24. Chapter 24 - Minnie
I have to help Blaze. I don’t have a choice. But I can’t say more than two words without dropping on all fours.
But until then, I have to make it work. Somehow.
I force my limbs to stay perfectly still, which is a struggle, and shout, “Stop!”
Blaze skids to a stop and the firefighters exchange surprised looks.
The chipmunk turns to me. “Please. Can you help me?”
“Yes.” Once again I give a one-word answer and manage not to make a complete and utter fool of myself. Holding my head high, I turn to the men. “Blaze and I need to speak in private.”
“Clear out, men,” Luca orders.
They shuffle out, grumbling.
“Come on, Grayson,” Luca says.
The boy keeps jumping up and down, pocket watch in hand, his excitement bubbling over. I figure he won’t care if I’m wiggling on the floor, so I tell Luca that Grayson can stay.
Blaze chirps shrilly. “Please help. I need help!”
“Yes,” I say again.
“Yes, what?” Luca gives me a questioning look and I shake my head. “I was talking to Blaze.” Now please, just leave already!
My entire body hurts as I wait for him to step out of view, and as soon as the coast is clear, I finally let myself go.
I drop to the ground on all fours and shake my butt in the air, twitching to my heart’s content. Blaze’s panic instantly lessens, and she runs up to me, mirroring my body language.
I let my powers loose and speak in Chipmunk. “You’ve been running through here to get someone to come help you, haven’t you?”
“Yes. Please come,” Blaze cries. “My babies are trapped. A branch fell from the tree, and I can’t move it. It’s blocking our burrow and my babies are starving.”
“Oh no,” my heart goes out to the poor chipmunk and I jump to my feet. “Lead the way!”
Blaze races toward the door, zigzagging through the fire hall. I do the same and Grayson races after me—probably in a straight line, though I don’t look over my shoulder to check.
Once we get outside, Blaze shows me the branch. It’s the length of my arm, and about as broad as Zachariah’s. I grunt as I try to move it. “It’s too heavy.”
Grayson immediately runs to the other side and helps me pull it out of the way.
“My babies!” Blaze shouts, running into the burrow.
I hear shrill chirps ringing from inside, and glance back at the firehouse. I don’t see any men peeking out of windows or watching me from the doorway, so I relax and drop to all fours. “Are the babies hurt? Do they need a vet?”
“They’re okay,” Blaze cries. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Grayson holds up his tablet and taps the screen. “Chipmunk,” it says.
“Blaze is a mommy chipmunk,” I explain, “and she needed help rescuing her babies. They’re okay.”
As if on cue, Blaze ushers out three baby chipmunks. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you,” she says.
“Just please stay out of the firehouse,” I tell her.
“I only went in because I needed help. Tell me how I can pay you back. Anything. You name it.”
“Can you make grown men cry?” I ask hopefully. Grayson makes a sound, and I quickly add. “Not your dad. He’s a nice guy. And not any of the firefighters. They seem nice, too. I’m thinking about someone else.” Someone named Damien Starr.
“What can I do?” Blaze asks, instantly on board. You can always count on animals, unlike people.
Not that I actually plan to ask Blaze to hurt Damien. If he got attacked by a chipmunk, he’d blame me. And a few bites and scratches wouldn’t be enough. An apology wouldn’t be enough. Nothing would ever be enough.
I want to travel back in time and change what happened. Leave him first, so he’d understand the pain. I want to know why I wasn’t good enough… and what I could have done to convince him to still be my friend.
I turn to Blaze. “I was only kidding about making him cry,” I tell her. “You really don’t need to repay me.”
“Yes, I do. You saved my children. I’m indebted to you. Forever.”
I’m already shaking my head when an idea pops into my head. “Do you have chipmunk friends?”
“Tons. They tried to help move the branch, but even all of us working together couldn’t do it.”
“There’s something else they can do,” I tell her. “Do you know the cafe on Main Street?”
Blaze nods.
“Meet me in the alley out back. And bring your friends. You’re the solution to all my problems!”
Blaze nods. “You can count on me.”
I head back into the fire station, let Luca know Blaze won’t be back, and get a standing ovation from the men. Grayson gets one too, for his help and manual tracking skills. Then I say my goodbyes and head over to Highway to Spells to buy some growth formula from Willow.
Once I’m done, I sneak into the bakery, and start to pack. I throw the few remaining dresses and heels I haven’t sold for extra cash on the bedroom floor and stuff my purses full of underwear and bras. Last thing I need is to have my undergarments littering the streets of Silver Springs.
Most of Natty’s stuff is already in his wagon at Jewels Cafe, but I add his clothes, shoes, all our library books and the boxes of snacks to the pile. Our toiletries and the giant box of bandages Natty has made a serious dent in follow. Who knew toddlers were so accident-prone?
This isn’t going to work, my brain screams. But what choice do I have?
My heart hurts as I stare at everything we have to our names laid out like this, and I grimace when I realize that the majority of my possessions are potions.
I’ve got hundreds of vials lined up on the bookshelf, and I spend forever carefully wrapping them in our bedsheets and packing them all up in my suitcase.
Last to go in is my crystal ball—an expensive, shatter and scratch-proof model that I still wrap up in a pillowcase for extra safekeeping.
The moment Damien transfers me the money, I’m using this thing to call the Warshire Witch and order Formula M 2. 0.
I do one last sweep of the bakery, and pack up anything else I find—the self-defense wand my mother got me when I moved to Silver Springs, a charger, and a pair of sunglasses, which I stuff in my purse, and Natty’s crayon drawings that line the walls, which I carefully take down.
And even though it wasn’t a great home, and it wasn’t ours, I realize it was a happy one, filled with laughter and wonderful memories, so unlike the home I grew up in.
My hands tremble and I can’t help feeling like this is the beginning of the end.
The house Damien bought may be perfect, but it’s cold and sterile and devoid of joy.
And once Zachariah takes Natty away, I’ll live the rest of my life surrounded by empty walls and faded memories.
Assuming I don’t get caught breaking the fuzzies free and land my ass in jail.
Either way, I’m never coming back here, and that hurts.
“I’m going to miss you, little bakery,” I whisper, and then I head back to Jewels Cafe to put my chipmunk plan into action.