“Would you like something to drink Heath?” A small woman asked before exiting
from a van. Heath shook his head and continued to look out the window. He sat in the
very back of the van as far away from the small bright eyed lady, she was nice, but he
never really trusted anybody these days. He glanced at the other vehicles pulling up to the
gas station, but the looked towards the dark sky. Heath found himself about to be pulled
into another one of his memories when he heard the door slam and was snapped out of it.
He was almost thankful that he had interruptions like this from time to time when he was
thinking because if he didn’t he would call up another memory and he just didn’t want to
remember,..those days, as he called them. “Now please try and be nice to these people I
realize that now that your brother has died from that accident you don’t have any family
there, but they still seem to want to take you in so please, just be nice. And don’t worry
I’ll be checking in on you every once in a while.” The lady smiled back at Heath whose
face was showing no emotion at all. ‘Another thing he does,’ thought the lady, ‘Never
shows even an ounce of emotion. Poor kid, why is he like this? Maybe I’ll never know.’
*B’Elanna, as I said before don’t worry about me. I will be fine, besides I was
right in the middle of a very good book and I’ll probably just work on finishing it while
you’re gone.*
B’Elanna nodded at Sofi who was stretched out on the small couch in the
library a stack of books was next to the little Wyrm, but currently she wasn’t reading one
of them she was listening to one of the books on tape. “Okay Sofi, well bye.” B’Elanna
muttered and sadly went down the stairs to drive to where they were supposed to meet
Erik’s half brother. Sofi shook her head and instead of going back to listening to her book
she pondered over this new guy that would be living here. She wondered what he might be
like. The little white Wyrm shrugged and tapped the play button on a remote to a small
stereo B’Elanna had put in there for her.
Mary happily exited the car and was about to just go in the cafe, but then she
realized B’Elanna hadn’t got out of the car. Instead she was looking at a young man in the
Cafe, he had odd gray-white hair almost silver like and the deepest, darkest blue eyes she
had ever seen. He turned to look out the window and ended up looking at B’Elanna.
B’Elanna though looked away and got out of the car, slowly she walked to where Mary
was standing. ‘I hope that wasn’t him, something is odd about him and not just the color
of his hair. Probably died it or something.’
When they entered the small Cafe Mary was instantly greeted by a lady with
light brown hair and blue/green eyes. “Excuse me, but are you Miss Vawntika?” Mary
looked ready to laugh.
“Sorry that’s not me, I’m Mary.”
B’Elanna almost smiled, but then she stepped forward and said, “My name is
B’Elanna Vawntika. Please, no Miss stuff. You can call me B’Elanna.” B’Elanna tried
very hard to find the people person in her and it seemed to be working okay. ‘Must get
through this, for Erik.’ She thought.
“You are Miss, er, B’Elanna Vawntika?” The lady asked a bit startled.
B’Elanna was confused, “Um, yes, I am.”
“Oh, well forgive me. It was just, I was, well, I was expecting somebody
older. How old are you?”
“14, I think. What’s today?” But before anybody could tell her what the date
was she had already looked it up, “Never mind, I’m 15. Go figure I missed my Birthday.”
Actually Mary hadn’t really missed it, B’Elanna hadn’t paid attention to what the date was
lately and Mary had told her Happy Birthday the day her Birthday was, but B’Elanna
didn’t listen. Mary just thought that she was still mourning over Erik or something so
there wasn’t any celebration or anything of the sort.
This shocked the lady even more, but she didn’t say anything about it. “Well
my name is Mrs. Patela and Heath is right over there. Now before we go over perhaps I
should give you the files I have on him for you to read,” She said handing Mary a large
envelope with papers in it. B’Elanna shook her head and thought, ‘Lady! Me! He would
be living in my house give me the papers.’ But before B’Elanna could finish
thinking that she was handed a envelope just like Mary’s. “And one for you B’Elanna.
Now if you would follow me you can meet him, but he doesn’t like to talk much just to
warn you. Don’t expect much of a conversation.”
B’Elanna nodded and they headed over to where he sat, “Um, Heath? They’re
here.” Mrs. Patela said. ‘I can see that.’ Heath thought, but didn’t say anything.
