Strange Tides [Bree Davenport]

Chapter Seventeen

The end of the weekend is drawing near, so training begins again tomorrow. Thankfully, Christmas is nearly upon us. Emmie promised the students that they would get a whole week off to celebrate the holidays and relax before the big tests coming up in the new year, though I'm not sure where that decision came from since I was not part of it at all. We only have a few more days of classes before this, though, but then it's freedom for a little bit.

I wanted to spend the rest of the weekend by myself to try to decompress from the truth-or-dare game, but life always has other plans. Instead of relaxing like I wanted to, my brothers and I had to go on a few missions here and there. They aren't talking to me because of what I said to Emmie, which makes sense because they are on her side. I don't blame them right now. I'm on Emmie's side instead of mine because I shouldn't have said that to her like that. At least nothing bad has happened on these missions because none of us are communicating properly.

There's a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I feel like I should knock on wood. Glancing around the Mentor's Quarters, I see appliances made out of metal instead of wood, and the panic intensifies. I'm not sure where it came from, but I know it won't go away until I do it. Looking over into Emmie's corner where she keeps everything of hers that she brought, I smile when I see Bunny and Rabbit's wooden house. Hopping off of the couch, I run over there and knock on the wood. The feeling doesn't go away, and my smile drops off my face. 

Lately, I've been feeling bad things. It's hard for me to explain, but there's something dark surrounding me. Maybe it's just the weight of the world settling on my shoulders. I should know what that feels like since my brothers and I save the world every day, but this feeling is different. It scares me. How am I supposed to go along with my life with this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach constantly reminding me of the bad things that could go wrong?

Rabbit and Bunny chatter to each other, and I look down at them. Rabbit's white fur is looking all crazy, and he's cowering in a corner with Bunny sitting in front of him. Bunny doesn't look bothered at all that Rabbit is scared of him, and the sight should make me laugh, but it doesn't. For some reason, it reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 

"Why can't I be an animal?" I whisper to the two mammals. Crouching down, I put my fingers in the play gate. Bunny hops over to me and nibbles on my pointer finger, probably thinking I had a treat for him. "You guys have it so easy. Emmie and Chase always make sure that you're fed, that you have water, and that you have a good life. Why can't I have that? Why can't I live a normal life where I'm not constantly saving people? Why has my job taken over everything else?"

Bunny stops nibbling on my fingers and stares up at me, his brown eyes shining in the bright sunlight. Rabbit makes a noise as he hops toward the house, disappearing inside. Dropping my hand to my side, I sigh. "Am I talking to animals?" I say, shaking my head. I feel crazy for even thinking that they might answer me. "You two won't respond."

"Oh, look at that," a voice says from behind me. I hop up from my spot on the ground, glaring at Leo and Chase standing near the entrance to the little outside area attached to the Mentor's Quarters. Leo's arms are crossed over his chest, and from where I'm standing, I see a disappointed look on his face. "Bree has succumbed to talking to animals. Are you being rude to them, too?"

"Of course not," I say, copying his stance. "At least they're nice to me, unlike other people I know."

"Did you know that animals can tell whether a person is good or not?" Chase says, sounding so full of himself. Coldness seeps from him and into the room, chilling me to the bone. I know that he's angry with me for what I said to Emmie, so this could go horribly. "Animals are highly intuitive and can sense that a person might be bad based on their actions and emotions. I'm surprised Rabbit and Bunny even like you."