Only Human

Realizing I left my bag somewhere not with me, I coerced a key from reception. Back safe and sound in my hotel room, I took a long bath, and went to bed, praying the morning would be better.

The next morning, I felt a weight on my bed as I shifted slowly from sleep. My eyes cracked open against the hazy gray morning outside my open curtains. I swore I closed those. I sat up slowly, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and beheld a small white figure staring up at me intently.

“Ah!” I plastered my back to the headboard, blinked a few times, and willed the hallucination away. When it remained, I gawked in disbelief. “Buttercup!” I exclaimed.

“She insisted.” Said the deep bass of a familiar voice. I noticed the heady scent of the desert, coupled with the bleached clean of the room.

I turned my head to where Samael sat in a chair by the open window. A warm breeze fluttered through. I shook my head slowly. “How...” I shook my head faster then stopped, and frowned. “What are you doing here, and for that matter, how did you get into my room?”

Samael looked none too embarrassed or ashamed as he answered. “We climbed in the window.”

I squawked. “You what?!”

A little scorpion popped up at the foot of the bed, and pushed my purse toward me. “You weff dis bahaid!” She squeaked.

“Oh.” I reached out and dragged the purse toward me. “I checked through it, but couldn’t find the key card. “Where’s my key card?”

He looked at me slowly. “Daisy has taken in.”

I started. “What? Why?”

He stood, walked over, and sat down onto the bed next to where I sat bewildered and groggy. “She insisted she bring you breakfast.” Samael looked a little annoyed; he also seemed to be limping slightly, but I didn’t mention it.

I nodded slowly, and went to get out my cell phone, but it wasn’t there, and neither is my wallet. “Okay, who raided my purse?”

Samael walked to the foot of the bed, and picked up two small children. One was the girl who pushed my purse onto the bed, and held my cell phone, the other clutched my open wallet with a guilty moue on her face.

I held out my hand. “Can I have those back now, please?”

They shook their little heads.

“Azalea, Pansy, give Kate her belongings.” Samael jostled the girls.

“eeeg!” Azalea dropped the wallet, and giggled as Samael jostled her again.

Pansy tossed the cell phone onto the bed, and wiggled to get loose of her father’s grip.

I snatched the items, and opened my wallet to check for anything else missing. “Where are all my pictures?”

Samael turned to the smaller one dangling from his right hand. “Pansy. Where are Kate’s pictures?”

She reached into a niche on her person, and pulled out my plastic holder for all my wallet-sized pictures. She grinned, and held it up, pointing to one in particular.

“Baybee!” Pansy beamed.

I grabbed the pictures, and stuffed them into my purse.

Samael let the pair to the floor where they disappeared behind the bed. He watched them crawl over to the table, and sit under it giggling. His gaze returned to me, and I tried to avoid it. “You have offspring?” He asked.

I sighed. “I adopted him, it’s a long story, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

Samael moved Buttercup to his back, and sat down in her place. “Kate, if we are going to be together, you must tell me the truth.”

I goggled him. “We aren’t together, Samael! I’m a tourist on vacation, not some girlfriend-for-hire! I’m not interested!” I sniffed as tears started spilling from my eyes.

Samael opened his mouth to answer, but a knock made him look at the door. He stood and answered it. “There you are.” he said. “Where have you been?”

“There’s so much good food downstairs, papa! I had to get some for Kate when she - Kate!” Daisy beamed. She carried a tray of food from the breakfast buffet, loaded with French toast, scrambled eggs, and a whole array of things that made my stomach growl. “I brought you breakfast. How are you feeling? Are you still mad at papa?”

I slumped. Just slumped, it was all I could do. “You did not just get me breakfast, after everything I put you through yesterday?”

Daisy grinned. “Papa loves you.”

Samael elbowed his oldest daughter.

“What? It’s true, you said.” Daisy pouted angrily at him as she pushed the tray of food onto the table.

Pansy and Azalea leaped up as their sister turned her back, each snatching a piece of French toast, and ducked back under the table again.

Daisy turned back. “Hey! That’s for Kate!”

“No, Daisy, it’s fine.” I waved a hand at her. “I can’t eat all that food myself.”

Daisy let the two younger girls have their toast back, and folded her arms. “But they just took it.”

