Chapter 8: Chapter 8

“Shane, stop the car,” his father said more as a whisper of pain than the strong voice he once knew.

Shane sniffled several times as he pulled over. Parking the car, he turned to his dad. “We’re almost to the next city.”

“I’m not going to make it, Shane.”

“Don’t say that!” Shane started to cry again. Thick tears ran down his cheeks, staining his shirt.

“It’s true, I’m afraid,” his father said. Hissing, he pulled the blankets away from his chest and side. “I need your promise, Shane.”

“What promise?” Sniffling, Shane wiped his cheeks as he tried to focus.

“I need you to survive. No matter the cost. No matter what you have to do. You must survive.”

“I promise, Dad,” Shane whispered.

“You’re young, Shane. Find a library and start learning. You can read and write. Teach yourself what you need to thrive.”

Nodding, Shane swallowed hard as his dad closed his eyes. “Dad?”

“I love you, Shane, more than anything.”

Shane fought back a sob. “I love you too, Dad.”

One last slow breath left his father, and Shane ground his teeth as the tears resumed. Climbing onto his father’s seat, he held his father. It didn’t matter that he was getting covered in blood.

His blurry vision faded as the dream slipped away.

***

Shane woke up, blinking several times as he recalled the vivid dream. Swallowing hard, he forced down the emotions that were welling up inside him.

Why am I remembering that now? he asked himself.

A shifting warmth against him made him glance down. Rai was nuzzling her cheek and nose against his bare chest. Her ears twitched near his chin, and with every breath he took, they nearly laid flat.

He wanted to appreciate her and what they did last night. For the first time in his life, he felt like he truly belonged with someone. Even though that someone was supposed to be his enemy.

Shifting carefully, he slipped out from under Rai and left the den. The sun hadn’t come close to rising yet, but that wasn’t going to stop him.

Holding out his hand, he summoned a ball of flames. Tossing it on the ground, he watched it burn without burning anything around it.

That’s simpler than I imagined.

Rolling out his arms, he started to stretch and warm up. From squats to lunges, he loosened his legs and hips. Twisting his back and bending to the side, he worked his upper body.

When he was ready, he started shadow boxing. He had read enough books on fighting that he could mimic some of the moves. Over the years, he practiced what he could, but real fighting was the only way he was going to improve.

An hour passed, and sweat ran down his body. Glancing towards the den, he breathed heavily.

She’s going to be upset that I left her.

Shaking out his arms, he turned towards the forest. Summoning fire to his hand, he started walking. He didn’t know what he was looking for, exactly, but he needed to keep moving.

A few minutes passed before he found a few mushrooms. Rai had claimed they weren’t poisonous, so he picked them to add to breakfast. The smoked venison was running out, and he wanted to stretch the last of it.

To his surprise, he could summon a bag to hold his findings. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was able to do the things he could. He had never seen Rai summon a bag, nor had she taught him how to create fire.

Tossing his ball of flames from one hand to the other, he kept walking. Birds were just starting to sing in the early morning as the sun crested the horizon. Crickets and other insects chirped, and the smell of dew and wet grass permeated the air.

It’s peaceful, he thought to himself. When was the last time I felt like this?

Shaking his head, he didn’t dwell on the question.

Rolling the ball of flames over his knuckles, he looked around. Near the base of a nearby tree, he found several wild onions waiting for him. Pulling them up, he added them to his bag before continuing.

Over the next hour, he found enough vegetables that he was satisfied. The few apple and orange trees he came across gave him a sweet treat for the day.

I never thought I would eat food like this again. I always figured I would die young.

Turning back towards the den, he played with his fire. Holding out his hand, he sent small bursts of fire from his palm. The air was seared, and Shane smiled.

Would Rai be proud of me?

With the rising of the sun, he dismissed his flames. Reaching up, he touched his ragged mop of hair. He desperately needed to cut it again, but finding what he needed in order to do so was hard.

When he reached the den, he found Rai waiting outside for him.

“You left,” she stated.

“I did.”

Rai frowned and reached out a hand towards him. “Did you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Shane said softly. Taking her hand, he forced himself to smile. “I just needed to clear my head.”

Reaching around him, she touched the bag he created. “I see you are experimenting with using essence.”

“It feels natural.”

“That’s good.” Her voice was soft, her ears twitching.

He perked up. “You know what else is natural?”

“Don’t you start this early,” Rai growled.

“But I haven’t started yet.” Sticking out his lip, he pouted. “I’m going to say it anyways.”

“Shane!”

“Going for walks. I used to walk with my parents around the town after meals. You know, I never understood why we left my mother behind when everything fell apart. I’m afraid that I’ll never know what happened to her.”

