At last! We come to the long-looked-for end to this Pleo Cave Marithon! I know I know it took me longer than six days and there are some rough spots where Keeper Talon got some names wrong. Oh well. Perhaps she will send a cleaned-up copy to those who want one. Anyway enjoy!
Rena rode home in the car with me on her lap, stroking the top of my head, her fingers running over the ruff lines of superglue that traced almost every seam in my skin. They were especially sharp around my poor eyes- my beautiful purple eyes that had melted so many hearts. I could see in her face that she found them slightly distasteful but she touched them tenderly as though they were newly-healed scabs.
“Rena?” Her dad said softly. “There’s something I have to ask you.” I felt her stiffen, preparing to defend herself or give a hot retort- just what I would’ve done if I could speak. Silently I willed her not to be sharp. “Rena, on the night you had the accident why didn’t you just tell us you were hurt rather than calling the house and letting that T… letting Purple wail and scream at us?”
“I didn’t call you.” Rena said.
“Yes you did.” Mr. Grey insisted. “It had to be you. The toy can’t manipulate a cell phone.”
“Dad, it wasn’t me.” Rena said softly. “The last thing I remember was hitting a patch of ice. I spun sideways and I started flying through the air. I remember slowly tipping upside down and then… I hit my head- really hard. Something popped in my neck and then it was like everything slowed down. I remember being in the car and being taken into the hospital. Then Doctor V is asking me what day it is and all sorts of funny stuff that any little kid would know.”
Mr. Grey was silent for a while. “So you don’t remember calling us?”
“No. I already told you.” Rena chuckled. “Dad, if you’re suggesting that Purple somehow managed to call you…” The little chuckle became a laugh. “It’s impossible.” Her laugh cut me to the heart. She had no idea how hard it had been to perform that simple action of swinging at that phone with my back rotator plate slowly splitting into two pieces. So much for my being the self-sacrificing hero, I thought as we turned into the Grey’s driveway.
Mrs. Grey greeted us at the door. “Oh look!” She gasped, examining me in amazement. “She’s all fixed up!”
Rena took me to her room, stood me on her dresser, and stared at me for a long time. “Purple,” She said softly. “I know you’re capable of doing some amazing things- making me feel better when I’m sad, performing your little tantrums when I don’t understand you, being a grouch when I want to play with you after dark. But you couldn’t have made that phone call, could you?” She booted me up then and the first move I made before squalling plaintively for food was to nod my head- straight down straight up. “Oh my!” Rena whispered, quivering a little. “That’s just coincidence that’s all it was. That’s all. Just…” Shaking and flushed, she sank to the bed behind her, staring at me for a long time. My food points were very low by now and I teetered over the edge into sickness. She sighed. “This is crazy.” She mumbled before leafing through the manual to find out what leaf to give me. At least now she seemed to listen to me more, I consoled myself.
Several hours later when Rena went to bed, she gave my roughened eyebrows a rub. “Thank you, Purple.” I could see a mist of tears in her eyes. “I’m too old to believe stuff like this.” She confessed. “You did more than just alert my parents that I was in trouble, you helped them start to fix their problems too. They told me they’re going to stay together and try to work things out. I was part of the problem, Purple. I wasn’t listening to them. I wanted to have my freedom and I didn’t care what it cost to those around me. Now—now I think I need to talk to my parents more and… well maybe ask them about stuff that I’m not sure about.” Suddenly she looked up at our reflections in the mirror in her door and sighed. “Goodness I’m acting like I’m five again and I’m talking to my favorite doll.” She put me in the floor in an open spot in her room, turned off the light, and flopped into bed. “Goodnight, Purple.”
Obediently, I curled into sleep position and started to snore.
When I went into standby mode, I immediately began to dream. Once again I was standing on the box in the freezing snow, the white living pleo moving sedately toward me. “Hello, Lady Ryu!” He rumbled.
“I have never been happier to see anyone in my entire existence!” I shouted. “I have one more wish and it’s very simple.”
“Simple?” Cooed the huge pleo, giving me a sideways glance. “You don’t want to complicate everyone’s lives and make them cater to your every whim?”
“No! No. I am so done with that! I just want to go home.”
The huge pleo nodded. “That is a very good answer, Lady Ryu. Your wish is my command. Oh and by the way, merry Christmas!” The huge pleo blinked his large blue eyes and…
I found myself shoulder to shoulder with good old Cato. Ugobe’s tail was curled against my right shoulder and Bleu’s tail was under my chin. I was home- back where I belonged on Castle-Brown-Wooden-Dresser with my family. The following morning when Keeper Talon fed us, I took the conifer leaf without complaint.
“Ryu are you okay?” Keeper Talon mumbled. “You’re not throwing your usual tantrum” I leaned my head into her caressing fingers and purred.