I folded back the blanket, and shuffled over to her. Crouching isn’t easy when you’re tired, but I managed. “Daisy, listen.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “They’re little kids, and they seem to have a knack for stealing things.” I glanced at my purse. “I would rather they steal food from that tray than get into my purse again, and besides that, I really can’t eat all that food myself, but thank you for getting it for me.”

Daisy made a resigned sigh. “Okay.” She unfolded her arms, and climbed onto the chair by the table. She eyed a piece of fruit then glanced at me.

I nodded. “Go ahead.”

Daisy took the fruit, and chomped into it.

I sighed, and looked to where Samael stood.

Samael made a curt bow. “I have an errand to attend to, He’na. I will return at the end to of the day.”

I gawked at him. “What? You’re leaving?” I looked at the three children all munching on food. “But I’m not a babysitter! I’m here on vacation, Samael, Vay-kay-shun!”

Samael took Buttercup from his back, and set her on the bed on her back. “I will return this evening. I’m sorry to impose, He’na.” He moved toward the window, and climbed out, ignoring all of my other protests.

I propped my hands on my hips, glanced at the baby rolling a little side to side then glared at the window. “Wait a second!” I marched over, and looked over the edge. “Samael! Samael, you get back here! Sam-! Aahhhgh, nevermind.” I walked over to the table, and plopped down in the chair opposite Daisy. I felt one of the girls pat my leg with a slobbery hand.

“Come on, you two.” I nudged the girls under the table with my foot. “Eat at the table, not under it.”

Azalea and Pansy climbed onto my lap before I could protest, and dug into the scrambled eggs. I decided to just go with it, and let the girls eat. I reached around them, snatched a mini bagel, and sat back. I looked to the bed where Buttercup was now laying on her stomach, head turned toward me, her big, pink eyes blinking only occasionally as she stared at me.

“So, Daisy,” I asked, muching the mini bagel. “what’s so important that your father left you four in the care of a total stranger without so much as a please or a thank you?”

Daisy shrugged, piece of toast sticking out of her mouth. “He said he had an errand.”

I nodded. “Oh, it must be very important, to leave you all behind…with a stranger.”

Daisy shrugged, but said nothing.

Both my eyebrows rose. “Oh really?”

“ah know! ah know!” Azalea craned her neck back to look at me between her pincers. “Papa go to shee da mail man!”

Daisy started

I looked at Daisy, who sat back in her seat with a guilty pout. Azalea swung her legs back and forth, and continued to eat.

“So…your father, Samael, came all the way out here, so I could watch you…while he goes to the post office?” I raise an eyebrow at the young scorpion girl, but when she only shrugged, and I sighed, and decided to give up.

Pansy’s eyes grew wide.

I started. “What?” I glanced at Daisy.

Daisy opened her mouth then closed it again, and averted her eyes.

This whole situation was starting to disturb me. I slid Azalea and Pansy off my lap, and stood. I stared at Daisy a moment, who I decided wasn’t very good at looking unconcerned.

“Oh well,” I shrugged. “Guess I’ll just have to go find your papa.”

“NO!” Daisy and Azalea shrieked.

“Then tell me what’s happening! I refuse to be a part of this if your dad is going to make it a habit of disappearing all the time!” I pulled on my jacket, and started to leave. Why did I care? Why would I care if Samael wanted to go off and get himself in trouble? I glanced at the four girls each in turn. Daisy stood just behind me, looking hesitant. Azalea clutched Daisy, and kept glancing between the two of us like she wanted to do something, but didn’t know what. Pansy sat crouched under the table, sucking on her fingers nervously. Buttercup wiggled a bit on the bed, but didn’t seem at all bothered by anything besides the fact that she couldn't see me.

“Why did your dad leave you here to go talk to a mail man, and why can’t I go find him?” I asked, looking right a Daisy.

Daisy still kept her mouth pressed shut, the dark brown skin around her mouth starting to turn white with the pressure.

“Fine.” I picked up my purse. “I’ll just go out and find him, and when I do, I’ll just ask him myself, or maybe he’ll be with this mail man, and they can both explain it to me properly.”

