So @neonthebright I may or may not have been that anon that said they were writing a fanfic 😅 Here it is I guess lol
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“So…uh….what are you?” Daniella didn’t answer. She was frozen in fear. A young boy, well, a teenager, stared at her from where he stood beside the dresser. She’d been scoping the room for hex bags. She hadn’t expected its occupant to come back while she was in here. He took a step back.
“Sorry, I’m looming over you aren’t I?” Daniella didn’t know what to make of this kid. She wanted to have a good read on him before she spoke, or even though about trusting him. “I…I hope I’m not scaring you. I’m just curious as to why….you’re in my room.” He sat down on his bed, hands up defensively. “I’m not going to hurt you, I swear.” Daniella saw the sadness in his eyes. She gritted her teeth, her tail swaying back and forth anxiously behind her. She took a few steps toward the edge and the kid jumped up.
“Whoa! You’ll kill yourself falling off that!” She saw his hand coming towards her and she screamed. She sent out a burst of flames towards him and he yelped in pain as the flame met his skin. He slunk back with a hiss, flexing his hand against his chest.
“H-how?” He said. He couldn’t take his eyes after her. “How the hell did you do that?” He rose his voice slightly and Daniella flinched. She’d never felt so powerless. Normally, she’d teleport out of there but she never teleported where she wanted too when her mind was clouded with panic. She bit her lip and looked back up at the scared look in the kids’ eyes. She couldn’t let him leave here with the impression that her people were dangerous, he might hurt others unintentionally if he talked to the wrong people about her kind.
“If…I tell you…you can’t tell anyone else. Not even your best friends, your mother, nobody.” She couldn’t hold him to his word, but she could try. If anything she’ll give him a better impression. The kid nodded. Daniella took in a deep breath. “I’m a Neera. We look human for the most part, aside from our ears, tails, and claws.” She pointed to each one as she explained. “Also, we hold magic within us.” She sent up a flame and he watched in awe. “I have the power of fire. I can also heal, and teleport-“
“Teleport?” He asked, before blushing. “Sorry.” Daniella smiled. This kid seemed to have a good heart.
“I can show you if you want.” Daniella eyed the mini fridge on the other side of the room. “Watch the top of the fridge, okay?” She shut her eyes and concentrated. She felt the cool plastic underneath her feet and looked. The kid could have been catching flies by the way his mouth hung open.
“Holy shit!” He said with a smile creeping on his face. “That’s awesome! I didn’t know…magic existed…” Jacob muttered under his breath. “At least outside of Wellwood…” Daniella nodded, teleporting back to the dresser.
“Most people don’t. But it’s real, all the supernatural beings are real.” She chuckled. “But we’re not going to go into that conversation.” She saw how he was still holding his hand to his chest. “Does…your hand hurt?” He looked down at it and sighed.
“A little but it’s no big deal.” He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have tried to grab you.” He rubbed at his arm. “I’m sure it looked scary as hell.” Daniella couldn’t believe her ears. Most humans didn’t care that it was scary to be grabbed. To most humans, her kind was like pets.
“It’s alright….” She started and realized she never got his name. “I don’t think we properly introduced ourselves.” He laughed.
“O-oh yeah. Uh, I’m Jacob. Jacob Andris.”
“I’m Daniella. I don’t really have a last name.”
“So…what did you come into my room for?” Daniella blushed. She completely forgot to finish the job she came here to do.
“Oh! I was scoping the room for Hex bags.” Jacob blinked.
“Hex bags? Is that a sprite thing?”
“Sprite?” Daniella asked. “What’s a sprite?” He chuckled.
“Uh, Sprites are a race of people. My friend Bowman’s one. He lives deep out in the woods. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of them, considering you’re….the same size.” Daniella shrugged. “Oh yeah, and they have wings.” That caught her attention.
“WINGS!” She exclaimed. “So they don’t have to climb everywhere?! Or teleport?” Jacob reached up and scratched the back of his neck.
