Ch.7 Blunders and Compass Points

"How do you have this creature with you?" Dr. Brock asked for the seventh time.

"I found him in a cave and he said I was his companion." I replied for the sixth, my first reply having been a crack at the universal.

"How do you have this creature with you?" Eight times.

This time I ignored him and looked to Shift, who was trapped by the universal across the room. I couldn't hear him or even feel him. I was already cracking from being unable to feel the warm sandy presence in my head.

"How do you have this creature with you?" Nine.

The room smelled of food from an early dinner they must have had. Small pieces of debris were placed around the room and added a kind of magpie feel to the area.

It's like that time I went to the city dump and found a whole nest complex of the things. Arron chased them away so we could collect the treasure.

Only silence responded to my comment and the small smile that had formed on my face dropped. I felt close to breaking down without Shift's presence. I felt as if I was fading away and I tried to stop the few tears that slid down my face.

Dr. Brock seemed to have forgotten me and was humming as he worked on making some sort of drink. Connie stared at me intently and I felt as if she was looking at the chair I was sitting in instead of me. Dr. Brock handed her a cup and the second she diverted her attention it was as if I was alone. No one looked at me or paid me any mind.

I stood and pushed the chair in, but still no one looked. For treating me so harshly they were just going to let me do what I wanted? Shift was curled in a ball in the universal's lap and I went to pick him up. His scales were smooth against my hands and again I could feel his presence. Happiness flooded my mind, then coldness flooded my body.

I collapsed to the floor and was wrapped loosely around the unmoving Shift.

"Trying to escape?" came the calm voice of Connie. She held a spectral looking bow in her hands and had it pointed at me. She drew a silvery looking arrow from her back and notched it.

"Oh, my!" said Dr. Brock. "I completely overlooked him."

"Why are you all so horrible?" I yelled out, glad that my voice worked.

"Because you kidnapped that mythical creature and lied about being a companion. You snuck in and stole information that you shouldn't know! You are just like Kullervo!"

"I didn't do any of that!" Now tears really did start to pour out. "I hate your stupid Society!"

She seemed to falter at my last out burst. "But... You aren't a companion..." This time she didn't seem so sure.

"Of course I am!" I snorted out between sobs. "Shift told me so!"

"But I can't feel your energy..."

"So? Why does that matter?"

"I can feel the power of every one else that I have met that is a companion!"

"Then I'm different!" I yelled back, "You can't be right all the time!"

My sobs finally slowed and I sat up, my body regaining feeling as I felt the warm sun bathed desert fill my mind. Shift was back, and I could feel him! Connie had sunk into a chair. She seemed put out and Col quickly wrapped his arms around her to keep her upright.

Dr. Brock gazed at me and seemed to be thinking deeply. "Well, we can skip the assessment if you already have your companion creature. But you have to promise that you wont tell anyone outside of the Society if you want to join."

I snorted. "You're kidding, right? What makes you think that after all this," I waved my arm around the kitchen and indicated the ten people gathered in the small room. Tears began leaking from my eyes as my mind retraced the overly stressful day I had had. "I would want to join your horrible collection of kidnappers and mind fuckers!"

I stomped out of the kitchen and stormed home. As I entered Shift wrapped around my neck and comforted me. He was the only thing that had been good since we moved here.

My door was locked behind me seconds after I had entered my house and I finally sank down onto the bed. My mind was fractured by the intense emotions of the day, but there was one thing I knew that would help. I took out my cell and pushed speed dial 5.

On the second ring it was answered. "Hey, Daniel! What's new in Hescombe?"

"Hey Arron. It's horrible here. There is this creepy society that protects mythical creatures and they forced me into an interrogation because I am a companion to sand sprites."

"... Um, not drunk, are you?"

"No, Arron," I said, smiling at his usual comment when I told him stuff that didn't seem plausible.

"Then I believe you. You have never lied before. Anything I can do?"

"Could you look for my mom? I think she was telling the truth when she said the trees called her. Can you find her and try make her get in touch with me?"

"Sure, man. I'll start right now! See ya."

"Bye, Arron."

I listened as the phone clicked shut and a soft static filled my ear.

So you will not accept the Society?

I don't know. Today was so stressful and they hurt me so much. Should I forgive them?

Eventually. They would be able to help a lot!

How?

Have you noticed that people overlook you a lot?

Yeah.

That's because we are companions! You take my abilities a little bit just by being a companion to me! You are able to pass and seem like an insignificant heat ripple! You can handle temperature differences better and your mood can even effect sand around you!

Really?

Really!

Then maybe we should practice a couple of these. It wouldn't do to be caught by that Society before I'm ready.

How is this? Did you like how their close link affected the situations?