Ghost With Cats ~ Book of Eloh #1.Draft
Chapter 7 Shop cats

Rule #1 for Daily Life : Get up in the morning and breathe in and out all day long.

Early the next morning, Tal rose from another nearly sleepless night and went for his usual run around the lakes. He wished for his sanctum room and swords, but running in the stillness of the snow covered mountains helped him to focus his mind. He thought about what he overheard last night. They had a powerful foe hunting them. The human Bents was seeking Annie’s death, but he was also seeking her knowledge. Bents sought the Eloh because they were from another world. Tal thought about the questions he was asked when he was held captive; it was always about their tech and their military. The human Bents was seeking power through warcraft almost as if he knew who Tal was in the Kingdom of the Eloh.

By the time Tal passed Blue Lake a fourth time, he was analyzing the route the retrieval crafts would be taking though his mind and the soonest it would be here. He paused in his stride when he heard a single pop, followed by Bries’ war bellow. He triangulated the location the sounds came from based on echoes and the terrain.

A few minutes and two-tenths of a section later, he cautiously approached the location. Bries was carrying a large hoofed animal through the woods, following Annie. The swordpet had fresh blood on his face and sleeve.

Annie was scolding Bries, but he look unrepentant, “I just can’t believe you bit it and drank its blood, Bries. I mean just ewww.”

“Bries likes blood. You like coffee. Bries does not say dried, ground seeds boiled into bitter water is ewww,” Bries retorted.

Tal could not believe his pet dared speak to a female in such a manner, so he observed to see if she reprimanded him. He followed silently as they walked back to the cabin.

“Coffee is not eww, shiny head! Take it back!” She scolded in a teasing tone and giggled. She was not offended; a female of the Eloh would have demanded his swordpet’s heart blood for speaking to her in such a manner.

Bries laughed too, “Bries not take back, coffee is eww. Maybe too much coffee is reason My Lady is so little. Bries read online, coffee bad for growing.”

She giggled again, it was a light bubbly sound. “Don’t you believe everything you read online, Bries, and no, coffee isn’t bad for you. A person should drink a few cups every day.”

“Bries thinks My Lady drinks her few cups, and drinks Bries’ few cups, and drinks Cypher Vorn’s few cups and...”

“Al-right... alright...” She stammered, interrupting, “I get your point, I drink way too much coffee... I still can’t believe you drank its blood.” And she hung her tongue out like she had licked something terribly bitter, and shook her head in disgust. “Eww, I’m gonna puke again!”

“Blood is coffee to Bries,” the Sword Pet volunteered, “Blood not make Bries vomit like Lady Annie.”

“If you say so, Bries, but ick!” Annie seemed to not mind that Bries contradicted her and allowed for him to do something she found displeasing. It was the oddest thing Tal had ever observed a female do.

At the cabin, they stopped near the furthest building.

“Okay, bind its hind quarters and we’ll hang it. You and Vorn can do what y’all want with it here. I don’t want to see it or smell it,” Annie said as she walked back up to the cabin.

Tal stepped out of the woods and walked to where Bries was standing. Bries bowed respectfully, waiting permission to speak.

“What is this, Bries?” Tal asked.

“Master, Lady Annie wishes for you to be more comfortable, so she hunted for you this morning. It is called a deer buck.” Bries explained. “She says they are not common in the winter but she saw the tracks and knew where to replace it.”

Tal dipped his finger into the beast’s blood, and tasted it, it was quite savory.

Vorn approached carrying several large knives and bowls. He bowed to Tal, “Master, Lady Annie wishes to know if you would like to go with her to the human town, or to stay with us to prepare the animal?”

“Vorn, why has she done this?” Tal asked.

“It was her wish to slay the buck. You would have to ask her for the truer answer yourself, Master.” The Cypher responded cryptically.

Tal shrugged, Cyphers always saw things from a mystical perspective and never answered obvious questions, they were just like Regents.

An hour later, Tal was sitting in Annie’s Black Land Rover, as they drove southeast toward Trinidad. The old jeep was sitting in a church parking lot at half-way down the mountain to the north, just in case they needed to flee.

As they pulled out onto the main road, Tal asked, “Why did you hunt this morning if you are not going to consume any of the protein?”

