Maternal Slime Chapter 2: Amy Hart [Illustration]

The bouncing sli released into the world has no na 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 sli 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 sli 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 cetery 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 nightti in the city, so it avoids notice of pedestrians.

Eventually, the cetery cos into view, and the sli 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 sli, 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 sli 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 sli ets the decomposing corpse of Amy. It doesn't waste ti 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 howork?'

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

'What do you an I'm in stage 3?! How can the cancer spread so fast despite 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 sli presses on, absorbing every last detail about this woman with her life, regrets, and knowledge.

...

..

.

After so ti, 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 hos 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 astronor's resting place with a set of roses in his hands. Nothing seems off on the plot as he takes so ti 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? Ti 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 an, even you were worried about whether I could support myself, but now I'm able to afford a larger apartnt 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 than you."

A beeping from his phone causes him to flinch. He takes out the device from his pocket, then cos to stare at a eting reminder against the current ti. Curling his lips, he stands from the ground and pats away his jeans of any loose grass. "Ti really flies too quickly, doesn't it? Anyways, I'm sorry for the short visit this ti, but I have a client who I need to et at my apartnt soon. It's soone who's co 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 sa 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 sli seeps out of the dirt. Its mass is much larger now thanks to the mother's corpse fully consud, and with it, it's gained a sense of awareness.

The mories 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 cetery section. While his car starts, the sli slips into the gaps of the trunk.

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