Chapter 17

She stretched out her mind even as she stretched out her wings, and felt something connect to her mind. Everything was still so new, this wide, spacious world, her flying, her mental ... whatever it was ... that enabled her to connect with the life forces around her...

And the monsters who had greeted her when she entered this world weren't really so bad; they seemed to like her and even tried to feed her some dead things they'd caught. Of course, they'd gotten upset when she choked the meat back out of her throat, then flame-broiled it before eating it again, but they never tried to hurt her – except for the small ones who tried to steal her food. Even her face, as long as her mouth was and filled with those bizarre, jagged teeth, was surprisingly aerodynamic and obviously designed for flight in this bright, new world. So everything was good, except that she was extremely ugly – a lot like those winged monsters who ruled this sunny paradise.

Now she was noticing another life form. That odd presence inside her mind seemed to attract her attention, even as she tried to shut it out, shying away from its gentle yet persistent touch. It was too late, though, and that strangely familiar entity seemed to be present once again. She hoped it wouldn't start asking her stupid questions like it had before.

Her memories of previous encounters with that psychic presence made her angry. Changing her mind about trying to get away from that sad, depressing influence, she thrust forward with her mind and immediately met resistance.

And surprise!

'There's somebody there!'

She circled, peering down with what would be called 'Eagle Eyes' in a future time, but she was the 'original', and eagles wouldn't exist for millions of years, yet, trying to spot the origin of that annoying mind. She thought she saw it when it contacted her a few minutes ago.

Something was responding to her mental quest – someone reaching out – it had touched her mind in that nightmare time when she'd been trapped in that dark cocoon where she'd awakened to this new life after having been eaten, and it was reaching out to her right now.

She remembered the first time when she felt that 'other' presence – when she'd been trapped in that cramped darkness. Although she hated remembering that horrid place, her tight, dark prison had at least given her time to heal and regrow her body, although what she'd grown into, she still wasn't sure. Something about that tight darkness had definitely warped her appearance. She was pretty sure she didn't look like this before she was eaten.

She still had her fire; a physical manifestation of psychic energy that she could control with her mind. She knew that she should be able to control her body, its shape and her healing capabilities through the use of this fire. But right now, the ability eluded her, so she was stuck inside this scary, misshapen thing; misshapen except for the fact that it had these wonderful, magnificent wings. Maybe she could incorporate the wings into her original shape. Now that would be really neat. Especially if she could remember what her original shape was...

Whatever or whoever she had been before, she was absolutely certain that her body had been more aesthetically pleasing than it was now, although she also knew that this new body was much stronger.

A 'Big Plus' – it could fly!

The sudden, violent wind sent Miranda flying off her lounge where she'd been sleeping in the sun and across the concrete pool deck. Stunned, groggy and sporting several fresh abrasions, she squinted against the bright sunlight, which was immediately eclipsed by an enormous dark shape.

'Holy shit! Are those giant bat wings?'

Before she could figure out what was going on, the giant predator pounced. An enormous clawed foot slammed down right next to her head while another tore into her stomach and held her tight against the concrete. Stifling a scream, Miranda concentrated on her room inside the lodge. Escape Plan A!

She disappeared as the flying monster grabbed her arm in its teeth and began to pull her apart. As often as she and her sister had fed themselves to the beasties, Miranda had this move down pat.

The young pterodactyl had lifted off and was hovering (Hey! I can fly standing still!) over the roof of the lodge, searching for that annoying creature she was going to take to her unseen mystery friend – the half-starved one. Suddenly, it was almost as if it could see right through the walls to where the pasty little worm was hiding. She knew exactly where it was.

The beast landed hard on the roof just above Miranda's room, caving in the top of the structure, as it hadn't been built to support a half-grown, flying dinosaur. Both Miranda and the pterodactyl screeched in shock and surprise, then the beast eagerly thrust its head toward the screaming girl, its long, toothy beak opened wide.

The pterodactyl stuck her head through the door that opened into the hallway and peered down at her prize, which was now at the foot of a long, sloping structure of squared stones. Somehow, she knew that the stone structure was a staircase. The slug creature seemed uncertain whether to head out through the main entrance, or try hiding in the kitchen.

