(GE Copy)

Chapter 24: A Cat is Fine Too

“One cat will lead to another cat...”

It always starts with a lawn mower, and the high functioning individual getting at his chores before the summer heat sets in. Somewhere, anywhere, from the house next door to a couple blocks away, it’s hum becomes almost as natural as the birds. Aaron could hear it’s soft echo, sweeping the yard; perhaps it was the Petersons... No, it sounded like the Richards this time.

Aaron nestled his head into his pillow and played for another minutes’ rest. He felt oddly cozy. A comforting wave captured his warmth and reflected it right back. He felt a gentle weight move alone his side, and it’s softly radiant heat seeped through the sheets. It was so light like the residual reminiscence of a waking dream, and yet the weight seemed real, wrapping around his waist.

Aaron’s eyes opened like two clam shells, wearily unhinging the sticky corners into an unconsciously living gaze. He moved himself to get more comfortable, but the arm around him was still there. His eyes veered down, finding a hand indeed. He tracked it back to it’s arm, then the shoulder, and the long strands of blue hair lazily laid overtop. Aaron’s eyes now widened. “Hey... Hey...” Aaron poked. “Wake up... You’re sleeping on me.”

“Is that why it’s so warm?” Felicity replied, reaching further across Aaron, despite the morning resistance. “Five more minutes!”

“No, you need to get out. When did you even get in here?”

“But I’m so tired, and your bed is so nice and soft...” Moaning against the constant resistance, “I’m tired of sleeping in a pickle jar!”

“What if someone catches you in here!” Aaron hushed with his hand over Felicity’s mouth.

“Aaron!” His father hollered from his rest. “Why do I hear the bed shaking and a woman in your room?”

“No! It’s not like that... I’m just doing that voice thing that fourteen year old boys do when their in their bedrooms... Alone...”

“Son!...” His father rolled out of bed, “You’re not fourteen anymore, and ain’t no man would actually admit to shit like that.” Turning the corner to his son in the already open door and ruffled sheets. Leaning on the door casing, Paul looked about, peering under the bed from afar. “You’re certain?” Aaron nodded sheepishly, kicking Felicity down under the foot of the sheets “Alright...” Paul shrugged, walking the room with his eyes to every corner. Closing the door tightly behind him, he inspected the screened window, covering the floor space like a trained navy seal. Scanning from left to right with his back against the wall, Paul lowered to rule out under the bed from both sides of exit where one might slip out of sight; consequently missing the tiny little snake bum slipping out from the grip of it’s sheets in Pauls sleepy state. He walked to the closet, Having measured every square inch of standing ground and found himself, beside himself.

“You ever know that thing...” Aaron suggested, “...when you’re half asleep and things get really loud?”

Clearing his throat, “Yeah...” Paul agreed embarrassed. “Happens, uh... Happens from time to time, huh?... You, uh... I... I’ll leave you to it then...” Walking out the door. With a swift revisit, Paul returned, “Aaron... My Son... We’re literally on the other side of that wall, I don’t need to hear those kinds of noises at six fifteen in the damn morning, or at any time for that matter.”

“Okay...” Aaron waved his old man off.

Crawling up between his legs, Felicity smugly starred back at him from under the covers, phasing into human form, “So, what is this thing that boys do at your age?”

Aaron cracked the seal on his mini yogurt container, and spread it evenly upon the buttered toast. Even the quiet kitchen was a suspicious place to hold a conversation, and Aaron carried it about as quietly as he could. “Farmer Special... You want any?” But the snake shook it’s head. “Well we’re out of prime cut beef and the last time I saw a lobster in here, Uncle Gregory was storing food on his way down to Rio Janeiro, or whatever it’s called. Surprised you’re not watching the ‘please stand by’ signal like it the new years ball drop. Didn’t even see you last night, what a trip that was...” Putting everything away between bites, Aaron walked into the living room, and Felicity had other plans. “Really?”

“You said there was a new years drop on or something?” Felicity pranced towards the TV, “When’s that supposed to be airing?”

Creasing his eyes, Aaron pondered his smoothest witticism but was cut off by his Father. “Felicity! I knew I heard you mucking about up there! It’s six twenty something in the morning, and you’re already taking over the TV? Can’t you please show up after breakfast like a normal person would?”