“Vorn said it was what you were used to eating, you should have told me sooner.” She almost sounded like she was scolding him, but it was different from the way she had scolded Bries, sharper, so he just stared out the window.

The scenery is beautiful, unlike any he had ever seen, even in the outer kingdom worlds. She was humming to the soft music playing.

“You are very quiet,” she said finally breaking the silence, “Are you excited about going home in a few days?”

“I am unsure why I even came,” Tal answered.

“Do you want to talk about it? About Truh’s light? I am pretty good at listening and figuring stuff out.” She stopped at a red light. “It used to be my job before I became a writer.”

“Tell me how you met my brother.”

She squeezed the wheel, then slowly started forward on the icy rode surface. He noticed how carefully she drove but did not think that was why she hesitated.

“He was a friend of my Grandfather Opir. He came to see me in the hospital when I was injured and made ill after disarming a bomb made to emit a similar energy to the one we dealt with last week. He thanked me for my courage in spite of all that had happened to me, told me that I would not die, and I was a light among my people. And that was it,” she answered.

He frowned. It was a very unsatisfying answer. His frustration rushed out like the wind from the peaks. “That is all? He just thanked you for nearly dying and left. How was he there? How were you there? Why did they make the bomb? Who were they? You said they had tried to kill you? Does it have something to do with Alice and the rabbit hole?” He sounded frustrated.

She wondered how much of what he was asking about he truly understood. She noticed his nails had become slightly pointed as he had become angered. It was interesting physiological response, and he was actually shaking slightly. Annie parked in the downtown shops district. She looked up at the window of the storefront. There was a gingerbread Christmas village and a train on display.

Finding her courage, she turned to face him, and reached up to take off his tinted glasses. Her brown eyes held his black ones, his alien pupils were narrow slits in the bright sunshine, like a cat’s. She noticed Tal’s eyes weren’t really black, but a very dark brown, darker than espresso. She knew Vorn’s were a midnight blue, and Bries’ were a very dark, almost-black, gray. She wondered for a moment if the Eloh had eye colors like humans.

“All right... I will tell you the whole horrible story later, but that little bit is all I know about your brother. However, if I tell you everything, you must me promise that afterward you will not look at me any differently than you did at this morning when we left the cabin.”

“Why?” He never blinked or looked away.

Rule #2 for Daily life : Do not dwell on the past or your pain, you did not die that week.

Annie took a deep breath. “Because every time I tell anyone what happened, even a trained professional. Someone who is supposed to help people deal with trauma, they look at me like I turned into some kind of monster or serial killer after I am done. Like I was wrong ’cause I fought back; ’cause I saved myself instead of curling up and dying. Either you can take it or you cain’t.” She sounded angry as she challenged him.

Annie got out and walked to the front of the car, she stood there for a moment with her head bowed before heading through an ornate glass door.

Tal just sat there staring after her, confused and wondering, ”How could a female be blamed for defending herself?"

The shop in front of the SUV, it appeared to be some form of confectioner’s shop. In the window were many of the paper snowflakes similar to the ones she taught Bries to make. In less than 10 minutes, she was back with a large box wrapped in red paper, which she put in the backseat on the driver’s side.

“Are you coming or are you going to sit here?” Annie snapped.

“I did not mean to offend you.” Tal said slowly, “There were many questions I had for my brother that were never answered, it was not proper for me to take my frustration out upon you.”

She slammed the door, he watched her walk around the SUV. She opened his door. “Look, we can’t talk about what happened to me here. I can’t handle it. But you can talk about Truh to me. Maybe I can help, or maybe talking will help you replace another clue. I don’t know why he was here or how he got here. I only know what Opir told me. His people... your people... they aren’t supposed to be on our world... I also know a little bit more from what Rabbi Isaac told me later, that your people were here a long time ago and you ate certain things. And you left and weren’t forbidden to come back, but Truh did and I don’t know why. I already told you what happened when I met him. That’s all there is.” She held out her gloved hand. “So come on... walk with me, Tal” she insisted, “Tell me your clues and maybe we can figure out a little more together.”

