So it finally happened. I’d been warned, of course, the minute I’d arrived here with my brothers, only days after we’d been taken from Mother. “The day will come when you’ll be taken…”

Nobody could tell me what it meant, but I gathered from the terrified tremor in their voices that it would be terrible. None of those who’d been taken ever came back.

Today, the big flap opened and the Supreme Being appeared. It rushed in on its spindly, long legs but it sang in its weird gentle voice, as it always did, and everybody relaxed. Too soon! This time there was no food forthcoming, no water, no bedding. Just the voice and the legs, moving this way and that.
I sat frozen in horror until I realized that it was after me. Then I squealed and bolted into my hide-away as quick as my legs would carry me. I closed my eyes tight shut, pretending I wasn’t there. If I couldn’t see the Supreme Being, maybe the Supreme Being wouldn’t be able to see me. But no, it found me anyway.

It lifted me up in its bony claws and I found myself high and higher above the ground. Too high, danger, danger! My heart beat hard in my chest and I scrabbled wildly, but the Supreme was too strong for me. Although, I noted with some relief, it didn’t actually hold me too tight. I could still breathe. And it was still producing that soothing sing-song voice. Maybe I wouldn’t die today. I surrendered and waited for things to come.

But oh, oh. Just when I thought I might be all right, the Supreme Being moved and took me with it. It walked through the flap, removing me from the safety of my home, my world, everything I knew. I was being taken!

I squealed in horror once more, begging my brethren for help, but they did nothing. They couldn’t, of course. Our nails barely seemed to hurt the Supremes and our teeth weren’t nearly sharp enough to defend ourselves. Truth was, we were at their mercy. I quivered and quaked and begged most pitifully, but there was nothing to be done.

Outside, there was a strange and wonderful other world full of mysterious things. I burrowed more deeply into the Supreme Being’s claws. At least I knew it; it was familiar. Quite unexpectedly, it had become my keeper, my keep-me-safer.

On we moved until another Supreme Being came into view. This one was littler. Actually, I noted, there were two of them. That made three Supremes altogether, and they came in different sizes. This was critical information but I had no way of sharing it with the brotherhood. My brain was full to bursting with all this new insight. It was all too much to take in, and I closed my eyes again.

Thus it was that I missed the claw-over from one Supreme to another. The first thing I knew about it was when the smell changed, and I opened my eyes hurriedly. I was, it appeared, with the Littler Supreme. It held me in its claws and they felt just as bony as the other Supreme’s, but softer, somehow, more yielding. Its voice emerged, high-pitched and loud, too loud. I scrabbled in terror but only got more loud voice in return, so I shut up and sat still. The Littler Supreme stroked my back and that was quite nice, actually. I burrowed more deeply and more stroking ensued. I could get the hang of this.

I could probably also get used to the smell. Sweet and… supreme and not at all like us, but not bad. I crinkled my nose and took another sniff. Not bad at all.

Both Supremes started making noises and it appeared that they were communicating. Intuition said it was something to do with me; how I wished I could understand their utterings. Their voices rose and grew louder, and I became scared again. Rightly so. Without warning, the claws lifted me and put me into darkness. At first there was a broad slit of sky above me, but that soon vanished and it grew dark around me, apart from a small, round hole of light here and there.

Dark was fine by me. I liked dark. Dark was safe. I sat still and sniffed. There was a familiar smell in here. I felt around and found that there some of my bedding was here, and some food too. It reminded me a little bit of home and I had a cautious nibble.

Next thing I knew, the sky opened again and my brother fell into the darkness. I cozied up to him gratefully, even before the sky closed again, and I relished the feel and the warmth of him.

“We’ve been taken,” he announced, confirming my worst fears. “But eat least there’s two of us. In this together, hey?”

I couldn’t see his face in the gloom but I knew he was grinning. He’d always been one for adventures. He was probably enjoying himself. Still, with Ro at my side, things could be bearable.

Abruptly, the darkness started wobbling and shifting. Our bedding slid this way and that, and we slid with it until we landed in a corner. Ro and I pressed together tightly for safety and stability. We were on the move.

“What next?” I demanded to know but I received no answer.

********

This is a true story.
Any guesses as to what’s going on here?

Come back next week for the second installment! 🙂