Shade Strong

Chapter Three: Illusions

"Hey Zillah! Who's this?" Genevieve got up from the couch and moved to the living room entry way. The posies on her dress reminded Zillah of the garnet colored stone she'd discovered in the forest two weeks ago.

"Happy Birthday, Evie! This is Grim," Zillah answered, smiling down at her new dog. She'd been fortunate enough to get him in to see the vet, introduced him to her landlords who hadn't minded her keeping him as long as he didn't mess up the furniture and gotten him a collar, leash, and bed, which was moved inside the cottage by the door. In two short weeks he'd become essential to her, and she still couldn't believe how lucky she was that he'd decided to follow her home. The vet said he looked to be some mix of an Irish wolfhound, but could not determine more than that.

"Do Mom and Dad know you are bringing a dog to dinner?" Genevieve asked, looking questioningly at Zillah. "I don't see them loving this." She barely had to lean over to look at Grim, he was so tall. He looked back without blinking and she gave a strained laugh. "Are you sure it's safe?"

Zillah held in her frustration. Most people were afraid of Grim at first. She had been scared too, but somehow she'd been hoping that Genevieve would see right away how incredible he was. Zillah had hoped she'd be impressed and in awe of him. It was a silly thought. "He's perfectly tame." She detached the leash and scratched under his ears. He leaned closer to her, looking around the room and sniffing.

Genevieve held out her hand tentatively for Grim to sniff. He touched her with his nose, but did not leave Zillah's side.

"Evie, is that Zil?" Mrs. Phoebe Stark rounded the corner to enter the room but stopped short when she noticed Grim. "It's massive!" She exclaimed, turning her eyes on Zillah in disapproval. "Some warning would have been appreciated, Zil."

"Sorry, Mom. I meant to call ahead, but-" Zillah started.

"You knew if you asked, we might say no." Mrs. Stark sighed. "Typical Zillah." She shared a look with Genevieve, who just smiled.

Zillah suppressed the desire to strangle them both. "He's very well-mannered. He won't bother anyone at dinner. I've already fed him, so he'll probably just lay down beside me." Zillah entreated.

"Zillah, it's this kind of thoughtlessness that is keeping you from a real career, or a nice young man you could start a life with," Phoebe Stark interjected, shaking her head. Zillah resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that and instead focused on not fidgeting as her mother looked her over. Mrs. Stark's disapproval could not be more apparent. "I wish you'd try to do something with yourself," she sighed. Then her eyes shifted to Genevieve, and she smiled. "You look lovely, darling."

"Thank you, Mother," Genevieve cooed as she moved around Grim to meet her mother at the doorway for an embrace. It did not escape Zillah's notice that Genevieve gave Grim a wide birth. She tried not to take it personally.

As they all headed into the dining room, Zillah thought about the exhausting evening ahead of her and wished she'd come up with some excuse to skip it. That would have been worse, though. They would have been even more disappointed in her, and she would not have been there to defend herself when subjects like her future came up. Why couldn't she feel about her own family the way people did in Hallmark movies? All happy ending and being there for each other. Zillah did not have an excellent memory, but she could not recall a time when she had felt at home with her family. Her parents had always made her feel as if there was something lacking in her; something Genevieve had in spades. Genevieve had not been a bad little sister, but they did not share their lives with each other. Maybe they'd been too close in age; competed more than was healthy. Zillah couldn't shake the feeling that were anything to ever happen to her, she would not be missed by these people. It was not a comforting thought.