All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 7

Nightmares

Johnny and Kim got on the first train that led to Seashore village. Ania was there as well, and Trent had stayed behind in case Jack called again. Johnny fingered the cell phone in his pocket, not knowing whether or not he wanted it to ring, "Why do you think he's there?"

Kim stared out the window, making Maik watch as well to keep him occupied while they talked, "He said why on the phone, Johnny."

"But why there?"

"Maybe it was closer."

"I wonder who it was he met today..."

"Oh, come on, Johnny. You should already know."

"I hadn't thought Cory would be back already. He wasn't exactly careful when heleft Little island to search for his anthro. It would've been almost impossible for him to find the exact same anthro from before."

"Well, either he did, or he gave up. Jack saw him today and you and I both know it."

"He isn't the type to give up, Kim. I just hope he doesn't think I'm here. If he did he wouldn't stop chasing me until I was dead."

"So long as Jack is okay. Who can fly fast enough to take him there in a day, anyway?"

Johnny shrugged, "I can't think of anyone...do you think he...no. No, it's impossible."

"What is?"

"He said he can talk to animals, so what would've stopped him from asking one of them? Only problem I see is how he convinced them to let him ride them."

Kim's face changed as a realization came to her, "Johnny, listen..." She pointed with her free hand to a speaker on the train above their seat.

"...the suspect is known to have used a fairy dragon for his escape this morning. All citizens are to remain cautious of this movie star look-alike until his capture is affirmed."

Johnny listened to the radio with growing fear.

"Reports have come in that the fairy dragon he used was from the zoo. He seemed to have antagonized an entire group of citizens and criticized Cory Taner during his speech a local park. Taner had come back with proof that he had finally killed the giant he'd set out to get and had just shown it when the suspect began mocking him. He accused the hero of murder, then walked away. If you see this suspect, please notify the authorities immediately. The suspect is an exact replica of famous movie star Richard Tyne, except for his bizzare height. That is all."

Kim and Johnny stared at each other. Johnny gulped, "It's Jack. He really did get an animal to help him!"

Ania, who had been sitting right underneath the radio, was shivering with fear. johnny watched as Kim got up and sat down beside her, "Ania, it's okay. Jack isn't a criminal."

Ania nodded her head, but didn't stop shaking.

"You're worried?"

She nodded again, then started crying on Kim's shirt sleeve. Johnny took Maik from Kim's arms and had him look out the window again. Maik would not cooperate and managed to wriggle out of Johnny's grasp. He crawled over to Kim and whined until she picked him up. He wriggled out of her grasp as well, settling on Ania's lap and going to sleep. Ania slowed her crying and looked at Maik, smiling a little and gently laying a hand on top of him. Johnny could see the wonder--the hope in her eyes as she stopped crying and simply focused on Maik, "She wants children of her own..."

Jack blinked his eyes and started to sit up. There was a doctor in the room who laid a hand on him. For some reason, it was enough to push him back down. Jack's vision cleared a little more. His arm was in a cast, strung to the ceiling, "What happened?.."

The doctor smiled at him, "Well sir, you just saved Seashore village from a two-legged griffin animal. We owe you our lives. What's your name?"

Jack tried to sit up again, but was pushed down, "Jack. Would you please let me sit up? I have some friends I need to see to."

Melodie's voice called to him from across the room, "Anthro or animal?"

Jack looked over at her, "What do you mean?"

She scowled, "Don't play games with me. I saw the fairy dragon. She cares about you enough to fly over this building non-stop."

"WHAT?!!!" Jack closed his eyes and thought of Crystal's voice, "Crystal?"

"You're awake!" there was a loud thump on the roof of wherever Jack was, then a happy chirp as Crystal's head appeared, upsidedown, outside the window.

Jack laughed at how silly she looked, "You stayed?!!"

"I did not think you would be able to handle the predator. You're the first nice--anthro...I've ever seen."

"Thanks Crystal."

Melodie snapped a finger in front of Jack's eyes, "Just what exactly are you doing?"

"Ummm...would you believe me if I said I was talking to that fairy dragon?"

"No."

"Then I'm not doing anything. Just staring at a very pretty animal."

