K-Why? How? Is it going to be like this forever? Are you fine with this?
Ha-Karai, calm down. We'll find a way to, use them? I know you will find a way and before you know you won't even know they're there and you'll feel as you always do.
-You'll just have to get accostumed to your new limbs.
K-Or I can cut them off.
Ha-No
-No.
Ha-Leave them alone. Out of the question. No way, big no.
K-Then what?
-Ignore them.
K-You do realize I'm not stepping out of this room from now on?
-And why's that?
K-I'm not looking forward to others looking at me. And ignore them, that's going to be hard if everyone is looking at them like. Like I'm a freak. They're going to stare.
-So we hide them.
K-How? How can I hide two pretty big wings from the world?
-Then use them and fly.
K-You know we're trying to not get attention not the other way around.
Ha-Why don't you hide them under your clothes. Come here, I'll show you how.
Hades gets her standing and he gets a shirt for her.
Ha-Wait one second.
He gets the wings a bit closed up and he tries like he would get them back inside her body but folds them behind her back and holds them in place. He nods and she slides the shirt on top of the wings but of course they are so big that the go out of the top of her shirt a bit and down as well. Hades goes to her closet and he looks at her jackets closely and at her before he grabs all of them and gets them over her.
Ha-Perhaps a jacket can help cover the down part or the top part somehow.
K-Or I can use a long dress and use a high collar jacket style or with a fluffy neck. Seriously now, I think the top would work better. It seems like the easiest and best one to successfully cover them.
Hades laughs and hands her one of the jackets and she gets it on with a single pull as he gets the other jackets back in the closet.
Ha-How do you feel?
K-Like a sardine in a can of sardines. Very tight.
-At least it doesn't hurt anymore.
K-Thank he heaves for that. I was wondering, can you tell me what happened last night?
We tell her what was happening and what happened last night with Cerberus, her and us before and after she turned into a wolf.
K-I didn't hurt anybody did I?
Ha-No you didn't.
-It was like you were a different person and you didn't recognize anything or anyone.
Ha-Instinct alone.
K-Like looking for something.
She goes towards the window and I see as she looks at the horizon. She sits on the edge of the window hugging her legs a bit loosely while she looks at the sky.
K-I want to go somewhere where I can rest a bit and think things through. Relax a little maybe, perhaps an idea will come to mind.
Ha-I can take you to the zoo again or to a store.
K-The store sounds like a great idea.
Ha-Do you want to go?
K-Later, let's stay here a bit.
She gets down from the window and she changes her top clothes to a more comfortable one.
K-These are going to need some getting used to.
Ha-You'll figure it out.
-Yes, aren't you the best ever?
K-I guess.
I pull her out of the room and to the kitchen and we eat dinner together. When we finish I wash the dishes and I turn to see that Karai is smiling mischievously at her dad. She comes towards me and she says so he doesn't hear her.
K-Why don't we play chess with dad? Both of us, at the same time.
-You mean he plays two games of chess, one with each of us?
K-Yes, he always win. Perhaps two games at the same time can allow at least one of us to win. So, what do you say?
-Of course, bring them while I save these.
She nods and goes away to get the games. We accommodate the games in front of him and he smiles and waits for us to move. We move and then he moves and before long we are in a pretty intense game all three. In a moment Hades makes the last movements.
Ha-Checkmate and checkmate.
I smile and Karai groans while Hades just laughs.
K-Not even close. You really are the smartest ever.
Ha-With more practice perhaps you can beat me at it. Someday.
K-I call for a rematch.
Ha-Hera?
-No, thanks but, no thanks.
I see as they rearrange the pieces on the board and start playing another game. I take the one I used and save it. I hop down in a couch and start reading a book. I finish it and when I look up I see that Hades and Karai are still playing. I laugh and roll my eyes at them. I look at them play for a while anxious to see who wins. After an hour or so Hades makes the last movement claiming victory. Karai only smiles and groans happily at her loss to her father.
K-You always win.
Hades only shrugs at that before she gets up and hugs him tightly.
K-But I still love you.
Ha-I love you too.
He gets up and they both come and sit at my side with Karai on the other side of him. He hugs us both and we stay like that for a moment longer before Karai excuses herself to her room to go to sleep leaving me and Hades alone.
-Hades, do you think she's fine with her wings at all?
Ha-I don't know but I trust that she'll get accostumed to them.
-She did say she would cut them off.
Ha-She's going to be fine.
-Yes she will. I love you.
Ha-I love you too.
After a while just enjoying each other's company I start getting sleepy and before long I'm asleep.