B’Elanna remember what Mrs. Patela had said about him not talking much
and she herself didn’t really like talking to people, but she had a few questions to ask,
“Well hello there. I guess. Hey, did you die your hair?”
Heath looked at her, ‘Who is this?’, but then he said, “No.”
“Where did you get your name from?” B’Elanna didn’t know why she had
asked that question, it had just come to mind so she asked it.
“Me.”
“Oh.”
After a bit of talking between Mary and Mrs. Patela, Heath got his things and
put them into the trunk of the car. The ride back was a rather quiet one and nobody talked
much. After a while B’Elanna just flicked the switch to the radio and listened to some
music.
When they finally arrived back at the mansion Heath was shown his room by
Mary, B’Elanna told him a few rules most of them were new ones made because of her
concern for Sofi. Now everybody was back to where they usually would be, Mary in the
kitchen, B’Elanna was going up to the library and Heath was sitting in his room.
When B’Elanna walked into the library she saw Sofi lying on the couch still
listening to the book. With one swift flick of her tail the voice of the person telling the
story stopped, then Sofi opened her left eye and looked at B’Elanna. *What is he like?*
“He’s strange. Doesn’t talk a lot at all, doesn’t show any emotion, has blue
eyes and kind of silver hair that he says is all natural and,....” B’Elanna stopped. That
about summed it up with the new guy in the house.
Sofi opened her other eye then and blinked a few times, *Interesting, what
now?*
“I don’t know, just go on with life I suppose.” B’Elanna said shrugging.
*Well we could do that, yes. Or you could try talking to this, what was his
name?*
“Heath. He says he named himself.”
*Oh, well you could try talking to Heath or I could finish the last chapter in
this book and we could go watch a movie?*
“Movie? Last chapter? I think I’m going to go take a bath or something first.”
Sofi nodded, *Okay.* Then went back to listening to her book on tape. A
little while later Sofi had finished listening to the book and went into B’Elanna’s room.
She decided to sit in a chair while waiting for B’Elanna, but in a few seconds B’Elanna
opened the door to her room and walked in. Sofi looked up at her, *Did you take your
bath?*
“Not yet, I got the water ready, but then I had to go get my jacket with the
paper’s on that Heath that is here.” Sofi nodded, “Well I guess I’m going to go flop in the
bathtub.” Then B’Elanna opened the door to her bathroom. It was a quite big bathroom
and the bathtub was so big some might think it was a hot tub or something instead, but to
tell the truth it was actually bigger than a hot tub. B’Elanna went to the side of the bathtub
and sat on the edge, then she fell in. Her clothes were instantly soaked and she looked at
her shirt, “Oh yeah, clothes.” She sighed and then said, “Phoo. Great, a bath with your
clothes on. Hmm. Oh well, I think I’m losing my mind.”
*B’Elanna? Are you okay?* Sofi asked, to B’Elanna she just seemed to
appear out of nowhere.
“Yeah Sofi I’m fine.”
*Okay.* Sofi was about to slither away when she found she had got a little to
close to the edge of the tub and she accidentally slipped in. B’Elanna grabbed Sofi while
she was under the water and lifted her up.
“Are you okay?”
Sofi seemed to grin, *I’m okay. A bit startled, but I’ll recover.*
B’Elanna smiled, “What book are you reading now?”
* I haven’t started another one yet. But I was thinking about reading a few
nonfiction books, well, a few more anyway.*
B’Elanna nodded and then Sofi slid out of her arms and into the water. ‘What
is she doing?’ B’Elanna thought, but then Sofi returned with a small object around her tail.
*You dropped something, I think it is a necklace of some sort.*
B’Elanna took the necklace off from Sofi’s tail, “Huh, I’ve never seen this
before. Strange, I wonder where it came from.”
*Well, when are we watching a movie? I’ve got a fairly interesting looking
and sounding one picked out.*
“Okay Sofi.” B’Elanna said and got out of the bathtub, her clothes were
soaked and they dripped water everywhere. B’Elanna went off to get some different
clothes, but before she did she heard Sofi say.
