Captured
Linda landed her pod in the Rowan’s shed she climbed out of the vehicle and locked the machine up she had her hand on the handle preparing to go outside but changed her mind and turned back to her pod and grabbed two guns out from under her seat. She opened the door and stepped outside and headed toward the house. It was hotter than usual for Imaginess but after being raised on earth she had become used to this kind of heat.
The back door to the house was locked and she knocked as hard as she could but there was no answer. She was just raising her gun to shoot at the lock when a humming sound from behind her caught her attention. She turned around just in time to duck as a hover board dived in her direction and slammed into the door. The machine sputtered and sizzled. The door had broken free from the crash and she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The place was a mess she lifted her guns slightly higher and pointed them at various objects in the room that could be hiding one of the creepy aliens. She heard a sound coming from the basement and headed toward it hoping that it was Rowel and Sira gathering weapons to fight with.
The girl had hurt him but hadn’t succeeded in killing him. He slid himself out of the steaming hover board and fell lightly to the ground. He saw the girls retreating figure heading down a hallway. He looked around and quickly calculated his surrounding trying to find the next good place for him to hide. He heard voices outside and saw a group of people armed heavily with guns walking down the street. If they saw him he was dead.
He turned back in the direction the girl had disappeared too and limped after her.
Linda slipped down the hallway as quietly as she could and opened the door to the basement her heart was pounding in her ears but she hoped could still make out some movement from the basement. She hoped it wasn’t any of the creepy creatures as she started her way slowly down the stairs. As she got closer and closer to the last step she tightened her grip on the guns.
As she reached the bottom she looked and sighed with relief when she saw Rowel and Sira strapping on a slew of gadgets. “Oh thank Kohath it’s only you.” Sira jumped and Rowel spun around pointing a gun in her direction and then lowering it when he realized it was only her.
“Don’t scare us like that Linda.”
“Sorry.” She squinted skeptically at the gadgets he was strapping on. “How can you be sure these things are safe?”
“He picked up a small device off one of the work tables and handed it to her. “This is a Trat Detector. It’s the only object down here that’s run on trat fluid which the Venusians can’t control because their blood is heavily coated in it. This device will help us locate the objects that have aliens hiding in them.”
“Has that thing detected anything?”
“Yeah one or two the problem is that there’s no known way to draw the creatures out of their hiding places so the only solution is to destroy their hiding place. We’ve lost a couple of good pieces of equipment that way.” He handed her a Transportation Belt. “Here you should suit up just don’t put anything on that hasn’t been scanned first.”
The girl had joined two others down in the basement and their loud voices floated up to him. A weak call filled his senses. It was one of his comrades and he was dying. He knew the call hadn’t reached the Imaginese ears since it was so high pitched and most alien creatures where hard of hearing. “Where are you?” And even though he had shouted he knew that it hadn’t reached the Imaginese ears as much more than a whisper.
“It doesn’t matter.” Came the high-pitched reply. “It’s too late to save me.”
“Where can I hide?”
It took a minute for the reply to come back and his comrade’s heavy breathing reached his ears. “The guns…at the bottom of the stairs…” His breathing was coming heavier and heavier as he spoke. “Already been checked…won’t…be…suspected…” A final breath filled his ears and he knew that his comrade was dead. A cry filled his lungs and he screamed at the top of his lungs. Anger filled his veins and vowed that these aliens would not spend another day on this planet. What was it that his comrade had told him at the end? Right the gun. He slipped down the stairs and in no time at all he was safely tucked inside the gun.
Teesha and Shanti sat quietly on the couch watching as their mother poured the man another glass of water. It was his fourth one since waking up and his big hands had nearly swallowed the cup he was holding.
“How long have your son and daughter been gone?”
Peka glanced at the door worry lines creasing her face. She had pushed one of the couches in front of it after they had left and had been waiting anxiously for the rap that would indicate that her son had returned.
“I’m not really sure Jasper.” She said turning her attention back to the man in front of her. “It might take them awhile to scan all the items they needed to grab. We can’t be certain.”
“I hate to say this Peka but you might need to consider…” He was interrupted when the code was rapped out on the door she stood up and raced to the door “Come help me move this couch.” She shouted in Jasper’s direction “Hurry!” He jumped up and together they lifted the couch out of the way just as Rowel pushed the door open and Rowel, Sira and Linda tumbled in onto the floor.
“Thank Kohath you’re all safe.” Peka gasped running and embracing them as Jasper replaced the couch in front of the door.
Oh how sweet! The hugs, the kisses, the tears. It was enough to make him sick. But one very important little fact kept him from throwing up and giving himself away. The girl had switched the gun to her two back hands and now he was aimed directly at a young girl who couldn’t have been much older than 3 or 4. Perfect!
The couch was back in place and Jasper straightened. The family was embracing in the middle of the floor and the two little girls had run up and were trying to get into the center. He sat back and thought of his own family. His wife and 16 year old daughter had been killed in the Martian war 15 years ago and times like this he thought the pain would never go away. He caught Shanti at the back of the crowd and smiled. Shanti was so much like her.
He turned to grab his water off the table when a flash of metal caught his eye. He turned in time to see one of the girls shift the guns that she was holding in her hands to her two back arms.
A shot rang in his head and in his minds eye he could see his daughter sliding to the floor a victim of his own gun. It had been an accident sure but it didn’t make it any easier. Now as he looked down at the little girl the gun aimed just a little above her head he could hear the gun shot echoing in his head. He didn’t care how much control the girl had on her gun accidents happened he had to do something.
He walked over to the girl and picked her up placing her on her big brothers shoulders. There now she was safe from harm. That’s when he heard the gun shot. At first he had thought it was just in his head but when he saw the looks on everyone’s face he knew he hadn’t imagined it. Then the pain shot through his body and he could feel the blood dripping down his legs. He stumbled back his vision going blurry and he felt himself hitting the floor.
The last thought he had before he hit the ground was: “I’m finally going to get to apologize to my little girl for pulling that trigger.”
It all happened so fast that it took Rowel a minute to figure out what had happened. One minute Jasper was lifting Shanti onto his shoulders the next minute Jasper’s lying on the ground dead and the shot from the gun is ringing in his ears.
Rowel pulled Shanti off his shoulders and placed her on the ground. He shuddered as he realized that Jasper had saved his little sisters life. Rowel knelt down to the man and felt for a pulse but the man was already dead.
Anger boiled in Rowel as he looked up and met Linda’s stricken eyes. “What happened?” Terror filled Linda’s eyes and she held a gun out to him.
“It went off but I didn’t even have my finger on the trigger.” The anger was stronger now as Rowel stood and snatched the gun out of Linda’s hand he dropped it on the ground, aimed his gun and 5 shots later the gun was nothing but a pile of steaming debris.
Rowel shot Linda a final angry glance than turned back to Jasper scooped him up and placed him on the couch covering his head with a blanket.
Rowel stood there for a minute staring at the covered body. His hand tightened on his gun. How dare these creatures come here and kill these people. No matter what anyone thought the Imaginese people were not weak and there was no way he was going to let these aliens get away with this. “I’m going out there.”
“What?” His mothers cry came from across the room. “Rowel you can’t.”
He turned to look at her “What I can’t do mom is let these aliens take advantage of us. I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come here. I need to help.” Without another word he scooped up his other guns off a chair and left the house.
Linda was stunned speechless by the unfolding of events that had just happened. Rowel was going to get himself killed and it was all her fault. She may not have pulled the trigger but it was her fault for not checking the guns and Rowel knew that.
Sira was on the other side of the room gathering up her guns as well. She handed two of the guns to her mother. “Dad will be home soon mom, don’t leave the house and if any of those aliens come use them. I’m going out there.”
“I’m going with you.”
Sira looked at Linda surprised. For a moment Linda thought she would say no but she just shrugged and strapped two more guns to her belt. “Whatever!”
Linda ran and strapped on her guns in record time and followed Sira out the door 5 minutes later.
The war went on for what seemed like hours. The Imaginese were strong but not as strong as Mercians and Venusiens they were easily losing. But for one who had never fought before besides in training Linda was doing perfect. She and Sira had gotten split up hours ago but Linda had barely noticed
Suddenly one was on her, a Mercian his wicked smile challenging her to attack him. She charged for him he dodged she stopped suddenly almost losing her balance she spun around to face his teasing grin and she knew full well that if he really wanted to he could easily overcome her. She went for him again but suddenly she was on the ground. It was the strangest thing, it was a like strike from somewhere inside her. Like a sudden heat strike. She lay on the ground curled up in a tight ball her eyes clenched tightly together. She heard laughter coming from above her. She opened her eyes to see the Mercian staring into her face. She knew what had happened she had learned it when she was studying other planets.
Mercury had the powers of heat they could even control you’re body heat. The Mercian picked her up and threw her. He was standing over her about to finish her off when a shot from behind stopped him. The creatures face filled with surprise. And Linda heard the sounds of air hissing from the creature’s suit. A moment later he started screaming as the super cold air of Imaginess hit his skin. He writhed on the ground for a couple seconds more before lying still.
Linda stood up and brushed the dirt and bugs off of her she had landed in a nest of sorts and her whole body ached from the jolt. Tiny bugs crawled around her and into her socks and hair but she hardly noticed she was so blinded by her anger towards these mocking creatures that was threatening her people’s very existence.
Exhaustion was catching up with her and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. She dropped to her knees a couple of her guns slid out of her hands but she was too tired to pick them up. The more her body relaxed the more dangerous it was. Her arms were sliding back into their pouches and her muscles refused to listen to her brain as she tried to force herself to pick up the guns again.
Movement to her left caught her eye and she turned to see another Mercian stumbling in her direction his chunky suit making it difficult for him to walk. Adrenaline coursed through her and she forced herself to extend her arms and pick up the guns. As her hand closed on the first gun pain shot up her arm and through her body. She dropped the gun quickly and fell to the ground clutching her arm. The alien came and forced her to her feet clamping a collar around her neck as he did. Another wave of heat coursed through her and she instinctively pulled her arms in to protect them.
The pain passed and she noticed the alien had cuffed her hands behind her back. She tried to get out one of her other arms but try as she might she couldn’t. Then it clicked with her the collar around her neck locked her arms inside her. The Mercian threw her over his bulky shoulder, dragged her to one of the pods and threw her into one of the seats she was to tired to struggle and slumped into the seat where he threw her. She was too tired to think to tired to worry and before she knew it exhaustion had over taken her.
She woke up to a gentle humming when she opened her eyes she was in complete darkness. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She tried to get up but realized her hands were still tied behind her back. She tried to get loose but the bonds were too tight. She tried to get her other arms out but soon discovered that they hadn’t taken off the collar. She slumped back against the cold stone floor then pushed her self up onto her knees from there she found she could easily stand up. She pulled herself to her feet and tried to pull herself to her full height but smacked her head on the low ceiling when she was only halfway up. She felt herself hit the floor and then all was silent as she once again entered into sleep.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Su Kutcha is Born (Chapter 3)
Heat & technology
Peka clutched onto the steering wheel with both hands and turned right. Her two little daughters at 3 and 6 years old hadn’t stopped bickering since she had picked them up at school and now with traffic the way it was that day her nerves were on edge and all she wanted was too get home and take a nice long nap and she would too if Rowel and Sira were home. Ever since the vandalism at the lab 4 days ago they had spent their every waking moment cleaning up the mess and helping as much as they could to find the culprit. Something the Tuli still hadn’t figured out and Peka doubted that the investigation would continue much past the end of the week.
