Kinship Rally Writing Contest 2025: Nhotemau's entry
Good vs Evil.
The villagers of Furvilla called her Dementia, because none of them knew her real name. She was evil. At least that was what they all said…
She crouched at the edge of the marketplace, stitched mouth twitching, tentacles writhing beneath her cloak like nervous fingers. Her ears, torn and ragged, twitched at every loud voice. Magenta eyes flicked left and right nervously.
“There she is! The demon mouse! No good will ever come of her!”
Of course they’d noticed her skulking around.
Dementia spun, hood flying off, revealing jagged ears and glowing eyes. Her stitched lips parted, just enough for a snarl. She ran. Her bare feet pounded the cobbled street, tail dragging behind her. She didn’t stop until she reached the edge of the village, heart hammering like a war drum in her chest.
Nanook looked up from the animal stable he was repairing, brow furrowed. He spotted the hunched figure shaking beside a rain barrel.
“Hmm?” he murmured, brushing sawdust from his apron. “Someone outside?”
A customer leaned over his shoulder.
“It’s her,” they hissed. “Dementia. She’s evil!”
Nanook blinked.
“Evil?”
He squinted out the window. She didn’t look dangerous to Nanook. She looked… tired and lost.
“Careful!” the customer whispered. “You’re an angel. You shouldn’t go near her!”
Nanook snorted.
“Only about ninety-nine point nine percent of the time,” he said with a grin, and walked to the door.
Outside, the air smelled of wet earth and wood smoke. Nanook knelt in front of her, voice soft.
“Can I help you?”
Magenta eyes flared with mistrust. She twitched.
“Leave me alone,” she hissed.
“I can’t do that,” he said gently.
Before he could say more, a burst of motion sent him flying as Dementia took off once again. He hit the ground with a soft “oof!”
“Nanook?!” the customer yelped from the doorway.
“I’m okay,” he called, getting up and brushing the dust off. “Guess I startled her.”
“Told you she was evil!”
Nanook stood, watching the space where she’d vanished.
“She’s not evil,” he muttered. “She’s just… hurting.”
Days passed. Dementia didn’t return. Nanook worried and thought often about her. One evening, walking home under a pink-gold sky, he spotted her again, half-hidden down an alley, cloaked in shadow. She looked thinner. Dirt clung to her fur, and she shook violently.
“You look cold,” Nanook said softly. “There’s a fire at my place. Some food. A bath, if you want it?”
She didn’t answer. But she didn’t run, either. Nanook walked ahead, leaving the choice to her. When he glanced back, she was following. Her tail dragged across the ground like a forgotten burden. Her tentacles trailed limply. He smiled.
“Glad you came.”
Inside, Nanook’s cottage was small but warm, filled with all sorts of his crafts. Wood crackled in the hearth. A kettle hissed. Nanook gestured to the bathroom.
“Towels are clean. Take your time.”
When she emerged later, her fur was brushed and cleaner looking, her wounds dressed and she twitched less. She sat stiffly on a cushion by the fire, picking at a plate of food.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
Nanook blinked.
“For what?”
“For… knocking you over.”
He smiled.
“No harm done.”
“They say I’m evil,” she murmured, eyes fixed on the fire.
“Yeah. I hear them say that,” Nanook replied grimly.
“Then why do you keep helping me?” she snapped. “You’re pure! An angel!”
Nanook chuckled.
“Pure? Me? Oh, I promise you, I’ve had thoughts about certain customers that would make you doubt that entirely!”
Dementia tilted her head. Her expression hovered between confusion and curiosity.
“I get frustrated. I lose patience. It happens.” Nanook admitted.
A long silence.
“You didn’t knock me over on purpose,” he continued. “And you apologized. That’s not evil. That’s someone trying.”
Dementia smiled then, her little ratty teeth poking out over her lips.
Over the next few days, Dementia stayed in Nanook’s spare bedroom. Eventually Nanook took Dementia to some friends, the leaders of his village. They took in Dementia and looked after her. Because that was what they did; helped villagers. And, Nanook often visited her and helped her.
