Nadia and Jumko just stared at each other in silence. They didn’t know what to say. Jumko was lying flat on a table. His arms and legs securely fastened down. He could barely move. He was naked, bald and hairless except for a small towel covering his still rock-hard cock. Nadia would briefly look at him, but for the most part just stared at the floor in front of her feet. She couldn’t look at him. She’d never seen him so defeated. So helpless. She felt pity for him.

“So Ziv hey?” Jumko sneered, finally breaking the silence.

“Yeah”, Nadia replied meekly. She glanced up at Jumko’s angry face and glanced back down. “He’s the only warrior I know”, she continued, “I don’t know any of the other warriors. He’s always been a good friend.”

Jumko just continued staring at Nadia and the silence continued. Eventually, Nadia approached the table and stared down at Jumko’s eyes. He could see that Nadia was upset. She had tears in her eyes.

“I wish I was getting married to you,” she sobbed.

“Untie me Nadia”, he asked.

“What?”

“Untie me. Let’s run off together. We can go live in the jungle. Just us. We’ll have our own wedding.”

“Jumko... I can’t.”

“Nadia,” he whispered, “we always spoke of just running off together...come on let’s do it.”

“Jumko”, she wept, “that was before the ritual began...You’re a Gulaka now and I’m going to be a maiden. We can’t just run away... they’ll come looking for us...they’ll send the whole army... and my family will be banished...and you’re mom...she’ll be banished too...you don’t want that do you?”

“What about us?”, Jumko asked, “We can be together. Like we always wanted.”

“Jumko...we can’t...our families. I don’t want to run away with you if it means my family and your family will be banished... they might even be executed...and if we get captured...they’ll make an example of us.”

“We won’t be captured.”

“What if another tribe finds us? The Yaztaks, they’ll make us slaves.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Jumko...”, Nadia pleaded as she began to rub his face, “even if we live happily ever after, our families will suffer and I just can’t bring that pain on them. You understand don’t you?”

Jumko just stared at the ceiling and sighed.

“I don’t want to be eaten”, he revealed.

Nadia continued to stroke his cheek. “You’re not going to die”, she replied, regurgitating religious dogma. “You’ll be reborn as my son and I’ll love him just as I love you.” Jumko looked at Nadia and she was smiling sweetly back. Jumko just sighed in defeat. Nadia didn’t understand his predicament.

“I know it’s hard for you”, she began, “...but it’s hard for me too.”

Jumko shot back an angry and confused look at Nadia.

“Hard for you?”, he questioned harshly.

“Yes”, she continued, “I don’t want this. I don’t want to marry Ziv... I haven’t even had time to myself... ever since yesterday...it just feels like everybody is pushing me to do things I don’t want to do... I ask to be left alone...but there’s just this immense pressure...I didn’t even have time to think and already everyone wanted my answer like right away. Marry Ziv. Why don’t you marry him? You should marry him and so on...and now tomorrow I have a whole day of school...I just want some time to myself...It’s just one big rushed blur...it’s a flowing river and I can’t seem to just stop and breath...I’m upset Jumko...I didn’t want things to be like this.”

“Sounds terrible”, Jumko replied sarcastically, “didn’t realize that being forced to marry someone and then HAVING to go to school was so terrible. I’m glad I’m getting shrunk and eaten, definitely sounds WAAAYYYY BETTER!”

Nadia looked up at him in shock.

“Jumko...”, she pleaded.

“WHAT!”, she shouted back.

“It’s hard for me...”, she wept.

“Is it!?”, he snarled, “I’m the one who is getting shrunk and eaten Nadia! You’re going to eat me and then you’re going to fuck Ziv! You’re going to fuck him and have incredible sex and I’m going to be digested inside your stomach! How is your life hard!?”

Tears where welling in her eyes. “You’re not going to die”, she winced.

“This isn’t fair...I was supposed to marry you...It’s not supposed to be like this!” he blurted in anger.

