Michael felt like he was in a fever dream as he walked through his old neighborhood. He’d walked and cycled through it hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in his youth. At that time, it had all turned into a monotonous blur. Yet after a life in another world, he paid close attention.

Many of the houses were the same as he remembered. He had lived in a neighborhood with relatively eclectic architecture, each house taking on its own style and color. Some were brightly painted, dainty little homes. Others held to natural earthen tones of brick and stone masonry.

Each yard also had its unique landscaping. Some were covered in flowery bushes and trees. Others had artfully trimmed hedges and stone patterns. Some just went with a basic grass lawn.

It was strange to see it all again, quite a bit of it unchanged.

He constantly pulsed his nature mana to remain sure of himself. Though that came with its own annoyances.

“It’s the Steward!”

“Hail the Steward!”

“Let us serve!”

Thousands of impressions pressed into his mind, all the nearby animals and flora acknowledging his presence as he passed by. Although barely perceptible to the untrained eye, even the plants shivered and rustled, reaching out towards him.

On the one hand, he wanted to rebuke them for giving him such a lofty status. On the other… it was nice to be venerated by the life in his old neighborhood.

So, he neither embraced nor rejected their claim.

“Peace to all. Leave me be.”

He sent waves of mana to all the plants and animals he passed, though he was humble about it. There was no need to leave a magical landscape in his wake. Especially if this really all was real. The last thing he wanted was more attention.

The plants drunk the meager amount of mana joyfully, nonetheless, using it to reinforce their structures and grow slightly. He chuckled at the thought of the neighbors coming out to a lawn that was fully grown only a day after having mowed it.

Squirrels, rabbits, and birds clambered, dashed, and flew about at the sudden influx of energy. All of them wanted to move towards him, but respected his wishes, not following him.

Michael finally turned a corner and froze.

Home.

It stood just a few houses away, almost exactly as he remembered it.

A rather large, contemporary mansion stood at two stories tall. The house he had lived in for twelve years.

Michael took a shuddering breath as he walked forward. He kept a tight reign over his mana, pulsing it regularly to keep an eye on his surroundings.

“This could all just be an illusion. Don’t lose your footing or focus,” he reminded himself.

As he neared the house, his gaze washed over the front yard.

It was the only part that had changed somewhat, with some plants having been removed and replaced with others. Though one plant stood out.

The blue spruce. His favorite tree.

The last time Michael had seen it, it was hardly taller than him. Now, it was already rivaling the height of the house, reaching for the skies. Michael smiled.

“Peace to you, old friend.”

The tree rustled at his mana, which he happened to be more generous with this time. He could feel the sheer delight of the spruce as it stretched and grew inches wider and taller.

“Hail Steward!”

Michael’s smile waned. It wasn’t a surprise the spruce didn’t really recognize him.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

But hopefully his parents would.

With a reassuring breath, Michael straightened and took purposeful strides across the driveway and to the front door.

He stood there for a moment in pause.

And then he rang the doorbell.

~

Gina, a cinnamon colored lionhead rabbit, sat huddled in the corner of her prison cell.

One of the humans walked by, but she remained motionless. She had no desire for their attention. Not anymore.

How she missed roaming the house like she did in her youth! Hopping up and around the couches! Bounding across the living room! Dancing around the legs of Michael! Every day was a fun day!

But one day, Michael left, and never came back. And her world became a lot smaller.

When Michael disappeared, the energy in the house became a lot more tense. Yelling and crying grew more and more frequent. Doors slammed more often. Glass shattered on occasion.

Gina felt there was danger afoot. So, despite her longing for space, movement, and Michael, she kept to herself. Where once, she would have called out and stretched up along the wall of the cage for attention, she had shifted to remaining as unnoticeable as possible.

And so, the humans had left her alone for the most part over the following years. Thankfully Mila had been there to pick up the pieces. Sure, she hadn’t been as attentive or caring as Michael, but she did make sure Gina was watered, fed, her litter was cleaned, and that she got exercise sometimes.

