Chapter 9
The Clover Key

The My Little Chimera rain up to its maker after it fled from the school yard. It nuzzled its nose against his hand. I'm sorry Master, it told him.

"There, there. You did great. That's my good girl," the Chimera's master soothed it.

"You care way too much for a monster," Hemlock crossed his arms and starred at the detestable sight.

"They're creatures. Not monsters," the alien boy corrected him. "Besides, I care about all the Chimeras I make."

"So this is why you don't fight then," Hemlock went over to the other alien. "You just don't want your 'precious little pets' to get hurt, is that it?"

"That's one reason. The big reason is that God tells us to love our enemies, not fight them. If..."

"Oh, I forgot! You went religious," Hemlock frowned. "You started believing in some god that is said to have died on the cross for the sins of these worthless humans. Is that right?"

"He is not a god but the God who made all the planets and the world our people wish to possess. I think this is just wrong! If God sent His Son Jesus to save these humans, then he can save our people too," the alien boy confessed as he tried to reason with Hemlock.

"Well then. I guess you're a lost cause. You are a traitor to your people! Protecting these humans by not fighting them like you have too is just a disgrace! This is ridiculous!" Hemlock yelled at him. "You can sit around and pretend that this is just a pointless mission but we have people back home that need us to do this! You're a traitor," Hemlock spat at the alien boy. "Don't expect us to come to you with open arms when you abandon this 'God' of yours and beg to rejoin us." Hemlock turned and teleported away.

The alien boy sighed. "Come on Fiery Black. Let's go see the others," he touched his creation and made it shrink to the size of a Webkinz' plush toy. He then held the My Little Chimera in his arms and teleported away.

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"Claudine, what did you do wrong?" Sonya asked Claudine in the locker room at the diner.

"Wrong? What do you mean?" Claudine crooked her head and asked the Mew leader.

"The Chimera got away! What do you think happened?" Sonya growled at pawn.

"What?! But it was gone when I last looked...," Claudine looked away. She thought she destroyed the Chimera. Then again, she had closed her eyes…

"Yeah! Gone running! What is wrong with you?" Sonya yowled like a cat. "You can't do anything right like I tell you to do!"

"I'm trying my best! I'm sorry! Forgive me Sonya!" Claudine started to cry through her one eye. Her eye patch was still covering the other. Her eye was almost completely healed.

"My sister would never allow me to behave like this and you shouldn't either! So stop crying and just," Sonya stopped, realizing what she said.

"Y-Your sister? You have a sister? She's a Mew? Then where..."

"Shut up and get to work Claudine!" Sonya turned around and glared at the girl. She then ran out of the room in frustration. Why? Why did I say that? Now she'll keep asking me questions! She realized. Dora, Paula, Chloe, Sawyer; help me through this...

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Lime had his headphones in as he listened to another Owl City song. He sighed in pure bliss as he sang along with the song out loud.

'Circle me and the needle moves gracefully,
Back and forth,
If my heart was a compass, you'd be north.
Risk it all, 'cause I'll catch you if you fall,
Wherever you go,
If my heart was a house,
You'd be home.'

Then there was a knock on his door. "Come in," Lime sighed as the moment faded away with the intruding sound. "What is it Hem?" He asked.

Hemlock walked inside the room. His hair was in a mess and his outfit had long slices cut through it. "Never go into his room," Hemlock sat down on the ground. "His Chimeras are like creatures of nightmares."

"Well, that's why he's on this mission. We both know he's not normal," Lime looked at his 'borrowed' iPod from the Apple store.

"That...that metal one is vicious! And that string one tied my feet with yarn. And don't let me get started about..."

"And that is why we don't go in his room," Lime faced Hemlock. "Why did you go in anyway?"

"He treats those Chimeras like pets and stuffed animals! It's ridiculous!" Hemlock complained. "So I was going to get rid of them."

"I can't believe that you didn't die trying to do that. You're lucky," Lime stated. "You might want to clean up yourself. You said..."

"I know what I said! Just don't disturb me Friday night, alright?" Hemlock told Lime.

"Whatever. I'll be watching My Little Pony or something else," Lime shrugged and turned his music up.

Hemlock nodded and left Lime's room. He had a something important to do Friday night. He needed no disturbance to do so. His useless companion wouldn't bug him and Lime just needed to be told what to do.

Hemlock went to his room and searched for a new pair of cloths. "One of these days, I'll throw all of those useless Chimeras of his away!" Hemlock vowed.

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Carin was waiting for Claudine at the diner. He watched the multicoloured fish as they swam by. "Hey Carin!" Claudine walked over to the 'please wait to be seated' sign.

Carin looked over his shoulder. "Hello Claud!" He waved. He walked over to her. "Have any scraps?"

"I have something better! Come to the back, okay?" She whispered to him. Even if there were no waiting customers to cause her to whisper, she did it just because it was fun to do.

