Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay Page B

to be served. It just went on the menu this morning so you’l be getting a lot of orders for it.”
    Marik was right. Most orders throughout the day were for rake stew. With every table she grew more and more comfortable in her new position, and began to approach each table with confidence.
    The questions were the same with each table. Where did you come from? Why did you sneak onto the ship? Where are you headed next? What species are you? She tactful y dodged the difficult questions and real y didn’t know how to answer the last two.
    As she served the crew,she also observed them. They were al so different from one another, completely different species sitting together laughing and talking as though there were no differences between them. A man with smal tentacles cascading from his neck sat across from a woman with four eyes.
    At another table a woman with red skin shared stories with two women with larger than normal eyes that seemed to glow multicolored.
    She also noticed how happy everyone seemed. Everyone smiled at her and were mostly polite. The atmosphere was easy-going and relaxed. There was a comforting energy al around her.
    Maybe she didn’t need to find her own kind. Maybe there was a place for her, like this, where different species lived in peace together. Maybe there was a place for her on this very ship. What if she could stay?
    The thought was heady. After only a day of mingling with the crew she had al owed herself to feel like one of them. Even though she knew she would never be like them, not real y. Not with her ability, ever-present and threatening her peace. But if she could keep it hidden, buried, there would be no reason for any of them to covet her for her gift.
    Two more females entered. They looked young, teenagers maybe. One looked similar to the woman with the intricate tattoo. She had the same swirl pattern that framed her face, only hers varied in color from oranges to yel ows and deep reds. Analia thought it looked beautiful.
    The other girl had bril iant blue hair that cut off just above the shoulders, and her skin was a silky pale color. They stood for a moment surveying the room that had fil ed rapidly with patrons, until one had spotted her and pointed for the other. They stood on tip-toes to get a better look atAnaliabefore grabbing a table near where they entered.
    Analia weaved through the crowded room to reach them, they whispered intoeach other’sear as she came close. “Hi,” Analia said and introduced herself for the thousandth time that day. Then came the questions in such hurried rushes,that she didn’t have time to respond to al of them. She looked around the room and pondered the crowd. Many faceswouldglanceher way, then quickly turnaway.Hushed whispers fil ed the room. It seemed al were focused on her in some way. She was a curiosity of sorts, Analia realized.
    She almost laughed out loud, after so many years in isolation she almost felt crowded. The feeling was so foreign to her, she reveled in it.
    Analiaturned back to the girls and tried to answer their questions adequately, nearby conversations died down to listen in. The teen’s questions continued to flow from them like water,andAnaliawas beginning to enjoy the enthusiastic interrogation, while stil skil ful y evading certain questions. Then Analiaasked a fewquestionsof her own, wanting to know everything about the people on the ship.

    “How long have the two of you lived on the ship?”
    The one with the pattern etched skin spoke first. “I was born on this ship. My mother works in the plant nursery.”
    “Do you like it here?”
    “Yeah, it’s okay.” She shrugged.
    The other girl was eager, “I wasn’t born here but I’ve been herefor five years. My dad is one of the engineers.” She said proudly. “Have you seen the ship?”
    She asked. “There are lots of thing to do here.Before me and my dad came here we were on a ship that didn’t have anything, it was so boring.”

    “Sebastian showed me