text: [Themes: fantasy, horror, female protagonist, fantasy]
  
  You nodded. The monster picked you up and flung you over its back like a sack of potatoes. As it ran back into the forest, you took one last look at Mum. She looked so happy trying to find you. She loved you so much and you loved her so much, but now she'll never find you. She will soon cry, and that thought made you cry.
  
  The monster didn't care about that. You bumped up and down on his shoulder, which hurt your stomach. It moved fast through the forest, faster than a horse. You looked down, since you couldn't look up, and noticed he wasn't wearing any pants. His butt looked boney. No wonder he wanted to eat you. He must be super hungry, not that you wanted him to eat you. You wondered why he didn't ask for a meal. Mum didn't have a lot of food. Many times, she skipped dinner so you could have some. Even then, she would've fed someone so skinny.
  
  You felt confused. You were pretty sure he licked you, which was weird, with a super long tongue; however, his back and legs look like a man's. Well, he looks sorta misty, like your reflection in the water after you threw in a pebble. Was he a man or a monster?
  
  You reached up and felt his spit on your back. Shivering, you realized he was a monster even if he was a man.
  
  The forest became more and more dark. The trees seemed less green and more brown. The skies turned black. It must be coming home, because he was evil. Evil things lived in scary places. You hoped he'd kill you first, then eat you. It would hurt more to be eaten alive.
  
  It stopped and tossed you on the ground. Falling on your arm, you grunted, but it didn't feel broken. You sat up and looked around. The monster was behind you, but the entrance to a cave sat on your right. On your left, a big campfire burned, probably to cook you. Mum said to never eat raw meat.
  
  All around you, there were bones of other people.
  
  "I hope ya don't mind," the creature growled behind you, "But I made ya so ya isn't 'fraid."
  
  "How?" you asked as you rubbed your stomach. It felt bruised from all the bumping.
  
  It stated, "Me magic. Can do more 'ere than away."
  
  Your eyes widened in surprise. "Really!" you exclaimed. "We got two wizards back home, though they're both old and grouchy. Oh, and Mum can heal a little with the goldie magic."
  
  "Goldie magic?" You heard it mumbling to itself before he spoke louder to you again. "I prolly won't eat 'er then. That kinda stuff gives me cramps."
  
  You nodded. "Thanks! I don't want Mum eaten too."
  
  It walked past you, and you realized it definitely was a he. Mum said only boys had those thingies, though his looked small. Looking up, you saw that most of him was a man, but his head looked different. Where most men had man heads, he had a skull from a deer or a moose. You couldn't tell which one, but he was pointy antlers. Also, instead of eyes, he had just darkness.
  
  No wonder he lived all by himself. He probably got tired of people making fun of his head.
  
  "Stay 'ehe, 'kay?" He pointed to where you sat.
  
  "Okay!" You sat there while he walked into his cave. With nothing better to do, you used your fingers to untangle some of the knots in your hair. Your hair got messy during your journey to the monster man's home. You felt bad for a moment because you forgot to ask his name. That was rude of you.
  
  Within a minute, he came back out carrying a wicker basket full of apples and carrots. Why didn't he keep them in separate baskets? That was what Mum did.
  
  "Do little girls taste better with fruits and veggies?" you asked, curious on how to prepare humans. Pork always tasted good with apples, but turkey tasted best with carrots or potatoes.
  
  "Naw." He shook his bone head while he sat the basket down. "Skinnin' ya then slatherin' yer body with buttu's best, but Imma all outa buttu'. Gotta make do with what ya got, ya know?"
  
  "Uh-huh! Mum and I have the same problem. I don't like brussel spouts, but we eat them every week because our town grows so many of them."
  
  "Ick." The monster shuddered. "Them sprouts is the worst."
  
  You nodded but had nothing more to add to your talk, so you sat there and waited. The monster shuffled from the fire back to the cave only to change his mind and come back to the fire. He seemed confused.
  
  "You need help?" you asked worried about your new friend.
  
  "I never used these kinda things when eatin' little girls 'efore, so Imma decidin' how to cook ya." He gestured to the fire. "I could just roast ya like a pig. Put an apple in yer mouth, shove a stick through ya, and rotate 'till you're all crispy." He gestured to the cave. "I also got this big pot, so I could turn ya into an apple and carrot stew. Watcha thinkin'."
  
  Barbecue would probably take less time, but the stew would use apples and carrots. Mum always said to eat your vegetables.
  
  > suggest Stew
  "I think you should do stew. That way, you can eat your vegetables." You pointed at his chest, where you could see outlines of his ribs. "You're really skinny, after all."
  
  "Seems good ta me." And with that, he shuffled into his cave and came out with a huge pot. Mum would've loved that pot since she could've taken baths in it. Instead, you stood in a little bucket with a rag. "Imma go get some water. You wait 'ere. Um..." He looked around the forest. "It ain't safe here. Monsters could get ya. I'll make ya a guard."
  
  He knelt over one of the bones and traced a pattern over it. Following the finger, you thought it looked like a mix between a flower and a circle. Bones then rolled together until two feet were made. Legs went on the feet followed by the torso, arms, and head.
  
  "Slitsrobber, this's dinner." He gestured towards you, so you waved back. "Dinner, this's Slitsrobber. It's gonna be yer guard. Slitsrobber, guard her." The skeleton saluted the monster man. "Imma be back in a jiffy."
  