I heard a chair fall as I opened the hotel room door, and then two pairs of arms grabbed me from behind, and held me.

“If you go, papa will die!” Daisy wailed. “Don’t go, Kate, don’t go, don’t go! Please, I’ll tell you everything!”

Azalea just wailed.

“Alright!” I closed the door, and looked down at the children holding me.

Daisy released me.

“Now,” I turned to look at her. “Tell me everything. And I mean everything!” I folded my arms, and leaned down to her eye-level.

Daisy nodded.

It turned out, the mail man was the name Samael had given to the girls when they asked “where did you go” on some occasions, but Daisy in her infinite curiosity had followed Samael once, and almost gotten them both killed in the process.

“He’s a rock spider.” Daisy sniffed, and rubbed her tear-swollen magenta eyes. “The leader of the rock spiders. Papa goes to talk to him, and make deals so the rock spiders leave our village alone.”

I nodded. “Okay...” I thought for a moment then asked. “What’s a rock spider?”

Daisy bit her lip, and looked around. “Do you got a piece a paper and a pencil?’

“Yeah, sure.” I retrieved one of the hotel pieces of stationary, and a pen. “Is a pen okay?”

Daisy nodded. She took the paper and pen to the table, pushed the mostly empty tray of breakfast food aside a bit then started scribbling out on the paper.

“Ah! Aaaaah!” Pansy hit the piece of paper.

“Stop it.” Daisy nudged her aside.

I walked over, and picked up Pansy, who clung to me with one hand, and pointed at the paper with the other, wailing softly.

Daisy held up the piece of paper. “This is a rock spider.” she said.

Pansy shrieked, and hid her face in my shirt.

I stared long and hard at the picture. “It looks like a spider.”’

“They’re charanchulas.” Daisy said with a frown. She crumpled up the piece of paper, and threw it across the room.

Azalea ran over, stepped on the piece of paper, and spit a raspberry at it with her tongue.

I looked back at Daisy. “Why does your daddy have to make deals with them?”

Daisy folded her arms. “they’re bad spiders, and they wanna kill the Pandinus.”

I nodded. “Okay.” I adjusted Pansy on my hip as I thought some more, and started to put the pieces together. “Why specifically does Samael have to make deals with him?”

“Cause he has to.” Daisy shrugged. “He has to give ‘im something.”

I was stunned, absolutely, and completely. I sat down slowly on the side of the bed facing the table. “What does he give them?”

Daisy looked uncomfortable again, and shifted her magenta eyes back and forth. “Um, well...” She twiddled her fingers, and bit her lip as tears started forming in her eyes. “I don’t know.” I narrowed one eye at her. “Honest, Kate! I don’t know, but I know he doesn’t like it! Papa won’t talk about it, and says don’t worry, but it just makes me worry more!”

“Daisy” I gently grasped the girl’s face in my hands.

The oldest Scorpion girl’s eyes went wide.

“That’s normal, to be worried.” I assured her before releasing her cheeks from my hands. Daisy nodded then rubbed her face after I released her. “So, let me get this straight. Your papa does deals with the leader of these rock spider guys so they don’t attack your village, you don’t know what he deals them, but you know it’s scary because Samael won’t talk about it?”

Daisy nodded.

I squinted one eye. “Why doesn’t the leader of the village do the deals?”

Daisy started. “Papa is the leader of the village.”

“Oh.” I twiddled my fingers together as I stood up straight. “He is?” I raised both my eyebrows.

Daisy nodded.

I thought about the old scorpion who’d called me a fool, and scrunched my nose. “What about that old one that insulted me? That’s not the leader?”

Daisy laughed. “Nooo! That’s my gramma!”

“Oh...again.” I stopped twiddling, and thought briefly. “Well, that explains why she was so hard on me, she thinks I want her son.”

Daisy grinned. “Papa wants you too, you know. That’s why we came all the way out here to see you! Oh, and give you back your purse.” She flitted a hand at the purse on my shoulder.

I sighed. “So tell me again why I can’t go save your papa?”

Daisy looked nervous. “Papa doesn’t need saving. He brought us here ‘cause he trusts you.”

“He does?” I started. “Since when?” I propped my hands on my waist, and frowned at her.