“No, but they have magic like you. Sort of. I don’t really know how to explain it… so…what’s hex bags?”
“Witches use them to put curses on people. They usually hide them in corners or places people wouldn’t normally look. I was looking to make sure there weren’t any in this room.” She teleported to the floor and walked under the bed. Her ears twitched as Jacob shifted on the bed, causing it to creak and moan. She checked every corner and inside a hole in the wall hidden behind the leg of the bed. She bit her lip at the sight of the brown cloth bag. “Fuck. Better get this to where I can burn it.” Daniella wrapped her arms around it and heaved. She wobbled out from under the bed and flinched slightly as Jacob moved his foot out of her way.
“Is that..?”
“The hex bag?” Daniella answered. “Yeah. I just need to burn it and you should be fine.” She looked up at him and chuckled. She really didn’t want to do this… “Um…could you help me, Jacob?” He nodded.
“Sure.” He said. “With…what?” Daniella gulped. She hated being in anyone’s hands besides Keiths or Todd’s.
“Could you carry me the sink in the bathroom? It’ll be safer for me to burn it there.” His face paled.
“You do realize that means I have to…touch you…right?”
“I know.” She sighed. “And I…” Hate was a strong word. “…dislike the idea as much as you do, but it’s either that or scorch the carpet and risk the whole room going up in flames. Or worse,” she added. “Whatever this hex bag was placed here for could happen to you.” She took a deep breath. “It’ll benefit both of us greatly if we put aside our fears for a few minutes.” Jacob nodded, hesitantly lowering his hand to the floor.
“Y-yeah.” Jacob gulped nervously. Sure, he’d been friends with people Daniella’s size for a while now, and yeah, he’s held Bowman in his hands, but, he just met Daniella. Plus he’s pretty sure she didn’t quite trust him fully yet, which he couldn’t blame her for. Daniella climbed on before she could change her mind, Jacob used his other hand to grab the hex bag and he stood up slowly. Daniella closed her eyes and mumbled some comforting words to herself. The sooner this job was done the sooner she could get back to Keith. He was probably starting to worry. She peeled open as Jacob took his first step and her eyes widened. She always marveled at how humans took such long strides across a room. It would have taken her minutes; while it took him seconds. He turned into the bathroom and set the He bag down in the sink, he put his other hand on the side, letting Daniella slide off. Her feet hit the cold white porcelain and she smiled up at him.
“That wasn’t too horrible.” She laughed. “I’ve had worse rides.” Jacob blushed and nodded, awkwardly.
“T-thanks. I’ll make sure to tell Bowman that. That way he can’t gripe about it anymore.” Daniella smiled.
“Alright, let’s burn this bitch.” She sat down on the top of the sink before sending a burst of flame from her hand towards the hex bag. It went up in flames faster than she thought it would and soon enough she pushed against the handle so water drizzled down to stop the fire. “There…should be fine.” She looked back up the Jacob. She eyes his hand. Jacob flexed his hand and shrugged.
“Don’t worry about my hand, I’ll be fine. Not the first burn I’ve had.” Daniella shook her head.
“No, no, no, you’re going to put your hand right here.” She motioned informs of her. Jacob sighed before complying. She saw the newly exposed flesh along his palm and felt a twinge of regret in her stomach. She had to find a better way to greet people. She reached both her hands out and hesitantly put them on the soft flesh. Jacob barely flinched at the small touch. Daniella closed her eyes and felt her healing magic pulse through her to him, a warm fuzzy feeling. Jacob could feel his heart pounding in his chest, watching his skin heal right before his eyes.
“Whoa….” He exclaimed as Daniella retracted her hands. He brought it up to his face and examined the now blemish free palm. “Wow, thanks.” He looked back down at the sink, eyes widening seeing Daniella was no longer there.
