Alebrije page 2

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‘What?’ She said.

‘That is a very good question,’ it replied, and rested its long face sideways. It made a strange clicking noise. It kept her eyes fixed on her. Kima noticed something was drawn on its forehead. Was it writing?

‘What’s this?’ She asked, pointing, almost poking the creature with her finger. It pulled back, tensed up. Then it relaxed again and yawned.

‘That,’ it said in a whisper, ‘is not such a nice question.’

There was a creaking sound, and light spread through the kitchen as Shebeh looked in, a candle in her hands. ‘What are you doing awake, girl? If you don’t rest you won’t last a week longer. Get to sleep. Now.’ The door closed behind her and the candle light ebbed back out of the room. Kima turned her head quickly, but all she saw was the slender, worm-like back of alebrije as it squeezed out through the open window, its yellow spots like bright freckles. It left, and it was then that she stopped being able to breathe. It got really dark, as if she were inside a box and the lid had closed above her.

To be continued.

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