Peka pulled the hover car into the garage and turned it off. She reached over and grabbed her purse while at the same time grabbing her keys and opening the door. Then shifting the keys and purse to her to back hands she reached over the top of the car and helped both her daughters out of the car at the same time. “Mommy,” Shanti’s whining voice was really beginning to grate on her nerves.
“What is it now Shanti?”
“Is Leena coming for dinner?”
“Not tonight honey.”
“Then why is her pod here?” Peka looked up in surprise and sure enough her daughter was right Leena’s pod was sitting next to their own family pod.
“I don’t know sweetie I wasn’t expecting her to be here tonight.” Great that’s all I need tonight is company to entertain when all I want is to do is sleep. She grabbed Shanti’s hand and headed into the house.
The first thing Peka noticed when she walked in the door was the amazing smell that was coming from the kitchen as she walked further into the house she saw that the oven timer was on and Linda was no where to be seen.
Linda walked around the corner and saw Peka and the girls a smile lit up her face. “Hi Aunt Peka”, she said in Imaginese “I hope you don’t mind but I decided to make dinner for you.” Linda’s face fell slightly and a frown worked its way between her eyebrows. “Man Aunt Peka, you look tired. Why don’t you go lie down and rest. Dinner won’t be done for about an hour. I’ll keep an eye on the girls.” Relief swept over Peka. What a wonderful niece she had who would make dinner and watch her daughter’s while she took a nap. She smiled at Linda and thanked her. Then slipped into her room for some much needed rest.
Linda led the girls into the living room and sat down on the couch and rested her head in her hands. The two girls sat across from her and copied her position. She laughed and sat up. “All right you too goofballs what can we do that’s quiet while your mom sleeps?” The two sat there for a minute thinking. Then Teesha jumped up.
“Oh I almost forgot I found a brown pill bug come and see.” Teesha grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her toward her bedroom.
“Yes, come and see, come and see,” begged Shanti.
“Ok, ok I’m coming,” said Linda as she followed the girls toward the bedroom.
Once inside Teesha pulled out a small box and opened the cover inside was a little brown, pill shaped, bug. “I wanted to give it to you.” Teesha said pushing the box toward Linda. Linda scrunched up her nose
“I don’t think I want a bug, thanks anyway.” Teesha stuck out her lower lip and a frown creased her forehead as she tried to convince Linda to take the bug
“You don’t understand pill bugs are a very rare bug they aren’t easy to find in fact they were just discovered like at the beginning of the year. It’s amazing that I even found one.”
“Well good for you; then you can keep it.” Linda said pushing the box back into Teesha’s hands.
“But I really want you to have it.” Her lip jutting way out now. Then she got a determined look in her eyes, “just watch what it can do.” She said as she turned back to the door.
She went outside bringing the pill bug with her. Once outside she turned on the hose keeping the water away from the bug. “ Just wondering,” she said, “what is one animal you’ve always wanted.”
“Well I always kind of wanted a monkey. But what does that have anything to do with this pill bug?”
“What? I didn’t hear you, the hose is too loud.”
“A monkey, monkey, monkey,” she repeated again and again to make sure they could here her over the noise of the hose. Right as she said it Teesha sprayed the box with water, soaking the entire thing and definitely drowning the bug. “What did you do that for,” said Linda. But just then there was a small bang and a flash of light and out jumped a little monkey. ”Where did that come from,” asked Linda in surprise as the creature paraded screaming around the yard.
“That’s the pill bug,” said Teesha with a smile “and he’s yours now you couldn’t give him back to us even if you wanted to.”
“And why not?” asked Linda her hands on her hips and a smile playing at the corner of her mouth
“Because everybody knows that whoever calls it keeps it and you called ‘monkey, monkey, monkey’ so he’s yours he won’t go to anyone else.”
“What’s his name?” asked Shanti from down on the ground where the monkey was playing with her hair.
“I think I’ll call him Tidwit because you two are little tricksters.” Linda said referring to the Imaginese word for a trick. Laughing she gave Teesha a playful nudge and ruffled her yellow hair.
A couple hours later Sira and Rowel came home. They were very tired from a long day helping out at the lab but when they saw that Linda was there they became very excited. And for the rest of the afternoon told her all about the vandalism at the lab and how the Tuli were at a loss on what happened
Later that night after dinner Rowel found Linda outside in Sira’s garden with Tidwit. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“What do you mean,” she said looking up at him.
“I mean you haven’t been yourself ever since you got here. Some thing’s wrong.”
“You’re right, the whole reason I came here was because of Brenda Keegan.”
“Whose that?” Rowel asked
“Only the prettiest girl at school.” She ruffled Tidwit’s hair and sighed, “She took my necklace.”
“You mean the necklace you’re dad gave you?”
“That’s the one.”
There was silence for a moment then Rowel spoke “I’m sorry about your necklace Linda but what do you want us to do about it. We are a peaceful people we only fight in dire need we never initiate the attack.”
“Then what am I supposed to do.”
“I don’t know but I’m sure you’ll figure something out you’re a smart girl.”
“But I came all this way to get help.” She was looking up at him now with pleading eyes but Rowel just shook his head.
“Linda we can’t come running to your aid every time something goes wrong. Sometimes you need to take care of things by yourself.”
“But Rowel this is my necklace.”
“I’m well aware of that Linda. And I know what that necklace means to you. But we can’t risk it just to get a necklace back. It’s not right.” Linda sighed and stood up cradling Tidwit in her arms. His arms wrapped tightly around her neck.
“I thought you cared Rowel. I guess I was wrong.”
“Geez Linda,” He was standing now, “It’s just a necklace.”
“It’s not just a necklace Rowel it’s all I have left of my parents. You don’t know what it’s like to not remember your parents. To not even have distant memories of when you were young and they would hold you. I don’t even have that.” Then she turned away from him and walked toward the house.
“You’re wrong Linda.” He shouted after her. “I do know how you feel. I loved them too. And now their gone that necklace…it’s the only memory.”
“Then why won’t you help me.” He didn’t say anything. “All I have is that necklace, Rowel. And Brenda won’t even let me have that.” She paused before continuing. “And neither are you.”
Rowel stood there watching her as she disappeared inside the house. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand he missed his aunt and uncle too. But that didn’t mean he was going to go traipsing down to earth to get the one and only thing that would remind him of them, no matter what Linda would say to try to convince him. But he was wrong of course there was something else besides that necklace that reminded him of them.
Her name was Leena Elopee.
Linda stormed out of the house, across the yard and toward the shed. Tidwit swooped down out of the tree where he had been sitting and landed softly on her back. Linda caught the monkey and balanced him on her back arm then set him on the ground. “Not today Tidwit I’m not in the mood.” She paused as she heard the front door open and scowled then looked back at her chimp one last time as she ran in the direction of the shed. “Be good for Teesha and Shanti.” She called over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.
She climbed into her pod she could hear Rowel calling for her now and his voice was getting closer to the shed but she ignored it as she fumbled with the key and started the engine.
She didn’t feel like talking to Rowel right now. She had been on this stupid planet for a week now and Rowel still refused to come back with her and get her necklace she had tried every tactic she could think of and still he refused but after today enough was enough. They had started off by fighting about the necklace but things had gone off topic and in the process he had hurt her.
“Linda?” Rowel’s voice was just outside the door now. The ceiling of the shed opened above her and she directed her pod out and in the direction of earth. She looked back behind her and could just barely make out Rowel’s surprised face. She thought she saw just a small bit of terror there as well but she ignored it
“Good-bye Rowel.” She whispered angrily “It was fun while it lasted”
Rowel was certainly surprised when he saw Linda’s pod lift out of the shed and speed away but not for the reason Linda thought he was surprised.
“Rowel?” Sira stuck her head out the door and called out to him. When she saw his stunned face she looked up at the sky as well. Horror fell across her face. “Mom!” She screamed into the house. Her mother came running out of the house.
“What is it Sira?” Her mother asked the two little girls coming up behind her. Sira pointed a shaky finger up at the sky unable to speak and never for a moment moving her eyes.
All the blood had drained from her face and it took her a few minutes to be able to speak. “I’m going to call you father.” With that she grabbed Teesha and Shanti’s hands and disappeared inside the house.
Linda couldn’t see Rowel anymore and she turned back to the window in front of her. Panic griped her and she had barely enough time to grab the wheel and spin her pod out of the way as a small pod flew past her. She looked up again just in time to avoid 5 more of them all headed in the direction of Imaginess. She looked in the direction of where earth should have been and her heart dropped into her shoes, for blocking her view were two enormous motherships. There were two different symbols on them and Linda knew enough to know that that meant it was two different planets but she had no idea which planets. But she did know one thing for sure if she didn’t get out of her quickly one of those ships might blow her to smithereens her only choice was to go back to Imaginess.
Rowel was still standing outside when the first of the ships landed it was getting hotter and hotter with every passing second as the ships got closer and closer. Everyone was inside the house else was in the house now staying safely away from the heat and aliens.
One of the ships landed in the street about 30 yards away from the house. He took a step back toward the house. The heat that had been building up all day could only mean one thing Mercury was attacking. He was just getting ready to turn back to the house when the symbol on the side of the ship caught his eye it was a metal claw. Venusians. The ship was opening up and some of the aliens were jumping out and landing softly on the ground. The aliens didn’t come much above his knee and they were super scrawny but they had a tendency to hide in electronics and use them to do their fighting.
Rowel had started to run toward the house when a shout from behind him stopped him he turned to see a couple of the little aliens walk up to a man across the street. One of them had picked up the electric screwdriver he had been using to fix his door. Before Rowel could even blink the creature had disappeared into the screwdriver it hummed and took on a life of its own as the rest of the aliens disappeared into the bushes to find someone else to terrorize. The man dove for the ground as the screwdriver lounged for him. Rowel wasted no time and was across the street and taking hold of the machine in 5 seconds flat. The machine fought him for a moment until he slammed it down as hard as he could on a rock. It sputtered and then died. Rowel fell back onto the grass it was getting hotter and he was starting to feel a little dizzy. He stood up rather shakily and looked over to where the man had been before. He was still stretched out on the ground and Rowel realized that he probably had passed out from fear and dehydration. He stumbled over to the man and did his best to prop him up on his shoulders. He worked his way across the street toward the house he fumbled with the door handle and for one dreadful minute he was afraid he would pass out before he got inside. The door flung open and his sister pulled him inside and barely caught him before he slumped to the floor.
The next thing he knew Sira was pressing a cold cloth to his head and telling him to drink some water. He downed the whole cup in three gulps and gave her the cup back for more. She came back a second later with a huge jug of water and he downed that too before he felt strong enough to sit up.
