Chapter 4

Amelia had no idea where she was, she knew she was safe but she didn't know exactly where. She glanced around as images too fast for her to see flew past and around her. She continued walking and stopped when she saw her mother standing in a circle of roses. Amelia started jogging towards her mother, relieved that she was alright but as soon as she was about to reach her mother, the roses burst from the ground and flames suddenly surrounded them.

"MOM!" Amelia cried as her mother was still on the center of it all. The roses grew and formed into vicious snapping jaws as they began snapping at Amelia making her back away from them. The floor beneath her mother began to give way slightly like quick sand as her mother began to slowly sink into the ground. Amelia tried to dodge the jaws of the roses but only failed in reaching her mother. She could see that her mother was crying but she made no move to escape the sinking ground. Amelia tried once more to reach her mother but was too late as her mother was finally sucked underneath the ground and was gone.

"Mom, no!" Amelia cried as she quickly sat up and she was suddenly pulled into Abe's arms as she began to cry.

"It's alright; it was just a dream Amelia. Just a dream" Abe said as he tried to comfort her.

"S-she's gone. I couldn't help her, she's gone" Amelia sobbed and Abe began to stroke her hair.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

Amelia took a few moments to calm down before telling Abe all about her nightmare from the flying images to seeing her mother disappear underground. After she was finished, Abe held Amelia's face in his hands.

"Amelia, my dear, you did nothing wrong at all" Abe said, "it was just a dream, nothing was your fault"

Amelia wiped the last of her tears away as she nodded and she was quiet for a few moments before speaking.

"I-it's just that… she didn't deserve all that pain and suffering she endured. She was a good person, she did nothing to deserve it" Amelia said as she let the words come out of her.

"There was nothing you could have done. Believe me, your mother is well and is very proud of you" Abe said and Amelia nodded once again. "Now I suggest you go back to sleep and I promise there will be no more nightmares to bother you"

Amelia settled back down on the couch as she closed her eyes and fell asleep once more. And as Abe had promised, there were no more nightmares that night.

The next morning, things went normally for everyone, everyone that is except for Amelia. Considering that she had only been at the BPRD for one night and didn't know completely what was normal around here and the nightmare she had last night didn't exactly help either. Amelia didn't say anything about last night as she went through breakfast with the others. Abe didn't say anything about her nightmare to the others as they hadn't said anything about it that morning. After breakfast, Amelia sat on the couch reading again but she soon got bored of it and found that she had an urge to go outside and get some air. It was just in time when Abe came down the spiral staircase with a towel in hand as he dried himself off from being in his tank.

"Uncle Abe?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, Amelia? What is it?" Abe replied.

"Is there any place where I can go outside for awhile? I feel like I need some air"

"Certainly, the BPRD has tons of acres for you to explore if you like"

"That sounds perfect"

"I'll show you where to go"

"Sure, I'll just grab a few things first"

Amelia stood from the couch and left the library as she headed towards her room. She walked into her room and grabbed a shoulder bag and filled it with her sketch book, a few pencils, her reading book, and a light sweater. When she was satisfied with the contents of her bag, she slung the bag around her shoulders and walked back out of her room to find Abe waiting for her outside the library. Abe led Amelia down the hallways until they reached the elevator that lead up to the normal ground level. Abe traveled with Amelia up the elevator and when it reached the top, they walked out and Abe stopped at a shelf and took down a small gadget and handed it to Amelia.

"This is just a locator so that I know where you are and where to find you if need be" Abe explained and Amelia clipped the small locator gadget to her belt loop on her pants.

"Any specific time you want me back?" Amelia asked.

"Just be back before dark, but other than that take as much time as you like"

"'Kay, see you later then"

Abe opened the door for Amelia as she walked out and she waved to him and she walked out into the outdoors. Amelia walked around an open garden-like field that was only the beginning of the BPRD's outdoor property. She admired that the flowers and the grass were very well cared for and everything was just so vivid and colorful. She looked down at the grass, is it just me, or did the grass seem to grow a little taller? Amelia thought as she glanced down at the grass she was currently walking on. She pushed the thought out of her mind for now and spotted a bench sitting by a pond and Amelia gladly settled herself on the bench. She tilted her head back slightly as she basked in the sunlight for a moment before reaching into her bag and pulling out her sketch book. She looked across and around the pond as she studied the surroundings and she turned to an empty page in her notebook and began to draw her new surroundings. Amelia felt so at ease at the moment as she continued to draw the pond, the plants, and the few ducks who had settled themselves in the pond without even acknowledging that Amelia was even there.

