Story Paws: A Mystical World: Toxics 28
Story Paws: Stories to help you pause, and relax. Felicity is swept into a Mystical Old World where plants and beasts are equal, and all is heard. There she meets Reuben, whom she must help, to save his beloved Old World from the threat of the Toxics...if she wants to return home. Use this story to help you unwind, rest, and take a mindful pause. You may like to listen to the first 27 installments of this story first, or simply jump in and use my voice as a tool for rest! Blessings, Maite
Transcript
Chapter 28 Felicity The day's heat was over.
The troop reached a slender belt of trees,
And Reuben decided to set up camp.
They'd marched without rest,
Stopping only to transfer Sib's body from Georges to Wolfgang.
Felicity was subdued.
She had not liked Sib,
But in the end his love for the aqueous webs of the world had saved his soul.
Little Green had said his sky trail was a good one.
Gus heard her thoughts and said he died in honour,
Felicity.
Gus looked awful,
She thought.
His spines flopped against his sides,
And his big dark eyes were encrusted with a pale green dust.
She hadn't realised the plants could cry.
Each member mourned Sib in their own way.
Georges trotted head down and wouldn't eat.
Reuben stayed far from Felicity.
Gus had simply wept his large green tears silently and continuously.
Little Green was unreachable.
Her aura shone dimly,
But constantly,
As she called on her energy to heal.
Scrat took comfort from the Lupata.
He'd walked between them all day.
Felicity felt alone.
She needed Reuben.
It had been a horrible day.
She had a sudden overwhelming desire to be at home.
She could picture her bed and her squashed bear,
His eyes replaced with buttons by Mum when she read a headline of the danger of toys and their loose eyes.
If she concentrated,
She could almost remember the scent of her mother's perfume.
But it was getting harder.
How long have I been here,
She thought,
Panicking.
Her tears came at last.
But whether they were for Sib or for her,
She wasn't sure.
They buried him on the bank of a small stream and Gus said a lovely prayer about Sib's love for the aquatics.
After the speech,
They gathered together.
Reuben said they didn't need a fire and he didn't want to alert the toxics to their position.
Demet and his gang had left them alone so far.
Felicity suspected the dissolution of the Sibylline army had thrown them into chaos.
Felicity looked across at Little Green.
It was hard to remember her as a young plant.
She'd grown so tall and mature.
Will you find your partner when we arrive at the caves,
Asked Felicity.
No,
I must bond with my enharmonic first,
Said Little Green,
Smiling.
Oh,
Of course,
Said Fissy,
I forgot.
Have you heard him?
How does it work?
Well,
We hear them talking to us sometimes.
They're a familiar voice in our head.
I hear him.
He's a young Toro.
I need him to mature fast,
As the elders said.
I hope he can,
Said Little Green.
Do you know his name,
Asked Felicity.
Of course,
His name is Nathaniel.
That's a name from my world,
Said Felicity.
Maybe our worlds are not so far apart then,
Said Little Green,
Eyes twinkling.
Reuben appeared.
Felicity jumped up and took his hand.
They walked along the dusty track that ran through the spinny.
Reuben walked head down.
Felicity tried to reach him.
It's my fault.
I should never have left them behind,
He said,
The simmering anger spilling out.
I put the entire quest at risk through careless action.
What was I thinking of?
He kicked a tree root and stumbled as it lifted to catch his toe.
Felicity was shocked.
Reuben,
You've led this quest unfailingly.
Reuben,
Please.
It's not your fault.
She repeated the words slowly,
Staring straight into his eyes.
His mood had darkened their colour to a navy brown.
His muddy gaze cleared.
His breathing had been tense,
Shallow.
But as his focus returned to her earnest,
Sparkling eyes,
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
He could not forgive himself quite so fast,
But he heard her words and he knew all was probably unfolding as it must.
Felicity saw his expression lighten.
You're hurting me,
Felicity,
He said with a crooked smile.
She looked down and noticed that her hands were squeezing Reuben's arms so tightly that it'd gone white.
Sorry,
Reuben,
She answered,
But you were lost.
I was scared.
We need you.
Reuben looked at her.
How do you feel,
Felicity?
I'm sad too,
Of course.
No,
I don't mean about Seb,
Replied Reuben.
How do you feel in general?
His eyes were glowing golden brown in the evening sun.
Reuben,
I'm very tired and I wish you'd stop being so weird.
No,
I haven't noticed anything strange.
Well,
Apart from an army of poisoned cactus attacking us and falling in love with a boy who's lost his tail,
She thought,
Blocking the thought as soon as it came to her.
