the gecko

The lizard crawls out of the back of the study table, absorbing its daily dosage of light. Its spherical black eyes are capable of large visual coverage, mapping the 3D world onto a 2D map in its brain. The gecko has no perception of depth, its world is an endless stretch of floor, though it really travels from wall to wall everyday.

Lizards' survival depends largely on instincts. A permanent shadowed area means safety, a sudden shadow means danger. Hence, the lizard in this story hides itself behind the study table, exposing itself only once everyday to absorb some light. It is a dangerous routine, because this is not a place like any other. In any other urban area, geckoes are usually at the end of its food chain, with the birds and rats being blocked out. In this room, there is the Killer.

The Killer belongs to the human race, which normally has no grudges against lizards apart for the occasional clucking noises lizards make. Most of them think lizards are too small and harmless to be a bother, so they allow them into their ecosystem. Some even like lizards because lizards help to keep the insects in check. The killer, however, has great hatred for lizards. And if that is not enough, he constantly remind the other occupant of this territory how pesky lizards are. With so much killing intend, the lizard in this story has lots to fear.

Fortune comes in the form of the other occupant. The occupant constantly ignored the Killer, hinting to him how silly it is to bother himself with a little lizard, especially if he keeps talking about it everyday. That saves the lizard from being swept out from behind the table, but it also prolong its sufferings.

The longer it lives, the more it has to endure the tablequakes. Tablequakes are violent vibrations on tableland. The source is traced back all the way to the angry Killer. Also, the Killer will not give up on talking about the lizard everytime it makes a noise. Though lizards have generally no emotions, this one feels sorry for the occupant.

And they live angrily ever after...