Okay! Same key as the last chapter, but I probably won't be using the realm switch that much!
~
"SE! Bring Neko in and feed the fish!" Essence's mom called down the stairs to her daughter's room. Essence had her bedroom in the basement, for she liked the privacy. She'd been answering instant messages for the past hour or so, and put on her away message before going out.
The moon was once again reflected on the koi pond. A swift shadow blocked it for a moment, then vanished.
"Neko...Here, kitty kitty..." Essence called, hoping the jet-black cat would respond. There was a rustling in the bushes, and Essence went to see if it was her cat.
"Neko?" she asked as soon as she'd gotten in the bushes.
[ Neko? Who's Neko?]
Essence jumped back. She was sure she'd heard something. A pair of red eyes stared at her from the darkness.
"N...Neko...Where are you?" Essence asked the darkness, trying to hide her fear. As intrepid as she usually was of the unknown, this time she was scared silly.
"REEEEEEEEEOW!"
Neko's scream was heard, not too far away. Essence ran for the source. The shreik led her to an alleyway, where a black cat and a raccoon were fighting. The raccoon was raiding a trash can, and had found a pearl necklace.
|My mom's lost necklace...| Essence thought. Her mom had lost a pearl necklace exactly like the one the raccoon had in its front paws. Neko was hissing, taking occasional swipes at the panda relative. The black cat had a scratch on its right foreleg, so she was walking sort of awkwardly.
Essence had always known Neko was special. She never knew the cat could find things with a sentimental value that was through the roof. Even so, things seemed totally hopeless.
Then the tables turned. In a split second, the raccoon had three slash marks on its underbelly. The necklace was gone, though. Neko let out a meow, then jumped into Essence's arms. Then she licked her wound a little as the two headed back.
Unbeknownst to Essence, she was being watched. The armored Harpie Lady from the Shadow Realm was tracking her. One way or another, she'd get the attention of Essence. The pearl necklace she'd swiped from the raccoon was a perfect way to do it.
Essence found herself lost in the ever-winding roads of the city.
"Great," she said to Neko. "I'm lost, moneyless, and alone in the city except for a black cat." Neko just cocked her head to the sky, and let out a meow.
[ Alone? I wouldn't be too sure of that...]the Harpie told Essence, even though Essence had no idea where the telepathy was coming from.
| Okay, Essence. Let's review the facts. You're lost, have an injured cat in your arms, and now you're hearing voices in your head? You're going nuts.| Essence told herself. Then she noticed the Harpie Lady SB perched on a lamp post.
| And, to top it off, you're starting to see a bird-lady on a lamp post. Note: Get a stamp that says "mental", some red ink, then stamp yourself. I'm not alone, huh? Maybe there's a gangster behind me.|
Telepathy works both ways, but Essence didn't know that. Her thoughts were nearly being amplified with a mental microphone.Therefore, the Harpie could hear every last word of SE's thoughts.
|I'll have to charm her to get her to come to me. There's something special about this one...| the Harpie thought to herself. Then she got the idea that, since SE was lost...
[SE...You want to find your way back home, don't you?]the Harpie asked her, trying to goad her into following.
"Yeah, wherever and whoever you are..." SE responded. She was getting scared now.Someone or something wanted her, and she couldn't trust it. Neko let out a small meow at the Harpie on the street light.
'Huh? What is it, Neko? Can you see her, too?" SE asked the black cat. The cat sniffed the air and mewed again. The Harpie flew down, and landed right in front of Essence.
Essence moved back a little. | So I'm not hallucinating...| she thought.
[ I can show you the way back, if you want me to...The city is a big place...] the Harpie told her, then began rubbing against Essence.
| Is this really real? Am I actually being touched by a REAL Harpie Lady? | Essence asked herself. She nearly fell asleep on the Harpie's feathers, but Neko dug her claws into SE's arm a little. |This dream seems real enough...| Essence decided. |I'll go along with it.|
"Okay, okay, you win...I'll follow you..."Essence told the Harpie, and wondering what the rubbing was about. Neko let out a small meow, and fell asleep in SE's arms. The bird-lady flew off, but kept at a slow enough pace for SE to follow. Every few yards or so she'd have to rest, and when she did, the Harpie landed nearby and rested, too.
| This is amazing...| Essence thought to herself. | A real Harpie Lady...And she likes me! At least, I think she does...She might just be ACTING nice...|
The Harpie herself seemed to detect SE's worry. |She bought into my affection, but then got suspiscious. I'll have to give her the jewels now...| She flew over to SE, and, before SE could even run, she was wrapped by greenish feathers. ( Well, on the Harpie Lady SB card, her feathers ARE green...)The feathers formed a quite effective cage, leaving Essence helpless to any talon attack.
| Eeep...She has me trapped...| Essence thought, wanting to panic. Somehow she just couldn't completely panic, though. Maybe it was because she was scared and lost, and, at the moment, warmth was what she needed.The pearl necklace fell on Neko, who then awakened.
"The necklace...But how'd you get it?" Essence asked, beginning to fall asleep again. Once again, Neko stretched out her claws and Essence woke up.
It was late into the night when Essence finally got home. So late that her mom was asleep, and had signed her off the computer. She felt reluctant leaving the Harpie lady outside, but her mom was so superstitious that she'd think the Harpie was a vampiress and a curse for not donating to the blood bank. So, for now, she'd have to remain outside.
Little did SE know what was going on at the Teradra residence as she fell asleep...