The man Rowel had saved was lying on the other couch a wet cloth pressed to his forehead as well. As Rowel watched the man sleep he remembered Linda the first time he had brought her home how she had laid on that exact couch fast asleep. He wished he could tell her he was sorry and that he hadn’t meant what he said and he shot a quick prayer to Kohath that she would be ok.
“The temperatures going down slightly” It was his mother and she sat with a newscreen in front of her.
“They’ve landed!”
“Who?” The question was his sisters
“Mercury,” He stood up on wobbly legs and his sister tried to push him back down but he brushed her back off.
“Your too weak sit back down.”
“We can’t just stay here waiting for them to attack us.” He waited until the room stopped spinning and he was balanced enough to walk before he walked across the room and grabbed two guns off a display case. He tossed one to his sister. They were old fashioned and heavy but the good ones were in the basement and there was no way he was leaving this room without some kind of a weapon.
“What are the guns for?” Sira asked as the caught the gun with two hands and balanced it with four. “It’s just Mercury their big and their stupid and they wear big heavy suits in order to survive. We don’t need the guns.” She lifted the gun to put it back on the display but Rowel grabbed her hand to stop her she looked at him surprised and saw a horrible fear in his eyes and knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. He glanced over at his mother and sisters to make sure they weren’t listening before whispering. “Venus is here too.” Sira’s heart dropped at the words and for the second time that day the blood drained from her face. She looked down at the gun in her hand skeptically.
“There’s no way this gun will work”
“I know that’s why we have to go get the others.”
“But what if they’re already in the house.” He sighed and she saw fear in his eyes.
“That’s a chance we’re going to have to take.”
Peka clutched onto the steering wheel with both hands and turned right. Her two little daughters at 3 and 6 years old hadn’t stopped bickering since she had picked them up at school and now with traffic the way it was that day her nerves were on edge and all she wanted was too get home and take a nice long nap and she would too if Rowel and Sira were home. Ever since the vandalism at the lab 4 days ago they had spent their every waking moment cleaning up the mess and helping as much as they could to find the culprit. Something the Tuli still hadn’t figured out and Peka doubted that the investigation would continue much past the end of the week.
Peka pulled the hover car into the garage and turned it off. She reached over and grabbed her purse while at the same time grabbing her keys and opening the door. Then shifting the keys and purse to her to back hands she reached over the top of the car and helped both her daughters out of the car at the same time. “Mommy,” Shanti’s whining voice was really beginning to grate on her nerves.
“What is it now Shanti?”
“Is Leena coming for dinner?”
“Not tonight honey.”
“Then why is her pod here?” Peka looked up in surprise and sure enough her daughter was right Leena’s pod was sitting next to their own family pod.
“I don’t know sweetie I wasn’t expecting her to be here tonight.” Great that’s all I need tonight is company to entertain when all I want is to do is sleep. She grabbed Shanti’s hand and headed into the house.
The first thing Peka noticed when she walked in the door was the amazing smell that was coming from the kitchen as she walked further into the house she saw that the oven timer was on and Linda was no where to be seen.
Linda walked around the corner and saw Peka and the girls a smile lit up her face. “Hi Aunt Peka”, she said in Imaginese “I hope you don’t mind but I decided to make dinner for you.” Linda’s face fell slightly and a frown worked its way between her eyebrows. “Man Aunt Peka, you look tired. Why don’t you go lie down and rest. Dinner won’t be done for about an hour. I’ll keep an eye on the girls.” Relief swept over Peka. What a wonderful niece she had who would make dinner and watch her daughter’s while she took a nap. She smiled at Linda and thanked her. Then slipped into her room for some much needed rest.
Linda led the girls into the living room and sat down on the couch and rested her head in her hands. The two girls sat across from her and copied her position. She laughed and sat up. “All right you too goofballs what can we do that’s quiet while your mom sleeps?” The two sat there for a minute thinking. Then Teesha jumped up.
“Oh I almost forgot I found a brown pill bug come and see.” Teesha grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her toward her bedroom.
“Yes, come and see, come and see,” begged Shanti.
“Ok, ok I’m coming,” said Linda as she followed the girls toward the bedroom.
Once inside Teesha pulled out a small box and opened the cover inside was a little brown, pill shaped, bug. “I wanted to give it to you.” Teesha said pushing the box toward Linda. Linda scrunched up her nose
“I don’t think I want a bug, thanks anyway.” Teesha stuck out her lower lip and a frown creased her forehead as she tried to convince Linda to take the bug
“You don’t understand pill bugs are a very rare bug they aren’t easy to find in fact they were just discovered like at the beginning of the year. It’s amazing that I even found one.”
“Well good for you; then you can keep it.” Linda said pushing the box back into Teesha’s hands.
“But I really want you to have it.” Her lip jutting way out now. Then she got a determined look in her eyes, “just watch what it can do.” She said as she turned back to the door.
She went outside bringing the pill bug with her. Once outside she turned on the hose keeping the water away from the bug. “ Just wondering,” she said, “what is one animal you’ve always wanted.”
“Well I always kind of wanted a monkey. But what does that have anything to do with this pill bug?”
“What? I didn’t hear you, the hose is too loud.”
“A monkey, monkey, monkey,” she repeated again and again to make sure they could here her over the noise of the hose. Right as she said it Teesha sprayed the box with water, soaking the entire thing and definitely drowning the bug. “What did you do that for,” said Linda. But just then there was a small bang and a flash of light and out jumped a little monkey. ”Where did that come from,” asked Linda in surprise as the creature paraded screaming around the yard.
“That’s the pill bug,” said Teesha with a smile “and he’s yours now you couldn’t give him back to us even if you wanted to.”
“And why not?” asked Linda her hands on her hips and a smile playing at the corner of her mouth
“Because everybody knows that whoever calls it keeps it and you called ‘monkey, monkey, monkey’ so he’s yours he won’t go to anyone else.”
“What’s his name?” asked Shanti from down on the ground where the monkey was playing with her hair.
“I think I’ll call him Tidwit because you two are little tricksters.” Linda said referring to the Imaginese word for a trick. Laughing she gave Teesha a playful nudge and ruffled her yellow hair.
A couple hours later Sira and Rowel came home. They were very tired from a long day helping out at the lab but when they saw that Linda was there they became very excited. And for the rest of the afternoon told her all about the vandalism at the lab and how the Tuli were at a loss on what happened
Later that night after dinner Rowel found Linda outside in Sira’s garden with Tidwit. “What’s the matter?” he asked.
“What do you mean,” she said looking up at him.
“I mean you haven’t been yourself ever since you got here. Some thing’s wrong.”
“You’re right, the whole reason I came here was because of Brenda Keegan.”
“Whose that?” Rowel asked
“Only the prettiest girl at school.” She ruffled Tidwit’s hair and sighed, “She took my necklace.”
“You mean the necklace you’re dad gave you?”
“That’s the one.”
There was silence for a moment then Rowel spoke “I’m sorry about your necklace Linda but what do you want us to do about it. We are a peaceful people we only fight in dire need we never initiate the attack.”
“Then what am I supposed to do.”
“I don’t know but I’m sure you’ll figure something out you’re a smart girl.”
“But I came all this way to get help.” She was looking up at him now with pleading eyes but Rowel just shook his head.
“Linda we can’t come running to your aid every time something goes wrong. Sometimes you need to take care of things by yourself.”
“But Rowel this is my necklace.”
“I’m well aware of that Linda. And I know what that necklace means to you. But we can’t risk it just to get a necklace back. It’s not right.” Linda sighed and stood up cradling Tidwit in her arms. His arms wrapped tightly around her neck.
“I thought you cared Rowel. I guess I was wrong.”
“Geez Linda,” He was standing now, “It’s just a necklace.”
“It’s not just a necklace Rowel it’s all I have left of my parents. You don’t know what it’s like to not remember your parents. To not even have distant memories of when you were young and they would hold you. I don’t even have that.” Then she turned away from him and walked toward the house.
“You’re wrong Linda.” He shouted after her. “I do know how you feel. I loved them too. And now their gone that necklace…it’s the only memory.”
“Then why won’t you help me.” He didn’t say anything. “All I have is that necklace, Rowel. And Brenda won’t even let me have that.” She paused before continuing. “And neither are you.”
Rowel stood there watching her as she disappeared inside the house. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand he missed his aunt and uncle too. But that didn’t mean he was going to go traipsing down to earth to get the one and only thing that would remind him of them, no matter what Linda would say to try to convince him. But he was wrong of course there was something else besides that necklace that reminded him of them.
Her name was Leena Elopee.
Linda stormed out of the house, across the yard and toward the shed. Tidwit swooped down out of the tree where he had been sitting and landed softly on her back. Linda caught the monkey and balanced him on her back arm then set him on the ground. “Not today Tidwit I’m not in the mood.” She paused as she heard the front door open and scowled then looked back at her chimp one last time as she ran in the direction of the shed. “Be good for Teesha and Shanti.” She called over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.
She climbed into her pod she could hear Rowel calling for her now and his voice was getting closer to the shed but she ignored it as she fumbled with the key and started the engine.
She didn’t feel like talking to Rowel right now. She had been on this stupid planet for a week now and Rowel still refused to come back with her and get her necklace she had tried every tactic she could think of and still he refused but after today enough was enough. They had started off by fighting about the necklace but things had gone off topic and in the process he had hurt her.
“Linda?” Rowel’s voice was just outside the door now. The ceiling of the shed opened above her and she directed her pod out and in the direction of earth. She looked back behind her and could just barely make out Rowel’s surprised face. She thought she saw just a small bit of terror there as well but she ignored it
“Good-bye Rowel.” She whispered angrily “It was fun while it lasted”
Rowel was certainly surprised when he saw Linda’s pod lift out of the shed and speed away but not for the reason Linda thought he was surprised.
“Rowel?” Sira stuck her head out the door and called out to him. When she saw his stunned face she looked up at the sky as well. Horror fell across her face. “Mom!” She screamed into the house. Her mother came running out of the house.
“What is it Sira?” Her mother asked the two little girls coming up behind her. Sira pointed a shaky finger up at the sky unable to speak and never for a moment moving her eyes.
All the blood had drained from her face and it took her a few minutes to be able to speak. “I’m going to call you father.” With that she grabbed Teesha and Shanti’s hands and disappeared inside the house.
Linda couldn’t see Rowel anymore and she turned back to the window in front of her. Panic griped her and she had barely enough time to grab the wheel and spin her pod out of the way as a small pod flew past her. She looked up again just in time to avoid 5 more of them all headed in the direction of Imaginess. She looked in the direction of where earth should have been and her heart dropped into her shoes, for blocking her view were two enormous motherships. There were two different symbols on them and Linda knew enough to know that that meant it was two different planets but she had no idea which planets. But she did know one thing for sure if she didn’t get out of her quickly one of those ships might blow her to smithereens her only choice was to go back to Imaginess.
Rowel was still standing outside when the first of the ships landed it was getting hotter and hotter with every passing second as the ships got closer and closer. Everyone was inside the house else was in the house now staying safely away from the heat and aliens.
