ATM Rewrite: B2 — 7. Coping

PoV:

1. Sora Moore (Our Fox Girl Has A New Problem!)

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Sora felt like she was in a dream as Jeddings showed her around her full suite; quite a bit of the floor space of one of them was being turned into just bedrooms to allow their expanding group.  Starting to become overwhelmed, Sora tried to break away as the woman got a few more specifications.

Howie had his living space upgraded by The Foundation, putting him on the floor below theirs to act as their door attendant.  In fact, they were adding a private elevator that only went to her penthouse suite at the top of the hotel.  Naturally, Daisy would be living with him.

Mary had her own house that she was content with, but she did request access to information regarding space and aliens; she and her husband were sci-fi lovers.  Vondoom gave her the clearance by offering her a job to keep acting as Sora’s psychiatrist.

Sora shooed off the couples shortly after returning to Miami to set their lives back in order.  There was a lot she had to work through herself after all the chaos that had overtaken her life.  So, she shifted the focus to Wendy, blindsiding her best friend and new ‘big’ sister by putting the responsibility of overseeing the renovations on her.

She didn’t leave the brunette on her own, though, roping in Eyia, Hinote, Faia, and Zen into the council.  Sora had already identified what she wanted to be done with her father and Jin, and when it came to the floor design or items they wanted to populate the space with, she couldn’t care less at this moment.

Devlin said he understood, and Wendy must have seen her distress because she grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

“Go chill, Lil’ Sis.”

“Haha.  Thanks, Big Sis, but I think Eyia beats us both.”

“Indeed I do in the age of seniority,” the blonde grinned, making Sora chuckle at all their varying hair colors.  “I have aged quite well since my time in perpetual chrono… stasis?”

“Sure!  Whatever that means,” Wendy snorted, waving Sora off.  “Go, shoo!  Hehe.  We’ll get everything put together for when you get back.  I need to customize my new room anyway!  What kind of mattresses do you like, Eyia?”

Eyia’s blue eyes darted between them.  “There are different types of mattresses?”

“Hehe.  We have a big day ahead of us.”

Faia’s tails were in a frenzy of motion as Jeddings showed him a tablet.  “Shopping spree!  Oh, we can do it on the techno-table?  Cool!  Hey, hey, bro!  I can get a dog house!  By Mia’s tail; it’s gorgeous!”

Sora looked at Hinote, who smirked and shrugged.

“Faia gets sentimental about stuff from our past; a girl once kept him as a pet.”

“She made the best rice balls!  Can we get rice balls?”  Jeddings nodded, making him cheer and jump across the walls.  “Rice balls and rabbit!”

Sora was a little surprised when Hinote walked over, spun her around, and lightly pushed her toward the door.  “Wendy’s got it, Princess.  Right?”

“Yup, we got it,” she replied, grabbing Zen’s hand to show him some moon and star decorations.  “Go do your thing and let us do ours—ooh, what do you think about glowing in the dark stars?”

The prince’s mouth pulled in as he studied the kids’ items.  “Don’t all stars glow…  Those aren’t stars—what is that color?”

Eyia nodded emphatically beside him.  “Yes, I do not see how this is a star, Sister, and why would you want such hot and bright spheres in a place you rest?”

Wendy laughed with Faia and Hinote as they explained things to the oblivious Valkyrie and moon prince.

Sora giggled and waved them off, knowing they’d have fun.  She had to come to terms with their sudden return to Miami, not to mention the roller coaster that her life had been over the past two weeks; there was so much for her to unpack.

Her smile became reflective as she walked through the loud and active suite.  She stuck her hands in her suit pants on her slow path through the connected rooms, observing the monsters or aliens in their work.  The Foundation seemed to use a combination of technology and magic to do things that should have taken months.

She took a gravity disk to the second level, leaving more space in the overall floor design.  Stepping off, she made a pitstop in her room and found it exactly how she’d left it.