“Shane…” Rai said softly.

Shaking his head, he smiled. “While I was out, I looked for vines.”

“Why?” Rai asked with worry.

“You once whispered that you wanted me to tie you up.”

“I did not!”

Shane laughed. “The twins tied me up once. Thankfully, I had learned from my last experience with them and kept a knife on me. After they were done with me, they left. Damn vixens.”

Rai shook her head. “Why do I listen to this?”

“It’s not as bad as the time I walked in on Jeremy with his hands and feet bound together.”

Frowning, Rai asked, “What did he do to deserve that?”

“He stole from the wrong man and was left in a warehouse. They were going to come back for him, but I stumbled upon my friend while trying to rob said warehouse.”

Closing her eyes, Rai sighed. “Why am I surprised?”

“I have mushrooms!” Shane chirped.

“What about Jeremy?”

“Who’s Jeremy?” Shane asked with a frown. “Did you hit your head?”

Growling, Rai poked him in the chest. “Don’t you start with me!”

“I’m pretty sure I said Joseph. He liked mushrooms too. Too bad his last ones were poisonous.”

“Did he die? And who’s Joseph?” Rai asked.

“He lived. I had to make him throw up. I never want to stick my fingers down a man’s throat again.” Shivering, he added, “Apples are good though.”

Frowning, Rai shook her head. “No.”

“No? You don’t like apples? I bet you could make an amazing apple glaze for the venison.”

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Letting go of his hand, she huffed and crossed her arms.

“Old Marge made an amazing apple pie. The crust was flakey and crisp.” Shane licked his lips. “Why does my mind always go to pie?”

“I started the steaks for breakfast,” Rai said, changing subjects. “I need you to eat so we can go.”

“Taking me on a date?” Shane asked. “I’m not some floozy. You’ll need to take me on at least two dates before I give in.”

“We’ve already had sex!”

“I guess I am a floozy…”

Throwing up her hands, she stormed back into the den. “I’ve passed my idiocy threshold,” she muttered.

“Your bar is very low!” he called after her.

Once she was gone, he frowned. At least I distracted her, he thought.

Summoning his flames again, he tossed a few balls around the training area. He couldn’t feel their warmth, but with the way the dew steamed, he understood how hot they were.

Snapping his fingers, they all disappeared. Smiling, he filled his hands with fire again and pooled it into a ball. Drawing his arm back, he hurled the ball at the nearby tree. When it connected, the world flashed white, and he was lifted from the ground. The explosion sent him rolling, his vision spotty before he hit a rock.

His ears were ringing, and he dismissed the flames that were burning the tree.

Rai showed up a second later, rushing towards him with fear in her eyes. “What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled.

Holding up his finger, he pulled on his essence to heal his ears. Once they popped and hearing came back, he smiled. “I punched the tree harder than I meant to.”

“Then why is it blackened?” Rai asked. Picking him up, she set him back on his feet.

“I don’t see a blackened tree,” he said with pronounced confidence.

Rai pointed at the tree. “That tree! It’s burnt!”

“It was already like that. I’m pretty sure you did that the other day.”

Walking over to the tree, Rai touched the burn bark. “It’s still warm!”

“Is it? Huh.” He shrugged. “The sun is warm this morning. You must be feeling the morning rays.”

Rai glowered at him. “The sun isn’t shining on this side of the tree.”

Shane smiled. “The tree is more conductive than I thought.”

Marching over to him, she shoved her finger into his chest. “You’re testing my patience!”

Reaching around her back, he grabbed the base of her tail. “I’ll test a few other things about you.”

Rai melted against him before she shook her head and growled. “You will not trick me, Shane Undere!”

Letting her go, he walked towards the den. “The food is going to get cold if we don’t eat.”

Glancing back, he found Rai still glaring at him.

Chuckling to himself, he hurried to finish breakfast.

***

Rai touched the burnt bark of the tree before glancing back at the den. When did he learn do to this?

Shaking her head, she pulled the heat out of the wood before returning to their makeshift kitchen. Shane was already tearing into his steak while his new bag was set off to the side.

He’s learning all sorts of new things without me teaching him, Rai thought to herself. How far are you going to go, Shane?

Sitting by his side, she touched his arm. “Are you ready to go to the town?”

Shane nodded and stuffed the last of the meat into his mouth. “I’m ready,” he mumbled around a mouthful.

Giggling, Rai ran her hand across his cheek. “Chew first. I’m glad your body has adjusted to real meat.”

Shane didn’t answer right away. Taking her advice, he chewed thoroughly. “I’m happy too,” he said. “I thought I was going to die those first few days.”