*Um, a little help? If you please?* Sofi said while trying to find a way out.
B’Elanna smiled and walked over to the bathtub, “Sorry about that Sofi.
Don’t worry one day you’ll be bigger. You’re just a Wyrm right now remember?” And she
picked Sofi up out of the large bathtub. Sofi grumbled a little. “Sofi? Have you ever met
Mary or even seen her yet?” B’Elanna asked, because as hard as she tried she couldn’t
remember Mary ever meeting Sofi.
*No, and I don’t want to meet anybody. I don’t want to.*
B’Elanna shrugged, “Mary isn’t that bad, but if you don’t want to meet her
ever that’s fine. Might be a bit hard though, Mary does live here too.”
*Maybe so, but I will just stay away from her and the new guy to. I don’t
want to meet anybody.*
B’Elanna nodded, “I know, I know.”
B’Elanna ended up falling asleep during the last part of the movie, but little
Sofi continued to watch. At the end Sofi sighed, *Interesting, a bit complex and
confusing. I’d say a 6 out of 10, I wonder what it would be like if they added a dragon or
two in there.* Sofi yawned, but instead of going to sleep she grabbed the remote to the
giant television and flipped through the channels. Finally she found one that she liked, it
didn’t have any noise at all and showed pictures of space. B’Elanna slowly woke up for
some reason and looked at the screen, she watches as a pictures of some far off galaxy
appeared on the screen. It stayed that way for about 5 or so seconds and switched to a
picture of a nebula.
“What are you watching Sofi?” B’Elanna asked and Sofi turned away from
watching the pictures to look right into B’Elanna’s dark eyes.
*I prefer this channel, no noise, beautiful pictures.* Sofi simply said.
B’Elanna yawned and nodded, “I’m going to go to sleep, don’t stay up to late
Sofi. You know a growing Wyrm needs her sleep.” Sofi smiled and returned to watching
the pictures on the television.
*I won’t, get some rest.*
The next morning B’Elanna woke up later than she usually would, Sofi was in
the room sleeping on her little couch in the corner next to her chair. Her couch had tons of
pillows and blankets everywhere. B’Elanna sighed as she sat up, “Another day. Great.”
Then she fell back down on her bed. Only to get up 5 minutes later and do the same thing
over again. Finally after repeating that quite a few times she actually got out of the bed.
B’Elanna got around quickly enough and smiled at Sofi who was still sleeping. “Breakfast,
great.”
*Aren’t you enthusiastic today?* Sofi said sitting up.
“I thought you were asleep.”
*A little trick I learned, it’s called pretending or for some acting.*
“Huh, well what do you want for breakfast?”
*Food would be prefered most.*
“Yeah, but. What kind?” B’Elanna asked smiling, she knew what would come
next.
*Edible of course.*
“Right, okay. I’ll be right back.” Then she went off, but the door ending up
closing behind her and Sofi found she was unable to get out.
*B’Elanna, I appear to have become stuck in here.* Sofi had meant to direct
her thought to only B’Elanna, but somehow it ended up reaching Heath. The silver haired
16 year old lifted his head from peering at his breakfast, ‘Who was that? A thought? In my
head?’ He kept quiet though and didn’t dare say a word about it. From upstairs he heard
B’Elanna say, “Oops, sorry Sofi. Don’t worry you gave me an idea and I’ll set up
something for you and doors.”
Heath returned to his thoughts, ‘Sofi?’ A few seconds later B’Elanna
appeared in the kitchen and Heath glanced at her curiously, ‘Who is Sofi?’ He continued
to think about it while B’Elanna grabbed a few things and left just as quick as she had
appeared.
B’Elanna went to her Lab that she just hadn’t taken down, she found she
couldn’t. Especially when Erik had told her that her Mother had worked in the very same
Laboratory creating things. Sofi munched on some food as she read a book about space.
B’Elanna worked on something at a table and soon she said to Sofi, “Okay, I need an
opinion. What do you think?” And she held up a little object with a small red button on it.
