Two months earlier.

I heard my mother come into the room but didn't dare look up scared that if I looked away for a second Keefe would be gone for ever. Edaline let out a soft sigh behind me "Sophie I know you want him to wake up, but there's other things to worry about Mr. Forkle has been talking to you friends more about the job he has for all of you."

I turned my head slightly when my adoptive mother said that, "What job?" I asked.

"Talk to Mr. Forkle, I don't know much about it but I would shower before doing anything if I were you." She gave me a small smile.

Walking into my room at Havenfield I realized just how right she was I did stink and look like a complete mess, but maybe that's what I got for staying in the healing center for a week. I looked at myself in the mirror and became very annoyed I hadn't chosen to go to my bathroom mirror because the second I stepped into view Vertina had a few things to say about my tangled hair and dirty tunic. "I can't decide if you spent the day battling a swamp monster or the night battling your blankets. But it's been a while so I'll guess the Gorgodon."

I stepped out of view of Jolie's spectral mirror, I wasn't really sure why I still had that thing in my room anymore but when I came out of the shower I let Vertina guide me through a very complicated hairstyle for no reason aside from feeling a little better than before.

Walking out of the house I saw my dad trying to feed Verdi. I grimaced as the purple juice of a fruit splattered over Grady. " Come on Verdi the other animals love this stuff see" he said taking a bite of the fruit "delicious you just have to try it." But the squelch sound the fruit made as he bit into it made me wonder if I would have a different reaction to it.

I ran up the walkway to him hardly stopping myself from tackling him for two reasons 1 I doubt he would want his sixteen year old daughter tackling him in the first place and 2 he was covered from head to toe in purple and I had just showered. "Dad, what's Verdi's knew food?" I asked him

"Tunduleberry, turns out she's not a fan." He said motioning to where our resident feathery dinosaur stood against the far walls of a dome with a group of gnomes trying to restrain her.

"Sounds... fun." I told him "I think I'll let you handle this one though."

He laughed "Good choice, Mr. Forkle is waiting for you anyway" I looked over to Calla's panakes tree and saw my old neighbors bloated frame silhouetted across the horizon.