Chapter 2: Amy Hart [Illustration]

The bouncing slime released into the world has no name nor sense of self. All it has is an instinct to evolve. How does it evolve?

It starts with food, of course.

Specifically, dead or inorganic matter. An instinct spurs it to find the best source. Depending on the quality, the slime can evolve quickly or slowly. While it doesn't eat live matter, there are exceptions depending on how small the matter is.

Surrounding the bouncing slime is Keystone City, a growing downtown area located in North Dakota. As expected of a major city, there is a lot of inorganic and dead matter with restaurants, garbage, and sewers. However, it seems to draw towards a large cemetery a few miles away from its current location.

It hops within grasses, along sidewalks, and even gets squished by a car on the road, yet it recovers and never stops moving. Of course, it helps that it's a small creature and it's nighttime in the city, so it avoids notice of pedestrians.

Eventually, the cemetery comes into view, and the slime quickens its hops, sensing high-quality dead organic matter.

After entering the graveyard by sliding underneath the fence, it makes its way to the first grave it travels over. The stone reads, "June 11, 1989 Amy Hart. Loving mother whose shine is the brightest among stars."

To the slime, it doesn't know anything about this woman, nor does it have capacity to care. It simply happened upon this grave first. With so many corpses around that can assist it in evolving, it's not picky. That said, the slime can sense the woman died not too long ago since the corpse hasn't decomposed completely. Compared to bones, this is preferable if it wants to evolve fast.

With its target in mind, it seeps cleanly into the ground like water and quickly finds the casket. It disperses, trying to find a suitable crack or gap to squeeze. Once it does, the slime meets the decomposing corpse of Amy. It doesn't waste time and begins to attach itself to the carcass. As it does, it slowly begins to accumulate information as it digests the corpse and expands itself around.

'Mom...please, don't die! Please!'

'Daniel, have you finished your homework?'

'I don't care if he's our son! I didn't sign up for this shit! You're on your own!'

'Mommy, are constellations really a coincidence?'

'You're my only son, Daniel! I'm sorry if I've been harsh on you, but it's because I want you to be the best you can be! It can't be that it ends with just painting?'

'Mom, stop placing your standards on me, I'm not you! I can't study the stars, I'd rather paint them!'

'Mom, thank you. I couldn't have asked for a better mother.'

'Amy, there's something unusual about this planet, A-323. Can you take a look at it in the coming rotation?'

'What do you mean I'm in stage 3?! How can the cancer spread so fast despite me following everything you've done! I can't worry my son, he's about to enter college!'

'Daniel, please don't cry. You're my star, baby. My favorite, shining star.'

There's so much information. Yet, the slime presses on, absorbing every last detail about this woman with her life, regrets, and knowledge.

...

..

.

After some time, the early rise of the sun shines through, casting shadows of each grave that bends to its will. With it, the surrounding city grows a bit livelier with walking commuters exiting their homes and impatient drivers honking in the distance.

Passing alone amongst the graves, a young man in his mid-twenties enters with his feet padding softly against the grass. Reaching Amy's grave, he stares fondly at the astronomer's resting place with a set of roses in his hands. Nothing seems off on the plot as he takes some time to reminisce of her life. With renewed calm, he leans forward to add his roses to the pot embedded into the ground, then reaches out to touch the gravestone.

"Hey, my star-loving mom," Daniel Hart finally greets with warm, gracious eyes.

With a breath out into the cool morning air, the dark and jagged-haired artist slumps down to the grass with one knee bent upwards. "It's been what now...five or six years? Time flies, but I can't really complain. There's this whole uhm...NFT craze going about. It's kind of stupid, if I'm being honest, but I've used the opportunity to basically sell my paintings more."

He hums, taking a look at the sky. "Other than that, not much has changed. I've been on a few dates this past month, but like usual, I haven't really found anyone that I could click with. A lot of them can't understand how I can live as an artist. I mean, even you were worried about whether I could support myself, but now I'm able to afford a larger apartment with my own studio space along with a backlog of work I can't keep up with."

Grateful for his situation and yet, feeling pressured, he chuckles nervously before relaxing. "I really miss you, mom. There weren't many people I could talk to. Even though you had your stars and I had my paintings, there's nobody I know that's more inspiring to me than you."

A beeping from his phone causes him to flinch. He takes out the device from his pocket, then comes to stare at a meeting reminder against the current time. Curling his lips, he stands from the ground and pats away his jeans of any loose grass. "Time really flies too quickly, doesn't it? Anyways, I'm sorry for the short visit this time, but I have a client who I need to meet at my apartment soon. It's someone who's come to pick up the painting of his mother which I've completed final touches on."

He pauses, then lowers his gaze. "I really wish I'd done the same for you before you left. Anyways...I'll visit again next week, like usual."

The artist turns away. As he does, the grass quietly rustles as the blue slime seeps out of the dirt. Its mass is much larger now thanks to the mother's corpse fully consumed, and with it, it's gained a sense of awareness.

The memories and knowledge it accumulated from the corpse are still jumbled, but despite that, it sees the artist leaving the grave. While still processing the man's words while it was under, a strange warmth envelops its gelatinous body as it jiggles.

Without much to question, it slides along the grass, too thin and hidden for anyone to notice in these early hours. It's able to trail Daniel who enters his car that's parked near the edge of the cemetery section. While his car starts, the slime slips into the gaps of the trunk.

Daniel doesn't notice anything wrong as he drives out of the cemetery into the bustling city, unaware of the impending changes to his life.