Jungle

Warning Signs

My employers wished me luck as they went out the front door to whatever journey awaited them. They were often gone days at a time, but this time I felt uneasy. I had told them about the thief, but they told me there was probably nothing to worry about. Still, I worried. Mostly because I was paid to worry and also because something about the thief was unsettling.

The children were all at school, so I went to the secret room and walked in the jungle for a bit. I kept the room's door open so I would hear if anyone tried to enter the house. I needed to breathe in the humid air and taste leaves on my tongue.

After a half an hour, I wandered out of the jungle and picked up the book I had left lying on my mattress, which served me as my bed. I felt no inclination to sleep, so I walked out of the secret room and went into the living room, where light streamed in from the high windows and illuminated everything beautifully. I then sat down in my favorite armchair and began to read the book.

Some time later, my stomach rumbled. I put down my book and went into the kitchen. I then walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. Sitting on the top shelf were some sandwiches that my employers had made special for me. They had tofu in them because Sarah's mother insisted that I eat a lot of protein and I'm unable to eat meat. I didn't care much for tofu because it tasted bad, but it was good in a tofu-salad sandwich, which Sarah's mother said was like tuna salad but without the tuna. Though I must say that since I started eating tofu, my muscles had grown more distinct under my skin and I have felt stronger.

I grabbed the tofu-salad sandwiches and went into the dining room to eat them. I unwrapped the first one and took a huge bite out of it. My employers always commented on how daintily I ate, but I only did that in their presence. I am much less refined when I am all by myself. I smiled at the taste of mayonnaise and mustard and pickle in the sandwich. The celery crunched nicely under my sharp teeth and the tofu had a smooth texture to it that I really liked. I quickly ate the sandwich in about ten bites and then I started on the other one. I could eat a lot of food when I put my mind to it. I did most of my eating when nobody was in the house, in fact.

But midway through my second sandwich, I heard the telephone ring in the living room. With a sigh, I swallowed my food and stalked into the living room. Who was calling this time? I swore my employers had an endless list of family and friends who were dubious about having 'one of those' living in their house.

But when I answered the phone, I realized it probably wasn't a friend or a family member. I said the usual "Hello, Willow speaking." But instead of an awkward silence on the other end, there was a brisk, "May we please speak with your parents?"

The voice was a woman's voice. Adult. Used to having orders obeyed. "My apologies, but they are not home. May I take a message?"

"Please inform them that they will be receiving visitors at six o'clock. These visitors will only be there for a short period of time. They should know who it is about."

"Okay. I'll let them know." I then set the phone down, my heart beating faster. Visitors? What kind of visitors? Were they the sort of people that like to experiment on my kind? Or worse, the sort of people who would drag me away and stick me in some sort of cell for the rest of my life? Either way, I was in trouble.

Three hours previously...

The golden-haired man slumped down at the conference table. He still had the bandage around his head where the guardian elf had smacked him one. He glowered down at the darkened wood of the conference table, hatred of the elf readily visible for all to see.

Gabriella was amused. This golden-haired man had long boasted that he was the best in the business of finding out information on elves. She would see how much he had learned. But judging from the expression on his face, he hadn't learned much.

"Well?" she asked.

He glowered at her. "I didn't see the elf. It just touched me and froze me up. I couldn't move at all. Then it moved me out the door and hit me for good measure. I was out for about three hours."

She raised her eyebrows. "The elf froze you? That's a new one."

"It was like all my muscles were turned to stone," he growled. "I could breathe and I could blink, but that was all."

Gabriella whistled. "That's quite some magic. Not quite Adept level, though. And what did it hit you with?"

"Just its fist." The golden-haired man rubbed his temple ruefully. "It had some punch."

Gabriella chuckled. "Well, it certainly seems like you've had an adventure. Next time, look behind you when you creep into a house that has an elf living in it. Especially an elf whose job it is to knock people like you out."

"Are you going to investigate?" he demanded.

Gabriella nodded. "Freezing someone up is new. I don't think it's Adept level magic, but one can never know with elves. I'll investigate, but I'll do it cautiously. Any family with enough wealth to have a guardian elf will have some clout in court. I probably won't be able to do the full range of tests, but it's better to be safe than sorry." She then regarded the golden-haired man. "Do take care of yourself please. I like you better when you're not getting over being decked by an elf."

The golden-haired man snorted and then rose out of his seat. He wasn't going to hang around here any longer than he had to.