The Forest Through the Trees
14 Ruis- Part 1
by Neosate
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Brotherly Bonds_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Raymond and Thomas Weaver sat in the old beat up Ford Bronco in the parking lot of the Sanders Mental Health Clinic. The two Lynx men, in their late thirties, remained silent as the cold winter air flowed through the open windows. They didn’t look at each other, neither made a move to close the windows or start the bronco. They sat like that for what could have been hours.
“Did you call her?”
“Yes, Tom. She still won't talk to me.”
Raymond started the car. Being the older brother, he felt that he needed to be the responsible one. After the house fire that killed their parents, and almost took them as well, Thomas had spent more time in the mental health facility than not.
“I don’t blame her, do you?” Thomas looked up at his brother. “It’s been ten years since…”
“I know,” Raymond cut him off. “And even then she wanted nothing to do with us. And we agreed with her. She and Donovan were better off without us. She has her own family. And do you blame her for not wanting to expose them to OUR family?”
“That was then. Things have changed for us, and for them. She kept giving us her contact information for a reason. This is it.”
“She told me to stay away. She won't even talk to me about Donovan, or her daughters.”
Thomas placed a paw on Raymonds’ arm. “You know how she is. She will not ask, and she will push us away. But I know there is something new, and not good. She is not a practitioner, hasn't been since Donovan was born.”
“Donovan is fine, and De’de doesn't want us around.”
“Have you talked to Donovan? Kathrin?”
“Katie is none of our concern. De’de pressed that point ten years ago.”
“She’s still family. Family will always be your concern.”
“Come on. Take your meds and let’s just go home.”
Thomas pulled the pill bottle from his pocket and popped a few into his muzzle, “Fine, but just think about it, Okay. It’s not PTSD when the pills don’t help.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Stop the Confusion_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Katie’s eyes fluttered open. She was getting used to waking up without an alarm clock at that point. But the warmth threatened to lull her back to sleep. The heavy fur blankets pressed down on her with the weight of the cold beyond them. She curled into a fetal position only to feel herself being pulled in tighter to a soft body behind her.
The realization almost shot her body out from under the blankets. She had fallen asleep all but nude with her brother and Sonnet. She sighed and relaxed as the doe-husky laid her muzzle on Katie's neck and shoulder. Her eyes went wide as she felt a second arm pulling in as well. Across her chest and budding breasts rested her brother’s arm. Donovan was obviously behind Sonnet as they huddled and shared their body heat beneath the covering.
She struggled as her mind fantasized about both the doe-husky and older lynx behind her. Don’s body, more toned and muscular from the wilderness living than she remembered him being back home. Sonnet’s soft, graceful feminen frame hidden under the husky winter coat that all but hid the baby bump that had started to form. Her mind drifted back to the kiss shared in the dream. She knew she wasn’t gay, she was attracted to other boys, especially Donovan, her own… half brother? But she could not deny the does atractiveness, and even her sex appeal. She found herself defending Donovan's attraction to the girl who was at least three years younger than him, and a year older than her.
She shook the fantasies out of her head as she reluctantly began to crawl out of the stack of bodies and blankets. Only to be pulled back by both Sonnet and Donovan.
“I need to get ready for school,” she weakly protested as she was pulled back into the cocoon of warmth.
“I know,” her brother yawned out. “Let me get the fire up again so you don’t freeze to death.”
“We all have winter coats you know. I won't freeze.” Her protests faded as Sonnet nuzzled into her more.
“Why is this school important again?” The doe questioned as she held the lynx girl tightly.
“It just is. Okay?” Katie said, she heard Donovan tossing logs and sticks onto the firepit, beyond the dark warmth of the blankets.
“Okay you two. Fire is going, time to get up you two. You need to check on the pups,” he said as he pulled the doe-husky out from under the blanket, leaving Katie by herself. “And I’ll step outside to give you a bit of privacy also, Kate.”
-----
Katie sat on the bus, her backpack pulled to her chest as she went over the morning’s events in her head again. The only thing that separated her nearly nude body from her brother was his wife, who was also nude. And the fact that she enjoyed that feeling bothered her some. Then there was Donovan and his wishy washiness on the nudity thing. Then there was what her father had always said. ‘Girls should never be without clothes in front of your brother. Always avoid temptation.’ It was all so confusing, and so much had changed in such a short time.
Brianna dropped in the seat next to her. “Haya, so brother not driving you all the way in today?”
“No, and in another week I guess I’ll be down in Prearrie flats with my mom anyway. Hay, um… is it weird to like cuddling with another girl?”
Raising an eyebrow at the lynx girl beside her the deer said, “well it’s not everybody’s cup of tea but myself I kind of like cuddling with whoever’s handy. Girl, guy, feral dog whatever ya know?”
“Um… it’s a little more complicated, I guess. You see, Sonnet, my brother's wife… I don’t think she even knows what clothes are. And...um.. We are like camping out in the woods, so we… um… well, I guess I really have no idea what I’m asking.” she hugged her backpack a bit tighter, “She’s like, really good looking and we are almost the same age, and there was this one time we kissed… well not really but… I think I’ll just stop talking now before you think I’m crazy.”
“Wait, are you saying you’ve made out with your brothers wife or what here?” the key deer asked, her eyes going wide and her voice dropping to nearly a whisper. “I mean shit girl, with your brother I can see, hell I’d make out with him even if my fur was on fire.”
“No… I mean not really. It was a dream… kinda… and she kissed me… I guess… and he was there… kinda… It’s hard to explain.”
“Ya know,” the other girl said cocking her head a little, “that sounds like something my aunt is always going on about, astral… something or other. Kind of like a dream but your sort of there but not really there. She always confuses the shit out of me trying to explain it.”
“I know right, then you have Sonnet walking around nude, like all the time. And I think Don wears pants just for my benefit, or to protect my ‘virgin eyes’,” Kaitie said with air quotes, “Like the internet doesn’t exist or I never showered in the boy’s locker room when the girls’ was closed after practice. Try understanding anything you’re told in that situation.”
With a sly grin spreading across her muzzle Brianna lowered her head a little looking up at the lynx girl as she said, “not only do I want to hear WAY more about your brother and his wife being streakers at home, the first and most important question is whether or not you were showering in that boys locker room alone or not.”
“Well, it’s not like the boys showered after practice, so… mostly alone I guess. But they did go into the locker room and change and stuff, so it’s not like I didn’t see anything.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it you tease,” the deer said poking a finger at Katie’s thigh. “And seeing things and ‘seeing’ things are totally different.”
“No, I didn’t DO anything with the boys on the team. I think they were too scared or didn't see me as a girl considering I was better than most of the team. Most of the time I was in one corner and the boys on the other side. They changed and left. I showered the sweat off. Before I put my street clothes back on. I don’t know how boys can do that. Just put their clothes back on and act like nothing happened during practice. Kinda gross, you know.”
“Yea I agree, but they think it makes them all manly and shit. But back to this brother being naked and stuff, the question is do you wanna make out with him and his wife. ‘Cause it sure sounds like you do to me, not that I wouldn’t be jelly as hell.”
“I’m thirteen, She’s like fourteen or something, I don't even think she really knows. So even if I did… I guess that’s not weird, I mean we would be in the same classes if she went to school. But he's my brother… or half brother I guess. And he’s like seventeen almost eighteen. I know there are all sorts of porn about brothers and sisters and stuff. But that’s like weird isn’t it? I mean there is the one kid in my class… but that’s different. I mean, my brother is married and everything and going to have a kid soon.”
Settling back into the seat again Brianna said, “yea… sure sounds like you have the hots for both of them, nice dancing around the subject there by the way. But you’re not fooling anyone here but yourself girl. You got it bad for your brother and his hot woman, now what ya gonna do about it?”
“Nothing, it’s not like I can do anything, even if I did have the hots for them,” Katie said in a bit of a huff. “My mom and sister are going to be out here by Halloween and I’ll be moving back in with them. So I guess it’s all pointless questioning anyway.”
“What ever,” the deer girl said turning to look out the window of the bus a scant moment before she made a clucking sound.
“Whatever, you just don’t understand. He’s my brother. Okay, I admit, he’s hot. And cut with all the woodman stuff he does now. But he is still my brother, and he sees me as his little sister. I mean, he’s basically seen me nakid, and still leaves the… hut for me to get dressed. I mean we get along now, how weird would things be if I did try and see if he… Hell, I don’t even know what I would ask. And he’s married, and I really have no clue about Sonnet. She’s… she’s Sonnet. And I guess there are a lot of people who just accept that as a valid explanation for her. I mean. She was raised by her grandfather in the mountains and never really been part of the real… I mean the world outside that. So, it’d be kinda wrong to pull her into all of my confusion. Right? I mean Don is teaching her to read and all that, but She won't get in the car. She doesn’t go near town. She covers all the construction equipment with flowers and shit when the workers aren't there working at that Mark guys cabin. I mean, I get it, you can’t really explain her, she’s just Sonnet.”
Without looking over at her Brianna chimed in, “I’ll take your word for it. But hell if I see what any of that has to do with you being warm for their forms there girl. But hey, if staying messed up in the head over it is okay for you then far be it for me to try to change your mind. Just sayin brother or not, some guy that hot turned my crank I’d be for finding out if the feeling was mutual or not. Can understand if it’s not your thing though, it does seem a little weird to be honest.”
“Everything seems weird right now. We just found out he’s only a half brother, our Dad’s not his dad. And some weird shit about my mom and her family, Who we thought was all dead or something. And then my dad ended up in a coma and Mom moving out here after Don basically ran away and got married to Sonnet. And all this pagan stuff that both mom and dad preached against is apparently a big part of Mom’s past and Donovan’s life now. Toss in a hormone driven teen girl with the hots for her brother and his wife… It’s just not the right time, I guess. Besides, how do I know it’s not just me and my hormones. We kinda covered that in this sex ed class… if you can really call it covering anything.”
“No clue, yea it may just be you. Then again he, or maybe they might think it’s just them or their waiting for you to make the first move? Hell if I know, and I don’t have a clue of what to tell you. All I do know is it’s like my mom is always sayin’. You never know if you don’t ask.”
“Okay, smarty pants, Who would you ask without it being really awkward before and after?” the lynx challenged.
“Sounds like his woman is maybe the most open about things ask her, doubt it would be any weirder than what you’re describing now.”
“Yeah, That’d be smooth,” She said rolling her eyes. “Hey Sonnet, you think me, you and Don could make out or something? Why not just shoot me now? Or should I just kiss her and get the awkward 110% out of the way off the bat?”
“Doesn’t sound that bad, but maybe just try asking her about this dream thing. I mean you said she was a pagan right? They’re always going on and on about dreams and portents and that astral walking or whatever shit.”
