The Familiar Hearts (Formerly Known as The Familiar)

Eighteen

                                             ( Picture of a tiger playing with a German Shepard. )

      My dream from that night quickly became forgotten as breakfast time rolled around. I had eaten with Rossa in our room as we finished the plan to sneak away with Tamira and Eira. After much deliberation the decision was that Rossa would shrink herself into a smaller form like Eira could ( those two had been practicing while I was) and we would cram ourselves into Tamira's suitcases. Apparently they were really large according to Rossa. If I didn't fit, our idea was to wait in Tamira's car and follow from there. We figured if she wanted to catch the plane and had found us, we would just have to go along.

    For the remainder of the day I paced around the house nervously debating if we would pull this off or not. In my nervousness, I seemed to take in things more and realized how much Rossa had grown. She was actually big enough that I could see her true heritage of a tigress. The side and bulkiness of a medium sized tiger cub with her colors taking on a more tiger like appearance. Her fur was a lighter orange fading into a white underbelly. Her stripes were thicker and more pronounced in shades of brown. Rossa's eyes were flecked in a vivid green and her face was longer in a big cats fashion. I wondered what type of tiger she was, and so I asked.

    "Hey Rossa, do you know what type of tiger you are?" We were in the garden when I asked and even though no one was around, she whipped her head about to be sure not a soul was listening besides us.

    "I am a rarer type of tiger. My coat is a genetic mutation which I believe is called a golden tabby. I am a Golden Tabby Tiger."

                                     ( Picture below is the type of tiger and approximant size of Rossa.)

   After that short conversation about her species I decided to question her more. Apparently her mother was a Golden Tabby Tiger while her father was a bit different and she didn't know what exactly he was for sure. Of her mothers litter she had three siblings that all shared somewhat of her mothers coat and varying physical genetics from her father. I could only wonder what they looked like.

    Since Rossa was unsure of her father and only knew limited things from her mother I mainly questioned about their home and such things like that. Apparently, she lived on the side of a mountainous area which sloped into a wooded area teeming with wildlife and away from any humanoid creatures. I found out her parents didn't like humans ( or any other human like creature) very much. She awkwardly told me about their dislike of all things witchy but explained they were happy for her. I guess she was worried when I started to panic about someday meeting them. I mean, who would want to meet up with people who have a dislike (more like hatred from how she described) for their race?

    Most of the time was full of nerves and questions and soon, almost too soon, the sun started its journey to its nightly slumber with dinner just a bit later. It was almost time for the plan to commence.

     Dinner seemed to last forever as the time ticked slowly by. I sat there foot tapping, staring at the wall clock, waiting for the hands to move seven and dinner to end. Rossa seemed to be fine unlike me until you saw her tail twitch every thirty seconds. Our nervousness was almost palpable in the air.

     Then the wonderful moment came, the clock struck seven. Rossa and I bolted up the stairs with a call over my shoulder saying we were going to bed early.

     So far the plan had worked but now came the hardest part, well one of the hardest parts. Rossa, upon entering the room began shrinking down into a into a small orange-ish ferret. The process happened within minutes and when the amazing accomplishment was done, she climbed into my outstretched hand.

       I clambered over to one of the suitcases and realized that it was large enough for me to squeeze into. I shimmed myself into to the black suitcase with gratefulness of being short and zipped ferret Rossa and myself inside. 

        That is where we waited.

^^^^^

I must of somehow fallen asleep during the wait because when my eyes reopened, we where at the airport. I could tell by the voices of the flight people around us and the dull buzz of the planes as they came or left into port. We were boarding by the way the sounds of the buzzing became louder and louder. I felt as the bag was lifted up steps and places somewhere. That was the last thing I remembered as before my eye lids once again became heavy like lead and I drifted into dreamland.

^^^^^

   I don't ever remember being as tired as I was when I awoke again. There was no sound of plane engines but the muffled car sounds from around us. I heard nothing else besides that, the sound of a  door shutting and footsteps leading away.

    The coast is clear but they are leaving, came from Rossa. There was no need to ask who they were as I knew. Tamira and Eira were leaving, while the feeling of wrong came back with full force.

      Quickly, I unzipped the zipper and jumped out taking ferret Rossa with me. I set her down and imminently she began to transform into her self. I looked around for a clue for where they went and what I found shocked me.

       There, laying on the floor, was a suitcase. Not any suitcase, but one filled to the brim with weapons ranging from silver stakes to multiple guns. I wondered in amazement how she managed to get them through security never mind fitting them inside the bag. By now Rossa was done transforming.

         I have a scent, follow me.

       I followed Rossa out the door and out of the building. I payed little attention to my surrounds as I bolted after her, though I realized we were in a town. The town was small from what I got and we were on the out skirts of it. I saw footsteps now, just ahead, leading into the surrounding forest. I passed Rossa, taking the lead as the horrible feeling of dread and wrong push me to go faster.

        I was sprinting. I was bolting in an unfamiliar place into an unfamiliar forest. I didn't even know why, but I was. The hard earth crunched underfoot and trees of green lined my path. I walked straight on the footpath as the light of the sun lightened the way.

        All of a sudden, a gnarled twist of a root snagged my clothing and I slipped. My weight was tossed to the side as I became unbalanced and I was sent tumbling to the right. I rolled head over heals down a slope as branches and stone tore at my clothing covered skin. My outfit did little to help and when I finally stopped, I was a mess.

        I previously pulled back hair hung in my face with clumps of dirt. My clothing was tattered and my skin nearly as much. Pain rippled all over my body, but still I stumbled forwards. I slowed seconds later. Quickly following behind stood Rossa. She was twice her size now, a small tiger in her own right. I recalled what she had said to be a while ago. When she had told me her name, she had told me two. Her last name, Rossa Tigeria. I guess she was a tiger, as her name said. My eyes widened as I realized something.

         I turned around as Rossa gave a low menacing growl. I turned to see Tamira on her knees by a burnt house and a person crouched in wait bearing a weapon. I opened my mouth to shout when - I was tackled to the ground and a roar filled the area.

Does the ending seem familiar? It should if you read the previous chapter. What do you think is up with Sabella ( the main character ) continuing to fall asleep? Can you guess what she was realizing? Also after this part ends, I am making changes to the chapters by combining some. Part three is coming soon after a chapter or so.