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“Regulars” by Arilin Thorferra (part 1 of 2)
A nonbinary vixen feeling trapped in a rural Kansas town meets a size-shifting tiger, and learns of an enigmatic club for outsiders.
Today’s story is the first of two parts of “Regulars” by Arilin Thorferra, the author of the novels Goddess and Saida & Autumn, both published by FurPlanet. You can find more of her stories at her website.
Read for you by Rob MacWolf — werewolf hitchhiker.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/regulars-by-arilin-thorferra-part-1-of-2
Transcript
You’re
listening
Speaker:to
Speaker:The
Speaker:Voice
Speaker:of
Speaker:Dog.
Speaker:This
Speaker:is
Speaker:Rob
Speaker:MacWolf,
Speaker:your
Speaker:fellow
Speaker:traveler,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Today’s
Speaker:story
Speaker:is
Speaker:the
Speaker:first
Speaker:of
Speaker:two
Speaker:parts
Speaker:of “Regulars” by Arilin Thorferra, the
Speaker:author of the
Speaker:novels
Speaker:Goddess
Speaker:and
Speaker:Saida &
Speaker:Autumn,
Speaker:both
Speaker:published
Speaker:by
Speaker:FurPlanet.
Speaker:You
Speaker:can
Speaker:find
Speaker:more
Speaker:of
Speaker:her
Speaker:stories
Speaker:at
Speaker:her
Speaker:website.
Please
enjoy
“Regulars”
by Arilin
Speaker:Thorferra,
Speaker:Part 1
Speaker:of 2
“This
is
Speaker:my
Speaker:daughter,
Speaker:Harper.”
Harper
tensed as
Speaker:the
Speaker:tiger
Speaker:took
Speaker:in
Speaker:the
Speaker:fox’s
appearance:grey
appearance:blazer,
appearance:pink
appearance:trousers,
appearance:purple
appearance:ascot
appearance:tie,
appearance:auburn
appearance:hair
appearance:tied
appearance:back
appearance:in a
appearance:tight
appearance:ponytail.
appearance:A
appearance:variant
appearance:of
appearance:such
appearance:a
appearance:mannish
appearance:style
appearance:for
appearance:a
appearance:beautiful
appearance:young
appearance:lady
appearance:inevitably
appearance:followed,
appearance:even
appearance:though Harper
appearance:was
appearance:neither
appearance:beautiful
appearance:nor
appearance:young,
appearance:and “lady”
appearance:could
appearance:be
appearance:debated.
Instead,
though,
appearance:he
appearance:merely
appearance:nodded. “Pleased
appearance:to
appearance:meet
appearance:you.”
Elsie
appeared
appearance:faintly
appearance:disappointed
appearance:that
appearance:her
appearance:prospective
appearance:handyman
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:engaged in
appearance:any
appearance:witty
appearance:repartee
appearance:at
appearance:her
appearance:child’s
appearance:expense,
appearance:and
appearance:simply
appearance:waved
appearance:them both along the
appearance:side
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:house. “Let me
appearance:show
appearance:you
appearance:the
appearance:work
appearance:that
appearance:needs
appearance:to
appearance:be
appearance:done.”
The tiger
nodded
appearance:again.
appearance:Harper
appearance:trudged
appearance:afterward.
“You
did
appearance:work
appearance:for
appearance:the
appearance:Bradleys
appearance:over
appearance:on Ford
appearance:Court,
appearance:didn’t
appearance:you,
appearance:Owen?”
appearance:she
appearance:prompted. “You
appearance:come
appearance:highly
appearance:recommended.”
“Yes,
ma’am.
appearance:Cut
appearance:down
appearance:a
appearance:dead
appearance:oak
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:backyard
appearance:and
appearance:replaced
appearance:some
appearance:fencing.”
“It’s
the
appearance:tree
appearance:work
appearance:we’re
appearance:interested
appearance:in.
appearance:I’m
appearance:interested
appearance:in.
appearance:I
appearance:love
appearance:these
appearance:trees
appearance:so
appearance:much,
appearance:all
appearance:the
appearance:flowers
appearance:I’ve
appearance:put
appearance:in,
appearance:but
appearance:Harper
appearance:doesn’t
appearance:care
appearance:much
appearance:about
appearance:these
appearance:things.”
Thank
you,
appearance:mother.
appearance:Harper
appearance:contemplated
appearance:turning
appearance:around
appearance:and
appearance:heading
appearance:back
appearance:into
appearance:the
appearance:house.
appearance:No,
appearance:the
appearance:fox
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:grown
appearance:up
appearance:here
appearance:in
appearance:Central
appearance:Nowhere,
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:grown
appearance:up
appearance:with
appearance:the
appearance:trees,
appearance:but
appearance:that
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:the
appearance:same
appearance:as
appearance:being
appearance:utterly
appearance:unconcerned
appearance:with
appearance:them.
appearance:It
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:as
appearance:if
appearance:Elsie
appearance:had
appearance:grown
appearance:up
appearance:with
appearance:them,
appearance:either.
appearance:She
appearance:and
appearance:Arthur
appearance:had
appearance:moved
appearance:out
appearance:of
appearance:Overland
appearance:Park
appearance:the
appearance:year
appearance:Harper
appearance:graduated
appearance:from
appearance:boarding
appearance:school
appearance:and
appearance:entered
appearance:college.
Elsie
stopped
appearance:as
appearance:they
appearance:reached
appearance:the
appearance:back, and
appearance:she
appearance:pointed
appearance:up
appearance:at a
appearance:tall
appearance:laurel
appearance:oak. “You
appearance:can
appearance:see
appearance:how
appearance:most
appearance:of
appearance:its
appearance:canopy
appearance:is
appearance:right
appearance:over
appearance:the
appearance:house,
appearance:how it’s grown
appearance:this
appearance:way,
appearance:and
appearance:how
appearance:a
appearance:few
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:limbs
appearance:are
appearance:dying.”
The
tiger—Owen—nodded
appearance:once
appearance:more,
appearance:and
appearance:walked
appearance:around
appearance:the
appearance:tree,
appearance:looking
appearance:up
appearance:at
appearance:it,
appearance:crouching
appearance:to
appearance:examine
appearance:its
appearance:base.
appearance:Harper
appearance:studied
appearance:him.
appearance:He
appearance:looked
appearance:sculpted
appearance:out
appearance:of
appearance:pure
appearance:muscle,
appearance:sinews subtly
appearance:rippling
appearance:under
appearance:his
appearance:fur
appearance:as
appearance:he
appearance:moved.
appearance:Handsome,
appearance:if
appearance:you
appearance:liked
appearance:that
appearance:sort
appearance:of
appearance:look.
appearance:If
appearance:Mother
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:been
appearance:nattering
appearance:about
appearance:the
appearance:pain
appearance:of
appearance:losing
appearance:these “dear
appearance:old
appearance:trees”
appearance:for
appearance:literally
appearance:months,
appearance:Harper
appearance:would
appearance:be
appearance:suspicious
appearance:this
appearance:was
appearance:a
appearance:devious
appearance:way
appearance:to
appearance:set
appearance:up
appearance:another
appearance:date.
“With
the
appearance:storms
appearance:lately,
appearance:I’m
appearance:worried
appearance:that
appearance:if
appearance:this tree falls…” She gestured at the
appearance:house.
