Forever Lost

Chapter Four: A Rush of Regret

The picture to the side is the closest I could find to what I imagine to be Derick. (Animation)

~

Chris' face is frozen in shock. "You what?"

Everyone outside- Jessica, Joe, Renee, Mathew, Rebecca, Derick, Fix, Talon, Julie, Ivy, Wisdom, Slick, Fear and Mask, yes, he's alive- came rushing in, each pet by their owner.

Talon was perched on Rebecca's shoulder. Fix was curled around Derick's neck. Ivy was slithering up and around Jessica, but not in a way that she- being Jessica- looked like possible prey for Ivy. Renee was on the back of Wisdom. Mathew was next to her on the back of Fear. Joe was behind Jessica, holding her affectionately, Slick happily on Joe's shoulder. Mask and Julie were next to each other on the love seat, patiently waiting for the situation to calm before they greeted us. -I'll explain more about Jessica, Ivy, Renee, Wisdom, Joe, Slick, Mathew and Fear, but now is not the right time.-

I jumped off of the couch, careful not to fall on my face, and began pacing the floor in front of everyone.

"I was in pain, it was his father, he did nothing, he tried to take her and I killed him!" They all stared at me with confused expressions on their faces. Besides me, Julie was the only one in the room who could make any sense of it all, and she's a cat!

Chris calmly stood up and approached me while in my frantic pace. I froze in shock when he put his hand on my shoulder, and like that, all my guilt and pain vanished. He spun me around and I jumped into his arms, seeking the now much needed comfort that always seemed to come to me whenever I was in his arms.

"Aww!" Jessica smiled. She must have either loved ruining moments or was just as stupid as she was blond.

Chris pulled me back, staring deeply into my eyes, his voice was calming and gentle. "Look, it's okay."

I spoke, a hint of panic still quivering deep within me. "But I murdered him, tell me how that's okay."

He seemed thoughtful. "It was eleven years ago-"

"-and even after eleven years it's still effecting me!"

He couldn't speak, he just stood there, his hand on my shoulder. I swiped it away and calmly walked out the back door to a bench overlooking a shimmering lake. Julie joined me on the bench, curling up on my lap.

I stroked her soft calico fur. She was a mix between a calico and tabby, her face was like a tiger, the colors of the orange cream calico melted into the design. She was mostly calico, though, so the vets just left her breed at that.

She purred happily, her tiny paws clenching and un-clenching themselves on my leg. She always know how to calm me.

The glass door creaked open, Renee trotting out on the back of her horse. Renee was tall, her long silver blue hair bounced in time with the trot of her black Arabian. She had grey blue eyes, her skin glowing with health. She stopped next to the bench, her waist long hair tickled the side on my cheek. She flipped her hair to the other side, then stared at the full moon perched high in the sky.

"It's beautiful." Her voice moved with legato, the velvet like texture moving with an ease almost unnatural. Renee was like a god compared to us all.

Renee was the kind of person you come to with all of your problems. She was supportive, persistent and kind. Her wisdom seemed to breathe within her, growing like a wild fir. Basically what I'm saying is that she always seemed to know all of the answers to everything you threw at her. But we all knew this seemed to only prove true whenever she was mounted on her Arabian horse, which is how she got the name Wisdom.