The blade of the lance scratches over the stones as I finish drawing my ‘X’ in the grid in the lowest square in the middle.

O X

The slime thinks for a second, her goo wobbling around as she looks at the playing field that we have carved into the rock from different angles, trying to get an overview. She lifts her hand, pointing to the middle right corner. I lift the lance, drawing the circle there for her.

I stare down at the criss-cross grid at my feet, trying to decipher what my next move is going to be. Leaning against the railing, I rub my chin as I think. I vacantly stare down at the field. The top row is entirely clear. She has an O on the middle left and the middle right. I suppose I need to block the very middle off, or she’s about to win. Haha. It kind of looks like a face, doesn’t it?

O O X

Sensing my intent, I can feel the slime shifting around inside of my guts nervously. But I need to be strong. This isn’t the time for mercy. I’ll do what I have to, because it’s the right thing to do.

O X O X

“Aaaah! Nooo!” bubbles the slime and I laugh, feeling a little happy about having ruined her plan. Well. ‘Plan’ is a generous word. Her plan was to make a straight line from left to right. But you know? Sometimes the simplest plans are the best. Both of us know where this is heading though. There’s only one move left to play and it’s her turn. Neither of us can be the victor today, both of us are doomed to die, having lost our battle of our souls.

She sighs and points to the top field in the middle and I oblige, scratching the circle in for her with a smile. It’s nice spending time with my friend, you know? I don’t get to play games a lot. I feel like I am always busy with work, so it’s nice to do something like this. Both of us look down at the grid, trying to decipher if there is a point to continuing this match or if it’s already locked into a stalemate.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I tilt my head, looking at the board. I think it looks like a little person, doesn’t it?

“Does it?” asks the slime, twisting her head the other way to look where I’m looking, to see what I see.

O O X O X

I nod, showing her. “Yeah, see? Those circles on the side are the arms,” I explain, waving my pointing arm in a circle. “And that one on the top is the head.”

She wobbles uncertainly, retreating back into my body for a moment. I feel her sloshing around inside of my bones, climbing her way up to the inside of my skull. Pressing her eyes back behind mine, she looks out of my sockets towards the board. “Ah! I see it now. He looks friendly!”

I shake my head. “Don’t let that fool you. I bet he’s a huge jerk.” I frown, tapping the lance against the stones, as I draw an outline around the ‘body’ of the man, adding two dots in the head for his eyes.

“Oh no!” she cries, distraught and I nod solemnly as we both look at the man in the stones. I lift the blade of the lance up. The man in the stones stares back at us and I narrow my eyes in suspicion, feeling his gaze on me.

“What?” I ask the man in the stones, leaning over forward to look at him better.

The man in the stone shakes his head, shrugging. “Nothing. I was just wondering.”

“Huh? Wondering what?” I ask curiously, the slime scratching my chin for me as we stare down at the stones of the bridge.

The man in the stones goes on. “Oh, I was just wondering how someone could be so DUMB AND UGLY!”

I gasp in shock, the slime covering my mouth as I pull myself back upright. See?! I told you he was a huge jerk! The slime nods in agreement and I feel her bubbling around inside of me in indignant anger.

“Look at you!” yells the man in the stones, raising a hand to point at us. “You’re so stupid and smelly!”

“Nu uh!” I yell back at him. “You are!”

“I’m not even real! You’re just weird and worthless!” laughs the man in the stones and I lift my lance, having had enough of him. I don’t have time for such negative influences in my life. “I bet you don’t even have real ey-!”

The stone brickwork of the bridge shatters as I smash the lance down into it, destroying the man in the stones. The vibration rumbles through the bridge as several bricks fall down into the abyss, as a chunk of it cracks off on the side.

I sigh. What a bully.

The slime bubbles inside of me, feeding off of the upset and distraught feelings that emanate from my core. Why is everyone so mean down here? Why can’t anyone just be nice? I look at the upset slime who is shrinking away and straighten myself upright. There is no need to be upset. Look. Look! I walk ahead a few steps and lift my lance, scratching a new field into the stones.

Let’s play another game, okay? I’ll even let you go first! She bubbles out of my body, her soapy, yellow eyes looking at me and then down at the board. She seems somewhat unsure at first, but then goes on and points to a square. I nod.

Don’t tell her guy, but I’m probably going to let her win this one. After all, I love sister. She needs to grow some self confidence and as her brother, it is my duty to foster that. That goes for you too, eyeyoume. Let me have this, okay?

Huh…? I blink. Something feels… weird. I look around myself, wondering Why do I feel an urge to eat a rat?

Hmm.

I shrug, wiggling a little with my lower body as I look back down to the board, looking at the spot that she has picked. Lifting the lance, I draw a circle into the rock.

O