Daisy giggled. “Since you said you thought Hook would rape you, which is still plain stupid.” she folded her arms. “Hook doesn’t know how to rape someone, he just sells icky slugs.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it.” I stood up, not sure if Daisy really knew the meaning of the word rape. My curiosity got the better of me. “Daisy, do you know what rape is?” I asked.

Daisy gave me a martyred roll of her magenta color eyes. “A’course I do! It’s when - “ she looked to where Pansy sat under the table then at Azalea who was cooing and playing with Buttercup on the bed. She stood on tiptoe, and cupped a hand to her mouth. “It’s when some bug has sex with you, and you don’t wannem to.”

I goggled her. “You’re very informed.”

Daisy tilted her head at me. “How come?”

“Well,” I thought briefly. “I know a few four year-olds who don’t even know what sex is, let alone rape.”

Daisy laughed. “A’course not! I didn’t know until I was six!”

I eyed her suspiciously. “How old are you?”

“Seven.” Daisy grinned. “How old are you?”

“Er, twenty-three.” I replied.

“Wooow! Papa would say that’s old for a human!” Daisy beamed as she fingered a grape.

Pansy wandered over, carrying Buttercup, and pushed the infant onto my lap before climbing up. I had to do a few clever maneuvers so Pansy didn’t crush her sister, ending up holding Buttercup, who wanted to climb over my shoulder as Pansy hunckered down against my bosoms, looking like she was about to fall asleep.

“Really?” I chuckled. “It’s not that old. How old is your papa?” I picked off a piece of a cinnamon bun, and held it to Pansy on my lap. She ate it off my finger with a tiny hum of glee.

Daisy counted on her fingers then answered. “A hunderd n’ twenny three. Heeey! If you take off the hundered then you’re the same age!”

I sat gaping at Daisy while Pansy gleefully suckled my finger of sticky bun frosting.

“Kaaate?” Daisy leaned across the table, and patted my head. “Your face is gonna stick that way if you don’t stop.”

I took a deep breath, and picked off another piece of bun for me. Pansy voiced a complaint, and I held out my finger which she happily suckled again. I looked at the little scorpion on my lap, and noticed for the first time, she was white like Buttercup with a very slight grayish opacity to her.

“Daisy, how come Pansy’s sucking my finger?” I asked.

Daisy leaned over the tray, and looked at her little sister as best she could. “Pansy does that when she likes you. Azalea only does it when she’s scared now, and I don’t do it anymore.”

“Do not!” Azalea shrieked.

I changed the subject back to the most puzzling thing Daisy had said all morning. “Wait, back up, your dad is a hundred-and-twenty-three? Years?”

Daisy nodded with a roll of her eyes. “Well, duh, whadja think, he was a hundered and twenny three hours old? Even Buttercup’s older n’ that.”

“Yah, she oller n’ dat!” Azalea agreed.

I looked down at Pansy, who’s eyes looked ready to close for a good long time.

“She has bitty sharp teeth.” I muttered as Pansy’s sucklng my finger turned to weak gnawing. She yawned, and I moved my finger out of her mouth, and wiped it on a napkin.

“Oh yeah, she’s teething, too.” Daisy said as she chewed a pastry of some kind.

I nodded.

Pansy climbed up to my shoulder, and maneuvered, making me sit forward.

“What, Pansy?” I stood up. “Here, lay on the - ...hey, Pansy, let go.” It was impossible to pry the small child off of my shirt. She clung with strength I hadn’t suspected, and seemed to be falling asleep. “C’mon, girl, I wore this shirt to bed. I can’t put a bra on if you fall asleep.”

“Sleepin’.” Azalea cooed.

I sighed. “Ahhh...damn. Well,” I looked at the clock. “It’s not even nine, we’re still in pajamas, and we’re almost out of food. I need water.” I eyed the mini fridge I had filled with water, asked Daisy to get a couple of bottles, offered the girls some which they eagerly accepted, and carefully made my way over to the bed with two kids on my shoulders, and sat down. I chugged half a bottle then looked at the girls. “I don’t know about you, but my body is making me choose more sleep, or get busy, and I’m on vacation.”

Daisy and Azalea exchanged a glance. “So what now?” Asked Daisy.

“Simple.” I shrugged.