Katie sighed, “That is like saying ‘the pope said he was catholic, why not ask him about Catholicism.’ I need a translator just for when she’s talking about herbs. Don’t even get her started on Auras, dreams, or weather. I swear to God, if I didn’t know it was all a crock she might get me to believe she actually sees them.”
“Fine, be miserable then, just leave me the fuck out of it. Sorry I even asked,” the deer girl replied turning back to stare out the window and falling silent.
“I’m sorry, it’s just all weird. A few months ago I was in a christian private school with a decan for a father. Now I am staying in the woods with my brother and his pagan wife. Then, have you been in this new sex ed thing? I don't think my mom knew what she was signing me up for. Let's just toss them into the deep end of the sexual confusion pool and see if they can swim. I mean, sex ed at my last school was like ‘don’t do it, it’s a sin’. Here they are like, is it okay if we do things. And then they wire us up to the local teen mom so we ‘know what it’s like to be pregnant.’ talk about value clashing here. And now I feel like I sound like my dad without the ‘you’ll go to hell for that’ montra. I don’t mean to dump it all on you, but I don’t know anyone else really.”
“Yea, we’ll be okay, once you get your head screwed on straight after your mom gets back. Just do us a favor and keep the whole brother lust to yourself, don’t think I can keep hearing about it without it keeping me up at night with my own fantasies, if ya know what I mean.’
“Like you’re not doing that already,” Katie said with an elbow jab. “That’s not my fault you think he’s hot too. Though it does make it feel a little less weird.”
“Never said I wasn’t, but I don't need you taking my fantasy and making it a 3 on 1 fuckfest either,” the deer girl said in reply with a half hearted slap on the lynx girls thigh.
“Good thing you haven't seen Sonnet, or me not talking about it might not help. But I’m not sure how all that would even work.”
The strange sensation of her belly being rubbed took her focus off the conversation, and thoughts in her head as the bus pulled to a stop in front of the school. She looked at the deer, “Maybe you can explain it on the ride home.” She leaned in and kissed the girl on the cheek without thinking until after the deed was done, her eyes went wide as she muttered, “sorry” and ran off the bus, the full glow of a blush on her cheeks.
Walking through the halls she tried to justify her actions on the bus. She had a habit of kissing her sister and mother before getting out of the car on the ride to school. That must be it. It’s just habit. She was sure it wouldn’t happen again. Now to just hope Brianna didn’t get weirded out by it. Who would she have to talk to on the ride to school if she did?
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_More Questions than Answers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Lydia drove through the mountain pass, Grace strapped into the car seat in the back plugged into the portable DVD player watching some movies. The trip was quieter than she expected. The younger lynx content with her finger snacks and entertainment when she was not sleeping. She was glad of the ease of the trip, but the silence left her mind to wander free.
It had been nearly eighteen years since she had seen her brothers, just after Donovan was conceived. It had also been ten years since they had contacted her about their parents death. She couldn’t help but think about how none of them wanted the inheritance and all agreed to place it in a trust for Donovan. But it was her who insisted that they ’died’ alongside their parents. At the time she had been separated from that life and was happy in her new one. She had her loving husband and two children. Everything was perfect, as long as the secrets stayed in the shadows.
Now, with all that had happened, she wondered if she had made the right choice all those years ago. And if she was still right to continue. Ray and Tom were not bad people, they, like her were just raised in a bad situation. But, she still wondered just how involved they were in the house fire that, as they say, nearly killed them all.
Over the years when she had heard from them, either via letters or voice mail that went unanswered, Ray seemed to be handling things. He would talk about the job he had gotten at the mill, and how he was adjusting to not having his life planned out for him. Tom on the other paw was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for PTSD, schizophrenia, and other minor issues. He couldn't hold a job, couldn’t function in society as a whole. His situation made her question why they still lived at the old homestead.
They were the last connection to a past she wanted to get away from. But that past seemed to be forcing its way back into her life anyway. And it was having major negative effects on her children. But was it a good idea to bring these two back into it? To let her children know about the family that were hidden from even their father?
She reached for the phone that rested on the passenger seat. Ray and Tom deserved to know her family. And Donovan needed to be able to confront them if he wanted to. As her paw touched it, it rang. The unexpected break in silence caused her to jump. She glanced down to see “Raymond Weaver” displayed on the caller ID.She slapped the phone into the floorboard, “God damnit Ray, let me think.”
“What, Mommy?” The young lynx called from the back seat.
“Nothing dear. Did you need to use the bathroom? We are coming up on the last rest stop for a while.”
“No, Mommy. Can I have another juice box?”
“After we stop at this rest stop so you can get out and run. I need to stretch my legs also.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Reflections in the Pool_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Donovan lounged against the wood pile, Sonnet curled up in his lap as he read a book. The lazy days of winter had become a norm for him over the moths. Something he never imagined growing up. Everything he grew up knowing to be fact and reality were all tossed out the window by meeting this one girl who was nearly untouched by the modern world.
“You’re distracted Dawn,” the doe-husky said while she ran her paw through his thick winter chest fur.
“Huh,” he questioned as he stopped reading aloud.
“You read that part already, You’re distracted.”
He looked down at her and smiled. “I’ve just been thinking about stuff.” He knew he had as big of an impact on her understanding of the word as she had on him. Her world was nature, energy and balance. Even to this day she had not set hoof in Winter Creek city limits. It was more that she had no desire to go into the strange world of lifeless technology and armatic imbalance than the fact that they both knew some of the townsfolk patrolled the area with the intention of keeping her out.
“I know they’re scared of me,” she whispered as she nuzzled into him.
“You know I hate it when you do that.”
“ Do what?”
“Answer questions that I didn’t ask out loud.”
“There is nothing in Winter Creek that I need.”
“You just did it again, Sonnet. We both know you have no reason to go to town. But they worry about the possibility of you accidently walking in and having a fit about what you will find.”
She shifted to straddle his lap and face him. Her nude, pregnant, teen body pressed against his. “But it is their world, they don’t know any better. I understand that. It’s not a place for me.”
“See, That right there is part of the issue. You think of it as a worse way of life, while they think of it as better. The imbalance you see with nature, they can't see it the way you do. Some of them are not species that are native to the area, they don’t have the natural adaptations to live here even though they want to. Just about everyone in town works hard to help maintain the natural beauty of the area. They left the big cities behind to live as close as they can manage. They’re not you, they don't feel the connection you do to the forest. But they’re trying.”
“What’s really bothering you?”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “I’m worried about our future, our kids. How will we raise them?”
“That’s not it either. Not really.”
“Stop beating around the bush. I’m not as freaked out about the way your mind works any more. It’s been moths, it’s just part of life for me now.”
“It is our family, Your sisters and mother, you father, everything you learned.”
Donovan sighd, “He’s not my father. He just raised me. And to find out my uncles are still live. I thought they died when I was little. But they’re out there somewhere. Then there’s Katie. I feel so bad for how things are going for her. She is in a very transitional point in her life, and then, without warning she is tossed in a new school, Finds out her brother is only half related, And she has family she’s never met. Then you toss in the fact that she has to stay out here with us until mom gets back. I feel like She must hate me. If I had never left, she would still be in school day dreaming about some boy or something, hell maybe a girl. She’d be trying out and playing on the football team again if she didn't have to start over at this new school.”
“She loves you, they all do, but her on a different plain,” Sonnet said, in an almost disconnected way, as if the words she was saying were not really her own. “She dreams of a boy, she questions herself. She is confused mentaly, physically, and spiritually. Like you, everything she knew was been torn away. The rules she lived with, what is right and wrong, have been tossed to the winds. She needs us, she needs you. Don’t push her away, and don’t let her fears push you away.”
He sighed again as he hugged her close, “Sometimes I wish I could just read your mind so I could better understand what you were saying.”
He felt her stiffen in his arms as she spoke soft quivering words, “A seer is coming. He is broken, damaged, unbalanced. They bring a darkness with them.” Then she fell limp in his arms. It wasn’t the first time she had done this, and it wouldn’t likely be the last. But who was coming, and should he be worried about this darkness?
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_A river ran through it_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Katie sat at the lunch table waiting for her now expected meal partners with an offering of granola and jerky for the red panda. But she had been distracted all day. Between her admission to Brianna about her attraction to her brother, though she didn’t go as far as admit to her own fantasies, and the kiss she gave the doe without thinking, she was even more confused about her feelings than she was that morning. She spent the morning Reproduction Education class comparing Brianna to Sonnet, with tormenting her self at the fact she was imagining another girl nude.
She crossed her arms on the table and dropped her head into them. “It’s hopeless, all this time with Don and Sonnet is finally driving me bonkers.”
“You look like you really need this today,” Zoe Bell said, her words accompanied by the sound of a paperboard box sliding across the pressed board table top. “With the frazzled look you’ve been wearing the last few days I threw in a few extra twinkies and ding dongs.”
The lynx looked up at her. “You have no idea. Just imagine having to stay with your brother and his cute wife who is allergic to clothing. Then getting felt up by ghost paws randomly and not being sure if it’s your sister in-law trying to feel your baby vibes, like she’s not pregnant herself.” She swiftly unwrapped a twinkie and shoved it in her maw whole.
“No clue what it would be like dealing with a naked girl running around the house all the time,” Ralph chimed in as he walked up and took his seat beside the red panda, his highly sarcastic tone clearly aimed at the girl beside him.
With a raised eyebrow Zoe quipped back, “so are you complaining or bragging studly? I don’t seem to recall you not taking advantage of it very often.”
Katie rolled her eyes, “You guys are a couple, it’s not the same thing. Besides, I think that’s the least of my problems today. I kissed a girl on the bus and now I have no idea what to do. I mean I have to ride the bus home so I’ll have to see her again. What if it’s one of those awkward things where she avoids me? It’s not like I have a lot of friends to start with. But, what if she likes it and now has a crush on me or something. I’m doomed either way.”
“Damn girl,” Zoe began as she eyed the tray of food the moose had placed before her, “is there a day ever when your life isn’t a damn soap opera?”
“Apparently not. But I think it’s just getting started. Hopefully things will slow down in season two.” She took a bag of chips out of the box and began to munch on them. “I mean, seriously, who has this kind of stuff dropped on them at thirteen. If it’s not a sitcom it should be.” She stopped for a moment , her mind switching gears, “Well it wasn’t really a kiss I guess. It was more a peck on the cheek, like I would give my sister when mom dropped me off at school. It wasn’t a full on mouth masher with tonsil hockey involved or anything. Maybe she’ll forget about it.”
“Yea maybe she will, or she’ll ignore you this afternoon on the bus. Then again she might even grab you, pin you in the seat and light your fire instead,” the red panda quipped before cramming a slice of the pizza on her tray into her maw.