“I
understand,
appearance:ma’am.
appearance:And
appearance:the
appearance:tree’s
appearance:starting
appearance:to
appearance:rot.” He
appearance:traced a
appearance:claw-tip
appearance:along
appearance:the
appearance:base. “It’s
appearance:beautiful,
appearance:but
appearance:I
appearance:agree
appearance:leaving
appearance:it
appearance:up
appearance:is
appearance:a
appearance:risk.”
“I
bought
appearance:this
appearance:property
appearance:for
appearance:the
appearance:trees,
appearance:you
appearance:know.
appearance:Well,
appearance:my
appearance:husband
appearance:and
appearance:I
appearance:did,
appearance:but
appearance:I
appearance:wanted
appearance:this
appearance:lot,
appearance:this
appearance:land.
appearance:I’ve
appearance:been
appearance:here
appearance:about
appearance:fifteen
appearance:years…”
Oh,
good,
appearance:let’s
appearance:launch
appearance:into
appearance:a
appearance:story
appearance:that
appearance:the
appearance:handyman
appearance:neither
appearance:cares
appearance:about
appearance:nor
appearance:needs
appearance:to
appearance:know
appearance:for
appearance:his
appearance:work.
appearance:Harper
appearance:tried
appearance:not
appearance:to
appearance:clench
appearance:their
appearance:teeth
appearance:too
appearance:obviously.
appearance:It’s
appearance:simply
appearance:the
appearance:way
appearance:Mother
appearance:was. (Was it
appearance:the
appearance:way
appearance:she had
appearance:always
appearance:been?
appearance:When
appearance:the
appearance:subject
appearance:was
appearance:ever
appearance:broached—whether
appearance:gently,
appearance:or in
appearance:frustrated
appearance:anger—that
appearance:was
appearance:the
appearance:dismissive
appearance:response. It
appearance:didn’t
appearance:match
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:memory,
appearance:but
appearance:most memories
appearance:of
appearance:their
appearance:youth
appearance:had
appearance:truthfully
appearance:grown
appearance:foggy.)
Owen
listened
appearance:patiently,
appearance:or
appearance:at
appearance:least
appearance:gave
appearance:the
appearance:appearance
appearance:of
appearance:doing
appearance:so,
appearance:then—surprise of
appearance:surprises—nodded. “I
appearance:can
appearance:do
appearance:the
appearance:work
appearance:on
appearance:Thursday
appearance:if
appearance:you’d
appearance:like,
appearance:ma’am.
appearance:It’ll be
appearance:sixty
appearance:dollars.”
The
older
appearance:vixen
appearance:frowned. “That
appearance:seems
appearance:rather
appearance:steep, Owen.”
“Most
tree
appearance:services would
appearance:charge
appearance:you
appearance:closer
appearance:to
appearance:one
appearance:hundred.
appearance:They’d have to
appearance:bring
appearance:out
appearance:three
appearance:men,
appearance:ladders,
appearance:probably
appearance:a crane.”
“But
you
appearance:won’t?”
“I don’t have to,
ma’am.
appearance:I’m
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter.”
Harper’s
attention
appearance:stopped
appearance:drifting
appearance:and
appearance:snapped
appearance:back
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:tiger.
Mother’s
ears
appearance:lowered. “Yes,
appearance:the
appearance:Bradleys
appearance:did
appearance:mention
appearance:that,”
appearance:she
appearance:said
appearance:in
appearance:a
appearance:tone
appearance:that
appearance:suggested
appearance:she
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:thought
appearance:it
appearance:through.
Harper
glanced
appearance:at
appearance:Mother.
appearance:She
appearance:knew
appearance:he
appearance:was
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter
appearance:and
appearance:called
appearance:him
appearance:anyway?
appearance:Well, she did
appearance:fancy
appearance:herself
appearance:progressive,
appearance:despite
appearance:finding
appearance:her
appearance:child
appearance:so
appearance:exasperating.
“Well.”
The older vixen
appearance:shrugged. “If it helps,
appearance:it
appearance:helps.
appearance:I’ll
appearance:see
appearance:you
appearance:Thursday,
appearance:then.
appearance:Morning
appearance:or
appearance:afternoon?”
“Morning’s
best.
appearance:Around
appearance:eight
appearance:o’clock?”
“That’s
fine.”
appearance:She
appearance:headed
appearance:back
appearance:toward
appearance:the
appearance:house,
appearance:waving a
appearance:hand
appearance:at
appearance:Harper. “Harper,
appearance:be
appearance:a
appearance:good
appearance:hostess
appearance:and
appearance:get
appearance:Owen
appearance:a
appearance:glass
appearance:of
appearance:iced
appearance:tea
appearance:before
appearance:he
appearance:leaves.”
Owen
started
appearance:to
appearance:shake
appearance:his
appearance:head,
appearance:but
appearance:stopped
appearance:as
appearance:the
appearance:vixen
appearance:walked
appearance:away
appearance:without
appearance:waiting
appearance:for
appearance:a
appearance:response. “I
appearance:don’t
appearance:need
appearance:any
appearance:tea,”
appearance:he
appearance:said,
appearance:to
appearance:Harper
appearance:rather
appearance:than
appearance:her
appearance:mother.
“Do
you
appearance:want
appearance:any?
appearance:We
appearance:have
appearance:a
appearance:pitcher
appearance:made.”
appearance:And
appearance:if
appearance:you
appearance:don’t
appearance:come
appearance:and
appearance:get
appearance:a
appearance:glass,
appearance:Mother
appearance:will
appearance:be—
“And
if
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:get
appearance:a
appearance:glass,
appearance:your
appearance:ma
appearance:will
appearance:think
appearance:you’re
appearance:a
appearance:bad
appearance:host.”
Harper
looked
appearance:up
appearance:at
appearance:him,
appearance:startled,
appearance:then
appearance:strode
appearance:toward
appearance:the
appearance:side
appearance:entrance to the
appearance:kitchen,
appearance:waving
appearance:him to follow. “A size-shifter and
appearance:a
appearance:mind-reader.”
“Just
observant.”
“You
picked
appearance:up
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:subtle
appearance:tension
appearance:between
appearance:Mother
appearance:and
appearance:me,
appearance:then,
appearance:did
appearance:you?”
appearance:Harper
appearance:held
appearance:the
appearance:door
appearance:open
appearance:for
appearance:him,
appearance:then headed to
appearance:the
appearance:cupboard to
appearance:get
appearance:down
appearance:a
appearance:glass.
“Saw
the
appearance:way
appearance:your
appearance:shoulders
appearance:tensed
appearance:up
appearance:a couple
appearance:times. When she
appearance:said
appearance:you
appearance:didn’t
appearance:care
appearance:about
appearance:the
appearance:trees,
appearance:and
appearance:when
appearance:she
appearance:introduced
appearance:you.”
“Ah, yes,
when
appearance:you
appearance:were
appearance:looking
appearance:at
appearance:my
appearance:outfit
appearance:and
appearance:thinking ‘why,
appearance:that’s
appearance:not
appearance:very
appearance:feminine.’”
“I
wasn’t
appearance:thinking
appearance:that.”
“Mmm.”
The
appearance:fox
appearance:got
appearance:down
appearance:another
appearance:glass,
appearance:walked to
appearance:the
appearance:icebox,
appearance:scooped
appearance:cracked
appearance:ice
appearance:into
appearance:both,
appearance:and filled them up
appearance:from
appearance:the
appearance:iced
appearance:tea
appearance:pitcher
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:counter. “I’d
appearance:ask
appearance:what
appearance:it’s
appearance:like
appearance:to
appearance:be
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter,
appearance:but
appearance:I’d
appearance:guess
appearance:that’s
appearance:both
appearance:an
appearance:obvious
appearance:question
appearance:and
appearance:a
appearance:silly
appearance:one.”
appearance:Harper
appearance:held
appearance:out
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:glasses.
