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The Gift

Stephanie's Storyline, Chapter 5.1

copyright comidacomida 2018

I don't remember exactly how long I sat there in the living room equidistant from my laptop and my cell phone. If I reached to my left I would be able to look up as much as I could about the spirit that was supposedly the recipient of the sacrifice that led to my brother's death; were I to reach to my right my cell was waiting so I could talk to my dad and my mom for the first time in about two weeks.

I needed to know what I was up against; I had unanswered texts and messages waiting for me from my parents. It was important to stay in touch with my family; I couldn't do anything about losing my brother if I wasn't familiar with what I was facing. Both of the prospects were important so which would I choose? In the end, I settled on the one which scared me less: my laptop.

Tom sat down on the sofa on one side of me and Medved took the other; both large Spirits towered over me but, rather than feeling hemmed in or surrounded they both managed to bring me a degree of comfort. I realized why they'd drawn so close when Medved held up my cell and Tom spoke. "They miss you, Nekh'dah. Do not torture yourself."

I looked between the Rhino and the Bear; when my eyes met Medved's I realized that I hadn't had the strength to face their waiting judgment or disappointment-- or, rather, I hadn't had it alone. Nodding slowly, I accepted the phone from him and once his paw was free of it he reached his arm around me and gave me a side-hug. I leaned against Medved, steadying my breath as I selected my parents' profile and selected the hone phone; they still had a LAN line, after all.

The phone rang once... then twice... then a third time. The home phone had an answering machine instead of voice mail and it always went off after the fifth ring. Nobody picked up and so, as expected, the machine went off, announcing itself with an almost inaudible click before the recorded message went off.

My dad's voice said clearly "Hi. You've reached the Brenner residence."

Only after the introduction did I realize that they'd never changed the message and I choked up. My mom spoke next. "We're not at home, but if you leave a message we'll get back to you as soon as we can."

I never liked the way my voice sounded in a recording. "Please, wait for the beep."

My tears started coming freely when Billy's voice added "Thanks for calling!"

As promised, the machine sounded its beep and I sat there unable to say anything. Teetering on the edge of a full breakdown at the sudden surge of emotions from hearing my brother's voice unexpectedly all I could manage was a shaky breath before I disconnected and dropped my phone onto the cushion through Tom's lap next to me.

Medved's arm tightened faintly around me then slackened; it was his method of unspoken support. Tom was much more verbal. "We will resolve this, Nekh'dah. I vow it."

Somewhere across the room Anapa mumbled something to Kyle; the two of them were seated opposite us and I was so caught up in my own thoughts that it didn't register... not that I would have been able to understand it anyway seeing as I didn't speak Coptic. It didn't really catch my attention other than in passing until I heard Billy's voice. "Why are you crying all the time, Stef? You're SUCH a girl!"

I snapped my head up, staring at Kyle. He looked beside himself with uncertainty, not meeting my gaze as he looked over to Anapa. The Jackal spoke again and the Raven quickly spoke in MY voice. "Shut up. You wouldn't understand."

The statement caught my attention; Kyle was reciting an argument I'd had with Billy way back on my first day of high school. Looking just a little less ill-at-ease, the Raven continued relating dialogue that was apparently given to him by the Jackal. "It's just school. It can't be THAT bad."

Billy always had a certain way about him that pushed my buttons but helped me feel better; usually at the same time. I'd wiped my eyes after his naiive objection and I said-- I wasn't able to remember exactly what I'd said. At that moment Kyle started speaking again (in my voice, that time), and I joined him after the first two words, which had jogged my memory. "Yeah... says you. I can't wait to see what YOU go through on YOUR first day of high school."

I closed my eyes, imagining that day in my mind even as Kyle continued speaking Billy's lines. It was late afternoon; I'd just gotten home and it had been the worst day ever. My blouse had been torn and I'd lost my headband and I hadn't gotten along with ANYONE. "Well, no matter what happens, I know you'll be here for me then, just like I'm here for you now."

