Unbecoming Humans

Chapter 10

Nima finished rigging traps around her bedroom door, one to alert her if it opened and the other to give her time to hide if it did. She stepped back to examine her handiwork for a moment and then moved on to making the room feel like hers. She pushed her overly large bed up against the wall furthest from the door and moved the table and chairs between them.

She stowed her few belongings in the walk-in closet by the door that was bigger than any bedroom she had ever had before and went to investigate the other rooms attached to the bedroom. One was a bathroom nicer than any she'd ever seen with a massive tile shower and a bathtub. Why anyone would ever need both Nima didn't understand. The sink faucet turned on automatically when she placed her hands under it and a shower of clean, warm water poured out. She splashed some on her face and dried off with the plush towel that hung next to her.

She walked back across her bedroom to the other adjoining room, flicked on the light, saw enough stacked bookshelves and plush furniture to be disgusted, and walked right back out again. This wasn't home, it would never be home. She thought of her real home buried beneath the ocean and she felt the waves crash over her. She crumbled under the weight of the grief she'd been holding in for days. She curled in on herself while uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. Time and space disappeared into the gaping hole in her heart, that is until a heavy thud wracked her door, startling her into action.

She jumped up and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door quietly and pressing her ear against it, waiting to hear her traps spring. For two minutes she governed her breath, waiting for another sound. None came.

She cautiously cracked the bathroom door and peeked out. Her traps were still intact and there was no sign of anything amiss. She stepped out and looked around. Satisfied that she was safe, she let cold water flow from the bathroom tap and splashed it over her tear-burned face. She let the cool water drip from her face down her neck, soaking into the collar of her shirt. The dampness reminded her of home, calmed her nerves. She finished drying her face with the towel and went to investigate outside her door. She disarmed her traps and stepped out into the hallway.

The source of the thump became clear immediately. A person was lying heaped against the wall just outside of Nima's doorway, pulsing with fast, shallow breaths.

"Um... are you okay," Nima fretted.

The lump didn't respond. Nima bent over to touch their shoulder. The person gasped and fell over. It was Aria, her face pale and beaded with sweat.

"Aria? Are you okay," Nima repeated.

"I'm fine. I just need a minute." Aria rasped and groaned as she attempted to push herself to her feet. Her arms gave out and she fell to the ground again.

"Oh, shit!" Nima caught Aria awkwardly by the arm before her head hit the floor. She lowered Aria the rest of the way to the floor as carefully as she could. "Aria, you're not okay. What can I do for you?"

Aria tensed like she might try to push herself up again, but gave in and let herself melt into the floor. "Just get me into my room. I'll be fine."

Her voice was strained and her words labored. She sounded far from fine, but Nima pulled her up and hooked Aria's arm over her shoulders and helped her stumble into her bedroom. Aria pushed the door open and they both tumbled inside. Nima barely managed to keep them both upright and hurried to drop Aria onto the bed. Aria sighed and dragged her limp limbs the rest of the way onto her bed. She rolled up in the blankets, shivering.

"What happened to you?"

Aria let out a harsh bark of a laugh. "It's just treatment."

"The treatment did this to you?"

"This -" Aria's words got lost in a coughing fit.

"This is nothing," she wheezed when she finally stopped coughing.

"What do you mean?"

"They've been doing this to me for almost 10 years. My body is used to it. Yours is going to be so much worse."

A hot prickle crawled down Nima's neck and she wanted to sit down.

"I need to go," Nima said, hurrying to the door. When she reached it, she paused. "Um, do you need me to bring you anything?"

Aria turned her back to Nima in reply. Nima took it as her cue to leave. A sickeningly sweet voice greeted her on her way out the door.

"Are you coming out of Aria's room?"

Nima gaped at her in confusion, her hand still hovering near the door as it closed. "Yes?"

"How was she?"

"Not great," Nima replied hesitantly. She couldn't pinpoint why, but something about the interaction felt off. She stared at the person in front of her apprehensively.

"Ha. You'd think she could handle a little treatment by now without having a fit."

Nima would hardly classify what she saw of Aria's behavior as a 'fit,' but she had also only seen Aria for a few minutes. She didn't have enough information to judge the situation.

"I'm Justine, by the way, she/her." She thrust out her hand to Nima.

"Nima." She reciprocated the handshake.

"An absolute pleasure to meet you, Nima. It's been far too long since we had fresh blood in Eden."

"Thanks."

"A gift of advice from me to you, Nima? Stay away from Aria. She's dangerous."

"Dangerous how?"

"Stay away from her and you won't have to find out. I need to freshen up. It was nice meeting you, Nima. See you around." Justine sashayed away and Nima felt like she was covered in slime after everything that had just happened. She retreated into her exorbitant bedroom chasing some semblance of peace.                                                                                           

                                                                                                 ***

                                                                               STOP READING HERE!

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