Winter's Promise by Julie Trettel

Author:Julie Trettel [Trettel, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-21T06:00:00+00:00

Ember

Chapter 16

A squirrel? What? I was a squirrel? They must be out of their mind. I looked down at my tiny brown and black arms, then tried to look behind me to verify my white stripes were still there. I caught glimpses of them but felt like a small puppy chasing his tail.

Charlie and Chad both seemed so certain. I would have to look up this antelope ground squirrel and see for myself later. Mom and Dad had only seen me in my fur a few times, but they’d called me a chipmunk. When I looked in the mirror, that’s what I’d thought I was seeing, too. Could we have been wrong all these years?

All of his siblings had shifted into gray squirrels like Chad. They looked enormous from my low vantage point. I watched as they took to the trees. I had never really attempted to climb anything. I was more comfortable scurrying across the ground and jumping low lying logs or rocks.

Let’s run, Chad suggested. I was positive he felt my confusion.

When I looked over at him, he ran part way up a tree and did a backflip.

Show off!

Chad laughed in my head. Do you climb?

Never really had the need or the desire, I confessed.

Go up first. I’m right behind you, he encouraged when we came to a big oak tree.

I gulped when I looked up from the base of it. I didn’t want to let him down. If I was a squirrel I must be able to climb trees too, right? Slowly I took one step at a time upwards. My short claws didn’t grip deep enough into the bark and I occasionally slid back down. It took me a while, but I did make it up to the first small branch. I perched there to catch my breath.

Looking out I got a little dizzy, but I tried to keep it to myself. Carolyn, Christian, and Charlie were jumping from branch to branch high above us with no fear. Nope, I didn’t think that would ever be me.

This doesn’t feel right, I finally said. I want to go back down. Head on up and have fun with them, I said.

Are you okay? he asked, sounding concerned.

I will be when I’m back on the ground. Charlie did say a ground squirrel. I think that’s probably where I belong. Sorry.

Ember, you don’t ever have to apologize for being you.

That was probably one of the most powerful statements anyone had ever said to me.

I slid more than climbed back down, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I was off and running. I knew I hadn’t shifted enough while away at college. It was stupid really. I mean, I went to the ARC so that I could learn more about shifters and have the freedom to just be me, but I wasn’t comfortable shifting around anyone but my parents. I just didn’t shift at school, even knowing there were acres and acres of land to roam risk free.

Scurrying across the ground and jumping from log to log made me reconsider that decision.

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