Owen
took the
appearance:glass and lapped at
appearance:the drink. “That’s
appearance:good
appearance:tea.
appearance:It’s
appearance:an
appearance:obvious
appearance:question.
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:know if it’s
appearance:silly,
appearance:but
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:know
appearance:how
appearance:to
appearance:answer
appearance:it.”
“I’m
not
appearance:good
appearance:at
appearance:small
appearance:talk.
appearance:No
appearance:size
appearance:joke
appearance:intended.”
He
laughed,
appearance:and
appearance:tilted
appearance:his
appearance:head. “Did
appearance:you
appearance:grow
appearance:up
appearance:around
appearance:here?”
“Do
I
appearance:act
appearance:like
appearance:I’m
appearance:from
appearance:somewhere
appearance:else?”
“A
little,
appearance:yes.
appearance:But
appearance:your
appearance:ma
appearance:said
appearance:she’d
appearance:moved
appearance:here
appearance:about
appearance:fifteen
appearance:years
appearance:ago.”
“We lived in
Overland
appearance:Park,
appearance:but
appearance:I
appearance:got
appearance:sent
appearance:off
appearance:to
appearance:boarding
appearance:school
appearance:in
appearance:upstate
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:when
appearance:I
appearance:was
appearance:thirteen.
appearance:I
appearance:stayed
appearance:there
appearance:for
appearance:college,
appearance:and…”
appearance:A
appearance:shrug. “Stayed
appearance:there
appearance:after
appearance:college,
appearance:too,
appearance:in
appearance:Brooklyn.
appearance:I
appearance:came
appearance:back
appearance:last
appearance:year
appearance:to
appearance:help
appearance:take
appearance:care
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:house.
appearance:Mother’s
appearance:getting
appearance:on
appearance:in
appearance:years,
appearance:and
appearance:I
appearance:suppose
appearance:there’s
appearance:no
appearance:one
appearance:else.”
“So
you
appearance:should
appearance:be
appearance:hiring
appearance:me,
appearance:not
appearance:your
appearance:ma.”
“She
has
appearance:both
appearance:the
appearance:money
appearance:and
appearance:the
appearance:strong
appearance:opinions.”
Owen
looked
appearance:down
appearance:at
appearance:Harper
appearance:speculatively. “You
appearance:have
appearance:your
appearance:own
appearance:strong
appearance:opinions,
appearance:I
appearance:expect.”
Harper
instinctively
appearance:bristled.
appearance:Was
appearance:this
appearance:stranger
appearance:needling
appearance:her,
appearance:too?
appearance:If
appearance:he
appearance:wasn’t,
appearance:what
appearance:was
appearance:he
appearance:doing? Prompting?
appearance:Let
appearance:it slide
appearance:off
appearance:you. “I
appearance:have
appearance:opinions
appearance:about
appearance:what
appearance:makes
appearance:good
appearance:bourbon,
appearance:sharp
appearance:clothes,
appearance:and
appearance:how
appearance:to
appearance:smoke
appearance:cigars.
appearance:Not
appearance:about
appearance:trees.”
“What
do
appearance:you
appearance:think
appearance:about
appearance:bourbon,
appearance:clothing,
appearance:and
appearance:cigars?”
“Respectively,
they
appearance:should
appearance:be
appearance:high
appearance:rye,
appearance:well-tailored,
appearance:and
appearance:smoked
appearance:far
appearance:away
appearance:from
appearance:me.”
Owen
laughed
appearance:again,
appearance:then looked
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:side,
appearance:seemingly
appearance:lost
appearance:in
appearance:consideration.
Harper
tilted
appearance:their
appearance:head. “Hmm?”
“I
think
appearance:I’m
appearance:out
appearance:of
appearance:small
appearance:talk
appearance:myself.”
appearance:The
appearance:tiger
appearance:finished
appearance:the
appearance:rest
appearance:of
appearance:his
appearance:tea
appearance:and
appearance:set
appearance:the
appearance:glass
appearance:down
appearance:by
appearance:the
appearance:sink. “I
appearance:should
appearance:be
appearance:on
appearance:my
appearance:way.
appearance:I
appearance:have
appearance:some
appearance:carpentry
appearance:work
appearance:to
appearance:do
appearance:this
appearance:afternoon.”
“As
a
appearance:giant?”
“Some
of it.”
appearance:He
appearance:grinned. “Will I see you Thursday?”
“I
don’t
appearance:go
appearance:anywhere
appearance:except
appearance:Saturdays.”
“What
happens
appearance:on
appearance:Saturday?”
“My
day
appearance:off.”
“Mmm.
Then I’ll
appearance:see
appearance:you
appearance:then.
appearance:Thursday,
appearance:I
appearance:mean.”
The
fox
appearance:held
appearance:the
appearance:door
appearance:open
appearance:for him
appearance:again. “You
appearance:know,
appearance:you
appearance:never
appearance:called
appearance:me ‘miss.’”
“Pardon?”
“You
called
appearance:my
appearance:mother ‘ma’am’
appearance:all
appearance:the
appearance:time,
appearance:but
appearance:never
appearance:called
appearance:me
appearance:that,
appearance:or
appearance:called
appearance:me ‘miss.’
appearance:Why?”
“It
didn’t
appearance:seem
appearance:to
appearance:me
appearance:as
appearance:if
appearance:you’d
appearance:want
appearance:me
appearance:to.
appearance:Was I
appearance:wrong?”
Harper
stared at
appearance:him
appearance:for
appearance:several
appearance:long
appearance:seconds. “No,”
appearance:they
appearance:said
appearance:at
appearance:length.
He
nodded
appearance:one
appearance:last
appearance:time,
appearance:and
appearance:turned
appearance:around.
appearance:They
appearance:kept
appearance:staring
appearance:at
appearance:him
appearance:as
appearance:he
appearance:walked
appearance:off,
appearance:but
appearance:he
appearance:didn’t
appearance:look
appearance:back.
When
the
appearance:tiger
appearance:had
appearance:stepped
appearance:out
appearance:of
appearance:sight,
appearance:Harper
appearance:washed
appearance:the
appearance:dishes
appearance:and
appearance:headed
appearance:back
appearance:into
appearance:the
appearance:house.
appearance:Mother
appearance:had
appearance:switched
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:radio,
appearance:listening
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:news
appearance:hour as
appearance:she
appearance:played
appearance:a
appearance:game
appearance:of
appearance:solitaire
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:sitting
appearance:room.
appearance:At
appearance:least,
appearance:they
appearance:assumed
appearance:it
appearance:was
appearance:the
appearance:news.
appearance:It
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:easy
appearance:to
appearance:hear
appearance:the
appearance:announcer
appearance:over
appearance:the
appearance:vixen
appearance:responding
appearance:back
appearance:to
appearance:every
appearance:other
appearance:line
appearance:with her
appearance:opinion,
appearance:which
appearance:was
appearance:often
appearance:nothing
appearance:more
appearance:than “Idiots!”
appearance:repeated
appearance:with
appearance:varying
appearance:levels
appearance:of
appearance:disgust.
“What were
you
appearance:and
appearance:Orson
appearance:talking
appearance:about?”
Harper
stopped
appearance:on
appearance:their
appearance:way
appearance:across
appearance:the
appearance:room. “Owen.
appearance:Just
appearance:small
appearance:talk.”