“Jesus Zoe,” the moose boy said looking to his wife. “You are not helping her at all. Listen,” he added turning his attention to the lynx girl, “ignore her, she lets her own hormones get in the way of thinking. That and she’s kind of a wild child.’
“Yea, and you love it that I am don’t you?” the panda girl said through a mouthful of her lunch.
‘Yea, I wonder if I can blame it on your hormones too,” Katie said as she patted her own belly. “This suit thingy isn’t helping either. I’m not sure how it all works, but I've been having some crazy ideas pop into my head. Even Sonnet was convinced I was somehow pregnant, but not at the same time.” She looked over at Zoe and asked, “You ever get felt up by a curious doe-husky?”
“Nope, just a very handsy moose,” the other girl responded with a chuckle. “But from that I can kind of understand where you’re coming from. Though I guess it would be weird when it’s, I believe you said your sister-in-law, doing the feeling you up thing.”
She rolled her eyes again, “The girl has no concept of personal space. Then this morning she loaded me down with ginger root for the nausea. I have to hand it to her, it does work.” She pulled out a few pieces of root, “You want some? We have like a shit ton back at camp.”
“Sure, I can put it in my backpack and have some with me just incase, been over the morning pukes for a while now but never know when it’ll come in handy.”
“I just need to get through this class. I don’t think My mom knew what she was signing me up for. I know one thing, I don't want to get pregnant, not yet at least.”
“Yea, things didn’t work out where I had much of a choice. If I had my way about it I wouldn’t be either, but I am and I don’t believe in the whole get rid of it thing, so kinda stuck. Although, as this goes along I am kind of getting excited about it all. That’s gotta sound like I’ve lost my damn mind.”
“Join the club. At least you're not confused about your half-brother, his wife, and every girl and guy you run across. I don’t even know what I’m attracted to anymore.” The Lynx girl sighed as she just laid down on the table bench. “Why can’t things be easy like in books? You know what, She wanted me to talk to Sonnet about being attracted to her. Maybe I should just ask Brianna is she wants to make out after school. That should shut her up. What’s the worst that could happen, she says yes?”
Ralph nearly choked trying to swallow the food he had just stuffed in his muzzle, blinking back the tears that formed in his eyes. He turned to his wife as he heard her begin to speak up.
“Well, either way maybe you’ll get at least a few answers about the stuff that’s driving you batty. May find out you prefer girls, or maybe both for that matter. We’re all going through some weird shit right now anyway, can either fight the current or go with the flow and try to enjoy the ride,” Zoe said sort of nonchalantly, as if she were talking about the day’s weather.
“Yeah, Go with the flow and see where it takes you,” Katie muttered to herself, “ Can't get any worse can it?”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Foggy Vision_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
“Well?”
“She’s still not answering.”
“It’s an oak tree, an old one.”
“Tom, you know we can't do that. Not now.”
“It’s not a dream. I’m on my meds, you watched me take them.” The Lynx man held his head as he continued to speak, “Everything is fuzzy, I hate living in a haze, but this… this is clear. More clear than the room we’re sitting in.”
“Tom, we’re still in the bronco.”
“God, I hate being on meds. My brain doesn’t work.”
“And what always happens when you go off them?”
“Involuntary psychiatric commitment.”
“Why?”
“I may be a danger to myself or others.”
“And why are you out now? What’s the stipulation?”
“I stay with you, and make weekly visits.”
“So, what can we not do right now?”
“Listen to the voices in my head. But, Ray, this is different. It’s…”
“I have a job I have to go quit tomorrow to fulfill my part of this deal. We will have no money. We’re going to have to sell the land, or at least a good portion of it. We can’t just run off to Colorado because of some vision you had about De’de and her family. Besides, They’re in California and she doesn’t want us to get involved. She’s made that clear.”
“Once, just let me do this one thing. I’ve been in and out of Psych wards for the past ten year. I don’t know what’s real anymore. I just want to see it with my own eyes. If it’s not there, If they are not there, I will never question you again. One week. We’ll be back before my first appointment.”
Raymond sighed as he relented. “I can’t believe I am doing this. I’m supposed to be the responsible one, the one taking care of you. Fine, but I have to resign my place at the mill tomorrow, so we can’t do anything until after that.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Going with the Flow_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Katie fidgeted in the bus seat, not sure Brianna would even sit by her. She was determined to reclaim the bold person she was before. Sure she was the new girl in school. She wasn’t the jock that played on the boys team, but she was still a strong willed lynx, at least she thought she was. She was tired of questioning everything, and not acting. But this was all new to her. She had never even thought about getting into a relationship of any kind with anyone. Sure she fantasized about her brother, and now his wife, but she knew that would likely never happen. The key deer, as long as she didn't totally reject her, kind of felt like a good place to start.
As she waited, her anxiety growing, doubts started to creep in. What if she already had a boyfirend, or a girlfriend. They had never talked about that. But she was kind of open about being attracted to Donovan.
She shook her head and thought to herself, “Stop it. Go with the plan. If she rejects you then you just move on. That’s how it's supposed to work, right?”
Brianna scanned the rows of seats as she boarded the bus bound for home looking for the Lynx girl that had recently become a friend. As she spotted the other girls tufted ear tips in a seat near the back of the bus a playful grin spread across her muzzle. She turned and tossed her backpack on the floor next to Katie’s as she took a seat and said, “so tell me something trainwreck, was that a sisterly peck this morning or were you making a pass at me?”
Katie huffed, rolled her eyes, looked at Brianna and said, “If I was going to make a pass at you I’d do this.” She took that instant to just do the first thing that came to her head and pressed her muzzle, nose to nose with the deer and kissed her. She stayed there for what felt like an eternity, but was more likely only a few seconds before she turned back in the seat, sighed and continued, “Now you can poke fun at me.”
The key deer blinked several times rapidly, slightly caught off guard by the lynx girls sudden and decisive forwardness. “Yea, I could,” she began softly licking her lips, “but I think I’d rather know if that was just a demonstration or maybe a bit more? I mean with how bad you have the hots for your brother and all... “
“Yeah, look who has questions about stuff now. How does it feel to not know the answers?” She crossed her arms and continued, “As for my brother, let's get real. He’s married and HE’S MY BROTHER. That kind of stuff never works, not even in pornos.”
“Not having the answers kind of sucks, but it’s kind of exciting too,” Briana replied. “I think it might be fun trying to find out what those answers are. You’ll have to figure out the brother thing for yourself. But honestly, at the moment I’m way more interested in what you have in mind between us, you are kind of cute after all ya know?”
“Kinda cute,” The lynx girl’s confidence and cockyness rekindled by her moment of spontaneity and the somewhat positive response, “I am a prime athletic specimen. And it’s all under this thick winter coat. If you think I’m just ‘cute’ I’m sure I could have my pick of guys… and girls I guess, who think more. I’m done being the new kid. It sucks. I’m just going to be me, and if anyone doesn’t like it, they can suck it.”
Scooting closer to the lynx, pressing her body to the other girl the key dear replied, “Well finally the kitten shows her claws, gotta say the bold thing, yea it works for you honey. Not sure where you’re headed with this, but I think I’d be just fine being along for the ride, if you’re into that kind of thing that is.”
Katie crossed her arms. “ I don’t know what I’m into, to be honest. And the past few weeks hasn’t helped. But I do know one thing, after that kiddy kiss this morning I couldn’t get it out of my head. Then when Zeo said something about going with the flow, I figured I might as well see how things go and take it from there. I was just going to talk to you about it, but you had to start off with the jokes. So there, that's it. I have no idea what to do about it all now. I have no plans whatsoever.”
“Okay then, “ she said backing off just a little. “Then it’s time to stop with the kiddy stuff I guess. Here it is short and sweet, yea you’ve got an athlete's body, to be honest it was one of the things that attracted me to you in the first place. Now before you get all weird on me again let me just say up front I’m bisexual, I’m into both guys and girls. That doesn’t mean that it always has to be sexual either. You being ‘the new kid’ was part of it too. Been there, done that and it sucks big furry balls. To be totally honest we can go either way here, I like you and I think we’re starting to be pretty decent friends. I’m fine with it staying that way, I’m also fine with it going further if that’s what you want. Not gonna pressure you either way, totally up to you. But as a friend let me just tell ya, anyone in this area that’s not fully gay that doesn’t think you’re sexy is either blind, or just plain stupid.”
Katie sighed and relaxed. “That's fine, I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend or anything, so, I guess we just see where things go. I’m just glad you didn’t run off on me. I really had no idea what to do if that happened. Now for the more important thing…” She looked over at the deer, “Do you know how to play hockey? I’m guessing that’s more popular than soccer. Or at least that's one of the teams someone mentioned.”
“I do as a matter of fact,” the deer girl said reaching down and grabbing her backpack. As she unzipped the small pocket on the front of it and pulled something out of it, she added, “with three older brothers that all played on the local teams I didn’t have a lot of choice but to learn how to play. Even made the school team last year,” she finished passing the item in her paw to the lynx girl. “Even managed to make left wing about half way through the season,” she added as Katie took the team photo from her.
“Okay then, How different is it from rollerblades?”
-----
Katie walked from the bus to the car, more relaxed than she had been since her father said they were going to get Don and bring him home. She thought she might just be settling in to this new stuff. She had a friend who was going to help her get into hockey and ice skating with. Then she figured she could depend on Zoe and Ralph during lunch, even if they were a bit of an odd couple. Now all she had to wait for was her mother so she could get settled in to a room of her own.
“You seem to be a bit chipper today,” Donovan said as she got into the car.
“Yeah, well. I’ve made a friend, as long as she stops talking about wanting to jump your bones.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, she saw your Gandalf getup and thought you were hot or something.”
“Okay, maybe that’s what Sonnet was talking about.”
“Okay, you can't just say something like that and let it go. What was she talking about?”
“She was doing her thing again, where she is talking but it’s not like her. She said something about ‘She loves you, but on a different level.’ and I assumed she was talking about you. So it’s no big deal. The midwife said that the pregnancy would mess with her visions and stuff.”
Katie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was determined to just get it all out now, before mom got back, before she had a chance to rethink what she was doing, and what Donovan had just told her presented her with the perfect opportunity. “She’s right.”
“What?”
“I hate to admit it, but as usual, Sonnet’s right. With everything that’s going on I didn’t know how to say anything, and with mom and dad around, I really couldn’t, you know.”
“Um, what exactly are you saying?”
