A Bump

“Did you feel that?”

Arkay sat up in his cage and looked around. The only other Veth, an old, nameless Veth, around just looked at him funny.

“Feel what?”

Arkay shrugged. He wasn’t really sure. It felt like something had gently bumped into the ground, causing a very slight rumble. Like jumping on a bed, rather than an earthquake. “Just a… rumble, I guess?”

The Veth sighed, then got up and wandered off. “Things happen. I gotta get back to my territory.”

“Could you let me out then, please?” Arkay asked.

The Veth smiled. “You got anything to offer in return?”

“Next time I go back to the Mortal Plane, I can pick you up something sweet.”

“Like… Bubblegum Candyfluff?”

“Sure.”

Another smile. The other Veth smashed the lock on the cage and let Arkay out, before walking off. “Very well. I’ll hold you to that.”

“I don’t break my promises. Like SOME people…”

Free of his cage, Arkay stretched his arms and legs, before deciding to have a look around. He never understood why She would leave him in a random cage somewhere in Kinigi. Any Veth nearby would always just sit next to him and occasionally stare at him.

Today in particular, Kinisis had been telling Arkay just how proud She was of him, how he’d really come through and gotten over his anger and hatred. That wasn’t exactly true though. While She had been successful in breaking him, Arkay found himself having multiple personalities, with varying levels of loyalty. Right now, he wasn’t feeling loyal at all.

The other Veth reappeared, confusing Arkay.

“I haven’t been yet, give me a chance!” Arkay snapped.

The Veth though didn’t seem to care. “I’m not worried about that. I felt that bump you mentioned. Like something pressing against the walls of our atmosphere. Like when She plays with us and gently puts Her large, throb-”

“I get what you mean,” Arkay interrupted, not wanting to think about that. “You said it happens sometimes?”

The Veth tutted. “Not like that. It has been a while since another Universe bumped into Her. Maybe it was just that. But you should go speak to Her. Tell Her. Just in case.”

Arkay nodded and rushed off, going in the opposite direction of a nearby stream. That was the easiest way to find Kinisis.

When Arkay finally found Kinisis, She was in the middle of playtime with three Veth, only one of whom looked like he was enjoying it. The other two just seemed to be going along with it for the sake of pleasing Her. As soon as Kinisis spotted Arkay, She teleported the other Veth away, then proceeded to pick Arkay up and slam him against the floor.

“WHAT. DID. I. TELL. YOU. ABOUT. BREAKING. OUT. OF. MY. CAGES?”

After a good thirty seconds, Kinisis let go of Arkay and let him fly across the room. Arkay sighed, then dutifully picked himself up.

“Kinisis, I felt a disturbance. Several other Veth felt it as well.”

“What disturbance?” Kinisis growled. “Couldn’t you see that I was busy?”

“I think disturbances in the fabric of space and time are more important than you having yet another orgy,” Arkay tutted. He knew he was going to get the shit kicked out of him, served him right for having multiple personalities. Arkay flinched, waiting for Kinisis to hit him, but the strike never came. Instead, Kinisis had wandered off and was looking at the sky.

After a moment of staring into nothingness, Kinisis turned round and looked at Arkay.

“What sort of disturbance?”

Arkay paused. “You’re the personification of existence itself and you didn’t feel that?”

Kinisis grunted. “I’m easily distracted. That’s why I have you little Veth. I’m the brain, you’re all the nerves and sensory organs. Otherwise it’s just too much to comprehend. Now, tell me, what sort of bump was it?”

“Um… It felt like… Like a soft bump. Like, uh… Well the other vok said it felt like you gently putting your, uh… um…”

Irritated, Kinisis slapped Arkay. She was sick and tired of Arkay’s constant fuck ups. Really, Kinisis was regretting making him into a Veth Prime and couldn’t wait to replace him with the new guy, but the new guy was most likely going to take years of preperation. “Fucking speak like a fucking normal being! Is it that fucking hard?”

“It felt like someone was trying to get in!” Arkay shouted as he pushed Kinisis back and instantly regretted it. “Like something that isn’t supposed to be here is trying to get into our universe!”

Kinisis was about to slap Arkay again, but decided not to.

“Are you serious?”

“I cannot lie to you, Mistress.”

“Did it feel… almost sexual in a way?”

“I guess so.”

“This is bad…” Kinisis sighed, then grabbed Arkay by the hand. “Show me where this happened. We need to make sure nothing got through…”