You are an anemone

Not known for your bells of ireland

And you wish for pink camellia.

Sometimes, Glitch wished she wasn’t a walking, doll-size light globe. 

Being on the floor was dangerous. Being in the open was dangerous. 

And where was Glitch currently? On the floor. In the open. Like a freaking idiot. 

Now, she had a good reason!! And surprisingly, she and her fat ass ego wasn’t to blame! It was for food- she had found a decent morsel of leftovers, a large chunk of some sort of nut fruit bar. It had been still left in the wrapper and chucked up onto the fabric tents of the stalls, and it was still fresh- for Glitch, she might as well have found a three course meal. 

Upon spotting it she had hurled ass over three tents to reach it, practically throwing herself on top as it to guard it from a swarm of invisible hands to reach and pull it away from her. It was a perfect find, and her luck to even see it in the dead of night, was stupidly high. But… Glitch wasn't known for her luck. Only her spite. 

The ‘not known for luck’ bit kicked in as she was dragging it back to her little nest in an old rusted electrical box, the closest thing to a ‘home’ she had, when a strong sea breeze kicked in. It was normal, given Water Sunset was quite literally half on water, and Glitch lashed her tail and coiled it around the nearest pole or tattered fabric she could find, her glow the only light source she had. Fumbling for a hold, her hand slipped on the bar slightly, and the wind picked up the glinting wrapper and the bar was blown from Glitch’s grasp. 

She gave a shout as the bar toppled the edge of the stand and fell to the dangerous depths of the floor below, Glitch useless hanging her torse over the edge with one hand out reached, as if it would magically float back up to her hand. “Fuck!” She snapped, slamming a hand on the metal beam of the tent, pain muted due to the fabric and the toughness of her calloused hands, so used to climbing and pulling ropes. 

So here she was. On the floor, due to her spite. To summarise her first point, glowing wasn’t internally terrible. She was just grumpy, and when she was grumpy she tended to lean to the I’m fucked and going to die spectrum than the Its fine I’ll fucking spite it anyway spectrum. On one hand, glowing had many uses. Like, she was the only Tiny that EVER came out at night- the risks that came with leaving your nest so late, without light??? Triple them. No- double them, and then triple them. On the other hand, glowing means it was easier to spot her. Especially at night, when there were no freaking lights on. 

But really- what choice did Glitch have? Food was scarce, she had to make the most of the only time without competition. 

It was dark on the floor, and her heart beat went at a mile per minute, eyes flickering nervously. Everything…. Was so big down here, the stalls suddenly way taller than she imagined, looming over her like massive dark waves about to crash upon her small body. There were so many sounds- low whistles and howls of wind, creaking of the planks of wood, and Glitch hated that she was practically trembling at the thought of how big the giants would be now that she was on the floor. 

There was a sudden clutter, and Glitch froze, still and tilting her head, listening, her small heart racing in adrenaline. Was that a low growl of a beast???? A movement of a giant??? The whirling of a hidden pest trap??

Glitch’s breathing was hitched and hoarse, a cold dread forming goosebumps on her skin. She was still, locked by the knees where she stood, waiting.. Waiting.. Waiting… 

No other noise came, and after far too long, Glitch slowly crept away, heart still racing like a caged baby bird- held in the crushing palms of a malicious monster. Where was it??? She swore it was here somewhere- fumbling in the dark was too familiar to Glitch, even though its feeling was coiled in a sense of unnatural, and cold dread. 

“Mewm?” Came the small whisper into the dark, in the cold space of unknown and unseen.  They didn’t know where they were- what was happening…. It had been warm with the large one of pity smiles and warm touch, but now it was only cold and dark. “Mewmmmm?” 

“Hello, dear… you're new aren’t you?” Came a murmur from the dark. “Oh my, they didn’t even bother to give you clothes, come here dearie, let's get you fixed up,” Soft hands and the small glowing kitling was lifted, tucked against a softer warm frame. “And you glow, no less….. An uncommon thing to have- you're like a glitch,” The warm voice softly laughed. The kitling made a small sound, a happy croon, a reflex forming to cling to the loose torn fabric the elder had so they wouldn’t fall if they let go, nuzzling into the warm.

A lanky tail- soft and seeking, searching for the adults to curl around. The adult ruffled the kitlings hair softly, and smiled, warm and happy, but pity and grief lingered in her eyes. “Do you like that name, little one?” She asked as she ducked into the plastic pet hidey hole, fetching a blanket to cover the poor kid as she began to organise something to form clothes out of. The kitling chirped, curling up happily in the warm lap of the adult and soft fabric. 

“Very well then… Glitch,” 

Glitch didn’t realise she had started crying. The second she did it was all rushed swears and furious scrubbing at her face trying to capture those memories and see how long they lasted if she burnt them to charred crisps. 

It wasn’t her fault. 

She had no choice. 

But a locked facet cant be turned off; it overflowed and Glitch choked on half strangled sobs of heart wrenching guilt. ‘I’m sorry,’ she mouthed to herself, hands gripping the fabric of her shirt tightly over her heart, beating fast and violent like it may burst under the guilt that welled like a furious titan of waves, roaring in the storm it was drawn by. 

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. 

That- that was a mistake. 

Suddenly, something snatched Glitch up, a large hand curling around Glitch’s body with a firm grip and squeezed all the air out of her lungs. Glitch made a choked shout of panic-pain-confusion, her tail lashing and wriggling like a frantic fish within taloned hands, and she tucked her body up as much as possible. She shrieked, twitching as her burning core exploded out in waves of crackling electricity, trying to shock her captor into letting go. 

Instead- the grip tightened, and Glitch whimpered under the pressure, shouting out in suffocated pain at the grip that would surely cause bruises. She head tottled forward to thump against the hand, dots dancing in her vision, and Glitch from this height could see the nut bar that had driven her to the floor to begin with now- and tears fell as the lack of air succumbed Glitch into the dark pit of unconsciousness.

Now unaware- the giant grinned at the parasite in their hands, their newest trophy.