Heh, would you look at that, he can hiss while in human form. Aaron could hear the slighted cussing from his friend as they dropped the remote back onto the table with brash disregard.

“You alright?” Aaron questioned, seeing the poutty discontent that he saw fifteen minutes ago when they left the house. “He’s not your dad or anything.” Aaron reminded, picking up his feet from the lifted sidewalk. “If anything I’m the one who’s taking this pretty well. I’m more than certain he figures we did it or something... Not like it matters. We didn’t, and we won’t... He’s...” Withholding the frustration, “I can’t believe how much of a liar I am... Thought I learned my lesson yesterday, like at the end of it you just magically turn into post haunting Ebeneezer Scrooge, but no... I really hope after a hundred and fifty years the copyright’s a little loose on that one.”

Instantly, it seemed Felicity changed face. His self pity took a side seat and seemed more worried of Aaron and his struggles. “You want to talk about it?”

“I’m good...” Aaron pushed aside, “I know the truth of what happened even if I can’t tell him, and that’s what really matters. Even if I wanted to, no matter what I did, he...” Aaron returned, smirking until he broke up laughing “You know, I bet he really thinks we did it too! Not just roll around in bed, oh!... I really can’t do squat all about that now, can I?” Finally realizing how powerless he was. “All that work hiding you all morning, and it all went down the pipe... I’ve finally did it, I got caught in the act, just like the movies; and worst of all, it was with a freaking dude!” Rolling his head in a roar of laughter. “I wonder if he actually respects me for it. Other than the whole bed next door business. Wow, I’m pathetic...” Aaron relished with a pacified grin.

“Damn it Aaron! I really enjoyed this morning!”

“I’m sure you did...” Aaron’s smug face permitted.

Aaron began packing, taking his new purchases with him. He counted out his remaining savings, budgeting them for his next investment and tucked the can away. Aaron spent a lot of time last night sorting out between his impending perils and the value of tradition. After it all, he finally took the cap off of his emergency reserves, figuring it’d do him a lot better now, than when the world was too engulfed to take it. The only reason nothing came to kill him so far had to be because he was always moving, without a trail; and in order to keep that momentum, he’d have to always be moving. It was strange that he’d only remember bits and pieces of his motivation at a time; but he was glad that it finally became so embedded into his life that he could fulfill his frantic struggle for survival even without holding that thought in his mind at all times. Even in his moments of weakness, he could finally outsmart that memory stealing bastard.

His savings seemed safer being used, rather than laying around to be viciously thrown at some useless endeavour down his adult road. It felt wrong, giving them up before their time, but everything happening now seemed to tell him otherwise. He was tired of being broke, and loosing time because of it. Five new plastic tubs, some spare parts, a couple of cheap tools to get him started; Aaron was ready to kick his life into high gear. First goal was to put his new creation into testing, the idea came to him last night and at it’s core was the little stone he forgot in his pocket. The way it moved, the energy it gave seemed to make sense and he was certain that he could replicate it on a larger scale. It would take time, consideration, and countless failures but Aaron felt a passion that overcame his senses. “Phone for you, Aaron!” His mother called up the stairs. Oh damn it all! Who was it this time? “It’s Zachery!”

“Hey...” Aaron answered, “Oh, yeah... Sure. I mean, that’s kinda unexpected but yeah, why not? Should I light the pond for you, or?... Dude, it’s all I’ve talked about for like a week, you should know what that term means by now.”

Sure enough, popping his head out from the water’s surface, Zack scanned the area. He disappeared momentarily before rocketing upwards, then back down as he called out “Catch me!” “Catch me!” “Catch me!” “Damn it, Aaron I’m no...” “I’m not slowing dow...” “Down...” Followed by a smug sets of eyes watching the gravitational miracle unfold three, four, even five more repetitions, until... “I said catch me damn it!” As Aaron began ironically pushing Zack back down to settle him out normally.

“You know, that looks really fun...” Aaron admit, having dragged Zack out of the pond, once he was no longer flying up and down. “Figured it’d settle out at some point so I didn’t go flying when I grabbed hold of your hand but there you were... Think we could open up a stall and charge money for it?”

“You could at least let me in on your plan.”

“I like having more than twelve symbols at a time to explain things... So, what made your mind up to come on an adventure of your own volition?”

