Crave Attention

CASSADREI'S POV

Cookie scrambles off the table and rushes towards me as soon as I enter through the door. Every part of my body aches, courtesy to the long hours of a practice session with Michael, and all I can think of is sitting down on my comfortable couch. Lately, my practice sessions are taking a terrible toll on my health, a side effect of sudden return to power as sagely stated by Sofosys. I start panting halfway through the practice sessions, as if I had just run ten miles at a stretch. Michael grows increasingly impatient with me, his disapproval of Cookie is evident in every word he speaks, and I don't know how can I convince him of the innocence of this apparently harmful creature.

I rub Cookie's back and he starts crackling and chirping, jumping all around me and showing various tricks, asking for my approval with his doleful eyes. Tired as I am, I can't help but smile at his antics….. I had always wanted a pet and Cookie is the closest thing to a pet that I have. The neighbours rejoice in his presence, cooing over him as Cookie entertains them with his shenanigans, his silvery white furs shining with mirth as more and more people appreciate his playful friendliness and dote on him.

 I have strictly instructed him not to show any fragment of his unworldly powers when he is in the presence of outsiders and so he suffices by the regular puppy tricks of rolling over, turning into a snowball, playing catch and giving much coveted high-fives. He has become a quick hit in the neighborhood, and little do they know that this is one of the most dangerous creatures in the magical world. I laugh at the irony of it all. 

I see Sofosys, neck deep in his stack of heavy books, literally invisible behind their enormity. He had been worried since the poison incident and he's reading up everything he can on self defence against powerful magical forces. I must admit, my heart fluttered when I heard that the attack might have been targeted for Michael, he would never have survived it. I would have been impinged by the guilt of his death for my whole life, I know this. I break into a cold sweat every time I realise the severity of the situation, and the risks that I am consciously imposing upon an innocuous guy like Michael. 

"Cassie! Open the door!" I am startled at the voice of the person I was just thinking about. 

Before I can open the door, Cookie reaches and I hear the clicking of locks as the door is miraculously thrown open without any manual help. 

Michael emerges, he spots the Petrywinkler with it's incandescent glow and his brow furrows in disgust. Cookie yelps joyfully and wags his fluffy tail as he inches towards Michael, who starts recoiling. I feel like smacking Michael in the face, how can he be so indifferent when Cookie clearly craves his attention and love. 

Cookie is faster and he launches himself on Michael, licking his face and chirping with renewed vigour. Micheal falls on the floor, shocked by the impact and tries frantically to get the Petrywinkler off his face. The scene is so comical that even Sofosys looks up from his pile of books with mild amusement and I break into peals of laughter. 

"Get t-this Petry.. thing off me before it corrodes my face away!" Michael shouts.

Suppressing my laughter, I give a quick instruction to Cookie, to leave Michael alone. 

Cookie is clearly not pleased to get off Michael, and he suddenly turns into a very lean rope like thing and coils around Michael's leg.

Michael screams in panic, I try to pacify him by giving an angry look to Cookie who promptly releases Michael and climbs up my shoulders, regaining his original form. 

"Why do you allow this thing to move freely?? Why can't you chain him up or something?" Michael says, his face contorted with rage. 

"Calm down! He just likes to play with people. He means no harm, Mike. You can be a little indulgent at times too….shrug off your inhibitions you know. You should relax a bit." I say, nodding my head wisely. 

"Do not teach me how to compose myself! This thing is very dangerous and you all are just blindfolded by his cute antics. You'll see, it'll wreak havoc and then you'll regret your decision to be so complacent." Michael retorts.

I am thankful that Cookie can't understand human tongue, else he would have been deeply hurt by Michael's insensitive comments. 

Enough with Michael's bigotry! I realise, I don't have to put up with his non-sense every time, just because he's my key. Afterall, Cookie helped me recover and I would be really ungrateful of me, if I let snide comments about his suspected devilry pass, without raising my voice against them. 

"You don't have the right to speak in this way! Cookie is still an infant and all he does is trying to gain your approval. You always try to just push him away. Why are you always so cold?" I reply tauntly, biting back my anger, limiting myself before I say something unforgiving. 

Michael looks furious, for once he seems to be at a loss of words. He slams his fist against the wooden table and cookie jumps aside, hiding behind my ankles. 

"Enough with you two! Don't forget that you are allies and Cookie is an asset to us." Sofosys' calm voice does nothing to cool my wrath and both Michael and I look daggers at each other. 

"Also, it seems like we have more pressing matters at hand. Cassadrei, your friend Linda is missing...her father just called." Sofosys adds. 

At once, my anger vapourises, leaving a cold dread in it's wake. My greatest fear was this, Linda is impulsive and highly volatile….she is not someone who can handle a broken heart easily. My hands and feet goes numb as I instantly start overthinking a number of possible ways things can go wrong. I immediately text Jake. He doesn't reply. 

"We have to find her. I don't think she could have gone far. Ohhh this silly stupid girl, not having a care in the world... I wish she had some senses instilled in her brain. Let's go!" I urge Mike, our dispute forgotten at once. 

Mike looks at me warily, "Did you try calling Jake? What if she's with him?"

"She's not. I know, I have a feeling. She went somewhere. This is what she does when she's truly upset, it... it lets her clear her mind. Besides, your roommate isn't picking up the phone." I say desperately.

Michael's brow twitches a bit, he gulps and says, "Jake's volatile too... he's also not good with emotions. What if..what if he too went somewhere….you keep texting him, let me go to the apartment and see if he's there."

With that Michael leaves at once and I try calling Jake but it goes straight to his voicemail. Where is this guy?

I text him again. Fear rises within me as I try to call Linda but to no avail. Her number is switched off. She doesn't reply either. 

Panic grips my heart, I try dialing all of Linda's friends, enquiring about her whereabouts…. telling everyone to aid in the search of her. No one had seen her for a few days, I get worried answers, people asking if she's okay but no one can conclusively tell her location. I look at Sofosys' frantically. 

"She's dumb, she can be anywhere now! How will we find him? What if...what if she does something stupid? Oh these mortals... they are so weak, they do such stupid things for love."

Even as I say it, my cheeks burns as guilt sweeps through me. How can I blame Linda, when I, the apparently superior being did the most horrible things for the sake of love? Sofosys seems to apprehend my feelings, for he gives a flicker of a smile. 

"We all are but fools when it comes to matters of heart. Don't be too harsh, for the weak can never love strongly. Strong love manifests only among the ones with the greatest heart." He says with the slightest nod, "And don't worry, I am sure your friend is alright. Now think, Cassadrei….what are the possible places that she can visit when she needs quiet? What are her favourite spots? Which are the ones that will draw her when she craves solitude and self-introspection? Think...and you'll have her."