A Strange State of Affairs Ch. 9

            The truck left quickly in a cloud of wispy smoke.

            Fye and Riyel had spent all morning poring over the directions Pona had given them for getting to the Tellurim �" it also took some time for them to get dressed and make themselves presentable.  They had dashed out the door two minutes behind schedule, and Fye had only enough time to leave out some leftover chicken from the night before for El’s dinner.   

            “Wish me luck,” he had said to El, then darted out to Riyel’s truck.

            Elevine felt lonely already.  She walked towards the sofa and sprang onto its overstuffed cushions.  Her paws were sore and she felt drained, as if she had been running continuously across a surface of powdered glass.  Her back felt stretched, and her legs throbbed.

            She stretched out over the cushions and closed her eyes.  The past few weeks had been exhausting.  Life with Fye was so easy, but…she couldn’t help but wish that there were something more.  Now more than ever, she wished that she were human.  Elevine’s thoughts kept returning to Fye’s impending blind date.  What if it was a success?  What if he did like the mystery woman?  Could she stand to watch the two of them, in love, when she might never experience the same? 

            The mere thought of Fye in love was too much.  Elevine stretched out her paws, lay her head down, and closed her eyes, seeking comfort in silence.