The doctor cut in, "Melodie, I have to see another patient. Make sure he doesn't get up."

"That shouldn't be hard." Jack said as he tried to sit up again. Melodie only used one finger to push him back down, "Why won't you let me move, anyway?"

"You've fractured your arm, Jack. You're also very weak, but I can't tell from what. Would you care to explain?"

"Sure. I helped with a blood transplant two days ago. At least I think it was two days...whatever. Anyway, I haven't exactly been at one hundred percent since."

The doctor looked at him, baffled, "And rightly so. I don't know of anyone who could do what you just did after blood had been taken out of them. You have earned my respect, Jack." The doctor left to see his other patient.

"As well as mine." Melodie shifted the blankets to cover him better.

Jack thought back to the small battle he'd just had, "Umm...sorry about the berry."

"I think you paid for it. A fractured arm has to be painful."

"Actually, it doesn't hurt right now."

"That's from all of the anesthetic Doc rubbed into your scales. You'll feel it tomorrow. Mark my words."

"What time is it?"

"Time for you to get some more sleep. 10:00 pm."

"That late?"

"Yeah."

"But I'm not tired..."

Melodie smiled, "That's why I'm here. Breath this." She put a small face mask over his mouth.

He fumbled it off with his hand, "What is it?"

"It'll make you fall asleep. Now start breathing it."

Jack sighed and placed the mask back over his mouth. He was sound asleep in a few minutes.

Melodie removed the mask and left for her home. She walked down a small dirt street and quietly unlocked the door to her house. There wasn't a sound inside, but that's what she'd been expecting. Her five children were all asleep in their beds as she had left them, "I don't have anything to feed them tomorrow! What should I do?" She closed the door to her youngest child's room and walked back downstairs to the kitchen, searching throughcabinets and the fridge for anything she could fix for a meal the next day. She sighed in relief when she found a large bowl of soup left over, "At least I have something now. I'm running out of money..." She was about to head for bed herself when the phone rang. She picked it up before it rang a third time, "Hello?"

"Melodie, I'm back! I'll be home tomorrow evening!"

"Cory?!!!!! You finally did it?"

"Yes! I got the anthro! Wrall city has just given me the reward money!"

"That's wonderful! Oh Cory, I've missed you. We all have!"

"Are any of the kids still up?"

"No...They've all gotten sick. I nearly ran out of things to feed them today. Cory, we desperately need that reward money. I have almost nothing left, and the fruit I bought today was ruined before I could make a meal out of it."

"Well, don't worry. I'll be home soon, my dear."

"Stay safe, love." Melodie hung up the phone and sat on the couch, "He's finally coming home!" Two years have passed since I've seen him...What will be different?" She settled down right where she was to get some sleep she needed. Before she could get that, there was a chirp outside her window. She got up and looked out to see Jack's fairy dragon fidgeting back and forth outside his hospital window. Tired, but still curious about the tamed fairy dragon, she left the house to go see it. It was trying its hardest to fit its head through the window to Jack's room, but it was too big. She quietly approached it, "Hello there..."

The fairy dragon chirped in alarm and backed up to the other side of the street. It watched her where it crouched, prepared to fly away in the sky. The fairy dragon would occasionally glance back at Jack's window and chirp in a worried tone. Melodie went over to look in Jack's window and saw him thrashing about in his bed. The doctor was trying to hold him down, but, even in his sleep, he would not be kept still.

"Jack, stop! I'm just the doctor!"

"NO!!!! GET AWAY!!!!!!! I WON"T LET YOU HURT HER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Jack's unhurt arm swung at the doctor, missing, but still coming close, "DON'T WORRY, I'M COMING!!!!!"

Melodie dashed inside and went straight for Jack's room. She held him down as best she could while the doctor pulled out a syringe. He quickly filled it with a sedative and stuck it in Jack's neck. Jack calmed down, back into a fitfull sleep. Melodie wiped the sweat off her forehead and sat down in the first vacant chair she saw, "What happened?!! Why did he do that?!"