“You promised me”, Nadia cried, “You promised me you would be a warrior.”

“Ziv got lucky”, he replied, “I had him. I was going to beat him. But I slipped.”

“But you didn’t beat him”, she corrected. “He beat you.”

“SO YOU’RE JUST GOING TO MARRY HIM, FUCK HIM AND EAT ME THEN... IS THAT HOW IT WORKS”, Jumko shouted. He was irate about being reminded of his loss to Ziv.

“What am I supposed to do?” Nadia sobbed. “If I don’t get married, my family will be ashamed of me.” She started to cry. “I don’t want to eat you... but if I don’t, someone else will... and it’ll break my heart to have someone else’s son have your spirit.” Nadia looked up at Jumko.

“I’m not eating you because I want to”, she continued, “I’m doing it because I want you to live on as my son. I’ll love my son as much as I love you.”

“What about not eating me”, Jumko begged, “keep me around as like a friend. I know I’ll be shrunk and everything but we’ll still have our talks and stuff.”

Nadia just stared in confusion. “I can’t do that Jumko...what about my son? He won’t be a good warrior if he doesn’t have the spirit of a Gulaka.”

“What about me?”, Jumko pleaded, “I’ll still be alive. Please don’t eat me.”

“Jumko...”, Nadia whispered, “aren’t you honoured to be a Gulaka? You’re not going to die.”

“I am Nadia...you’re going to swallow me ... I’m going to die in your stomach.”

“Jumko”, Nadia reassured while rubbing his face, “that’s not true...you know the truth, your spirit is going to be infused into my son.”

“What if that’s not true Nadia? What if it’s all a lie?” Jumko asked.

Nadia removed her hand from Jumko’s face. Tears were falling from her cheeks. She looked down at him.

“It is true!” she protested. “I can understand you’re upset I’m marrying Ziv. I can understand you don’t want to be a Gulaka even. But what about my son? ... Don’t you want him to be a warrior? He will need the spirit of a Gulaka.”

“HE’S NOT GOING TO BE MY SON!”

Nadia placed her hands over her mouth in shock. “Do it for me”, she pleaded. “At least do it for me. I want my son to be a good warrior. Do it for me.” Nadia stared at Jumko, studying his face. She was looking for sympathy, for compassion. She was greeted with anger and contempt.

“Why are you being so selfish?”, she asked while holding back tears.

“Selfish! Me? ... oh, oh I’m sorry I didn’t realize NOT wanting to be food was soo selfish... oh no, go ahead, just eat me ... so your stupid son will be a good warrior... I’ll just die so you can feel like a good mom.”

Nadia stood up and wiped away tears with the back of her hands. “I hate you”, she sniffed. She then stormed out of the room. Jumko could hear her sobbing to his mother in the other room. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it sounded like his mother was consoling her. Eventually he heard the front door close and lifted his head to see his angry mother enter the room.

She stood at the foot of the table. Both hands on her hips. She looked cross.

“JUMKO!”, she shouted. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?”

Jumko just lay his head back down and stared at the ceiling. He really didn’t need this right now. He felt his mom slap his shin.

“LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU!”, she demanded.

Jumko didn’t lift his head. “LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!”, he shouted back.

There was a deafening silence. He just continued to stare up at the ceiling. Hopefully his mom would leave soon. Suddenly he felt the cloth covering his hips be tossed aside. He lifted his head to see his mom grab his dick. He suddenly realized that it was flaccid. All the fighting with Nadia had finally caused his hard on to go away. However, this realization was short lived as he stared in shock as his own mother with his cock in her hand, lifted it up and while staring at him, landed a hard slap on his bare testicles. An immense pain shot up his spine and caused him to cry out in anguish.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?”, his mother demanded.

“Mom, what are you ...” Another hard slap on his reddened testicles. “AH!” he cried out in pain.

“DON’T EVER TALK BACK TO ME AGAIN!” She screamed as a third hard slap was inflicted on his swollen balls.

