I’m only having some fun.”
“Oh!” She was relieved. And a bit surprised too. “But?” Then it all set in. He was mocking their journey! Just poking fun at where they were going and at the question she asked. She didn’t know why it took that long for everything to make sense. She must be very tired not to have understood it right away. Alexander was still laughing, though, and Nora started to as well. Although it was a bit of an uncomfortable laugh.
“So,” Alexander said finally, motioning with his head to Gray, “you never did tell me the story about the bear.”
“Gray?”
“Yes. He’s an unusual companion for you.”
“He likes me,” Nora said, while motioning Gray over. The cub came and sat beside Nora, pawing at his nose. Nora scrubbed his neck. “His mother was killed by hunters that…Hunter…and I met in the woods.” Even the memory of that, not so very long ago, threatened to stir up some put aside feelings, but Nora pushed them down. “If we left Gray, he would have died. So, I took him with me.”
“Strange,” Alexander mused, “that you would care for another animal so.”
“Is it?” Nora asked. “I’ve liked animals my whole life. I couldn’t just let him die.”
“Yes, your whole life as a human. But since you’ve become Vassiz, certain things tend to change.”
“I’m still me ,” Nora defended. “I still like the things I liked, still care about the things I cared about.”
“Right,” Alexander agreed, “most newborns would say similar things. But that bear truly is interesting.”
“Why?”
“Animals and Vassiz don’t mix well. I think it is because they sense something about us, something… foul . Something different from humans.”
“Hunter told me that,” Nora said quietly.
“Right. I have known women who were transformed who claimed they loved animals when they were humans, but as soon as the transformation took hold, they lost anything they ever felt for the creatures. It is the same with all of the Vassiz. Our eyes tend to just…glaze over…other animals.
“It’s nothing you can control, but you just don’t sense that they’re there. You pay no attention to them, nor they to you. No more than you would to, say, the feel of your knee, on a regular day. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with you.”
“No,” Nora replied thoughtfully. “It’s not.”
“That is why I commented on the bear only now. Truth be told, I hadn’t even noticed you had him until mid-day today.”
“Really?” Nora was surprised. Gray was always right there beside her. To not notice him would be…like being blind. “Then how did you notice him? Just out of curiosity. And can you see him now?”
“Now,” Alexander laughed, “I can see him easily. It’s like I explained just now, it’s not like bear is invisible to me. He’s just not…conspicuous. Nothing he does really warrants my attention, and my mind blanks him out. As with all other animals. When I finally did notice him, however, I see him whenever I want.”
“Because your attention was brought to him?”
“That’s right. It’s like the blue elephant.”
“Blue elephant?” Nora asked, confused. “What’s that?”
“A psychological trick.”
“How does it work?”
“Easy. I sit you down and tell you that you are free to think about anything in the world except blue elephants. Go on, try it out. Think about anything you want, as long as it’s not a blue elephant. Now, I’ve told you what you can and cannot think about, and yet, right now, what are you thinking about?”
Nora squinted at him. “A blue elephant,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Exactly. It’s a psychological process where if you try to suppress particular thoughts, they actually become stronger. So, with the blue elephant – the concept of it was always in your mind, just tucked away in a corner somewhere. And me telling you to not think about it brings it right into focus. Earlier today, when we were
“Oh!” She was relieved. And a bit surprised too. “But?” Then it all set in. He was mocking their journey! Just poking fun at where they were going and at the question she asked. She didn’t know why it took that long for everything to make sense. She must be very tired not to have understood it right away. Alexander was still laughing, though, and Nora started to as well. Although it was a bit of an uncomfortable laugh.
“So,” Alexander said finally, motioning with his head to Gray, “you never did tell me the story about the bear.”
“Gray?”
“Yes. He’s an unusual companion for you.”
“He likes me,” Nora said, while motioning Gray over. The cub came and sat beside Nora, pawing at his nose. Nora scrubbed his neck. “His mother was killed by hunters that…Hunter…and I met in the woods.” Even the memory of that, not so very long ago, threatened to stir up some put aside feelings, but Nora pushed them down. “If we left Gray, he would have died. So, I took him with me.”
“Strange,” Alexander mused, “that you would care for another animal so.”
“Is it?” Nora asked. “I’ve liked animals my whole life. I couldn’t just let him die.”
“Yes, your whole life as a human. But since you’ve become Vassiz, certain things tend to change.”
“I’m still me ,” Nora defended. “I still like the things I liked, still care about the things I cared about.”
“Right,” Alexander agreed, “most newborns would say similar things. But that bear truly is interesting.”
“Why?”
“Animals and Vassiz don’t mix well. I think it is because they sense something about us, something… foul . Something different from humans.”
“Hunter told me that,” Nora said quietly.
“Right. I have known women who were transformed who claimed they loved animals when they were humans, but as soon as the transformation took hold, they lost anything they ever felt for the creatures. It is the same with all of the Vassiz. Our eyes tend to just…glaze over…other animals.
“It’s nothing you can control, but you just don’t sense that they’re there. You pay no attention to them, nor they to you. No more than you would to, say, the feel of your knee, on a regular day. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with you.”
“No,” Nora replied thoughtfully. “It’s not.”
“That is why I commented on the bear only now. Truth be told, I hadn’t even noticed you had him until mid-day today.”
“Really?” Nora was surprised. Gray was always right there beside her. To not notice him would be…like being blind. “Then how did you notice him? Just out of curiosity. And can you see him now?”
“Now,” Alexander laughed, “I can see him easily. It’s like I explained just now, it’s not like bear is invisible to me. He’s just not…conspicuous. Nothing he does really warrants my attention, and my mind blanks him out. As with all other animals. When I finally did notice him, however, I see him whenever I want.”
“Because your attention was brought to him?”
“That’s right. It’s like the blue elephant.”
“Blue elephant?” Nora asked, confused. “What’s that?”
“A psychological trick.”
“How does it work?”
“Easy. I sit you down and tell you that you are free to think about anything in the world except blue elephants. Go on, try it out. Think about anything you want, as long as it’s not a blue elephant. Now, I’ve told you what you can and cannot think about, and yet, right now, what are you thinking about?”
Nora squinted at him. “A blue elephant,” she admitted reluctantly.
“Exactly. It’s a psychological process where if you try to suppress particular thoughts, they actually become stronger. So, with the blue elephant – the concept of it was always in your mind, just tucked away in a corner somewhere. And me telling you to not think about it brings it right into focus. Earlier today, when we were
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