Page 33 of Missiletoe
“I might have cool powers, but I’m not a very creative person, Trixie. I’ve always been a simple guy.”
:Maybe. But while Vix doesn’t have magic, your human bunny has more creativity than a single human can hold, which is almost like magic. Together, the two of you can become a force to be reckoned with. The universe is funny that way. It doesn’t often bring complementary people together, but the area we live in is different. It loves to do that. In fact, it seems to thrive on it. Now all we have to do is get you to Vix. After that, I think your life will become very interesting.:
Part of me wanted to ask more about the small bomb Trixie had dropped about the area we lived in, but ultimately, it didn’t matter in the face of my current problem.
The longer I was away from Vix, the more I needed to be with him.
It was different than being around Apple. It didn’t feel fake and manufactured. It felt like I’d always belonged to Vix, but I’d forgotten. Like the universe had mercifully put that part of me to sleep until he’d been dropped into my life, and now that he was with me, I couldn’t ignore the pull of recognition.
In the deepest parts of my soul, I knew that I was his, and he was also undeniably mine. I just hoped he felt the same.
If he didn’t…
No. That wasn’t helpful thinking. I had to believe that my feelings wouldn’t steer me wrong. I would follow what my heart was demanding I do. Once I got to Vix, I would let whatever happened happen.
Trixie had said belief was my greatest strength, and she had always been a smart and loyal dog. I would follow her advice until experience proved otherwise. It was the obvious choice.
“So what do I do right now?”
:I can’t do everything for you, Paris. You’ll never learn how to control your powers if I do. I’m just here to point you in the right direction. What do you think you should do?:
See? I told you she was smart. Real friends don’t handhold you through life. They help you have the tools you need to do it on your own and only step in when they see you’re in over your head.
So instead of grouching at Trixie about not fixing all of my problems for me, I gave her belly rubs while I mulled over my options.
If, as Trixie implied, I had control over my animal ability, instead of it being the passive effect I’d always thought it to be, then it should mean I could communicate with them much like I was doing with Trixie. Maybe I could even call them to me. Possibly even get them to help.
If I could do that, what animal could help me right now?
There were a handful of crows resting on the power lines overhead, but I didn’t think they could help. Maybe crows would work if I had problems dealing with people outside Vix’s house, but I needed help inside it. I needed animals that had no problem getting into a house.
“Trixie, can you get into the house?”
:I could, but I want to see what you can do on your own first.:
Well, that had been worth a try.
I continued to rack my brain to see what I could come up with on my own. Larger animals probably wouldn’t be able to get me inside, but tiny ones might.
“Mice,” I said. “How do I call mice?”
:How do you think you should call them?:
“You should know that that isn’t becoming extremely annoying or anything, Trix.”
I didn’t want handholding, sure, but a little bit of advice would have been nice.
There was a smile in Trixie’s voice when she said, :I’m glad to hear it.:
I ignored the fact that my favorite dog was a great big miss sassypants and set to pretending like she wasn’t there. Other than keeping up with the belly rubs, of course.
I closed my eyes and thought mouse thoughts.
I took a handful of my center and tried to tell it to go to the mouse thoughts in my head, but that got me a big fat goose egg. Then I tried to have mouse thoughts while I focused on being inside in my center.
I imagined being a tiny creature in a small space, being warm and snuggly and content. I imagined scurrying through the empty spaces inside walls and darting out to grab bits of food when the humans and other predators weren’t looking.
Once I got nice and deep into mouseland, I let my mousey thoughts spread out, trying to find like-minded spots of mouseness nearby.
