Page 9 of Pet: Torment

Once I reach the steps, the smell of food hits my nose, and my stomach twists as I realize just how hungry I am. My mouth waters as a smell similar to bacon calls to me, and I follow it into one of the few things that resembles the ones on earth—a kitchen.

Remus is at the center. His attention focused on placing the cooked meat on a plate as I enter. The kitchen, though similar to the layout of an Earth kitchen, has Remus’s style all over it. The entire backsplash is a window that reveals more of the mountainscape. But instead of an open flame to cook on, it looks like it’s a flat circle that warms, hence Remus’s cooking.

I quietly sit on the barstool, and just as I do, a floating tray comes from the counter, placing a familiar pink liquid in front of me. I study it intensely, my skin prickling with my nerves as I recall what drinking that means.

“Did you sleep well?” Remus asks, placing a plate in front of me. I eye it wearily, but it looks like bacon, eggs, and toast.

“I thought you didn’t eat…” I say, looking at him in confusion.

He smiles, leaning against the counter as he studies me.

“No. But you do,” he says.

I hesitantly grab a piece of bacon, bringing it to my lips. It’s perfectly cooked and even tastes like bacon.

“Is this…bacon?” I ask, looking at Remus once again.

“Yes,” is all he gives me.

And I can tell by the amused twinkle in his eyes he is waiting for me to ask instead of offering the information as he usually does. He’s making me talk to him. And he knows my curiosity won’t let me pass up this opportunity to speak to him.

“How is there bacon onXyrannis?” I ask.

“I told you, your planet is a resource planet. It’s possible to have goods imported since it’s been a part of our empire for over a decade,” he says.

“Must have been an expensive import,” I say sarcastically.

Remus chuckles, moving to the refrigerator. But instead of opening it with his hand, he uses a gesture, and the door opens. I note that it’s fully stocked with food that looks brand new, all still in its containers and vibrant in color. He moves to the left side of the fridge, his palm flattening to reveal another door, and to my shock, it opens. He then quietly pulls out a block of ice so clear I can see his fingerprints through it. It looks like he’s holding air.

“Believe it or not, this was much more expensive to import than your planet’s unsavory desire for disease-riddled meat,” he says, placing the ice in my glass.

“This came fromCeruleaus. We can only harvest a few months out of the year, making it a luxury to get ahold of its imports,” he says.

I can’t help but laugh as Remus once again reveals something about himself. He likes nice things. Even imported ice from a planet instead of just freezing his own water.

“So you were just slumming it on earth,” I say, earning a charming grin from him.

“More or less. I don’t mind the living conditions thrust upon me if the situation calls for it. And besides, you made it much more bearable,” he says watching me carefully.

His words are a splash of cold water, and I remember I’m supposed to be mad at him. But he speaks before I can shut down.

“How did you sleep?” he asks again.

I hesitate, unsure of whether I should share with him my strange dream. Now that I’ve been awake for a while, I’m sure it’s just another side effect of either being on this planet or the bond. It feels like a fever dream at this point.

“Okay,” I say.

“It will take some time to get used to everything here. But I will try to make the transition as seamless as possible,” he says gently as he moves to clean the kitchen. His movement is graceful as he swipes his hand over the area he was cooking in, and the stovetop disappears.

He’s once again being nice to me, and I hate it even more. I shift my attention behind him to the window that reveals our surroundings. It’s still dark out. I look around the room for a clock to tell me the time, but I don’t see anything that resembles a clock.

“How long was I asleep?” I ask.

“About seventeen hours,” Remus says, and I almost choke on my bacon.

“What?” I gasp.

“Your body is exhausted. You’ve had a long trip, and you’re on a new planet with foreign elements and living conditions,” Remus says.