Sora spun her desire magic, keeping her hands in her pocket.  Her headphones exited one of her drawers, flying toward her to levitate at eye level; the plastic and rubber morphed into a shape that would fit her fox ears and slid into place.

Her gaze drifted to her phone on the desk, on its wireless charger; her headphones turned on and paired before flipping to a playlist.  Her head and tail weaved a little as the music blocked out the whole world.

A slightly depressed tilt came to her lips as her purse flew out of her closet to hover next to her.  She kept the dress pants, shirt, and jacket that Zen had given her that morning.  Her focus went to the drawer where she’d put the seven-pointed amulet; it slid out on her magical tug, showing her it was still there.

She sighed, returned the drawer, and proceeded to her father’s room.  Sora nodded at the nursing staff that was still in the process of setting up the advanced medical bed he rested in.  He looked so peaceful, and she couldn’t wait for him to wake up, hopefully before her mother arrived.

I love you, Dad…

Watching him for a few minutes, she was content with the aura and vibe the staff had; it was a job for them, and they took it seriously.

Jin had been put in the guest room, and from what Eyia explained, she would probably be out for at least a week.  A lot could happen in a week, though.

Brushing her fingers through her hair, Sora twisted her finger in the air, causing her locks to weave into a simple braid on her way to the elevator.  She took the stairs instead of the elevator to Daisy and Howie’s floor; it was a lot nicer than the space he’d had before.

Daisy met her at the door when she knocked; the blonde launched forward to hug her, tears falling down her cheeks.  “Sora—thank you!  Thank you so, so much!”

“Huh?  Is Sora at the door…  Haha.  This is insane!”

“Of course,” she whispered, squeezing her back before pulling away to tour their suite for a second.  “You aren’t feeling hungry or any negative side effects, Daisy?”

The woman held a hand against her breast with a soft smile as she shook her head.  “Ever since you left this seed within me, I… almost feel totally human.  I can’t thank you enough.”

“Haha.  You’ve thanked me three times in the last two minutes; I think that’s enough,” she said, hugging Howie as he joined them from the kitchen.  “How are things between you two—still planning on the wedding?”

Daisy nodded emphatically, holding up her left hand to show off her ring with a cute grin.  “We’re going ring shopping today with Howie’s, ahem, significant raise.”

Sora chuckled with them and sat down to spend a little time with them.  It was nice to see the light in their eyes.  The positive aura they radiated helped to settle her restless tail.  She couldn’t help but feel like the rug was going to be pulled out from under her feet.

After visiting for a half-hour, she left to allow them a fun day out in the city; in all honesty, Sora had to reconcile with herself that she was just avoiding the place she wanted to go.

Standing outside of Ron’s door, she reached inside her purse, rubbing the cool, black ice rose between her fingers; Sora took in its soothing pulses.  Her music drowned out any sound from the building.  She tucked in her bottom lip, trepidation twisting her gut as she hesitantly knocked on the wood; her tense shoulders fell when it swung inward on its own.

Ron…  I’m sorry, Stephenie.

Rose gripped in hand, reminding her that her past wasn’t a figment of her imagination, Sora rubbed her elbow and went inside.

She scanned the homey atmosphere, bittersweet memories compressing her chest as she looked at the photos of a much smaller and less blue version of Stephanie with a grinning man that Sora had known for most of her life.

A normal wedding, Stephanie’s glare at her dork of a husband as he took photos, and trips they’d taken around the world; it seemed the two really did have such a fun life.  Ron was noticeably younger in them, and she took one of the pictures off the wall to smile at the pair; the first signs of her pregnancy and her blue skin starting to show through.

I guess she couldn’t keep her human form while pregnant…  Mom, I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.  Why is life so complicated?  Things aren’t so bad now, but I have lost things I cared about…

Putting it back on the wall, she cleared her throat and tried not to cry as she saw a small, wrapped box on the front room table.  She picked up the flower again and rubbed its stem on her way to the couch.  Placing it on the wood, she slid the envelope out from underneath it and opened it up.