“Do you
like
appearance:him?”
“So this was
secretly
appearance:an
appearance:attempt
appearance:to
appearance:set
appearance:me
appearance:up
appearance:with
appearance:a
appearance:date
appearance:after
appearance:all?”
Elsie
rolled
appearance:her
appearance:eyes. “I’m
appearance:only
appearance:asking
appearance:what
appearance:you
appearance:thought
appearance:of
appearance:him.
appearance:I
appearance:know
appearance:better
appearance:than
appearance:to
appearance:try
appearance:to
appearance:make
appearance:you
appearance:do
appearance:anything
appearance:you
appearance:don’t
appearance:want
appearance:to,
appearance:not
appearance:since
appearance:the
appearance:dancing
appearance:lessons.”
“I
don’t
appearance:remember
appearance:dancing
appearance:lessons.”
“That’s
because
appearance:you
appearance:wouldn’t
appearance:take
appearance:them.”
Harper
rubbed
appearance:their
appearance:temples.
“Not
everything
appearance:has
appearance:to
appearance:be
appearance:a
appearance:fight,
appearance:Harper.”
One
would
appearance:think
appearance:that,
appearance:yes.
appearance:They came
appearance:close,
appearance:so
appearance:close,
appearance:to
appearance:saying
appearance:it
appearance:out
appearance:loud,
appearance:but
appearance:they
appearance:knew
appearance:that
appearance:would
appearance:be
appearance:churlish.
appearance:Harper
appearance:settled for
appearance:just
appearance:looking
appearance:away
appearance:again.
Elsie’s
ears
appearance:folded
appearance:down,
appearance:and
appearance:she shook
appearance:her
appearance:head,
appearance:turning
appearance:back
appearance:to
appearance:her
appearance:cards.
appearance:Harper
appearance:headed down
appearance:the
appearance:hall to
appearance:their
appearance:study.
After
they’d
appearance:known
appearance:they’d have
appearance:to
appearance:leave
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:City
appearance:but
appearance:before
appearance:they’d
appearance:moved
appearance:back,
appearance:they’d envisioned
appearance:this
appearance:room
appearance:as
appearance:their
appearance:space,
appearance:filled
appearance:with
appearance:their
appearance:furniture and
appearance:their
appearance:books
appearance:and
appearance:their
appearance:art.
appearance:To
appearance:a
appearance:degree,
appearance:it
appearance:was,
appearance:but
appearance:Elsie
appearance:simply
appearance:owned
appearance:too
appearance:much.
appearance:So
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:old
appearance:desk
appearance:sat
appearance:catty-corner to
appearance:bookshelves
appearance:filled
appearance:mostly
appearance:with
appearance:Elsie’s
appearance:books.
appearance:Their
appearance:old
appearance:sofa
appearance:sat
appearance:awkwardly
appearance:next to
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:Elsie’s
appearance:antique
appearance:tables
appearance:with
appearance:too
appearance:much
appearance:sentimental
appearance:value
appearance:to
appearance:get
appearance:rid
appearance:of.
appearance:The
appearance:art
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:walls
appearance:was
appearance:nearly
appearance:all
appearance:Elsie’s,
appearance:garden-themed
appearance:paintings
appearance:and
appearance:photographs
appearance:and
appearance:memorabilia
appearance:from
appearance:trips
appearance:Harper
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:been
appearance:on.
appearance:Even “study”
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:word.
appearance:By
appearance:the
appearance:tenth
appearance:or
appearance:eleventh
appearance:time
appearance:their
appearance:mother
appearance:had
appearance:complained
appearance:about
appearance:the
appearance:word “den”
appearance:being
appearance:too
appearance:masculine,
appearance:too
appearance:uncouth,
appearance:they’d
appearance:given
appearance:in
appearance:and began
appearance:using “study.”
appearance:It
appearance:didn’t
appearance:fit
appearance:the
appearance:room’s
appearance:aesthetic—or
appearance:Harper’s—but
appearance:it
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:a
appearance:hill
appearance:worth
appearance:dying
appearance:on.
Sighing,
Harper
appearance:stretched
appearance:out
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:couch
appearance:and
appearance:paged
appearance:through
appearance:a
appearance:weekly
appearance:magazine
appearance:without
appearance:truly
appearance:looking
appearance:at
appearance:it.
appearance:Sometimes,
appearance:everything
appearance:snapped
appearance:into
appearance:focus
appearance:and
appearance:this
appearance:became
appearance:their
appearance:space.
appearance:Their sofa,
appearance:their
appearance:radio,
appearance:their
appearance:record
appearance:player.
appearance:And
appearance:it
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:as
appearance:if
appearance:they
appearance:had
appearance:much
appearance:art
appearance:of
appearance:their
appearance:own to
appearance:hang up
appearance:anyway.
appearance:It
appearance:was
appearance:no
appearance:longer
appearance:merely
appearance:the
appearance:place
appearance:they’d
appearance:returned
appearance:to
appearance:annually
appearance:for
appearance:Christmas,
appearance:but
appearance:it both
appearance:was
appearance:and
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:truly
appearance:home.
And,
yes,
appearance:possibly
appearance:they
appearance:were
appearance:too
appearance:impatient with
appearance:their
appearance:mother,
appearance:too
appearance:quick
appearance:to
appearance:take
appearance:things
appearance:the
appearance:wrong
appearance:way.
appearance:Possibly.
appearance:But
appearance:possibly
appearance:it
appearance:was
appearance:hereditary.
So
Owen
appearance:was
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter,
appearance:living
appearance:out
appearance:here
appearance:at
appearance:the
appearance:edge
appearance:of
appearance:Leavenworth
appearance:County.
appearance:Why?
appearance:Did
appearance:he
appearance:move
appearance:here?
appearance:If
appearance:he
appearance:grew
appearance:up
appearance:here,
appearance:why
appearance:stay?
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:parents
appearance:had
appearance:bought
appearance:out
appearance:here
appearance:when a
appearance:landlord
appearance:evicted
appearance:them,
appearance:four
appearance:years
appearance:after
appearance:the
appearance:landlord
appearance:of her
appearance:childhood
appearance:home
appearance:outside
appearance:Kansas
appearance:City
appearance:had
appearance:done
appearance:the
appearance:same.
appearance:Elsie had
appearance:declared
appearance:that
appearance:would
appearance:never
appearance:happen
appearance:again,
appearance:so
appearance:they
appearance:bought
appearance:land
appearance:and a
appearance:house where
appearance:they
appearance:could
appearance:afford
appearance:it—here,
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:outskirts
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:barely-a-town
appearance:of
appearance:Basehor.
But
being
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter
appearance:stuck
appearance:here was—well,
appearance:like
appearance:being
appearance:someone
appearance:who’d had a
appearance:taste of
appearance:true
appearance:cosmopolitan
appearance:life
appearance:stuck
appearance:here.
appearance:The
appearance:whole
appearance:state
appearance:was
appearance:conservative
appearance:compared
appearance:to
appearance:New
appearance:York.
appearance:Surely,
appearance:Owen
appearance:had
appearance:to
appearance:travel
appearance:to
appearance:Kansas
appearance:City
appearance:to
appearance:be
appearance:himself.
“Or
maybe
appearance:you’re
appearance:projecting,”
appearance:they
appearance:muttered
appearance:out
appearance:loud,
appearance:setting
appearance:the
appearance:magazine
appearance:aside.
