"Explain yourself."
Don't tell it one little bit at a time...
Making the listener think each time that the story was over, only for more to follow.
And every time, there was another twist.
Catching them completely off guard.
Leaving them with no feelings at all.
Of course.
It also kept them hanging on every word.
And... and...
Another twist?!
The young man rubbed his cheek.
"That boy said it was..."
He reached out and pinched his own cheek.
"Ow~"
The young man bared his teeth.
It hurt.
"Brother?"
The girl with bobbed hair stared at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"
Why was he pinching himself for no reason?
The young man waved a hand.
"I just wanted to see if I was dreaming..."
Huh?
The girl with bobbed hair looked a little puzzled.
"Brother."
"You..."
"Why are you acting so strange?"
Was he dreaming or not?
Why would he even think that?
Wasn't she right there across from him?
Hadn't they been talking this whole time?
Why would he suspect he was dreaming?
The young man froze for a moment.
Then he gave a wry smile and covered his face.
He lowered his hand.
"Because that boy told me..."
"The little fox with a white coat and red markings that I saw..."
"Was..."
The young man lowered his voice, making his already hoarse voice even raspier. "A monster."
The girl with bobbed hair froze.
She thought she'd misheard him.
She rubbed her ears.
Then rubbed them hard.
"Brother."
The girl with bobbed hair looked at him. "What..."
"Did you just say?"
"I didn't hear you clearly."
The young man opened his mouth.
His face twisted with effort.
But his voice came out low and hoarse, barely more than a