Fire Summoner

Chapter Seven: Night of Normalcy

As Alice and Nick pulled into the drive of the Barlowe home, the porch door sprung open as a furry blur bounded down the steps and across the yard.

It was Missy, Alice's childhood cat. Missy was now the size of a wildebeest. Her shoulders stood at nearly four and a half feet tall. Her paws were the size of dinner plates, with massive, hooked claws that never seemed to retract fully. Missy wasn't a violent cat, she was more of a gentle giant but Alice had seen what the cat was capable of.

When Missy was younger, she mostly hunted squirrels and rats. The bigger she grew, the bigger prey she hunted. Rats turned into raccoons, and raccoons turned into deer. When Missy was five, she had dragged a fully grown buck out of the woods and into their yard.

Missy all but jumped through the open passenger side window where Alice sat. Her nose was twitching like crazy, no doubt smelling the creature that had attacked Alice earlier that afternoon. Low growls were coming from deep in Missy's chest as her lips pulled back to reveal canine teeth the size of steak knives.

"Missy, I'm ok." Alice insisted as she tried to push the truck door open. Missy weighed almost three hundred pounds, just a big mass of fur and muscle that was currently leaning against the door and made it very difficult for Alice to exit the vehicle.

There was a sharp whistle from inside the house, and Missy relented on trying to shove herself through the window. She backed up a few feet and Alice got out of the car. Immediately Missy started pressing against Alice's legs, herding her up to the porch where Charlotte was waiting for them.

Alice's mother still looked like she did when she first met Alice. The only things that had changed were the streaks of gray that ran through her dark brown hair, and the smile wrinkles that lined her face.

Charlotte's forehead was creased with worry. Her mother had always been an observant woman, her eyes picking up the smallest details. She had seen the gauze patches visible on Alice's thighs, and knew something was wrong.

Harold, Alice's father, joined Charlotte on the porch. He put his arm around her and squeezed reassuringly. Their girl was tough, he knew that for sure. Growing up, Alice had been no stranger to scrapes and bruises. Alice had been a clumsy child, but her tumbles and falls seemed to have no effect on her as she would get right back up, brush off her knees and continue to bolt after Nick and Missy as the three found new trouble to get into. But, those bandages put a twinge of worry into his gut.

"Here we go." Alice muttered to herself as she walked, gingerly, from the truck and up the front steps. Missy trailed after her, her massive paws staying within Alice's shadow. Nick stayed behind to start unloading the duffle bag and mattress that Alice had brought from their apartment.

"What happened? You weren't in pieces when we saw you this morning."

"Mama," Alice all but whined. "I'm not in pieces! A little banged up, maybe. But I'm fine, I got stitched up and I also got a tetanus shot for good measure."

"A tetanus shot? What, did a wild animal attack ya?" Harold questioned, his eyes widening.

Missy chose this moment to sniff at Alice's legs again and let out a spine-twisting hiss. Alice could practically see the blood run out of her parents' faces. She knew that they would put two and two together. The fact that Alice had waited until they were face-to-face to tell them what had happened, and that Missy had only hissed at how Alice smelled one other time; when she came home from her camping trip prematurely.

"Baby girl what happened?!" her mom said as both of her parents rushed forward. They fussed over Alice and checked her for more injuries.

"Mama, Papa, I'm ok now. Here see? Like I said, I'm all bandaged up, I only needed a few stitches, and I feel fine now- Pops!" Alice protested as Harold rolled up the arm of her t-shirt to see the bandages on her arm. Nick had abandoned the bags in the truck and joined the trio on the porch.