Sitting upon Aaron’s bed, Zack seemed to open himself, and said, “Bro... You... You’re my friend. I sat around thinking about it long enough and to be honest, I really don’t want to... A couple years ago, I never imagined myself and what I would give for the people I care about. It never occurred to me that one day I might have to put myself on the line for anything; that everything should just work out on it’s own, but it doesn’t... And some times we need to take that place of hardship, because the consequences are worse than the effort it takes to put yourself out there. Then I got myself thinking about how you’re going about all this, alone some times. I figured you had a body guard, and that would simply absolve me of having to get involved in places that aren’t meant for me... But, what’s meant for me... Is you. You’re going at all of this, with such determination, and I’m not there to share it with you. It ate me so much yesterday that I came over, but when I did, you weren’t there and I realized that it was true. Felicity sitting on the couch, eating sausage and sauerkraut, minus the sauerkraut, and you had already gone somewhere without us. I don’t want to condescend you or anything, but what you need is your friends. I know you won’t stop, the best I can do is be there for my best friend and figure out what this is all about. You shouldn’t need to have to take on the world alone. I know it’s not my battle, but...”

“Yeah... It isn’t...” Aaron agreed, peacefully. For a moment, Aaron actually accepted it, where every ounce of him lately would have rejected it. “I’ve... I’ve said some things lately, and I have no idea if I can stop... But, I just wanted to let you know that... Yeah.” Lifting up from his bed, Aaron picked up his pack and considered his words carefully until realizing that he couldn’t, “You’re my bro... Come on...” No matter how much Aaron forced himself to try and remember why he was apologizing, or even what it was for, it seemed like it kept slipping out of his hands. Like another force had simply tugged it away from him. At the core, all he could say walking down the stairs was “I’m sorry.” And somehow, put into his path, the words that left him were the words he needed to say after all. Somehow, there came some good that became so embedded into his life that he could fulfill something actually meaningful, when it seemed impossible to understand why.

“Aaron...” Felicity met them up the stairs, “I was thinking. You’re going through some rough times, and I figured as I was off on my own all this time, I should probably be there to watch over you. It sounds like something really happened yesterday, and I feel guilty about it... Also, the sausages were terrible, and tasted like onions.”

“Grab your pack,” Aaron issued, “Three people takes a lot of carry weight, and I’m not doing it alone.”

Deep red bark and rippling short planes, an old rock creek ran by the small stoned road. Aaron set his gaze out past the treeline. The whaling wind wrapped a wroth whirling blight across the distant field, but their side of things was calm and still. “Aaron, when you gonna teach me how to open these portals?” Zack pestered, “Might want to go visit these towns some time. It feels like I’m a child having to ask for it, you know?”

Aaron considered himself quite inept as a teacher, but it couldn’t hurt. It sounded like there was a gale passing the hills behind him and he stopped to watch for it. “Probably later...” Aaron answered, still fixed on the road behind them.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I just need to get as far from home as I can... Then it’d be no problem. If you do, though, you should probably avoid the place up ahead.” Pointing along the creek, “I’m not sure there is a correct path to take, but the one I took damn well wasn’t it. It’s just up ahead here, somewhere, there’s a bridge, and a flock of loons just past the walnut trees. I think they might have been grown there; little nut shells fallen from the nuttiest tree, and breast fed on almond milk.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just... Stay away from it is all. Nothing but liars, thieves and cheaters. Hoping the next stop will be a tad more comforting.”

Standing at the water’s edge, Zack began searching the water for fish, as Aaron stared deeply. Aaron could feel a strongly unsettling aura about the creek, as though searching out for the place he had been, but found a wall instead. No bridge, yet it seemed he should have passed it by now. Aaron reached out, feeling the pressure added onto him; a weight similar in density as he felt at the meadows edge when he was alone. A fragment of fear accompanied the memory that was enveloped, and Aaron lowered his hand. “You alright?” Felicity questioned.

“Yeah...” Aaron returned, moving himself from the waters. “Do you feel that? Zack? Felicity?... Never mind. Probably some strong hematite in the area or something; I’ve been noticing all sorts of strange shit since getting in touch with the gemstones, it feels like I’m picking up all kinds of things. Maybe I’ll hop dimensions again, and find a second Felicity. Wouldn’t that be nice...”