Heat rose in Sora’s chest, rising to her nose as she pulled out the letter and choked a laugh; the front graphic of the black card was of a blue-skinned giant of a woman holding a waving sword, chasing a fleeing man.

The Happy Birthday written across the top went from frozen to melted, and when she opened the card, she couldn’t help a smile at a flustered, quite pregnant blue giantess on a couch sitting across from a nervous fox girl.

Happy Birthday, Sora!  I know you must be so heartbroken that I’m not there to welcome you home…  I’ve seen that bright smile almost every morning for the last eight years.  It’s hard, but Stephanie says we have to go for a bit.

I’m not sure when we’ll see you again, and I’m sorry we had to leave like this.  It’s not fair, and I know you would have wanted to say goodbye, even if it’s not goodbye forever.  It really isn’t your fault.  It’s all the falling pieces from our past that could cause you trouble.

I hope you enjoy your gift.  Stephanie made it herself with… something special.  Don’t ask me, but yup!  She may look like a gorgeous, tough, and intimidating ice goddess, but that frozen heart, it’s all a front.  It melted the moment she saw you, scared and looking for answers.

She’s such a softy!  She would have loved to watch those romantic dramas with you, and you’d see her tear up so fast!  Maybe in the future.  She cried when she came back home after talking to you about your mother, as I’m sure you know now.  Well, not the crying part, but the meeting part.  Lol (as the kids say).  I’m so happy that she’ll be coming into your life.

I’m so proud of the woman you’re becoming.  See you sometime in the future with our precious son.  We love you, Sora.  Stay safe.

“Ron…”  Sora sniffed, unable to hold back a few tears from falling down her cheeks.  “Thank you for being there for me when everyone thought I was crazy…  Thank you for believing in me and always being on my side.”

Breathing in and out, she coughed a few times before bringing her emotions under control; no one even remembered the awesome man that had helped keep her stable throughout the last three years of hell, and his wife, a Celestial, had stepped in to support her at risk of her own family, when her world was falling apart for a second time.

She cleared away the tear stains and opened the present to find a jewelry box.  Inside was a black rose hairpin, and Sora lifted it out of the box with her magic, reshaping her braid into a teased high bun to fit the pin through it.

Getting up, she chuckled as she found a mirror on the wall that she could use on the way out.  She placed the letter inside the envelope and placed the rose, letter, and box inside her purse.  It took a minute in front of the mirror before she felt well enough to leave, pausing at the door on her way out.

Thank you for thinking about me, Ron, Stephanie.  I’ll see you when I see you…

She closed the door and took the elevator to ground level, making sure her ears and tail were hidden; she also had to be sure an illusion of human ears was there, as well.

Her gaze lingered on the chair the purple-eyed woman had been in, reflecting on the strange connection the out-of-place classy woman had with the black thorn lady that had given her the unusual seven-pointed amulet.

Figuring her mother might have answers for her when they met in three days, she exited the hotel lobby, waving at a few of the staff.  None of them acted as if anything was wrong when monsters were revamping the entire top of the building.  The Foundation certainly had a lot of power and connections.

Sora entered the Miami Beach flow, observing the tourists and keeping her music playing to drown out any sound that might distract her.  She didn’t want to be wrapped up in the world; there was enough on her mind and heart to occupy her thoughts.

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but her spirits brightened as she walked the streets and beaches.  All the humans going about their daily lives had little to no idea how insane the city had been only a few days prior, and the peace helped settle her turbulent stomach.

I haven’t really even eaten all that much for a while…  How can so much change in only a few weeks?

Charming a few homeless guys on the side of the road asking for food to be more amenable, she took them into a local restaurant and ordered them lunch.  She listened to their stories, from addiction to a failed marriage that had crushed their heart.