~
R&R please! I'd appreciate it lots!
~
"SE! Bring Neko in and feed the fish!" Essence's mom called down the stairs to her daughter's room. Essence had her bedroom in the basement, for she liked the privacy. She'd been answering instant messages for the past hour or so, and put on her away message before going out.
The moon was once again reflected on the koi pond. A swift shadow blocked it for a moment, then vanished.
"Neko...Here, kitty kitty..." Essence called, hoping the jet-black cat would respond. There was a rustling in the bushes, and Essence went to see if it was her cat.
"Neko?" she asked as soon as she'd gotten in the bushes.
[ Neko? Who's Neko?]
Essence jumped back. She was sure she'd heard something. A pair of red eyes stared at her from the darkness.
"N...Neko...Where are you?" Essence asked the darkness, trying to hide her fear. As intrepid as she usually was of the unknown, this time she was scared silly.
"REEEEEEEEEOW!"
Neko's scream was heard, not too far away. Essence ran for the source. The shreik led her to an alleyway, where a black cat and a raccoon were fighting. The raccoon was raiding a trash can, and had found a pearl necklace.
|My mom's lost necklace...| Essence thought. Her mom had lost a pearl necklace exactly like the one the raccoon had in its front paws. Neko was hissing, taking occasional swipes at the panda relative. The black cat had a scratch on its right foreleg, so she was walking sort of awkwardly.
Essence had always known Neko was special. She never knew the cat could find things with a sentimental value that was through the roof. Even so, things seemed totally hopeless.
Then the tables turned. In a split second, the raccoon had three slash marks on its underbelly. The necklace was gone, though. Neko let out a meow, then jumped into Essence's arms. Then she licked her wound a little as the two headed back.
Unbeknownst to Essence, she was being watched. The armored Harpie Lady from the Shadow Realm was tracking her. One way or another, she'd get the attention of Essence. The pearl necklace she'd swiped from the raccoon was a perfect way to do it.
Essence found herself lost in the ever-winding roads of the city.
"Great," she said to Neko. "I'm lost, moneyless, and alone in the city except for a black cat." Neko just cocked her head to the sky, and let out a meow.
[ Alone? I wouldn't be too sure of that...]the Harpie told Essence, even though Essence had no idea where the telepathy was coming from.
| Okay, Essence. Let's review the facts. You're lost, have an injured cat in your arms, and now you're hearing voices in your head? You're going nuts.| Essence told herself. Then she noticed the Harpie Lady SB perched on a lamp post.
| And, to top it off, you're starting to see a bird-lady on a lamp post. Note: Get a stamp that says "mental", some red ink, then stamp yourself. I'm not alone, huh? Maybe there's a gangster behind me.|
Telepathy works both ways, but Essence didn't know that. Her thoughts were nearly being amplified with a mental microphone.Therefore, the Harpie could hear every last word of SE's thoughts.
|I'll have to charm her to get her to come to me. There's something special about this one...| the Harpie thought to herself. Then she got the idea that, since SE was lost...
[SE...You want to find your way back home, don't you?]the Harpie asked her, trying to goad her into following.
"Yeah, wherever and whoever you are..." SE responded. She was getting scared now.Someone or something wanted her, and she couldn't trust it. Neko let out a small meow at the Harpie on the street light.
'Huh? What is it, Neko? Can you see her, too?" SE asked the black cat. The cat sniffed the air and mewed again. The Harpie flew down, and landed right in front of Essence.
Essence moved back a little. | So I'm not hallucinating...| she thought.
[ I can show you the way back, if you want me to...The city is a big place...] the Harpie told her, then began rubbing against Essence.
| Is this really real? Am I actually being touched by a REAL Harpie Lady? | Essence asked herself. She nearly fell asleep on the Harpie's feathers, but Neko dug her claws into SE's arm a little. |This dream seems real enough...| Essence decided. |I'll go along with it.|
"Okay, okay, you win...I'll follow you..."Essence told the Harpie, and wondering what the rubbing was about. Neko let out a small meow, and fell asleep in SE's arms. The bird-lady flew off, but kept at a slow enough pace for SE to follow. Every few yards or so she'd have to rest, and when she did, the Harpie landed nearby and rested, too.
| This is amazing...| Essence thought to herself. | A real Harpie Lady...And she likes me! At least, I think she does...She might just be ACTING nice...|
The Harpie herself seemed to detect SE's worry. |She bought into my affection, but then got suspiscious. I'll have to give her the jewels now...| She flew over to SE, and, before SE could even run, she was wrapped by greenish feathers. ( Well, on the Harpie Lady SB card, her feathers ARE green...)The feathers formed a quite effective cage, leaving Essence helpless to any talon attack.
| Eeep...She has me trapped...| Essence thought, wanting to panic. Somehow she just couldn't completely panic, though. Maybe it was because she was scared and lost, and, at the moment, warmth was what she needed.The pearl necklace fell on Neko, who then awakened.
"The necklace...But how'd you get it?" Essence asked, beginning to fall asleep again. Once again, Neko stretched out her claws and Essence woke up.
It was late into the night when Essence finally got home. So late that her mom was asleep, and had signed her off the computer. She felt reluctant leaving the Harpie lady outside, but her mom was so superstitious that she'd think the Harpie was a vampiress and a curse for not donating to the blood bank. So, for now, she'd have to remain outside.
Little did SE know what was going on at the Teradra residence as she fell asleep...
~
R&R please! I'd appreciate it lots!
