But the moment I had licked the very last lick, a force like a lightning bolt shot through my body. I was splitting in two! With a scream I fell to floor, trying to curl up into a ball. I rocked and moaned, then crawled crying into a corner, trying to move out of my own body. I braced myself in the corner, convulsing and howling from the agony.

There in the dark, I delivered to the world a creature like nothing I had ever seen. On the ground between my legs this tiny perfect beautiful purplypink girl had arrived. As the pain subsided my mind cleared, and I stared in amazement. She was so beautiful. I can't tell you how I knew she was female, but she was. I was afraid that she might be dead, so I reached out and lifted her. As I did so, the cord dropped off her.

She was sticky and wrinkled and her eyes were crinkled shut. But when I lay forward into the daylight, her eyes blinked open and she looked straight into my face. Her beautiful green eyes knew me, knew more about me than I did.

In the sunlight, her skin soaked up the stickiness and glowed. I stroked her soft hair and body and told her how beautiful she was, how glad I was she had arrived. That the world was full of sunlight and fresh air. When I told her, she smiled. Her eyes told me that she already knew.

I cried tears of joy for her, and we went to the swing. She was wiser and already growing strong in the few moments she had been in the sun. I fell asleep holding her.

You will probably not be surprised when I tell you, I woke up to find her gone. The sun had strengthened her and she didn't need me.
My mysterious plant had also dried up. It was a brown fallen stalk.

I don't know where my lovely girl-creature is. But I think of her when the sun goes down and say a prayer for her - To her?

Oh, but she did leave me something. Some purplypink seeds were in my hand when I woke up. I haven't planted them yet. I think I'll know when it's time.