Grotonian, Spring 2019

hint of timidity though it was the first time we had ever spoken. Don’t back down, her eyes seemed to whisper.

“Octillus,” I replied, looking right into her eyes. She held out her hand.

“Cricket Aurora Constance, nice to meet you.” She paused, allowing me a moment to say something else, and when I clearly had no words she said, “You’re different, aren’t you. You want to walk with me to the dining hall.” It should’ve been a question, but she said it as a statement.

“Yes?” It should’ve been a statement, but I posed it as a question. She held her hand out, and I gave her my elbow, my heart thumping like a pair of shoes falling down the stairs, desperately hoping that she wouldn’t be able to feel my throbbing pulse on the place where her hand touched my arm. We hadn’t yet reached the dining hall when she left my arm and walked behind an old American beech tree. It had no leaves, of course, but I could tell it was a beech tree because of that smooth grey bark. Beech trees might be my favorite species of tree that grows here. We were behind the tree when she said, “Do it.” Her eyes had that strange glow again.

“Do what?” I asked, though I had a feeling I knew exactly what she was talking about.

“Make my ears big.”

I didn’t know if I could do it again, because I had only enlarged ears once in my life, but God, how I wanted to please her. So I scrunched up my face like I did in math class, and focused as hard as I could. Her delicate ears were so small I could barely discern them. I concentrated all my strength on that sweet head of hers, so small, yet so full of beautiful thoughts. My whole world existed in that head. I had to try to fulfill her wish, the only thing she asked of me. Try I did! But in vain. I simply couldn’t get her ears to grow.

A drop of water rolled all the way down her cheek, and fell from her chiseled jaw, sinking into the brown earth.

“I want ears as long as a rabbit’s.” She said, her voice cracking. To say I was moved would do a great injustice to the powerful forces that ruled me in that moment. Dash it all! I would please her if it killed me. My body buzzed like a buzzard, if you will, and I felt marvelously out of control, allowing those higher 47