Crawling back up the embankment, Aaron continued down the road. Everyone’s banter was a casual relief from his mind, until hearing a side winder from Felicity “We really need to pick up some of those magic chocolate orbs. I wanna see what happens when I break them...”

Turning confused, Aaron uttered, “Alright, TV privileges are revoked, what crap did you see on it this time?”

“Good things are supposed to happen. This man cracked it, and a ‘Mrs. Clause’ dropped out of the sleigh and onto some guys lap. I don’t know what a naughty list is, but she seemed to know the guy pretty well. Then there was another one where a bear bust through the door, grabbed the annoying in-law by his coat and dragged him off the porch. You told me your world didn’t have any magic!”

“You mean the orange things?” Zack inquired.

“Yeah... You’re gonna tell me that's just computer graphics and trained bears, aren’t you?”

“If we can get past the copyright on that one, then yeah...”

Down the shoulder through the cracks of bedrock outcroppings, there appeared to be a flat. Zack motioned towards it, and Aaron followed in behind. The steep decline was easily manageable with the bold rock faces that were in arms reach the who way down. At it’s basin was many other outcroppings, and some tall surrounding stones that enclosed a sort of open air rounded room. The heavy cracks and splits bore deeply into the standing rock, with some settling water at their edge, and a large crooked arch that lead out of sight around it’s illuminated curvature.

Their soft earthen floor seemed to flow into the arch, into rocky gravels of varying sizes. They traded their mulch mixed soil for the uneven gravels, and found the short tunnel to end, after the bend of a sharp double hairpin. From there split two sides of an eroding crevice that ‘V’ shaped forest pathways overlooked the lake by ten feet or so. The clay shore was out of reach, though the trail did dip down enough to double back but by then it would be emerged in forest. The other wrapping road fell off, degraded so poorly that the old trail to a hidden crag was lost to time. No matter where they went, it seemed someone was always there before them.

Aaron considered this world’s beauty, from the view of mountains beyond the lake, and the splitting uneven shorelines just before that. He was keen to remember this place and lay down a return point, but the thin walking path appeared to be in some use, and figured that a portal here would only last a couple months before someone came to disrupt it.

Along the deciduous walk and around the basin of many of bare hillsides, the way became thickened; and at some point Aaron wasn’t certain there was a path anymore. Large roots and shallow earth, the ground was sunken in along the top of their incline. Through their small patch of coastal oak trees, one could still see fragments of the lake beyond with a glimmer that pierced through the branches. Aaron adjusted his eyes from the sun spots he got looking out at it, rubbing them with no avail. “Suppose we should head back?” Zack inquired. Felicity seemed unimpeded, but even Aaron had doubts on this dwindling detour.

“We did only stop for the adventure of seeing something neat.” Aaron admit, “...And I guess we saw it. Besides, we came here to find a new teleporter location, and this one isn’t gonna do much. Let’s head back.” But Aaron could hear a rustling, and the drawing of Felicity’s blade. It was moments like these that reminded him how important it was to never travel alone. In the fold behind a bushy outline strolled a cautious creature, digitigrade, and bipedal; it’s ears perked above it’s head, grabbing it’s soft chestnut bosom at their sight. For an instant all was still, as two souls should seek out the intention of another. A cold shadow appeared over it’s eyes, and it turned back for the treeline, sauntering quickly out of sight.

“It’s a good thing none of us are hopeless romantics” Aaron remarked, watching Zack make quick haste towards the last sighting “We gotta get to the next town so I can teach you how to operate the portals, remember!”

“Fuck that, they got animal girls!” Before disappearing outside of their sight.

“SHE HAS TO LIKE YOU FIRST!” Watching even Felicity run after Zack “What? What is this?” Slouching his hands into his pockets, as he looked at his feet “Wow, I’m all alone in the woods filled with mysterious creatures and such, after my friend abandoned me here... Alone... I sure hope nothing jumps out of the wood works with spears and pitchforks...” Giving his comments long enough to fulfill themselves. “No?...” Walking himself along the convoy, “See, all you need, is to be just barely self aware enough that life can’t give you any surprises.”