#
On
Thursday
appearance:morning,
appearance:Harper had
appearance:just
appearance:finished
appearance:brewing
appearance:coffee
appearance:and
appearance:bringing
appearance:two
appearance:cups
appearance:out
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:dining
appearance:room
appearance:when
appearance:they
appearance:heard
appearance:Owen
appearance:walking
appearance:past.
The
older
appearance:vixen
appearance:looked
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:window
appearance:in
appearance:alarm. “Who
appearance:is—is
appearance:that
appearance:Orson?
appearance:Is
appearance:it
appearance:Orson,
appearance:or
appearance:Owen?”
“It’s—”
“Why
is
appearance:he
appearance:here
appearance:today?
appearance:He
appearance:was
appearance:supposed
appearance:to
appearance:come
appearance:on
appearance:Friday.”
“Owen.
No,
appearance:it’s
appearance:today.”
“Are
you
appearance:sure?”
“Yes.
That’s
appearance:what
appearance:you
appearance:agreed
appearance:on
appearance:with
appearance:him,
appearance:remember?”
Her
mother’s
appearance:ears
appearance:folded
appearance:down, and
appearance:she
appearance:looked
appearance:away,
appearance:plaintively
appearance:pouting. “Don’t
appearance:talk to
appearance:me
appearance:like
appearance:you think I’m
appearance:losing
appearance:my
appearance:mind.
appearance:I
appearance:can
appearance:hear
appearance:it in
appearance:your
appearance:tone.”
“I
didn’t
appearance:say—”
“I
should
appearance:make
appearance:sure
appearance:he
appearance:knows
appearance:what
appearance:tree
appearance:to
appearance:work
appearance:on.”
appearance:She
appearance:hurried
appearance:toward
appearance:the
appearance:side
appearance:door,
appearance:coffee
appearance:forgotten.
Harper
sighed. “He
appearance:knows,”
appearance:they
appearance:said, following Elsie
appearance:with
appearance:their cup in hand.
Owen wore
only
appearance:canvas
appearance:work
appearance:shorts,
appearance:carrying a
appearance:toolbox
appearance:with
appearance:him.
appearance:Harper had
appearance:dressed
appearance:more
appearance:casually
appearance:today, a
appearance:denim
appearance:skirt
appearance:daringly
appearance:cut to
appearance:show
appearance:their
appearance:legs to
appearance:the knees,
appearance:coupled with a man’s
appearance:short-sleeved
appearance:flannel
appearance:shirt. (Her
appearance:mother
appearance:had
appearance:accused
appearance:Harper
appearance:of
appearance:doing
appearance:that
appearance:to
appearance:keep
appearance:the
appearance:ensemble
appearance:from
appearance:looking
appearance:too
appearance:femme.
appearance:She
appearance:was
appearance:right.) “Good
appearance:morning,
appearance:Mrs.
appearance:Summerfield.
appearance:Harper.”
“Good
morning,
appearance:Owen.”
appearance:The
appearance:older
appearance:vixen
appearance:looked
appearance:disapproving
appearance:of
appearance:his
appearance:relative
appearance:state
appearance:of
appearance:undress,
appearance:but
appearance:said
appearance:nothing
appearance:about
appearance:it. She
appearance:headed
appearance:toward
appearance:the
appearance:tree,
appearance:ahead
appearance:of
appearance:Harper,
appearance:starting
appearance:to
appearance:repeat
appearance:a
appearance:variant
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:We
appearance:Bought
appearance:The
appearance:Property
appearance:For
appearance:The
appearance:Trees
appearance:story.
All right,
he
appearance:absolutely
appearance:was
appearance:handsome,
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:he?
appearance:As
appearance:disinterested
appearance:in
appearance:sex
appearance:and
appearance:romance
appearance:as
appearance:Harper tended
appearance:to
appearance:be,
appearance:they
appearance:weren’t
appearance:insensate.
As Mother
finished
appearance:the
appearance:story,
appearance:she
appearance:pointed,
appearance:unnecessarily. “It’s
appearance:this
appearance:one.”
He
nodded,
appearance:without
appearance:giving
appearance:any
appearance:sign
appearance:that
appearance:he’d
appearance:heard
appearance:the
appearance:story
appearance:before
appearance:or
appearance:already
appearance:knew
appearance:which
appearance:tree
appearance:to
appearance:work
appearance:on. “Got
appearance:it,
appearance:ma’am.
appearance:It
appearance:should
appearance:be
appearance:about
appearance:an
appearance:hour.”
“All right.”
Her
appearance:tail
appearance:swished. “I
appearance:don’t
appearance:think
appearance:I
appearance:can
appearance:watch.”
appearance:She
appearance:looked
appearance:toward
appearance:Harper.
“I
will,”
appearance:the
appearance:younger
appearance:fox
appearance:said.
It was
Elsie’s
appearance:turn to furrow
appearance:her
appearance:brow. “Well.
appearance:If
appearance:Or—Owen
appearance:wants
appearance:anything,
appearance:please
appearance:get
appearance:it
appearance:for
appearance:him.”
appearance:She
appearance:headed
appearance:back
appearance:inside.
Owen
looked
appearance:at
appearance:Harper. “Have
appearance:you
appearance:ever
appearance:seen
appearance:someone
appearance:at a
appearance:giant
appearance:size
appearance:before?”
“Yes,
I
appearance:saw
appearance:it
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:City,
appearance:fairly
appearance:often.”
appearance:What did he
appearance:think the
appearance:fox
appearance:was,
appearance:an
appearance:utter
appearance:bumpkin?
appearance:He
appearance:might
appearance:be
appearance:the
appearance:sole
appearance:shifter
appearance:in
appearance:this
appearance:backwater,
appearance:but
appearance:any
appearance:city
appearance:had
appearance:dozens,
appearance:if
appearance:not
appearance:hundreds. “No
appearance:one
appearance:as tall as
appearance:that
appearance:tree,
appearance:though,
appearance:except
appearance:in
appearance:photographs,”
appearance:they
appearance:admitted
appearance:after
appearance:another
appearance:moment.
“Fairly
often?”
appearance:He
appearance:grinned. “Most size-shifters
appearance:can’t
appearance:change
appearance:their
appearance:clothes
appearance:with
appearance:them, so
appearance:that
appearance:makes
appearance:me
appearance:wonder
appearance:if
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:City
appearance:is
appearance:even
appearance:more
appearance:libertine
appearance:than
appearance:folks
appearance:say.”
Oh,
please. “Less
appearance:than
appearance:what
appearance:folks
appearance:here
appearance:say, at
appearance:the
appearance:least.
appearance:Any
appearance:giant
appearance:in
appearance:public
appearance:I
appearance:saw
appearance:was
appearance:clothed, so
appearance:either
appearance:they were
appearance:one of the
appearance:lucky
appearance:few
appearance:or they
appearance:changed
appearance:into
appearance:an
appearance:appropriately
appearance:scaled
appearance:outfit
appearance:before
appearance:I
appearance:saw
appearance:them.”
Owen
circled
appearance:the
appearance:tree
appearance:again,
appearance:studying
appearance:it. “And
appearance:in
appearance:private?”
“I
took
appearance:an
appearance:art
appearance:class
appearance:with
appearance:nude
appearance:subjects,
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:whom
appearance:was
appearance:a
appearance:giantess.
appearance:And
appearance:I’ve
appearance:been
appearance:to
appearance:a
appearance:few…rather
appearance:bacchanalian
appearance:parties.”