  He walked into the shadows with the huge pot under his arm. You looked at the skeleton. The skeleton looked at you. You smiled. It moved its jaw a little, but you thought he smiled too. Smiling was hard without lips.
  
  "Are you a boy or a girl?" you asked. Slitsrobber didn't wear a dress or pants, plus it didn't have any organs. It was hard to tell the difference between a boy or a girl skeleton, especially since it stood a little taller than Mum.
  
  "No," it replied in a voice that could be a girly boy or a boyish girl.
  
  "No?" You scratched your head. "Is that another kind? A boy, girl, or no?"
  
  Slitsrobber shook its bony head, probably because its head was just a skull. "I don't identify as male or female, missy. I'm non-bia..." Slitsrobber trailed off seeing your confused face. It placed its hand under its chin in a thinking pose. "Erm, I didn't want to be a boy or a girl. Now, in death, I finally left all traces of gender. I guess you could call me a no?"
  
  Having never spoken to a skeleton before, you found this talk fun, but you also wanted to know more. "Are all skeletons like that?"
  
  It raised its hands in defeat. "No bloody clue, missy. I just became undead. If the wendigo comes..." It noted your confused face again. "If the skinny guy comes back again, you could maybe ask for another skeleton before he eats you, but I doubt it."
  
  "Why?"
  
  "Necromancy is hard. His species has affinity with undead and mind magics, so the more powerful could raise one a day, like me. Most could raise something like a rabbit, but if you'd like to have a go, just draw the symbol on a bone. If you have enough power, then it's easy." He shook his head. "Do you even have a magical affini... Do you have magic?"
  
  "Mum can heal me when I get hurt."
  
  "Everything seems tickety boo for an experiment then. Just draw..." He paused on the ground and drew the same symbol that the monster man made. "This's the one you'd want. I learned it in the first year of uni." He mumbled under his breath, "And Pa thought my emo goth phase would never help in real life. Jokes on you, old man."
  
  "Thank you!" You hummed and grabbed the nearest bone. It looked like a leg piece, but it was long enough to be a little tree trunk.
  
  > draw the Symbol
  You felt a tug in your tummy, then bones came from under the ground and around you to make a new friend. You decided this person would be a big friend since your head only went to its hips. Instead of normal teeth, it also had two big tusks like a piggy coming from its mouth. It must have a hard time brushing its teeth like that.
  
  As he yawned and stretched, you waved your hands and called up, "Are you a boy or a girl?" Slitsrobber squealed like a little girl and hid behind you.
  
  It slowly knelt down, careful not to squish you, and answered, "Summoner, I am a troll."
  
  Slitsrobber whispered in your ear, "Trolls are part of the fungus family, like mushrooms. They aren't boys or girls."
  
  You crossed your arms, "Well, poo. I still don't know my answer." Without waiting for a reply, you picked up a tiny bone that looked kinda woody and drew the same flower circle on it. As more bones formed a new person, you heard the troll and skeleton talking.
  
  "Is she a tiny Lich Lord?" asked the troll.
  
  "No bloody clue, mate. My professors would have an aneurysm. This much dark power in a child? Maybe she's a half breed with a dark god."
  
  Unlike the past two skeletons, this person only went up to your knees and had barky skin over her bones. You also leapt for joy. This skeleton had breasts. Skeletons could be boys or girls too! You picked up the tiny girl like a doll and gave her a big hug. It gasped. "I'm so happy you're a girl!" you shouted. "I was afraid you'd be another mushroom."
  
  "Merci, et iz wonderful to be alive, but why are you 'appy?"
  
  "Slitsrobber doesn't want a gender and the troll is a mushroom."
  
  The tiny creature glared at the troll. "And 'ow did the retarded wendigo 'ill you?"
  
  The troll laughed uncomfortably. "I'm a pacifist."
  
  "Putain de merde!" You felt like those were naughty words. "And 'ow will we save our petite cherie 'ith a pacifist, a simple skeleton, and a nymph? He has her thralled!"
  
  You gasped, fearful that they might yell at your friend the monster man. You didn't like it when people argued, especially friends. One time, a grumpy man yelled at Mum and made her cry, so you don't want any fighting. At the same time, Mum was afraid when a bandit made a thrall, so maybe your newest friends should yell at the monster man for doing something naughty.
  
  > order Them to Do Nothing
  "Don't do anything!" You said. "I don't want anyone to hurt my friend's feelings."
  
  The little girl called a nyphed said something under her breath while the skeleton yelled, "Oh! Bloody good job at buggering it all up, frogeater! The twat who summoned me said to guard the girl. Now, not only can I not creatively interpret that, but you and the jolly green troll now can't do jack squat!"
  
  You ducked your head and cried. The yelling scared you.
  
  "Maybe you could've taken the girl home then!" The nymph screamed back. "All I saw 'ere two zombies 'aiting for their master to die." She looked at you. "And you're a thrall, not a brainless mannequin! You'll never see your mama now!"
  
  Before you could cry more, she waived her hands around and green gas came out. Within a moment, you fell to the ground asleep, the only mercy available to you.
  
  You never woke up.
  
  Death then gave you a hug.
  
  Roses are red
  Violets are blue
  I gotta ask
  How dumb are you