5 posts tagged “photography”

alabaster alien

i have a new cat named sharpei.  night before last i heard her meowing outside the door in an unusual manner. my first thought was that she was injured. i opened the door and she came in rather quickly, dropping something from her mouth when she stopped. i scanned her to make sure she was ok then looked at the floor to see what she had dropped. it appeared to be a thick piece of wheat or some light colored fibrous plant - at least against my cream colored berber - and without my glasses.  i bent over to pick up the stray piece of foilage and as my fingers touched the stalk i felt a strange, almost cold, rubbery sensation. i then stood up and looked more clearly at what i had in my hands. i was holding about an inch and a half of the end of a geckos tail and it was still moving back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between my fingers. i started to throw it in the trash but had the erie feeling that i would be throwing away something that was alive (although i knew what was causing the twitch), so not knowing what else to do, i simply opened the door and placed it back outside. it was only then that i realized that there was probably a body somewhere in the house and that i had plucked the tail off myself. i turned back to look at the carpet where sharpei still sat. it looked like an embryo. translucent skin, bulging eyes...an alabaster alien. and now it had no tail. ok, i thought. what to do. i grabbed a paper towel and gently picked up the gecko, which i deemed to be demised, and placed it along side of its tail, right outside of the door. i came in and immediately washed my hands and sprayed the carpet.

the next morning, the gecko, and its tail, were gone. i figured some rogue cat or the like had probably disposed of it in the natural manner.

until i came home. and saw sharpei playing with something against the outside wall. i looked and there it was. tailless gecko. i told my cat that "that was just ewww" and to "come in" but she didn't listen. i guess she finally tired of playing with her little friend, because she eventually wandered back in to her food and water dish.

that was yesterday.

i was out all day today and when i got home, i let sharpei out for a bit of a break from the monotony of the house.  about 30 minutes later, i heard the strange meow. i opened the door and guess who she had brought home again? her little friend. she had evidently laid it on the mat for me as some kind of gift, offering, or perhaps as a pleading to keep it her own 'little pet" - i don't know - but i do know this pale, embryonic, tailless thing was starting to really creep me out. that's when i decided to take a picture of it. i ran into my bedroom, grabbed my camera, made sure the battery was in, took off the lens cap, and opened the door. there was the cat but no gecko. i can't believe it but i actually looked everywhere for the irritating little varmint.

i went back inside. sharpei stayed out. waiting for her friend i'm sure. that's when i decided to write this. i'll let you know what happens next. i'm sure you can't wait.

sharpei & the alabaster alien