“Did you think I’d let you?” Rai asked.

“No. I always knew you were desperate to get me into bed. You wouldn’t let me die until after you had your fun.”

Growling, Rai smacked his arm. “You’re the one with the weird fetish!”

“I have to have the fetish in order to sleep with you!”

Throwing up her hands, she got up. “If you think I’m that ugly, then I’ll return to your tattoo and leave you be!”

Shane frowned. “What are you talking about? Is this one of those women moments? Will I lose no matter what I say?”

“Yes!” Rai snapped.

Laughing, Shane got up. Leaning in, he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m enjoying your natural scent. Now shush and let me relax.”

“You’re so weird,” she mumbled. Closing her eyes, she let her thoughts wander. He’s very caring when he wants to be. But I still find it weird that we were attracted to each other so quickly.

“Are we going?” Shane asked.

“Yes.” Rai sighed, she didn’t want to move. Lifting his head off her, she turned towards the exit.

“Are you going to walk in front of the me the entire way?”

Rai glanced over her shoulder. “Should I lift my tail and add a sway?”

Laughing, Shane nodded. “I wouldn’t be opposed. But maybe we save that for our return. I don’t want the blood rushing out of my head in case we get into a fight.”

Smiling warmly, Rai left. “Keep up. We have to jog out there.”

Once she was outside, she turned east and started jogging. Shane kept up with her easily.

“Are you going to add more of my essence to your body today?” she asked.

Shane nodded. “Yes. I want to finish assimilating as soon as possible.”

“Another week?” she asked herself more than Shane.

“That would be nice,” Shane said between breaths.

Falling silent, they passed the miles through the forest with ease. After an hour, Rai slowed down as the trees thinned out.

“We’re here,” she whispered. Coming to a stop, she scanned the town.

“It’s not destroyed?” Shane asked.

Rai smiled. “Not everything was destroyed. Abandoned, but not destroyed.”

The town before them could probably house three thousand people. It stretched out for a few miles on all sides. The roads leading in and out of the town were degraded and ruined. The streets had plants and trees growing from them, but the houses were still good. A few of the buildings were missing shingles in spots, but the plywood underneath didn’t look rotten from the distance. The water tower had long since dried up, and the power lines were down.

Still, there was much to explore if they could avoid Reginald. The stupid bear put a lot of work into maintaining this town and was very protective of it.

Grabbing Shane’s hand, she pulled him down the slope. “We’ll have to be quick,” she said.

“The bear?” Shane asked.

“Yes. I don’t want to give him a chance to find us. We’re going to find what you need and then flee.”

Rai watched Shane nod before they picked up their pace.

They didn’t stop at the first few houses, but instead moved further into the town. She didn’t know what Shane was looking for until he stopped at a store.

“Why are we here?” she asked.

Shane held a finger to his lips. “Grocery store,” he whispered.

“Ah,” she whispered back. Would anything be left?

Shane moved to the doors and pried them open. Years of disuse made them screech, but he only opened them enough that he could turn sideways and sneak in.

Following him, she startled. “I’m stuck!” she hissed.

Shane turned back to her and laughed softly.

Her tail and boobs and gotten her stuck in the slim passage.

“Return to my tattoo and come back out,” Shane suggested.

Nodding, she closed her eyes and let herself connect to the tattoo. A moment later, her body was breaking up and was pulled into his body.

“This is odd,” she whispered in his head.

“I agree. Come back out, please.”

Smiling, she pulsed her essence and jumped from his body. When her eyes focused, his tattoo was glowing bright red.

“Did you miss me that quickly?” she asked.

To her surprise, Shane nodded.

Smiling, she kissed his cheek. “I’ll stay out as often as I can. But when we return to your city, I’ll have to hide.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I wish you didn’t have to.”

Shaking his head, he headed further into the store. Shelves were tipped over, their contents spewed across the ground. Tiles were cracked and pulled up, while ceiling panels had collapsed.

The overhead lights were broken, their covers cracked, or missing entirely. The bulbs that showed had burst, leaving glass over the floor.

Shane hummed.

“What’s wrong?” Rai asked.

“There’s more here than I expected. This town isn’t far away from the city, and yet it still has so many canned items.”

“Canned items?” Rai asked.

Shane kneeled on the ground and picked up a cylindrical container. Tossing it to her, he said, “Canned corn. The canned items don’t really ever go bad, so we should stock up while we can. I need more in my diet apart from meat and mushrooms.”

“You have apples,” Rai pointed out.

Shane gave her a blank stare.

Holding up her hand, she apologized. “How much are you going to take?”

