Lost Amongst Many

Chapter 16

Morning came with a bowl of strawberries set in fornt of me, and Mitch attempting to finger-brush his unruly, sandy-brown hair. He glanced to his left and realized I was awake.

"Eat breakfast now. We're heading out in a second here."

I devoured the strawberries, and Mitch carried me out to the tree line. He set me down and I walked, occasionally bouncing off the trees. I stumbled once, again forgetting I only have three legs, but ignored it and kept walking with Mitch.

We reached the edge, and Mitch stepped onto the pavement first. He beckoned me to follow, so I pulled myself up onto the road too. (The road is raised BTW) Mitch and I walked down the road to Kara, who was sitting on her porch reading a book.

"Hello?" Mitch called.

She glanced up from her book, and smiled when she saw me. "Hello."

"I was kinda wondering if I could talk with you?"

"That's no problem. What's your name?"

"Mitch."

"Come inside, Mitch. You too, Preston."

I followed Mitch inside and sat on the floor while Mitch and Kara sat on the couch.

"May I ask you a question, Mitch?"

"Sure."

"How did you tame the bacca?"

"Tame him? No. He's always been tame technically. He grew up in the castle as a human."

"How? He's a bacca."

"The castle has a magic barrier. It changed him, made him look and act human."

"Oh. Interesting."

"Now I have some questions for you."

"Fire away."

"Why'd you take off Preston's leg?"

"A bear trap deemed it completely useless. All it was doing was letting blood out. I had to seal it so he wouldn't bleed out. The leg was dead anyway."

"Okay. Um... Preston told me about a boy named Kenneth? Who-"

"Oh! Kenny come here!"

Kenneth came from his room, and stopped short when he saw Mitch.

"Mitch?"

"Wait." Mitch spun and looked at Kenneth.

"Mitch?! What-"

"Wow. Kenworth?"

"You look so different! Where's Rob and Jerome?"

"Jerome's at home and Rob had to take over. You know how it is with Rob."

Kara and I were both on the same page. "You two know each other?"

"Yeah. Mitch and I are brothers."

"What?"

"Yup. How're Mom and Dad?"

"Old. Kinda upset you ran away."

"Yeah but it's their fault I left."

"What're you doing here now?"

"What happened with Preston, Kenworth?"

"Hunter."

"Of course, but did you see the guy's face?"

"Yeah. It actually looked like Grampa."

"Really? I though Grampa stopped hunting years ago?"

"No, he still hunts. A lot more actually."

"Why are you here and not home, Kenworth?"

"Um... Long story for another time. I assume you came here for a reason."

"Just reassuring Jerome that Kara didn't take off Preston's leg for no reason. That's all. He's very edgy about that stuff."

"Jerome?"

"Bac. The kid with the dark hair that lived at Rob's."

"No kidding. I remember him. Why? He loved stuff like that."

"He's getting really touchy with major stuff like broken bones and especially stuff like Preston's leg."

"Oh. Then that's not the Jerome I remember at all."

"Kenny, I gotta talk to you in private. I'll get Preston home quick then I'll come back."

Kenneth looked on gravely. "Okay then."