One of the ships landed in the street about 30 yards away from the house. He took a step back toward the house. The heat that had been building up all day could only mean one thing Mercury was attacking. He was just getting ready to turn back to the house when the symbol on the side of the ship caught his eye it was a metal claw. Venusians. The ship was opening up and some of the aliens were jumping out and landing softly on the ground. The aliens didn’t come much above his knee and they were super scrawny but they had a tendency to hide in electronics and use them to do their fighting.
Rowel had started to run toward the house when a shout from behind him stopped him he turned to see a couple of the little aliens walk up to a man across the street. One of them had picked up the electric screwdriver he had been using to fix his door. Before Rowel could even blink the creature had disappeared into the screwdriver it hummed and took on a life of its own as the rest of the aliens disappeared into the bushes to find someone else to terrorize. The man dove for the ground as the screwdriver lounged for him. Rowel wasted no time and was across the street and taking hold of the machine in 5 seconds flat. The machine fought him for a moment until he slammed it down as hard as he could on a rock. It sputtered and then died. Rowel fell back onto the grass it was getting hotter and he was starting to feel a little dizzy. He stood up rather shakily and looked over to where the man had been before. He was still stretched out on the ground and Rowel realized that he probably had passed out from fear and dehydration. He stumbled over to the man and did his best to prop him up on his shoulders. He worked his way across the street toward the house he fumbled with the door handle and for one dreadful minute he was afraid he would pass out before he got inside. The door flung open and his sister pulled him inside and barely caught him before he slumped to the floor.
The next thing he knew Sira was pressing a cold cloth to his head and telling him to drink some water. He downed the whole cup in three gulps and gave her the cup back for more. She came back a second later with a huge jug of water and he downed that too before he felt strong enough to sit up.
The man Rowel had saved was lying on the other couch a wet cloth pressed to his forehead as well. As Rowel watched the man sleep he remembered Linda the first time he had brought her home how she had laid on that exact couch fast asleep. He wished he could tell her he was sorry and that he hadn’t meant what he said and he shot a quick prayer to Kohath that she would be ok.
“The temperatures going down slightly” It was his mother and she sat with a newscreen in front of her.
“They’ve landed!”
“Who?” The question was his sisters
“Mercury,” He stood up on wobbly legs and his sister tried to push him back down but he brushed her back off.
“Your too weak sit back down.”
“We can’t just stay here waiting for them to attack us.” He waited until the room stopped spinning and he was balanced enough to walk before he walked across the room and grabbed two guns off a display case. He tossed one to his sister. They were old fashioned and heavy but the good ones were in the basement and there was no way he was leaving this room without some kind of a weapon.
“What are the guns for?” Sira asked as the caught the gun with two hands and balanced it with four. “It’s just Mercury their big and their stupid and they wear big heavy suits in order to survive. We don’t need the guns.” She lifted the gun to put it back on the display but Rowel grabbed her hand to stop her she looked at him surprised and saw a horrible fear in his eyes and knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. He glanced over at his mother and sisters to make sure they weren’t listening before whispering. “Venus is here too.” Sira’s heart dropped at the words and for the second time that day the blood drained from her face. She looked down at the gun in her hand skeptically.
“There’s no way this gun will work”
“I know that’s why we have to go get the others.”
“But what if they’re already in the house.” He sighed and she saw fear in his eyes.
“That’s a chance we’re going to have to take.”
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Su Kutcha is Born (Chapter 2)
Missing Necklace
Tannia Cuthbert sat on the couch reading a book. The school bus had brought her three youngest children home nearly an hour ago and there was still no sign of Linda. It wasn’t completely unusual, Linda liked to walk, just like Mary used to when she was in high school. Linda was like Mary in that way but that’s where the comparisons stopped.
Mary had been a tough girl with opinions hidden behind a shy girl mask, Linda acted tough and secure but inside she was still trying to find her place. Mary had always tried to fit in and even tried for cheerleading but had never succeeded while Linda was stunningly beautiful despite the scar along her right cheek and if she would only try harder she probably would be pretty popular. Mary had always enjoyed biology and taught biology at a high school in Chicago; Linda couldn’t stand biology and had been nearly completely useless during the planting and harvesting seasons.
Linda had always felt bad about that and even though she offered to help every year they just couldn’t risk it. There was something about Linda that the plants didn’t like something about her touch that made them dry up and die. And that brought Tannia to the main difference between her daughters the thing that was causing Tannia to push Linda away more and more everyday. Linda was an alien from another planet. Tannia and her husband Jeff had adopted her when she was about 2 years old. Things hadn’t been so bad when Linda was younger it had been easy to see Linda as any normal child.
Linda had been just like any normal child except for the simple and easily overlooked fact that as she had gotten older her skin color had moved up into her hair. Linda had been completely red when they had adopted her and her hair had been ghostly white but over the years the colors had switched places so that Linda was now a fair-skinned red-head. Linda had had other minor differences as well like how she never got sick except for once a year on her birthday and then it was a horrible sickness that had her bed-ridden all day. Linda had also never lost a baby-tooth, had a zit and no matter how cold it was outside Linda was almost always warm and it was because of things like that that Tannia had never taken Linda to any type of doctor.
A timer went off in the kitchen and Tannia set down her book and went to turn it off. She pulled a loaf of bread out of the oven and set it on top of the stove and then stuck dinner in the oven and reset the timer.
She heard the front door slam and footsteps heading toward the kitchen. A moment later Linda walked in a threw her bag and jacket on one of the chairs, then sat down in the seat and grabbed an apple out of the basket in the middle of the table and began eating it.
“How was school today?”
Linda swallowed the bite of her apple. “Ok.”
“Just ok?”
“Well Brenda Keegan and her followers were a pain like usual but since when is that new. So whatever.” Tannia came and sat across from Linda at the table and tried to cover the irritation in her voice. Ever since Linda had found out about her past everything that Linda did and said seemed to irritate her and she didn’t know why. She could see her daughter changing and she didn’t like it. The problem was most of the changes were for the better. She had never seen her daughter so happy or confident. She couldn’t believe that only a year ago her daughter had come home all upset because Brenda couldn’t leave her alone and now this? So why the irritation?
Linda grabbed for another apple and was about to bite into it when Tannia stopped her “Linda! We’re going to be eating dinner in 15 minutes.”
Linda put the apple back obediently but then grabbed her bag and jacket and turned to leave. “I thought I told you yesterday that I wasn’t going to be home for dinner tonight. I’m going to be eating dinner with Aunt Peka and Uncle Prak.”
Tannia nodded her head and turned to cut the bread but Linda’s words had cut her deeply. It seemed like ever since Linda had been reunited with her biological family she had seemed more and more distant from her adoptive family. Tannia knew the basics of what had happened to her daughter after her birthday 8 months ago but that’s all she had allowed Linda to tell her. She didn’t like hearing about some of the things that had happened there and how she was learning more and more everyday how to become one of them. The bottom line was Tannia was afraid. Afraid that it was only a matter of time before her daughter decided to leave earth once and for all and Tannia would never see her daughter ever again. And for that very reason Tannia refused to connect with her daughter.
Her mother’s coldness toward her hurt more than Linda was willing to let on. Ever since she had gone to Imaginess her mother had been pulling away from her. Linda had tried to tell her mother about what had happened on Imaginess but she hadn’t been willing to listen. Everyone else in her family had listened when she told the story but Tannia always walked out or would change the subject whenever she began telling it.
Her father had at least pretended to listen all though he was extremely busy with the store and couldn’t listen to all the details he was at least interested in the facts. The twins didn’t seem to care much anymore either so their sister was an alien that was cool but it wasn’t like they could tell anyone about it. The only thing they cared about was getting a handful of flower-nuts whenever she went for a visit. Jenny cared about the flower-nuts too but the bed-time stories were even better. And of course Mary was always there when Linda just had to tell someone. But her mother was the only one who seemed to shut her out.
Linda pulled out her keys, found the key to the basement and slipped it into the lock. The lock clicked and she opened up the door and slipped down the stairs closing the door behind her. She flipped on the light and the basement was filled with a dim light that she had become used to in the last 8 months. The basement had been a Christmas gift from her father. In all the years that they had lived there the basement had never been used for nothing more than storage and so he had given her the key and told her that if she wanted to clean the place up it could be hers to do whatever she needed to do.
She had set up a small lab down there with things that she had brought home from Imaginess and she spent most of her spare time down there.
She sat down in a chair and lazily picked up a small contraption she had been working on and began tinkering with it her heart only half in it. An arm shot out of her side and flipped on the laptop on her desk and she rolled her chair over to it. The login screen popped up and she began signing in while still tinkering with the contraption at the same time a fifth arm popped out of her right side and grabbed a screwdriver off the table next to her and another arm popped out of her left side to grab a notebook the hand with the screwdriver placed the screwdriver down again and grabbed a pencil. She glanced at the contraption and made a couple notes on the chart and then she set everything down and turned back to the computer.
A box popped up at the lower right side of the screen and she saw that it was Rowel. “Hey!” he wrote in Imaginese. It had only been 8 months but already she was becoming fluent in the language and she loved practicing her skills on Rowel or Sira.
“Hey,” She wrote back in Imaginese. “We still on for tonight?”
“Actually I was hopping to catch you before you left.”
“Why’s that?”
“There was a huge hilum over at the lab and Sira and I are going to see if we can help.”
Linda stared at the screen a minute and thought over the words she had learned in Imaginese but she couldn’t remember ever seeing the word hilum anywhere.
“What’s a Hilum?” She asked
It took a moment or two for a reply to pop up and Linda could picture Rowel sitting on his bed head back against the pillows thinking of the best way to describe the word to her. Finally a response popped onto the screen.
“Like a really big disaster.” He was writing in English now. “Everything in department 1 malfunctioned this morning and the Tuli are going frantic trying to figure out who sabotaged all of it.”
“I wish I could come and help.” She had slipped into Imaginese again and he followed her lead.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll have it all figured out by the time your out of school tomorrow.” She didn’t doubt it besides four days went by in the time that it took Earth to do one. “Will you be able to come and visit for the weekend?”
“I don’t see why not. My mom doesn’t seem to care much where I go or how long I’m gone anymore. I think she expects that one day I’ll never come back.”
“Hey I better go. Sira’s about ready to go and I need to eat something before I leave.”
“Alright”
She logged off and picked back up the small contraption she had been messing with earlier. She opened up the small ball and spit into it. Then flipped the switch. It sputtered to life and a wavy image filled the space in front of her. Then just as quickly the machine died. She sighed and turned it off and tossed it back on the table snatching up the notebook again and making a couple more notes. Then she began flipping through the other pages and reading through her past notes.
DNA HOLOGRAGH
If I do this correctly I should be able to make an exact replica of myself which could be useful in the future should I ever need to miss work or school on Imaginese business. Hopefully if I get this up and running soon enough I might even be able to use it against mom and dad so they won’t know I’m gone so much.
Beneath this description was a list of things she had tried and had failed. She read through them and then threw the notebook onto the table and sat back in her chair hands behind her head. She closed her eyes and worked through the things she hadn’t tried yet. But before she could come up with a solution she felt herself drifting off to sleep.
Linda was just coming out of science class the next morning and headed over to her locker to get her stuff. She opened her purse to get her necklace but it wasn’t there. She rummaged through her locker but still she couldn’t find it.
