Like a Moth to Flame, like a Man to Moth

My neighbor and a friend is special. She's the first moth girl born since moth people integrated into human society. Other demi-human groups have integrated at vary times. Elves were the first 50 years ago, harpies 35, but moths were only integrated 18 years ago.

Natalie was a star when she was born, a cute and snow white symbol of hope of a bright future for the moth people in a new age. Media interest faded a few days after her birth however, and her name was quickly relegated to an obscure fact in a long and ever growing history of human and demi-human relations.

It didn't matter to me, she was simply the girl next door. Her wings and antenna were accepted in the blink of an eye. Kids can be cruel, but kids can easily accept someone different if they're fun to play with. Two extra hands, even if they were insectoid, only meant that she could draw with more than two crayons at once.

As long as I could remember, the snow white girl was always a part of my life. Most often, she was hiding behind my shoulder, the painfully shy girl was slow to warm up to people. People had no problem with who she was, but rather she just was introverted, only opening up to those that had the patience to not rush her. Those with the patience to let her get to know them would no sweeter and affectionate girl.

Today though, was my birthday, and I was alone with my white shadow in her dining room. My parents were still at work and hers were on a trip for the weekend.

"Ken, I spent the whole weekend practicing..." She said as she laid down a pink frosted cake onto the table while two other insect arms nervously wringed hands. A big candle's light flickered in the dimmed lights, gently illuminating her apron. Since the apron said 'Kiss the Cook', I imagine she borrowed it from her father, the alpha dog of cul-de-sac barbacuers. I'm pretty sure that was the one that was reversible, with the dirty innuendo 'Take my meat' on the opposite side.

With a deep inhale and exhale, I blew out the flickering candlelight, leaving us in darkness.

"Ah, didn't think about that. Let me get the light." I heard her footsteps tapping across the hardwood floor, before a small crash. "Fucking hell! Goddamn chair!"

Moths may be able to see in the dark, but it still doesn't fix clumsy.

It sounded as if she hopped awkwardly to the other side of the room. When she flicked the light switch, she had a knee up, rubbing her shin. Her short skirt hiked up her thigh, revealing a flash of black cloth beneath the plaid pleats."Did you make a wish?" She let her knee down, sauntered back to the table and sat down next to me.

As of now, I was essentially an adult in every manner except being able to get shitface drunk legally, I was long beyond that fanciful thinking of a birthday wish. "I'm a little too old for that I think." I straightened up my posture and gestured tightening a tie around my neck, acting as stiff as an overly-starched pair of pants. "As a proper adult, I only think about tax returns and the economy."

Natalie laughed at my sarcasm rather enthusiastically, the exaggerated cupping of her mouth and rocking had her inch closer to me, one of her hands 'accidentally' brushing my side and her shoulder knocking into mine with a sway of her laughing fit.

Subtlety was not one of Natalie's strong suits.

Having succeeded in using exaggerated laughter to get close to me, it subsided quickly. "Yeah, I suppose it's childish, but I made a wish."

"Wait, but it's my birthday."

"Yeah, but you just said you didn't make one. So I took it." Her eyes met mine as she looked up at me with a mischievous, toothy grin. "Don't use it, you lose it."

My eyes strayed from her eyes for a moment, there was a noticeable gap between her chest and the apron. Even if I was an 'adult' now, no self-respecting man would pass upon the opportunity to look down the shirt of a woman clearly displaying her assets. Underneath the apron, she had on a loose sky blue tank-top, but was not wearing a bra. Even if she was unsubtle in her actions, it still got a reddening of my cheeks.

Her smile twisted slightly shifting to a more muted and sly smile. "I didn't follow the cake recipe to the letter and added an extra ingredient." She puffed out her chest and pulled on the knot behind h

... more on the forums ...