The doctor sat as well, "Hard to say. Thanks." He rubbed his cheek, where Melodie noticed it was starting to swell, "He started up after you had gone inside your home. I swear, for an anthro who's just been through all that he said he's been through, he sure has a lot of strength! I'll need an ice pack for this cheek..."

"Was that a dream he'd had?"

"Yes. It was either a nightmare that he wanted ot wake from, but the gas we used on him kept him asleep, or a very bad memory. I'd have to lean toward the second choice. Oww..."

Melodie watched Jack thrash a little where he slept, "You keep getting more mysterious by the moment, Jack. What have you had to live through?"

*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 8

A Tight

Situation

Jack woke with the morning sunrise. He watched it come up outside his window, marveling at how beautiful it looked right then. There was a knock on his door, followed by Melodie's voice, "Jack? Are you up?"

"Yeah." He answered. He turned his attention back to the sunrise. There was no way he'd want to miss this.

"Jack, you've got some visitors..."

"Who?"

"They won't give me their names. Do you want to see them?"

"Yes, I do. I called them in the super-market where you and I bumped into each other. I was expecting them."

"Okay..."

The door opened to let Ania, Johnny, Kim, and Maik in. Ania was by his side before anyone else, "Jack, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine once this arm heals."

"They told us what happened. Why didn't you tell me you could do that?!"

"I didn't know. There's a lot about me I'm still trying to figure out."

"What?"

Jack motioned for her to lean closer. When she was down by his mouth, he whispered, "I don't have any idea who I am. I lost my memory before I found you. I still don't know that much about myself."

Melodie came up, "I still want to know what you're doing, Jack. You keep doing the strangest things..."

"I'm talking to Ania right now."

"Yes, but she says anything back!"

"She can't talk."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

Ania turned to Melodie and smiled. She waved her hands around, using sign-language to say it was okay. For some reason, Melodie started doing it as well.

It was Jack's turn to ask what they were doing. Melodie laughed and held up her hands, "This? I'm talking to her in a way she can talk back. You mean you don't know sign-language?" Jack shook his head. Melodie laughed again, "No, of course not. Most of us don't need to know it. I have a son and a daughter who can't speak. Sign-language is the only way we can communicate without giving ourselves writer cramps."

"How many kids are in your family?"

"Five. Anyway, I'm sure your friends here will want to talk. See you in a bit." Melodie left Jack alone with his friends.

"Hi." He waved with his unhurt hand.

Johnny smiled back, "You've certainly been busy."

"And I'd like to stop, if I may."

They all laughed at that. Kim cleared her throat, "We'd help you there, but the doctor said you needed to stay here for at least a week to make sure your arm heals properly. He told us you had fractured it."

Jack winced a little as he tried to move the bandaged arm, "Yeah. I just hope that creature doesn't decide to come back for a second round anytime soon. This arm isn't up for much movement."

Johnny sat down on a chair and took Maik from Kim's hands, "There's one thing Trent and I would like to know. How the hell did you convince a fairy dragon to help you?!!"

"Who, Crystal? C'mon Johnny. Would you like being caged up for your entire life? I did her a favor."

"Is she still around?"

"I don't know. She doesn't much like anthros now." For an answer, they heard a very loud chirp outside Jack's window. Jack sighed and smiled, "That'd be her. You should see what she looks like!" Jack watched as everyone went over to the window and looked for Crystal. Johnny, Maik, Kim and Ania were all mesmerized by what they saw. Jack tried to get their attention, but they didn't notice him, so he spoke to Crystal instead, "I think you've got some admirers, Crystal."

"I noticed." She sounded smug.

"Are you showing off?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess you deserve to. You really are fascinating to watch, you know."

"Thank you." Crystal gasped, "I'm leaving now."

"What's wrong?"

"Many...anthros are coming. I don't want to be captured."

"Okay. I'll call you when I'm allowed to leave." Jack chuckled as his friends gasped one more time. Seems Crystal had decided to show off one last time before leaving. He waited for them to stop looking out the window before he spoke, "What d'you think?"

"She's beautiful...She didn't look nearly as gorgeous in the zoo!" Johnny said. His voice was still filled with awe, "How did you convince her?"

"I freed her from the zoo."