“What’s the matter missing something,” it was Brenda.
“Give it back Brenda I know it was you,” said Linda, “give it back before I…”
“Before you what? Tell on me? Like that’s going to do you any good I’ll just deny anything you say and they’ll believe me. I’ve got witnesses who do you have dream people.”
“They might believe me.”
“Right,” Smirked Brenda and she walked away. “Oh and by the way I always get what I want” she said over her shoulder. Linda watched her go and had to fight down the urge to pin her to the ground and demand to know where she was keeping it. Ali had been teaching her some fighting maneuvers and with nine arms to two Linda was fairly sure she’d have the advantage. But what good would that do her. She’d get her necklace back sure but she would also succeed in telling everyone in school that she was an alien from outer space and it wouldn’t take long for that to get out and she’d end up in some science lab being told to run through a series of hoops and hurdles so they could satisfy their curiosity. No, there were other ways. Maybe Rowel would help her out. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
When Linda got home she barely had time to throw her stuff in her room before she was running out the door and into the nearby woods. She walked through the woods deeper and deeper until she got to a tree she opened up a secret door and went in this is where her secret hide away was where she spent most of her time. Rowel and Sira had come there a couple times during the summer to help her set it up and she couldn’t be happier with how it had turned out.
Linda climbed down the ladder into a small hanger where she kept her spacepod the “Leena” it used to be called the ”Layka” after her mother but she and one of her friends had remodeled it after her sister gave it to her. It used to be her parents’ but after they died it naturally went to her once her sister found it after 15 years of weathering it had definitely needed some work. She hopped into the pod and started the engine. She sat there for a moment enjoying the familiar thrum of the engine and laughing to herself if only Brenda knew the truth I didn’t lie to her I did have a dream about my parents. But that wasn’t what made it so great not even close. If only Brenda knew how close she was when she said aliens had abducted me they thought it was so funny maybe I should abduct them I am after all an alien. She chuckled at the thought and then snapped out of her thoughts and pressed a button on the control panel the ceiling above her opened and she lifted off the thrumming of the engine eased down to a silent whisper like the wind. She put up the cloaking device and lifted up above the trees she could see her house out in the distance with the twins running around like maniacs in the yard playing one of their silly games. She turned her eyes back on what was in front of her and took off to Imaginess.
Tannia Cuthbert sat on the couch reading a book. The school bus had brought her three youngest children home nearly an hour ago and there was still no sign of Linda. It wasn’t completely unusual, Linda liked to walk, just like Mary used to when she was in high school. Linda was like Mary in that way but that’s where the comparisons stopped.
Mary had been a tough girl with opinions hidden behind a shy girl mask, Linda acted tough and secure but inside she was still trying to find her place. Mary had always tried to fit in and even tried for cheerleading but had never succeeded while Linda was stunningly beautiful despite the scar along her right cheek and if she would only try harder she probably would be pretty popular. Mary had always enjoyed biology and taught biology at a high school in Chicago; Linda couldn’t stand biology and had been nearly completely useless during the planting and harvesting seasons.
Linda had always felt bad about that and even though she offered to help every year they just couldn’t risk it. There was something about Linda that the plants didn’t like something about her touch that made them dry up and die. And that brought Tannia to the main difference between her daughters the thing that was causing Tannia to push Linda away more and more everyday. Linda was an alien from another planet. Tannia and her husband Jeff had adopted her when she was about 2 years old. Things hadn’t been so bad when Linda was younger it had been easy to see Linda as any normal child.
Linda had been just like any normal child except for the simple and easily overlooked fact that as she had gotten older her skin color had moved up into her hair. Linda had been completely red when they had adopted her and her hair had been ghostly white but over the years the colors had switched places so that Linda was now a fair-skinned red-head. Linda had had other minor differences as well like how she never got sick except for once a year on her birthday and then it was a horrible sickness that had her bed-ridden all day. Linda had also never lost a baby-tooth, had a zit and no matter how cold it was outside Linda was almost always warm and it was because of things like that that Tannia had never taken Linda to any type of doctor.
A timer went off in the kitchen and Tannia set down her book and went to turn it off. She pulled a loaf of bread out of the oven and set it on top of the stove and then stuck dinner in the oven and reset the timer.
She heard the front door slam and footsteps heading toward the kitchen. A moment later Linda walked in a threw her bag and jacket on one of the chairs, then sat down in the seat and grabbed an apple out of the basket in the middle of the table and began eating it.
“How was school today?”
Linda swallowed the bite of her apple. “Ok.”
“Just ok?”
“Well Brenda Keegan and her followers were a pain like usual but since when is that new. So whatever.” Tannia came and sat across from Linda at the table and tried to cover the irritation in her voice. Ever since Linda had found out about her past everything that Linda did and said seemed to irritate her and she didn’t know why. She could see her daughter changing and she didn’t like it. The problem was most of the changes were for the better. She had never seen her daughter so happy or confident. She couldn’t believe that only a year ago her daughter had come home all upset because Brenda couldn’t leave her alone and now this? So why the irritation?
Linda grabbed for another apple and was about to bite into it when Tannia stopped her “Linda! We’re going to be eating dinner in 15 minutes.”
Linda put the apple back obediently but then grabbed her bag and jacket and turned to leave. “I thought I told you yesterday that I wasn’t going to be home for dinner tonight. I’m going to be eating dinner with Aunt Peka and Uncle Prak.”
Tannia nodded her head and turned to cut the bread but Linda’s words had cut her deeply. It seemed like ever since Linda had been reunited with her biological family she had seemed more and more distant from her adoptive family. Tannia knew the basics of what had happened to her daughter after her birthday 8 months ago but that’s all she had allowed Linda to tell her. She didn’t like hearing about some of the things that had happened there and how she was learning more and more everyday how to become one of them. The bottom line was Tannia was afraid. Afraid that it was only a matter of time before her daughter decided to leave earth once and for all and Tannia would never see her daughter ever again. And for that very reason Tannia refused to connect with her daughter.
Her mother’s coldness toward her hurt more than Linda was willing to let on. Ever since she had gone to Imaginess her mother had been pulling away from her. Linda had tried to tell her mother about what had happened on Imaginess but she hadn’t been willing to listen. Everyone else in her family had listened when she told the story but Tannia always walked out or would change the subject whenever she began telling it.
Her father had at least pretended to listen all though he was extremely busy with the store and couldn’t listen to all the details he was at least interested in the facts. The twins didn’t seem to care much anymore either so their sister was an alien that was cool but it wasn’t like they could tell anyone about it. The only thing they cared about was getting a handful of flower-nuts whenever she went for a visit. Jenny cared about the flower-nuts too but the bed-time stories were even better. And of course Mary was always there when Linda just had to tell someone. But her mother was the only one who seemed to shut her out.
Linda pulled out her keys, found the key to the basement and slipped it into the lock. The lock clicked and she opened up the door and slipped down the stairs closing the door behind her. She flipped on the light and the basement was filled with a dim light that she had become used to in the last 8 months. The basement had been a Christmas gift from her father. In all the years that they had lived there the basement had never been used for nothing more than storage and so he had given her the key and told her that if she wanted to clean the place up it could be hers to do whatever she needed to do.
She had set up a small lab down there with things that she had brought home from Imaginess and she spent most of her spare time down there.
She sat down in a chair and lazily picked up a small contraption she had been working on and began tinkering with it her heart only half in it. An arm shot out of her side and flipped on the laptop on her desk and she rolled her chair over to it. The login screen popped up and she began signing in while still tinkering with the contraption at the same time a fifth arm popped out of her right side and grabbed a screwdriver off the table next to her and another arm popped out of her left side to grab a notebook the hand with the screwdriver placed the screwdriver down again and grabbed a pencil. She glanced at the contraption and made a couple notes on the chart and then she set everything down and turned back to the computer.
A box popped up at the lower right side of the screen and she saw that it was Rowel. “Hey!” he wrote in Imaginese. It had only been 8 months but already she was becoming fluent in the language and she loved practicing her skills on Rowel or Sira.
“Hey,” She wrote back in Imaginese. “We still on for tonight?”
“Actually I was hopping to catch you before you left.”
“Why’s that?”
“There was a huge hilum over at the lab and Sira and I are going to see if we can help.”
Linda stared at the screen a minute and thought over the words she had learned in Imaginese but she couldn’t remember ever seeing the word hilum anywhere.
“What’s a Hilum?” She asked
It took a moment or two for a reply to pop up and Linda could picture Rowel sitting on his bed head back against the pillows thinking of the best way to describe the word to her. Finally a response popped onto the screen.
“Like a really big disaster.” He was writing in English now. “Everything in department 1 malfunctioned this morning and the Tuli are going frantic trying to figure out who sabotaged all of it.”
“I wish I could come and help.” She had slipped into Imaginese again and he followed her lead.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll have it all figured out by the time your out of school tomorrow.” She didn’t doubt it besides four days went by in the time that it took Earth to do one. “Will you be able to come and visit for the weekend?”
“I don’t see why not. My mom doesn’t seem to care much where I go or how long I’m gone anymore. I think she expects that one day I’ll never come back.”
“Hey I better go. Sira’s about ready to go and I need to eat something before I leave.”
“Alright”
She logged off and picked back up the small contraption she had been messing with earlier. She opened up the small ball and spit into it. Then flipped the switch. It sputtered to life and a wavy image filled the space in front of her. Then just as quickly the machine died. She sighed and turned it off and tossed it back on the table snatching up the notebook again and making a couple more notes. Then she began flipping through the other pages and reading through her past notes.
DNA HOLOGRAGH
If I do this correctly I should be able to make an exact replica of myself which could be useful in the future should I ever need to miss work or school on Imaginese business. Hopefully if I get this up and running soon enough I might even be able to use it against mom and dad so they won’t know I’m gone so much.
Beneath this description was a list of things she had tried and had failed. She read through them and then threw the notebook onto the table and sat back in her chair hands behind her head. She closed her eyes and worked through the things she hadn’t tried yet. But before she could come up with a solution she felt herself drifting off to sleep.
Linda was just coming out of science class the next morning and headed over to her locker to get her stuff. She opened her purse to get her necklace but it wasn’t there. She rummaged through her locker but still she couldn’t find it.
“What’s the matter missing something,” it was Brenda.
“Give it back Brenda I know it was you,” said Linda, “give it back before I…”
“Before you what? Tell on me? Like that’s going to do you any good I’ll just deny anything you say and they’ll believe me. I’ve got witnesses who do you have dream people.”
“They might believe me.”
“Right,” Smirked Brenda and she walked away. “Oh and by the way I always get what I want” she said over her shoulder. Linda watched her go and had to fight down the urge to pin her to the ground and demand to know where she was keeping it. Ali had been teaching her some fighting maneuvers and with nine arms to two Linda was fairly sure she’d have the advantage. But what good would that do her. She’d get her necklace back sure but she would also succeed in telling everyone in school that she was an alien from outer space and it wouldn’t take long for that to get out and she’d end up in some science lab being told to run through a series of hoops and hurdles so they could satisfy their curiosity. No, there were other ways. Maybe Rowel would help her out. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
When Linda got home she barely had time to throw her stuff in her room before she was running out the door and into the nearby woods. She walked through the woods deeper and deeper until she got to a tree she opened up a secret door and went in this is where her secret hide away was where she spent most of her time. Rowel and Sira had come there a couple times during the summer to help her set it up and she couldn’t be happier with how it had turned out.
