Sorry it took me so long! I've been feeling a little under the weather (and pissed because this is my second year in a row getting tonsillitis after my seven year streak of not getting it) I've finally adulted and got myself a doctor's appointment after taking medicine my step mom had...when I probably should have just gone to the doctor in the first place.
Anyway! I've good news, though! Well, good for me anyhow. I finally have internet at my step mom's again and so long as I don't get lazy or sick again, I can make sure you guys get a chapter a week.
As the days passed I noticed a few things changing in myself, more so my dreams than anything. I've always been known to have some pretty crazy dreams. Usually the images weren't too important, it was the emotions within that would have me unsettled every time I woke up. But a couple dreams in particular were really weird.
It wasn't too long after meeting Jacob that I'd had it. Seemingly as soon as I shut my eyes I was floating through my house. I felt more than saw Bagheera snoozing in the dresser my step mom had sent me. It had a broken door to the cabinet above and bagheera took to sleeping inside of it curled up in blankets.
I drifted past my house, getting farther each night. I would not only see the deer, but sense them. Hear them. Not too far away were the neighbor's dogs patrolling their territory. Someone had horses and their colts, two brothers, were challenging each other in a little sparring match.
And then the howls of the wolves were heard. At first I didn't go near them, but one night they had brushed my thoughts and that's all it took. I was there, running with them as I had the horse herds near my home. I could hear their heavy paws thumping in a soft rhythm on the forest floor. It went from one wolf to two wolves and then suddenly there was a pack. They growled at each other, some playful and others a warning. A bark here and a snarl there. I narrowed in on the black wolf, large and powerful but not nearly as commanding like that fleeting image of a russet wolf I'd seen that day when I looked at Jacob.
For a moment, I fancied that I heard his thoughts, if wolves even had thoughts.
"Who are you?" It snarled. "How are you doing this?"
And just like that I was in his mind. I was in everyone's. I could hear the whole pack's voices, I could see memories and pictures of other wolves and people. Of red and golden eyed pale people. I knew there was another wolf pack nearby, but I didn't know how I knew that. Thinking it was a dream, I thumbed through the minds and dug deeper and deeper. Barely even conscious enough to realize that this might have been similar to mind raping. I was literally going through every bit of their thoughts without any respect for boundaries. Had I been myself and realized what I was doing, I would have be ashamed.
"Get the hell out of my head!" the beast snarled, letting out a roar of rage. A wolf face suddenly appeared, black as night with molten golden-brown eyes filled with rage.
Everything slammed shut and I felt more than heard the roar. It thundered through my body and I jolted awake in my bed. I looked around, still feeling the vibrations of the growl within my very being. In the distance, an angry howl could be heard.
"What…what was that?" I questioned. Bagheera sat wide eyed in the dresser open part of the dresser door, watching as I was breathed heavily. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and forget about that dream. Glancing at the time I realized it was just three hours until I had to be at work so I decided I might as well get ready and maybe work on the carport.
When I looked in the mirror later that morning before I left for work, I scowled as realized it looked like I hadn't slept at all last night. Every night the past few weeks I'd had the dreams of flying through the forest I looked like this. I threw some eyeliner on and put my hair up and hoped I wouldn't look too much like a zombie today.
We had a call this time, so I hopped in with the Vet and we headed out to go check up on some horses that were having some tough time and to administer some routine shots as well. I didn't realize where we were going until we stopped in the driveway of Peachwood. I snorted and looked to the vet. "And this is why you brought me today, isn't it?"
"But of course, I thought you'd love to see your old friends!" He sang, but I knew better. There was a certain Peruvian Pony that needed to be given shots to and he was only going to stand for me.
We hopped out and I was startled to see Jacob stride over with Troy in tow.
"Well hey there, stranger!" Jacob called out. While Troy gave me a friendly hug, Jacob didn't dare.
"Hi..." I said, still unsure about the man standing just a horse length away. "What's with the welcoming committee?" I questioned as I spied several other tall people standing off beside one of the corrals.
"They're just here to hang out." Troy shrugged her off. There was something he wasn't sharing, but I chose to ignore it.
