The Non-Human Society

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five - Renn - To Scheme... Only to Soar

Reatti was up on a small box, trying to grab something from the top of a shelf. Whatever she was grabbing at, was making clanking noises similar to what glass bottles do.

"You're a cat too?" Fly asked Reatti. She was standing next to the box Reatti was standing upon, and looking up at her with her wide eyes.

"I'm a meerkat..." Reatti said as she finally found whatever she had been looking for.

"So a cat!" Fly argued as Reatti turned and sighed. She hopped off the box, and Fly stepped up closer to her to stare at the thing in her hands.

I drew closer too, since it was something I'd never seen before.

She held a glass orb in both hands, and it was full of stuff. Some kind of liquid maybe... it had something within it, swirling and...

"What's that?" Fly asked in wonder, completely forgetting about trying to figure out if Reatti was a cat or not.

"A snow globe! Watch!" Reatti sounded happy as she then violently shook the orb. I worried for it, since I knew she was rather strong. Surely it wouldn't break...?

After a few moments of shaking it, Reatti stopped and then held it out to Fly. She drew closer, but didn't reach out to grab it. Instead she just stared into it with eyes of wonder.

"It's snowing inside," she whispered.

It was. How did it do that? "Wouldn't the snow melt in the water?" I asked Reatti.

"Oh... Uh... I don't know if it's actual snow, Renn..." Reatti smirked at me as she spoke.

Not snow. Something else, but it looked like snow...

Within the orb, was what looked to be a small castle. It was a gray color, and was surrounded by trees and mountains.

"Are there people inside?" Fly asked.

"I hope not!" Reatti laughed.

Although Reatti laughed at her own joke, Fly instead furrowed her brow and began to worry.

"It's a toy, I think, Fly," I said gently.

"Mhm..." Fly nodded, but didn't seem too convinced.

I couldn't blame her, honestly. It was so detailed... and thanks to the way the little white flakes swirled it looked...

"Don't drop it," Reatti offered it to fly, and I changed my focus of attention from the wondrous orb to the girl who now held it.

Fly clutched it as if it was a treasure, and honestly it probably was. Why had it been hidden away in this bleak storage room? And why in a box that no one remembered or recognized?

It should be on a shelf, displayed for all to see.

"It's pretty..." Fly whispered as she stared into it.

I found myself smiling at the young girl, who was transfixed as she watched the white flakes swirl inside the orb. They were starting to settle, which somehow made it more real looking.

"Who made it?" I asked Reatti with a small whisper. I wasn't worried over Fly hearing me, but I didn't want to outright disturb her fascination with the thing.

"No idea. Probably something Vim made, or brought," Reatti said with a shrug.

Frowning at Reatti, I wondered why everyone seemed to answer my questions in such a way. Why was it always Vim?

Was it just because he traveled so much? Or was so old?

It was starting to become a little obvious he knew far more than he told anyone.