"Wow..." Kim was trying to catch a last glimpse of Crystal, "I wonder what Nino would think of her..."

"Who?" Jack asked. The name sounded familiar...

"Nino. He's a fairy dragon that lives inside Player."

"Inside Player...Wait! I remember him!" Johnny and Kim instantly crowded around Jack. Maik was wrigling in Johnny's grasp, gigling when he made it out and was able to crawl around on Jack's bed. Jack laughed at Maik, who was having the time of his life.

"Jack, what do you remember about Nino?!"

Jack jerked at Johnny's voice bringing him back to reality, "Not much...I think Nino and I were friends...we saw each other a lot."

Johnny sighed, "Well then, you don't live here, you live on the larger island. That's going to make things a lot harder."

"Why?"

"We can't go back until Don comes back. He'll be back in four days, but you need to stay here for at least week before they let you go. I honestly don't see how we'll get him over here without having the entire island after him."

"Can't he come back three days after?"

"No, he can only come by once a week. We talked about it before we left. With that arm of your's damaged, it not only will take twice as long as we'd like, but Don will have to be twice as careful when he takes us back."

"BACK?!!!!" Jack shook at the thought of having to ride in the backpack again.

"No, you don't get it. He has another backpack that he made just in case he had to carry one of us like this. He would normally just keep us with him if he picked us up before the month was over, but we have to get you back home...He can't go back home at all until the third week to get the special backpack. You're stuck here for at least another two weeks, Jack."

"Whew...that's a relief."

"You're really scared of heights?"

"Giant anthro heights, yes. I don't have wings, remember?!!! I was scared stiff when I got on Crystal's back to escape! She had to literally pry me off when we landed!"

Kim, Ania, and Johnny all held in their laughter as best they could. Jack ignored them by watching Maik crawl around. He got a little idea, and tried to listen to Maik's thoughts.

"Whee!!!!"

"Maik, you like it?"

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" Maik's thoughts shouted as he giggled and crawled around.

"Do you get to explore much?"

"Uh-uh. This is fun!"

Jack looked over at Johnny who was just starting to get himself back under control, "Johnny, I think your son's going to be an even bigger handful when he starts running."

"Don't I know it." Johnny said as he wiped a tear from his eye, "He's already a handfull as it is!"

Ania was watching Maik as well, "Isn't he adorable?"

"Yeah..."

"Jack? I was worried when you didn't show up yesterday..."

"I was worried about you, Ania." He started imagining Ania with less and less on. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the images, but it didn't help, not when she could speak directly to his mind.

"Jack?"

"Don't say anything, Ania. I--I can't help myself..."

"What's wrong with that?..I love you Jack...I've been trying to think about why, but I can't explain it. I've never met someone like you."

"Johnny, could you take maik and Kim and leave for a second?"

"Sure..." Johnny picked up Maik and headed for the door. Kim wasn't far behind.

Jack opened his eyes when the door closed, "Ania, I still don't think this is right...Every time I look at you, I start thinking unclean thoughts...I don't want that to happen unless I'm sure I really love you too."

"Jack, why won't you let your feelings take over?"

"I'm afraid of them. I don't know what to expect from me anymore. Whenever I look at you and the thoughts come, I feel like I shouldn't be doing that. I feel like I'm not supposed to feel like that. It doesn't make any sense to me."

"Can we kiss again?.."

"Ania, I--Ania..."

She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, pushing their lips closer together as they connected, "Does this feel wrong to you?" She stopped kissing him so he could answer.

"I just don't know anymore..." Jack wanted to say more, but Ania stopped him by kissing again.

"I think this is how I'm supposed to feel. Why can't you let yourself feel this way?" She kept her mouth on his, not letting him answer.

This time, Jack didn't even try to hold back.

Melodie saw two of Jack's friends waiting outside his door, "Is something wrong?"

"No." The woman answered, "Jack just wanted some private time with Ania. Those two are going to fall in love if they haven't already."

"Hmm..." Melodie stood with them. An awkward silence fell on them, interrupted only occansionally by the baby's little sounds. Melodie cleared her throat and tried to start a conversation, "Where do you three live?"