Linda climbed down the ladder into a small hanger where she kept her spacepod the “Leena” it used to be called the ”Layka” after her mother but she and one of her friends had remodeled it after her sister gave it to her. It used to be her parents’ but after they died it naturally went to her once her sister found it after 15 years of weathering it had definitely needed some work. She hopped into the pod and started the engine. She sat there for a moment enjoying the familiar thrum of the engine and laughing to herself if only Brenda knew the truth I didn’t lie to her I did have a dream about my parents. But that wasn’t what made it so great not even close. If only Brenda knew how close she was when she said aliens had abducted me they thought it was so funny maybe I should abduct them I am after all an alien. She chuckled at the thought and then snapped out of her thoughts and pressed a button on the control panel the ceiling above her opened and she lifted off the thrumming of the engine eased down to a silent whisper like the wind. She put up the cloaking device and lifted up above the trees she could see her house out in the distance with the twins running around like maniacs in the yard playing one of their silly games. She turned her eyes back on what was in front of her and took off to Imaginess.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Su Kutcha is Born (Chapter 1)
…Brenda…
8 months later
Linda rested her head on the window of the bus and closed her eyes and tried to shut out the conversations of those around her. She hated taking the bus to school. As much as possible she walked to school. It gave her some exercise and allowed her to get a few things done before she left in the morning since she lived so close to the school. But it was nearly January now and getting much too cold to walk all the time. She still tried to walk home after school when it was a bit warmer but with the sun still coming up it was much too cold to walk this early in the morning.
The bus began to move and her head began to rattle against the window but she tried to ignore it there were more important things on her mind at the moment. Her dream the night before for example. After dreaming about her parents last summer she had thought that it had been some kind of strange sub-conscience thing caused by her finally meeting her cousins and finding out how her parents had died. And even though the dream had seemed pretty real she couldn’t help but think that it was just wishful thinking. Of course her cousin Rowel thought that it was real and that she really had met her parents and Kohath through her dream and she had to admit since having her dream her and her cousin had had some long discussions about Kohath and she was slowly beginning to learn to put her trust in him. At first she had hopped that by putting her faith in him she would somehow dream of her parents again but she had realized how silly that was and now she found that she really did trust him and was no longer faking it. Now as she reviewed over the last 8 months again she believed that Kohath really could tell the difference between real and fake trust and now she realized that almost immediately after she had truly trusted him he had allowed her parents to visit her in her dreams. It had surprised her at first. While she knew she would never forget the dream she had begun to accept that it might really be just a dream. But not anymore. Not after last night. Cause last night she had dreamed of them again.
“Leena, you must be the best Imaginese you can be.” Her father had told her, “We understand if you make mistakes everyone makes mistakes but know this, if you put yourself before others you will never be able to see us and instead all of your world will fall to pieces around you. You will have many choices in your life do your best to choose the right ones.”
“What do you mean? What choices? Can’t you give me some sort of a hint so I don’t fail?”
“Not now my dear daughter,” her mother had told her, “but know this we will always be here in this place between sleeping and waking we will be here. And we will help you to make the right choices. But we can only help you if you ask.”
“You are an Imaginese Leena not an earthling,” her father always seemed to remind of this fact as if she could ever forget.
“We love you Leena and always will.” Her mother’s calming reassurance always seemed to follow her father’s harsh reminders
“We will tell you this one thing” her father had said then, “when the human and the Imaginese stand together then and only then will we be released. Be the best Imaginese you can be and when the time comes you will know what to do.”
The bus stopped suddenly and her head slammed against the window. She sat up rubbing the back of her head. She always sat in the back so no one paid much attention to her and for the most part she had the seat to herself. She stretched out her legs across the seat and crossed one over the other then carefully she positioned her school bag behind her head and leaned back against the window again. She stared out the window opposite her and watched the trees and houses zoom past her vision. Occasionally they’d pass a farm with horses or cows outside but for the most part all the animals were kept inside during the winter. Linda lived on a farm too with her adoptive parents and three younger siblings 7 year old Jenny and the 10 almost 11 year old twins Trevor and Tyler.
The bus stopped again and people started piling out. She took her time gathering her stuff and walking toward the front by the time she finally got to the door she was the only student left.
As Linda climbed off the bus and began heading toward the school she heard snickers and whispering. She knew that it was directed at her but she didn’t care anymore she had gotten used to it. She knew it was because of the large scar across her right cheek that she had gotten when she was a baby. She had kept it covered with her bangs, but now she kept the bangs tucked safely behind her ear. The scar was one of the few memories she had of her real parents. The others laughed because they didn’t know the truth didn’t know that this scar was the simple price her parents had had to pay to save her life. The larger price being their own lives.
Linda looked up to see Cindy Armon, her best friend heading towards her. “So how was you’re summer,” she asked as she got closer.
“Totally unbelievable.”
“Really how so? Oh no Brenda Keegan, 12 o’clock.”
Brenda Keegan was the prettiest girl in the school she had her long blond hair pulled back in a bun that day and she had spent nearly an hour that morning making sure that not a single hair was left out of place then, a half an hour trying to decide what outfit to wear, a half an hour making sure her makeup was perfect and about 5 minutes brushing her teeth so that her teeth were sure to sparkle and then she had devoured a whole thing of tic tacs on the way to school and had then had to completely re-do the make-up again before climbing out of her car of course she would also put on a fresh layer of makeup after every class as well to make sure she always looked her best but for now she was as perfect as she was going to get.
Almost as soon as she had stepped out of the car 3 of her closest girlfriends had come up and started telling her the latest gossip. She walked as she talked her designer purse hung on her arm and her new designer heels clinked as she walked and when she walked it was like parting the red sea cause no one dared to stand in her way for more than a second.
As she walked toward the school more girls began to join her group of snickering girls who thought everything she said was funny.
“Did you hear about Heather?”“Yeah! I heard they had to put her into rehab.”
“What for?”
“She wasn’t eating.”
“I heard Josh was the one who turned her in.”
“Her parents were pretty upset and she was ticked at him but he saved her life. Too much longer and she might have died.”
“No kidding. That’s amazing.”
Brenda was only listening half-heartedly. Heather’s situation was nothing new. In the four years she’d been in high school. 25 of her friends had been removed from her friends list and 12 of them had been in rehab for one reason or another. Sad maybe but a fact of life none the less. But of the 25 friends removed from her list none of them gave her quiet as much satisfaction as her ex-best friend Cindy Armon.
She enjoyed teasing Cindy. She enjoyed the satisfaction she got when she saw the pain on Cindy’s face. Cindy was beautiful she had to admit with beautiful auburn hair and great style she had to wonder why out of all the people Cindy could have hung with she had chosen Linda. And even more why Linda when she already had Brenda. That was the thing that ate at Brenda the most why Cindy had chosen Linda over Brenda. It was that very act that hurt Brenda the most and had cost Cindy her spot on the top of Brenda’s list. Of course she knew as well as Cindy that with Mrs. Armon wheelchair ridden for the last 4 years Cindy had automatically been stripped off of Brenda’s friends list. But if it hadn’t been for Linda Brenda might have been able to overlook it after all Cindy was the best friend that Brenda had ever had. Now Brenda would make them pay. Cindy would pay for betraying her and Linda for stealing Cindy away.
Brenda was walking toward them now and she could see the fear in Cindy’s eyes. But Linda didn’t show the slightest hint of fear and that bothered Brenda. Linda was a senior same as Brenda but for the last three years she had been the most insecure person Brenda had ever met making her one of the funnest people to pick on. But this year Linda seemed to be unbreakable. “So,” Brenda jeered, “how was you’re Christmas vacation? Did you get out and do something? Or did you have your nose in a science book all summer?”
“Actually,” replied Linda, “I probably had a better vacation than you.” This of course sent Brenda’s passé into a gigantic snickering fit. Brenda silenced them with a look then turning back in Linda’s direction she flashed a snobbish smile and gave a slight chuckle as she continued
“I highly doubt that. What? Did you get abducted by aliens?” The girls roared with laughter and patted Brenda on the back.
“That’s a good one Brenda abducted by aliens. Ha ha ha”
“Hopefully they’d give her some improvements.”
“Heaven knows she could certainly use them.” The last two girls burst into another giggling fit and slapped each other five.
Linda didn’t say a thing what was the point of defending herself they would never believe her anyway and besides she had given her word never to tell anyone what had happened that summer, and if she wouldn’t tell Cindy why would she tell a bunch of snickering Hyenas that feasted off of the geeks, nerds and anyone else that was different than them.
Just then the school bell rang. Brenda turned importantly and walked away snickering in the direction of the nearest group of boys as if they hadn’t just heard the bell ring.
“Oh,” said Cindy in frustration, “That girl makes me so mad.”
“Just forget about it,” begged Linda, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall toward homeroom, “Let’s just get to class.”
When school was over Linda started to head home. It was a bit warmer now and she had decided to walk instead of waiting for the bus. But on her way off of the school grounds Brenda suddenly stepped out in front of her surprisingly none of her followers were around. “So,” she said, “we never finished our conversation and I’m dying to know what could possibly make your Christmas vacation better than mine.”
Linda frowned. Why did Brenda want to know about her Christmas so bad, was she that afraid that Linda had had a better Christmas? Linda smiled “Well… are you sure you want to know” What would it hurt to play along “Well you see I kind of… no I couldn’t possibly tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t think I can trust you to keep it a secret.”
“Says who” Brenda was really getting desperate now and was beginning to let her superior air slip which actually made her look pretty funny. It was the first time Linda had ever seen Brenda actually look so desperate and almost afraid.
“Well fine I’ll tell you.” She took a deep breath and leaned forward as if she was going to tell her something really wonderful. Brenda leaned forward too as Linda had seen her do only twice when she was flirting with a really cute guy. Linda was savoring this moment and wished she had a video camera so she would remember it forever. “I had a dream that I met my parents.” Brenda straightened her nose was wrinkled up in pure disgust as she realized that she had been tricked. “That’s it? That was what made your summer so awesome? A dream.”
Linda nodded “I believe it will happen in time if I just wait for it.”
Brenda rolled her eyes “You really are a geek aren’t you Linda Cuthbert.” Brenda had regained her composure and although she was incomplete with out her passé she did a good job of being intimidating on her own. But Linda had learned a long time ago not to let Brenda get to her. “You really need to find something better to do with you life Scarface. I mean really a dream was the best you could come up with? What is this world coming to? Usually when I ask a science geek something like that they bore me with some scientific equations, but this? I think you must have broken some kind of record. A ‘record of stupidity’ maybe or I know you just won ‘The Most Boring Christmas Vacation Record’ seriously have you never heard of shopping…like at the mall. Oh I forgot you’re a hand-me-downs, thrift-shop type person you don’t spend your time at the mall.”