Everyone had some pain they were dealing with, and Sora continued through Miami’s streets, spending time with the wealthy, poor, struggling, cheerful, and heartbroken.  Many prayed before meals to their own gods, thanking her for her kindness.  Sora was only resonating with their auras and emotions, though, searching for an answer to the hand clutching her heart.

Three weeks ago, she’d been terrified of going to school and being bullied, now, she was being pressured into saving the world from devils and fiends.  She’d thought she knew what it was like fighting for her life in high school, but this new world she’d entered had shown her cruelty she hadn’t imagined existed.

She was some kind of vulpes princess.  Her mother was alive and more powerful than any goddess.  She’d met her mother.  She’d fought for the lives of her friends and family.  She’d almost died.  Her father wasn’t fully human.  He was in a coma, yet she’d been able to speak to him through his dreams.  She had two new sisters that needed her.

Sora wasn’t sure if Kari was her enemy anymore or if she’d ever been.  Kari was running from her family, who were the worst.  Her entire universe had been shattered, and all she had was Aiden, who reminded her of her abusive brother.

Jenny had been their true enemy, and her mother had taken care of her.  Who knew what happened to Devin or all the other terrible monsters?  Not her.  And she didn’t care.

Wendy was dealing with so much hurt and betrayal that she’d shoved all down to not totally collapse.  A collapse she was terrified of because she didn’t want to feel weak and be abandoned again.  A fear Sora couldn’t just tell her not to have because she didn’t know what the future held herself; her mother didn’t even know, which scared her.

Eyia felt betrayed by the only friend she’d met after surviving some crucible-like island to make her a warrior.  She was innocent and pure, looking for someone who she could call a sister, and there was such anger inside her toward fenris wolves.

Everyone was hurt and fighting for their lives in their own way.  She didn’t know how to help herself, much less them.  The Foundation wanted her to be some kind of messiah for them, solving all their problems when she could hardly handle what was in front of her.

A chuckle shook Sora’s stomach as she stopped at the park where Wendy and her used to play.  Kari’s downcast amber eyes shifted to her before staring at the sidewalk again.  Sora sighed and walked over to sit beside her in silence.

Kari scratched her absurdly thick black hair, currently left in a tangled mess by her side, as she leaned against her thighs.  “Dammit, Aiden…”

Sora smiled and repeated her.  “Dammit, Aiden…  What do you think his desire is for this meeting, huh?”

“Pfft.  Hell if I know,” she grunted, flipping her hair to the back of the bench as she leaned back to stare up at the partially clouded sky.  “It’s like nothing changed… but everything changed.”

Scanning the throngs of babbly tourists, Sora played with her tail as she focused on a group of teenage girls from their school; they didn’t even look their way, and Kari took notice.

“How’d things go with Mary?  Did she help?”

Kari rubbed her chest and looked away, shaking her head.  “I don’t know what I’m doing…  I get I’m not human—I’ll never be one, no matter how much I pretend or force others to pretend I am…  I’m a fenris wolf.  It is what it is.  I have a messed-up family.  I don’t know what to do with that, though…  Pretending I’m human isn’t going to fix the problem.”

“Which is?”  Sora asked, glancing left at the girl who she’d hated to her core three weeks ago; all she saw was an empty teenager, trying to work through an identity crisis.

A lump formed in Kari’s throat as she worked around her jaw.  Shoving it down, she breathed out a long stream of air, seemingly abandoning all sense of pride.

“…Me.  I have this… stigma or conception of what being a fenris wolf means.  Maybe the definition I’ve been told is wrong—my brother’s wrong.  My mom was never hard on me for not wanting to hunt with them…  I still ate what they brought back.  I just… didn’t find fun in hunting.”

Sora leaned back and stared up at the sky with her.  “You love sports.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

“Reading?”

“Mmh… depends on the book.”

“Hmm…  C’mon.”

Kari’s eyebrows came together as Sora got up and tilted her head toward the sidewalk.  “And go where?”

Sora put her hands in her pockets, breathing out a long stream of air.  “School.  We have to pick up our pace if we hope to get there before the bell rings.”