“Mom ... please....”, Jumko pleaded as he felt a fourth slap on his bruised genitals.

“I’VE HAD JUST ABOUT A ENOUGHT OF YOU”, she began, “YOUR ATTITUDE STOPS RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” Yuli slapped her son’s testicles in two quick successions as Jumko flailed in pain.

“Yes.... yes...”, he begged, hoping the pain will stop.

“I worked really, really hard to get Nadia to agree to have you as her Gulaka and you might have just gone and pissed it away.”, she exclaimed. She slapped his balls again. “Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

Jumko was breathing heavily in distress. He lifted his head to look at his mom. She was standing at the foot of the table. Bent over. Her right hand gripped his penis and was holding it upright as her left hand was placed close to his bare, red, swollen balls, ready to strike.

“Now I’m going to have to talk to her again”, she continued, “and see if I can convince her you’ve changed. But I won’t have to convince her ... “, Jumko’s eyes light up in fear as he watched a wicked smile form across his mother’s lips. “You’re going to convince her...aren’t you honey?”, she asked as she slapped his balls again and again and again.

“Ah ... stop ... mom ... stop”

“Are you going to be nice to Nadia? Are you going to be her good little Gulaka?”, she asked as she continued to relentlessly slap her son’s testicles.

“Yes ... yes ....”, Jumko pleaded. His mom stopped. Jumko looked at her.

“Yes what?” she demanded.

“Yes I’ll be good to Nadia. Yes I’ll be a good Gulaka.” Jumko looked at his mother. Pleading. She just stared back with angry eyebrows. An awkward silence ensued, punctured by Jumko’s heavy, anguished breathing. His mom released his cock from her grip and in his horror he noticed that he had a massive boner again. His body was defiling him. Yuli stood back and strolled over to the shelves to get the jar of sleeping salt.

“Why do you make me hurt you Jumko?”, she asked rhetorically, “I thought I was a good mother, I thought I raised a good son, but it turns out I raised a little cunt.” Jumko was taken back at these words. Yuli turned around with the jar in her hand and noticed her son’s throbbing cock. She cocked an eyebrow and looked at his face with disgust.

“A little perverted cunt”, she added. She then strolled over to stand beside Jumko and bent down. Her face was uncomfortably close to his.

“You’re not lying to me are you Jumko?” she asked softly.

“No.”

“Did you enjoy me slapping your little balls?”

“No.”

“Cause it sure looks like you enjoyed it. Perhaps I need to punish you in other ways.”

“No. Please. Don’t”

“You promise you’re going to be good?” his mom asked.

“Yes.”

Yuli bent down and gently kissed his forehead. She then rose back up and took some salt from the jar and rubbed it across his upper lip.

“You better be good from now on”, she threatened, “I don’t like hurting you Jumko...but I won’t let you embarrass me either. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make you be good...” Yuli retracted her hand after she finished rubbing the salt under his nose and bent back down.

“...it’s what mother’s do”, she whispered. “Now get some sleep and think about what I’ve said.”

Jumko was paralyzed with fear as he went unconscious.

---

Jumko awoke with a panic. He was now face down, his face placed over a hole that allowed him to stare straight at the ground. His nose and mouth free to breath. He felt a towel was draped across his buttocks. It was morning. He could hear his mom humming in the room. He tried to move and the plank he was lying on rattled as he failed in vain to move is secured limbs.

“Morning honey”, he heard his mom chime. He heard her slippers shuffle across the room. He felt her presence by his legs. “Did you think long and hard about our conversation last night?” she asked. Jumko was silent. He didn’t know what to see. He was also slightly terrified. He felt the towel be removed only to be replaced by the hard surface of wooden spoon making small circles on his left buttock.

“Hmm...”, his mom continued, “are you going to be good from now on?”

He felt an immense sharp pain as the wooden spoon cracked on his behind.

“YES!”, he pleaded, “I’ll be good. I promise. I’ll be a good Gulaka. Please, just don’t hit me.”