Linda sat staring at her feet as Brenda went on and on about how pathetic she was, not because she was embarrassed but because she didn’t want Brenda to see her smile. Linda couldn’t help it. Here Brenda was wasting her precious shopping time yelling at Linda. And Linda couldn’t help but wonder if Brenda’s time was really as occupied as she always made it seem. What’s the home front really like Brenda that you have to waste other people’s time in order to feel good?
Linda suddenly noticed that Brenda had stopped talking and was staring wide-eyed at something around Linda’s neck. Linda looked down to the necklace she had gotten from her real dad for her first birthday she usually kept it under her clothes so that no one would see it. It must have slipped out when she had leaned over. She quickly covered it with her hand and placed it back under the shirt where it belonged. She looked up at Brenda who was completely entranced by the necklace. Finally she spoke
“Where did you get that? It’s gorgeous, much too pretty for a science geek. And I just have to have one so tell me where you got it.”
“Um my dad made it for me.” Brenda’s face darkened as she realized that Linda was wearing the one and only necklace. Then it brightened again.
“Listen you give me the necklace and I’ll see if I can’t help you with that dream-problem.”
“Dream-problem? I don’t have a dream problem Brenda. In fact I’m late so if you’ll excuse me I have a science geek meeting in about 10 minutes.” With that she ran down the road leaving Brenda in her dust
8 months later
Linda rested her head on the window of the bus and closed her eyes and tried to shut out the conversations of those around her. She hated taking the bus to school. As much as possible she walked to school. It gave her some exercise and allowed her to get a few things done before she left in the morning since she lived so close to the school. But it was nearly January now and getting much too cold to walk all the time. She still tried to walk home after school when it was a bit warmer but with the sun still coming up it was much too cold to walk this early in the morning.
The bus began to move and her head began to rattle against the window but she tried to ignore it there were more important things on her mind at the moment. Her dream the night before for example. After dreaming about her parents last summer she had thought that it had been some kind of strange sub-conscience thing caused by her finally meeting her cousins and finding out how her parents had died. And even though the dream had seemed pretty real she couldn’t help but think that it was just wishful thinking. Of course her cousin Rowel thought that it was real and that she really had met her parents and Kohath through her dream and she had to admit since having her dream her and her cousin had had some long discussions about Kohath and she was slowly beginning to learn to put her trust in him. At first she had hopped that by putting her faith in him she would somehow dream of her parents again but she had realized how silly that was and now she found that she really did trust him and was no longer faking it. Now as she reviewed over the last 8 months again she believed that Kohath really could tell the difference between real and fake trust and now she realized that almost immediately after she had truly trusted him he had allowed her parents to visit her in her dreams. It had surprised her at first. While she knew she would never forget the dream she had begun to accept that it might really be just a dream. But not anymore. Not after last night. Cause last night she had dreamed of them again.
“Leena, you must be the best Imaginese you can be.” Her father had told her, “We understand if you make mistakes everyone makes mistakes but know this, if you put yourself before others you will never be able to see us and instead all of your world will fall to pieces around you. You will have many choices in your life do your best to choose the right ones.”
“What do you mean? What choices? Can’t you give me some sort of a hint so I don’t fail?”
“Not now my dear daughter,” her mother had told her, “but know this we will always be here in this place between sleeping and waking we will be here. And we will help you to make the right choices. But we can only help you if you ask.”
“You are an Imaginese Leena not an earthling,” her father always seemed to remind of this fact as if she could ever forget.
“We love you Leena and always will.” Her mother’s calming reassurance always seemed to follow her father’s harsh reminders
“We will tell you this one thing” her father had said then, “when the human and the Imaginese stand together then and only then will we be released. Be the best Imaginese you can be and when the time comes you will know what to do.”
The bus stopped suddenly and her head slammed against the window. She sat up rubbing the back of her head. She always sat in the back so no one paid much attention to her and for the most part she had the seat to herself. She stretched out her legs across the seat and crossed one over the other then carefully she positioned her school bag behind her head and leaned back against the window again. She stared out the window opposite her and watched the trees and houses zoom past her vision. Occasionally they’d pass a farm with horses or cows outside but for the most part all the animals were kept inside during the winter. Linda lived on a farm too with her adoptive parents and three younger siblings 7 year old Jenny and the 10 almost 11 year old twins Trevor and Tyler.
The bus stopped again and people started piling out. She took her time gathering her stuff and walking toward the front by the time she finally got to the door she was the only student left.
As Linda climbed off the bus and began heading toward the school she heard snickers and whispering. She knew that it was directed at her but she didn’t care anymore she had gotten used to it. She knew it was because of the large scar across her right cheek that she had gotten when she was a baby. She had kept it covered with her bangs, but now she kept the bangs tucked safely behind her ear. The scar was one of the few memories she had of her real parents. The others laughed because they didn’t know the truth didn’t know that this scar was the simple price her parents had had to pay to save her life. The larger price being their own lives.
Linda looked up to see Cindy Armon, her best friend heading towards her. “So how was you’re summer,” she asked as she got closer.
“Totally unbelievable.”
“Really how so? Oh no Brenda Keegan, 12 o’clock.”
Brenda Keegan was the prettiest girl in the school she had her long blond hair pulled back in a bun that day and she had spent nearly an hour that morning making sure that not a single hair was left out of place then, a half an hour trying to decide what outfit to wear, a half an hour making sure her makeup was perfect and about 5 minutes brushing her teeth so that her teeth were sure to sparkle and then she had devoured a whole thing of tic tacs on the way to school and had then had to completely re-do the make-up again before climbing out of her car of course she would also put on a fresh layer of makeup after every class as well to make sure she always looked her best but for now she was as perfect as she was going to get.
Almost as soon as she had stepped out of the car 3 of her closest girlfriends had come up and started telling her the latest gossip. She walked as she talked her designer purse hung on her arm and her new designer heels clinked as she walked and when she walked it was like parting the red sea cause no one dared to stand in her way for more than a second.
As she walked toward the school more girls began to join her group of snickering girls who thought everything she said was funny.
“Did you hear about Heather?”“Yeah! I heard they had to put her into rehab.”
“What for?”
“She wasn’t eating.”
“I heard Josh was the one who turned her in.”
“Her parents were pretty upset and she was ticked at him but he saved her life. Too much longer and she might have died.”
“No kidding. That’s amazing.”
Brenda was only listening half-heartedly. Heather’s situation was nothing new. In the four years she’d been in high school. 25 of her friends had been removed from her friends list and 12 of them had been in rehab for one reason or another. Sad maybe but a fact of life none the less. But of the 25 friends removed from her list none of them gave her quiet as much satisfaction as her ex-best friend Cindy Armon.
She enjoyed teasing Cindy. She enjoyed the satisfaction she got when she saw the pain on Cindy’s face. Cindy was beautiful she had to admit with beautiful auburn hair and great style she had to wonder why out of all the people Cindy could have hung with she had chosen Linda. And even more why Linda when she already had Brenda. That was the thing that ate at Brenda the most why Cindy had chosen Linda over Brenda. It was that very act that hurt Brenda the most and had cost Cindy her spot on the top of Brenda’s list. Of course she knew as well as Cindy that with Mrs. Armon wheelchair ridden for the last 4 years Cindy had automatically been stripped off of Brenda’s friends list. But if it hadn’t been for Linda Brenda might have been able to overlook it after all Cindy was the best friend that Brenda had ever had. Now Brenda would make them pay. Cindy would pay for betraying her and Linda for stealing Cindy away.
Brenda was walking toward them now and she could see the fear in Cindy’s eyes. But Linda didn’t show the slightest hint of fear and that bothered Brenda. Linda was a senior same as Brenda but for the last three years she had been the most insecure person Brenda had ever met making her one of the funnest people to pick on. But this year Linda seemed to be unbreakable. “So,” Brenda jeered, “how was you’re Christmas vacation? Did you get out and do something? Or did you have your nose in a science book all summer?”
“Actually,” replied Linda, “I probably had a better vacation than you.” This of course sent Brenda’s passé into a gigantic snickering fit. Brenda silenced them with a look then turning back in Linda’s direction she flashed a snobbish smile and gave a slight chuckle as she continued
“I highly doubt that. What? Did you get abducted by aliens?” The girls roared with laughter and patted Brenda on the back.
“That’s a good one Brenda abducted by aliens. Ha ha ha”
“Hopefully they’d give her some improvements.”
“Heaven knows she could certainly use them.” The last two girls burst into another giggling fit and slapped each other five.
Linda didn’t say a thing what was the point of defending herself they would never believe her anyway and besides she had given her word never to tell anyone what had happened that summer, and if she wouldn’t tell Cindy why would she tell a bunch of snickering Hyenas that feasted off of the geeks, nerds and anyone else that was different than them.
Just then the school bell rang. Brenda turned importantly and walked away snickering in the direction of the nearest group of boys as if they hadn’t just heard the bell ring.
“Oh,” said Cindy in frustration, “That girl makes me so mad.”
“Just forget about it,” begged Linda, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall toward homeroom, “Let’s just get to class.”
When school was over Linda started to head home. It was a bit warmer now and she had decided to walk instead of waiting for the bus. But on her way off of the school grounds Brenda suddenly stepped out in front of her surprisingly none of her followers were around. “So,” she said, “we never finished our conversation and I’m dying to know what could possibly make your Christmas vacation better than mine.”
Linda frowned. Why did Brenda want to know about her Christmas so bad, was she that afraid that Linda had had a better Christmas? Linda smiled “Well… are you sure you want to know” What would it hurt to play along “Well you see I kind of… no I couldn’t possibly tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t think I can trust you to keep it a secret.”
“Says who” Brenda was really getting desperate now and was beginning to let her superior air slip which actually made her look pretty funny. It was the first time Linda had ever seen Brenda actually look so desperate and almost afraid.
“Well fine I’ll tell you.” She took a deep breath and leaned forward as if she was going to tell her something really wonderful. Brenda leaned forward too as Linda had seen her do only twice when she was flirting with a really cute guy. Linda was savoring this moment and wished she had a video camera so she would remember it forever. “I had a dream that I met my parents.” Brenda straightened her nose was wrinkled up in pure disgust as she realized that she had been tricked. “That’s it? That was what made your summer so awesome? A dream.”
Linda nodded “I believe it will happen in time if I just wait for it.”
Brenda rolled her eyes “You really are a geek aren’t you Linda Cuthbert.” Brenda had regained her composure and although she was incomplete with out her passé she did a good job of being intimidating on her own. But Linda had learned a long time ago not to let Brenda get to her. “You really need to find something better to do with you life Scarface. I mean really a dream was the best you could come up with? What is this world coming to? Usually when I ask a science geek something like that they bore me with some scientific equations, but this? I think you must have broken some kind of record. A ‘record of stupidity’ maybe or I know you just won ‘The Most Boring Christmas Vacation Record’ seriously have you never heard of shopping…like at the mall. Oh I forgot you’re a hand-me-downs, thrift-shop type person you don’t spend your time at the mall.”
Linda sat staring at her feet as Brenda went on and on about how pathetic she was, not because she was embarrassed but because she didn’t want Brenda to see her smile. Linda couldn’t help it. Here Brenda was wasting her precious shopping time yelling at Linda. And Linda couldn’t help but wonder if Brenda’s time was really as occupied as she always made it seem. What’s the home front really like Brenda that you have to waste other people’s time in order to feel good?
