Grandma Sanyu

The sun cascading over the ancient window, birds flew and landed on the trunk, chirp softly, almost like a melody through my ears. I stirred from my unconsciousness, my vision still hazy, lay on something soft beneath my back, I sat up on the mattress making the blanket falling on my lap, the bed that I've never owned before, my survived brother stirred, his reptilian eyes fluttered open, pressing his snout on my chest, I let a sharp gasp as the warmth of the sun hitting my skin, eyes staring at the window.

My gaze landed on my form, I realized my coat was gone, I was clad in sarashi, my coat was lay on the wall. I flexed my reptilian hand if I feel the pain once more, curling my two claws. The scent of herbs and nature filling my nostrils, smoke drifting nearby, I closed my eyes, inhaling the air around me with a deep breath. Where am I? How did I get here? And what is this place?? I mumbled under my breath, placing my palm on my temple with groan slipped from my lips.

"Ah, awake already, little one?"

A voice came out from nowhere, my little brother who lay beside me stood up, my gaze flickering in nothing.

"Where are you!?" I called out, my gaze still darting across the room.

"Ohohoho, my little one. Have you seen my shadows nearby?"

"Where?" I asked. "I-I can't see your form nearby—" I paused, as my brother nudge it's snout on my face, if he's gestured something, I squint my eyes, the shadow slowly emerge from the sunlight; an old woman older than her sixties, wearing a old kimono with clumsy stitches on the left area, beneath her clotting, she clad only sarashi on her chest, her white hair tied in loose bun, a small single trunk tucked on the right on her head with a warm smile playing on her lips, holding her staff.

My little brother snarled, baring his sharp teeth at the unfamiliar figure, stepping himself between me and the elder woman, but the old woman just let a soft chuckle.

"Feisty, aren't we? Relax relax, little one. I'm not going to hurt your big sister."

The little Rex just tilt his head in curiosity, but still aware, he sat on the floor, tail thumping behind almost like a dog wagging it's tail in excitement. The elder woman laughed at his antics, approach the bed.

My reptilian pupils slitted as she draw closer and closer, but when I tried to push myself away, I winced in pain. The elder woman rushed to bedside, placing her hand on the top of my head, her gaze landed on my hybrid form, examine my muscular reptilian arm, the thick tail, my scaled covered cheeks and sharp pointed ears.

"Hmm… you look exactly like me, little one."

"E-e-eh? W-w-what do you mean?" I asked softly

"I mean, my youngest self."

"Who are you?"

The elder woman cleared her throat, her fingers curling around her staff, sharp pointed ears like mine flattened.

"I'm Sanyu."

"Sanyu?"

"Yes, my little one. You may call me Grandma Sanyu as you could. Or just a Grandma."

My little brother stared silently, chirping. I shift my attention towards him, placing my hand on the top of his head, stroking slowly before shift my attention back towards Grandma Sanyu. I give her a question.

"Grandma."

"Hm? Yes, little one?"

"Why did you save me? Why?! Is there something you wanted to told me who's my biological mother?" I added, asked softly, waiting her to respond, Grandma Sanyu swallowed nervously, her grip tightened around her staff, she didn't say neither a word; just slowly rose slowly from her seat, withdraw from the bed before she turned around, slamming the tip of her staff on the floor, causing me and my brother flinched, as we watched her lower her head, eyes fluttered shut, mouth trembled, the wind howled outside, her kimono fluttering behind, I observe her, my brother's chin resting on my lap, purring softly as Grandma Sanyu began to tell the tale.

"When I was a young…"

~~~

Flashback…

The forest was eerie quiet, the sky was gray, the thick fog covered the entire wilderness, fallen trees scattered everywhere, smoke drifting down, mummified creatures lay motionless on the damp earth, after the mesozoic era was ended, several dinosaurs were extinct from the asteroid impact.

"People believe your ancestors were extinct, but the only few survived from the impact…"

~~~

Young Sanyu, age at twelve, she's older than me. Stood in the pathway of the forsaken woods, clad on tattered clothes after her parents abandoned her, leaving her behind.

"I was left alone, independent, and orphanage. I've spent myself planting the trees by my own, build my shelter using only bare hands, rebuild every single trees broken from the impact; rebuild the nature until the survivors arrived, but until I caught a single egg lay on the bedding, already abandoned."

Young Sanyu draw herself cautiously, gaze glued at the egg sat on the nest, her footsteps was silent, except the sound of crunching from the dried leaves beneath her feet.

"As I looked at it in a better view. The egg starting to trembled, a single crack made my eyes wide in awe."

"What kind of creature?" I asked, tilted my head in curiosity.

"Guess who? When the cracked was wide enough, a small snout emerged from the cracked surface. I've realized it was one of the hatchling of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The last kin of the king of Dinosaurs." Grandma Sanyu added.

My eyes wide in awe, before I added another question. "What gender?"

"A female one, indeed."

"You mean, my mother?"

"Yes, you're right, you're mother was the only I care for decades. I raised her alone, spent ourselves hunting for meat in every single day. She roared in the cliff when she's young, but. When she grew taller and stronger, she recognized my scent through her nostrils, she remembered me as her mother."

~~~

Back in Present…

"So… my mother was raised by human—? I-I mean you the only one?" I asked softly. "Which means… you're my grandmother?" I asked, my ears twitch every sound from afar, my little brother still resting his chin on my lap, nuzzling his snout on my abdomen. Grandma Sanyu nodded. "Yes indeed, my little one. I'm your grandmother."

"But why I can't see you around the woods?"

"Because… I saw you when I was a infant wrapped in bundle. Alone, almost eaten alive by ants."

"Wait… I-I though… my mother T-Rex raised me…"

"N-no, it wasn't, she saw you first before me."

"But why?"

The atmosphere was silent, except the sound of our breathing and the buzzing sound of cicadas in the distance. Grandma Sanyu slammed the tip of her staff, eyes twitched in annoyance, crossing her arms with huff.

"Hmph! Story over from now on, little one." she said, withdraw herself from the room, she called one last time before she made a mushroom soup. "Breakfast first, before I continue my journey about my younger self, I'll make breakfast first!" she closed the door with a 'click' leaving us stayed in the room.

My jaw dropped, but in amazed, I've realized I wasn't lonely in woods for years. My brother let a low guttural rumble, not in anger, just annoyed, rolled his reptilian eyes before he dozed off in peaceful nap, waiting for Grandma Sanyu to finish her cooking for us. I lay back on the bed, my hair spilled across the bedsheet, staring at the ceiling, busy on my thoughts.

"Amazing…"

To be Continue…