Banished To Earth Book Two Souls Adrift (12)

42

 

     The sweet, intoxicating smell of hot chocolate swelled his lungs, cleansed his mind and cradled his heart the moment he stepped beneath the great tree’s soothing shadow. Buoyed and comforted, he let his mind float on the trees' welcoming fragrance. Determined not to struggle against its narcotic properties, he drifted to its heart as his racing thoughts settled, and his inner self spread like a placid pond reflecting the sky.    

     

     Not alone. The fact fluttered down into his mind like a falling leaf gently tumbling to earth. Unalarmed, he collected yet another facet of this new reality, putting it away for later.

 

    He did not remember lying down on the alien trees’ spongy roots, only peering up into its leafy lattice work of intertwining boughs. The arthritic branches, garlanded with their crimson, gold and violet-tinged leaves, subtly pulsating as if they were living, breathing, sentient entities, sank toward him. No. They were not sinking. He was rising. And they were parting, infinitely parting, parting as if inviting, opening, welcoming, sliding past, gently yielding to his presence and his passage.

 

    At some point, the colours faded. The leaves, he could not remember exactly when, stopped being leaves. Stars. They were stars, and he was falling into them, falling into another world….

 

       Someone yelled, “He’s over here.” Silhouettes’ words pierced his reverie.

 

   Her back was turned when he cracked his eyelids open. “Pry he’s right here and he ah, needs your help.”

 

     A moment later, she was kneeling beside him, pulling the duster over his exposed body. “Thank you, Silhouette.”

 

    She twisted toward them. “Yeah, well, he’s your man, not mine.”

 

   “You sound like Beth.”

 

   “Oookay,” she replied, a bit puzzled by her words.

 

    He sat up, looking around dazed, until he finally found his voice. “Pry, I couldn’t stay there. Too dark. I think…I think Mable is trapped there, sure feels like it.”

 

   “What? She is dead.”

 

   “The world is broken Pry,” he said as she helped him to his feet. “The old rules just don’t work anymore, never going back there. Pry. She knows my name.”

43

 

     “What, you are sure?”

 

   He glanced up, saw the tips of two tiny silver wings flutter just above a branch off to his right. “I’m sure we’re not alone.” He looked again. The wings were gone. Butterfly? He thought not.

 

    “You mean your Mother?” Pry asked.

 

  “Don’t call her that,” he said not answering her question, “and I’m not Chase Gillette. I never was. And I don’t want to be him. Davin, call me Davin.” A chill crept up his back. “I need some sunshine.”

 

    “Yes, that would be good,” she said, as they picked their way back to the open field.

 

   “What was that about?” Silhouette asked, “Davin? So, you’re not you anymore?” She wasn’t trying to be funny. “We’re back to the whole baby killing thing, huh?”

 

   He looked over at her, his eyes dark pools of sadness, “Yeah. The past never dies, even when it's forgotten.”

 

  “Well, that’s not a happy thought.”

 

   He looked back at the tree. Pry did not see the sadness but saw wistfulness in his eyes. A nervous smile bent her lips.

 

   “Don’t think I want to walk,” He said, “just wanna wash the wolf off me, and….and get some clothes on.”

  

    “What’s the rush? Kinda like your new look.” No one laughed, not even Silhouette. “Right.” She said a moment before she whipped open a portal…

 

 

 

    Davin (Chase) did not know reclaiming his old name would only further solidify the nebulous entity, Chase Gillette, hiding under his bed. Fortunately for Davin, the real Chase Gillette was still weak, too weak to reclaim his flesh, his birthright. That would take some time.

 

   In the interim, he would not only slowly strengthen his grip on this world, but on Davin as well. There was much he had yet to learn, chief of which was the presence of another claimant to Davins’ flesh, Grant Stayner....

 

Chapter 8

 

44

   

   Trudy Tucker, Beth and Nikki were sitting on the front porch when Silhouettes’ portal opened in the front yard. They had not moved since Pry and Sil left them there earlier.

 

    Upon hearing about Chase’s transformation, Beth found herself yearning for the bright warmth of the morning sun. Trudy’s veranda was the best place to find it. And the house was beginning to feel like a prison. Waking up to the cries of a werewolf shattered any pretense of safety and made her feel trapped and helpless in their bedroom.

 

    Moreover, convincing her that Chase posed no threat to Nikki was bound to be easier to do in the bright warmth of the morning light.

 

     A squeal of joy hurt Chase’s ears when they stepped out. It was Nikki. She raced down the steps to greet them before Beth could grab her.

 

    Small as she was, she still nearly knocked Chase over when he knelt to catch her when she hurled herself into his waiting arms.

 

    “No, Nikki!” The fear Chase heard in Beth’s voice stung in his ears. He would have gently pushed the child away, but she already had a death grip on his neck.

 

    After the strange narcotic head trip, he had completely forgotten about asking whether Beth was ready for him to return. Nikki had settled that issue in a moment of sweet childish exuberance.

 

   He hugged her back as he looked up at Beth, not breaking his stare until her eyes softened and her features relaxed.  

 

    Careful to keep Tucker’s duster closed. He finally managed to release the child.

 

   “See, Mommie Chase is still Chase.”

 

    “Yeah youngin’,’” Trudy said as she, Beth and Tucker walked down to them. “You still got big ears.”

 

     Pry and Sil gathered around Chase. His new, old name still vibrating in their ears. “Nikki.” Pry said, kneeling beside the happy child, "Guess what, he found a new name out in the woods, let's just call him Davin from now on.”

 

    “That’s a funny game, and a funny name. But okay. Davin, Davin, Davin.” She sang. “Yeah, I think I like it.”

 

45

 

   The others exchanged confused looks. “It’s a whole thing, guys,” Silhouette said, “Chase, I mean, Davin here is a real man of mystery.”

 

  “Why?” Trudy asked. “