“Sonnet’s right, I kinda have a thing for you. You’re the perfect guy, or at least seem like it.” She held up her paw just as Donovan was about to interrupt her, “Don’t stop me now, I’m on a roll. I already kissed a girl and it didn’t freak her out, so here it goes. You’re the first guy I think about when… I mean, let's face it. You’ve been there backing me since forever. You stood up for me when I was little, you encouraged me in everything I did, even more than dad sometimes. Okay, most of the time, he thought I should be more womanly. And you’re hot, that’s not just me saying it. Brianna, Sonnet, all the other girls that liked you back home, and you’re clueless. Any girl you’re with doesn’t have to worry about you cheating on them, You wouldn’t notice another girl without being told about her. And I’ve watched, first hand.”
“So… I’m your dream guy, or something.”
“And now ‘s when things get weird.”
“Actually, after Sonnet said that to me, I stopped by the library before picking you up. You know it’s normal for girls to fantasize about their fathers or older brothers. I mean, we are your first impression of what a guy is supposed to be like. So it’s not abnormal. And I suppose Sonnet and I didn’t help things. If you want I can start keeping more clothes on, and try and get her to stay dressed, and all that when you’re around.”
“No, don’t, I’m kinda used to it now. And, honestly, I kinda like the intimacy. You know, cuddling and stuff with both you and sonnet. I mean, yeah, she’s weird and out there, but she’s so kind, and… good looking, and she’s my age so seeing her nude isn’t AS weird. And it’s all a bit liberating, the option to just strip everything off that is. Grace still does it sometimes, but she’s getting better when company comes over.”
“You know you used to be the same way. We’d get home from school and you’d be half dressed before you even got to your room.”
“You try wearing a training bra.”
“No thinks, I’ll stick with the gandalf look and just drape some furs over me.”
“Now for what I really meant about it getting weird… What do you think about me?”
“I never really thought about it…”
“Thats a cop out..
Donovan continued through her interjection, “Until today. I never really thought about it until today. First, let me say, you are beautiful. And that’s not just me talking as your brother, you are, and you should know it. If I was younger, and not your brother I would have a crush on you at least. And, I’m sure they coverd it in that sex class, I started looking over the cariculum today also, but Colorado has a four year age gap rule. So if we weren’t siblings… Okay now that does sound weird.”
“I wonder how much of our doubt in things is just because of the way we were raised. I mean, mom said her brother was… is your father… so…”
Donovan sighed, “I know, it’s confusing. But, I don’t want to get in trouble, and I don’t want you to either…”
“A kid in class was talking about it, with his sister or something, I was only half paying attention. But the consensus in class was, ‘what you do behind closed doors.’”
“I know, and Winter Creek is one of those, ‘as long as no one is harmed’ places. But, right now I still kind of see that cute two year old in the bathtub playing with bubbles when I was six. I Know you’re not that little girl anymore, and last night proved that, It took me a while to get over the fact that I find Sonnet sexually appealing, She’s only a year older than you are. You know, she is really open in this area, not having the social norms pushed on her ever. And… My views have loosened up a lot living here and dealing with those who do come out to see us. As long as no one is hurt and everything consensual, I’m not going to look down on you for figuring out who you are. Just promise me you’ll do the same for me. I’m still figuring all this out too.”
Katie smiled, “You know, between both you and Brianna’s reactions, I think I can live with this. But what’s mom going to think?”
“We’ll figure that out when she gets here. No point in stressing about it now is there?”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The little things_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
It was early Wednesday morning when lydia pulled into the apartment complex. It would still be two days before the movers got there, but she could at least see the real apartment instead of the model this time. She had contemplated meeting up with Don and Katie for breakfast, but decided against it with Grace fast asleep in her carseat. Instead she had taken a short nap to wait for the main office to open.
Instead of the sleep she had hoped to snatch she found herself thinking though her situation yet again. Emmet’s short term disability would take another month to kick in. Selling the old house, which she was sure would be the final straw for her husband, would still take a few weeks in escrow. Emmet’s actions and current condition all but drained their emergency savings. She was going to need to get a job, something she hadn’t done in years. On top of that she was going to need to get daycare for Grace. She could count on the head start program for at least half a day, but Katie would be in school for several hours leaving a gap in care if she was able to find normal work. She looked at her phone again, the three missed calls from her brother still flashing on the display.
“They don’t have anything either. We gave it all to Donovan,” She muttered aloud to herself. “What am I doing? This is insane. If Emmit had just left well enough alone.”
She was jolted to reality by a tap on the window. A twenty something wolf woman looked in at her, “Miss Hunter?”
She rolled the windows down a bit, the cold autumn air rushed in through the crack. “Yes, are you open now?”
“Just about to, come inside, I have the coffee on auto start, so it should be good and hot.”
-----
With a warm cup of coffee in one paw and her daughter holding onto the other, Lydia followed the wolf through the complex. “You got here just in time, you know that mountain town, Wintercreek, has a festival going on this week. They do a big thing every halloween. So you’re coming out from California, This is a big change for you isn’t it.”
“My son and his wife are out here, it’s important to be with family when they need you.”
“I can understand that, I heard some guy from out of town went all batshit crazy about his son at the last big festival thing. My sister sells her crafts out there, it’s not really my thing, but some of the stories she comes back with, wow.”
She stopped and put the key in the door, “Here we are, three room, first floor. According to your lease it’s just you and two daughters, right?”
“My husband is in the hospital, how hard would it be to add him to the lease if he gets out?”
“If? Don’t you mean when? I hear positive thinking works wonders. But, it’s not an issue. We can just add him at the renewal.” the wolf woman said. “Here you go, all yours.” she finished handing lydia the keys.
Grace ran through the unit as any excited cub would, as she closed the door behind them. It was a simple place, nothing like what they were used to, but it would work. The entry was into the living room area, with an adjoined dine in kitchen. For the three of them that was more than enough. She followed the rambunctious toddler into the bedroom area. To one side had two rooms with a shared bathroom. Each of them had a built in desk, which was one of the selling points for her. To the other side was the master bedroom with a private bath. Everything was modest compared to the house she just left, but it would work until she was sure what the next move would be. It was at least something for a launch pad if she really did need a new start, with or without Emmett.
“Okay grace, pick a room and we can put the toys and stuff we brought with us in it. This is going to be our new home for a while.” She watched as the young lynx stood between the two rooms looking back and forth. They were identical mirror copies of each other, but it was still a hard choice for the girl. “After that we’ll go see daddy. How does that sound?”
Excited, she joined her paws pointing to one room, “this one mommy, I want this one.”
“Okay, then, lets go bring the car around and get our stuff out.”
It all felt a little strange at that moment, Like things were coming full circle for her. After getting away from the northern Arizona mountains to end up in the mountains of Colorado.
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Fate’s Pull_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
“How do you talk me into this shit, Tom?” Raymond asked as he pulled into the hotel parking lot.
“You really don’t have to go in person to quit.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I still shouldn’t let you get away with this kind of shit, you know. Waking me up at midnight to drive out to some place I’ve never heard of. I hope this Samhan festival is all it’s cracked up to be. And whatever is pulling you is resolved.”
“You know I don’t have any control over that.”
“Whatever. You wait here, I’ll get us checked in.”
Thomas held his head a whorling haze of dizziness struck him. “I need some fresh air, I can’t breathe in here,” he said to the emptyness as he got out of the car.
The edges of his vision felt like they were fogged, though logically he knew everything was clear. It was three in the afternoon, it had to be, it was an eleven hour drive. He held his head as he fought the whispers in the air. “Be quiet, you’re not real.”
A paw landed on his shoulder, “Are you okay, sir?”
Thomas jerked away as visions and voices flooded his mind. “Don’t touch me,” he said disoriented as he spun and backed away, only to bump into another. He clapped his paws over his ears, “Shut up, be quiet, go away.” Uncertain of whether the voices were in his head or outside of it he opened his eyes. A small crowd of four or five had gathered around him.
“They’re real,” he thought to himself, “It’s not in my head, I’m not losing it.”
“I… I’m sorry,” he said to those gathered, “I’m fine, just a little lost.”
He pushed his paws deep into his pockets as he started walking again, “Why do I do this to myself. I know I can’t deal with crowds.” He pulled the bottle of pills out of his pocket and looked at it. “I can’t take any more right now. The dose is too high. But would it really be that bad to finally fry my mind? Then maybe the voices would really stop.” He shook his head and shoved the bottle back in his pocket, “I can't do that, not to Ray.”
He looked up, the world more clear than only a moment ago. The meds had their ups and downs with him, more downs than not most of the time. But that moment was one of clarity. He realized that he had walked for some time, with no direction or destination. Wondering a strange city in a drugged haze. He had no idea where he was. He felt the paper in his pocket, rubbed it between his fingers. “Just a little longer, I can be a normal person for just a little longer.”
The sound of a buzzer filled the cold sky. A school, he missed school. Back before… when he really was a normal person. His attention was brought to a large building with a line of busses out front. From the looks of the students it was a middle school. His niece would be in middle school. Katie, he’d never seen her. De’de was gone before she was born. That was before the hospitals and medication.
In a moment time stood still. The white winter fur with the gray markings. A young lynx girl stood apparently waiting for a friend. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. He found himself next to her, only a few feet away. He didn’t remember moving.
“You… you look just like her.”
“Who are you?” the girl asked, scrunched up, confused look on her face. “I don’t know you.”
“De’de.”
A paw clamped onto his shoulder, “Sir, may I see your pass.”
He turned to see a resource officer standing behind him. “I… I’m sorry.”
“Please come with me. Sir”
He looked over his shoulder once last time as he heard a voice ask, “Who was that.”
A doe stood next to the lynx girl as she responded, “Just some creeper I guess.”
It wasn’t her, It couldn’t have been De’de, she was a grown woman, and her family was in California, so his niece would not be in school here. As a paw was placed on his head to guide him into the squad car he pulled the paper from his pocket. “Sir, could you call my brother?” he said as he handed it to the officer.
-----
“I told you to wait in the fucking car,” Raymond scolded his brother, “You know I hate having to do this. I was looking for you for an hour before they called.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You weren’t, that's the problem. I knew this was a mistake. We’re going back. Now”
“I saw her, I saw De’de.”
“No, you scared the shit out of some poor school girl you thought looked like our sister… thirty fucking years ago. It wasn’t her. And what else?”
Tom sighed, “It couldn’t have been Katie.”
“Why?”
“They're in California.”
“That’s right. Now buckle up, it’s a long drive back.” Raymond started the car. “Why do I let him do this?” he questioned himself aloud, “Why don't I listen to myself when I say ‘This is a bad idea’, I know it’s a bad idea, but I let him talk me into it anyway.”
“At least when I talk to myself, the voices in my head answer.”
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Tom. That could have ended badly for you. You’re lucky I kept those release papers with me. The were going to hold you over night.”
“I know, bur she..”
“But she nothing. It wasn’t her, okay.”