The pterodactyl considered what the little worm had told her. It wasn't likely that a creature that small could pull down this entire ... structure ... of wood and stone, but the thing was pretty fragile. She decided it was possible she could actually become trapped in here.

Anxious about becoming trapped in a dark enclosure yet again, the pterodactyl struggled up and out of the hole in the roof. Once outside, she clambered up to the top of the roof. From here, she discovered, she could see all around that little worm's nest. It wouldn't get away again. She'd catch it easily when it came out.

'That does it!' the pterodactyl fired into the little worm's head, and drew back a terrific breath. 'Your goose is cooked!'

Sliding down and sticking her head back into the hole in the roof, the pterodactyl closed her eyes and concentrated to call forth her fiery breath. She exhaled into the hole in the roof and ignited the air flowing out of her throat, filling the little worm's 'bedroom' with Phoenix fire. (Isn't that how it's done?) Concentrating harder, the young pterodactyl/phoenix forced the firestorm down the hallway and all the way down the stairs. It reached its target and surrounded it, flaming brightly.

'You want rare, medium or crispy, worm?'

Then her fire went out. Completely! The pterodactyl felt like she was being turned inside out. The sudden vacuum in both the young pterodactyl's mind and her body was agonizing. All her energy had just been sucked right out of her body.

'Mmm-mm! That was good!' Miranda thought back at the vile, murderous creature who'd tried to burn her out. 'Very invigorating. Got any more?'

This winged creature, impossible as it may be, was obviously a Phoenix. And Miranda knew that if you suck a Phoenix girl's fire out, it weakens her so that she can't even walk and is barely able to remain conscious. The fire comes from her life force, after all, and it takes a few minutes for even a powerful Phoenix to build it back to a level sufficient to even stand upright.

She grinned as she heard, and 'felt', the impossible bird slide down the roof. A few seconds later it landed outside the wall with an audible grunt. This fight was over.

Chuckling to herself at her first victory in a real fight and therefore willing to be forgiving, Miranda stepped outside and walked fearlessly up to the tangle of bird and wings as it feebly tried to right itself.

"Not so cocky, now, huh, you goofy-looking bird?" she chortled, cheerfully taunting the creature even as she walked up to within easy range of its wickedly dangerous beak and claws. Then, feeling sorry for it, she placed her hand on its powerful neck and flowed 'calm' into the frightened creature. "Don't worry, big fella, I'm not gonna hurt you."

The giant bird squawked, low in its throat, seeming to comment on Miranda's statement. It was obvious that the creature didn't believe her, but right now, it was too weak to move, let alone fight back. It positively radiated fear of what had only been a small morsel moments before.

Feeling relieved that she wasn't going to be attacked again, Miranda put her arms around the creature's neck, hugging it like she would a horse – albeit a very large one...

'You just gotta show 'em who's boss... ' she thought to herself, 'and this odd creature just might make a great pet ... It's not like there's anyone else to talk to around here – or anywhere... ' she remembered, starting to feel lonely and abandoned again.

Almost immediately, the young pterodactyl stopped trembling and seemed to enjoy the radiance Miranda was emitting. After a moment, Miranda noticed a minute, tenuous flow being returned by her recent attacker. It was lonely, too, and it seemed to want to be friends but was afraid its friendship might be rejected.

"How did you ever get to be a Phoenix?" she murmured as she pressed the side of her head against the pterodactyl's neck. "Are you the one who ate my sister? Did she bequeath her powers to you as you swallowed her? She was like that, you know. Always eager to give ... sometimes too much," she added as an unexpected flood of tears dampened her cheeks.

'You are ... empty ... inside, ' the pterodactyl thought, its awareness of its conqueror enhanced by the physical contact. 'But you are not hungry. How do you feed this ... sensation?'

"Emotion," Miranda murmured, still disturbed at the seeming sentience of this prehistoric creature. "It's called 'emotion'. I miss my sister – that's all. And the way you feed it..." she thought for a moment before she continued, "is to just hug somebody."

'You're hugging ... me?' the bird replied in Miranda's mind, becoming fearful again. 'Oh. You're feeding. Is this going to hurt?'

"No-o-o-o," Miranda laughed. "It doesn't hurt. Hugging makes people feel better." 'I'm talking to a friggin' dinosaur ... Definitely Loony Tunes, now... '

'So, you are finished? Feeding your ... hug? Can I eat you now?'