The wolf hesitated before getting to her feet.  “Why?”

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, starting the journey.  “I guess I want to see how things changed.  Haha-haaa.  Umm…  I asked Devlin.”

She caught the scowl Kari leveled at her, fingers balling into a fist at her side.  “Asked him… what—why are you wearing that suit?”

Sora didn’t answer for a few seconds, figuring the question was to deflect from the answer she already knew.  “Zen made it for Wendy and me.  Hehe.  I think I look good, personally.  Anyway, I asked him about Lori—what happened to her.”

Her ears twitched at the guilt that crossed Kari’s face, lips pulling in, unable to even say she didn’t want to talk about it.  Sora wasn’t looking to fill her with pins, though.

“He told me that the drug doesn’t just cause people to forget; it also helps them fill in the gaps, and they have people in place around the city to push things in the right direction.  My mom cured every one of Jenny’s werewolf curses, too.”

Sora slowed a little as Kari’s eyes started to shine, liquid threatening to escape.  “Yeah, she’s cured, and The Foundation erased her traumatic memories.”

Kari didn’t respond the entire way to the school, fighting back what was most likely a mixture of guilt and relief behind her impenetrable spiritual shields.  Luckily, the school was open, despite it being Saturday, likely for some sports competition or another.

Their peers laughed, made plans for the rest of the weekend, and gossiped as they stood at the front entrance; Sora didn’t even have to make them invisible.  She found a strange curiosity welling up within her while spotting groups of girls and boys who had never been friends walk together.

A sad groan rumbled in Sora’s throat, ears pulling back as she spotted Lori, who was exiting the building with a happy smile, dressed in volleyball attire.  “Oh, no…”

“What?”  Kari asked, fixating on the brown-haired girl.  “She looks happy…  Heh, and she found a sport. Good on her.”

“She does,” Sora whispered.  “And… she’s with Theo.”

“The boy holding her hand?  Heh.  Did you like him or something?  I think it’s nice she’s found someone…  She used to be so critical about her looks.”

Sora scratched her cheek with a sad smile.  “Yeah, she was a bit chubby when she was thirteen, and her acne was pretty bad; I remember…  No, more power to her.  It’s just… Theo and Wendy were getting closer, but it looks like they erased Wendy from everyone’s memories, too.  I hope she isn’t devastated by the news…  She does have Zen now, so… yeah.”

“Hehehe.”

“Huh?  You can laugh?”  Sora asked with a smirk, eyeing Kari from the side.

“Shut up…”

“No, really!  Haha.  I thought you would be the poster child for depression going forward.  What’s up?”

Kari’s dull amber eyes shifted to her.  “You really do have a mouth.”

“Blame my nature!”  she chimed, showing off a grin.  “Want to grab something to eat and talk?  I’ve been stuffing myself today to not think about stuff—I think.  You know, self-diagnosis is always right.  Haha.”

Kari crossed her arms, mouth pulled in with a dubious stare.  “Is this some kind of sympathy or something?  Did Mary put you up to this?”

“Yes, to the first; no, to the latter!  Will you have sympathy for me?”  She teased, ears pulling back and giving her a vulnerable plea.  “I don’t want to be alone.”

Kari’s face was a stone wall, but after a bit, she broke down into a sigh.  “I don’t know what to do, so… buy me a basketball, and I’ll let you watch me at the court.  How’s that sound?”

Ears flying up, Sora’s head tilted to the side as she smiled.  “Interesting.  I don’t want to go back to the chaos of home fashion right now… and I don’t really have anyone else to chill with, so…  Why not?  Maybe I’ll play a little.  It would be fun to beat you.”

“Pfft!  Hahaha!  Y-You—beat me?  Okay, that was a good joke,” Kari snorted, doubling over and brushing back her hair.  “Want to make a bet?”

