The Tyger and Dog:

Simone’s Notes:

There comes a time when people come a decision when both options are not pretty. What can one do? Sometimes it depends on their life. Sometimes one or both things they find valuable is at steak. Nobody wants to lose what they have. But they do not have a choice. The options are there right in front of them. They have to choose or lose it all. But it’s not always easy at times…

Kate sat alone under the shady grove in a daze. She looked as if she was going to cry. “For seventeen years now, I was a normal girl.” she began. “Loving family, good grades, treasurer of the abstinence class. I am lucky to have friends like the ones I have. They will always look out for me. Ginny and I have been friends since we were four years old. We’ve been together for a long time. We even made the promise of from cradle to grave. Gin has been so great to me. She’s like a second mother to me. Sure sometimes gets a little bit too wrapped up in her job at times, but it’s only out of good intention. *Giggles softly* Hunter is like my older brother. He defends me when Ginny can’t. He is so cute and Irish. *Blushes* I sometimes fantasize about him playing rugby. I don’t know; Hunter has the body for it! Ooo!!! Jakob’s kind of cute too! He’s very kind-hearted. I had just met Mikey four months ago. He’s very nice as well. I’m lucky to have friends like them.” The light from her face began to fade away. “But,” Kate began. “This is beyond their help now. I was a normal girl until I became pregnant! It was small and difficult. But since everyone now knows about my predicament, I feel like a martyr for the innocent. *Eyes begin to water* Until now, I haven’t seen the Hell I have been living in. It’s bloody awful! *Sniff* All I want now is…”

[Earlier today]

Kate was up and dressed in the morning. She peeked into the kitchen silently. Her parents were already eating breakfast at the table. The young mother-to-be froze for a moment. She couldn’t withhold the news any longer. “They have to know this!” the girl thought. “I can’t keep this from them anymore!” Kate swallowed hard. She didn’t want to do this. But, she couldn’t keep them in the dark anymore. Kate took a deep breath. “Well, here goes!” she thought. Then, the young mother-to-be walked into the kitchen. Her parents were still eating when they heard footsteps. They slowly looked up to see their daughter. Kate felt so small staring at them. Her mother slowly lowered her fork. “Kate, sweetheart,” she said. “Is there something wrong?” Kate felt like running away. But she strengthened up. “Don’t back down!” she thought to herself. “I’m pregnant!” Kate announced at last. Her parents stared at her in shock. “WHAT?!?” her father yelled out. His daughter swallowed hard again. “I am pregnant by four months!” she repeated. “B-But how?” her mother asked. “You’re a virgin!” “I know!” Kate yelled out. “So what are you going to do?” her father asked in slight panic. “I don’t know!” she cried. “I just don’t know!” “Do you check at the hospital?” the mother asked aloud. Their daughter nodded. “And the results?” the father asked. Kate looked away in sorrow and shame. “Positive?” the father asked. The daughter nodded in shame again. “Are you going to keep it?” the mother asked. “I don’t know!” her daughter wailed out. “I just don’t know!” That finally question broke her down. Kate cried and ran off in tears.

The young mother-to-be roamed around the city in sorrow. She felt like an outcast now. The girl was worried about her parents blabbing the news all the way into town. Kate winced at the thought of everyone knowing her little secret by afternoon. She felt like crying again. “What have I done?” the girl thought. “Now my classmates will look at me like a slut and my poor parents will go crazy to find out who the father is! Why did I decide to them for?” Kate felt like crying again. “What can I do?

Around the corner, Nyious and Envy were watching her. “Aww…” the homunculus said. “Mommy and daddy know and they made the little sap cry!” “Easy now,” the deity soldier told him. “She’s a sad little puppy who has just lost her way!” Envy turned to him smirking. “Uh-oh!” he called in sly voice. “Call me crazy, but I think you have a thing for this girl!” Nyious only shrugged. “What does it matter?” he asked straightforward in a somewhat sad tone. “I can never have her ever!” Envy just smirked at him. “You’re an odd one!” he called. The deity solder just shrugged again. “It’s how I am!” he replied. Then he began to walk forward after the young mother-to-be. Envy began to follow behind Kate in silence with his pal.