His phone chimed with a text message. Ray glanced down to see De’de’s name displayed with an excerpt of ‘new address.’
“You have got to be fucking kidding me.”
“What?” Thomas asked as his brother pulled into a parking lot.
Raymond threw the phone into the floor as he shouted, “YOU HAVE FUCKING GOT TO BE SHITTING ME!”
“What is it?” Thomas asked as he reached for the phone at his hind paws.
“Shut the fuck up, don’t say a god damned thing.”
Thomas looked at the message still displayed on the screen, his eyes focused on the words, ‘Prairie Flats.’ “I… “
“Don’t fucking say it. The only reason I agreed to this is I knew you were wrong,”
“But…”
“Shut your fucking muzzle, I don’t need to hear it. Jesus fucking Christ.” Raymond laid his head on the steering wheel and took several deep breaths. “Okay, what are we supposed to do now? We can’t just show up at her door minutes after she told us a new address.”
“I don’t know.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_On the edge_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Katie sat still unnerved by what had just happened. “I swear, he said I looked like someone. Talk about creepy. I half expected him to say he had puppies in his van or some shit.”
Her day had gone so well up to that point, It felt like just another day, no anxiety over friends, no worries in any classes. And finally had the confidence to toss out her own questions and comments in class.
“I mean I heard about mountain towns having weirdos, but Prairie Flats is like a full blown city. Does stuff like that happen a lot? Or do I just attract nutjobs?”
“Honestly, this is the first time I can remember ever hearing about something like that happening here at the school,” Brianna said in reply. “Downtown, maybe in the lower end suburbs but not right outside the school building like that. Now as far as you attracting nutjobs, you have kind of drawn a few to you since you’ve been in the area. Just look at who your friends are.”
Katie shrugged, “I don’t know, so far everyone seems mostly normal. Sure, Ralph and Zeo are a bit odd, but every school has those couples. So… unless you're a nutjob. Or do you just give them.” She gave the doe a quick elbow jab with her quip.
“Oh I do that, and way more with the right person fluffy,” the key deer said returning the playful gesture. “Guess the question is if it makes me a nutjob if I kind of perv out on you too,” she added before breaking out laughing.
“Save that for warming up after skating or some thing,”Katie returned with a smile. “Besides, I’m still a little freaked here. The guy almost touched me. I’m just glad the resource officers are on their game. I wonder if he thought he’d get away with it because we’re the same species.” Katie gave an exaggerated shiver.”I mean, with me being the new girl they might have thought he was my dad or something. But, it’s just crazy, who does that at a crowded school?”
“No idea,” Breanna replied shaking her head slowly. But the school po po have seen your brother picking you up, and they know you’ve been taking the bus back home. They like their cushy jobs enough they’re not gonna let you trapse off with just anyone.”
Katie eeped and began to fumble for her phone as it vibrated in her backpack. “Thankfully Don got that solare charger thing or this would be dead.” She looked,”Oh , it’s just my mom… wait, shes here, I thought she wasn’t going to be here till tomorrow. My mom’s here, and she got an apartment.” The lynx girl squealed, “I get my own room again. AW, but it will be friday before our stuff gets here.” She sank into her seat. “It’s down in Prairie Flats, Like three blocks from the school.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to see about setting up a rotating sleepover schedule won’t we?” the key deer said leaning into the lynx a little. “That way we can make use of my place for skating practice and that kind of stuff. Your place can be our get away from the snow and trees spot.”
Katie held the phone in her paws, eyes fixed on the screen, “Maybe I should tell her about that creeper, it’s kinda close to the apartment too.” Her phone vibrated again, “So apparently we’re having dinner at a diner in wintercreek. I guess I’ll just tell her then. I don't want her to freak out too much.”
“Probably not a bad idea with her just getting back into town and all. So, any idea what you have planned for halloween, or is that still up in the air yet?” the deer girl asked settling back into her seat.
“No clue,” the lynx girl replied, “I think mom was talking about the Samhan thing before she left, but Sonnet doesn’t do Halloween, or whatever. And I don’t have a costume or anything. And I’m the new girl so I didn’t get invited to any parties, I’ll probably just end up taking grace out trick-or-treating. What about you?”
“No real plans either, kind of done with the lame ass parties the preppy people at school throw to be honest. It’s more about how cute you look with you’re latest arm candy than anything and myself I don’t need their damn approval of who I’m with thank you very much. Besides, don’t have anyone to go with anyway, thought I’d just veg out with a Supernatural marathon or something.”
“Sounds like the life,” Katie returned, “Hey why don't you come over and hangout. Your mom works late right? I guess I should ask my mom if it’s okay… and maybe find out where we live now, more than just the address. Okay, that might have been a stupid idea. We don't even have furniture so...” her eyes went wide, “It’d be like one of the abandoned houses, all dark with no furniture, just without the cobwebs and dust. Prime scary movie stuff.”
“If your mom’s up for it sure, I can bring a couple of sleeping bags and my portable DVD player. You know, we’ve got a bunch of like 30 plus year old bad B grade movies on dvd, one of my brothers got into a thing where he collected them,” the deer girl said with a big grin. “Make it a bad horror flick girls night in or something.”
“I really don’t know what my mom is up for. Last year we went to the ‘anti-halloween harvest’ event at the church, but we trick-or-treated all the years before. But I’ll ask, cant hurt, right?”
-----
Katie followed Donovan into Mel’s Diner. The smells of fresh cooked food assaulted their nostrils. “Oh my god, real burgers,” She said as they both walked to the booth their mother and sister occupied.
“Oh, real food you say?” Donovan asked as they sat down, “What about the food you’ve been trading Sonnets jerky for?”
“I don’t..” she stopped herself and restarted, ‘Okay, so I trade jerky and trail mix with Zeo. But that’s junk food and school food, if you can call that food. This is a fu… friken burger joint.”
Lydia cocked an eyebrow, “Kathrin Hunter.”
“What? I said friken.”
“Hi mom,” the two siblings said in unison.
“So, you already got the place set to move in,” Donovan said as he picked up a menu.
“What, Sonnet didn’t come with you?” the older lynx woman asked.
“She doesn’t come into town, I thought I told you that.”
“You did, but sometimes things change.”
“Katie,” the youngest of the trio shouted out with joy seeing her sister, followed by a joyus, “Donvan”
“Hey there Grace,” Donovan said as he reached across the table and mussed her hair. “Auntie Sonnet sent you some sugar crystals.” he pulled out a small assortment of wooden sticks coated with red, blue, and green rock candy. The little lynx clapped and bounced with joy.
“So, how is school going?” Lydia asked.
“Yeah, thanks for signing me up for the crazy sex ed class. They got me wearing this pregnancy suit.”
“I was reading, the technology that is cutting edge. A locally owned company is developing the tech. I thought it would be neat to be part of it.”
“Yeah, Neat, mom, morning sickness, cramping, that creepy feeling of something moving around inside you. Just what every teen girl needs. And I showed up late so I don't have a partner yet. But I did meet the girl who is the um… data source, I guess. She’s the one that is in love with Sonnets jerky. But other than that is going well.”
“Well, the good news is, you’ll be in walking distance now.”
“Yeah, about that…” Katie hisiteded.
“What is it? Do you have friends closer to where you’re staying now?”
“Yeah, but that's not it. Today some creeper lynx man walked up to me at school.”
“What? What happened?” Lydia asked surprised.
“Nothing really, the resource officer was on the ball and took him away.”
“What did he look like?”
“I don’t know, around your age. I figured he thought people might think he was my dad or something. He just said I looked like someone.”
“What did he say exactly,” She asked as she pulled out her phone.
“I don't know, you look just like her, De’de something. The officer responded pretty fast.”
What color was in the older lynx white fur drained as she just sat her phone down.
“They drove him off in a cop car,” Katie continued, “It was just a little creepy.”
“Mom, you okay,” Donovan asked.
“I’m fine,” she said flatly before perking up, “Hey, after dinner, why don't we go have a sleepover at Don’s place.”
“Mom, I’ve been having a sleepover in the woods forever now, I was hoping for a bed or something… like walls.”
“Well sweety, we don't have any beds yet and I’m sure they have something to sleep on. And it’ll be fun. Like a little family camping trip.”
“If you call piles of furs and straw something to sleep on.”
“Better than the floor, if you ask me,”
“And that explains Sonnet, yet again.”
“What is it, Don?”
“She was cleaning up her herbal and crafting stuff when we were leaving. So I guess she was expecting company.”
“Well, that settles it, After we eat you two can go with Don, and I’ll go back and get Grace and I’s overnight bags.” As she finished her peppy little talk and plan takeover the joy once again drained from her face.
-----
Lydia sat in the car outside the diner as she watched the kids drive away. She held her phone in her paw, the number already selected as she tried to collect herself before calling. She was sure it was a coincidence. Last time they talked Tom was still in the facility. And she had never even told them she was relocating. She closed her eyes as she pressed the call button.
“I can explain, De’de.” the voice on the other side immediately said as the call was answered.
“The fact that was how you answered I doubt it.”
“I didn’t know.”
“How?”
“It was Tom, He was having dreams. It was all to show him that it wasn’t real.”
“Damnit, Ray.”
“I had no idea, how could I?”
“You could have asked.”
“I tried, you wouldn’t answer my calls.”
She sighed, “This is all our fault. We need to do better. But, I have to know. Katie saw…”
“It might have been Tom. He wandered off and was picked up at a school. He thought he saw you there, but younger.”
“Jesus, Ray, how do you lose a forty year old Lynx?”
“I would use the bible line ‘I’m not my brother's keeper’ but that’d be a lie. We drove up in the middle of the night, And I went to check into a hotel so I could get some sleep. When I got back to the car he was gone.”
“We need to fix this, Katie is worried that there is some creeper around the school.”
“What can we do? Should we just go home? I can drag him if I need to.”
“No, Running from it isn’t helping. I need to know what happened with our parents. My kids need to know the rest of their family. Donavan already knows one of you are his father, but I didn’t tell him which. And I’m worried about Tom.”
“How do we do this?”
“I need to stop trying to be gentle. I think they can handle it. We treat it like a bandaid, just rip it off and let the sting in all at once so it’s over faster.”
“Okay.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Reunion_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Sonnet looked up at the waning crescent moon. It was still three days before the new moon, and solar eclipses. And she felt the night moving as the veil between worlds thinned to its weakest point in the year. She stood on the edge of her own world, the perimeter of where she roamed free.
She let the wind blow through her fur as he felt the eyes of the hunters follow her from their blinds with their non-lethal weapons. She knew they were there, she could smell them. And some of them were aware that she knew. This was one line she never crossed, and not because they stopped her. Beyond that point was not her forest. It was dark and tainted, but she could tell it was not corrupt, it was just not for her.
