I looked around the room that was only lit by candle light. And yet it was still dark. But I could see very clearly. The room was large, and it was slightly dusty, 'cause I had sneezed a couple of times. There were shelves with books as ancient as the dust, and on top of them were jars with things I couldn't describe. And there were cages with creatures in 'em. I did not recognize the animals…they were not animals I've ever seen before. They looked like some parts fused together. I blinked and shook my head vigorously, confused by what I was seein'. What had happened? Did I go to sleep and wake up? It kinda felt like I did.
I couldn't remember anythin'. I just knew that somethin' was different…like, different wrong. But I didn't know what was wrong. I felt the same, but I didn't as well. I wanted to put my hand in front of my face to see it, but some part of me resisted; I opened my mouth and realized it was shaped weird. More like a muzzle than a human mouth.
"You are doing very well," the man said to me.
I shifted my eyesight a little to the left to look at the man. He seemed at least middle aged, and he had light brown hair and glasses and wore a long-sleeved, dark brown coat. It was opened slightly, so I could see that he wore a black shirt underneath it. He looked like an ordinary man livin' a life of an ordinary man.
"Can you say my name again?" he asked gently.
Perplexed, I could only blink at him; I don't remember sayin' any names.
With his index finger, he pointed at his chest, indicating himself. "Shou Tucker," he said.
I blinked again. The name sounded familiar, so I tried it out. "Shou…Tucker…." I nearly flinched. My voice was strange; it still sounded like me but it also sounded like…like it wasn't human. But the man quickly calmed me with his voice.
"That' it," Shou Tucker coaxed gently, his voice soothin'. "I am Shou Tucker."
"Shou…Tucker," I repeated slowly, but surely. It was already easier.
"Excellent," he congratulated. "You are already succeeding in the human tongue."
"Human tongue," I repeated. Really, it was easy.
"It's a shame I couldn't make you more human."
Where am I? I thought to myself. What happened? I…I can't remember…am I still me? Who am I? "More human"? What the hell is he talkin' about? Aren't I human? I still feel human….
"But it should work. It did last time. They'll be amazed by your abilities."
"….Abilities?"
He ignored me. Maybe he thought I was repeatin' like a parrot. "You even managed to keep your human intelligence," he continued to praise me. "You may not look like much, but you are the most successful Chimera I've created."
"….Chimera…?" What is a "Chimera"?
"You'll help me keep my title as the Sewing-Life Alchemist." He chucked quietly to himself. "In fact, you may be the key to the door of more successful experimentations. Thinks about it! You can speak more fluently than any other experiment I've mad, you can do math and read books, and, best of all, you have a personality! I'm so proud of you…."
"….Proud…?"
I looked him in the eye. He said I was amazin', a key to more successful ideas for the near future. I stared down at my body, getting' a good good of what he was talkin' 'bout. I had white legs, paws, black-furred chest and underbelly, and a long fluffy tail the color of bright blood. It was also black-spotted.
Turnin' around to get a view of my back, I saw that I had a pair of small, fragile-lookin' wings. They look useless. I gave the person who created me a worried look, and he, in return, gave me a reassurin' smile.
"As promised, your family will receive a generous amount of money," he said. "Isn't that what you wanted?"
He was sayin' more confusin' words. Family? I don't have a family. Do I? I can't…remember exactly…I don't…want to listen….
….I didn't know what he wanted from me, or what he done to me. But right now he was the only thing I had. I knew that if he left I would be worthless, useless, left for the dead. And I had to answer to him. So with my new-found voice , I nodded and said another word.
"…Yes…."