He
looked
appearance:back
appearance:at them at
appearance:that. “Huh.”
Harper
tilted
appearance:their
appearance:head
appearance:in
appearance:return,
appearance:eyes
appearance:narrowing.
“Interesting
to
appearance:learn
appearance:about
appearance:people.”
appearance:He
appearance:stepped
appearance:back
appearance:from
appearance:the
appearance:tree. “You
appearance:might
appearance:want
appearance:to
appearance:steady
appearance:yourself.
appearance:There’s
appearance:going
appearance:to
appearance:be
appearance:a
appearance:blast
appearance:of
appearance:wind
appearance:when
appearance:I
appearance:change.”
“All
right.”
appearance:Harper
appearance:shifted
appearance:their
appearance:stance. “Ready.”
All
at
appearance:once,
appearance:Owen
appearance:became
appearance:huge.
The tiger
hadn’t
appearance:undersold
appearance:the
appearance:wind.
appearance:Harper
appearance:staggered
appearance:back,
appearance:nearly
appearance:losing
appearance:their
appearance:balance.
appearance:When
appearance:they
appearance:recovered,
appearance:they
appearance:couldn’t
appearance:stop
appearance:themself
appearance:from
appearance:gaping up,
appearance:muzzle
appearance:open.
appearance:Owen stood at least as tall as the tree. His knee
appearance:stood
appearance:more
appearance:than
appearance:twice
appearance:the
appearance:height
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:fox’s
appearance:ear
appearance:tips;
appearance:they
appearance:had to tilt
appearance:their
appearance:head
appearance:back,
appearance:far,
appearance:to
appearance:meet
appearance:his
appearance:leaf-green
appearance:eyes.
appearance:He
appearance:looked
appearance:akin
appearance:to
appearance:an
appearance:ancient
appearance:god
appearance:returned
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:mortal
appearance:world.
At
least,
appearance:until
appearance:he
appearance:spoke,
appearance:as
appearance:casually
appearance:as
appearance:before
appearance:despite
appearance:the
appearance:new,
appearance:deep
appearance:bass
appearance:undertone
appearance:rumbling
appearance:through
appearance:the
appearance:ground. “You all
appearance:right?”
“Guh. I’m.
Fine.
appearance:Yes.
appearance:I’m
appearance:fine.”
He
smiled,
appearance:which
appearance:made
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:ears
appearance:burn.
appearance:Was
appearance:this
appearance:sudden
appearance:rush
appearance:what
appearance:other
appearance:people (as
appearance:in “why
appearance:can’t
appearance:you
appearance:be
appearance:more
appearance:like
appearance:other
appearance:people”)
appearance:called
appearance:attraction?
appearance:It
appearance:wasn’t
appearance:as
appearance:if
appearance:Harper
appearance:couldn’t
appearance:tell
appearance:when
appearance:someone
appearance:was
appearance:attractive,
appearance:but
appearance:this
appearance:was
appearance:qualitatively
appearance:different.
appearance:This
appearance:was
appearance:a
appearance:sensation
appearance:they
appearance:would
appearance:have
appearance:to
appearance:sit
appearance:with
appearance:later
appearance:and
appearance:think
appearance:deeply
appearance:on.
“Good.”
The tiger
appearance:crouched,
appearance:setting
appearance:the now
appearance:truck-sized
appearance:toolbox
appearance:down. “Are
appearance:you
appearance:afraid
appearance:of
appearance:heights?”
“I
don’t
appearance:think
appearance:so.
appearance:Why?”
“I
can
appearance:offer
appearance:you
appearance:a
appearance:shoulder
appearance:perch.”
“That
sounds
appearance:daring.”
“It’s safe.
I
appearance:have
appearance:wide
appearance:shoulders.”
Quite,
even
appearance:in
appearance:scale.
appearance:Harper
appearance:let
appearance:another
appearance:moment
appearance:of
appearance:deliberation
appearance:pass
appearance:before
appearance:nodding. “I’d
appearance:like
appearance:that.”
Owen held out
a
appearance:hand,
appearance:flat,
appearance:palm
appearance:pad
appearance:up.
Harper
stared
appearance:for
appearance:a
appearance:moment.
appearance:Well,
appearance:how did
appearance:they
appearance:think
appearance:they
appearance:were
appearance:going
appearance:to
appearance:get
appearance:up
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:giant’s shoulder?
appearance:They
appearance:took
appearance:off
appearance:their
appearance:sandals—it
appearance:must
appearance:be
appearance:impolite
appearance:to
appearance:walk
appearance:on
appearance:someone in
appearance:shoes—and
appearance:slid,
appearance:as
appearance:gracefully
appearance:as
appearance:they
appearance:could
appearance:manage,
appearance:onto
appearance:the
appearance:broad
appearance:pad.
appearance:It was
appearance:like
appearance:sitting
appearance:on a pink velvet divan.
Once they settled,
Owen
appearance:lifted
appearance:the
appearance:hand
appearance:up
appearance:to
appearance:his
appearance:opposite
appearance:shoulder.
appearance:He
appearance:couldn’t
appearance:keep
appearance:his
appearance:palm
appearance:perfectly
appearance:level,
appearance:so
appearance:Harper
appearance:tilted
appearance:back
appearance:against
appearance:the
appearance:shoulder
appearance:until
appearance:they
appearance:climbed
appearance:up
appearance:on
appearance:it.
“Feeling
stable?”
appearance:the tiger
appearance:rumbled.
Not
for
appearance:years,
appearance:ha ha. “Yes.”
He
took
appearance:what
appearance:had
appearance:been
appearance:a
appearance:small
appearance:bow
appearance:saw
appearance:out
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:toolbox
appearance:and
appearance:slowly
appearance:stood
appearance:up.
appearance:The
appearance:changing
appearance:view
appearance:made
appearance:Harper
appearance:think
appearance:of a
appearance:ferris
appearance:wheel.
appearance:When was
appearance:the
appearance:last
appearance:time
appearance:they’d
appearance:been
appearance:on
appearance:one?
appearance:When
appearance:they
appearance:were
appearance:eight,
appearance:possibly,
appearance:at
appearance:the
appearance:State
appearance:Fair,
appearance:wearing
appearance:a
appearance:painfully
appearance:frilly
appearance:dress
appearance:too
appearance:hot
appearance:for a
appearance:Kansas
appearance:summer.
appearance:It had been
appearance:impossibly
appearance:high
appearance:to
appearance:a
appearance:young
appearance:kit,
appearance:but
appearance:the
appearance:tree-sized
appearance:tiger
appearance:might
appearance:well
appearance:have
appearance:stood
appearance:taller.
“What
do
appearance:you
appearance:think?”
“I
think
appearance:I
appearance:regret
appearance:I’m
appearance:not
appearance:a
appearance:size-shifter
appearance:myself.”
“I
can
appearance:show
appearance:you
appearance:what
appearance:it’s
appearance:like
appearance:sometime.
appearance:If
appearance:you
appearance:want.”
appearance:Owen’s
appearance:eyes
appearance:were on
appearance:the
appearance:tree
appearance:now,
appearance:studying
appearance:it.
appearance:He
appearance:grabbed
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:top-most limbs, right
appearance:about
appearance:at his eye
appearance:level,
appearance:and
appearance:set
appearance:the
appearance:bow
appearance:saw
appearance:against
appearance:it.
“More
than
appearance:you
appearance:already
appearance:are?”
“I mean
I
appearance:can
appearance:change
appearance:your
appearance:size,
appearance:too.”