Here she waited for what was coming. Donovan and his sisters had fallen asleep hours ago waiting for their mother to return. A chilled wind blew in from the small mountain city, it’s lights barely visible through the pass.
A paw touched her shoulder and pulled her into an embrace. The warm powerful arms held her gently.
“They’re coming, aren't they?” Donovan asked as his warm breath caressed her ear.
Sonnet moved his paws to her belly as she looked out past the edge of her home. “Its not coming tonight. Not with the moon, but the next.”
“Do you know what it is yet?” he asked as he rested his chin on her head.
“I can’t focus. The veil is thinning, so many working energies they don’t understand. So much darkness lies beyond.” She shivered as she pushed back into him and pulled his arms tighter around her.
“Come on, Let’s get you inside.”
She pulled away from him in that moment. She stood looking into the distance. She had the same firm, confident, and athorativive look she had when confronting the candle peddler those few months before. The winds strengthened, picking up the soft, virgin, powdered snow around them.
“This is my forest, my home. Every living thing within these trees is mine,” she yelled into the night air. “I will protect everything that is mine. You may enter my forest, but be warned, harm none lest the echos be amplified by spirits of this forest on this sacred day.”
-----
Thomas jerked away, grabbing the table and nearly knocking over the coffee cup in front of him. He looked around unsure of exactly where he was. The state of confusion was not new to him. The scene solidified as he caught sight of his brother on the other side of the booth. He pulled the pill bottle from his pocket and set it on the table.
“What is it?” his brother asked taking a sip of his own coffee. “Put that away and keep it together, De’de should be here any minute.”
“I don’t know what are dreams and what aren't anymore?”
Raymon sighed as he said, “After today, I’m not going to argue the point. All these years we’ve been trying to leave that life behind us. Mom and dad always said you were gifted, you’ve been touched.”
“Touched in the head, maybe. Ray I’m broken. They broke me. And They would have done the same to De'de and Donovan if they hadn’t gotten away. You were the lucky ones.”
“I’m the lucky one, spending the past ten years picking up the pieces.”
“And I didn’t help when I should have.” The feminin voice drew their attention. The white furred lynx woman slid into the booth next to Raymond.
“De’de…” Thomas said as he looked at his sister for the first time in a long time, “you’re…”
“Old, we’re all getting old. And we’ve spent too much time protecting someone who doesn’t need it anymore.”
“Ten years, and that's all you can say?”
“What do you want me to say, Tom? You look like shit dragged through the desert and left out to dry?”
Thomas smiled weakly, “So I look better than I feel? That's good to hear.”
“What do they have you on?”
“Well, here we have the Haldol,” the lynx said as he tapped the bottle on the table. “Then we have the Thorazine, for better mood stabilization, and bipolar disorder. But don't worry, I don't think I actually have that last one. And we have the Xanax for the panic and anxiety, But that’s not that bad as long as I stay out of the public and drugged out of my mind. So I think I’m okay for now.”
“Jesus, Tom I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“It’s not that bad when I can see clearly and the voices are gone.”
“Welcome to my life, De’de, Jokes about being crazy.” Raymon said with a wave of the paw to their brother.
Lydia sighed. “Speaking of voices, why are you here again?”
Raymond leaned his forehead against his paw on the table. “He had a vision. Like always it made no sense. So I agreed to bring him out here to show him it was just another…”
“Not you, Ray, I know your version. You still think it is all drugs and psycoactives.”
“I really don’t know anymore, not after today.”
She leaned on the table toward the secluded brother on the other side. “Tom… Tommy, tell me like you used to. Like when we were alone.”
Thomas rested his paws on the table, leaned back in the booth, and closed his eyes. “All I know is it’s a festival of some kind, lots of people gathered around a great oak tree.”
“It sounds like the grove meet,” Lydia interjected. “It’s a place outside a mountain town near here. They hold pagan festivals there.”
“The air is filled with joy, love, community. It’s peaceful, content.”
“This doesn’t sound so bad,” Raymon said, “What was the emergency?”
“There is a darkness, a shadow flowing among the crowd. Like a wolf among the sheep.”
“I’m still not hearing what made you come.”
“Ahh!” Thomas groaned as he slammed his head against the table. “It’s all foggy, a haze. I remember seeing you in the crowd, but younger, and Donovan.”
“Sounds like it might have been Katie.”
“You just accept this all as fact?” Raymond asked. “Don’t you remember how they treated us?”
“This isn’t the time for that, Ray.” She leaned in , placed her paw on Thomas’, “What does…”
With the touch he jerked back, his eyes wide, “Katie… I’m going to hurt someone. I don’t need… I need to go. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Not again.”
“Tommy, look at me. You’ve already changed things. I’m here. Neither Ray or I will let you hurt anyone.”
He looked her dead in the eyes. “Where is Emmett?”
“With the kids you Douche,” Raymen answered, “Why not ask where they are? She doesn’t want them knowing about us, or have you already forgotten that.”
“No, he’s not,” Thomas said. “He’s… “
Lydia sighed, “He’s in a comma. Let me give you the short and sweet. Donavan is emancipated, and on his little ‘I’ve got to find myself,’ adventure, he found himself… a wife and smack in the middle of pagan central. The good ones. After losing contact for a while, Emmett decided he was going to bring the boy back.”
“Sounds like any dad.”
“It didn’t work out, Bible thumper in the middle of a pagan festival. Well I panicked and told him he wasn’t Don’s father… and ran. I have no idea what I was thinking. Well, he followed, things happened. He got lost in the woods and is now in a comma.”
“So what now?”
“I’ve run from all this long enough. I’ve tried to protect them from it all, and I only made things worse,” She looked between the two brothers, “You both really left the family teaching behind?”
“After the fire, yes,” Raymond nodded. “You know I had a hard time with it all back then anyway, but Tom, and the… We had to.”
She looked over at Thomas,”Do you want to meet him?” He only nodded in response. “Okay, get your shit together boys. We are going to dive in head first this time. I’ll get them ready, well as ready as I can. The Samhan festival. We’ll meet there.”
‘But, De’de, My vision.”
“We’re not running, and Sonnet…”
“The forest is hers, and she will protect what is hers.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Changing Lanes_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
Katie gave one last wave to her mother as she boarded the bus. She already had a lot on her mind after being told the day’s plans when she woke up. But what bothered her more than meeting relative she never knew she had was telling her new friend that their little Halloween date wasn’t going to happen. She sighed as she started walking back to where Brianna was already seated.
She flopped onto the bench seat next to the doe, “UUGHH! Can I just have one day without drama ruining my social life?”
“Still with the shit falling from the sky are we?” the key deer asked turning sideways in the seat with her back against the side of the bus. “I’d give you a hard time about the doom and gloom shit, but it’s really starting to look like you can’t catch a break.”
The lynx girl turned to face her friend with both paws up in front of her, “You have no idea. You know that freak who walked up to me at school yesterday? Well, apparently he’s my uncle or some shit. At least he's one of my uncles. And get this, two months ago I didn’t have any uncles. So shit falling from the sky is just what it feels like.”
Wide eyed Brianna closed her muzzle, her lower jaw having fallen at the unexpected revelation. “You have got to be shitting me!”
“No, I am like totally serious. And to make it worse… he didn’t know I was his niece, he thought he was hallucinating my mother because he thought we still lived in Cali.” Her excitement waned as she continued, “Oh, and we can’t do the scary movie night thing. Apparently we’re going to be meeting up with them at the Samhan thing tonight… so… another night out in the woods with Don’s new community of half dressed weirdos so that I can meet my strange, estranged uncles. And right as I thought I was getting a handle on things again.”
“You are getting a handle on things girl,” the doe said putting a paw on the lynx girls knee. “This, well shit this is just more of the same crap that comes from families. My granny always says if anyone is gonna screw up your life it’s your family.” With a grin spreading across her muzzle she added, “besides we can watch old cornball horror flicks anytime, don’t have to be Holloween for that shit. But I gotta tell ya, you saying you have to go to that festivle thing is fucking wierd shit with what my mom said about our sleep over.”
Katie cocked an eyebrow, “yeah, how?”
“So get this, when I got up this morning, my mom was in the kitchen like normal right? I thought she was just fixing breakfast like always. She wasn’t, she was packing up a backpack I haven’t seen in like forever with fucking little bottles of some kind of liquid crap. She turns to me and says, “so, if anything happens and your plans get hosed, your aunt Jenny asked if you’d like to go to the festival with her and hang out with the other kids that will be there. Swear to God I nearly laughed myself to death at the idea, me, at a pagan festival? ‘Is she off her rocker’ is exactly what I was thinking when I left the house this morning.” Leaning back against the metal behind her again she grinned even wider as she added, “so I guess if you want an anchor in the shit storm you got one.”
“You know,” She started as she shifted to sit back on the seat, “That might actually make it fun. Not that I don’t want to meet more family, Just that having something that's not a surprise for once would be nice.”
“See, there ya go now it won’t be so bad since you’ll have an escape route if things get too weird. Besides,” the key dear said as her grin grew wider,
‘I hear there are people that run around these festivals like partly to mostly naked, might just find some decent eye candy to use for a fantasy later or something.”
Katie rolled her eyes, “They call it skyclad or something. And trust me, you might need more brain bleach than finding fap material. It’s kind of like spandex, it looks good on the right people, but those aren’t the ones usually wearing it. I mean, think about it, I saw my mother naked the last time. But then again, there are those like my brother and Sonnet, so…”
“Oh please, just tempt me more to go check out this pagan shit why don’t you, “ the other female said sliding a little closer to the lynx girl. “Then again… he may not be the only one I wouldn’t mind getting an eye full of naked, just sayin.”
The lynx smiled a little. “Well, I do hear strange things happen at these things sometimes.”
-----
Lydia felt bad for springing things on her children like she had, only telling them what was going on after letting them sleep. She was just glad that they all seemed to take it in stride, other than Katie who had hoped to get to hang out with a friend instead. But, she knew that the consecrated grounds of the meet would likely be the best place for the family to finally be reunited. She had been the one to tear it apart, and now was an opportunity to fix her mistakes, or so she hoped.
She walked back to the secluded clearing where she had left Donovan and Grace. She was still surprised by how calm Donovan was about Sonnet not being around. It was apparently common for the young teen doe-husky to wander off to do her own thing. As she approached, her daughter was making small snowmen with her brother. The pair seemed content in the setting.
“Okay,” She interrupted the play, “Are you really okay with all this, Don?”
He looked up at her, “You want to know the biggest thing I’ve learned from the past few months? Sometimes you just have to take what's handed to you and deal with it. Sometimes you’ll get the wheat and grains you need, some time you get hand-woven bracelets. In the end it will always balance out, even if you don’t understand the balance.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my son?” She jested.
