• Eric

    I burst through the front door, Toby was crying. Angel held him close trying to calm him, but Toby was a mess. “Toby! Toby what happened.” I yelled grabbing him by the shoulders. He shook his head and kept crying. I slapped him, hard. “Eric! What the ******** man!” Angel yelled, but Toby stopped crying and placed a hand on his cheek. I grabbed Toby by the shoulders again and shook him. “What happened!” I yelled staring into his eyes. “Anaya, she went out 3 hours ago and hasn’t come back.” Toby choked out. “What?” i said confused. Anaya, Anaya never left the Apartment, and if she did it would only be an hour. “She said, she was gonna help me, because i sinned against the god of donuts, and that she could fix it. She walked out the door and hasn’t comeback.” Toby sobbed. “Honey, I told you Anaya was messing with you, there is no god of donuts.” Angel cooed hugging Toby. “She probably went to get donuts though.” I reasoned, but if she left 3 hours ago, then why hadn’t she come back? Theres a Dunkin Donuts not far from here. If she went she should’ve only been gone max and hour. I turned from Toby and tried to call Anaya’s cell phone. It didn’t even connect, my heart speed up.
    I grabbed the house phone; calmed myself and dialed the one number i knew by heart. It rang 4 times and i hung up. I did that 2 more times before calling the number again and finally someone picked up. “Oribis family.” Said a soft female voice. “Yes, hi, it’s Eric Oribis.” There was a short pause and the lady said, “I’m sorry?” And i forgot i had to use the zodiac name. I looked over my shoulder. Angel and Toby watched me. “Anguis, Anguis Oribis.” I said frustrated, i breathed in deeply and waited her reply. “Oh yes! Master Anguis, how can i help you today?” Said the maid. “I’d like to know if, An- I mean Usagi Oribis, had any umm…” “Missions?” The maid finished for me. “Yes.” I said into the phone trying to keep my calm. I heard the clicking of computer keys. “Not sense her last one a few days ago, Master Anguis.” She said happily. “Are you sure?” I asked. “Yes, I am sure. Is there anything else i can help you with today, Master Anguis?” She asked. “No thank you.”I said and hung the phone up. Then i heard a loud poof. I froze. “What… The ********?” Angel said. I turned around slowly. Toby had reverted into a dog. Into his zodiac. “Angel… Angel i can-“ “He’s so cute!” Angel shouted holding Toby up, who looked incredibly sad and afraid. “Oh my god, Toby! You’re the cutest thing i’ve ever seen.” Angel gushed holding Toby close. “Wait… You’re not afraid? Or shocked by him?” I asked confused, I’ve never seen anyone outside of the Oribis family react this way towards a member of the Zodiac. “Of course not!” Angel said, petting Toby who wagged his tail. “But, i am worried, why did he suddenly change?” Angel asked turning to me. I just stared at the kid. Angel wasn’t fazed by the fact that a kid he met a day ago just turned into a dog, no, Angel was worried, for Toby. “Eric?” Angel said pulling me back from disbelief. “Huh, oh.” I sighed heavily the sudden knot in my chest releasing. “We all do it when we’re incredibly stress, or hurt. Sometimes it’s easier for us to be in our Zodiac forms. It forces the actual zodiac spirits into their pendents and allows us to heal easier. Though most of us don’t need to and control it easily. But Toby doesn’t experience this type of stuff enough so he doesn’t have a lot of practice.” I said. I grabbed the house key’s i’d chucked into the corner and stuffed them in my pocket. “Come on, we gotta find Anaya.” I said, the knot in my chest was back. “Angel you take Toby, I’ll go alone. She’s not on a mission which means she has to be somewhere close.” I reasoned. “Anaya wouldn’t go far.” I said chewing my lip.

