For once, Empanada wasn’t spending her day glued to her groupmates’ sides. She was outside, the sun shining warm and welcoming on her scales.
There were lots of creatures in the grass, she found. Either the simulations had never bothered to create them, or perhaps she had simply never noticed, but the grass was teeming with life. Bugs, she thinks they’re called.
Bright red and black ones scuttle about. Long, flying ones hover above, darting from place to place. Big, shelled ones slowly scoot across the ground.
Her favourites are the marching ones, though. They’re pretty small, but there’s so many of them it’s impossible to count. All of them follow the exact same, invisible pathway, one after another. Em sits, crouched in the grass, transfixed as she watches them trek across the dirt.
There’s a strange sound all of a sudden, coming from somewhere to the right of her. She jolts, grabbing her plushie, Crêpe, and holding her close.
Across the field, emerging from the bushes, is a strange beast. It has long whiskers, an even longer tail, and pointy ears. It’s pupils are slits, it’s form lithe and agile as it makes its way tentatively towards her.
Em glances down at Crêpe, then looks up again. It’s a cat, a real cat! She holds very still, careful not to spook it.
