not feel as hopeless as they once did. I was no longer afraid of failing my people, for success was all that I could envision. Success was all that existed within my mind.
The Sharp Wit of a Warrior
My feet slid about within the heavy shoes that tugged at my ankles every time I attempted to lift them. I tried to free my tail in an effort to retain my balance but it was stuffed into one the casing of loose fabric that covered my legs. It was tied to my lower leg for good measure because the movement of my tail was visible through the thin cotton covering. I raised my forelegs then rotated them in wide circles to steady myself which seemed to work to some extent. I was lucky I was a princess and was practiced in the art of standing upright or this feat would be far too off balancing to work otherwise.
My torso was covered in a baggy garment that held heat close to my furred body with a flap of cloth that rested on top of my head. Beneath this was a tight piece of fabric with wide stitches that hid all but my eyes. I lifted my forepaw to scratch my face but the well-knit fabric, which encased my every finger, formed a shifting barrier of wool and thread.
“Aw you are like a doll that my Mommy gave to me for Christmas. I called her Emily and she had a lot of different clothes.” Rita said after looking me over.
“You are clumsy. You are like a big baby taking its first steps and your eyes are weird looking.” Erika said as I tried to make my movements seem more natural, like theirs.
“Don’t worry if you try to avoid as many people as possible and keep your head down, you can pass for human but just barely so don’t push your luck.” Terry warned me.
“I stay in shadows,” I agreed.
“Good then we will take you to the car but first, Erika, you need to get your Mother’s keys from her dresser.” Terry told Erika.
Ok I will be back.” Erika agreed before she left.
“So when Erika gets back with the keys I will lead you to the car then I will show you how to get into the trunk through the backseat.” Terry continued
“Yeah Erika found it by accident when I was a little younger. It was our secret clubhouse but now Mom locks the doors and said that we can’t use it anymore.” Rita said as I stared at her blankly when Terry continued.
“After you are in the trunk Rita is going to act like she broke her leg.” Terry announced as I turned to glance at Rita.
“I am a great actor. I fool Mommy all the time. Erika says it is because I still have my natal acting abilities though I am not sure what that means but I know I can do it.” Rita said as Terry nodded when Erika returned.
“I got them so let’s go,” Erika said as Terry nodded then followed her outside of the garage as I hurried after them with Rita holding my hand, which she swung wildly as she hummed to herself.
“Rita stop that before you make Kyzudo fall,” Terry command as Rita released my hand as she folded her arms across her chest with her bottom lip poking out abnormally. Her eyes were watery and she seemed upset.
“I got the door,” Erika announced as she inserted the key then opened the door. She crawled into the front seat then leaned over to unlock the back door from the inside.
“Ok now hurry inside Kyzudo,” Terry instructed leading the way as I leaped in after him.
“This trunk?” I asked wondering how their mother would be unable to spot me and why it was unlike Terry described.
“No this leads to the trunk.” he said folding down the middle seat to reveal a large gaping hole.
“Oh ok,” I said crawling into the darkness as Terry leaned close to explain everything to me.
“We are going to leave the car to return their mother’s keys and prepare for Rita’s performance. After that we will come back to the car and we will leave. When we get to the hospital the car will stop for a long period and you will be able to hear us getting out. Wait a while to make sure we are far away then push against this seat and get out. You will be in front of the hospital. Look for the pharmacy and avoid as many people as possible. You have to find a way to get your mother cure then return to the car before we get back. We will try to stall as long as we can so good luck. I hope you save your mother and your people.” Terry said then lifted the seat back into place blocking my view of the rest of the car.
“I will put Mom’s keys back,” Erika announced as the kids shuffled out of the car.
“I will lead Rita to the fence and let her practice being in pain.” Terry said just before the doors were shut. I shifted around in the cramp space listening through the metal.
“Here, I want pretend I fell here,” Rita’s voice rang through the car’s metal shell.
“Ok I could say that I dared you to climb to the top but you fell,” came Terry’s voice from somewhere beyond the confines of the trunk.