Sofi lifted her head away from her book and looked at the object with interest,
*A peculiar looking device. What is it’s purpose?*
“I would place them near the bottom of every door in the mansion and they
would allow you to press them and the door would open. I wouldn’t place one of Mary or
Heath’s room of course, but, what do you think?”
*I think that it is an ingenious idea, congradulations and thank you.*
“Of course Sofi, this is your home too after all. Now to begin setting them up.
First I’ll place one on the Lab door so you can get out later.” B’Elanna left the Lab with
her tool box and one of the many devices she had built. She knelt on the left side of the
door and began to implant the device into the building. B’Elanna decided to worry about
wiring when she got a couple of them done. “Drat, where did my screw driver go?”
B’Elanna muttered and then saw it a foot away from her right next to a black shoe. She
looked up and found two deep blue eyes gazing down at her. She watched as Heath
kneeled down and picked up her screw driver and handed it to her. She took it from him
quickly and turned back to her work. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her, then up at
the doors to the Lab. Slowly he got up and walked off leaving B’Elanna wondering if she
should have tried to talk to him or ask him if he had any questions. Maybe he was finding
it hard to adjust to life in the Vawntika mansion. Then she shook her head at the last
thought, ‘Nah, I’ll give him a couple of days.’
A while later after B’Elanna had quite a few of the little devices installed and
she wired them up so they were fully operating. To prove that they worked Sofi stopped
reading her book for two seconds to press the little red button on the inside left wall of the
Lab and the doors opened momentarily so Sofi could slither through then they closed.
*What a wonderful invention.* Sofi said and sighed. Just then Mary came up
the stairs and looked at B’Elanna and then at the little white dragon near her. Mary let out
a piercing shriek and Sofi took of so fast B’Elanna was stunned at how fast the little
Wyrm could go.
“Wh, what w, ww, was that?” Mary stuttered.
“Sofi, she hatched and she probably won’t go near you for a looong time.”
B’Elanna said and shook her head.
“She hatched, boy I don’t think I’ll mind if she doesn’t come near me. I just
suppose I’m not one of those people who can exept anything out of the ordinary.”
B’Elanna shrugged, “What did you want?”
“It’s about Heath, I don’t think that he is feeling like he belongs here.”
“Mary, he just got here yesterday. I thought you would know to give him
sometime.”
“Oh B’Elanna, I think you should get to know him. Perhaps you can take him
for a horse ride or something.”
“Can’t, to busy. Besides what horse would he ride?”
“Well there are plenty down there, what about Stormie?”
B’Elanna felt ready to scream at Mary that Stormie was Erik’s horse and only
Erik’s horse, but instead she just shook her head and said, “Can’t. Lots of work to do.”
“B’Elanna! I won’t stop bothering you till you go for a ride with Heath on this
wonderful day.”
“What if he doesn’t want to go for a ride? What if he doesn’t know how to
ride a horse?”
“First of all I asked him if he wanted to go for a ride on a horse and he said
shrugged and said sure. Second, if he doesn’t know how to ride then you teach him.”
“What?!”
“B’Elanna it’s a nice day and we haven’t had many of those lately. Stop what
you are doing and go grab your horse and that teenager and go for a ride.”
“I can’t, I’m,..”
“B’Elanna..”
B’Elanna sighed, “Fine, just let me go tell Sofi.”
“Why don’t you take her along?”
“Mary, it’s a new guy name Heath for one. And second, well she hasn’t even
been outside yet. Hmm, actually no she hasn’t been outside now that I really think of it.
Hmm, I shall have to ask her about that later. Maybe I can take her to the garden.”
“Right, now get going. Heath is downstairs.”
B’Elanna sighed again, “Gotta tell Sofi.” She said and went off to tell the little
Wyrm where she was going.
*Have fun I suppose, I will be here hiding from that, that shrieking animal.*
“Sofi! That was not nice to say.”
*Sincerest apologies, but she frightened me.*
“I know.” B’Elanna said nodding towards Sofi, “What are you going to do
now?”