He put on his sunglasses and took her hand as he stepped out into the brilliant sunshine, almost twice as bright as Eloh’s. Perhaps she could help him. Her mind worked very differently than his, or perhaps today would be like so many others he had spent pondering and discovering nothing, but at least today he would not be alone as he wondered.

As they walked through the shops, looking at items he found odd and intriging, he talked in a low voice about Truh and his quest and his people. He explained the horror that was the lottery. Most of the shops had cats, who were more than happy to meet Annie. Many of them stared at him like they knew what he was. Some insisted on showing him affection. She laughed at him in one shop, as he had to stand perfectly still until the shopkeeper’s children removed several kittens from around his boots. Annie said she hadn’t thought of getting him boots with removable fur trim for Christmas. Tal had responded in a very dry tone he was happy to have entertained her, which caused the shopkeeper to say they were a perfect pair. He did not understand what they were a pair of.

Lastly, they were in an antique shop, a large black and white cat with one green eye and one blue eye sat on the floor. Tal stood next to it waiting. Annie was looking at an antique toy car, a model Bentley, and asking the clerk about it. The cat pawed him, he looked at it, it blinked once then turned its head toward items hanging on display. Tal looked up then he spotted a sword on the wall. It was very old and very well made.

Annie saw him eyeing it and asked to see it. He held it carefully as Annie examined it. She said it was a Samurai sword made in Occupied Japan. He had read about their second world war. It was a fine sword, well balanced and well maintained for its age. He felt no flaws in the folded metal. Tal flipped it around him expertly. The store clerk had been nervous at first, but then was amazed at his skill. Annie stood perfectly still as the blade flew around her. It touched nothing. Tal started to hand it back when Annie put her hand over his.

“If you want it, you may have it,” she said softly.

“I could not ask it of you,” he responded.

She rolled her eyes, and smiled. “It’s Christmas and I still don’t have a gift for you. Unless you want furry boots.”

They both smiled, and he shook his head. “I do not believe those would suit me.”

Handing a piece of plastic over to the clerk, Annie grinned, “Then it’s settled.” The clerk looked at it then back at her.

“Hey, you’re that writer from up the mountain. I remember you. I took one of your classes five summers ago,” he said.

“Yep, that’s me,” she grinned, and squinted at him remembering. “That was the first year I taught. You wanted to write science fiction like Koontz and Roddenberry... Carl, right?

“Yeah... Who are you writing for this month?” Carl asked excitedly.

“I can’t tell you that, trade secret.” Annie smiled at her former student.

“Can I guess?” Carl asked, placing the sword in an ornate case that contained a sheath laying in red silk, as she signed a slip. The car nested safely in a shipping box, as she scribbles on the address label.

“Nope... and don't bother, I have never revealed one of my ghosts, I never will.” She vowed, “And no one will ever be able to figure it out.”

“You sound pretty sure, Miss Dove.” Carl sounded skeptical.

She winked at him, “If the New York Times can’t figure it out, no one can.”

The cat jumped onto the counter and she petted the big feline, who purred loudly. Tal had learned that the strange rumbling sound was a sign of affection from the felines of this world. The felines of his world were untamable and he had no idea if they ever made sounds more than growling and yowling.

Carl’s jaw dropped, “Seriously, that’s awesome!!!!”

She took the sword case, Tal was standing by the door holding the box with the antique car model, ready to leave.

“Who’s the big dude?” Clark whispered.

“Research for an upcoming client, his family are the last real samurai living,” she lied, conspiratorially “Ghostwriting Rule #2: Authenticity comes from doing all your own research.” She winked at him, hoping he believed her. Samurais were easier to believe in that aliens.

His eyes bulged because he thought her deception had tipped him off to her next project as she handed him a pair of twenty dollar bills. "Merry Christmas Clark."

As they whispered, Tal noticed she gave the clerk a large currency as a tip and wished him a Merry Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, Miss Dove, you rock!” Carl said excitedly. “Hey” he called out as she reached the door Tal was holding open, “Don’t forget the mistletoe or it’s bad luck.”

She looked up and blushed, “Sorry about this,” she apologized to Tal and pulled him down by his collar, and put her lips against his before pulling him out the door.

He stepped out after her into the late afternoon snowfall. “What was that?” he asked. The sun was below the mountain’s peaks.