The villagers of Furvilla called her Dementia, because none of them knew her real name. She was evil. At least that was what they all said…
She crouched at the edge of the marketplace, stitched mouth twitching, tentacles writhing beneath her cloak like nervous fingers. Her ears, torn and ragged, twitched at every loud voice. Magenta eyes flicked left and right nervously.
“There she is! The demon mouse! No good will ever come of her!”
Of course they’d noticed her skulking around.
Dementia spun, hood flying off, revealing jagged ears and glowing eyes. Her stitched lips parted, just enough for a snarl. She ran. Her bare feet pounded the cobbled street, tail dragging behind her. She didn’t stop until she reached the edge of the village, heart hammering like a war drum in her chest.
Nanook looked up from the animal stable he was repairing, brow furrowed. He spotted the hunched figure shaking beside a rain barrel.
“Hmm?” he murmured, brushing sawdust from his apron. “Someone outside?”
A customer leaned over his shoulder.
“It’s her,” they hissed. “Dementia. She’s evil!”
Nanook blinked.
“Evil?”
He squinted out the window. She didn’t look dangerous to Nanook. She looked… tired and lost.
“Careful!” the customer whispered. “You’re an angel. You shouldn’t go near her!”
Nanook snorted.
“Only about ninety-nine point nine percent of the time,” he said with a grin, and walked to the door.
Outside, the air smelled of wet earth and wood smoke. Nanook knelt in front of her, voice soft.
“Can I help you?”
Magenta eyes flared with mistrust. She twitched.
“Leave me alone,” she hissed.
“I can’t do that,” he said gently.
Before he could say more, a burst of motion sent him flying as Dementia took off once again. He hit the ground with a soft “oof!”
“Nanook?!” the customer yelped from the doorway.
“I’m okay,” he called, getting up and brushing the dust off. “Guess I startled her.”
“Told you she was evil!”
Nanook stood, watching the space where she’d vanished.
“She’s not evil,” he muttered. “She’s just… hurting.”
Days passed. Dementia didn’t return. Nanook worried and thought often about her. One evening, walking home under a pink-gold sky, he spotted her again, half-hidden down an alley, cloaked in shadow. She looked thinner. Dirt clung to her fur, and she shook violently.
“You look cold,” Nanook said softly. “There’s a fire at my place. Some food. A bath, if you want it?”
She didn’t answer. But she didn’t run, either. Nanook walked ahead, leaving the choice to her. When he glanced back, she was following. Her tail dragged across the ground like a forgotten burden. Her tentacles trailed limply. He smiled.
“Glad you came.”
Inside, Nanook’s cottage was small but warm, filled with all sorts of his crafts. Wood crackled in the hearth. A kettle hissed. Nanook gestured to the bathroom.
“Towels are clean. Take your time.”
When she emerged later, her fur was brushed and cleaner looking, her wounds dressed and she twitched less. She sat stiffly on a cushion by the fire, picking at a plate of food.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered.
Nanook blinked.
“For what?”
“For… knocking you over.”
He smiled.
“No harm done.”
“They say I’m evil,” she murmured, eyes fixed on the fire.
“Yeah. I hear them say that,” Nanook replied grimly.
“Then why do you keep helping me?” she snapped. “You’re pure! An angel!”
Nanook chuckled.
“Pure? Me? Oh, I promise you, I’ve had thoughts about certain customers that would make you doubt that entirely!”
Dementia tilted her head. Her expression hovered between confusion and curiosity.
“I get frustrated. I lose patience. It happens.” Nanook admitted.
A long silence.
“You didn’t knock me over on purpose,” he continued. “And you apologized. That’s not evil. That’s someone trying.”
Dementia smiled then, her little ratty teeth poking out over her lips.
Over the next few days, Dementia stayed in Nanook’s spare bedroom. Eventually Nanook took Dementia to some friends, the leaders of his village. They took in Dementia and looked after her. Because that was what they did; helped villagers. And, Nanook often visited her and helped her.