Aaron strolled along, helplessly trying to feel out his friends trail with his second hand and no tracking experience. He could feel the trees and earth and soil, like a breeze casting shadows along his way but like an elephant's ear, it couldn’t replace a bloodhound’s nose... And it failed to smell anyone out. It was worth trying, but their presence, he could not feel. He could, however, hear the bemoaning of an annoyed reluctance, that shouted out against a man’s first shaky confessions of affection... Then a rough estimation of what transpired after.

Sure enough, tethered alone to a thin birch, stood a helpless soul who’s feelings were unmatched. Felicity seemed elsewhere, and Aaron wasn’t keen on being alone with his friend tied up. “What? No yiffity yiff?” Aaron broke it into poetry “Thought a whiff of her quiff had made you run stiff –but here you are tied to a tree, I guess she went off free, from where your ass be, at least that's what I see... Have I got the gist of what happened here?”

Gazing off dazed, Zack recalled, “My favourite part was when she chest bumped me against the log and pinned me to it so she could tie off the vines. She felt so warm... Ow my head...”

“You know, it's probably not too late to put on one of those full body suits and see if she bites, you know.” Winking sternly.

“Your oddly respectful today...”

“I have my sadistic reasons...”

“Of course you do...”

“I’m not making a fursona, just so we’re clear.” Aaron remarked, while he opened his pocket knife “So what’s the plan? Get your head to lift, sift the rift and pray she’s not miffed?” Finally breaking the last strands of cordage.

“Put my head back together, couple other things... Question my existence.”

Patting Zack on the back, Aaron consoled cynically. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your royal squirrel waifu one day...”

“My fucking what? That’s the dumbest slur you’ve used today.”

“Maybe it’ll catch on...”

“Dude, in ten years from now, when they come out with the raspberry seven and unlimited texting plans become normal, not one inbreed mother shlucker gonna be messaging their friends like ‘You’re waifu’s trash, hedeh hedeh herrr...’”

“You clearly underestimate human degeneracy... Where’d Felicity run off to, anyway? Thought he was chasing you.”

“He did, and there she is... He...”

“Guys...” Felicity panted, “That was the biggest walking BBQ stake I’ve ever seen... And it out-ran even me!... I’ll be damned if I settle for game hens after this one. I need to... To up my standards.”

“You were going to eat her!?” Zack cried out.

“Yeah, with some nice chianti and some fava beans, maybe... Aaron’s father works at the winery, I’m sure he could pick one up on his way home. Damnit, what’s his hurry?” Felicity remarked, watching Zack run off in the prescribed direction. Aaron soon followed after, leaving Felicity to regain their breath, “I would have had her too! If it weren’t for you damn kids and your thin fragile meat shells that need protecting! Wait up!”

As Zack sprinted through the dense brush and broken branches, his legs became encumbered. Many time he had taken up running, most of which at the peril of life or death, fuelled on adrenaline; the difference today being that love and war are two separate passions, and love’s first sight just ain’t got the pain relief. Zack stood at the forest’s edge, feeling his calves burning inside. Before him was a community, of farms to windmills. Aaron was tired of seeing the constant flow of medieval fantasy by now, but this wasn’t Aaron. By the time everyone caught up, Zack had already paced half way to the road and they called out as they met him.

“I don’t know.” Zack confessed, “Not like I seen which way she went anyway... Here’s your uh... Town, I guess.”

Relieved, Aaron concurred, pulling the backpack from his shoulders and throwing it in front. “I have no idea how we got here... And that might just be the best thing we could have done.” Aaron congratulated, “If there isn’t any trail left behind me, it’s gotta be a perfect place to branch off from.” Eagerly pulling out his things as they passed by the beaten road.

In the distance, there was ruckus, and a hooting that came from a single man. He seemed excitable, and strode up the driveway. “Oh no...” Zack dismayed, “It’s another kooky encounter, isn’t it?” watching the scruffy old guy continue his whaling saunter up to greet them.

“Sir, I says sir!... Wait-a-second, you ain’t no sirs, or is yas? Young men, young men, and a fine young lassie, come, come.”

“I’ve been down this before...” Aaron dismissed, making his stride down the road only to see Zack and Felicity awkwardly swept away. Looking to the sky, Aaron remarked, “You’re making me endure this a second round, aren’t you Big Guy?”