_what. is. that._ the sight of it makes my heart beat faster, and I’m not sure if it’s in a good way or not. I look it up and down, letting out a shuddering breath. it looks like me. kind of. it has two eyes, a mouth and a nose. it has two arms, two feet, and a head with hair. its locks are cut short, however, but still long enough to see that its dark and a bit curly—it looks soft.

its eyes meet mine, and I can see that this creature has a soul. it has emotion. it looks happy. I notice that I have somehow started smiling—I’m smiling at this unknown animal. it look friendly. but at the same time it looks like it could hurt something, like it could hurt me. it’s a good foot taller than me and has muscles twice the size of mine. it’s almost scary, yet there’s also this quality about it that comforts me.

look, it’s moving! it’s coming closer. uh oh. _it’s coming closer._ should I run? will it hurt me? or should I stand my ground? maybe it will be scared of me and run away. or maybe it could be nice. it’s got this grin on its face, but I can’t tell if it’s a happy one or a menacing one. I should run. but before I can, it opens its mouth, and words come out.

“hi. what’s your name? I think you’re very pretty.”

THE CREATURE CAN TALK?!?!? if I leave here alive, I’ve got to tell everyone about this discovery. a whole new living breathing talking creature that resembles the rest of us so much it’s unreal.

“hey,” I say, nervous. what if it bites me, or slashes through my skin with its claws, or swallows me whole or—

“you’re beautiful.” it smiles at me again.

“oh.” I find myself smiling back at it, my face turning red and my palms getting sweaty. “thanks, but no, I…” I softly chuckle. I don’t know where this thing’s been all its life but it obviously hasn’t seen the rest of the people back home.

“you look surprised. what, a man’s never flirted with you before? I find that difficult to believe,” it says with a smirk, rolling its eyes.

I reply, still flustered, “oh…uh…wait…what’s that word you used?”

“what word? flirt? that’s when a man likes a lady and tries to—“

“no, no, you said it again, ‘man.’ what does that mean?”

he looks at me confused, but at the same time skeptical. he laughs. “it’s a person. you know, a male. like me.”

“y-you’re a man?” My hands are shaking as I look up to it and it inches closer.

“yes, my dear, I’m a man, and you’re a woman, and we’re both people, and…,” he trails off, grinning at me whilst playing with his hair, quite obviously intrigued.

“huh. fascinating,” I reply, trying to make sense of all this. maybe I’ll ask the elders about it when I get home, see if there’s anything about this ‘man’ creature in the ancient texts.