Lost Change

Chapter 48

Ten more sunrises. Two thirds of the way to freedom.

My Kymari went through her morning routine just like usual - the visit to Susie's grave had apparently been a special occasion, though I hoped it might happen again on her upcoming weekend. She woke up just early enough to record my song from the couch, then disappeared to change, then fed me breakfast... then went off to her job, leaving me alone in the apartment.

I stretched out in the bowl of sand like I usually did after she left, and drifted off to the sensation of pleasant warmth. She'd pester me with random music and drag me around the city for exercise when she got home, like she had all the other days this week, but for now I could just appreciate warmth and let my leg relax...

The soft 'ding' of the door opening interrupted my lazy sunbathing under the heat lamp. I lifted my head and blinked away some of my bleariness. That shouldn't be happening - she should still be out for several more hours, and nobody else would come over when she was out. Or... they wouldn't, would they? I hadn't seen any signs that the Kymari had a problem with criminals, but I hadn't really asked them. Maybe it was Terron, and he had brought Lyzel over to play? I couldn't recall anything being mentioned about them coming over while she was out, but if Terron was her brother, then she probably wouldn't mind too much. Right?

The idea that it was a stranger who might be coming in without her permission - or even worse, to take her stuff - bothered me on some level. I lifted my head out of the sand and perked my ear tufts in case I needed to hiss at an intruder.

The doors finished sliding open, and my Kymari stepped inside. She ignored me completely and went straight for the couch, sinking down into it and grabbing the phone device off the table.

Okay, that was odd. Home early, and ignoring me? Most nights she came over and tried to pet me for at least a few minutes; what was this? She hadn't even glanced around to try and figure out where I was at. I stood up and walked to the edge of the bowl of sand to get a better view of her.

She tapped a few buttons on the device. It made a beeping noise a few times, then went silent. "Hey, Arlia? I know you're probably still at work right now, and I'm not sure if you had anything planned, but could you please call me when you get home? I really need to talk to someone."

I felt the fuzzy tufts tickle the back of my neck as my ears drooped back down. She sounded upset - her voice had trembled several times through that.

The Kymari tapped the device a few more times, and it went through the same beeping sequence. "Hey Terron, I know you said you were going to be out this afternoon, but if you get this, could you please give me a call? I... it's nothing too serious, I just could use some help from my big brother when you have a little time. Thanks."

"Ivy?" I thought at the green dragonet.

Her voice came back almost immediately, with a cheerful tone that was very out of place with what I was seeing. "Hi Nate! How's it going? Leg back to normal yet?"

"Mostly. Um... can you ask Trenil a question for me?" The Kymari began tapping the device some more.

Ivy's tone became serious. "Sure. What's going on? Is everything okay?"

The device repeated the beeps, but this time the Kymari just tapped another button instead of saying anything.

"My Kymari just came home. I think something's wrong; she plopped straight down on the couch and started calling people. She sounds really upset."