"No," Miranda explained. "Nobody's getting eaten. Not you, not me."

'But I'm hungry, and I don't ... hug. I didn't really get much out of that... '

'Hungry, huh? Feeling better, are you?' Miranda thought at the big head that was turning above her.

'Yes. And hungrier. Will you promise not to ... disappear like you did before?'

"Only if you promise not to eat me," Miranda replied.

'I promised a friend of mine a meal, and I was going to take you ... I wasn't going to eat you for myself, even if I'm really hungry right now.'

"You're only hungry because I took your fire," Miranda explained. "I can give some of it back, and you'll feel better. I think."

Miranda wasn't really willing to give back the energy she'd stolen from this other-species Phoenix. She had been nearly starved when she took it, and it had taken all her willpower not to steal all of the creature's lifeforce once she'd started sucking it into herself. Right now, though, she felt full and satisfied – except for the hole where her sister should be – and she decided she could afford to give some of that life energy back to her fellow Phoenix, to help her feel better. Maybe they could become friends.

Without waiting for a response, Miranda gently flowed some of her energy into the drained creature. A soft, pleasurable groan vibrated the pterodactyl's throat.

'You are a strange creature, ' Miranda heard in her head. 'I tried to eat you, and you ... feed me ... in this unusual manner instead. Is this hurting you? For some reason, I don't want to hurt you anymore. I want to be closer to you.'

"That's what hugging does," Miranda replied softly, smiling to herself. "And this energy flow is self-replicating. It'll never run out, as long as I offer it to you."

'Yes – I can see that it's making you feel better, as well as me. You said something about missing your sister. Exactly what is that about, anyway?'

Miranda didn't want to go there, because this was the best she'd felt since the day of that tragic pterodactyl hunt. But she found a lounge chair and sat down anyway. Somehow, she felt as though she'd found a lifelong friend – could be one, anyway. In any event, she trusted that the pterodactyl wasn't interested in eating her, anymore.

The pterodactyl sat back, her body comfortably sated, and looked around. The pale little slug creature was lying back as though offering herself as a meal on some sort of artificial platter that held it off the ground. But things were clicking together in the pterodactyl's mind – this mental connection between them was very similar to the mental contact she'd had with her unknown friend – the one she'd planned on feeding this little slug to as an offering of friendship between them.

'There is someone, somewhere, who needs my help, ' she told the little slug as it relaxed down into the... 'chaise. That's a chaise. And how do I know that? And that's a human. It even told me that. But ... I recognize it – her. She's female, like me ... sort of... '

"What are you thinking about?" Miranda asked the creature crouched next to her. "You feel confused and upset about something."

'You, ' the pterodactyl thought back at ... her. 'You are ... someone I should know. I think you might be the unknown friend I was seeking out. Your thoughts feel good against mine. Not like the other creatures – not like the ones who fed me when I was weak. When I first escaped to ... wherever we are.'

Miranda sat up, radiating an intense curiosity. "You were trapped, weren't you? In a tight, black place. I had nightmares about it."

The pterodactyl pushed herself up on her arms – her wings – and stared suspiciously down at the pale little worm. 'Why would you know about my terror? Did you have something to do with me being there? Did you help me escape?' The pterodactyl glared down, now, as another thought occurred to her. 'Did you PUT me there?'

"What? No," Miranda protested. "I didn't put you there. I didn't even know what was happening was real. They were just horrible dreams. I was searching for my sister!"

The pterodactyl seemed to relax, to consider what the little slug had told her. She was looking for ... something. No ... Someone; a sister. 'So it seems we were both looking for someone. You for a sister, and me for my unseen friend. What is that, anyway? A sister, I mean. Is that special to you?'

Miranda relaxed a bit. Maybe talking about her horrors would help her get past them. There were no goddesses around to help her through this mess – although until now, she would've been unwilling to accept that kind of help – or any kind that wouldn't help in her search.

"Yes," Miranda sighed, then closed her eyes as she remembered. "She was special. We were twins, you know? Both born at the same time, and we've always been together."

'Together; like in the same pack. Group?'

"I don't think it's the same as being a member of a flock of birds or anything," Miranda explained. "But I can't be sure; I've never sought out how other creatures feel about ... family."

'Family; that's another word I don't understand.'