The young mother-to-be walked into a juice bar. She sat down at the counter stressed. She even put her head down and sighed hard. Could things get any worse than they already were? Sadly, the answer was yes! The bar tender walked over to her in concern. “Can I help you anything?” he asked her. Kate looked up at him stressed. Silence passed between them. “I don’t care!” the girl called at last. “Just give me anything!” “Okay!” the bar tender replied. Then, he went to the drink machine, pulled out a glass, filled it with red grape juice, and handed it to Kate. The girl took it and began to drink. “So,” the bar tender began. “When’s the baby due?” The young mother-to-be looked up in huge shock. “What?!?” she asked aloud. The tender just shrugged. “I just heard the news!” he replied. “So who’s the lucky father?” Kate began to silently freak out. “Oh no!” she thought in a panic. “My parents have already told everyone! I’ll be a laughing stock now!” “There is no father!” Kate said quickly. “Are you going to keep the baby?” the bar tender asked. Kate couldn’t answer that question. “I… I don’t know!” the poor girl cried out. She just slowly rose to her feet and began to run away in fear.

For the rest of the day, Kate walked after the city feeling like a sinner. Every eye was on her. They were probably wondering how she got pregnant if she was still a virgin. Maybe they were wondering who the father was. Or maybe they didn’t really know and just wondering why she was so down for. Was Kate imagining the pain? Was she losing her mind due to stress and guilt? The girl looked down at her light pink painted nails. Ginny had taken her to get a manicure the weekend before school got out. “You may be pregnant,” her friend told her in happy confidence. “But I for one refuse to let you let yourself go!” Kate looked at her confused. “What are you trying to say?” she asked in concern. Gin just smiled at her. “Just that a little summer touch-up will cheer you up some.” Kate began to smile. “Okay!” she said. Then, they went to the nearest beauty salon.

Usually when Kate looked at her brightly pink painted nails, she would start to feel happy again. But this time, that reliable remedy failed her. Kate just felt like crying again. Then suddenly, something caught the girl’s attention. She looked up to see two old ladies whispering to each other. They were staring at her as well. Kate quickly grew suspicious. She began to slowly back away nervously. “Not again!” she thought in a panic. “Why can’t this elephant just leave me alone?” The girl felt like crying again. “What’s wrong dear child?” one of the old women asked. Kate was too sick with grief to answer. Instead, she just ran far away in tears.

Nyious and Envy trailed Kate all the way out of the city. The homunculus was about to approach her when the deity soldier stopped him. Envy looked up at him. “I’ll handle this!” Ai-Oni’s brother whispered. His pal just shrugged. “Thanks!” Nyious said. Then, he went on ahead. Envy watched quietly. The deity stood over Kate. Feeling a shadow being cast of her, the girl slowly looked up. Her “angel” was standing over him. Even though she felt safe again, Kate still didn’t cheer up. Nyious put on a mask of pity for her. “Aw,” he said as he knelt down to her. “What’s wrong Katie?” The girl froze for a moment. Then she said, “I’m lucky to have friends like them. But, this is beyond their help now. I was a normal girl until I became pregnant! It was small and difficult. But since everyone now knows about my predicament, I feel like a martyr for the innocent. *Eyes begin to water* Until now, I haven’t seen the Hell I have been living in. It’s bloody awful! *Sniff* All I want now is…” Nyious waited for her to finish. “…Is to be a normal girl again!” Kate pleaded at last. “I just want to wake up from this nightmare and go back to my quiet little life!” Then at long last, the young mother-to-be broke down into tears. Nyious held her tightly to his chest. “Aw, don’t worry,” he said in a fake sweetness. “I’m for you. I will always be here for you!” Kate just cried against his chest. Envy just watched from a distance. “Sap!” he thought as he shook his head while smirking. The curtain had only just gone up on the Ai-Oni’s little dark stage.