"Changes"
His human was gone.
Breakfast had been served, a pleasing mix of mangos and flies, then Harry had spent most of the day basking in the sun.
Once the sun had fallen, he'd returned to the shack he called home and awaited dinner. It never came. Hours went by and Richard never showed his face.
When this usually happened, one of the other people who sometimes came to visit would feed him instead. Harry waited but soon gave up, going to the bed for a nap. Perhaps he'd get awakened by Richard in the morning.
Dawn came and still no sign.
Harry started to worry.
He'd put a lot of time and effort into making his presence known, slowly getting it through Richard's head that the shack was his and Harry was only letting him stay because there was room to spare.
With his feeding schedule off, Harry was forced to hunt for himself. To choose between fruit and insects for once.
When animals died in the wild, they usually wandered off and out of sight. Harry wondered if that had happened to Richard as well. But the island was big and he could only travel so far each day to try to confirm his theory.
One day, as Harry sat on the shack railing, a familiar car pulled up. He went into action, racing inside to sit on the table where he usually greeted Richard.
Except it wasn't him. No, it was the pack of humans he traveled and spent time with after work. Harry's disappointment was high.
Carrying boxes and paper bags, they trooped into the shack and began grabbing Richard's belongings. The books he sometimes read aloud to Harry. The tongs he used to grab any insects that had the misfortunate of crawling inside.
Harry knew it could only mean one thing: his human wasn't coming back.
Digging his claws into the book he sat on, Harry put down his head and silently mourned.
The trio worked their way through the shack with precision, only the woman among them, Camille, freezing upon catching a glimpse of Harry.
Her breath caught. "Harry." She knelt down before the table, her eyes soft. "Everything's been so hectic. I didn't…I'm sorry."
While Harry wasn't fluent in human language, he had learned keywords over the years. Camille's apology was appreciated.
"Are you hungry?" She stood up, calling out to the man in the kitchen area. "Are there any mangos in there?"
"Why, feeling a little peckish?" Dwayne asked lightly.
"It's not for me, idiot. It's for Richard's pet."
Pet. It had been the other way around for Harry. Richard had been his.
"Oh." Dwayne came out of the kitchen carrying a knife and mango. There was a glass jar under his arm as well. "I guess that explains the dead insects he was storing in here."
"Yes, thank you."
She took the items he handed her and prepared a meal in short order. Sliding the small plate towards Harry, she then turned and started pulling books down from the shelf across from him as Dwayne and Fidel continued to work around him.
As appetizing as the food looked, Harry found he wasn't that hungry. He left the plate alone and crawled up the side of the bookcase.
"You probably don't understand what's going on, but Richard didn't leave because he wanted to," Camille explained. "He'd definitely be here if he could."
Harry was sure she was right.
The trio finished up in another ten minutes or so, Richard's belongings slowly disappearing into the back of their Jeep. It felt like they were trying to erase all traces of his human's existence altogether.
Camille lingered in the shack as Dwayne and Fidel entered the car. "You coming?"
"I'll stay awhile yet," Camille said, coming to stand outside on the porch. "Make sure we didn't leave anything important behind."
Harry watched as she sat down on the steps, the car leaving soon after. The sun was nearly down on the horizon.
Left alone, Camille made a quiet sound, her voice uneven. She hung her head a moment later.
Scurrying towards her, Harry sat at Camille's side as she cried. His own grief laid bubbling underneath the surface, never to be properly excised.
When Camille finally blew her nose and wiped at her face with a tissue from her pocket, she peered at him. "Keeping me company like a proper gentleman, huh? Richard would approve."
Cocking his head, Harry climbed up her hip, settling on Camille's knee. Occasionally, when Richard had been asleep, Harry had slept on him, the human's immense body heat a large draw in the cool nights.
"Now that behavior on the other hand…" Camille laughed roughly. Slowly, she reached out and when Harry didn't move away, patted his head lightly. Her hand was warm.
Harry closed his eyes as she petted him, making a small squeak. While it didn't go a long way to making him feel better about what he'd lost, Harry appreciated the comfort anyway.
Eventually, her hand fell away and they watched the sun disappear together.
There was a new human in his shack.
They called him Humphrey.
Curious, Harry watched him from afar. He waited until Humphrey had settled in, going for the shower to clean up.
It was time for the test.
Once Humphrey was situated underneath the water's spray, Harry slipped into the tub, sitting in the far end away from the human's large feet.
"Wonderful water pressure for such a simple system," Humphrey muttered after about five minutes had passed. He turned around to wash off the white stuff he'd put into his hair and jumped slightly.
"Oh, hello." Humphrey winced as the soapy mixture threatened to drip down into his eyes. "I wasn't aware I had a guest."
He was a little larger than Richard, his skin darker in tone. Yet he had gentle eyes and seemed at ease with Harry's presence.
Yes, he supposed he wouldn't mind bunking with another human. So long as they kept the food and company consistent.
Leaving Humphrey to the rest of his shower, Harry went back outside. Camille was waiting, her back resting against the railing.
Harry sidled up the wooden pillar next to her. She glanced his way with a raised eyebrow. "He's a nice man, Harry. A little clumsy, but I think he'll fit in well."
She smiled. "Take good care of him, will you?"
Harry vowed he'd do just that. He'd keep a close eye on this one.