Kaleb was really tired, and slept soundly. Until a giggle woke him up. He opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was that his head hurt a little from sleeping so much.

The boy took awhile to focus well, but when he did he could see Nango letting out a tender little laugh, as she watched him again, submerged up to her nose, a few meters away.

-Yoo make a very funny sound when yoo sleep -said the young huachi, while laughing.

-Nango... -said the boy-. Thanks again for the food -Kaleb said as he took the conch that kept floating close to the column.

The boy got up to give her the shell.

-Nango, why are you nice to me? -he asked.

Nango looked down thoughtfully.

-When I was a child I was teer-ree-fide of hyoomans. But when I groo up, I learned moor about them, and I was ool-waze cyoor-ee-oos to see one. I wanted to see if they were reel-ee the mons-toors that the Elders said they woor, but... when I saw yoo. Yoo deed-int seem like a mons-toor, or crool, or ee-vool to me.

-Your wise men are right, humans can be evil, oftentimes -the boy told her.

-But yoor not bad, are yoo? -asked Nango, curious.

-I don't know -he said-. There are times when I'm not sure I know the difference anymore. But I've always tried to do the right thing, even though sometimes it's hard and I need extra help to decide.

-We huachis do not trust hyoomans, they betrayed us a long time uh-gooh.

The boy detected that the huachi hesitated a bit when saying this.

-But yoor not like the hyoomans my fah-thoor used to tell me about when I was a child, yoo seem dee-frint. -the young Nango swam closer to the boy, trying to be as cautious as possible, but her curiosity was much greater.

Kaleb, a little nervous as he saw the girl approaching, offered the dish back to her.

-Uh, here -said the boy.

Nango made a small bow and picked up the plate. But as she took it her hand lightly touched the boy's.

Kaleb could feel the skin of the huachi. He expected it to be scaly, but no. Nango's skin was wet and cold, but it was soft and pleasant to the touch.

For her part, the huachi felt the boy, felt his skin, and detected a warm temperature within him.

The two pulled their own hands away quickly, embarassed.

-I'm sorry -Kaleb said.

They were both silent for a moment, shame preventing them from looking each other in the eyes.

-I... Nango was the one who broke the silence, hesitating-. Yoor body tem-poor-choor is warm -she said.

-Yeah, it's a human thing, I guess -Kaleb replied, trying to sound as normal as possible, but his enunciation was cracking a bit from nerves. Hearing himself, he coughed a little as if claiming that he had something in his throat that was preventing him from speaking well, and that it was not due to the fact that feeling the huachi's hand made his heart speed up a bit.

Suddenly, his heart began to race even more as Nango began to swim towards him, slowly, looking at him.

Nango, embarassed, asked:

-C-Can I? -and her eyes fell on the young man's hand.

-Oh, sure -Kaleb said, hesitant as he held up his hand for her to take.

Nango took the young man's hand, again. The boy felt that smooth bluish skin against his hand. Nango could not contain her curiosity and used both hands to feel the young man's. Nango slid her fingers into his palm until they lined up with the boy's. The huachi observed both of their hands in detail.

Finally, Nango's fingers moved into the gaps between the boy's fingers and he closed his hand. The feel of Nango's fingers, plus the coolness of her skin made Kaleb jump a little.

-Oh. Did I hurt yoo? -asked the huachi, apologetic.

-No, no, it's just... your hands are a little cold -he said.

-Oh... -Nango exclaimed. but depite this, she didn't let go of the boy.

-Let me warm them up a bit -Kaleb said as he took the huachi's hand in his, covering them.

Kaleb felt the huachi tense the moment he took her hands.

Purple discolorations began to appear on Nango's cheek. At first Kaleb was puzzled by the hue, but seeing these blemishes spread from cheek to cheek past her nose, he knew it might be some kind of blush.

-Yoor hands -said Nango, who sounded calm and very articulate despite her purple blush-. The Elders say hyoomans have fire eenside. Fire is deadly foor us huachi. But, foor some rees-oon yoor fire doesn't burn me. -the young huachi moved a little closer to Kaleb.

-Humans don't have fire. In fact, fire hurts us just as it hurts you.

Nango turned to meet Kaleb's eyes, and the boy could see how her thin pupils dilated.

-If yoo don't have fire, why does yoor face turn red? -Nango said curiously.

Kaleb didn't know he was blushing as well. Hearing the huachi say this, he began to get so nervous that he balked endlessly.

-Oh, it's the blood, we're hot-blooded. That is! We have warm blood, not that humans are hot. In other words we are hot but it's because of our blood, because we are hot-blooded. We have! Hot blood, hahaha -his clumsy rambling about himself made Nango look at him with a confused smile and tilt her head.

-They have no fire and their touch is pliz-eent. I want to know moor -Nango said, intrigued. Her pupils dilated again and Kaleb felt the huachi's hands squeeze his own a little and then bring them to her chest in a gesture of excitement.

-I want yoo to tell me moor about the hyoomans. -the excited huachi got close to the boy, so much so that Kaleb involuntarily moved his head back, thinking he might collide with hers.

-You want to know more about humans? -Kaleb said.

Nango only nodded three times quickly, without taking her eyes off the boy.

-Tell me moor about yoorself -said Nango.

The boy was stunned.

It seemed that for a moment Kaleb had forgotten about escaping from here. Nango's questions had made his head spin in a thousand thoughts that were going nowhere, so maybe he needs your help to react...