“Absolutely!”  Sora grinned, holding her hands behind her back and flipping around to give the confident wolf a challenging stare as a brilliant strategy sparked in her mind.  “If I win, you don’t have to wear your ears and tail forever.”

“It’s a bet—wait…”  Kari’s eyes widened as Sora winked and giggled.

“It’s a bet!  Hehe.”

“What, no!  I’m not going to wear my tail or ears.  Don’t be stupid!  F-Forever?!  That’s—that’s…”

“You agreed,” Sora sang, tail wagging and a spring in her step with her uplifted spirits at tricking the wolf.  “Welcome to what it’s like betting against a vulpes.  I get what I want if I win or lose; the fox always wins!  Are you going to let me win?  Hmm?”

“Mmgm-hmm-hmm,” Kari’s teeth flashed, eye twitching a little.  “One hundred over thirty—minimal magic?”

“Sure, whatever.”

“Fine.  We agreed,” Kari smirked as Sora’s face went ashen.

“A little magic is good, so—wait…  Hold up, hold up!  What is one hundred over thirty, and how minimal are we talking here?”

Kari stuck her hands in her gym shorts with a smirk that reminded Sora how vicious the wolf could be.  “One hundred games; first to thirty points wins the game.  Minimal magic would be maintaining your current magical output, right?”

“H-Huh?!  No,” Sora gagged, fur bristling at the unreasonable conditions.  “I’ll die!  You’re a flippin’ fenris wolf—a titan of physical endurance—I’m a delicate vulpes.  I can’t do one game against you without some rest.  And I can’t use most of my magic?!  No shot.”

“Okay, so we’re resetting the conditions to come up with something else?”  Kari asked.

The confident gleam in the annoying taller girl’s amber eyes set Sora’s ears on edge; there was no way she could back down at this point.  “Haha.  It’s a bet of endurance with minimal magical output?  My tail and ears will be visible for all to see, and I’ll be using that magic to enhance my own body.”

Emotion was back in Kari’s voice as they walked toward the nearest sports center, showing a true smile.  “I have to run you into the court, and you have to survive…  This will be fun.”

“Eh-hehe.  Fun for you…  My fun comes after, when we get some food.  I guess I do need to burn off all these calories I’ve shoved down.  Haha.  Maybe this will be fun.”

Buying the basketball, Sora stayed true to her word, dispensing the magic infusing her purse, tail, and ears.  Unfortunately, she forgot about one very important detail that made Kari roar with laughter as she expertly dribbled the ball between her legs and around her back.

Standing in the locker room, staring at the open cubicle with her purse inside it, Sora sucked in a sharp stream of air.

“Forgot to buy some gym clothes?”

“Yeah…  I can just use some magic to—”

“No, you can’t,” Kari flatly shut down, spinning the ball on her finger with a wicked grin.  “We’re in the locker room, fox.  It’s game time.  Minimal magic, which means you’re playing dressed up; at least you’ll look good playing… until the sweat starts.”

“Ugh…  Hah-haha.  You underestimate my magic,” Sora boasted, holding her head high before smirking and shaking her head with a sad tone.  “I just need to be more efficient with the output I have.  I can’t believe that you’re so scared of me you had to impose a handicap mat—”

Kari tossed the ball to bounce off her forehead, making her stumble back.  “Ack!  What was that?!”

“You’re wasting time.  Let’s go!  Game time, foxy.  Move your tail!”

“I’m going!  I’m going!  Gah.  So pushy!”

“Hehehe.”

Sora couldn’t help but smile at the wolf’s enthusiasm; it was weird talking like this with Kari, of all people, making bets and throwing punches.  Then again, she did want to see what Kari was all about, and this was a good way to see the real girl behind the trauma.

She dispensed of her dress shoes and used a tiny bit of magic to add traction.  It didn’t take her long to discover she had a secret weapon, too; Stephanie’s hairpin provided a constant wave of regulating temperature to keep her from overheating.  She’d complete this endurance challenge while looking stylish.

