The sun was starting to approach the horizon. It's been a long day of work. Your arms feel rather heavy and your legs ach with every step down the dusty path. Your body desires nothing except to rest, but you will them onward. Your house is only a mile from the train station and you could already smell the sausages your wife cooked for dinner or at least you imagine you smell them. You love her sausages almost as much as you love her.
You catch yourself looking at the dirt path. Your polished shoes no longer hold that bright sheen to them. You look up; you think you see something, on the left of the road, but the low angle of the sun makes it difficult. As you approached, without thought you drift to the opposite side of the street, stopping only once you realize you were walking in the grass. From here you can get a good look at the creature. It is nearly the size of a man and all black. If it were standing, it would be standing on four legs. Its low angle made it easy to see the one wing on its back. You deduce that the wing was once part of a pair. Large bullet holes dot the entire body. Guns always made you queasy. Why would someone be shooting at that thing? Feeling a little uneasy, you decide to continue onward. The thing made not motion. Briefly you conceder poking it with a stick. But, ultimately your aching body and rumbling stomach win the argument. You will continue past it as fast as possible. After all, there are sausages to be eaten. You quickened my pace towards home, redoubling your efforts.
"Wait please!" whispers a raspy reverberated voice. The sound had a creepy kind of aura to it.
You stop. Did that thing just talk? The thing scrambles to its front feet, sitting on its butt and that fin-like tail.
"Stop please" it repeats.
"Did you just talk?" you ask both in confuse and interest.
"Yes, I can talk, but no one ever wants to listen." Its ears laid flat and its head tilted towards the ground. "Everyone just thinks I'm a monster."
Everything in your gut tells you to run. Every cell of your screams that something is wrong. But you are a learned man, and would not let yourself fall into the prejudice. No, you would not allow yourself to judge on an emotional whim. Suppressing all your unease, you take a slow, cautious step towards the creature. You make it back on the path, but still leave enough room to react incase.
"What do you need? And what are you?" You ask.
The creature's head looks up. Its eyes glow in the setting sun. "Thank you." It whispers, almost strained. "Just knowing somepony cares already helps."
Somepony?? You mentally question.
It continues "You cannot make my wing grow back. Nor will money do me any good." It pauses and looks directly in your eyes. Behind its eyes you see hunger and desperation. "I could really use something to eat."
You look at the poor creature, still finding it creepy; no, not it, him. You find him creepy, but you sense of danger diminished, by the moment. Whatever he is, he is nothing more than lonely and hungry.
"I live just a ways away. You could come and have some sausages with us." You offer with a smile. Although it was mostly the pride of having done a good deed.
"That would be great!" the excitement evident in his voice. "My name is Kyle and you?” He seems to be smiling genuinely.
"Dave" you reply.
"Well, Dave can you help me up."
"Sure." For a moment you eyes seem to obsess with Kyle's fangs. Perhaps still a little nervous, you take a breath then confidently walked over to Kyle and offer him your hand. Stopped for a moment and ask: "Do you stand on two legs or four?" You still know so little about him.
A second of silence passes. The sun touches the horizon, and then Kyle laughs. Any tension left evaporated at that moment. "I mostly fly, but if I walk it would be four."
You pulled him off his butt and onto four feet. He is surprisingly lite.
Kyle smiles. "I know this might seem weird by no human ever dared to touch me before. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Where I'm from hugs are the highest form of gratitude. Would you mind if I gave you a huge." He looks away, “I mean, I understand if you do not want to."
It is an unusual request, but you could tell it truly is important to Kyle. You give a hesitant "...okay." Then bending down on one knee. You find yourself at eye level and arms open. He needs love too, of course, he needs love too. You do not know what horrors others might have put him through.
Without hesitation, Kyle jumps right into the gap and grabs you tightly. What you mean to be a quick hug drags into seconds. You stomach reminds you of the sausages as the hug goes from a joy to an annoyance again. The sun drops fully below the horizon, and daylight vanishes by the moment. As the hug continues, your nervousness returns. You attempt to disengage, but Kyle just holds you more snuggly. You wife would be worried that before long. Then the realization stuck you. He would never let go. If you wanted out, you would have to break out.
Then again sausages are not that important and do you really care if my wife panics. Exhaustion feels you, but the not the soreness of your body. This is fatigue of the mind.
When Kyle finally lets go, you fall to your hands and knees. You attempt to get up, but your body ignores you completely. Kyle floats up above you with his suddenly working pair of wings. He picks you up and carries you into the woods, where he starts encasing you with a green goop. You do not make a move to stop him. You're not even sure if you care.
Kyle then says, "Thanks for the meal. It was delicious." Green fire then consumes his body. Once the flame died, you see yourself in him place. Its last words to you, "don't worry I'll take good care of your wife." Kyle then leave and you still do not care.
Author's Note
I rewrote this in 2nd person as a bit of an experiment.