“Good”, his mother whistled.

Jumko just lay in silence as his mom hummed while rubbing some shrinking lotion on the backside of his body. A tear welled in his eye. He felt defeated. He resigned himself to the fact that his life was practically over. He couldn’t escape. He was going to be eaten regardless of what he thought. The worst part was that nobody seemed to understand his distress.

“Nadia is going to come by after her lessons today”, his mom piped up. “You better be nice to her okay dear.”

“Yes I will”, Jumko replied quickly, fearful of any repercussions. Jumko just lay in silence. Fearful to even move. His mother continued humming as she rubbed the shrinking lotion over his entire body. She didn’t say any words either. Eventually she finished. Placed a towel over his bum and left the room. Jumko just lay there in silence. He thought about what Xanthe had said. He was seriously contemplating being her Gulaka instead. He wondered if life as her pet would be better or worse than being eaten by Nadia. He wished he could convince Nadia not to eat him, but she had always been religious. She had always believed in the teachings of the Huhmtakil shamans.

He knew that Nadia would feel happier eating him than having him as a pet. She obviously cared deeply about her yet unborn son. Jumko wondered if he could even convince Nadia to let Xanthe take him as her Gulaka. If he could find some alone time with her somehow perhaps he could persuade her to allow this. Maybe there was a way he could avoid being eaten after all. It seemed as though it was his only hope.

Hours passed by. His mom would occasionally enter the room and rub the lotion over his skin. Jumko just lay in silence. She hummed while she worked. Nothing was said. Eventually, he heard the front door open and Rachel and Nadia entered laughing and giggling.

“How was marriage school honey?” Yuli asked.

“It was crazy”, Rachel answered as she and Nadia entered the dining room.

“How so?”, Yuli inquired.

Rachel blushed. “They taught us everything about sex...they even showed us all the sex positions in the Karma Sutra...There’s SOOO many it’s crazy.”

“Oh I know dear”, her mother responded, “they really do go into a lot of detail, it’s just so you’re ready for your wedding night. So that everything is perfect.”

“Some of the positions didn’t even look possible”, Rachel continued, “There’s this one move, called the flying monkey or something and the girls is like upside ...”

Jumko moaned in disgust. “Do we have to talk about this now?” he asked.

“Let’s talk about this later, okay dear”, Yuli suggested to Rachel. Rachel grumbled: “Whatever... he’s just upset because he doesn’t get to have sex.”

“Rachel, dear, don’t be rude”, Yuli scolded. “Now, how about you two girls give me a hand and rub some of this lotion onto Jumko here. Oh and Jumko, don’t you have something to say to Nadia dear?” Jumko felt a wooden spoon being pressed onto his buttock. He wondered if Nadia could see this. He gulped, then sighed.

“I’m sorry Nadia”, he began, “I’m sorry about yesterday. I was upset and I wasn’t thinking straight. You’re right ... I am selfish ... I’m sorry ... I’ve thought long and hard about our predicament and I ... I ... I want to be your Gulaka.”

“Oh Jumko”, Nadia responded as she rubbed the back of his neck, “thank you ... Thank you so much ... I know it’s hard on you too ... I promise I’ll make your last few days the best days of your life ... I’ll be very good to you.” Jumko cringed, he knew Nadia couldn’t see his face, but he felt the emptiness of those words. What could Nadia possibly do to make these last few days his best. She was going to eat him. He just sighed. There was nothing to say ... not with his mom there.

“See Nadia”, his mom chimed in, “I told you he wanted to be your Gulaka. He’s just been very cranky lately being tied down and all. All part of the process, isn’t it honey?” Jumko felt his mom squeeze his calf muscle.

“Yes mom”, he replied meekly.

“Oh ... poor Jumko ... can’t move”, Rachel teased as she began to tickle his underam. Jumko flailed at these touches and grunted in anguish.

“Stop teasing your brother”, Yuli scolded.

“So what else did you girls learn at school?”, she asked.