The fox’s
eyes
appearance:widened. “Oh.”
Owen
kept
appearance:sawing,
appearance:cutting
appearance:through the
appearance:limb
appearance:completely,
appearance:turning, and
appearance:lowering
appearance:it
appearance:down
appearance:to
appearance:his
appearance:hip
appearance:height
appearance:before
appearance:dropping
appearance:it
appearance:onto
appearance:an empty
appearance:section
appearance:of the lawn.
“Can you
shrink
appearance:what you’re
appearance:cutting
appearance:off
appearance:down
appearance:with
appearance:you?”
“Yes,
but
appearance:until
appearance:it’s
appearance:dead,
appearance:it’ll
appearance:return
appearance:to
appearance:normal
appearance:after
appearance:maybe
appearance:half
appearance:a
appearance:day
appearance:unless I’m
appearance:babysitting it.”
appearance:He
appearance:moved
appearance:the
appearance:saw,
appearance:beginning
appearance:to
appearance:cut
appearance:the
appearance:next
appearance:limb.
“That’s
odd.”
“Lots
of
appearance:things
appearance:about
appearance:changing
appearance:size
appearance:are.”
“I
suppose
appearance:so.
appearance:Starting
appearance:with
appearance:changing
appearance:size.”
He
nodded,
appearance:grinning a
appearance:moment.
appearance:Those
appearance:were
appearance:tail-curling
appearance:chompers
appearance:at
appearance:this
appearance:scale.
Harper
watched
appearance:him work
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:next
appearance:limb in
appearance:silence,
appearance:until
appearance:they
appearance:couldn’t
appearance:contain
appearance:the
appearance:question
appearance:that had
appearance:come
appearance:to
appearance:mind
appearance:earlier—one
appearance:they
appearance:probably
appearance:should
appearance:have
appearance:asked
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:first
appearance:small-talk
appearance:conversation
appearance:when
appearance:Owen had
appearance:asked
appearance:about
appearance:their
appearance:background. “Why
appearance:are
appearance:you
appearance:here?”
Owen
dropped
appearance:the
appearance:next
appearance:limb
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:ground. “I’m
appearance:tempted
appearance:to
appearance:say ‘to
appearance:cut
appearance:down
appearance:this
appearance:tree.’ Do
appearance:you
appearance:mean
appearance:in
appearance:Basehor?
appearance:Kansas?”
“Yes,
to
appearance:both.”
“I
live
appearance:a few miles west of here. Kind of at
appearance:the
appearance:halfway
appearance:point
appearance:between
appearance:Lawrence and
appearance:Kansas
appearance:City.
appearance:It’s
appearance:cheap
appearance:and
appearance:it’s
appearance:quiet
appearance:and
appearance:it’s
appearance:still
appearance:close
appearance:enough
appearance:to
appearance:big
appearance:cities to
appearance:get
appearance:there when I want to.”
“Lawrence is not a
big
appearance:city.
appearance:Kansas
appearance:City
appearance:isn’t,
appearance:either.”
“It
might
appearance:not
appearance:be
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:City
appearance:big,
appearance:but
appearance:it
appearance:has
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:best
appearance:jazz
appearance:scenes
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:country.
appearance:And
appearance:Lawrence,
appearance:it’s
appearance:eclectic.”
“I
haven’t
appearance:been
appearance:there
appearance:often,”
appearance:they
appearance:admitted. “Kansas
appearance:City
appearance:is…it’s
appearance:fine.”
“What
are
appearance:you
appearance:looking
appearance:for?”
“I
don’t
appearance:know.
appearance:What
appearance:are
appearance:you
appearance:looking
appearance:for?”
“Somewhere
that
appearance:feels
appearance:like
appearance:home.”
Harper
fell
appearance:silent a
appearance:few
appearance:seconds. “I’m
appearance:not
appearance:sure
appearance:if
appearance:I
appearance:know
appearance:what
appearance:makes
appearance:a
appearance:place
appearance:feel
appearance:like
appearance:home.”
He
took off another limb. “So that’s
appearance:not
appearance:this
appearance:house,
appearance:even
appearance:though
appearance:your
appearance:mom
appearance:lives
appearance:here.”
“It
is and
appearance:it
appearance:isn’t.
appearance:I
appearance:didn’t
appearance:grow
appearance:up
appearance:here,
appearance:and
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:feels
appearance:more
appearance:like
appearance:home
appearance:to
appearance:me
appearance:than
appearance:Kansas
appearance:now.”
appearance:Harper
appearance:looked
appearance:out
appearance:over
appearance:the
appearance:roofs of
appearance:the
appearance:neighborhood.
appearance:Kansas
appearance:was
appearance:just
appearance:so
appearance:flat. “What
appearance:makes
appearance:somewhere
appearance:feel
appearance:like
appearance:home
appearance:to
appearance:you?”
“Friends,”
he
appearance:said
appearance:without
appearance:hesitation. “Finding
appearance:my
appearance:people.”
“I don’t think
I
appearance:have
appearance:people,
appearance:beyond
appearance:Elsie.
appearance:My
appearance:mother.”
appearance:Their
appearance:ears
appearance:lowered. “And
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:know
appearance:how
appearance:much
appearance:of ‘my
appearance:people’
appearance:she
appearance:is.
appearance:I
appearance:love
appearance:her,
appearance:and
appearance:she
appearance:tells
appearance:me
appearance:I’m
appearance:her
appearance:best
appearance:friend.
appearance:But
appearance:she
appearance:doesn’t
appearance:know
appearance:me
appearance:as
appearance:well as
appearance:she
appearance:thinks
appearance:she
appearance:does.”
“I
expect
appearance:there
appearance:are
appearance:things
appearance:you
appearance:don’t share with her.”
“I expect there are things you don’t
share
appearance:with
appearance:your
appearance:parents,
appearance:either.”
“True
enough.”
appearance:Another
appearance:section
appearance:of
appearance:tree
appearance:fell. “What
appearance:about
appearance:New
appearance:York
appearance:City?”
“What
about
appearance:it?”
“Did
you
appearance:have
appearance:people
appearance:there?”
Harper
deliberated
appearance:on
appearance:that,
appearance:staying
appearance:silent
appearance:through
appearance:Owen sawing
appearance:another
appearance:piece
appearance:of
appearance:tree
appearance:off
appearance:and
appearance:letting
appearance:it
appearance:hit
appearance:the
appearance:ground.
appearance:He’d dismantled
appearance:most
appearance:of the
appearance:tree’s
appearance:canopy
appearance:by
appearance:this
appearance:point,
appearance:and was
appearance:starting
appearance:to
appearance:take
appearance:down
appearance:lower
appearance:limbs
appearance:and
appearance:the
appearance:main
appearance:trunk,
appearance:section
appearance:by
appearance:section. Their
appearance:housemate
appearance:had been a
appearance:person
appearance:there
appearance:for
appearance:them,
appearance:hadn’t
appearance:he?
appearance:Also,
appearance:the
appearance:friend
appearance:who’d taken
appearance:the
appearance:fox
appearance:clothes
appearance:shopping
appearance:years
appearance:ago
appearance:when
appearance:the
appearance:dress
appearance:and
appearance:the
appearance:skirts
appearance:had
appearance:become
appearance:suffocating. “Maybe
appearance:two.”
“Have
you
appearance:looked
appearance:for
appearance:more
appearance:here?”
