Blue's life had taken on a routine of sorts—explore the village, make a mental map of the forest, and, of course, avoid getting squished. But today, his curiosity led him deeper into the everyday activities of the humans living around him. He'd gotten quite good at observing without being noticed—or at least, that's what he thought.
Today, Blue decided to follow a group of villagers as they set out from the village. They were carrying tools, baskets, and other supplies, so Blue figured they were up to something interesting. He scuttled through the tall grass, keeping a safe distance, but close enough to see where they were headed.
The first stop was a large, open field on the outskirts of the village. Here, the villagers were planting vegetables—rows of carrots, turnips, and other crops lined the soil. Blue watched from behind a small rock, fascinated by the way they carefully tended to the earth. The rhythmic motions of planting and watering were oddly soothing.
One of the villagers—a woman with a large straw hat—suddenly turned toward him, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the small black-and-blue figure lurking near the edge of the field.
Blue froze, his tiny heart racing. Oh no, she saw me!
Panicking, he tried to hide behind the rock, but in his haste, he bumped his head on it. The dull thud made him wince internally, and he rubbed his pincers over his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. The woman just chuckled softly, shaking her head before returning to her work. Blue sighed in relief, though the sting of his blunder still lingered.
After that, Blue followed the villagers to another spot—this time, it was deeper in the forest. They were gathering wood, chopping down small trees and branches to bring back to the village. Blue watched from a safe distance, marveling at the way they worked together to cut the wood and haul it onto carts. As usual, his curiosity got the better of him, and he scuttled a bit closer.
Unfortunately, one of the men spotted him almost immediately.
"There's that weird scorpion again!" he called out, pointing directly at Blue.
Blue's instinct was to run, but in his frantic attempt to escape, he ran headfirst into a small log, his tiny body bouncing off it with an undignified thud. The villagers laughed, clearly amused by the sight of the clumsy little creature. Blue, now thoroughly embarrassed, scuttled off into the underbrush, nursing his bruised pride.
I'm getting real tired of bumping into things, he thought with a sigh.
Despite his mishaps, Blue's exploration continued. He found another interesting spot—a road on the outskirts of the village where carriages would occasionally pass by. The villagers used this road to hitch rides to nearby towns, and Blue watched as they flagged down a passing carriage, climbing aboard with their goods. He noted the direction they went in, marking it on his mental map. It seemed like a useful piece of information.
By now, Blue was starting to feel more comfortable with his surroundings. He scuttled through the forest, carefully avoiding any areas where he knew the mean scorpions might be lurking. The forest was becoming familiar, its twists and turns etched into his mind as he mapped out new paths.
But just as he was starting to feel confident, something unusual caught his attention.
There, in a small clearing ahead, was a creature unlike anything Blue had seen before. Its body was clear, almost like glass, and it shimmered faintly in the dappled sunlight. The creature wobbled slightly as it moved—its shape was like that of a small, blobby ball, and it seemed to be made of some kind of slime. It was white and almost entirely see-through, making it look like a living pair of glasses.
What… is that?
Blue's pincers clicked as he cautiously approached the creature. It didn't seem dangerous—just odd. He scuttled up to it, watching as it jiggled and wobbled with each movement.
"Hey," Blue thought to himself, his voice echoing in his head. "Can you… understand me?"
To his surprise, the creature wobbled in response, almost like it had heard him. Blue paused, unsure if he was imagining things. He clicked his pincers again, trying to get its attention.
"I'm talking to you," he thought, a bit more confidently this time.
The slime wobbled again, this time shifting slightly toward him, as if acknowledging his presence. Blue's eyes—or whatever he used to see—widened in surprise. It understands me? He couldn't believe it. For the first time since arriving in this strange world, something was actually communicating with him.
He scuttled a bit closer, his excitement growing. "You can hear me, can't you?"
The slime jiggled in response, its entire body vibrating as if to say, Yes.
Blue couldn't contain his excitement. Finally, someone—or something—he could talk to! Even if it was a weird, squishy slime, it was still the first time he'd been able to communicate with anyone in this strange place.
"This is amazing!" Blue thought, practically bouncing in place. "I mean, I can't talk out loud, but you get me, right?"
The slime wobbled again, almost as if it was nodding. Blue felt a sense of happiness bubbling up inside him. He hadn't realized just how lonely he'd been until this moment. The villagers couldn't understand him, the other creatures in the forest were either mean or indifferent, and the only real company he'd had so far was his own internal monologue.
But now, he had found someone who could hear him—even if they didn't speak the same way, it was enough.
"Alright, I don't know if you can actually speak or anything," Blue continued, "but we're friends now. Got it?"
The slime jiggled in agreement, its squishy body wobbling happily.
Blue clicked his pincers in satisfaction. I finally made a friend, he thought, his tiny heart swelling with pride. It wasn't much, but it was something—something that made him feel just a little less alone in this vast, mysterious world.
The two of them sat there for a while, Blue clicking his pincers occasionally while the slime jiggled in response. It was a strange sort of conversation, but it worked. Blue didn't need words—just the sense of connection he'd been missing.
As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor, Blue knew it was time to head back. He clicked his pincers at the slime one last time, bidding it farewell.
"See you around, slimy friend," he thought with a grin as he scuttled off toward the village.
For the first time in a long while, Blue felt truly content. He had a friend, a map of the forest, and a whole new world to explore. Who knew what other strange and wonderful things he'd discover next?