GrrGrrr approaches the body cautiously; I suppose he will also say the prayer, so I stand beside him in silence and wait. However, to my surprise, he takes my hand and makes me place it on the adult's chest. Oh crap, I think he expects me to pray this time, along with him; I try to pull my hand away, but he puts it back again. I don't feel good doing this; I try to remove it and he puts it back and says my name and his while we have our hands on his chest. It can't be! Could it be that …? No, no, no, no, he pronounces our names and makes the same sounds of sadness. Of all the corpses we came across, he only paid his respects, but this one is different; maybe because.......................... or my God, what should I feel and do in this situation if it's what I suspect?

What do I do? GrrGrrr insists that we have to pray together, and I think he's trying to explain something to me that, for obvious reasons, I don't understand, but that doesn't mean I don't suspect what he's trying to tell me, family! I have to assume that this reptile is one of our parents! It sounds strange just thinking about it, very strange, to be honest; I already had parents, they raised me, taught me what they could, they weren't perfect, just humans with virtues and flaws; I loved them and they loved me, but this reptile........................... I can't; this is too much. I think I'm about to panic again; don't get me wrong, I knew this could happen, if I was reborn and I'm still hoping it won't, but if it's possible, I have to come out from somewhere and I knew we could find them, but I'm not ready to accept this; I'm afraid that, by doing so, it will mean I'm accepting this new life and that I'll never be able to go back. I don't want to lose that hope, I want to return to my home, to my life.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

GrrGrrr knows I'm panicking, or at least that I'm going through what happened to me in the rift, and is trying to help me. What's happening to me? I must be the most pathetic person in the world, panicking over something I can't control and scaring and refusing to help the only being who has been helping me since I arrived in this hell.

I promised myself to return the favor and earn his trust; and what do I do? I try to distance myself and leave him alone in his anguish, besides making him worry more about me. Damn! I'm pathetic! The adult here is me, or at least in mind and spirit.

I begin to calm down, breathing little by little. If this reptile is one of our parents, well, nothing changes who I am. I don't know if I will ever be able to return to my old life, but if not, I must move forward, even if it hurts, and even if I don't want to. Life is the greatest gift, it has its ups and downs, but that's what living is about, and I will fight for this life and the one before it, if that's what it takes; I will not give up, nor lose hope.

He finally managed to calm me down and tried to apologize to GrrGrrr, although I don't think he understands me. I took his hand and, together with mine, placed them on the chest of someone I assume, if not one of our parents, at least must be someone important to him; I hope to ask him someday.

For the moment, I wait for him to begin his prayer, and I try as much as possible to repeat the same sounds, although it is difficult for me. GrrGrrr takes his time to correct me; in the end, we stand up and, at least on my part, I pray another prayer for whoever my reptilian father was or wasn't, but beyond that, whoever he was, he was someone who gave his life to protect children, and that says a lot.