Entirely Forgettable

On Squashborg things were different. If I wanted a bite to eat I didn’t have to worry about it biting me. I grew up as a squash shepherd among a large family of fourteen generations of squash shepherds. Life was simple for me. I was the last born of seven brothers and the pride and joy to my aging father. I was given special attention by my father. Sometimes he would save the squash seeds just for me a delectable snack. He also brought me a squashmobile to help me get along while shepherding.

One day my brothers had gone out to herd squashes and hadn’t come back in several days. My father sent me to find out what happened to them. I was worried sick about my brothers and looked everywhere for them. There were some purple squash stains in the valley so I followed their trail. After two days I ended up in Carotene and asked around for my brothers. Someone saw them head toward barely and hops. There I found my brothers passed out drunk.

I thought they would be happy to see me but instead they were talking as if I were a trader and planning to rat out on them to the old man. My brothers viciously laughed when I told them I was just worried about them and wanted to see if they were OK. My own brothers tied me to a stake and planned to leave me there all night until the carnivorcans got me. But suddenly their plans changed when they saw a caravan of Naflons coming. My fourth brother Malanzana told the others, “Don’t waste the boy’s life. Sell him to the Naflons and we can make a profit out of this.” They sold me to Naflons and I was put into their Naflon vortex.

The next thing I knew I was blasted into a place I could never dream of. The ground was covered with strange green furry stuff and the sky was an oppressive grey-blue color. I passed by what looked like a country road but there were no squash out in the fields grazing. Instead the squash were lined up in a row along the side of a wooden structure. These squash were entirely too small and they didn’t even move. Just then I felt the jab of a Narflon spear. I had to keep moving. I overheard one of the Narflons saying to another, “We lost too much time in the vortex because you had to check the World Cup scores in the time warp.”

Another one said, “We’ve got to get this Frellian delicacy to market before sunrise if we are to make anything out of it.”
Yes, that’s right. I am from the planet Frellia and everyone knows that Frellian meat of any sort is a delicacy. You might have guessed it. I am a shepherd dog. I never bothered anyone but now look at the mess I am in. I’m being taken to the market to be sold as somebody’s lunch. On my right side is another Freelian from the highlands. He is rather plan and hardly considered a Freelian delicacy but nowadays anything “Freelian” will get a good price in the markets. For lack of better words I would say this fellow looked like a mole. He didn’t speak much either.

Finally the Narflons took off our chains in order to get us ready for market. For me it was my only rest since I left Squashborg. They had me cleaned up and buttered me. I felt really fresh, better than I had in days. But my little friend from the highlands turned to me and winked and then poof was gone. It’s like I never knew him. The Narflons put us back in our chains and started counting, “1-2-3-4-5. Didn’t we have six Freelian delicacies?”

The other Narflon spoke up, “No there were only five.” They completely forgot my little friend from the highlands. Now he was a free Freelian. He was entirely forgettable. That was his superpower. As for the five Freelians who were not so lucky we were taken to market. I was overwhelmed to see at the entrance of the market a whole line of Freelian seacows. These were amazing creatures who filled the Freelian sea with dancing through night, but here at the market they looked sick and weak. One let out a small smile almost as in pity for me. Another seacow warned me, “Go back before it is too late.

Out of nowhere I felt a sharp blow to the head. I woke up dazed inside of a translucent glass box. There was a room with tables. On the tables sat oversized monkey looking creatures. They had no beauty of their own so they covered themselves with plant materials. Smoke was coming out of one of them. They made garbled noises and laughed as a screen across the room showed pictures and made noises. On the other wall was a paper with thirty five boxes. On the top of the paper was written 2335. The voice on the wall spoke something that sounded like propaganda, “Narflon has the best intentions for the planet earth and its lovely ecosystem. There is no need to panic. Anything the earth lacks will now be imported from Freelia so you can enjoy Narflon lifestyle even on earth.”

One of the large monkey creatures snorted, “Hey what are you ordering anyway Eddy?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. Either Freelian Sea Cow or Shepherd Dog Stew.”

Another news article flashed across the screen, “Freelian sea food prices have skyrocketed since the recent oil spill off the coast of Squashmoth.”

“That’s it. I’m going for Freelian shepherd dog. How ‘bout you guys?”

“We’re in.”

If only I could learn that highlander’s super power and become completely forgettable.