"Alright….well I guess Joselito needs his shots?" I questioned, trailing behind the vet.
Jacob fell in step near me with a hop to his step. "Glad to see you seemed to have found your shirt." I coolly said.
"Heh, yeah." He chuckled, an arm going to the back of his head.
The four of us walked to the Peruvian Horse and I cooed to the chestnut gelding. His ears pricked and I felt a ripple through the air, literally. The hairs on my neck stood up as an electrical current seemed to flow through me. I felt bubbly for a moment, excited and curious. Then, another current swept through as Checkers threw his head over the door and nickered at me with a greeting. Suddenly, I was dizzy with all sorts of emotions rushing through my body and…and what..? I strained to hear.
I kn….you... two legger. Smell.. iar..
"Wh-what?" I dizzily asked just before the feeling of falling swept through me.
I woke up on a couch in the intern building and I don't remember how I got there. My head was killing me and my chest felt like there was intense pressure. My whole body, really. It ached like I'd hiked up Half Dome. Not that I've hiked up it before, the closest thing I've hiked up is the steepest hills in San Francisco.
"Iris, you're okay!" Chelsea Clearwater's voice floated through the air in a calming manor. My eyes fluttered and I turned to her.
"Yeah, I think..." I muttered, pressing my hand to my forehead. "My head aches so badly." I whined as my other hand came to press against my face.
"Here, have some tea and I asked Troy to get an ice pack." She said, patting my back lightly. Just that alone made me flinch. "Oh, dear." She softly said as she noticed my flinch.
"Maybe I'm coming down with something." I said, a whine still in my voice. It was like the worst migraine I had ever had. "Where's Asher?"
"He's just finished up with Jose. The other horses have been seen to as well. He's giving you the day off." John Clearwater said upon walking over with the ice pack Troy was supposed to be bringing. "You gave us quite the scare. How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm alright, I think. I just hurt really badly. Like I'm achy."
"Ah, sounds like you are coming down with something."
"Maybe I'll just hole up in my house for a bit. I like that idea. Oh! But I have to call into the vet clinic!" I said, already trying to get up.
"Nonsense, you stay put. Asher will take care of the clinic and I'll take care of you until Troy can drive you when you feel better." Chelsea pointed her finger at me with a stern voice.
I wasn't very convinced, but my car was currently at the clinic and I'd have no choice. I eyed the older woman. It had been a while since I was here and she was only looking out for me.
"Alright." I grudgingly said and carefully lay back. "But only for the night. I need to get back and look after Bagheera."
I settled back down onto the couch. They really did care for me, after all. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I really was grateful and appreciative. Jacob peeked in to check on me, he was quickly becoming something like an annoyance and a friend. An annoying friend, I guess.
And then there was this other thing I kept seeing when he came by. I kept seeing him as a wolf like a ghost image around his body and it was driving me insane. When morning came Troy and his girlfriend, Carlie, took me home where I holed up in my house for about a week.
I was aching for a good part of it and I swear I felt Bagheera's emotions. And…and thoughts. Not even joking.
The first morning it happened I was reading and bagheera was running around the house meowing, but his meows sounded very close to words. I sat there for a moment, staring at the words on the page and just listened. The more I tuned out myself and my surroundings, the more I focused on him I thought just maybe….
"Hooman, hooomaaan! Feed me. Hooman, my Miss, where are you! Feed me!" He demanded. I was somewhere between confused and wanting to laugh as he peaked in and meowed loudly. "Feeeed me."
"Bagheera, you have food, and it's not "Hooman", its human. And do you really call me your Miss?"
And then we stared at each other as his meows abruptly ceased. His tail flicked behind him and in a more serious voice he said, "You can understand me?"
He stood there for a moment longer and then hissed. "Miss! Why the hell do we keep moving places! My god, two – legger, you drug me up every time."
I busted up laughing. I know I should have thought myself crazy, but my cat was talking to me and seriously who hasn't wanted their pet to talk to them? At least, I thought about it until I realized there was that one movie where this psychotic guy imagined his pets talking to him. Oh, my god. Am I a psychotic killer? I glanced around. Have I truly snapped?
At any rate, Bagheera never stopped talking to me.