    33

    Anaya

    “Anaya, Anaya.” whispered a voice, it sounded so far away. Something was hitting me. I lifted my hand and tried to push it away but felt so weak. I opened my eyes and the world was white, then black and white, then color flooded my vision. Then i realized the voice wasn’t whispering it was yelling. “Anaya!” He screamed. I let my eyes fall onto him. He had mud on his face and leaves in his hair. Blood was coming from a deep cut on his left eyebrow. His green eyes where filled with panic. “Stop… screaming.” I croaked. Relief washed over him. “Anaya, they shot you.” His face went back to being worried. “Where?” I asked at the moment i felt no pain just oddly cold. “Your stomach, i was gonna get the bullet out, but If i do you’d bleed out.” He said. “for now i have my sweater wrapped around it.” He added overwhelmed. My body felt heavy and my stomach growled. Which reminded me. “Where are the donuts?” I asked. Adam gave me a strange look. “Now is not the time for freaking Donuts, Anaya. We’re in the middle of a ******** forest. No civilization anywhere and your worried about donuts?” Adam shouted. I winced. “Stop shouting, it wont help us.” I said holding my arm out. Adam took it and helped me sit up. I looked down to see fresh blood seep from the bullet wound on my left side. I reached up for my hood and grabbed at my own hair. I let out a small shriek and pulled my hood over my face. This is the second time this has happened. “Are you okay?” Adam asked placing his warm hand on my arm. I nodded. I was covered in mud, and we sat on a lightly snowed ground. I looked up into the trees and saw the moon, yet it was still light out. “Alaska.” i said managing to pull myself to my feet. “What?” Adam said as he helped me stand. “We’re in Alaska.” I repeated. This was bad very very bad. He knows my power and i had just jumped us 3,000 miles from home. And the temperature was dropping. I shivered as a blast of cold air swept through the trees. “Crap it’s getting colder. Anaya can we go home now?” Adam asked. I shook my head. I had no energy, nothing in my stomach, plus i was badly injured, but i can still jump i just need food. I closed my eyes for a second and let my power canvas the area around us. I pointed straight ahead. “That way. There’s people, and food. I just need food.” I said taking a step forward, my knees buckled and i would’ve fallen if Adam hadn’t caught me. I had no strength. “Oh, okay.” Adam said picking me up like a child. He began to trudge through the mud, the snow began to fall lightly. I leaned my head against his shoulder and kept pressure on my wound, but every step he took, every time his foot slipped on the uphill climb blood seeped through the sweater. But I kept my eyes open. I wouldn’t let go, not yet.

    Adam climbed in silence, the only sounds where his feet crunching on twigs and the thin layer of snow that covered the ground. I felt the cold on his body and it sunk into mine. “So, Alaska huh.” Adam said suddenly as my eyes began to close. It jolted me awake. “Yea.” I said. “And you.. uh… Teleported us here right?” he asked. I didn't answer. “Silence is a type of answer you know.” Adam said shifting me in his arms. We came over the edge of the hill and saw and open field with a house a bit away. “Here’s the plan set me down here ask for food maybe a blanket then, we can get the ******** out of here.” I said prying Adams fingers from my body. He set me down gently, and nodded. I watched his back, his short sleeve Baymax shirt was completely ruined. Mud caked the back of his shirt and jeans. The cold started setting in. A shiver ran through me, my body was trying to force a morph, but i wouldn’t let it. Not in front of Adam not here. I shifted my eyes to the sky, trying to find the stars to ground myself. I began to count silently. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I just kept counting, what was taking Adam so long? My neck began to hurt so i decided to count grass leaves. I got to 45 before i actually started to feel some of the numbness eat away and the pain from the bullet wound was like a passing ghost. Shocking me suddenly, then leaving me anticipating the unbearable pain that made my eyes blurry.

    After what seemed like hours, but was probably a few minutes Adam came back. He had nothing in his hands instead, he brought with him an old man. “Adam.” i said putting as much anger as i could muster into that one word. “He can help you, help us.” Adam said his eyes worried, about what himself? Precious New York? Somehow i staggered to my feet. “Get away from me.” i growled placing my hand on a near by tree. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay, i swear.” Adam cooed coming closer. I backed up, fresh blood coming from my wound. “******** you, traitor.” I shouted and spit at his shoes, there was blood in my spit. I wiped my mouth and took another step back, and my foot slipped. I fell back and watched the world spin one final time before blacking out.