Operation 007 (SpyxFamily)

Ch. 22: Part Three

She quickly calmed herself and watched the deer in concern. How come he was still here? Why couldn't the zoo fix this? Were they really going to keep him here even though it was hurting him? Were they aware this was happening? They knew some got depressed, but were they aware to what extent?

"That one's sad too, huh?"

"Mmm." Anya said and leaned her forehead against the fence, realizing more and more that that was only the surface of it.

She couldn't help but relate to him somewhat. She hadn't exactly been going insane, but she'd been locked up too. She hadn't had freedom or help either, just like the deer staring blankly at the ground. Like the deer who now swayed on his hooves and contemplated the weeds he knew he should eat, but didn't want to—

. . .

. . .

. . .

Anya whipped her head around when she realized Damian had spoken to her. A jolt that he'd caught her fixing so intently on the deer and that he'd noticed.

He wasn't looking at her, but the same buck she'd turned away from, maintaining the relaxed demeanour he'd had all morning.

She hoped he didn't think she was being weird again.

"How can you tell?" He asked.

Dang it, of course he did.

He looked at her then and none of the agitation he often had in her presence permeated his thoughts. He stood in calm assurance and only Anya felt the foreboding it produced.

He was confident he would get to the bottom of this and he was ready to catch every clue that she might drop.

Anya regretted taking her time in one spot, she should have been watching for him. "Um. . . .because . . .it's obvious. . . " She fumbled, repeating her earlier words, though she could feel it carried less oomph. The deer had left her shaken and it still seized most of her thoughts. The force of unstableness had been slightly overwhelming and she didn't know how to handle it.

She'd come across many minds, many types, but not this. This was new territory and it was scary. She'd felt it pulling her in, infecting her own mind with the deteriorating confusion and deprived reasoning. What would have happened if this was a person? Would she have lost herself? Human minds were much stronger than an animal's, she was afraid if she came upon such an individual, she wouldn't be able to bring herself out.'No.' She thought. 'I've never found someone like that before, why should I ever?' She persuaded herself even as she brushed aside an intrusive thought to rip out the rods in her brain.

"Right. . . " Damian said, unconvinced, and she forgot he was there for a moment, so lost in her thoughts.

"Go away Damian." Becky shooed him with a hand absentmindedly, her gaze on a deer who sniffed curiously at her.

He ignored her. "I wonder if he's okay." He commented and Anya knew he was baiting her to say something. Anything that he could glean from.

She only looked back at the buck and didn't answer, mostly because she didn't know how.

"Maybe he'd eat something." Damian glanced at the apple slices a few students tempted the deer with.

"He doesn't—" He doesn't want to eat, she almost said. ". . . look hungry." She finished.

Damian noticed the hitch in her words. "I wonder why that one's sad." He gestured with a jut of his chin to another deer a little further away.

"What?" Anya's gaze was directed to a doe grazing on weeds who raised her head, mouth full, and looked about for predators as if she was in the wild, and went back to eating. She wasn't paying much attention to the kids but wasn't depressed or losing her sanity.