Carin nodded. He left out the front door just like she asked him to. Claudine smiled and went to the kitchen.

Esperanza was just leaving with a platter of fish and a bowl of soup. "What's the rush, Claudine?" She turned her head back and asked.

Claudine was picking up a platter of salted salmon. "Oh, I'm taking food to the homeless boy again," she explained. "I was thinking of giving him some salted salmon."

"Does Andrew know? Don't you think he's tricking you?" Esperanza asked in her accented voice.

"Sonya said that he showed up a lot before we even came here. I think he's not faking this," Claudine explained. "Why would someone asks for scrap food if he wasn't homeless?"

"Because he knows there are people like you that work here. Just be careful, okay? I don't want you getting hurt," Esperanza warned before leaving to serve the ordered food she had.

Claudine thought for a moment. Was Carin tricking her? He couldn't. He trusted her. He gave her a key to prove it.

She put the plate of salmon on the table and pulled out the key. It was strung on an old chain of hers. The shiny green stones on the key glowed in the light of the room. She held it in her hands and prayed. Dear God, please let Carin not be messing with me and actual is telling me the truth. Amen.

Claudine put the key back under her shirt were it would be safe. She picked up the platter of salmon again and went to see Carin.

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Carin waited for the kind waitress to arrive. She was very kind to him unlike other people. She cared about him as if he was her friend. He liked that. He was glad he gave her the key. She deserved it.

"I got something new for you!" Claudine called out as she walked towards him. She sat down next to him as she handed him the plate of salmon. "Here you go!" She said cheerily.

Carin smiled. "Thanks Claudine!" He smiled up at her. "Oh fish!"

"It's salted salmon. It has been on the menu...wow! You're hungry!" Claudine laughed. Carin was just digging into the salmon with his knife and fork. He loved it so much!

"Aw, this is so good! Thank you!" He smiled at her. "You're so kind to me all the time. Why?" Carin asked.

"Well, because Jesus wants us to care about others. It's what the Bible tells us to do," she replied.

"You're a Christian?" Carin blinked. "So am I! I'm so glad I met another Christian!" He stated happily.

Claudine smiled. "You are? That's great! I'm so glad!" Claudine was so glad she had met another Christian. She had become a Christian at a young age and tried her best to follow what God says and do good deeds. Good deeds didn't save people though she reminded herself every day.

"So you like the clover key?" Carin asked with a smile. Claudine kept twiddling her fingers on the key during their conversation.

"Eh? Uh, yeah," Claudine stammered and blushed. "Where did you get it? It's a family heirloom, isn't it?"

"It actually isn't. I found it on the ground," he explained. "I saw it in a pile of ashes where a forest fire was the day before."

"A forest fire? Really? The key isn't tarnish or burnt though from the look of it," Claudine re-examined the key. It looked like it was in perfect condition; no missing gems, no tarnish gold. Nothing was wrong with it at all.

"I know. It's quite strange. I keep thinking it's a magic key," he whispered.

"It's yours though, you should keep it. Or at least find the right owner," Claudine looked down.

"I would if I could. If I can find them though, you should still keep it," Carin told her. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Claudine blushed. "Carin, I..."

"Where did you get that?"

Both kids turned around to face the source of the voice. Sonya was standing outside of the back door, starting at them. "Where did you get that Clubs key?" Sonya rephrased the question.

"Clubs key? What do you mean?" Claudine asked.

"That in your hand! Where did you get that key? Tell me now!" Sonya ordered. She seemed really agitated at the moment over the key.

"I found it. What's so," Carin tried to explain. He was stopped in midsentence when Sonya lunged at him and grabbed him by the shirt collar. He gasped for air. "H-Hey! L-Let...let go!"

"How did you find it? It died along with her! Tell me now!" Sonya shook him like a rag doll.

"Sonya! That's enough! Let Carin go! This isn't right!" Claudine tried to pull on Sonya's arm. "Enough is enough!"

Sonya looked at Claudine. She was about to yell but stopped herself. She let Carin go, making her drop on the hard concrete.

Claudine ran to his side. "Are you okay?" She asked in panic. Carin nodded.

"Don't come back here again, carrot top. Not for meals, not for scraps, not for anything," Sonya said coldly. "So... Just leave our lives. Especially Claudine's life. Get out of here, carrot top," Sonya started to walk away and went back inside.

"Sonya! You can't say that! Come..."

"She's right," Carin interrupted Claudine. "I-I better be going now."

"Carin wait! Don't leave!" Claudine tried to tell him as he got up and started to leave. "Please don't go!"

Carin stopped for a second. He looked to the side. "I-It's best this way. Bye Claud," Carin started to run away from her.

"Carin! Carin, wait!" Claudine stood up. "Don't leave! I...," she started to cry. "Don't...go..."