“Asks the woman that just told me that the man who raised me is not my father, and I have Uncles that we thought were dead showing up for dinner.”
“Okay,” She smiled at him, “you got me there. So, where is my daughter-in-law?”
“She’s out avoiding contact with… everything. She has a really hard time with this season. I’m not even going to try to explain, because apparently you know more about this than I do.”
Lydia sat on a log by the fire pit. “I deserved that. I’m sorry I’ve kept so many secrets, but I thought I was protecting you. We all did.” She paused for a moment. “There’s something I have to tell you about your Uncle Tom. He… He’s gifted with the sight, precognition, prophecy, whatever you want to call it. They came out here because of his visions. But you also have to understand that he has schizophrenia. He's Never sure what’s a true vision or what is just in his head. Ray brought him out here to prove that we were not here and his ‘vision’ was wrong.”
Donovan visibly swallowed. “You say that as if they thought something bad was going to happen.”
“He just saw a shadow, something at the grove meet.”
“A shadow… A seer is coming and they bring darkness with them. He told you about this shadow and you decide that the grove meet is just where you needed to bring them. Great, once again my family is going to be the negative aspect of the sabbat.”
“We have a handle on this. Last night he said he was going to hurt someone. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. We know it’s coming and we’ll watch him. It’s not like when your… Emmett did his thing.”
“You mean like when he randomly walked up to Katie at school?”
Donovan started looking around the clearing.
“What is it, Don?”
“Oh, nothing. Just thought I might see a polar bear walk out of the woods with perfect timing so I don’t need to go looking for him to give them a heads up. I already feel bad about the last time.”
“You mean that Star fellow? He seems like a nice guy, is he a priest or something?”
“Start Dreamer, and I think he’s a ghost. Fucker…. I mean the guy pops out of the snow and shi.. Stuff.”
“Donovan, I may be your mother, but you’re an adult now… mostly. I’m not as worried about you and profanity, just try to keep it to a reasonable level… for your sisters’ sakes.”
“Okay. But I am honestly glad that Sonnet is taking her nature walk. But I hope they do stick around to meet her afterward. Anyway, I should go ahead and get over to the grove to claim our spot before anyone else starts showing up.”
“You do that, same place as before?” he nodded in response. Well, Grace, come on. It’s time to go get a bath and change clothes.
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Grove Consiquences_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
“Tell me again why I am always the one driving. How did I become the chauffeur?” In response to Raymond’s question, a pill bottle landed in his lap.
Thomas slapped a pawful of pills into his muzzle and washed them down with a drink from a canteen before he spoke. “You want me medicated or driving. You can’t have both.”
“Fine, you win that one, but tell me why I’m paying for a room if we’re only going to sleep for three hours at a time?”
Thomas turned to his brother with an exaggerated expression of shock, “You got sleep?”
“Don’t start with me today, Tom.”
Raymond pulled off the road into a small clearing beside another car. The area had several cars and SUVs, some with small tents and camps next to them. There was plenty of early morning activities, and the smell of bacon and fresh coffee filled the air. “Okay, this is a bit more than I was expecting. Why are we here this early again?”
“I was getting restless.”
“You’re always restless.”
Thomas looked over at his brother as he grabbed the door handle, “Would you rather I be restless in a strange city or in a secluded forest?”
As Thomas got out of the bronco Raymond sat for a moment longer and he muttered to himself, “Neither,Tommy. I’d rather not have to worry at all.” As he stepped out of the Bronco himself he was greeted a bear boy that appeared to be in his late teens.
“Hay there, It’s always good to see a new face at these things. The crowd so often gets stagnant.”
He glanced toward his brother still stretching on the other side of the truck, before he looked back at the boy, “Yeah, first time up this way, to be honest. It’s kind of like the place was calling to us, if you know what I mean.”
“You need help carrying anything in? We can help set up, but I have to warn you, the past few meets we’ve had a no electronics policy.”
“Oh, we’re not here to sell anything.”
“Oh, um, it’s kinda odd to see anyone other than vendors and crafters out this early.”
“Yeah, we kind of have a family affair tonight, and my brother does not do well in cities, so we came out here for the fresh air.” he turned waving his paw to the other side of the bronco, “This is my brother To… fuck.” He turned back to the teen, “You’ll have to excuse me, my brother is not well,” he tapped the center of his forehead as he spoke. “He won’t cause any trouble, I’m sure. But I do need to find him.” As he started to walk away , he muttered to himself, “I swear to god he plans this shit.”
-----
Thomas walked, the wind whispering in his ears. The camp area they had parked in seemed well maintained and cleared. But as he moved further pulled by the whispering wind he saw teens clearing snow from walkways and what must have been festival grounds as the trees started to thin into a bigger clearing. At the center, a great oak tree stood. The old tree felt out of place at the higher elevation, it autumn bare branches stretched across the canopy like skeletal fingers shielding the clearing from the overcast sky above.
The world around him was hazy and filled with shadows as he approached the great tree. The medication once again kicking in with his most recent dosage. He placed his paw on the trunk and looked up into the heights. “You’re real, I knew you were more than a dream. But, why? Why me?”
“You don’t belong here,” A feminine voice called out from behind him.
He turned to find himself on an untouched, snow covered butte, the oak clearing gone. Before him stood a young deer, furs draped loosely over her otherwise unclothed body. He clapped his paws over his ears and dropped to his knees. “No, no. Not here, Not now. I can’t be losing it now. It’s not real, I’m in a clearing by an oak. Ray will be here any minute to snap me out of this.”
He felt a paw touch his shoulder. For the first time visions and voices did not flood into his mind. He looked up to see the doe standing over him. “Am I dead?”
“No, you are not.” her voice seemed to echo in his ears. “You have a reason to be where you are. You have seen the darkness also. It follows them. Watch for it. Because I cannot. You need to go back, you don’t belong here.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Tom, TOMMY!” His brothers voice called from the distance. He felt himself being shaken. He felt his eyes open, not remembering them closing. He looked around, the edges of his vision still clouded and unfocused. He could tell that a group had gathered around him. “Tom, come on, what up. Did you over do it?”
“What?” his eyes finally focused on Raymond. “What happened?”
“You passed out, you were hardly breathing,” his brother said as he fished through his brother’s coat pockets. “Did you forget, did you take more?” he pulled the pill bottles out of Thomas’ pockets and looked him in the eye, “Did you try again?”
“No, I swear,” the younger lynx brother said as he held his head, “I… you watched me take them. I didn’t…”
“Tom,” Raymond held his eye contact, “I’m going to keep these, okay.” he shook the bottles before putting them in his own pockets. “Your watch is set for your schedule.” the older lynx reached for his wrist.
Thomas pulled away before he could be touched, “No, I mean yes. Give me a second.”
“Show me. Show me the watch.”
After looking at the watch, obviously careful to touch only the buttons to check the alarms. “Okay. remember, I have your pills.” He stood and turned to those who had gathered around, “He’s fine, he just needs some space. Just, please don’t touch him.” He dropped to the ground next to Thomas, “I swear to god you’re trying to send me to an early grave.”
“I didn’t O.D.”
“I know you didn’t, I shouldn't have asked. Your recovery was too fast for an O.D. And, for once, I think you're actually excited to be alive.”
“This is it, the tree. It’s real.”
“Yeah, I know. I knew as soon as I saw it. You win, you’re not as crazy as they all think you are.”
“But I’m still crazy.”
Raymand looked over at him with a half hearted smile, “We both are. Just sit here, don’t go anywhere, and wait for De’de. That's the plan Okay.”
“I think I can handle that now.”
“Good, let’s try not to make a scene… oh wait.”
“Look who has the jokes now,” Thomas said as he glanced at his brother.
-----
Donovan adjusted the harness as he pulled the sled filled with Sonnets herbal concoctions and sweet salty treats on his short trek the the grove meet. It would be the first time going without her, but he was confident he had a handle on the goods and general trade economy. He had all the bottles and boxes labeled, which was something Sonnet never needed herself, he just wasn’t that sure of each mix or general remedies use.
“You know, I think this is actually the first time I have been totally alone out here since I first got here.” He said aloud to himself. “Then again, knowing my luck you’re just out there watching me. Waiting for me to ask for help again.” He stopped for a moment, “So who is it this time? Mark, Star? Maybe it’s Shovel, but I think his job might get in the way of him coming out just to watch me.” He looked around at the winter forest. The evergreens stood proud among their barren deciduous brothers. “Okay, you win,” He yelled into the air, “I need to talk to someone who’s not Sonnet, because, lets face it, she may be wise beyond her years, but she’s disconnected in a way that makes some things hard for her to understand.”
He hefted the harness onto his shoulders and started walking again. “So far, every time my family shows up, strange shit happens. First my… Emmett shows up to take me home. Sure, I’m glad everyone was willing to defend me and Sonnet. But it shouldn’t have come to what is did in the first place. Now my uncles, that I just found out about a few weeks ago, are supposed to show up. And Mom didn’t make them sound like good people to have around when she first mentioned them. But hell if they didn’t pop out of nowhere.”
“Oui there, boy,” a voice shouted off to the lynx’s left. “You by any chance named Donovan?”
He sighed at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. “Yeah,” he said as he looked up from pulling the sled. “Who’s askin’ and can you pull a sled?”
“Damn me fool eyes fer thinkin’ I coul out do that damn old bear,” an older looking arctic fox muttered as he approached the lynx. “I’s askin,’ he stated flatly in a heavy Irish accent. “Names Sheamus O’ Rourke and I ken pull a sled as well as any pup fool enough to get tangled up wi the likes of that sneak arsed ursine.”
Donovan sighed again, “Nope, I ain't gonna make an old man pull this shit.” he readjusted the harness and started pulling again. “But, maybe an ear to bend would be fine.” He shook his head as he muttered, “Now I think I’m starting to sound like them.”
“Old man ye say,” the fox chimed in as he fell alongside Donovan, “utter tha there insult again and I’ll likely box them ears for ya pup. But an ear I’ll len ya if ye can make some sense of what yer sayin’.”
“No disrespect meant, sir, I was just raised to no put burdens on your elders that you can handle yourself.” He looked over at the fox as he trudged along. “So, I’m guessing Start is busy with organizing things, considering the debockels at the last two meets, no thanks to me on both occasions.”
“Knowing that fluff ball he’s more likely regalin the younguns wit a story ‘bout now. Now as fer as the happenins of the last few meets, dunna go blamin yerself fer what the fates throw, ya do na have any control over that. But back to it, fluffy pants said ther’d be a lynx boy out here, most likely talkin to the trees a huntin answers. I take it he meant you?”