“A kiss under the mistletoe, it’s a Christmas tradition, I am so sorry.”

“I do not think I minded. What is the significance of it?” Tal inquired as they walk back to her SUV.

“According to mythology, a Norse goddess was warned in a dream that her son, the god of light, would be murdered by an arrow made of solid wood, so she took a vow from all the plants that none would harm her son, but she overlooked the mistletoe which was a tiny, scrawny bush. Her son’s enemy, the god of evil, found out and made the tip of an ash-wood arrow out of mistletoe wood and tricked the blind god of winter into shooting the arrow at the god of light who was killed. The mistletoe plant felt such guilt that it refused to grow on it’s own roots ever again, sacrificing its ability to live to return the god of light to life. His mother wept over it and kissed it, giving it the white berries, and the other plants pitied it and promised to allow it to live among their branches forever more. So now people who care for each other exchange a kiss under the mistletoe for good luck and long life.” She narrated as she drove.

“That is a lovely story. And the touching of lips is called a kiss?” He asked.

“Yes. Don’t your people kiss?” She was surprised to be asking.

“No. I have never been kissed before,” he stated.

She almost drove over a curb. “Seriously, never? You don’t hug, or hold hands, and don’t kiss. How do you display affection? I mean, would you display affection if you found a wife or spouse or mate of some kind that didn’t try to kill you,” she asked exasperated, and she thought her people were messed up.

“We embrace between fathers or uncles or siblings or cousins occasionally. Sometimes my brothers or cousins would lick or bite one another when we were younger, but we grow out of that. Sometimes males and female who have affection for each other would do the same, but it is very rare now. Mostly now, it is a battle to just survive mating. There is Joining as in what you call marriage which is also very rare and then there was a true inking but that is rarer still...” He explained, but stopped at her shocked expression.

“Inking as in tattoos?” she asked, he nodded as his translator explained the term to him.

“So basically, for a date, compatible couples tattoo each other if they don’t kill each other, every seven years, trying to have a child,” She clarified, he nodded again as she rolled her eyes. “No wonder your brother was looking for another way. I am sorry I asked. No offense, but it all seems really harsh. Do you think you will ever have a child?”

“I am of high rank and desired only for my status, and the status my child would offer. But all of the females I have met, smell only of bitterness and I have no desire to be joined with any of them...ever. I would rather remain alone. I run my fleets and take care of those under my charge. I defend the kingdom and I believe this to be the last generation of my father’s name. But I still must face the lottery thrice more and survive, and hope those under my command who are eligible, such as Vorn survive, and that my brothers survive. Many houses have not,” He explained regretfully. “There are those females who wish to make participation by high ranked males happen more often, if only for the status our children or our death would bring them.”

“How many under your command are at risk?” She inquired.

“Nearly 32% are of high enough tier to be eligible for the lottery,” he answered, staring out the window. “The rest are like Bries.”

She felt bad for him. She knew from questioning Vorn that cloning was out of the question, any child would come out altered, like Bries. Basically, the Eloh females had become black widows and were enjoying it. They got to choose their mates, whoever they wanted from the eligible list, but were only required to have a child every third year. So the matches were drawn from the lottery pool four times a year until they conceived. Females could kill the selected mate every time without consequence if they wanted to. Tal told her many males suspected some females of terminating their pregnancies so they could continue killing for pleasure.

The only thing that would save a male mate that had survived the initial joining was the conception of a female child. A daughter meant protection from being murdered for the rest of one’s life and the male’s choice of whom to mate in the future. Tal’s mother had been allowed to kill his father because he had never fathered a daughter, leaving Tal and his 2 surviving younger brothers to be raised by their two elder siblings .

Drugs were now being used to force strong males to submit to the process, but the higher tiers had developed methods to resist even that and still fight back. The newest lottery drug resulted in the lower tiers being decimated by the predatory females. His entire species was becoming extinct because of the loss of everything that made females feminine and nurturing. It all seemed too horrible, she couldn’t imagine having to live in world like that.

Annie thought about her own life and how the men of this world were losing what made them protective and loving as fathers and spouses, and she realized that maybe their worlds weren’t so different.

Please like, follow, comment. Have a blessed day.

Thank you, Mama Magie