B L O O D C H I L D
"How could I put my children into the care of one who hates them?" "Bloodchild" is a short story written by Octavia E. Butler. The short story is set in what seems to be another planet - inhabited by Terrans (humans), Tlics and several other animals. While following the story's main character, Gan, we are introduced to this mysterious creature called T'Gatoi. She is described to have multiple limbs, a long spine, ribs, a skull, three meters tall and has a velvet underside. As we dig deeper into the story, we are told that she, among many others, is a Tlic. Tlics are gigantic worm-like creatures that live alongside the Terrans (humans); using them as their host animals for their young. When Tlics are ready to lay their eggs, they look for a host animal with enough fat to take care of their babies and Terrans who have Tlic eggs implanted inside them are called N'Tlics. They usually prefer women to keep their babies, but women are not usually used as th...