“It was great meeting you, Jacob Andris!” He looked behind him and to the floor. Daniella stood beside the wall just outside the bathroom, holding up the wallpaper to reveal a hole she could easily walk into. “I hope we meet again someday! Maybe show me this sprite friend you kept talking about!” Jacob nodded with a smile.
“I hope so too.” They waved each other goodbye as Daniella headed back into the walls of the motel, Jacob stared at where she’d last stood for a few more minutes before settling on the bed and turning on the TV, but he doubted anything on it would compare to the fantastic ten minutes he’d just had with his new friend.
Tag: neera
58. Awaken
This became an interesting exercise and a moment I’ve thought about many times.
The burrow was dark, calm.
In the largest room, the two sentries kept watch. One would occasionally add to the pit of coals, stirring it around with a large stick to keep them from going out. The other paced from the front entrance, which looked out on the field they lived in, all the way to the back entrance, where the creek trickled peacefully by.
Nets, woven by the women, were left in the water. They would be checked first thing in the morning for any minnows that might have found their way into their clutches. The fish would be descaled and would become their meal for the next day. If they caught enough, they might even be able to make fish stew, a staple down in the burrow.
Arthur, the erstwhile leader of the tiny community that lived under the ground in the warrens and tunnels they’d both found and built themselves, slept peacefully through the night.
His young daughter, Alyssa, slept in one of the nearby rooms that branched off of his. She was almost thirteen now, and itched to live in a place of her own like the others. His rule was she had to wait until she was at least fourteen. He didn’t want his only living relation to be too far from him, even in their safe world.
So late that night it was almost morning, there was a rumble overhead. Arthur sat bolt upright, his eyes going straight to the ceiling as dirt and debris rained down on him.
Something was happening.
As he tore out of his home, he shouted to Alyssa, “Stay down here! Don’t come up until we send the signal everything is safe!” She covered her mouth, her green eyes watery from the combination of sleep and fear that hit her.
He reached the top, and one of the wooden spears they sharpened up for protection was thrown to him. Arthur was as prepared as anyone to protect their home, and he caught it with the ease of long years, following the others to the main entrance.
Loud barks drowned out the rumbles, and Arthur and the others skid to a halt at the sight before their eyes.
The new dog that lived up at the House they’d come from was there, but he wasn’t the source of the angry snarls and scratch marks that marred the entrance. The massive black Rottweiler was holding another animal pinned to the ground, a raccoon whose dexterous claws could reach into the burrow and pull people out to snack on if they happened too close to an entrance while it was around.
With a resounding growl, the dog bared its teeth. They sealed around the raccoon’s throat, and ended the threat.
Even Arthur, with long years and harsh days behind him already, had to look away. The dog didn’t leave the corpse there, sitting on their front doorstep. It pulled the raccoon away, and vanished into the stalks of grass.
Long moments passed, and Arthur waited with the sentries and defenders. His arms shook, knowing they were helpless if the dog came back and wanted to dig up their home.
Ten long, arduous minutes passed before they heard anything else. Panting, the dog trotted up out of the grass. Arthur snapped his spear up, holding it defensively in front of him. The others followed suit.
Instead of an attack, the dog sniffed towards the entrance and let out a long, whining growl. It stretched out on its belly, expressive brown eyes blinking at the people guarding their home.
“I don’t believe it,” Arthur heard a voice say, and was shocked to find it was his own.
His spear dropping to the ground, he found himself taking a step forward.
“Arthur, get back here!” one of the others snapped, and he recognized Neera’s voice.
He waved her off.
The dog simply watched his approach, nose twitching as he came in range. He held up his hands. “Thank you for saving us,” Arthur enunciated carefully, laying a hand on the dog’s snout.
The chocolate brown eyes closed, and to his surprise, the dog let out a moan of contentment. Arthur’s face split into a grin, and he rubbed the fur with greater abandon, thanking their protector.
And so Arthur and his people adopted Rumsfeld much the same way as Rumsfeld adopted them.
Brothers Apart 