“Enough for the last week.”

Holding out his hand, he summoned a bag that he could sling over his back. Rai’s eyes widened at how easily he pulled on her essence. He barely used any of it to conjure something that wasn’t clothes.

Snapping his fingers, he summoned a ball of white fire by his shoulder. Its light lit up the area, and he moved to some downed shelves to sift through the cans.

How the hell did he summon that? she asked herself. I know I haven’t shown him how to summon fire. And why is it floating? It’s not even attached to him.

Shane glanced back at her. “Are you going to help? I want you to eat a rounded diet as well.”

“I don’t need to eat,” she said.

“Nonsense. I want to cook you dinner. We can’t go on a proper date, but I can at least cook for you.”

Frowning, she kneeled by him. “Dates are a human concept. Plus, you don’t know how to cook.”

“Meh. I’ll wing it. Plus, I’m human.” Tapping his chin, he asked, “Are we married, or mates, or simply bonded partners?”

Sighing, she rolled her eyes. “We’ll define ourselves later. Right now, you need to focus. We can’t stay here forever.”

“You’re so focused.” He chuckled. “One of the things I love about you.”

Rai could feel herself blush as he openly admitted something like that. “F-focus!” she stammered.

Smiling, he started picking up cans and adding them to his bag. Once it was half full, he slung it over his shoulder.

“We need to find a pot and utensils,” Shane said.

“A house,” Rai suggested.

“This is a simple grocery store,” Shane mused. “They wouldn’t have one here.” Rubbing his cheek, he started back towards the door. “Return to my tattoo again. I’ll get us outside.”

Rai nodded and dispersed her body. Shane set his bag outside first before slipping through the opening.

Before he could ask, she reappeared.

“Let’s go,” he said sternly.

Nodding, she followed him down the street. She smiled at his determination. There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm or wit in his tone. This was a side to him that she wasn’t prepared for but thoroughly enjoyed.

Rai trailed Shane to a nearby house. The red vinyl paneling was cracked and warped, but sturdy enough that the house wouldn’t take damage. The stone steps leading up to the front door were missing chunks, and grass was growing through the lowest step. As for the sidewalk, most of it was worn from age and unuse.

The yard was filled with tall grass and growing saplings. A white picket fence had rotted away, leaving most of it tipped over. The smell of old wood and pollen filled the air, nearly making her sneeze.

Shane stopped in front of the door and touched it lightly. When he tried turning the handle, he grunted.

“Locked,” he mumbled.

Frowning, Rai stepped forward. “Can we get in some other way?”

Shane shrugged. Shooing her away, he pulled up the welcome mat to reveal a rusted key.

Rai chuckled. “That works too.”

Smirking, Shane opened the door and slipped inside. When she followed, he summoned another ball of flames to light their way. The smokeless fire was calm and only flickered a small amount.

I really have to ask him how he summoned that.

Shaking the thought from her head for now, she joined him in looking around.

The entrance to the house opened into a living room with two couches facing a TV. She only knew what it was because she had seen such screens when she was captured.

A low table rested on a rug in front of the couches, with empty glasses covered in dust resting on its edge. The rough scent of mold and mildew filled the air, making her scrunch her nose.

“Can we hurry?” she asked.

Shane nodded. Moving into the kitchen, he searched through cupboards.

Scanning the room, Rai took in the sink filled with moldy dishes. A cupboard with broken bowls and glasses. An open fridge with even more mold and rotten floorboards around it.

Moving to the open cupboard, she sifted through the broken glass until she found intact bowls. There were only a few, but they would have to do.

Adding them to Shane’s bag, she hunted for silverware. It didn’t take her long to find the drawer with the spoons and forks and added them as well. Next, she opened the drawer with mixing spoons and other miscellaneous cooking items.

Taking a few spoons, a ladle, and a few other goodies, she was satisfied.

Shane added a large pot and lid to the mix, and also grabbed a skillet. How he was fitting all of it into his bag was beyond her, but he was already doing the impossible.

Rubbing her eyes, Rai grew nervous with how much time they had spent in the town. She wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but Shane was still looking through stuff.

“Shane,” she whispered.

“Almost done.”

Nodding, she started towards the door. Peeking outside, she didn’t notice anything out of place, but the worry wouldn’t leave her. We’ve been here for too long.

Patting her cheeks, she stepped out. Shane joined her a moment later, his bag pulled over his shoulder.

“Let’s go,” he said.

The lack of humor was still new to her, but she was more than ready to get out of there.

Walking softly, they neared the forest’s edge when a giant brown bear stepped out onto the street.

“Dammit,” Rai grumbled.