Fox Ball

I fell back with a blood curdling scream, knocking my head against the rocks beneath me. The scene from before flashing in my mind repeatedly as I frantically searched for Rose, desperate to see that she was okay. It was all a vision. It didn’t really happen. It was all a vision. I can change this. I can control this. I won’t lose another. I repeated this like a mantra in my head, until my vision cleared from the tears I didn’t know were falling and the roaring of my ears faded into a gentle static. I clutched at my head in pain, it resonating from the back, through the sides, and into the front.

“OLIVIA!” I heard someone shout for me, my gaze finally meeting his own very worrisome look, worry frowns creating deep divots in his otherwise smooth face. “I have been calling you for over 5 minutes. You wouldn’t stop screaming.” The look of horror faded from his face, but the desperation stayed.

I looked around, finding two other sets of eyes gazing down at me in worry, frowns embedded in their smooth skin. “What did you see Olivia?” I couldn’t tell which of the faces made the sound, but the moment I tried to respond, a garbled echo of a scream fell from my tongue. The sound only seemed to worry them more.

“Help me get her to the water.” One of the faces said.

I felt myself being tugged and pulled like a ragdoll in the hands of a toddler. Finally, the rough stone was replaced by warm skin and I couldn’t help but nuzzle into it. “You’re lucky you’re so light,” was the response, along with a laugh that sounded like the tinkling of bells.

I only spoke gibberish back to them, feeling dumb drunk and utterly fatigued.

Within a couple moments, I found myself listening to the waves crashing against the beach. “Throw her in,” was the next thing spoken.

There seemed to be sounds of distress coming from the two other people before being rudely cut off.

“I know what I’m doing, just throw her body in the water,” came the curt reply.

I was suddenly encased in a cool sensation that I could only assume was the water they were talking about.

Above me, I heard a very muffled, “hold her down.” That’s when I started feeling pressure against my back, pushing me farther into the cool embrace of the sea.

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It took quite awhile, but eventually, my mind snapped into sharp focus, colors and sounds assaulting my senses all at once. I was drowning. Someone was holding me down. I started kicking at the pressure holding me, fighting against my assailant before the pressure eased and I was able to take a full, deep breath of summertime air. I shook the water out of my hair and pushed it out of my eyes before snapping my head back to see who would dare drown me. I was expecting Reese or Peter, but instead, I was met with three very worried stares. “What the hell were you trying to do? Kill me?”

I heard three relieved sighs be breathed out all at once, the worried glances easing until there were small smiles on each of my companions faces. “She’s back.” Guide stated, brushing his white mane out of the way, the ends drenched in water.

Another round of relieved sighs were sent my way. It was kind of annoying to be quite honest. “What happ-…” thats when it all came rushing back to me. The clearing, the Rose and Derek, the morphing of the face, and finally the beating heart. I had to muffle another scream, but was able to compose myself within a couple moments of deep breathing. “I saw something. Something…” I shuddered at the thought, “horrible.”

“What did you see?” They all spoke at the same time, with varying ranges of fear, and desperation.

“Can I get off the beach first and into some dry clothes?” They all nodded, Rose reaching behind her and pulling some fresh clothes out of thin air. “Wow, that is really freaking convenient.” I muttered under my breath only to received three chuckles in return. “Okay. You guys need to stop doing that. It’s freaking me out.” I stated as I picked my soggy ass off the ground and started making my way towards the rocks that we have been calling home.

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After changing, I felt much more human. Well, at least half human anyway. We gathered around a small fire pit, the sun already beginning to set over the Ruins. I started recounting the story. I watched as all faces but one retreated into looks of disgust and fear. Guide seemed to be pensive, deep in some kind of thought that none of us would ever guess. “Rose, is your brother a kitsune?”

She immediately responded in the affirmative. “He’s a forest kitsune with a little dabbling into water.”

“Is it true that he is spying on Peter for us?”

She shook her head, almost viciously. “I left him back on Earth, where he could be safe from Peter and his minions. Well, where I thought he would be safe.”

Guide hmm’ed for a couple moments before turning his thoughtful eyes on me. “You said that he sounded like Peter; had the same mannerisms and everything?”

I nodded in confirmation, not fully understanding where this could be going.

“So I have two ideas of what could have happened. One is a lot more preferable to the second. First, I think that Peter somehow infiltrated Olivia’s psyche and screwed with her vision as another building block in gaining her alliance. Or two, your brother is in serious danger and Peter is after him.”

We all took a moment to think on this. Rose was the first one to speak up. “I have to go get him and bring him back here. Even if it is the first option, there is no telling how long he will be safe on Earth. Peter is bound to figure out that I am helping you and Derek is the first place he will turn to get me out of the picture. I can’t lose him too.” There was a certain sadness that overtook her gaze that I resonated with on a deep level. I knew there was something that wasn’t being said here, but I refused to delve any deeper.

“I’m coming with you.” I stated, not a shimmer of the fear I was actually feeling in my voice. “It’s better to have two of us than one and Talia will be safe here with Guide.” At their worried gazes, I could only scoff. “I’ll be fine. That’s what all this training has been about, right? I’m ready. And I want to make sure none of us lose anymore of our families.” I turned my gaze back on Rose, a finality in my tone, “I’m going with you.”