Chapter 34 The Actress

“We all live in a house on fire, No Fire Department to call, no way out. Just the upstairs window to look out of,While the fire burns the house down,With us trapped,Locked in it."

- William Tennessee

 

Sky

 

It happened again. I thought that now that I’ve found Burns, this body would finally be content, but no such luck. There was something about that prism that made it react. Is this how the rest of my lifespan on Earth is going to look like? My body rebelling against me on the most unexpected occasions? I bite my lip and stare at the scenery outside. I have a strange feeling of déjà vu, though I’ve never been here before. But maybe Emma has. “Is this where you met Emma?” Burns looks at me surprised. “Yes actually. Why do you ask?” “No reason. I just had this feeling. It’s not important.” Perhaps that explains it. Maybe I have nothing to worry about. But what about the prism then? I close my eyes and search Emma’s memories. It takes a while for me to find, but it makes me sigh in relief. Emma’s father had a prism. That would explain my body’s reaction. “Are you alright?” Burns’ voice asks suddenly. I turn to him and smile. “I’m fine. I was wondering what I’m supposed to do when we get to the forest. How to help you with your Calling.” He laughs. “Don’t worry about that. You can take notes for me, collect samples.” He parks the car and drops a small bag in my lap. “And you can be in charge of lunch.” There’s an amused glint in his eyes that I don’t quite understand, but feels familiar at the same time. I smile back at him. “Sure thing.”

We walk for a while. There are no other people in this part of the forest, but that’s fine. It makes this trip more intimate.

It’s strange. I’ve only known Burns for a day, but it feels like I’ve known him my entire life. Being near him just feels right. Is this what it’s like to find a partner? I admire the scenery. I’ve never really paid attention to Earth’s nature before. It’s pretty. “Where exactly are we going?” I ask. “Just a little up ahead. We’ll leave the trail there.” I blink in surprise. “We’re allowed to do that?” “I am,” he explains, “my Calling lets me. And since you’re my new assistant, it goes for you too.” Assistant. That sounds important.

I can’t help but smile.

 ***

He sits down in the grass and hands me a notebook. “Here you go,” he says and gives me a pen, “just write down what I tell you. Easy as that.” I nod seriously and flip through the book to fond an empty page. I smile at the doodles in the margins. It seems he is quite the artist. I turn the page and something inside of me freezes. There’s a drawing that doesn’t look like anything I know. It’s not something that belongs on Earth either, but somehow I know what it is. I just can’t remember. “What’s this?” I ask. Burns would know. He’s the one that drew it. Burns looks at the paper and a smile tugs on his lips. I stare at it again but I can’t figure out what is it about that picture that would make anyone smile. It’s best described as a long ribbon with hairs framing it at all sides. I blink at Burns, waiting for an explanation. “It’s nothing,” he says, “forget about it.” He smiles again, “just another doodle.” I look at him for a moment. There’s a tone to his voice that confuses me. It makes it seems like it’s somehow special to  him and my heart makes a funny leap that confuses me even more, because it seems to run separate from how I am feeling.   It’s making me uneasy. Burns has returned to investigating the forest soil. He scoops some of it in a plastic container and stuffs it in his backpack. He looks up at me and hands me a camera. “Here. Why don’t you go take some pictures?” “Of what?” I ask uncertain.Burns shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. Anything that interests you. Plants, rocks, birds.”I hesitantly take the camera and make my way over to some bushes. I take random shots of any plant I see and after a while I start enjoying it. I don’t even notice that Burns has walked up to me until his voice whispers at my ear.“There.” He points at a branch not far above our heads.I squint my eyes and then I see it too. A pretty green bird.“I think they are called love birds,” he continues.I’m not sure why my cheeks heat up all of a sudden, but I’m glad he’s looking at the bird right now instead of me.I search Emma’s memories for confirmation and turn to Burns. “Do they exist here in the wild?” “I’m not sure,” he answers, “perhaps it escaped or maybe someone set it free. Take a picture.” I nod and click the camera.“Are you hungry yet?” Burns asks.I shake my head. “No I’m fine,” I say softly After that comment about the bird, I suddenly feel shy around him.“Okay, ” he smiles, “just let me know when you want to eat. There’s a picnic area not far from here.” “Okay,” I whisper.

For the next few hours we work together. Burns takes samples. I make notes. And my body seems to settle again. I’m glad. I’ve had enough of these dual feelings. They don’t make sense.

I wipe the strands of hair away from my face. “Burns, how long have you been on Earth?” I ask. I want to know more about him. “Some two and a half years,” he says, “I had seen Fire World and before that I was a Bear. I wanted something in between. What about you?” “After the Dragons, I wanted something else,” I tell him, “Dragons have such long lifespans, so it was a big adjustment to change species. I thought Earth would be a real challenge. I guess I was right.” “A challenge? What do you mean?” I bite my lip. Perhaps I’ve said too much already. “Humans are so complex,” I sigh, “half the time I don’t even understand my own feelings and sometimes it’s like they’re not even my own.” Burns eyes me silently. I can see that he’s thinking. “It takes some getting used to,” he admits, “humans have a way of changing you.”My breath stocks. Him too? There’s a sad look in his eyes when he searches my face. And once again my heart skips a beat. I wince in pain.Strong hands steady me. “What’s wrong?” Burns asks concerned.I gasp and close my eyes. I feel like crying.“Sky.” He cups my face and that’s when the tears start falling.“What is it?” Burns asks softly.I shake my head. I can’t tell him. I’m afraid of what he’ll think of me.His hand touches my forehead. “Are you ill? Do you need a Healer?” I shake my head.“Do you want to go home?” I shake my head again. “I don’t want to ruin your day. It’s so nice out here and you had this picnic planned.” He laughs softly. “So we’ll come back some other day. Your health is more important.” He tugs the notebook in his pack with the rest of his equipment and picks me up.“I… I can w-walk,” I stutter, but I don’t really want him to let go.“Okay,” Burns nods and he plants me back on my feet, but holds a hand against my back just to be sure. He takes his bags and I follow him back to the car. “Are you sure you can walk?” he asks.Again there’s that strange feeling of déjà vu and I realize it’s Emma’s memory that plagues me now. ‘He’s mine now,’ I think angrily. Then I sigh. I’m talking to myself now. There’s no one in my head but me.

And then I trip.

Burns catches me before I face palm the ground. I blink bewildered. What did I trip on? The ground is even here. There’s no tree roots to stumble on. There’s a jolt of satisfaction tugging at the back of my mind. It scares me. The feeling wasn’t mine, it was directed at me. “Sky? Did you hear me?” I blink and turn to face Burns. “Sorry what?” Burns shakes his head. “You’re obviously not well. I’m going to carry you the rest of the way.” He picks me up again. This time I don’t protest. I’m scared of my own body, because a sudden thought starts to form in my mind. Something that should not be possible, but gets more solid by the day: Emma’s presence hasn’t faded.

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A/N Just in case you're confused. When Sky asks Burns if this is where he met Emma, she means his host. Souls talk about their host's life as if it's their own life.