Chapter 8: The Precious Exhibit

Once the pride of our class, Natalie was unrecognizable.

Her lush, wavy hair had been chopped off, a red line on her forehead from trying to strangle herself with it.

She lived in a plush, pastel room filled with soft barriers.

She wore nothing—skin almost glowing, body thick and heavy, like she’d gained thirty pounds overnight.

Endless liquid meals, jewel-bright toys everywhere. The insectoid staff swarmed, doting on her every glance, anticipating her every need.

If it weren’t for her massive belly, the place would’ve looked like paradise.

In just under two months, her stomach had ballooned—if there were babies, there had to be at least eight.

Were they out of their minds?

She curled up, hugging a paper pillow, muttering to herself in her sleep.

Any time the bell rang, she’d look up and force a blank smile at the door.

Conditioned. Like a rescue dog who’s learned to sit, stay, and smile for the next family that’ll never come.

She was the rarest, most valuable pet in the world—a collective treasure.

And Natalie, the favorite of the insectoid boss, was the earliest and most broken-in.

I stood, my foot bleeding, vision spinning. I reached out to the image—

The screen flicked, showing Tanya and Lillian, missing for weeks.

Their rooms looked different—more freedom, crystal walls that slid open to sunlight, like VIP zoo exhibits.

The sunlight was harsh, bouncing off the crystal walls, making the whole place feel like a fishbowl at noon. Outside, bathtubs made from giant shells dotted the lawn.

Every sunbeam caught the glow of their skin.

Tanya fared better, but not by much. She huddled indoors, writing "escape, escape, escape" with milk on a pillow.

Lillian was outside in a giant shell, awkwardly bathing, while insectoids cheered.

Now and then, a bug kid would slap the glass, only to get scolded—no scaring the precious humans!

Layer upon layer of insectoids pressed up against the glass, awestruck.

Lillian, the shy girl who never made eye contact in class, had become the darling of the insectoid world—the most adorable human they’d ever seen.

And somewhere out there, behind another wall of glass, I wondered if anyone would remember we were ever more than pets.