The Quadbrid

Chapter 5

I wake up sweating. That voice. I've heard her twice now. Why the emotion? Was the baby me? Who am I? Wait, no, It couldn't be me, my eyes aren't blue as ice, they are normal blue. And my hair isn't like fire. Then who is it? And why did the voice call MY name?

I walk downstairs and shake off the dream. Garrick is making bacon and eggs. Because of course he is. Silently I grab some and sit down. As I'm about to take my first bite, I remember that my adult class wanted to extend their lesson today.

Great! Now I have to shuffle the roster around to fit everyone. And I might even have to stay longer. But then I wont get back til after sunset and ill miss my favourite part of the afternoon. The tadpoles are expected to drop their tails soon, I want to watch that!

it is a good thing they gave me notice tho, the littlies were yesterday so it's just the adults, preteens and teens today. It's about 2 hours a session, that's 6 hours today. I can either start later today and miss tonight, or go early, and still get here before sunset. It's 8am now so I have to start work in 1 hour! Plenty of time.

I finish breakfast, compliment the chef and grab my music and step outside. I listen to it next to the pond as the wind picks up my loose hair, the ground underneath me breathes life into everything on it, and the pond, with its own biome.

It's so peaceful out here. Then, the song changes. The wind picks up, the ground starts to shake, the pond ripples, birds fly overhead, animals rush towards me and just stop right in front of me. Petting distance. The baby deer seems to look THROUGH me. Again. What's with looking at me like I'm invisible?

He lowers his head, the ground calms down, the wind chills out and the pond only has the ripples the ducks left. It's peaceful. My thoughts go to the strange things that happened since I felt that inner band break.

Tgere are so many more animals here now, I'm now joined by an antelope and 3 kangaroos, there's more birds in the sky and more bees in the hive. They seem to be gravitating to this place. Maybe it's the only nature reserve left? No, that doesn't make sense. There are forests everywhere.

Life seems to sprout even more now since last week. The animals acting unusual, like they know something I don't. Then the thing with the fire. What was that about? Maybe I was tired. Maybe I dreamed it. Maybe I'm going crazy. I mean, I thought it took my shape. Fire doesn't do that. It's fire!

Not to mention the dreams! I mean a baby with a strange purple necklace with 2 distinct voices attached to them. One calm, guiding, unattached, then the other voice, emotional, desperate, clinging to something.

Then the 2 finches. Why finch? Why specifically finch? They seem awfully fine near me despite me being human. These animals are known for running AWAY, not towards people.

And what about Garrick? I should trust him coz my GUT said so? What is up with that? What happened to the girl who wouldn't make friends because they all seemed unnatural? Wearing makeup, clothes that fit too tight, poking holes in their body as a fashion statement. Why would someone do that to themselves? So why is HE so special?

My senses seem to be on the fritz. The taste of the pancakes, the smell of the same pancakes, the hearing of the balls on the basketball court, the sun boring into my eyes would be sight and that would leave touch. Which seems to be the only sense NOT fritzing

A lot of these things I can explain away. The animals seem to like this reserve, the fire was me being tired after a long day, my dreams have always been insane, this is no different. The finch could have been pets, Garrick is a harmless old man, and I've been under A LOT of stress lately, that probably wouldn't be helping.

But Then a piece of my hair falls into my eyes. Its different. More Vibrant. More green, like each strand is a small green light. Like the baby’s in my dream. NO! WE ARE NOT GOING THERE! I think as, like a switch, it flickers back to the way I've always known it. Duller, no inner light. Darker.

I walk back inside, frustrated. Why is all this stuff happening? Why now? Why did a deer bow to me? What the hell is happening to me? I feel tears starting to spill as I run into the cabin to my room. I lock the door and cry in silence about everything being confusing.

I hear a knock on the front door. I leave my sanctuary after drying my eyes and making sure I look NOT like I've been crying and I open it to find another strange man at my doorstep. I HATE unexpected visitors. “Yes? What do you want?” I ask impatiently.

He walked right past me and stood in front of the old guy. “Garrick, u havent moved in DAYS. What are you doing here? You're supposed to be finding me that stupid princess!” he yelled, waving a small machine in his face.

He looked confused, and scared. That made me scared. “What are you doing in my house?” I asked this new strange man, who didn't look quite right. He didn't even glance at me before going back to berating the old man.

“GET OUT THERE AND FIND ME MY PRINCESS!!!” Then, something snaps in me.I may not know Garrick very well, and I definitely don't know this Strange Man, but I HATE when people belittle other people. I HATE it when people think they can pick on other people because of ANY REASON. AND something tells me this new guy is BAD NEWS