...
Equivalant exchange: Nina and Alexander's happiness and innocence has been stripped away; in its place, pain and anguish. It isn't the pain you'd feel after a heart break; it is much worse. It is more like the feeling of all of the blood in your heart has been turned to one massive stone; heavy, cold, and suffocating. But the stone is still able to pump the remaining blood through the veins; this blood is hot, and feverish, sending spikes of pain through the entire system, clotting in the brain and tormenting the lungs.
And with this pain, is anguish; a feeling that can only be described as loneliness and misunderstanding; that passionate yearning to know "why," even though no one will answer. But the anguish is not only of a little girl's wondering why she is in so much pain; it is also of a dog, feeling so much betrayel and suffering along with her. But because the girl was more dominant in intelligance, the girl was given the lucky task to feel all the pain and anguish for both of them, while simply wearing the dog's body and canine-instincts.
But because Nina is so young, and so trusting of her precious Daddy, she could only accept the pain and whimper at her Daddy's warm touch beneath her feverish skin.
He spoke to her.
She remembered what he told her, but it was hard to process. The words seem to hold no meaning, yet have a very important meaning at the same time. Struggling between no answering and answering, Nina stared at the ground.
Then she reminded herself that she knew that man who spoke.
It is Daddy.
Daddy would never hurt Nina. Daddy loves Alexander. Good dog. I love you Nina. Listen to Daddy.
"Hello..." the chimera said in a low, watery voice- the voice twisted and almost horrorfying to hear. "...father..."
The pain in her chest increased, and she looked back down- a pair of strong arms clasped around her neck, and Daddy was shouting in her ear, into the sad, dark room; "I've done it! I've really done it!"
And now Nina is tilting her head into her Daddy's loving embrace, while he starts to laugh. She smells the faint scent of grass and sunlight on his clothes, and pictures the world outside that she loves so much. She remembers running after a boy to tackle him down, and watching Nina play with the large boy that smells like metal. She remembers picture after picture Nina has drawn and given to Daddy. She also remembers the smell of the ashes they made when they burned.
Another wave of pain swam through the chimera's body, and she opens her mouth weakly. "Can we... play now...?" she asks Daddy.
Playing means "fetch!" and "hide-and-seek."
Playing means laughter; happiness.
Daddy promised.
Daddy is still holding onto Nina. His body is shaking as a low chuckle/sob courses through his body. "I did it..." he whispers.
Nina repeats the question, "Can... we... play, now?"
But Daddy stands up and says, "Not now, my chimera. You need to be a good girl and stay here while I get you some food."
Food. Hunger. Hungry?
No. Just pain. Hurting...
Nina watches Daddy go to the door and start to leave. "Da...ddy..." she whimpers after him. The pain catches in her throat, and she stands up urgently, and steps towards the door, struggling to form words. "Why...hurting...?" she pleas at last.
But Daddy turns at Nina with a cold expression, the door open, knob in his hand. The light pours from behind him, creating his silhouette. "No! Sit!" he scolds her, his face tight with anger.
No! Bad dog...
Nina sits, her head low.
Daddy smiles again. "Don't worry." he says. "You just need to bare with it a little longer." He closes the door and snuffs out the light.
Nina stares down at her five-fingered feet, wondering if the food will be yummy, and waits for Daddy to come back.
Through all of this, the chimera's tail never wags.
...
He was going to impress the state alchemists for sure! No doubt about it; he would get his lisense renewed and a reward, even. A chimera that actually understands human speech! It was remarkable!
He makes his way into the kitchen with a smile on his face. With hastey fingers, he snatches a can of dog-food out from the pantry, and tries to pry it open on the counter-top.
He should hurry; what if this chimera turns out like the other one, two years ago, and ends up wanting to die? Frowning hard, his fingernails scrape against the can like a knife against a car; one nail bends backwards in a violent snap.
With a cry of shock, he drops the dog-food (which clanks against the floor) and looks at his wounded finger. The nail is back in place, but a vivid red line is across the bottom of it; blood leaks from under the nail, and it pulses with its own heart-beat.
Grumbling, he bends down and picks up the can and finds the can opener beside the sink: the lid comes off very easily. He pours the wet mixure into a bowl, then starts walking down the hall.
He should spend as much time as possible with this chimera; make sure nothing goes wrong. It was his duty as an alchemist to protect his creation as if-...as if it were his own daughter.
But it wasn't his daughter; it was just a chimera. A very rare, beautiful chimera that needs to be supervized.
He smiles to himself.
In his hand, the bowl of dog-food begins to stink.
He quickens his pace, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He wonders if the chimera would even eat the dog-food.
...
Daddy comes back as promised. Or did he promise?
Nina doesn't know; she doesn't know a lot of things she used to know. This leaves her more shaken than ever, her body rushing with pain- attacking her very fiber of being.
The room is quiet; the smell of danger is gone; only the faint smell of rot remains.
Daddy is good to Nina. Good to Alexander.
But why must she hurt so much?
When Daddy came into the room, Nina was a good dog and stayed where she was told to stay. Daddy places a bowl in front of her. She looks down into the bowl and sniffs it.
It smells good.
Nina ducks her head down, opening her mouth, revealing her human-like teeth. She laps up the food with her tongue, then begins to chew.
It tastes very odd, as if she shouldn't be eating it. But her canine memory kicks in; this is food. Food is good. Hungry.
So she keeps eating. As she eats, her back is being rubbed by Daddy, who squats beside her, talking to her softly. As she eats, her chest feels as if it is caving in; as if her ribs are twisting against each other. But her stomach growls, and the pain is mistaken for hunger, so she eats more quickly.
"Slow down, chimera," says Daddy, his warm hand brushing down her mane. "Don't eat so fast."
Nina slows down, then gags up what she swallows in a loud purge. She looks up at Daddy slowly with a sad expression, wondering if she was going to be scolded.
But Daddy doesn't notice. He is rubbing his hands together with a huge smile on his face, staring off at a stack of books.
Daddy is happy.
So Nina will try to be happy, too. Then maybe they can play together. She starts to eat again, more slowly, even as the pain comes.
...
He couldn't help but be more and more excited as time ticked away; in a mere twelve hours, the State Alchemists would arrive and reward him for his great achievment. So absorbed in his self-centered thoughts, he didn't even notice when the precious creation choked.
He smiles at the stack of books, remembering every word he chanted, every word he memorized over the long, grueling two years after his wife's death. His happiness was almost insane.
He looks over at the chimera. "I cant keep you in the dark forever." he tells it. "In fact," he stands up, touching a hand to his shirt, smoothing it down. "I am going to make a call."
The chimera watches him, so he looks down at it, and notices the dog-food-bowl is empty. "Good girl," he tells it, retrieving the bowl. "Now stay here." he leaves the room quickly, excited, and closes the door.
He walks with a stride full of confidence down the hall, his head held high, a smile glued to his worn-out face.
He sets the bowl into the sink and smacks the faucet upwards, allowing the water to turn on and flow into the bowl. While this happens, he turns to the telephone and takes it off of the hook. He dials the Colonel, and asks for Edward. After several minutes, the boys arrive at the telephone, tired and confused.
"I have something I want to show you." he tells the boys. "How soon can you come over?"
Six minutes later, he hangs up the phone, and walks to the sink. He watches the water over-flow the bowl.
He will show the boys his amazing creation, and they will praise him for it. His name will be shouted across the word; scientists will offer will millions to just see the talking chimera. He will be like a god.
He stands with his head bowed over the sink for about ten more seconds before shutting off the faucet.
...