It's so peaceful here Amelia thought I should come out here more often. After she had finished her rough sketch drawing of the pond area, Amelia stood up and wandered around some more until she came to another part of the grounds where it was the edge of a small forest linked with the garden-like field. She set her bag down on the ground as she sat down and lay down across the grass and closed her eyes.

Perfect relaxation on a perfect day, Amelia thought just perfect. Amelia lay there for a few moments until she suddenly heard a small rustling sound and she opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows. She scanned the area for the source of the rustling but came up with nothing. She was about to lie back down when she heard the rustling again but this time it was in the bushes that were close to the forest but still close enough to her. Amelia watched as the bush rustled a little bit more and a ferret suddenly came out of the bushes. It spotted Amelia and it stood there staring at her and Amelia stared back. After a moment, the ferret decided that she wasn't a threat and scurried up to her.

"Oh, hello" Amelia said to it, "what are you doing out here?"

She glanced around the area hoping to spot its owner of some sort somewhere but had no such luck. Amelia turned back to the ferret and saw that it was again staring at her but in curiosity. Amelia slowly took out her sketch book, hoping not to spook the little animal as she turned to another empty page and began doing a rough sketch of the little ferret. The ferret obviously didn't mind in the least bit as it stayed where it was as Amelia continued to sketch.

After she was done, Amelia looked at her rough drawing, "well, it kind of looks a little good" Amelia said, "I'm not very good at drawing animals"

The ferret seemed to oddly understand her words as it glanced at the drawing then back at her and blinked. Suddenly the ferret snatched up her sketch book in its little jaws and scurried away towards the forest.

"Hey!" Amelia called after the ferret as she stood up as quick as she could and ran after the small animal. She was only slightly able to keep the ferret in her sight as it continued to run away with her sketch book. It darted through a group of trees and Amelia attempted to follow it but unfortunately lost it. "Great, just great" Amelia grumbled as she walked around a little in the forest hoping to spot the small animal and get her sketch book back.

"Nice doodles you got in here" A voice said and Amelia whipped around to find the owner of the voice but she didn't spot anyone.

"Up here" the voice said and Amelia looked up and spotted a boy sitting comfortably in a tree with the cursed little ferret sitting on his shoulder as the boy flipped through her sketch book.

"Give it back!" Amelia demanded and the boy snickered.

"What's the magic word?" the boy taunted not taking his eyes off of the open sketch book but Amelia just grew more frustrated.

"Why would I listen to a boy I don't even know, now give it back!"

"Still waiting for that magic word"

"Look, dude, I don't even know you. Can I please have my sketch book back?" Amelia mocked the word 'please' as she said it. The boy laughed but jumped down from the tree and landed cat-like on the ground and he stood and held the sketch book out to her, the ferret still perched on his shoulder. Amelia snatched the sketch book away from the boy and shoved it in her bag. Amelia took the chance to get a good look at this boy, he had blond hair but the front strands of his hair were entirely black. He wore a usual everyday t-shirt and black pants with sneakers. Amelia noticed that he was somewhat muscular and it showed on the muscles of his arms. He wore a shark tooth necklace around his neck and the tooth was hanging from a brown strip of leather.

"So what's your name?" the boy asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Amelia asked back.

"I gotta know the name of the artist who drew the perfect image of Felix here" he indicated to the ferret on his shoulder.

"It's not perfect. I'm no good at drawing animals"

"Are you kidding? That's the best drawing I've seen of Felix, unlike me who can't draw at all you've got talent, girly"

"I don't think it's very good and don't call me 'girly'"

"Felix thinks otherwise, he thought it was so good he just had to show it to me"

"Is that why he stole my sketch book? Just to show you my crappy drawing?"

The boy laughed, "Levi Treks" he introduced himself as he held out his hand for Amelia to shake.