“Well ... we learnt how to cook and weave and how to fix battle wounds and how to care for babies ...”, Rachel replied. “... and sex, lots about sex”, she snickered. “I want to try all the sex moves in the book”, she added.

Yuli just giggled, “That’s quite the undertaking honey, you might need to drink like 8 cups of wedding wine to pull that off.”

“Which one was your favourite one Nadia?”, Rachel asked. Jumko groaned in anguish.

“Let’s talk about this later honey”, Yuli suggested, “Not really appropriate conversation right now.”

“FINE!”, she moaned, “... oh my god! Nadia! Tell Jumko about what Xanthe did!”

“Oh Jumko you won’t believe this”, Nadia began. “Well remember how Teod became a weapon smith? ... Well Xanthe went and told the high priests that he failed the 2nd bout on purpose cause he was scared of becoming a Gulaka or something ... apparently the refs suspected this and when they confronted Teod, he confessed to doing it... You listening?”

“Yeah”, Jumko responded.

“Well, the priests are pissed. Apparently even the king is angry. Teod’s family is also really ashamed ... anyway, they’ve all agreed that he should be shrunk on purpose ... and worst of all, he’s going to be given to Xanthe as like a reward or something for coming forward.”

“Ugh”, Rachel piped in, “She’s such a bitch ... she’s going around telling everyone how she’s going to wear him as a necklace, she’s getting Rara’s mother to build her one and she’s going to like put a jade between his legs or something.”

“Yeah”, Nadia continued, “can you believe that? Poor Teod, I can’t imagine having to spend all day with that horrible bitch. Poor thing’s going to be hanging from her neck listening to her talk. I’d just kill myself if that was me.”

“She sounds like a terrible person”, Yuli added.

“Oh she is”, Nadia responded, “She’s the absolute worst, like nobody likes her.”

“I can’t believe that Baden asked her to marry him?” Rachel complained.

“Oh I know”, Nadia snarled. “She loves rubbing it in everyone’s face how he’s the Warrior of Warriors and everything ... like my fiancé is better than your fiancé”

“Who is this person?”, Yuli asked.

“Oh, she’s like a super bitch mom”, Rachel responded. “Today she boasted how her babies are going to be the most beautiful ever. I wanted to puke.”

“..and during sex class”, Nadia continued. “When they were showing the really difficult ones, like basically telling us not to try them and she’s all like: oh my husband and I will do that one for sure, he’s super strong, we can handle it”

Rachel pretended to gag. “I hope she chocks on Baden’s cock”, she joked. Rachel and Nadia both burst out laughing.

“Don’t be mean girls”, Yuli suggested.

“What was that one that Xanthe said she was going to try first on her wedding?” Rachel inquired of Nadia.

“The bridge”, Nadia replied, “Where the guy arches his back and you like sit on top of him. Your feet are off the ground”

“Oh yeah, that one looked like fun, I want to try that one.”

“I want to try the banana peel one”, Nadia responded.

“Which one was that?”

Jumko grumbled and coughed loudly.

“Oh hush!”, Yuli shouted, “the girls are obviously excited about what they learnt in class, just grow up.”

“Can you guys talk about this somewhere else?” Jumko asked.

“Yeah, let’s talk about it later”, Nadia suggested.

“No, I want to talk about it now”, Rachel protested.

“In a bit”, Nadia said.

“Just tell me what the banana peel one is?” she pleaded.

“It’s the one where you are like wrapped around the guy, he’s standing up and your arms are like free. He’s like bouncing you up and down. I want to try that one”, Nadia giggled while blushing.

“Do you think Ziv can lift you?”, Rachel teased. Jumko heard a loud slap.

“Ouch!”, shrieked Rachel.

“I’m not that fat you slut”, Nadia responded after having just jokingly slapped Rachel.

“You are a slut!” Rachel jeered back. “You were the one asking like a million questions about the penis.”

“Whatever you whore, you weren’t even listening as you were ogling all the sex positions in the book.”

