“…nd this one in Sector D19…yes, a humanoid…poor fella musta got lost in there…yeah, we see that surprisingly often, yeah…”

…?...

“…taken DNA to try to trace living relatives…no, not from what we can tell, but it’s difficult, it’s all mucked up, yeah…”

…who? human? human!...

“…he’s in containment, yeah…oh gimme a sec, he’s stirring…”

…ow that hurt…

Please stay. Please. Stay. Pleassssstay.

“…ticket on the next ship out…”

…loud…

…don’t like it here, loud, cold, small…trapped, trapped…

…let me out LET ME OUT…

…please…

…don’t go, here now, stay, stay, stay…

…no no gone…gone again, never stay…

…please…

…please…

…please stay…

…oh hello!

Friend please stay. Please stay. Please.

Hmm dinner…hunger…eat

Ah, no, friend!

Friend!

Stay

Please

Stay…

Day

What’s this room  This place. Not the Forest. Thank god not the Forest.

I stumble around the room Still trapped. Still. Alone. Endless. Alone with my thoughts.

Oh the sounds. It’s loud here. Buzz, hum, click. Every sound is loud, so loud, too loud.

Large, resounding clunks – oh, ow, too loud – and there is a way out, briefly, briefly.

The door shuts before I can get to it, another loud clang, and I’m left in the not-silence.

Please stay.

The person who opened the door left me food, and water. Good. I gobble it fast, then turn back to the door.

I yowl and howl to be let out, to not be trapped, to have some distraction, any, from the endless, endless void…

Please. Stay.

I shuffle around the room again. Still trapped, endless, alone with my thoughts.

I curl up and try to sleep.

Pleassssstay.