Gina was thankful for that.

But then Mila disappeared.

Those were the toughest few weeks of her life. There was a lot of movement going on. Things being carried away by various strangers, the living room cleared. Food and water couldn’t be taken for granted. She was lucky if her litter was cleaned. She never got to hop around and about.

Finally, the loud humans disappeared as well, replaced by a different set of them.

Again, a lot of movement occurred, with various things being brought in. New furniture. New carpet. A whole new environment. Gina just wanted to explore it all. It looked intriguing and exciting!

The new humans were even relatively attentive at first, making sure she was well fed and that her litter was always fresh! Sure, they started calling her ‘Cinnabun’ for some reason, and they pointed those weird rectangles at her often, usually accompanied by a flash of light which always hurt to look at. But at least they laughed and goggled over her! Even if they didn’t let her run, even if they never touched her, even if she was just there to look at, at least they were acknowledging her existence!

For a time.

Yet again, as time went on, she was cast into the background.

Thankfully she was still fed and her litter changed often enough. But that was all.

Gina was now old. So old. She wanted to hop, and yet, if given the chance, she wasn’t sure the pervasive stiffness and aches in her joints would let her. She was losing her appetite, eating less every day. She felt pain as a lump pressed up into her abdomen.

Where had those carefree days of youth gone?

Where had the days of hopping joyfully gone?

Where had Michael gone?

The doorbell rang.

~

Michael waited.

After a moment, he heard footsteps.

The door unlocked, holding that old, familiar click.

And then Michael couldn’t help himself.

“I’m home,” he whispered.

He let loose a strong pulse of mana on instinct, echoing through the opening front door.

He took a deep whiff.

And found it did not smell like home.

A stranger stood before him, a short woman in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. She gazed at him, in his green cloak, quizzically.

“Yes, how can I help you?”

Michael stood in befuddlement. For a moment he couldn’t find words.

The woman tilted her head to the side, looking awkward.

“I’m looking for Peter and Vera Varinski… I’m their son,” Michael finally said.

“Oh,” the woman said. “They don’t live here anymore.”

“Oh.”

Another long moment of silence followed.

“Well, I hope you manage to find them,” she said with a strained smile.

“Thank you,” he nodded.

“Good luck and good day to you,” she said, closing the door.

As Michael watched the door close, he could hear a ruckus within the house at his mana.

Apparently, these people liked their house plants.

“Steward!”

“Hail!”

“Let us serve!”

“Bless the Steward!”

“Hail the Steward!”

“Peace to Steward!”

With a sigh, Michael turned away from the closing door.

“Michael!”

The door closed.

He froze.

He gazed at the door with wide eyes.

Someone remembered him in there.

But who?

He took a deep whiff of the air again, focusing his mana on his nose.

He could smell many strange, unfamiliar scents. Harsh cleaning products, leather, grilled meat, the bathroom, plentiful vegetation, and under it all…

…a rabbit.

Michael’s finger pounced on the doorbell. He held his breath.

But there was no answer.

He scrunched up his brows and rang it again. And again. And again.

Still no answer.

Finally, after consistently ringing, a man answered this time.

“What the hell is your problem?”

“I want to see my rabbit.”

The man gazed at him confusedly.

“What do you mean?”

“Michael!”

“I want to see my rabbit, Gina. I can hear her calling me.”

“Look, you can’t just go up to someone’s house and…”

“Michael, please! Help me!”

Michael shoved his way past the man and into the living room, heading straight for Gina. He spooked the woman, who had been hovering just around the corner. He easily sidestepped her.

“Michael!”

“Peace Gina, I am coming.”

Michael saw Gina in her cage and with two powerful strides, was beside her. He unlatched the door and Gina feebly hopped into his arms.

“Michael!”

“Oh, Gina!” Michael cried.

And then, his breath hitched when he pulsed his mana through her body.