Supernatural Blood

Chapter 10 - A Thorn In My Heart

     I jerked awake, breathing heavily. For the third time this week, I had dreamed of Eric again. It was near impossible to picture him being kind to me. Maybe in a gruff way, but it was so far stretched from the truth, my mental state was tearing itself apart.

     Ty, Mitch, Ian, Adam and Jason had really been kind to me and Wildstar this past week. We were fully energized now, and I was getting over my "Anthropophobia", but I was terrified of being touched still. Everytime one of them tried to pick me up, I'd flinch away and say "I'm fine, I can make it there by myself". It's just... Still scary for me. I've seen what human hands can do.

     I tried to go back to sleep, but I kept tossing and turning. The pillow that I'm on is soft, and the blanket keeps me quite warm and comfortable, but I just can't sleep!

     Finally, I sighed and sat up, blinking in the darkness as I rolled my memories around in my head. I somehow started thinking about my parents. Would they miss me if they were still alive? I was suddenly swept into the memory of that tragic event:

"Mother?" I asked.

"What is it, dear?" She asked, caressing my ears. My tail flicked to and fro eagerly as I purred.

"Why are we here, and when is father coming back?" Her smile faded slightly, then quickly returned.

"Well, your father is out on a business trip to help some Borrowers."

"Are we Borrowers? Because that would mean that grandpa was Borrowed before he left." I yawned, stretching up as I bombarded mother with my undying curiosity.

"No, but we're similar. Borrowers are rare, but Nekos are even rarer. You're a Neko, but your father is a Borrower, as am I. Nekos are closely related to Borrowers, but it's like two humans from different families, their families' families' being related." I nuzzled mother, leaning against her as I yawned again.

"And what about the humans that are here? And what happens if we're seen?" She was about to answer when someone called out "I'm home!"

"Father!" I squeaked, scrambling to my feet as he walked through the mousehole. I trapped him in a hug happily as he laughed.

"I got you something, Sammy." Nickname he uses for me. He stepped back and pulled out something.

"Foreign chocolate." He gave me the large square, and I quickly broke off a piece.

"Mmm!" I stuffed my face while father greeted mother. We were a perfect family.

Until something happened.

**********

"We need to move. Now!" I was roused awake by my mother, panic in her eyes.

"What's wrong!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

"The humans here accidentally burned something, and it started a fire!" She grabbed my hand and led me through the mousehole. I gaped at the flames, dancing before my eyes.

"Where's father?" I asked, managing to keep calm. She turned to me and knelt down to my eye level, since I was only 4.

"Sweetheart, I'm going back to find him, and just in case something happens." Her voice had reached an uncommon octave as the pulled a small necklace out of her pocket. "It's the jewel of the Neko. Wear it, and be as smart as I know you are. Stay away from humans, and if the house burns and we aren't back by sunset-" a tear trailed down her cheek. "Then go without us. We love you, no matter what happens." She urged me to the large human door and turned back to find my father.

I stumbled past the door frame and slipped into the undergrowth, far from danger. I breathed heavily for a moment before holding the gem up to my face. It was a deep red with yellow flecks, containing a black sphere in the center. It was beautiful.

"Wear it." My mother had said. So I slipped it on and waited for them.

And waited. And waited.

I had stayed past sunset, and then gone around calling for them. But they were gone.

I was on my own. My vision blurred as I slowly slid down on my knees, shaking in realization. I laid there for an hour, sobbing. I felt like such a crybaby, but it didn't matter then. Nothing mattered, as far as I was concerned. Mother's words echoed in my mind. "Be as smart as I know you are... Go without us... We love you, no matter what happens."... I slowly pulled a large leaf over me, lulling to sleep...

    I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep in real life right now too.