= Chapter 5: Drawn Out =
Skillya was wide awake, contemplating her long life. "I spend all my life making eggs, I never see any of my young. Why do they torture me so with these chemicals... I eat and drink what they tell me to, I sleep when it fits in with their rotas..."
Skillya looked at her hands, "These hands which do not know hardship or mistrust, they do not know the feel of grass or a newborn Slig, yet they feel the ravages of time". Skillya feels a tear near her eye once more, "My eyes go dim, my hearing gets worse, I barely smell the terrible food they give me... I know, I do not have long left for this world".
Skillya waits until all of the Sligs leave for their supper, when she is alone, she begins her plan. "Fifty years is long enough. Oh how I've suffered, my brothers. But no more. No more pain, no more suffering". She seperates herself from the synthetic egg sack and waits for the last egg to be released. "Live long, my final son". Skillya moves to the life support machine and turns it off. Skillya falls into a deep, dark sleep.
A Slig Queen dies, a young Slig lives. Fair trade.
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