^^Another great drawing by Iris Walker^^

Zuri turns and sees me, she waves me over.

"Hey, come back over here! Shouldn't wander off like that you'll scare us both!" I nod and head over to them.

I'll give you Anxiety...

A voice in the back of my head urges me to think deeper about what I just thought. And saw. But like hell am I going to pretend that shit was real. Probably just the drugs talking.

That is a big probably.

The hospital didn't give me that type of drug, or any of my friends.

Could this have something to do with the seed? Nothing has been normal since Zuri picked it up....

"Minette...?" A hand placed itself on my shoulder and I jump. Both Zuri and Iris are looking at me worriedly.

"You okay Em?" Iris questions. I smile and wave it off,

"Sorry, zoned out again." They nod but don't look like they've bought my story.

We make our way back to our room, our "secret mission" apparently over. They walk ahead of me and make conversation. I can't seem to focus in on what they're saying though, too many ideas and questions.

Are there more of those things? Why is it that made me anxious? And it didn't seem to notice me until I felt that way. But it ran from me. What's going on since I've found that seed? Or is the seed just allowing me to see it? Is it really that-

I stop mid-thought. This feeling... I'm feeling anxious again. And that means there is a slight possibility...

I look around curiously, trying to make it discrete. Sure enough, there's a matted tail swaying in an invisible breeze behind me.

Joy.

If I make a move now, my friends will surely think I've gone truly insane. So, I will have to move until they won't see.

"But what happens if they happen to catch you in the act? What will they do? You're surely be locked up indeed." A familiar voice whispers in my ear.

It has a point. I can't do this now! There's too much at stake!

"There you go. Realize how many things you could mess up, and what would you're friends do without you?" I pale and swallow against my dry throat.

Oh, he's good at this. I have to be better... but really. What if they do see me? If I'm gone... they won't last long. They might lose it. Crap.

There is a sudden feeling of calm and the seed in my pocket gets warmer. I can feel it against my jeans. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.

What am I so worried about? Something that won't happen if I keep calm.

Trust in the Lord.

With a deep sigh, I wait until my friends have turned the corner. Then whirl around. My hand connects with matted, dry fur and I grab on tight. Instantly this thing screeches and jerks, my arm feels as though it should've been ripped off. But then my hand tangles itself in its fur and I manage to get the upper hand. It thrashes and screeches to an amount I'm surprised that nobody else can hear it.

I lean around the corner and call out to my friends,

"Hey, I've got to go to the bathroom! Catch y'all in the room!" The nod and wave bye to me as I keep walking straight into the girl's bathroom and lock the door behind me.

So it can't teleport whenever I'm holding it. Interesting.

I give it a few more moments to scream and make loud animal noises in protest before clearing my throat.

It doesn't respond.

I sigh and pull out the seed, gripping it tightly in my hand. It's giving off a little heat, but not enough to burn me. I swallow,

"Please be quiet now, I would like to talk." It slowly stops making noises and writhing in my hand until it is a floating, matted, eyeless eye socket creature that I can only assume is staring at me. Little white orbs lay flat in the center of the endless pits of its eyes. A dark voice echoes around the room,

"What do you want with me, Savior?" I blink in confusion. That name sends chills through my skin.

"Don't call me that. Only Jesus Christ is the Savior of this world." I swear its smiling at me.

Then, suddenly, I'm hit by the smell. It's a rotting smell that I'm amazed i didn't smell before now. As if someone left Mum's grated cheese out again... only this time for months and maybe a year instead of only a few days. I resist the urge to cover my nose, and the urge to be sick.

"Unless you've been chosen. Then it would fall to you, wouldn't it? Imagine such a great honor, bestowed upon such a little creature. A human, no less. But what if you can't fill his shoes? What happens when-"

"Do you have any relation to anxiety?" The creature stops in its tracks and seems to freeze in the air. A long, dirty nail rubs what I'm assuming is it's chin. Then is nods a little,

"I believe that is what you humans call me. Anxiety. Such a good name, don't you agree?"

If anxiety is an actual monster. Are there more out there?