“I’m not sure about hunting answers this time. Just feel like I should let someone know about my crazy family showing up tonight considering I have advance warning myself.” HE looked over at the fox again as he added, “And I mean they have real psychological issues this time, not just a religious nut that thinks we are all possessed by the devil. Then add on top of that Sonnet’s premonition of something dark or darkness of some kind, I just feel I should tell someone more in the know than I am. And to be completely honest, Star seems to walk out of the woods right about the time stuff like this happens.”
“That he does lad, that he does. Creepy as all get out the first time it happens to isin it? Damn fool about scared me out of me pelt first time he did it ta me. ‘Preciate the warnin too, though some o’ the elders have been tellin’ us fer the last week there was somethin comin, good to know a tad bit more about where it may be comin from. So tell me lad, how’s that little doe of yern holding up these days?”
“As deo as husky can get,” he said with a giggle to himself. “Just the other day a midwife came out to check on her and brought a portable sonogram with her. One of the most amusing things I’ve seen. So apparently we’re having twins. But I’m pretty sure Sonnet already knew that.”
“So everthin is good with her and the little ones, good ta hear since I ain’t been in town much this past month and hadn’t ‘eard yet. Nother good question is how are you ‘oldin up sonny boy?”
“Oh, let's seen. My Dad’s not my father, My father is one of my uncles, my sister had a crush one me, and my wife, and a girl at school I think. My dad, not my father, is in a coma, my mother moved out here to take care of him, and my sisters. And now Apparently I’m going to meet my uncles, that by the way were dead until a few weeks ago. I’m doing peachy. Mostly thanks to Sonnet and taking care of my sister. But in the end, most everything seems to be balancing out nicely. I just hope today doesn’t throw things too far off kilter, especially with Sonnet staying away for reasons… you know what I mean.”
“I do indeed, this time of year is hard on that little druid, and some of these so called ‘new age pagans’ dunna help any with their meddlin inta things they dunna know the whole tale about. She’s only part o the reason we be keepin a closer eye on the younger ones at these meets. Damn fools lettin loose that shuldna be in this world.”
“You know, living with Sonnet, I don’t even think that much about stuff like that anymore. Growing up I basically believed that witches and pagans just did magic rituals and spell casting all the time. But watching Sonnet, who lives it all the time, it is so different. Then I’ve also watched some of the people at the gatherings. So many of them are so deliberate and intentional in what they do. They watch, plan, measure and meditate on the things. Everything is so different. People keep telling me Sonnet is special, like I don't already know that.”
“Aye, I ken imagine ye do, but do ye realize just how special that lass is? She of the old ways, the old school druids that have been around, generation after generation for hundreds of years.What so many strive for, what they work to learn and attain their whole lives is common knowledge to her. She kin do things others will never achieve in a lifetime.”
“And she does it all without even thinking about it. It’s as natural to her as breathing to the rest of us.” He said with a glance to the fox, “I watch it day in and day out. She is from a different world.” he paused for a moment, “Hey, speaking of the natural balance and Sonnets with her ways, you think her spot is still open, or am I running late?”
“Her spots always open, even when she was hole up in that grove of hers it was open. That spot has been used by her family for over a hundred years. Long before there was even a Wintercreek in fact. None around ‘ere would dare to take that spot.”
“Ah, then all is right with the universe and it will not inplode this night.”
“You say that in jest lad, but it’s why the people of the town watch your girl so close. She’s of the old order, and one of the most powerful druids of her kind seen in over 300 year. As you said, she does things without thinking about them, and that’s not always a good thing.” looking at the lynx he added, “She coul’ just as easily wipe us all out in a fit of rage without thinking about it.”
“She can be scary when she is upset. And sometimes I think she is just as afraid of the same thing. What she’s done today shows me that much.” As the pair eased into the clearing Donovan glanced over at the small crowd gathered around the oak tree. “Wonder what’s going on there? It looks like they got a handle on it. I’m just going to hit the site and take a nap for a while. Westill got hours before the real crowd show, don’t we?”
“That we do lad, you take care now, and give a squeeze to that little doe of yourn for meh, tell her the old fox says be well and congratulations on her coming family.”
-----
Raymond stretched out, “You know what, I bet if we asked around a bit we could…”
“What happened to stay right here until De’de finds us?”
“What I’m thinking is Donovan has been in the area for a while, and obviously not living with De’de. So I figure we might be able to find out a bit more about him and this wife of his, so we’re not complete asses when we do meet him.”
“So, it’s okay for you to wander around?”
“No, WE are going to wander around. I’m not letting you out of my sight again. Twice in as many days is more than enough.”
Thomas sighed as he relented to the plan, “At least this time it won't be my fault. You do all the talking. I’m just along for the ride this time.”
As the pair stood up Raymond added, “What's the worst that could happen. These people seem nice enough. Let's start over here.” They walked over to a group gathered around a small fire. “Marry Meet, friends. I’m Ray, this is my brother Tom, we’re new here and were wondering if you could help us out.”
“Well, we can certainly try,” the older beaver male said turning towards the voices he heard. “Names Johnaton, or John for short, that sweet little thing there is my wife Candice, the rugrats have already run off looking for something or other. What can we do ya for?”
“Yeah, we’re kind of looking for someone, our nephew Donovan. You know where we might find him, or who might point us in the right direction?”
“Donovan ya say? Donavan… I bet you mean Don, or Dawn as Sonnet calls him, young lynx, about 18ish, he and his lady usually set up in her old family spot. That would be,” the beaver said turning to his left a bit, “back over there in the little bend of the trees.” Pointing in the direction of the spot the doe-husky and lynx had been the last time he had seen them he added, “normally have a teepee set up. Good thing too, gives the doe a place to rest with her being with child and all.”
“With child you say?” he looked over his shoulder, “See, told you she was leaving things out.”
“A doe? You said she’s a doe?” Thomas asked leaning around his brother.
Raymond fully turned to his brother, “Is that important? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nevermind, it was just a dream.”
The older lynx brother sighed, “I knew I should have asked De’de more. Thanks , John, A pleasure to meet you Candice.” He turned back to his brother. “You don’t just have dreams. I don’t want to hear you say that again.” The pair started walking in the direction the beaver pointed. “Now tell me more about this doe you saw.”
“I don’t know, she was maybe fourteen, fifteen maybe a little older. It’s hard to tell these days. But, she was skyclad, except for some furs tossed over her shoulders.”
“So a standard off the shelf pagan girl? Not bad.”
“No, she wasn’t. There was something different about her. She… She told me I don’t belong here, but that I have a purpose, to watch for the darkness because she can’t. You know what? Sometimes… most of the time I wish you were right and it was all in my head.”
The duo walked as they talked, past furs carrying boxes and totes and setting up tables and tents. “You know I do too. I hate cryptic shit, and this is all the more cryptic than you usually are. You’ve always had visions about what was going to happen, not about girls telling you what is happening. Darkness, shadows, what does this all have to do with us?”
“I don’t know, Ray. But I think you should be a little quieter. Remember we don’t want to make a scene,” Thomas said as he glanced around. “Talking about darkness, visions and shit, their not going to think I’m the crazy one here.”
“Look, we’re in a place this sort of talk might go unnoticed, for the most part.”
“You say that like we’re not already getting looks.”
Raymond stopped by a tree and looked around himself. “It’s your paranoia, Tom. No one is even paying us any attention.”
“And the voices are all in my head. Remember telling me that, what yesterday?”
As the pair stood and talked by the lone tree in the clearing a voice came from the opposite side of the tree, “excuse me gentlemen,” the voice said as a large white polar bear clothed in a simple tan robe held around his frame with what looked like a rope. “Your faces are not familiar to me, first time at one of our little gatherings by chance?”
“See,” Thomas said to his brother.
“Yes, sir,” Raymid answered a little caught off guard. “We kind of wound up invited without really planning the trip.” He looked back over at Thomas with a low grunt, “Don’t say it.” only to receive a head tilt, raised eyebrows, shrug, and a slight smile from him. “I’m Ray, and this is my brother,Tom, who for once has not wandered off before I could introduce him.”
“A pleasure to meet you both,” the bear man said shaking paws with Raymond then offering it to the other lynx man. “Charles Wainwright, or as most around here call me star Dreamer, or just Star will do as well.”
Thomas nodded his head as he took a step back from the offered paw, pushing his own back into his jacket pockets. “No offence sir, but…”
“My brother has some issue with physical contact, you’ll have to excuse him.” Raymond offered as an excuse for this brother. “To be completely honest, he was just released from psychiatric care two days ago. So it is really nothing personal.”
“I see,” the older bear said raising an eyebrow, “I also see that while it is indeed nothing personal, it’s also not entirely a truthful answer.” Turning to squarely face the younger of the siblings he continued, “your aversion to physical contact is deeply seated, and just as deeply misunderstood by many, perhaps even yourself.”
Thomas looked the polar bear directly in the eyes as he said, “I know exactly what I am doing, and what I do not want to see. Between gifts and curses I chose to avoid what I am not forced to endure.”
“I understand,” the bear replied turning back to Raymond, “I will let you be and send you upon your way then, with but this simple piece of advice. Let none who assemble here bring or do harm to any other here. For there are those who reside here of far greater power than even the one that sent him. Little will be tolerated.”
“You may enter my forest, but be warned, harm none lest the echos be amplified by spirits of this forest on this sacred day.” Thomans said as his paw moved up to his head.
“Wait, what are you talking about now?”
“Dreams, visions, schizophrenia, take your pick,” Thomas said softly, “I don’t even know anymore. It was just a voice, and I don’t even think it was talking to me.”
Having turned his head back towards Thomas as the lynx man spoke Star turned back to look his brother squarely in the eyes. “Your brother is indeed damaged, far less than you and many others believe him to be. Who or whatever interceded early in his life has done far more damage than any could have foreseen. He doubts himself because he has been told for too long by people either blind or ignorant to the truth that his mind is not his own. He believes this, much to his own detriment. Mayhaps while in our humble little grove he may find the healing of his mind and spirit he sorely seeks. Merry meet and good health to you gentlemen,” he finished as he walked past Raymond towards a group at the edge of the clearing.
“He’s right you know, Tom. And I know I am as much to blame.”
“It’s fine, Ray. Let’s just find Don and get out of here before someone else tries to shake my paw. Better yet, Let’s just go back to the bronco and wait for De’de.”
“We are here for you. You’re the one that wanted to come. What do you want to do?”
Thomas heald his head. “I need to sit, I’m getting dizzy and everything is getting foggy.” He dropped to the ground, his back to the lone tree. “I need something to drink.”
“Okay, Tom, you wait here. I’ll get us something.” As he started to walk away he turned back, “This time, really wait here.”
(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_To Be Continued_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)
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