“Yeah then I broke my leg,” Rita added.
“Yeah so act like you broke your leg and I will act like I am trying to help you.” Terry said when I heard a horrifying wailing coming from somewhere beyond the car.
“Ah, my leg! It hurts really bad!” Rita yelled when I heard the faint sound of the house door opening.
“Can you get up?” Terry inquired.
“I will try…ah Mommy help. My leg hurts.” Rita screamed when I heard a new voice, it was the voice of her mother.
“Rita what happened?” Rita mother asked.
“Terry dared me to climb to the top of the fence but I lost my balance and I fell now my leg hurts really bad.”
“Oh I hope it is not broken. Does this hurt?”
“Ah it hurts. Mommy, make it stop!” Rita pleaded.
“Oh honey, I am sorry I think you may need to go to the hospital to get that leg checked out by a doctor.”
“I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“I thought you liked your pediatrician. He gave you a lollipop and let you pick out your bandage.”
“He hurt my arm with a needle.”
“Well if you are good maybe I will buy you a cake from the grocery store for being such a brave little girl.”
“Ok but I want it to have light blue frosting and sprinkles on top.”
“Of course now let’s get you to the hospital.”
“Ok,”
“The rest of you get in the car while I tend to your sister. Here Erika unlock the doors and get settled.”
“Yes Mom,” Erika said when soon after I heard the others entering the car.
“There, now are you comfortable Rita?”
“I guess,”
“Well I will try to drive smoothly as possible,” their mother said when there was the sound of doors being shut and an engine coming to life.
“The rest of you put on your seatbelts.” she commanded as the car pulled off, throwing me against the back.
I pushed myself up but the force of car soon flung me forward onto my face. I looked up for I believed that we stopped but as soon as the thought entered my mind the car jumped forward sweeping me off my feet again. The floor rushed to meet me as I got back to my feet and tried my best to steady myself. I learned that if I leaned with the turns and braced myself for the stops and accelerations that I could remained balanced on all fours if I kept a wide stance.
Finally the car stopped as I waited for a sudden force to pull against me but all was still. Were we there I wondered when the car quieted followed by the sound of doors being opened. I think we finally made it.
“We have to head toward the emergency wing because I did not set up an appointment.” their mother told them.
“Alright then let’s go,” Terry said before the door closed and all was silent.
I waited a few minutes then pushed against the panel that backed the middle seat until it fell away revealing the rest of the car. I crept forward then opened the door. I slid out of the car onto the paved ground which was covered in widely spaced lines of yellow where other cars rested. The line must be the humans’ way of maintaining order for the sleeping cars were neatly resting between the painted lines.
I slowed when I a
pproached the hospital as towered over me. Its great doors of glass sparkled in the great orb’s light. I awkwardly stepped forward when the great doors slid aside. I passed a row of blue-grayish chairs with wheels before another wall of glass glided aside to allow me to enter a great room full of plastic chairs and humans, who clutched their pained sides or stared with dulled eyes.
I avoided the center of the room with one hand on the wall, which steadied me and allowed me to move more fluently. No one in the room paid much attention to me as I slipped down the hall searching for the pharmacy, preoccupied by their painful aliments or simply reading magazines to pass the time. A man dressed in a long garment with an odd necklace of grey plastic with a long extension ending in a silver disc, turned to me.
“What are you doing here? Where are your parents? You can’t be here alone.” the man said as I backed away from him when a woman wearing an outfit of a pastel color came to my aid.
“Oh the child is probable just lost. I will take care of him.” the woman said as the doctor nodded then left without farther delay.
“Now if you don’t know where you are going you can look at these directories. There is one on every floor so people won’t get lost.” the woman said as she led me to a board with a list of floors and room numbers.
“So where are your parents?” the woman asked.
“I find them.” I muttered confidently.
“Are you sure?” she asked looking down at me as I kept my head lowered.
“Yes, I come before,” I said hoping my expertise would earn her confidence.
“By yourself?” the woman asked