The tears started fresh, but I managed to keep it together, reliving the moment as I spoke for myself; since I remembered Kyle didn't need to. I'd said "You little twerp. That doesn't help, you know."

He had always been so optimistic and supportive. Even the next four years didn't diminish that in him and the bright, sensitive, open, loving brother was just the same at 14 as he was at 10. Billy's voice spoke from right in front of me. I stood up to receive the next words. "Would a hug help?"

Surprisingly, it HAD helped then. It was the same line dad and my mom had always used with us when we got hurt or were sad. He'd given me a hug and I had felt better. But he wasn't around to give me a hug just then, so how would I feel better with him gone? The answer came in the form of two furred arms and a pair of wings taking hold of me from either side; I felt Anapa and I felt Kyle as they embraced me and Billy's voice spoke a follow up that he'd never said those four years prior. "Don't worry, Stef. I'm here."

The statement caught me by surprise, not just because it wasn't something Billy had said that day but, moreover, because Kyle was hugging my left side and Billy's voice had come from the right. It was enough to break me from my deeply desired reverie of days past and I was pulled back into the present as both spirits disengaged, stepping back. Anapa, however, remained right by my side, speaking up as he raised what looked like a golden chain with a locket; the locket itself was also gold and looked like an ankh shape with a feather superimposed over a heart etched into it.

The Raven spoke for the Jackal. "You are growing, Priestess, as a person and as a Seer. He means too much to you for me to keep this."

I was so stunned by what I was seeing that I didn't pull away when his paws slid around my shoulders and affixed the necklace to adorn me. The moment the chain's clasps closed I felt... something. It's every writer's task to be as clear as they can but there's no way I could ever hope to describe what it was I experienced in that moment-- only that it was a series of emotions and fundamental truths that could never exist anywhere other than in a dream... or in the spirit essence curated by an ancient Jackal Spirit.

Although I was at a loss for words there were two that couldn't be overlooked. "A-Anapa... t-thank you."

The black-furred Spirit nodded, his Amethyst eyes losing some of their luster as he withdrew his paws from the metal and he let out a shaky breath, shoulders slumping. His measured words came out slowly and purposefully as he tried to convey his meaning in English. "He is... brother, Hemet-netjer. Is... for you."

I reached up to take his paw when it looked like he was wavering on his feet. He blinked once when I steadied him and his other paw found its way to my shoulder. Anapa leaned forward and down; before I knew it, his muzzle touched my lips. The realization of what was happening was immediate, but it was almost drowned by a flood of images, thoughts, emotions, and experiences that weren't mine. It was such a jumble that I couldn't pick out any one thing and the only concept I could process was that I wasn't Anapa's first kiss; every single Human he'd ever touched-- women and men. What they meant for him, or TO him all came crashing down on me in that moment, and it was overwhelming. They were all someone special... important... powerful. Until me, of course.

I'd always felt like a nobody, and to be connected in that way to those people was almost unbelievable. It left me flustered, confused, and more than a little flattered... and just a little uncomfortable. My response was probably the least intense within the room. "...what?"

Kyle's was also fairly mild, but followed right after mine. "Dude! Not cool!" The Raven then said something in Coptic; most likely a repeat of what he'd just stated in English.

Tom remained seated, but the Golden gleam in his eyes looked as though they could easily have been smoldering coals and I swore I could hear his knuckles crack as his enormous hands clenched into tight hamfists, but Medved was the one who really worried me; I'd seen him defensive, but never really and truly angry... and, I may have been reading into it a little, but he also looked... jealous? His words came out as a roaring growl as he sprang up from the sofa. "HOW DARE YOU--"

All action stalled in the room, thankfully, when my cell went off. Looking down on the sofa cushion I saw on the display that it was from my dad and mom's house. Nobody missed it, or my response to it, and everyone fell immediately silent. Nothing about the situation was ideal, and I was already off balance, but I knew I couldn't put off talking with them forever. There were a lot of important topics we had to cover, so I--