“Girls”, Yuli sighed, “calm down, you are acting like a bunch of 10 year olds.”

For the first time since Nadia and Rachel had arrived home there was silence. Jumko closed his eyes and sighed softly to himself. If they could see his face, they’d see his anguish. It upset him that Nadia was already thinking about her favourite sex moves and he wouldn’t be the one taking part with her. His thoughts were interrupted as the short silence ended.

“Mom?”, Rachel asked in a hushed tone, almost embarrassed at the question she was about to ask. “What is sex like?”

“They didn’t explain it to you dear?”

“Not really, they just said it felt good, that’s all, but what does it really feel like?”

“Oh come on!” Jumko protested, “Can’t you talk about this somewhere else.”

“Be quiet Jumko!” his mother demanded. “This is a very important question, just ignore it if you don’t want to hear it... do you want to know too Nadia?” Nadia nodded. Jumko felt his mother’s hands lift off his body and he could hear her stand up.

“Well,” she began, “when you guys drink the wedding wine you’re going to start feeling this like itch ... in your you-know-what ... not something that can be scratched ... it’ll be like an intense desire to like put something in it. You know. You’ll really, really want to have your husband’s you-know-what. When he rubs his hands between your legs, it’ll feel like it’s on fire. It’ll be pulsing and I’m sure like you learned today, it’ll be wet too. The desire is just incredible... if you’re hungry or thirsty, forget about it, all you’ll be thinking about is having your husband. You know. Doing it.”

“Jeez mom”, Rachel complained. “We’re not like 5 anymore; you can say dick and cock and fuck and all of that.”

Yuli giggled. “Okay sweetie. Anyway, you’re just gonna want to fuck.” Yuli laughed out loud. “All you’re going to think about is dick and having it in your pussy. And this itch, this desire won’t go away and it’ll just get more intense. Anyway ... once you are with your husband ... once he puts his dick in you, it’ll feel like it’s completely filling you up. At first you’ll think he’s splitting you in two like a log, but it’ll feel so amazing... it rubs you all over on the inside... it’ll feel like it’s right up to your neck..and then...” Yuli paused. Jumko felt both Nadia and Rachel’s hands lift off his body. They were both listening intently.

“Then ...”, Yuli continued, “...He’ll start fucking you and his cock will move all over the inside of you, like rubbing you ... and these feelings, like a really good massage and a good tickle and a little like static shocks and the feeling you get when you swing down from a tree or go over a waterfall... All those really good feelings, they all combine into one and they are created... It’s like a drum beat, each beat, these little feelings are created and it feels like they are being stored in your body...it’s like his penis is creating this feelings, putting them inside you...and these feelings just build and build... it feels like a pot is starting to fill up with these incredible sensations. You place a lid over the pot and try to hold them in... the pressure just builds and builds until you can’t hold it anymore and then...” Yuli paused again. There was a brief moment of silence.

“WHAT!?”, Rachel demanded.

“And then you just like explode ...”, Yuli continued, “...honestly, you feel like you’re going to die, all those feelings just like explode out of your body...your brain just like fries or doesn’t even work anymore, you can’t see, or feel, or breath, the feelings just run all over you body and it feels so fucking amazing, you don’t want it to stop... honestly, you’d think you were in heaven or something... like the god’s were touching you. And like the drum beat, the feelings explode again and again out of your body... all your muscles contract and you’ll probably scream, but not because it hurts, but because it feels soo good you don’t even know what’s happening... it’s like a scream of joy...and then eventually the explosions die down and you’ll feel soo incredibly relaxed ... like everything is just amazing ... you won’t be able to think, you’ll just be tingling all over, you might even struggle to see properly cause your brain is like rattled or something...hopefully your husband gets his orgasm at the same time as you and then you just lie there...in each other’s arms at perfect peace...”, Yuli paused again. “You know,” she continued, “you guys are so lucky because the wedding wine is going to make you feel that over and over again for hours on end, it will honestly be the best sex of your life, you won’t even have that pleasure again, so you need to make the most of it.”

