Story

[lolotehe]

I have an animal in my house.

There is a thing, in my house, right now, that isn't the same species as me.
I know people who don't even like other people if they aren't the same race, but this goes way past that.

We aren't similar at all. I walk upright, but this thing walks on four paws. Yeah, it has paws, not feet. It's so different from me, we have different names for the same things and that's just in my language. It even has parts I don't have, like a tail and whiskers.

It does not have a big toe, nor has it ever stubbed a toe. I guess walking on paws has its advantages.

But, there is an animal in my house. There is a...creature in my house.

We are similar in many ways, but that's mostly because we're from the same planet. We have some basic agreements, the animal and I, but that's mostly based on me being bigger. It's only one eighth my size. I can pick it up, but it's strong enough to make me put it down if I'm not careful.

Oh, the animal can jump at least five times its height and I can hardly jump half of my height.

And it has claws.

On its paws.

It can see in the dark. It has long teeth that it uses to sever the spinal column of its prey. It does that! It can kill quickly, but won't most of the time because "playing" with something about to die is more "fun".

I let it watch me sleep.

It has no place in its brain that would light up if it was "laughing". Sheep can laugh. Dogs can laugh. Even rats can giggle if you tickle them, but this animal in my house cannot laugh.

Nor can it taste sweet things.

This animal has a brain too small to understand what love is.
This animal would never try to save me from an attacker.
This animal would kill me if I woke up tomorrow and I was only an inch tall.

But not quickly.

This animal is now on my lap; not to comfort me, but because it wants to be there. I let it, because it's comforting to me. This animal is an evil hypnotist.

This animal is very soft.

This animal is purring.

This animal is my responsibility. I have to take care of it because I took it inside and made it my animal. I know I'll live longer than it will, and it will eat what I give it to eat, and I have to give it something to eat.

And when it gets scared, it comes to me for comfort. It buries its face in my elbow and looks to me to protect it, because I'm so much bigger.

We're not even the same species, but this animal is my baby.