Hare of Misfortune

Rachel returned with her new fanged ’friend’ and her mom to the room they’d used before, starting the private shower and going first since Richard was nearly ready for the interview. Scarlet grew more nervous by the minute, crimson-illuminated eyes darting in the psychiatrist’s direction occasionally as Rachel exited the bathroom, combing out her hair.

Her mom was quick to her feet to examine how the cut she’d made in the shorts for her tail was working. ”Look how beautiful you look! I swear, you’re practically a goddess! Don’t think I didn’t see the way guys were looking at you,” she teased as an offhand nudge toward previous conversations they’d had.

”Hehe. Yeah, but can they beat me in a fistfight? Mom! I keep telling you not to fiddle with my tail...” Rachel grumbled, turning away as she stroked the fur.

”Ooh, sensitive? You know, I was reading and found out hare tails are longer than rabbits’—naww...your big floppy ears are so adorable, and your tail’s so fluffy!”

”Mom...” she groaned, trying to fend off her affection while Scarlet laughed. ”I need to go!”

”No! Just a little longer—I want to look at your ears more, and so much is happening with your eyes now—give your mom some time to know how much her daughter has changed!”

”I’m going!”

”Aww... You’re not being very nice,” her mom pouted.

Pulling away with some effort from her mother’s grabby hands, she hurriedly waved at Scarlet in her retreat. ”Don’t worry. I’ll set things straight. Love you, Mom!”

”Then let me braid your hair!” she called back as she rushed to leave the room. ”Ugh. Do...you want me to braid your hair, Scarlet?”

”Hehe. Sure. I’d like that.”

”Success!”

Rachel rolled her eyes; naturally, her mom knew at this point she could hear her. She was likely trying to make her feel jealous in some weird mom way; she didn’t get it. Sure, her mom was still spiraling, trying desperately to keep her close, but it was almost crazy how clingy she was being. This wasn’t normal behavior from her active Korean mom. Then again, this wasn’t a normal situation, so that was fair.

Making it to the room Selvaria and her mother had slept in—where Richard had set up his laptop—Rachel knocked. He welcomed her in, and she sat across from him, crossing her legs and settling down.

The man had the device open on his lap, but from the second she entered, his attention was on her.

”Let’s not waste any time breaking ice; from what I’ve concluded while speaking to your parents and your previous introduction, you’re not the type to spend valuable minutes on chitter-chatter.” He folded his fingers atop the front of the laptop. ”So...what is your impression of me and why I am here—what are your expectations from this?”

Rachel sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, drawing it to the side to look at the wall with its wellness chart and face diagrams.

”For this first interaction? You’re here to see if I fit enough boxes for the criteria the general is looking for while gaining valuable insight into mythickin’s mentality. What have you found? A complex bag between emotions, logic, and expectations...

”I love having a competitive lifestyle. I hate staying still, and I have very little patience for those who, as I see it, waste time. The world has changed, and I have to adapt to it—that’s how I see things.”

She paused, her head and ears tilting left as she heard a young nurse enter their section of the hallway. ”Can we speak candidly regarding the person employing you—also, the coffee you requested is here.”

Richard nodded, leaning against his armchair, and followed her gaze to the closed door. ”Now that we’re in this phase, it’s fine. The initial screening was just a precaution for other reasons, but this computer isn’t networked, and nothing in this room is connected to the internet. Due to all the new abilities, the general likes to be cautious regarding sensitive information, such as your communication with these...divine beings. How soon until the coffee arrives?”

”Twenty seconds.”

”Alright.”

They waited for the nurse to bring the cup since the psychiatrist seemed jet-lagged. She assumed he’d had to parse through a ton of documents in a short time to be prepared for this interview, not to mention come to terms with many uncomfortable revelations for an atheist—at least from what she’d been able to find about him online—but his job wasn’t to question her visitations from the goddesses.

The nurse was directed to their door and knocked before entering; bright-eyed and blonde, she wore scrubs and was chewing gum, blowing a bubble just before entering.

”I have your coffee, Doctor. Is there anything else—oh, I was wondering why they had this area blocked off and guarded... Wow.”

Rachel didn’t know how to respond to the blunt reply and unabashed stare as she handed him the item.

”Thanks, dear, and no, that will be all.”

”Okay. Cool ears.”

”Thanks?”

She popped another bubble in her exit, lingering with her hand on the knob for a second. ”Uh, you’re the one that dealt with those alien toads that killed all those religious people that gathered together to pray?”

”Heh. No comment.”

”Cool.” She grinned and left with a wave, but Rachel’s eyes lingered on her thin, wooden, rectangular-shaped earrings; she hadn’t seen any other hospital staff wearing jewelry, but maybe she’d just gotten here since they were understaffed at the moment.

Turning away from the awkward encounter, Rachel settled back in, hearing the nurse hum to herself, popping bubbles and chewing her gum on her way to the break room to get coffee for herself.

”Uh, yeah, anyway... From what I can tell, the general is trying to make a case for mythickin and legendkin to the President, Congress, and the Senate. It helps that some individuals in those seats have also experienced The Oscillation, but it is nowhere near a majority. He wants data to show that some of us aren’t...extremists. I don’t think it’s a good direction, though.”

”Oh?” Richard made a few notes and looked back up at her. ”Care to elaborate?”

She motioned at his computer. ”We are extremists—it almost seems like a requirement. I’m guessing you have the notes of everything I’ve said to the general, so let me elaborate. From the second I changed, I haven’t been satisfied with my life’s direction, and if a path isn’t opened up to provide a path to fulfill our instincts, I can see a lot of trouble on the horizon, especially for mythickin.”

He stroked his beard, scanning the reports. ”You’re saying you’re attracted to violent situations, and everyday life isn’t something you can return to... That’s something many military veterans struggle with when they return home; the structure and direction the military offers provide a clear purpose they can believe in.

”Hmm. I can assume, through your incredible sensory abilities, that you’ve noticed the strange happenings around the world—the Crystal attacks, the rapid rise in terrorist activity, and the struggle for governments to provide solutions to these mounting issues.

”Many of those changed by The Oscillation feel as if their lives are ruined by the change, and it is more of a curse than a blessing. Still, a lot can come from this, including technology and an ever-progressive future, with the revelation that we are not alone in the universe...and with god-like beings that even seem frightened of what is to come.

”You want to act on the frontier of this new world we’re jumping into...and you know the powers that be will be hard to convince otherwise, but you didn’t have this plan from the start.”

Rachel laughed, legs crossing the opposite way while observing the sharp-eyed psychiatrist.

”No... No, I only wanted to be in control—I have to be in control... It’s probably self-compulsive. Also, I doubt the general would authorize a civilian to just jump into the military or have the potential blowback none of the politicians want, which is why I believe the general is considering a method the United States has employed extensively in the past...

”Private military companies. I believe that will provide a way for mythickin to have the freedom they desire while still being under the US military’s supervision but not directly connected to pose a risk. Congress can set new laws regarding it and whatever is discovered within the gateways, such as the items I brought back from Anthony’s quest or the stuff the military collected from the alien toads.”

”You’ve given this much thought,” Richard whispered, fingers skating across the keyboard. ”I can’t say what the general is plotting, but that certainly does seem like an option some mythickin could go, depending on what more comes of those topics, but let’s stick with the reason I’m here... If you are willing to be open with me, let’s start with the car accident. Tell me what you remember...”