The Demon's Whispers

19 - Spirit Animals

The hormones were high.

And then there was me. Awkward with the opposite sex, I looked down at the sand and continued to draw. Like a child. I went from flowers, to a sun, to my mood, which happened to be straight lipped face.

I stared at the face, as it looked back almost mocking me. Awkward, that was me. Capital A.

Embarrassment flew up in my chest over the idea of being brought here for nothing more than the bag lackey. My fist raised, ready to pummel the sand when a finger appeared and turned the straight lips into a smiley face.

My eyes shot up instantly at the mood intruder, to find Cody sat beside me, his arms resting on his knees which had been brought up. His eyes glancing from the sand to me before a small smile curved his lips. We didn't speak and he silently led back giving me a view of his body and each muscle that was held within his skin. My head cocked slightly at the tattoo down his ribs.  My fingers reached out and touched it causing him to jolt in surprise and glance at me.

"S-sorry. Sorry.." I frowned before shifting away from him and glaring hard at the seashell by my foot.

"It's a spirit animal.." He says making me look at him. "My spirit animal."

"It's nice. The ink I mean."

He smiled slightly. "And what is yours? The spirit animal."

"I don't have one." I reply looking at the volleyball being beaten back and forth.

"Yeah you do. Think about it. I am a wolf, I like being part of a pack.. The Army. And I can be alone. Lone wolf."

"Probably a slow animal or something useless." I mutter to myself.

Only he heard it..

"A sheep."

I turn "A sheep? Not anything majestic or mystical. A stupid sheep?"

He laughed. "It's not a bad thing."

"It's a horrendous thing. I'd rather be anything.. A pig? They're meant to be lucky aren't they? Or.. Or is that a bull? A cock bird? Screw those farm animals." I answer looking away.

"No, it's definitely a sheep."

"I definitely don't like it. I want to change it."

"Nope. You can't now."

I whip my head back to his amused face "Of course I can change it! It's my spirit animal! I want something courageous or cute, at least!"

"How about a ram?"

I narrow my eyes "That's still a sheep, idiot."

He laughed making my heart spin and stomach flop around.

"I'll be a salmon. Fighting up the stream."

"You can't change." He answers again.

"Nobody made you spirit animal king. Just... Go play lone wolf. Go bay at the moon or whatever it is you wolves do."