The next morning when I wake up I see that Hades has put a blanket on top of me and a pillow on my head. I smile as I roll over just a bit. If it weren't for my phone I would have slept a bit more. I take it and answer it a bit sleepy.
-Hello?.......Oh, hi Cerberus, how are you?.......She's here, sleeping..........Oh right, yeah, sure, come over. I'll tell her........See you later, bye.
I hang up and I put the phone down on the table and get up a bit lazy. I go towards Karai's room and I knock calling her. No answer, I knock again and as she doesn't answer I open the door and I find that she's not there. I close the door and go to the kitchen where Hades is and I see as he smiles when he sees me.
-Where's Karai?
Ha-On the roof, meditating. Why?
-Cerberus is coming and he wants to speak with us, all three of us.
Ha-Then go get her.
I give him a kiss and head outside to the roof. When I get there I'm amazed as I see her standing at the very far endpoint deep in thought and in her own world. I look at her for a moment before I call out for her.
-Karai?
She opens her eyes and looks at me with a smile that is dazzling. She turns to face me completely before she walks over me and hugs me.
K-Hi, mom. What are you doing here?
-Someone wants to see us and speak with us. Let's go inside.
She nods and we go back to the condo. I get inside and I see that Cerberus is already there, on the couch, in silence and being serious. I see as Karai's face illuminates with happiness. She walks towards him and ruffles his hair a bit before she sits at his side.
K-Sorry for not helping you with, the thing you asked advice for.
Cerberus looks at her ashamed before his eyes go down to his feet. I sit with them and soon enough Hades joins us as well.
Ha-What did you want to talk about?
C-I'm sorry. I said nothing would happen to Karai and I was unable to protect her.
K-I'm fine. Besides, you tried to stop me without hurting me and that counts as protection.
-That is true, you also followed her and didn't lost her.
Ha-That one is my fault.
C-Still, I'm sorry. Do you forgive me? All of you?
K-There is nothing to forgive. But for your sake, I forgive you.
Karai gives him a big hug trying to comfort him. He lies down on her shoulders and neck a bit unsure of himself. Karai rubs his hair slowly.
K-Is not your fault. You really have a pure soul and a golden heart.
Hades and I go to the kitchen to make lunch for all of us. We leave Karai and Cerberus on the living room talking for a bit. When the food is ready they join in at the table as I call them. We crack jokes and share stories and we have a good time until Cerberus has to ask the question.
C-So, Karai, where did those wings came from? They're, um, unordinary.
Ha-Cerberus.
-Don't mind that Karai.
Ha-He's just being silly, right Cerberus?
C-Oh, sure. Just, is creepy.
Ha-CERBERUS!!!!!
Karai stands from the table and she steps out clearly mad with his comment. I follow her and I see as she jumps off from the balcony. She shifts into a bird and flies away towards the agency. I take Hades by the arm and we go together to look for Karai. We see her stop on a high branch on a tree. We call out to her and when she sees us she turns into a guepard and runs off on the complete opposite direction. When we manage to catch up to her she has stopped running and she's just walking by the sidewalk without direction. Like a lost kitty. She walks to cross the street and I hear a honk and when I look there is a car coming towards her.
-Karai look out.
She turns to look at me and when she looks at what I'm pointing she goes alert and jumps evading death by a hair. She growls and breaks the glass in the front before she goes away walking hurriedly. She turns into a giant wolf and she walks off in predator mode scaring everyone on her path away from her. My fears only get worse when I hear sirens approaching. Karai aware of this turn into the black panther she turned into the first time. She slows down and stops to smell the air before she gets on top of a car and lies down in it waiting for them to come. When she sees us she shakes her head very noticeably so we can see it. I look at Hades and he's just doing nothing.
-Hades?
Ha-She doesn't wants us to interfere. And we will not, we will just observe until she calms down.
I hear doors opening and closing and people being pushed back. When I turn I see animal control, zoo and police vehicles surrounding Karai and the entire block. Karai doesn't mind them and just ignores them. They try to get her off of the top of the car with meat and food and other things the panthers are supposed to like but she just lies there not bothered in the least. I have to hold in a laugh and I see as they bring sleeping darts and static sticks. Karai looks at the guys with the static sticks and I can see as they gulp but keep proceeding towards her nevertheless. She growls at them and I swear my heart skips a beat when she sits up. She grabs two of the sticks with her jaws and she throws the owners on top of the other two. She takes the sticks and she puts them inside the car by the window and hops on top again. I see as one of the agents aims at her and I gasp as he prepares to shoot. Karai takes one of the sticks and she puts it on top of where her weak point is evading the shot from him.
To be continued.......