Reuben burst out laughing.
Felicity was not amused.
She'd been very worried for him and now he was being very personal.
Was this normal for Orion males,
She wondered.
She turned to leave,
But he caught hold of her arm.
Felicity,
Look,
He said,
And something in his voice made the world still.
She heard her heart pumping and was mesmerized by the pulse at the bottom of his throat.
They were beating in perfect unison.
She raised her eyes.
Look,
He said again,
Using his eyes to explain.
Felicity broke the moment and looked down.
I can't see anything,
She said.
Reuben's close scrutiny was embarrassing,
But his smile lit up his face and in spite of her annoyance,
Felicity smiled and forgave him.
It was good to see him happy again at least.
Well,
You are in my world now,
Felicity,
He said,
And you have matured.
I imagine you don't need an enharmonic,
Do you?
Felicity felt that warning prickle on the back of her neck.
She looked down more carefully.
Her clothes were shorter.
They were definitely tighter.
She'd presumed it was all the rain or the food.
Her mouth went dry.
She hadn't been prepared for this.
It was one thing helping this mystical old world,
But she'd not given it permission to change her.
She felt herself trembling.
How could she go home now?
Reuben sighed,
Please,
Felicity,
Listen to me before I go.
I've seen you weep tears for your special world and its mistakes,
But you keep faith.
You've brought your gift of hope to our world.
You were called here and your open mind absorbs all.
Hear this then.
It's the harmony of the old world.
It's the balance of us.
We can be together when the time is right.
When he'd gone,
Felicity felt herself all over.
She looked at her hands.
They looked like her mother's a bit.
Was that a slight wrinkle on the top?
She pushed the skin.
It definitely puckered up for longer than normal.
She'd got old,
She thought,
Horrified.
She tugged open her jacket and peered inside.
Oh my God,
She muttered.
How could I not have noticed what was happening?
How old am I?
Eighteen?
Thirty?
She touched her hair.
Well,
That felt the same at least.
She breathed in and counted to ten.
The panic slowly subsided.
I suppose it could be worse.
In this old world,
Who knew what it may have decided to do to her?
She sat for a while,
Letting the revelation sink in.
As the evening air started to dampen,
She walked slowly back to camp.
She needed female company.
Pippi,
May I speak to you,
She asked as she walked up to the group.
As Pippi loped across,
Felicity could see that her belly hung low.
Pippi,
You've been getting fatter recently.
Are you pregnant?
Asked Felicity,
Direct as ever.
Pippi saw Wolfgang's head go up.
He growled softly.
I'll talk of it later,
Pippi replied to Felicity.
Help me share out this food.
Is that why you called me?
No.
Well,
Pippi,
Have you noticed anything different about me?
Well,
Your scent has been of breeding for the last two days,
But nothing else,
Said Pippi,
As they gave Georges his triple portion of stog balls.
He was snoozing again.
What?
Exploded Felicity.
What's breeding scent?
Oh,
That's disgusting,
She exclaimed.
Pippi laughed,
And Little Green,
Who'd heard Felicity's squeal,
Laughed too.
It's hardly noticeable,
Felicity,
Little Green said.
The lupata nose is extraordinary.
This ability is crucial for the lupata.
At the ceremonies,
The males must know they have a mature female,
And the females must know who is their competition.
Well,
I'm Felicity Penfold,
And I'm not a wolf,
Felicity said.
She went and sat down on her own.
Pippi and Little Green exchanged glances.
Rueben and Wolfgang returned from a last scout before they settled for the night,
And Scrap came back with some wonderful amber nectar.
Gus had been in exhausted sleep from the moment they sat down.
Georges was still snoring and had slumped sideways onto a skinny tree.
Rueben clapped his hands as Georges jerked awake,
Snapping the sapling with a crack.
Little Green admonished him,
And then said they should at least make it a clean break,
So it could rejuvenate.
When they tidied up the mess,
Rueben suggested they have a small fire as the night air was cold.
The flames curled and swirled and warmed the tired band,
Inside and out.
They shared some of the powerful amber liquid,
And Gus raised his flask in a toast.
Let's eat and drink tonight with a thought for Sip,
He said.
Rueben continued,
To his pure love for the aquatics,
His bravery,
And his spirit's help at the end.
The final words fell to Little Green in her sweet flowing voice,
To a sibling who'll go down in the knowledge of the roots for the future.
They all raised their little flasks and drank.
To Sip,
They said together.
You
