Avery Story

     The kid took his other ear in its hand and twirled the velvety ends in its fingers with a growing smile.

"He wasn't lying when he said he wasn't afraid!"

Avery sat dumbfounded and utterly confused. The child's smile turned into giggling as he lifted the ears up and down.

No human had ever dared touch a creature like Avery. Not even with a 20-foot pole. Yet here this child was, casually playing with the two deer ears on each side of his head. Then it preceded to ask him a very unexpected question.

"Are you like, a goatman or something?" 

Avery stared at the kid with wide eyes, puzzled at the question.

"Goatman? Is that what they call me?" 

Although not knowing the meaning of the word, he gave his best response. 

"Um... I guess?" 

The kid cried and jumped up onto his feet. "That's so cool!" The pure confusion on Avery's face was immeasurable as the kid celebrated wildly. Then he stuck out his hand, nearly slapping Avery in the eye. 

"My name's Eno!" 

Avery continued to stare in bewilderment. If he could move a muscle, he'd pinch himself another 20 times. 

After a few seconds of waiting, Eno asked, "Oh, you must not know how to shake hands! Here, I can show you-" He went to grab Avery's hand but he pulled away. 

"E-Eno, you don't understand," he said. "My ears are real, and so are my legs." 

"Hm? What are you saying?"

Avery lowered his head. "Well...I was born this way..."

Eno stood for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Well duh! What else would they be, someone else's ears?" Avery's eyes widened as he watched Eno, who was genuinely humored by his exposition. 

"He knows, but... doesn't mind? At all?"

Avery didn't know exactly what to feel. He wanted to be happy that a human was showing friendliness and wasn't alienating him, but something about the situation made him iffy. 

"Maybe I just have to learn a bit more about Eno before I can feel good about anything."