“I…”
Harper
appearance:shook
appearance:their
appearance:head,
appearance:and
appearance:leaned
appearance:against
appearance:the
appearance:tiger’s
appearance:massive
appearance:neck. “I
appearance:don’t
appearance:feel
appearance:like
appearance:I’ve
appearance:had
appearance:time.
appearance:Isn’t
appearance:that
appearance:funny? I
appearance:haven’t
appearance:had
appearance:a
appearance:job
appearance:since I’ve
appearance:moved
appearance:back,
appearance:yet
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:have
appearance:any
appearance:spare
appearance:time.
appearance:Maybe
appearance:I’ve
appearance:forgotten
appearance:how
appearance:to
appearance:look.
appearance:For
appearance:people.
appearance:Or
appearance:time.
appearance:Or
appearance:both.” This
appearance:felt—strange.
appearance:But
appearance:comfortable.
appearance:That might
appearance:be
appearance:part
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:strangeness.
“I’m
about
appearance:done
appearance:with
appearance:the
appearance:tree.”
appearance:Owen
appearance:crouched
appearance:down,
appearance:sawing through
appearance:the
appearance:trunk
appearance:at
appearance:the
appearance:base.
appearance:A
appearance:massive,
appearance:postcard-perfect
appearance:log about
appearance:three
appearance:times
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:height
appearance:fell
appearance:against
appearance:one
appearance:of
appearance:the
appearance:tiger’s
appearance:hands.
appearance:He
appearance:set
appearance:down
appearance:the
appearance:saw and
appearance:guided it
appearance:gently
appearance:the
appearance:rest
appearance:of the way to
appearance:the
appearance:ground. “What
appearance:are
appearance:you
appearance:doing
appearance:on
appearance:your
appearance:day
appearance:off
appearance:tomorrow?”
“Nothing.
That’s
appearance:how
appearance:days
appearance:off
appearance:work.”
“Since
you don’t
appearance:have
appearance:a
appearance:job, ‘day
appearance:off’
appearance:must
appearance:be
appearance:different
appearance:to
appearance:you.”
Beautiful
giant
appearance:muscular
appearance:men
appearance:simply
appearance:shouldn’t
appearance:be
appearance:as
appearance:perceptive
appearance:as
appearance:Owen
appearance:kept
appearance:being. “I
appearance:find
appearance:somewhere
appearance:to
appearance:go
appearance:be
appearance:by
appearance:myself.”
“If
you
appearance:want to
appearance:be
appearance:by
appearance:yourself
appearance:around
appearance:other
appearance:people
appearance:sometime, you’re
appearance:welcome
appearance:to
appearance:drop
appearance:by
appearance:the
appearance:Outside
appearance:Lodge.”
“A
lodge?
appearance:Is it
appearance:anything
appearance:like
appearance:the
appearance:Freemasons?”
“I’ve
never
appearance:been
appearance:to
appearance:a
appearance:Mason
appearance:lodge,
appearance:but
appearance:I’d
appearance:be
appearance:surprised.”
“Is
it
appearance:really
appearance:outside?”
“If
you’re
appearance:in
appearance:the
appearance:backyard.
appearance:Which
appearance:many
appearance:of
appearance:us
appearance:are,
appearance:when
appearance:the
appearance:weather’s
appearance:nice.
appearance:It’s
appearance:pretty
appearance:private.
appearance:Want a
appearance:hand
appearance:down?”
“I
don’t
appearance:think
appearance:jumping
appearance:would
appearance:be
appearance:safe.”
He
held
appearance:up
appearance:a
appearance:hand
appearance:by
appearance:his
appearance:shoulder. “You
appearance:could
appearance:climb.”
Harper
crawled
appearance:onto
appearance:his
appearance:hand
appearance:and
appearance:sat
appearance:on the
appearance:soft
appearance:center
appearance:pad
appearance:again. “You’d
appearance:have
appearance:to
appearance:buy
appearance:me
appearance:dinner
appearance:before
appearance:that.”
“Now
you’re
appearance:trying
appearance:to
appearance:make
appearance:my
appearance:ears
appearance:color.”
appearance:Owen
appearance:lowered
appearance:them
appearance:to the
appearance:ground. “Okay,
appearance:another blast
appearance:of wind’s coming.”
“Ready.”
This
appearance:time
appearance:Harper
appearance:crouched.
Owen
shifted
appearance:position,
appearance:putting
appearance:his
appearance:hands
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:logs and
appearance:limbs
appearance:he’d
appearance:cut
appearance:off,
appearance:and
appearance:returned
appearance:to
appearance:his
appearance:normal
appearance:size,
appearance:again
appearance:all
appearance:at
appearance:once.
appearance:The
appearance:wind
appearance:blew
appearance:toward
appearance:him
appearance:rather
appearance:than
appearance:away
appearance:this
appearance:time.
Standing
up,
appearance:Harper
appearance:leaned
appearance:over
appearance:the
appearance:pile
appearance:of
appearance:what
appearance:might
appearance:as
appearance:well
appearance:be
appearance:twigs
appearance:and
appearance:branches. “I
appearance:thought
appearance:you
appearance:said
appearance:that’d
appearance:all
appearance:return to
appearance:normal
appearance:size.”
“It
will,
appearance:but I’ll have
appearance:enough
appearance:time
appearance:to
appearance:get it
appearance:to the
appearance:lumberyard
appearance:before
appearance:then.”
As
they
appearance:walked
appearance:back
appearance:toward
appearance:the
appearance:house
appearance:to
appearance:get
appearance:Elsie,
appearance:Harper
appearance:said, “Where’s
appearance:the
appearance:Lodge?”
“North Lawrence,
corner
appearance:of
appearance:Seventh
appearance:and
appearance:Ash,
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:river bank.
appearance:You’ll
appearance:know it
appearance:when
appearance:you
appearance:see
appearance:it.
appearance:When
appearance:someone
appearance:answers
appearance:the
appearance:door,
appearance:say ‘chartreuse.’”
“Like
a
appearance:password?”
He
nodded. “Right.”
“When’s
it
appearance:open?”
“There’s
always
appearance:something
appearance:happening
appearance:on
appearance:Saturdays.”
“I
don’t
appearance:know
appearance:about
appearance:that,
appearance:then.
appearance:I
appearance:don’t
appearance:like
appearance:it
appearance:when
appearance:things
appearance:happen.”
Owen
looked
appearance:back
appearance:at
appearance:Harper,
appearance:raising
appearance:a
appearance:brow
appearance:and
appearance:smiling. The
appearance:fox
appearance:tried
appearance:not
appearance:to
appearance:smile
appearance:back,
appearance:but
appearance:did
appearance:anyway.
This
was
appearance:the
appearance:first
appearance:of
appearance:two
appearance:parts
appearance:of “Regulars” by Arilin Thorferra, read for you by Rob
appearance:MacWolf,
appearance:Werewolf
appearance:Hitchhiker.
appearance:Tune
appearance:in
appearance:next
appearance:time
appearance:for
appearance:Harper’s
appearance:trip
appearance:to
appearance:the
appearance:mysterious
appearance:Outside
appearance:Lodge.
As
always,
appearance:you
appearance:can
appearance:find
appearance:more
appearance:stories
appearance:on
appearance:the
appearance:web
appearance:at
appearance:thevoice.dog,
appearance:or find the
appearance:show
appearance:wherever
appearance:you
appearance:get
appearance:your
appearance:podcasts.
appearance:Thank
appearance:you
appearance:for
appearance:listening
appearance:to
appearance:The
appearance:Voice
appearance:of
appearance:Dog.