"Amelia Clarks" Amelia replied as she shook Levi's hand, Felix scurried from Levi's shoulder, across their arms, and onto Amelia's shoulder and Amelia giggled as he nudged her cheek.

"And that little trickster is Felix"

"Pleased to meet you Felix" the two laughed as Felix returned to Levi's shoulder.

"So why are you here?" Levi asked as they began walking through the forest.

"I just wanted some fresh air" Amelia replied.

"No, I meant why are you here at the BPRD?"

"Oh… well, um… that's not really a topic I want to go on right now. Too early for me at the moment, you understand, right?"

"Totally"

"How about you? Why are you here?"

"Now that I don't mind talking about. I arrived here about five months ago; I used to live on the streets for a while. Parents abandoned me after they realized what a freak I was"

"What do you do anyways?"

"I can kind of communicate with animals; I know anything and everything about every animal in the world without even cracking a book to look it up. And a bonus to that is that I can shape-shift into any animal so long as I know what it looks like"

"Your parents ditched you for that?"

"Not at first, when I was little my parents sent me to the 'crazy house' after they caught me 'talking' to our dog a couple of times. I was there for a while and my parents still visited once in awhile until I discovered my shape-shifting ability. They stopped visiting and the 'crazy house' kicked me out after I flipped out at a kid for calling me a freak and I attacked him in tiger form. That's when I started living on the streets, I found Felix a few months later and he took a side to me, he's been with me ever since"

"Wait… you said you lived on the streets?!"

"When your different, you've gotta do what you gotta do to survive"

Amelia thought about Levi's story, how could someone treat a person so differently just because of who they are?

"Felix senses something about you" Levi said and Amelia turned to him.

"Huh?"

"He senses something special about you. What kind of powers do you have?"

"I don't have any powers"

"You sure? 'Cause Felix can sense something strong about you"

"I swear I don't have any powers! I'm just a normal human girl"

"Okay, I was just asking"

"Sorry, I'm just not used to being around all of this"

Levi nodded in understanding and they continued to walk through the forest.

"How come I wasn't introduced to you yesterday?" Amelia asked.

"Probably 'cause I was out here" Levi answered, "I'd rather be out here than in a large, cramped building. I only go inside to sleep and eat but other than that, I'm always out here"

Amelia glanced up at the sky and saw that it was beginning to get a little dark; she didn't even realize how much time she had been out here. "I should go" Amelia said, "Uncle Abe said he wanted me back before dark"

"You're not going to make it if you walk, it'll be too dark for you to see and you'll get lost" Levi said.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Why don't I take you? That way we can both be back in time for supper"

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Have you already forgotten?"

Before Amelia could see it coming, Felix jumped off of Levi's shoulder as Levi's body morphed into a majestic black horse. He trotted over to Amelia and bent down for Amelia to climb onto his back easily. Felix climbed into Amelia's bag as Amelia carefully climbed onto Levi's back and he stood up and began at a slow running pace. When Amelia was comfortable with being on the back of a horse, Levi sped up as he began running through the forest and he continued to run even after they entered the garden-like field and out of the forest. As they neared the BPRD building, Amelia could just see Abe as he opened the door and walked outside to see Amelia on the back of a horse as they rode up to the door. Amelia slid off of Levi's back and he morphed back to his human form.

"Hi, uncle Abe" Amelia greeted.

"Hello, Amelia. I assume you had a good time" Abe replied and he turned to Levi, "good to see you too, Levi"

"Hey, Abe" Levi said.

Felix poked his head out from Amelia's bag and squeaked at Abe, "And you too, Felix" Abe said to the small animal as Felix crawled out of Amelia's bag and perched himself on Levi's shoulder and Abe turned back to Amelia.

"Amelia, I was just told that your mother's service will be in two days. The preparations have all been made" Abe told her.

"Oh… um, okay. Thanks uncle Abe" Amelia said and she tilted her head down a little and Levi stared at her. "Bye, Levi. It was nice meeting you" Amelia said as she hurried inside.

"Amelia, wait…" Levi called but she was already gone. "Here mom is…?" Levi left the words hanging as Abe nodded.

"Yes, she died of cancer" Abe said, "I'm as close as she has to family even though we're not blood related. She had no one else to go to"

Levi glanced at Felix and he glanced back as Abe turned to go inside and Levi followed.