"It's writing everything you say!"
Lina looked down and realized Amy was right. Out of nowhere, words had appeared on the lined page in black ink similar to her own handwriting.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE
YEAH SHAMPOO
"Wow... you're right. That's weird." As Lina spoke, those very words joined the others on a third line. "I wonder--"
"How'sss it doing that?" Sam hissed curiously, almost right into Lina's ear. He had poked his green head over her shoulder to peer at the page. Lina let out an eek, dropped the book, plummeted to the floor and somersaulted around Amy's legs. Once safely behind her friend, she leapt back up and grasped the catgirl's shoulders from behind, eyeing Sam warily. "D-d-don't do-ook that!"
"Sam! Stop frightening Lina!" Amy chided the snake boy.
"Ack, sssorry! Really sssorry!" Sam slid backwards, coiling up his tail and resting on it.
"You should be," Lina glowered. "Don't you realize hoo-ook--?" She paused with her mouth open. "Hoo-- ooh-ook! What the hell?"
Amy turned around. "Are you okay?"
"Aa-ah don't know. My tongue keeps freezing up when aa-aak!" She cupped her large palms over her mouth. "What's wrong with my voice?!"
"Lina, it's okay. Stay calm...," Sam said, moving a little closer without thinking.
Lina pointed at him. "Stay oo-ooh aa-aah there!" Sam froze at the threatening chimp sounds Lina spat out.
Amy put a hand on Lina's shoulder. "Forget Sam, he's not gonna come near you. Just speak slowly. What were you trying to say?"
"First, aa-aah... was trying to say...," Lina paused, fighting with her tongue for control. "Ooo... ook-ahk..." She shook her head furiously. "Aa-aak... Can't say the words! At all!"
"It doesssn't sound like our ssspeech impedimentsss," Sam said to Amy with a shrug. His eyes lowered to the journal on the floor. "It ssstarted after she dropped..." His voice trailed off as he knelt—rather, lowered his torso to the floor to pick it up. He contemplated the cover for a second before flipping through it until he found the page again.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE
YEAH SHAMPOO
WOW YOU'RE RIGHT THAT'S WEIRD I WONDER
He propped it open on a shelf and retreated a few paces, giving the monkey girl ample room. "Lina, are any of thessse wordsss the onesss you're having trouble with?" Lina glared at him, half angry, half frightened. "Pleassse," he said calmly. "I have a theory. Jussst... careful... don't pick up the book."
Both Lina and Amy padded over to the shelf and peered at the page. Realization slowly dawned on Lina's face as her leathery finger slid across the lines and stopped at the words "HOW, "RIGHT," and "I."
"It's exactly these three! I'm trying to--"
Suddenly more words wrote themselves onto the page, making Lina pull her hand back in surprise.
"W-what? More?!" She blinked.