Animalia by Cristian Johnson (free novels to read txt) 📕

"Wait what do you mean?..You don't think I am one of those mutants too right?" Chris asks.

"Well not exactly....it's just I have been listening to my father's words from time to time and he did mention a violent creature that is not similar to what we are, I was not sure if what he mentioned was you but I will not take my chances about this." Jacob replies back to Chris.

"You know not every animal is just a savage in nature. Animals may fall to instinctual desires but it does not mean it will make them fully inhumane. They have emotions just like a regular human being too. I am not asking for you to join but I just want to ask you for your emotion to feel a sense of honor to give back to your father. He would be proud of what you did and then his death will not be in vain for not only saving Luke, Emma, or Reginald. So just please accept my offer, you don't have to be my friend. It's that I know you are powerful and I know you can be a great helper in our semi-broken home right now." Chris says back to Jacob.

"My dad would have loved that speech you know...He always likes people who show off their passion and show off their courage with a valiant heart that does not care what others say even if he knows that he can get hurt or killed. Now I fully understand why my dad would have helped you anyway, he set you up for something great and maybe this is a sign that we were to become one as a pack, and you will show me how it is done and I will try my best to give all my heart to this place. If it has to be encouraging others then that will do. If it has to fight mutants to the death then it will do. I will do my dad Isaac proud so he can rest in peace knowing his generations of family will continue on still keeping the family name." Jacob says as he lies down in front of Chris.

"So you do mean what you say?" Chris asks Jacob.

"I do Chris with every fiber in my body, and I know my father would have given a hearty laugh with a nice strong pat on the back. There is still the problem with my family." Jacob says to Chris.

"They can stay at the Smoky Den, you can come whenever just know that nothing of that old place will change unless we have your position. I am thankful for your help." Chris says to Jacob.

"Alright I'll see you then." Jacob says as he runs off back to his family. Chris then runs back home to tell the exciting news.

When he did return home Reginald and Emma were worried sick and were happy he had returned. Luke has been awoken from his coma. That keeps Chris not thinking of Chuck and the gang for now. Chris did notice something strange with Luke however. He was scuttling along around a tree with his head down, walking in circles…...constantly.

Chris has returned from the dinosaur clan of Chuck and back to the Smoky Den. Reginald decided to change how he was going to lead the area and Luke has woken up from his coma although his behavior is quite strange indeed for everyone. Will Luke still be able to function despite the trauma he has been through? Will Chris ever see Chuck and the gang once more?

Chris has always been on edge before about his friends but being on edge now was more important than ever. Chris thinks to himself as he observes Luke sluggishly walking.

”Why does he do these very strange things that are not normal for him to do? He barely talks to anyone now...not even me or Emma. He lost all of his excitement and now he's just dull... I am getting concerned for Luke….he never gets sick often and I hope nothing happened while he was asleep for that long period…” Chris continues to say to himself as Emma interrupts his train of thought.

“Um...Hello?? Anyone in there?” Emma looks at Chris.

“Oh hey...sorry it's just a lot on my mind now..”

“You know I’m worried about him too you know. I can tell you fear something, it's like you know what's wrong with him right?”

“I do not know Emma, just I have heard of things very similar to what Luke has. My mom once told me about a disease some animals get that makes them act very odd indeed. I hope Luke does not have it but the strain to not think on it is very difficult.”

“So has he talked to you recently? He only was able to say hi, and small phrases at random times you know. I don’t think Reggie is taking this nicely... “

“Yeah, you're right there he may have a gentle smile on his face around the other animals but he seems to be stressed constantly not only being the new leader but just because Luke is not being himself. I’ll try talking to him during breakfast, we just gotta keep our hopes up alright Emma… It will be very weird at this time but all we can do is just wait until that moment comes where we can be happy once more ok ....” Chris says to Emma and continues to walk.

Chris tries to reassure Emma that Chris is ok. As they go to the mess hall waiting for Luke. Luke was upstairs as he came downstairs looking blankly at the both of them. He then proceeds to not sit down and look at the grass that was picked out for him. He sniffed at it and walked away, this was the fifth time in the row he had skipped breakfast and most of his meals. Chris looks up and watches Luke exit out of the Smoky Den as he continues with his “daily” schedule. What Luke does every day is involving walking in circles in front of a tree. He doesn’t eat as much as he usually does anymore. His ribs are beginning to protrude below and he walks as if he looks drunk on alcohol. He does not fall as much although and mainly he just struggles to walk in a straight line and prefers to say 1 to no words at all. There was a time he did speak a sentence to Reginald, but it was random indeed like how he is in general.

He told Reginald, “Frozen snickerdoodles are my wives that should be damned to Hell”. Luke said to him one day, at least that’s what Reginald could make out from his stuttering of words. Chris had a long day ahead of him since he was assigned to scout out the field of the western highlands and he was partnered up with Luke on this expedition. Chris feels a little uncomfortable that he has to work with Luke constantly and in the end he would have to do most of the work both himself and Luke’s part of the mission. Getting Luke to stay with him was a huge task on its own. It was almost having to teach a puppy some discipline and to stay with its owner. The only difference was Chris just had to nudge him with his tail and Luke will just poorly walk around not in a straight line. At times he would drag his legs to the point where he would then stop because it hurts. He is frustrated indeed with this situation although he can not be mad forever for Luke was his best friend and that he was not in good mental health. His condition continues to bother his mind as he notices more symptoms. For instance, Luke despite him not eating anything he always seems to constantly drown himself of gulping water whenever he sees it. He feels so thirsty constantly even after he drinks a large amount of water. Reginald tries to restrain him from not over drinking and harming our little water pool.

Chris walks with Luke out of the Smoky Den as Reginald watches with a concerned expression on his face.

“You two take care now! Come back soon! You know you don't have to be out for a long time just a small, minute or two...then you can come back you hear!” Reginald shouts out as they leave.

“Chris may you please come here…” Reginald said with a stern voice at him.

“Yes, sir you called me over?” Chris says to Reginald.

“I want you to make sure he stays out of trouble Chris… I have been doing some research on his problem recently and yet my results came up short so I want you to continue observing him understand...Until we find an actual doctor then we can not do anything since it might make his condition worse. I worry for my grandson Chris. I hope you understand this as much Emma and the others are taking this..” Reginald says to Chris.

“Yeah...yeah… I get it” Chris says looking down at the ground.

Reginald raises his trunk and lifts Chris’s face a bit. “You feel his pain don’t you...It’s as if you had the same thing and just feel empty about it.” Reginald says to Chris.

“Yeah I know it's just stuff that doesn't feel the same and it's a bit freaking me out at the same time with not just so much stuff to think about you know Reginald. Most of my entire life is already messed up and I really felt that nothing was going to be taken away more, despite my parents not being in my life anymore and having barely any friends I was fine and Luke pretty much got me through it all and we hanged out so I would not have to think on this as a whole lot. But yet now he is not here at the moment he is just lost in his mind somewhere.” Chri says as he glances at Luke who is staring at the ground wobbling to stay balanced on his feet.

“I have heard my mom tell me things and some things that are similar to his condition and I want to not believe that he has that disease…” Chris says as he is cut off by Reginald.

“No, I do not want to discuss this any more. I just want you two to go take some time, and make sure my grandson is comfortable and that we can find a way to help him in any way possible. I have heard sooner or later that a doctor will be coming through her and he said he will be staying for a while. To check on Luke and then maybe we will have our answers, I know I have seen many diseases back in my war days and many awful and rare conditions some elders had in the Smoky Den but I am just as confused as you Chris. They call him the “Monk”, which I do not know what that fully means but