Kari swiftly showed her dominance; they played half-court, the wolf laughing while teaching her the rules and showing a positive energy Sora had never felt from the girl.  She was truly in her element on the court, displaying confidence and cheer that made her seem just like any normal girl.

Even with her magic sustaining her, Sora was gasping by the 80th game, and they were quick games with how good Kari was; she didn’t miss a single shot, which made her remember the wolf was being scouted back in middle school by colleges.  She was a natural, and she loved any kind of sporting activity.

A crowd had grown by 8 p.m. when the facility was beginning to wind down to close, some having been watching and laughing for hours at Sora’s struggles, but Kari allowed her to give a tiny break to charm the employees to let them continue.  Sora felt a stitch come on on the 99th game that her magic couldn’t cure, yet she refused to collapse, despite her shaky legs and shaky vision.

People were cheering the ‘fox girl’ as Kari stood on the three-point line, holding the ball as Sora’s chest heaved, her shirt sticking to her slick skin.  The damn wolf wasn’t even breaking a sweat at one hundred games, 29 points to 5; five total, Kari allowing her to carry over every point she’d made in the previous games.

“I gotta say,” Kari whispered, tossing the ball between her hands, “I’m impressed you didn’t give up…  Why didn’t you?”

“J-Just shoot the—the damn ball,” Sora gasped.  “End my suffering!”

“Hehe.  Well, whatever the reason…  Respect.”

Kari jumped up, and the ball kissed the net; one hundred games, one hundred victories.  Sora collapsed onto her back.

“Kill me…”

“Hey…”

“Mmgm…  Huh?”

Sora opened her eyes to see Kari smiling down at her, holding out a hand; atop her head was a pair of wolf ears, causing gasps from the crowd.

“I’m not going to carry you to dinner.  Loser pays?”

“Eh-hehe.  Sure…”  she rasped.

Accepting her hand, Kari pulled her up, and Sora’s gaze fixated on the thick and fluffy tail sticking out of Kari’s pushed-down pants.

Sora snorted, sending a magical pulse that made them vanish and giving the onlookers a story to tell.  “No, dignity.  Here, let me magic up a hole—oh, grow…  Huh.”

“What’s up?”  Kari asked, following her gaze to the bewildered group of teens and adults.

Sora didn’t blink, throat going dry as the blonde-haired, purple-eyed woman stood in the glass observation hallway above; reality cracked around her frame, a thoughtful smile on her lips as her open parasol twisted against her shoulder.

“Do… you see her?”

Kari fixated on the woman.  “Uh, yeah…  The weird dress lady?”

“It’s not just that.  It’s how… she fits—uh…”

Lifting a gloved hand, she waved and pointed at her jugular notch; the message practically sent telepathically.

“Be cautious of that amulet, Sora.”

Turning around, space twisted like a sliding glass door and sealed behind her.

“Well, that’s not creepy,” Kari muttered.  “So, want to grab something to eat?”

“Huh?!  Are you serious—after that?!”

Kari shrugged and spun the ball on her finger as if she saw weird shit like this all the time.  “What?  I’m hungry.”

“Haha-haaa.  Sure.”

Fixing her own attire and editing Kari’s, Sora restored her strength with a desire.  Recovering her shoes and purse from the lockers, she continued to think about the blonde woman; she had been the only person that remembered the black thorn lady, which was huge.

After a moment’s thought, she decided on the monster restaurant since she had an appetite.  Plus, she fully expected to find Aiden there, and she needed some answers he might be able to provide.

She missed a few calls from a concerned Wendy and texted her back that she’d be home in an hour or two.  Right now, she needed carbs.

Beginning their walk through the Miami Beach night, she studied Kari’s cadence, noticing a change in the way she carried herself.  Maybe Kari wasn’t so bad…  That thought lasted until the damnable wolf threw her into a canal, her puffy tail wagging and laughing at Sora, sopping wet in the water; Kari was the worst.

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