Ever took the towelette that he’d just bought and headed towards the change rooms.

  Now, find an unoccupied cubicle in the men’s side. That’s the symbol of the man without the triangular dress. Death had toyed with the idea of letting his protege wander into the women’s change rooms for a laugh, but ultimately decided against it. He didn’t really want to come up to Earth himself to bail him out. Besides, he was still a bit shaken up by the ‘customer’ who visited Ever earlier in the day.

  Ever walked into the men’s side, found a shower and walked in.

  OK, now strip off and wash yourself.

  Ever did as he was told. He jumped, slipped and almost fell when the cold water hit his skin. He turned on the other tap, waited in the corner, tentatively putting his hand in until it became warm.

  He stood under the shower, letting rivulets wind their way down his black hair, pooling in the crook of his collarbone before spilling down his chest.

  *Why do I have to shower, Mentor?*

  It’s what humans do.

  *Otherwise they reek?*

  Yes.

  *Can’t I just use the deodorant like Taylor does?*

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  I can guarantee you she showers too.

  Thoughts unbidden of his colleague showering entered his mind. He immediately swept them away, Thankfully, his Mentor seemed too preoccupied to have noticed them.

  When Ever felt he was clean enough, he turned off the taps. Using the too tiny towel, he began drying off.

  *Who was that before, at the ice cream store?*

  He waited for a reply to his question, but none came.

  *I saw you there Mentor, in that unknown plane. Were you actually there?*

  Still no answer. Was it possible that his mentor couldn’t hear him?

  I was, and I wasn’t.

  Ever pulled on his pants and struggled with his shirt but was eventually able to button it up. He walked out of the change rooms. Something in his mentor’s tone told him that he wasn’t going to get anymore out of him. He stood just outside the doors that led to the gym equipment. People of varying forms walked past him: some big, some small, some with arms and legs that bulged impressively and others that seemed to only bulge from their stomachs less impressively.

  He watched different people working the machines. No matter their forms, their faces all looked the same: an intense amount of focus, looking at nothing but seeing something that only they could see. The movements were repetitive and seemed to hurt, yet they kept doing them over and over again.

  They’re exercising, Ever. You should try it sometime.

  *Why? It looks painful. Don’t humans avoid pain?*

  Usually. Sometimes, they go towards it. They want to feel pain.

  *Pain hurts. Why would they want to hurt themselves?*

  And thus you’ve come up to one of the key questions of humanity.

  Ever watched for a while longer, pondering the answer to the question. Eventually, he turned on his heel and headed towards the exit, popping the lid to the deodorant and spraying himself all over with it.