*Watch more of those exquisite space pictures I suppose or look for
something different to watch. Don’t worry, I hid in here for a reason. I’ll have plently to
do while hiding.*
“Would you like me to get you a blanket so that you could hide under that
while watching television so that if Mary did come in she wouldn’t see you or something?”
*A good idea and I find that would be wondrous thank you.* B’Elanna smiled
and went to grab Sofi a blanket.
“I’ll be back in a little whilte Sofi.” And B’Elanna left the room only to find
Heath standing outside of it looking at B’Elanna.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“Oh yeah, um, yes. The stables are this way.” B’Elanna lead the way and
when they got there she asked him, “Which horse would you like to ride? As you see we
have a few and you feel free to pick anyone that you find you like.”
Heath nodded at her and walked throughtout the stables looking at all of the
horses until he spotted a dark dapple gray horse, he looked at the name plate below the
door to the horses stall, “Gin.” He said reading the horses name. Then looked at B’Elanna
for an explanation.
“Gin means Silver in Japanese.” Heath nodded his head.
“Can I ride him?” He asked and B’Elanna smiled happy that Heath finally
picked a horse. “Could you tell me about him?”
“Who Gin?” B’Elanna asked as she went to get Gin’s halter and lead rope,
“Well, he’s about 6 years old, can be a handful sometimes. Um, Thoroughbred breed.
Really fast, he could have been a champion race horse I bet.”
“Can we race against each other?”
“Um, well sure I guess, but it wouldn’t be much of a race if I rode Precious.
She can beat Stormie in a snap, but Gin? Ha! I’d have to ride a horse that can at least keep
up with Gin. I don’t know if, hey wait, I know who.”
“Who?”
“Kin, Japanese name for Gold. Also a Thoroughbred and the only horse I
know of that is as fast or if not faster than Gin. Though, he’s about 4 and quite
tempermental. To tell you the truth I have never ridden him before. I’ve been around him
tons of time and he’s never done anything then, but I don’t know. I guess I could try it. I’ll
be right back with Kin so just take Gin over and saddle him up.”
B’Elanna did come back with Kin a golden palimino a couple minutes later,
but Heath didn’t have Gin saddled. “What’s the matter? Do you not know how to saddle a
horse?”
Heath frowned, “You didn’t tell me where the saddles were.”
“Oh. Oops, follow me.”
After a while they were around and Heath got on Gin. He waited for a while
for B’Elanna to get on Kin, but soon she gave up and lead the tall horse to a place where
she could get on. “Took you a while.” Heath said as he walked over to B’Elanna who was
now on Kin.
“Give me a break, he’s tall, and I’m smaller.”
“Where are we going?”
“You wanted to race right? Well I know of a pretty big open area that would
be good for racing, just follow me.”
Back in the mansion Sofi looked out the window in the movie room, *I hope
she doesn’t get hurt.* She thought and watched as B’Elanna and Heath rode off.
B’Elanna and Heath got back a while later, they had raced as they said they
would and it was so close B’Elanna called it a tie. Sighed B’Elanna went one way and
Heath another. “Hi Sofi.” B’Elanna said as she sat down on the small couch in the library
where Sofi now was.
*Greetings.*
“Want to go outside to the garden?”
*Pardon me? What did you say?* Sofi asked a bit caught of guard by
B’Elanna’s question.
“Want to go outside? To the garden?”
*I don’t think that would be such a great idea B’Elanna.*
“Why not?”
*I am, unsure. Okay then, I’ll go, but only for a little while.*
B’Elanna picked up Sofi and went downstairs as quiet as she could. In the
garden Sofi slithered about for a while and then looked at the tall fountain. A few drops of
water hit her face as she did and she blinked a couple times then slithered off once more.
*A beautiful garden, I must say.* Sofi said, and stopped at the bench where B’Elanna was
sitting. *The flowers are of many various colors and they have a sense of tranquillity
around them.*
“Yes Sofi, yes they do.” B’Elanna and Sofi stayed out in the garden for a
while talking until finally going in.
Heath backed away from the window where he had been watching B’Elanna
and a strange white creature in the garden. ‘So that is Sofi, but here is my next question.
What is Sofi?’