The green dragon looked blandly at her, "We're pacifists. We live on the larger island with a giant anthro."

"Then why are you here?"

"Listen, can we trust you not to tell anyone?"

"What do you me--"

"Will you not tell anyone?"

"Y--yes..."

"Yes you will, or yes you can keep us secret?"

"I'll keep you secret from everyone including my husband."

He smiled, "That's just what I wanted to hear. I'm Johnny Greenwood."

She gasped, "You--you shouldn't be here! If he found out..."

"Who?"

"My husband, Cory Taner. He still hates you for stopping him that one time."

Johnny backed away, "You're his wife?!!! Kim, we have to leave now!!!!!!"

"No, don't! I just made a promise that I wouldn't reveal you to him. Just tell me why you're here, and I'll find a place for you to hide while Jack heals."

Johnny sighed, "Jack's lost his memory. We thought that bringing him here would help him remember, but we just now found out that he lives on the larger island as well. It'll be two weeks before he can go back."

"But my husband doesn't know who he is, so we don't have to worry about him, just you."

"Not true. The whole reason he came here was to get away from Cory. He--none of us had any idea he lived here!!"

"Then--then we have to find a place for Jack to hide as well. How are we supposed to move him? My husband comes back tonight!"

Kim ran back into Jack's room. Johnny watched her go in, "Damn. Does he come in here very much when he's around?"

"Not much, but he does make visits now and then. I work here, so he comes to see me. If he does come, I'll try to make sure he doesn't go into Jack's room."

"Thank you. We'll take Jack away as soon as we safely can. Now all we have to do is find a place to stay..."

Melodie brightened, "One of my friends owns a small motel here. She doesn't get much business, so she'll gladly have you live there."

"Will she mind if we're outlawed here?"

"Not if you can pay her the rent every night. Everyone's a bit desperate for money right now. The two-legged animal griffins have been coming here more often for some reason. Costs for rebuilding keep going up, so we're all about broke."

"We can pay. What's her name?"

"Lisa Syang. She's a wingless mountain/water dragon. She had to get the wings removed when she was a baby since she was crossbred."

"What's her color? I'd like to know so we can recognize her when we need to."

"She's purple. You'd better go look for her. Tell her that Melodie told you about her. She'll understand."

"What do you mean, 'she'll understand'?"

"You aren't the first pacifists I've saved from my husband. She's one herself."

"Thank you. Thanks for everything."

Jack was startled so much when Kim burst in that he jerked his bandaged arm. He winced and held back a small shout of pain to hear what Kim was frantically trying to say, "Jack, Ania, we have to hide!"

"What's wrong?" Jack asked when he was sure he wouldn't shout out his pain.

"Cory Taner lives here! He'll be here tonight!!!!"

"What the--Augh!" He shouted as he moved again. His arm would not cooperate when he tried to move. Ania turned back to him but he waved her off, "What should we do, Kim?"

She glanced back at Johnny, who was talking with Melodie, "Johnny's taking care of us, but we still have to figure out what to do with you. He stops at nothing to get what he wants if given the chance. Anthros tend to listen to him."

Jack winced a little, "I noticed yesterday. So what'll happen?"

"I don't know..."

"Jack, what about the fairy dragon?"

"It's no use with Crystal, Ania. She still doesn't like anthros that much. Besides, I doubt I'd be able to move with this thing wrapped around my arm." He groaned as a little more pain decided to shoot up his arm. He clenched his teeth and made himself bear it, "We don't have much time. We need to think of something!"

Johnny came in, "I've talked with Melodie. She says she'll do her best to keep Cory away from your room, Jack. You're stuck where you are."

"And you guys?"

"We have a room in a motel owned by someone who thinks the same way we do. Ania here is the only one safe in public. You might be our only way of knowing what's going on, Ania."

Ania nodded. Jack sighed where he laid, "So then we're all just gonna wait for something to happen?"

"No, we're gonna wait for your arm to heal enough so we can leave, then we're going to run to Icta village. We'll be safer there, and I know of a family there that might help us stay low."

"What happens if he finds me or you?"

Johnny shivered, "Then we hope for a miracle. Cory is determined to get his way, no matter what the cost."