Streams - Book 1

Chapter 2

Tall, Dark, and Hairy.

Jenni jumped back screaming, as the mass of hair transformed into a large creature that rushed towards her, the weight of its enormous body shaking the room with each step. Books bounced from their spots on the shelves and the chairs trembled around the table, which Jenni quickly found herself pinned against with the beast hovering over her.

"Get back!" Jenni yelled as she ran up the creature's body, flipping backwards onto the table top, as she struck the side of the beast's large head with a kick.

"Is that the best you got," the beast growled.

"I don't know," Jenni confessed. She surprised herself by pulling off that move. Maybe Ludwig was right and her body did remember what she learned, even if her brain forgot. But she wasn't trained to fight monsters, so what chance did she have against this massive hairball with teeth.

"Well, at least she's honest," the beast laughed, looking over at the unconcerned gnome couple.

"You know this creature?" Jenni shrieked.

"Rogan, Jenni. Jenni, Rogan." Morathi said, gesturing between the two of them.

"So you do know him, and you were just going to let him rip me apart?" Jenni inquired, glaring at Morathi. "No, no, trust us," she mocked, "we're the good guys, we're here to help you. Yeah, help me get eaten by your pet monster. But don't worry, only the first thirty or forty bites will hurt."

"Rogan is a Sasquatch, not a monster or a creature," Morathi admonished, "We are all different beings, and all of us deserve respect." He looked over at the Sasquatch with a rueful grin, "And trust me, if he wanted to rip you apart, there is no one here that could stop him."

"I'm sorry I frightened you," Rogan murmured. "I overheard the conversation, and it seemed like you needed some convincing that the outside world was a dangerous place," he explained.

"Convince me? Look at you! You're convincing enough without coming after me like some human-starved crea..." Jenni stopped herself from finishing the word, and rubbed her temples. All of this excitement was just making her headache worse.

Everything was just too weird. This Sasquatch was too realistic looking and smelly to be some tall guy in a suit. Did that mean the little couple was telling the truth and they really were gnomes. All she wanted was to be home where things made sense. Where her parents were coming home and picking her up from..."School," Jenni exclaimed, "I'm supposed to be in school!"

"Is that Trinity School for Higher Learning," Lilly asked.

"How did you know that?" Jenni inquired. Once again suspicion took over her mind. These strangers seemed to know a lot about her.

"It's on your coat," Lilly replied, pointing to the patch on the running jacket Jenni was wearing.

Jenni looked down and confirmed that the patch did spell out the school's name. "Oh, right," Jenni acknowledged, as she recalled Ludwig purchasing it for her at the school's store.

"I take it she's not the 'Human' we have been waiting for," Rogan commented, looking over at Morathai.

"As of right now, no it appears she is not," Morathi replied with disappointment. "But we can't overlook the importance of her being here," he added.

"If she wasn't sent by Zamoric, then how did she open the gateway, and how did she jump streams without someone showing her how?" Rogan puzzled, causing Jenni to look up at him in irritation.

"I'm right here," she snapped. She hated it when people talked about her like she wasn't even in the room. Her parents did that when they planned her next educational endeavor; never acknowledging her presence or asking her input. "I'm sure I'm not 'the Human' that you've been waiting for," she denied. "And I can assure you I don't know how I got here, wherever here is," she faltered, as tears began filling her eyes. "And I am sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused, but if there is anything you would like to know about me, or if there is anything you have to say, please feel free to address me directly."

Rogan looked from the now crying Jenni to Morathi and Lilly and then back to Jenni again, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "OK," he muttered. Confused as to what to do now, he looked back to Lilly and gave a shrug of his shoulders. Then backing away slowly he ducked out through the book shelf door and into the library, obviously not used to dealing with crying females.

"It's okay dear," Lilly soothed, rushing to Jenni's side and wrapping her tiny arms around the girl's shoulders. "Let me get some more pain killers in you, and then I'll send for some food, you must be half starved by now."

Usually Jenni was hesitant to take medication in any form; she wasn't a fan of having unnatural chemicals floating around in her body. However, her head was pounding with pain and any relief was welcome.

"Okay," Jenni sighed. She dried her tears and followed Lilly back into the library.