Searching For My Soul

Chapter Two- The Third Attempt

Five years later...

"Mom, what's five-eighths plus six-sixteenths?"

As Mary explained the process to her daughter, she looked for the upteenth time at her eyes, still as black as they had been when she had first seen her in the nursery ten years prior. She sighed inwardly. She regretted what she had done, what she had made her husband do, but there was nothing that could reverse that now. She only hoped that the deal expired before her only child did.

"I'm finished, and thanks for your help. What else do you need me to do today?" Christine asked her, oblivious to her mother's thoughts.

"Oh, no, not today. Why don't you go out into the woods for a walk?"

"Sure, sounds great. Can I take Tiny with me?"

I wouldn't let you go without her, Mary thought, but instead answered, "Of course, honey. Have fun, and be careful."

"I will, Mom."

As soon as she heard the door close, Mary went into the kitchen and just sat there, thinking. Would Christine really be alright in the forest with only Tiny to protect her? After all, the old girl was twelve years old, about middle aged. She didn't know, but she did know that her worrying was for a good reason. She tried to relax, though, reminding herself that Christine had gone into the forest under the same circumstances before when she was younger and she had come back unharmed then.

Then again, five months had passed since the beginning of her tenth year back in February, and the cretins that have already tried to get her twice have not attempted again, and this was the next to last attempt that they could make, and that attempt had not been made yet. With that realization, Mary found that she could not rest. She stared vigilantly at the door, willing to do so until her precious child returned.

Meanwhile, the sun streamed through the canopy of leaves and shone like spotlights on the forest floor as Christine and Tiny walked through the spectacle, observing it with soundless wonder. Tiny licked her reptile lips while her owner tuned her ear to the same thing; the chorus of various birds up in the trees. Mixed in, they heard the chatter of squirrels and the cries of falcons as they soared through the clouds, searching for helpless prey.

However, just as it was all building to a crescendo, everything suddenly fell silent. The duo froze in their tracks, their eyes darting around in all directions. Tiny hissed, her body curling up like a coiled spring. From out of nowhere, Caylis' giant pet cobra, Larkin, sprung up out of the ground, mimicking Tiny's movements. Tiny stepped in front of Christine, wildly swishing her tail while Larkin swayed his body back in forth in a sort of sadistic teasing dance.

Tiny jumped, her mouth opening, aiming for the snake's neck. Larkin, however, saw this and slithered quickly to the side, sinking his teeth into Tiny's back legs when she fell on her belly. Christine shrieked in horror, the sound echoing throught the woods for six miles and turning Larkin half-deaf. Larkin hissed angrily, then slithered down the invisible hole that had appeared before.

Christine stood up from where she had sat down to involuntarily watch the fight, then walked over to her still komodo. Blood was still steadily streaming from Tiny's legs, and Christine dared not move her. Instead, she leaned down, checking the lizard for a pulse. Nothing. Sobered by Tiny's death, Christine stood, tore two strips of fabric from her jacket, bandaged her legs, and laid her to rest in the nearest small cave, covering the entrance with branches.

Once she was finished, she knelt on one knee in front of the tomb. You were always my protector and best friend. I will never forget everything we've done together, everything you've done for me. Thank you, and sleep well. After she finished communicating with Tiny, she scraped Tiny's birth and death dates along with her name into the thin wall just above the covered entrance, then left, tears in her eyes.

When she got back to the house, her mother embraced her tightly, then asked, "Where's Tiny?"

"She's dead."

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Caylis heard the door slam and the boss bellowing words of furiosity throughout the halls of the Forgotten Rise. She knew that this attempt had failed also, and she also knew that since Larkin was her pet, she would pay the price for everything. The boss came stumbling into the room, fully enraged as he tried to strangle Larkin.

"YOU ARE THE MOST INCOMPETENT, SONOFABITCH SNAKE THAT I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED! YOU'RE JUST AS BAD AS YOUR OWNER WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING WHAT WE NEED! WE DIDN'T NEED THE KOMODO DRAGON DEAD! NOW THE GIRL'S STILL OUT THERE, AND WE HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE LEFT!"

Well, there goes everything. "Sir, shouldn't we be glad that the girl's protector has been slain? I mean, she's the one that stopped me from gettiing the girl during the last attempt."

He looked at Caylis as if she was out of her mind. "Caylis, honey. Let me explain something to you. There are legends about reincarnation in certain species of animals, right?"

"Yes, but they're just legends. Nothing to take to heart."

"You'd like to think so, right?"

"Well, sir, it's been proven that there is no such thing as reincarnation."

"That's where you're wrong. I've witnessed an event known as Partial Reincarnation. This is when the Lord transforms the animal just before it dies, turning it into a temporarily weak being other than the creature it was previously. The animal species that are affected are box turtles, black wolves, and, most importantly, komodo dragons. I will predict that our girl's little "Tiny" will be reincarnated into either something completely hideous or something extraordinarily beautiful."

"That doesn't mean that Christine will be protected."

"Wrong again, my dear. Creatures, once assigned to protect humans, will not stray from their side, no matter how their souls are."

"Well, what happens now?"

The boss grinned, one of his evil grins, then grabbed Caylis around the waist, squeezing her hips in his big bear hands until they felt bruised. He then got as close to her as he could get, slammed her on to the couch and whispered in her ear, "We try again." When she shrank back, he grabbed her ear, clenched it in three of his fingers, and brought his mouth close to it again, growling, "And we won't fail this time. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

Satisfied, the boss strode out of the room, leaving Caylis to cradle Larkin in her arms and wonder what was going to happen.