8:

"Now, I really need to get some sleep," Calyx said as she opened the 
door to the dorm room. "But I expect you're not really all that tired 
yet, so please just be quiet, okay? Otherwise we'll both be in 
trouble."

"Chu chu," the monkey agreed.

She looked around the room, trying to remember if there was anything 
that needed to be done beforehand. Aside from the books and papers 
on her desk, nothing drew her eye. As she undressed and pulled on 
her nightgown, she realized how bland the room was, even in 
comparison to the common room back at the orphanage where she grew 
up. There was nothing really that personalized it as "hers".

Perhaps she could buy some artwork tomorrow.

"G'Night, Chuchu," she muttered as she pulled the covers up to her 
neck. In a moment she was fast asleep.

Silently, the monkey climbed up onto her bed and watched her sleeping 
face. Two great tears rolled down his cheeks. "Chuuuuuu," he 
whispered in a tone of grief, of sorrow, of disbelief, of wonder and 
above all of love.


                              TBC