would find him.

  He would talk to Isran. Isran would like him. He was funny.

  PROTECT

  Red would protect. Keep Isran safe.

  Red wanted to feel more of Isran. Not like Elysi felt Isran. That was different. Red had tried that. With Isran, with Elysi. They did not like it from Red. That was fine. Red did not care much for it. It made Elysi say funny things. Made Isran make painful sounds.

  They felt happy after. Good for them.

  Not good for Red. Red preferred to feel that from a distance.

  Elysi’s bossom was very comfortable, but with Red bigger it would not be comfortable anymore. I was a loss, but not one Red cared much about.

  Red felt Phaedra enter the room. Phaedra felt happy.

  When Phaedra felt happy, Isran felt happy so Red felt happy.

  Red could no longer feel Phaedra. She felt that wide expanse and the two strong beings… gods.

  In the pce where the gods were Red was no longer fabric. She was like the rest. Like people. She could not think much still, many things were jumbled. She preferred to feel.

  Sephia smiled at Red. Red could feel warmth.

  “Isran is going to be harder to protect soon.”

  Red could speak to the gods. In the rge space she could talk to them… Red didn’t want to though. They had taken Isran for a long long time.

  “We do apologize.”

  Red called bullshit.

  Vycor ughed into her head. It was strange, but felt familiar.

  Red wondered why they had called her to their pce.

  “Isran needs guidance. You have to guide her.”

  Red was confused. Isran needed no such thing. Isran was strong. Even when she was weak, Isran was strong.

  “There are stronger things Red. Isran will need you to be stronger than those stronger things.”

  Red was still confused. But she felt proud. She could help Isran, that was all that mattered.

  She did not care if Isran scolded her again, as long as Isran was safe. Nothing else mattered.

  She liked seeing Isran happy, with Elysi, Phaedra, Calliope… even that annoying orc. So Red would guide Isran, however she could.

  Red was no longer filled with water. Dry. Red preferred to be dry. But if Isran wanted Red to be filled with water she would do it for Isran.

  The strong ones were bored. Red could tell. Red wondered if they wanted to talk to Isran. They could never be bored if they spoke to Isran. They had strange rules.

  They could talk to Red… but not to Isran.

  When they spoke to Isran they did not tell her much. Red could tell. She could feel Isran did not know plenty. Did not know they spoke to Red.

  That was fine. They could speak to Red. Red would take care of Isran. No need for them to make Isran feel worry, feel sad.

  Their pns for Isran were big. Red did not understand all of them. But they wanted children… they did not want them soon… strange. They could wait long.

  Red could not wait long.

  Red had waited long when Isran was gone. It felt horrible. Red would not do that again. Red would never leave Isran again.

  With that thought Red floated up and moved to where she could feel Isran the strongest.

  When Red got there she paused.

  The hot room.

  Red hated the hot room. It made Red full of water. Bad water. It made Red feel pain. Strange rexing pain.

  Red could feel Isran and Phaedra.

  They were not doing what Isran and Elysi had done in the hot room.

  Strange.

  Phaedra and Isran had done none of it. Red wondered if Phaedra had no interest.

  No.

  Phaedra did. Red felt it. Feelings did not lie. Not like words did. Phaedra wanted more.

  Red moved closer to the door. She could feel it. Phaedra wanted more now.

  Red y in front of the door. Waiting for Isran and Phaedra to touch. In that way that Red preferred to feel from afar. She listened.

  “You don’t have to ask to kiss me Phaedra.” There was humor in Isran’s voice. Red liked it. Red liked when Isran was happy.

  Red wished she could feel Isran’s smile more closely… she did not like the hot room though.

  Red could feel the sounds of affections… could feel the touches. Red rexed completely and silently let herself feel.

  She did not like the direct feel of those actions, but to feel them from a distance was a good feeling.

  The feeling of affection. The feeling of love. Beautiful.