There was a long pause as all three of them just stood there, contemplating.

“Can you two finish up here, I need to go to my room for a bit”, Yuli asked.

“Sure thing mom”, Rachel replied, “thanks for that info, I can’t wait for my wedding.”

“It’ll be the best night of your lives girls”, Yuli added as she strolled out of the room.

“I’m so excited”, Rachel exclaimed, “doesn’t sex just sound amazing?”

“It does”, Nadia replied, “Your mom looked flustered ... you think she’s like ... you know.”

“Oh gross”, Rachel retorted, “Don’t make me think of that.”

Nadia giggled.

“I want to have sex like right now”, Rachel blurted out.

“See”, Nadia teased, “you are a slut.”

“Whatever ... we’re all gonna be huge sluts on Sunday.”

“Begging for dick hey?”, Nadia giggled.

“Yeah, you’re gonna be like Oh Ziv, give me your cock, I want it now”

“Oh yeah, we’ll you’re gonna be like Oh Fremm, let’s do the crazy monkey, and then the doggy one and then the other 200 sex positions.”

“AH SERIOUSLY!”, Jumko protested.

He felt their hands start to rub the lotion into his skin again.

“Jeez”, Rachel exclaimed to the whole room, “someone’s upset he’s not going to be having sex. Am I right?” Nadia was silent. She suddenly felt uneasy about what she had been saying. She realized that all this talk must have upset Jumko because he wouldn’t be having sex. She leaned down close to him.

“Sorry”, she whispered, “I just got carried away. I’m sorry.” She rubbed the back of his neck. Jumko was silent, Nadia still felt uneasy. The awkward silence that suddenly developed was deafening.

“I need to go home”, she eventually blurted out. “I’m done on this side”, she indicated the areas she’d applied lotion.

“Okay Nadia”, Rachel responded, “I’ll see you tomorrow, MWAH!” Fake kisses were blown. Nadia left the house and Jumko was alone with his sister still rubbing the last remaining parts of his body with lotion.

“Are you upset?” Rachel asked.

“Huh?” Jumko responded, pretending to be ignorant. He knew what his sister was asking. He just didn’t want to talk about it and hoped she’d give up asking.

“You know”, she continued, “about like, Nadia having sex with Ziv and all. I know you had a huge crush on her and all and now she’s going to like eat you and fuck someone else. That must really suck hey?”

Jumko was just silent. That realization did suck. It stung like hell and he was struggling to cope with it. He had made peace a while ago that he was not going to be marrying Nadia, but he still was clinging onto hope that he could avoid being eaten.

“It could be worse you know”, Rachel suggested, “I mean, you could like be like Teod and be worn like a piece of jewellery... Imagine that, having to be with Xanthe all day long ... do you think she’s going to be wearing him while she’s having sex with Baden? That would be like super weird. I’d rather be eaten than have to endure that.”

“At least he doesn’t get eaten”, Jumko muttered under his breath. He pondered again on what it might be like to be Xanthe’s pet like she promised him. He was sure she’d torture him somehow, but with Teod around as well, at least he’ll have company. He just needed to figure out a way to convince Nadia that this was a better idea than being a spirit for her son. He wondered how he could approach the subject with her without making her angry. If she got angry, his mom would be even angrier and that thought terrified him.

“All done”, Rachel chimed as she lightly tapped Jumko’s back. “I’m going to bed now, I’m exhausted, I’ll see ya tomorrow bro”, she announced as she strolled towards the exit. Just before leaving, she paused and looked back at her brother.

“Hey Jumko”, she assured, “don’t worry about things bro, you’re going to be reborn, remember that, your spirit is going to live on. That’s better than dying a hungry labourer, isn’t it?” Rachel paused and then left the room. Jumko was left in silence. He had a million thoughts running through his brain. Eventually, he was too tired to think and fell asleep.