Page 5 - The Daily Builder - Day 07

KindrEd spirits

somewhere nearby. And then any sort of tug, which at least or say the wrong thing. Your door and charged down the tears of joy into her white pit
you get the tingling. It’s almost meant that her soulmate wasn’t soulmate would just understand, rows of kennels, past dozens of bull’s neck, and that only made
like… coming home from one of her brother’s hermit and they would settle in with curious noses and patting paws her feel worse.
By Delilah S. school and smelling cookies crabs. She found the thick brown you and comfort you, and then and friendly barks. She saw “What now?” she asked as
Dawson baking before you can see the robe in her closet and wrinkled the world wouldn’t be so dark. plenty of dogs and cats that she they walked back to the parking
The tingling began just oven light. You just sense it. And her nose. No matter how many Her father had loved his python, would love to be bonded with, but lot.
after lunch. Aubrey had been you follow it. And then you find times her mom had washed it, it and they were buried together she didn’t feel anything special, “There’s another pet store,”
waiting for it all day—or, more them, and they find you, and…” still smelled like an old barn and in the cemetery downtown. nothing like the call of cookies her mom said. “Maybe half
accurately, for all eight years of She adjusted the rearview mirror mothballs. It had been passed Aubrey didn’t remember much in the oven. After her second an hour’s drive.” She looked
her life. It could start any time to smile at Leopold. “And then down through their family for about either of them, but she circuit, her mother appeared, her worried, though; was Aubrey
on her birthday, her mom had you’re both happy. We’ll start at generations, and even though no could see their devotion to one brow furrowed. having more trouble than people
told her, but she was glad it had the animal shelter, then hit the one really knew why you were another in old family pictures. “No luck, huh? Let’s try the usually did on Soulmate Day?
happened while she was still pet stores.” supposed to wear a stuffy brown She hoped her soulmate would pet store.” Mom had found Leopold in the
at school. There was a certain “I know! I’ve been thinking robe for your Soulmate Day, no be something more… cuddly. On the way to the pet store, first animal shelter she’d entered,
attention given to the kids who about them for the last year. one ever tried to do anything Slipping on the robe, she Aubrey wasn’t quite as excited. in the very first kennel.
left school for such an important Maybe it’ll be a Saint Bernard!” differently. No one was willing snapped the old clasp and flew Everything at the pet store was Was there something wrong
reason—and it made Aubrey Her mother sighed as she to risk messing up the magic and down the stairs and back into small, and most of the creatures with Aubrey? She dashed away
feel like royalty. It was even turned into their driveway. “Or a going through life without their the car. As her mother drove would be less cozy. Sure, it could tears, knowing kids should
better, she thought, than losing nice hamster,” she said. “Maybe kindred spirit. to the local animal shelter, she be a rabbit or a guinea pig, but never cry on such a special day.
a tooth. a canary.” Seeing her mom snuggling bounced on her seat. The dogs it could also be a tarantula or a It just happened, and it would
Soon her mother picked her “And then they live forever,” with Leopold or Mr. Jock next and cats in the shelter were frog or a fish, none of which she happen to her, and she just had
up, and they drove home, talking Aubrey said dreamily. door hobbling through the strays, and plenty of people had personally wanted to hug. to be patient, as her mom was
excitedly about what was to “They live as long as you do, garden with his aging ferret, pets that weren’t their soulmate. She waited until the car was forever reminding her. She
come. Her mother’s kindred sweetie,” her mother reminded it was easy to imagine what it Some people ended up with a stopped this time and followed wished she could hug Leopold,
spirit, Leopold, rode in the back her. “Now hurry upstairs and put would be like, always having finch when they had longed to go her mother inside. She was more longed for that sense of calm and
seat. The shepherd mix was on your robes.” someone with you who just running with Labradors, and you tentative this time, going from security her mom found in the
always well-behaved and polite, Inside, Audrey didn’t smell understood. Who didn’t need to could still love your pets, even if tank to tank as tiny black eyes gentle dog’s presence. Soulmate
but he did lean forward to award cookies, but she also didn’t feel ask questions, complain, argue, they weren’t your kindred spirit. peered back at her. But again, animals had an unusual kindness
Aubrey with a special lick, It wasn’t their fault, of course, nothing called to her. Nothing and understanding about them,
sharing her excitement. and they probably hoped to find felt special. Nothing tugged. As as if they understood their
“Tell me again how it will that connection just as much as she passed the last fish tank, her soulmate and could act almost
work,” she urged her mother. humans did. They pulled into grin came back. “Now the other like people. And Leopold was
“Well, we don’t really know. the parking lot, and Aubrey was animal shelter!” never harsh with Aubrey, but…
Why it works, I mean.” Her out of the door before her mother But even at the shelter across well, he wasn’t hers, was he?
mother shrugged and sighed; she had stopped the car. When she town, she didn’t feel a tug. The As they passed by pastures,
was a doctor, and she preferred shyly stepped into the lobby, the dogs yipped at her, paws on Aubrey began to wonder what
to know how things worked. receptionist gave her a kindly their gates, as she slowly walked it would be like to have her own
“But the day you turn eight, you look. up and down the aisles, hoping horse. Not as a pet of course.
form a connection to an animal. “Soulmate Day, eh? Well, go she’d missed something. She They lived in a small house in
They’re your soulmate, your on. Find your forever friend.” passed a boy hugging a chubby a neighborhood, and the law
kindred spirit, and he or she is
Aubrey pushed open the glass white puppy as his mother cried said that her neighbors would

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