Dragoncrest Cliffs friendly, but not your friend.

once again cayetano is at a cross-roads
which is worse?
the angry boy
or the creepy girl?
he supposes for now, it's the boy
who holds the key to his golden kingdom
the doors slam shut in his face
but the boy offers a tiny landline.

he looks back at the skull
it's gristly, but nothing a wolf his age wouldn't see.
it's eat or be eaten,
and meat comes from the living.
it's a hard concept to swallow
while choking down warm meat.

he wonders about the boy's strong revulsion
was it that the girl had been told
not to interact with strangers?
or something else?

not'ting is free. he repeats
in the queer accent of the girl.


if i do as you say,
i don't hold up my end of the bargain.
i was fed
and this was my price.
he gestured back to the skull again,
readying himself to leave.
here is my proposal:
i can't go back on my word,
can only forward.
i can get you something too.
surely, you have wants?
name them.
this was beginning to feel
a lot like acatenango.