Linda suddenly noticed that Brenda had stopped talking and was staring wide-eyed at something around Linda’s neck. Linda looked down to the necklace she had gotten from her real dad for her first birthday she usually kept it under her clothes so that no one would see it. It must have slipped out when she had leaned over. She quickly covered it with her hand and placed it back under the shirt where it belonged. She looked up at Brenda who was completely entranced by the necklace. Finally she spoke
“Where did you get that? It’s gorgeous, much too pretty for a science geek. And I just have to have one so tell me where you got it.”
“Um my dad made it for me.” Brenda’s face darkened as she realized that Linda was wearing the one and only necklace. Then it brightened again.
“Listen you give me the necklace and I’ll see if I can’t help you with that dream-problem.”
“Dream-problem? I don’t have a dream problem Brenda. In fact I’m late so if you’ll excuse me I have a science geek meeting in about 10 minutes.” With that she ran down the road leaving Brenda in her dust
Su Kutcha is Born (Preview and Synopsis)
Synopsis
For the first 17 years of Linda’s life her scar was the only thing to remember her family by, now not only has she found her long lost family, but she found the necklace that her dead father gave her for her first birthday. But when the necklace is stolen Linda turns to her cousin Rowel for help. He refuses telling her that they can’t risk revealing themselves for such a trivial reason. Linda doesn’t think it’s trivial and can’t understand why her cousin doesn’t want to help her.
As Linda prepares to return home in a huff, aliens attack and the two must put their differences behind them as they fight for the freedom of the planet. As they fight a losing battle Linda finds herself prisoner to not one but two enemy forces. She must find the strength within herself to free not only her but also the planet she’s come to love so dearly. In the process she must wake up the impossible within herself.
Preview
One of the smaller robots charged for her she dodged. She ran around to another one to punch it stepping on the little ones on her way and letting her arms come streaming out of all sides. She came up to one of the medium ones. She accidentally bumped a button and a laser beam came shooting out of her wrists and the robot shot sky high.
She went after the rest of the medium robots trying out some of the other buttons. One button shot a net another shot spikes and yet another gave her a small jump about half of the amount on her boots. When all of these robots were destroyed she went for the big robot. She shot a net at it but the robot easily broke it she shot spikes and lasers at it but it didn’t seem to notice. In frustration she charged for it each arm was carrying a spike she had pulled out of some of the fallen robots but it sent her flying to the ground. She lay there a moment in a daze, listening as the Venusians high pitched screams filled her ears. This was it, the end
For the first 17 years of Linda’s life her scar was the only thing to remember her family by, now not only has she found her long lost family, but she found the necklace that her dead father gave her for her first birthday. But when the necklace is stolen Linda turns to her cousin Rowel for help. He refuses telling her that they can’t risk revealing themselves for such a trivial reason. Linda doesn’t think it’s trivial and can’t understand why her cousin doesn’t want to help her.
As Linda prepares to return home in a huff, aliens attack and the two must put their differences behind them as they fight for the freedom of the planet. As they fight a losing battle Linda finds herself prisoner to not one but two enemy forces. She must find the strength within herself to free not only her but also the planet she’s come to love so dearly. In the process she must wake up the impossible within herself.
Preview
One of the smaller robots charged for her she dodged. She ran around to another one to punch it stepping on the little ones on her way and letting her arms come streaming out of all sides. She came up to one of the medium ones. She accidentally bumped a button and a laser beam came shooting out of her wrists and the robot shot sky high.
She went after the rest of the medium robots trying out some of the other buttons. One button shot a net another shot spikes and yet another gave her a small jump about half of the amount on her boots. When all of these robots were destroyed she went for the big robot. She shot a net at it but the robot easily broke it she shot spikes and lasers at it but it didn’t seem to notice. In frustration she charged for it each arm was carrying a spike she had pulled out of some of the fallen robots but it sent her flying to the ground. She lay there a moment in a daze, listening as the Venusians high pitched screams filled her ears. This was it, the end
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Scar (Chapter 7)
Kohath’s Visit
“Linda…Linda”
She was stumbling through a sea of darkness and the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of her in the darkness. She stumbled forward in the direction of the voice her hands straight out in front of her.
Her necklace began to glow slightly lighting up the cavern. “Linda” the voice was barely above a whisper now and she looked in the direction of the voice but didn’t see anyone. A hissing sound filled her ears and she spun around. On the other side of the cavern was a large snakelike creature Saliva dripped from it fangs as it stared at her it stretched itself to its full height and she had to crane her neck in order to keep it in her sights. She gulped and turned to run when she heard the voice again. “Wait Linda, don't run.”
“But if I don’t I’ll be eaten.” She yelled into the darkness.
“Trust me.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“Trust me.” The voice said again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then turned back to the snake right as it lounged. A bright light came out of nowhere making her fall to the ground and cover her eyes she heard a scream from the monster and then all was still. She opened her eyes and looked around. The snake was gone and the only light was the light coming from her necklace. And from the semi-darkness she heard the whisper again. “Linda.” It bounced off the walls so many times that she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Who are you?” She shouted into the shadows.
“One who has waited long for you?” A man suddenly stepped out of the shadows followed closely by two others who were still hidden by the shadows so she couldn’t make them out. But the man had stepped completely into the light now and she noticed that the closer he got to her the brighter her necklace got.
It took Linda a moment to find her voice again but when she did it came out as barely above a whisper. “Are...are you Kohath.
The man nodded his head and as he did the darkness around her melted away and she found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. She had to blink to adjust to the sudden light and when she did she was surprised to notice that the light was coming from Kohath himself. The two people standing behind him were clearer now and she could tell that it was a man and woman both looking at her with gentle, loving eyes.
“Why are you here?” She asked Kohath
He smiled gently at her in a way that made her feel a bit uncomfortable and she shifted nervously to her other foot. “Linda I have longed for this day since the day you were born. You are my precious daughter and I long for you to put your faith in me.”
“But I’m not very religious. Never have been and never want to be. Where were you all those times when I needed you? Where were you when my parents died or when Brenda picks on me or when Cindy’s mom got in that accident? All those times that Cindy prayed for her mom to get better only to find that she’d never be able to walk again. Where’s the fairness in all that. And if you had kept my parents alive I wouldn’t have to deal with Brenda or the embarrassment of being the only person on earth without a green thumb. Did you ever think of that when you took them away from me? How can I put my faith in someone who has let me down time and time again? No, the only person who’s never let me down is me and that’s the only person I’ll ever trust. Me.”
Kohath hadn’t said a word the entire time Linda talked and now as she finished he just shook his head and looked at her with sad eyes. “Very well Linda. If that’s the way you want it then that’s your choice. But whenever you’re ready I’ll be waiting.”
Suddenly it went black again. And from the blackness came voices. They were the voices of the man and woman.
“Leena, Leena, Leena” the man chided her “You think you have found yourself but you are still lost. And until you are found you can not find us”
“Oh Leena, Leena.” The women sounded sad as she spoke “You must accept who you are, you are not an earthling you are a Imaginese and you must accept it and until you do we will never be found.”
“Who are you?” Linda asked.
“To some I am known as Layka to others Kayla but I believe you know me best as mother.”
“Mom?”
“My darling daughter you must find us, you must accept who you are if you ever hope to find us.”
“That’s impossible how can I find you, you’re dead.” Kayla laughed a crystal clear laugh that hung in the darkness. “What do I have to do? How do I find you?” Linda screamed into the darkness.
“You must believe Leena.” Gaylin’s voice echoed from behind her. “Believe in Kohath that is the only way you will ever find us.”
“I can’t believe in Kohath. I’m not that type of person.”
Her mother’s voice was sad as it echoed through the darkness. “Then you will never find us.”
“No, there’s got to be more. Mother, don’t leave me…Dad?”
“Do not fail us Leena Elopee.” Her father’s voice was barely a whisper that sounded in her soul
“Mom? Dad?...MOM?”
Linda awoke in a sweat. Her heart was beating wildly. She pushed her self up. With her father’s words running through her mind. ‘Believe in Kohath’ and ‘do not fail us Leena Elopee.’ How was she supposed to put her trust in Kohath? He had done nothing to prove that he was worth her time. She put her head in her hands and concentrated on her breathing. And thought about the dream, it seemed so real. Like somehow Kohath had somehow transported her to another place and he really had stood in front of her and told her to trust him. And what about her parents? Could they really be alive somehow? And if they were was it worth denying the one person who could return them to her? I can’t! She thought and she felt her eyes begin to well up in tears. Once I say yes I’ll be no better than a slave. I’ve lived this long with out them I refuse to give up everything I’ve ever known just to meet them. I don’t even know them. The tears were coming down her cheeks harder now and she did something she never thought she would do. She began to pray. Kohath I don’t know you and I have no reason to trust you. But here’s your chance to prove that I can. If you’re really as great as Rowel says give me a way to see him again somehow.
Her bedroom door squeaked as Mary poked her head into the room “Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream.”
Linda wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m fine it was just a bad dream.”
“Well I got something that might cheer you up hurry up and get dressed I have something I want to show you.”
Linda got up and got dressed as fast as she could. Everyone else in the house was still sleeping when Linda and Mary slipped out of the house. Mary and her husband and son would be leaving the next morning to go back to Chicago where they lived and Linda had been hoping her and Mary would get a couple of hours alone before they left. But Linda could barely concentrate on what Mary was saying. Something about Kyle starting preschool in September and how fast time flies cause it seemed like just yesterday she was 12 years old and watching Linda stumble around the farm and now it was her own son who was the munchkin.
But Linda’s mind was on her dream and what her father said. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she almost bumped into Mary. Linda looked around she had no idea where she was. “Ok close your eyes” commanded Mary. Linda sighed and did as she was told.
“Ok you can open them”
When she opened her eyes she couldn’t help but gasp. For sitting before her was the most beautiful spacepod she had ever seen. On the door was a Wiper flower and on the back the name had rusted and she couldn’t quite make it out but she could barley make out the letter A at the end of the word as she looked closer she also made out a very faded L. Leena? No that’s impossible Linda looked at Mary aghast. “How did you…?”
“When I was younger I used to walk in these woods too, especially after we found you. I thought it was so cool that aliens had actually been here. When I was about your age I found it hidden in some bushes. Of course I hid it and figured I’d give it to you when I gave you the necklace. I believe it was you’re parents and since they died I guess it would be yours now.”
Linda looked back at the pod and gulped she looked back at the name and could barley make out the letter K. Layka. Her mother’s birth name. Linda looked back at Mary. Mary was staring at the name as well as if trying to figure out what it said. “It says Layka.” Linda answered the unspoken thought. Mary looked at her the question visible in her eyes. “The name, it’s says Layka. That was my mother…my real mother.” Mary nodded and looked back at the ship. Linda almost told Mary right there about her dream but she didn’t. Instead she reached over and gave her a great big hug. Mary dug into her pocket and handed over the key that had been hidden with Linda. Then Linda jumped into the pod and started up the engine it rattled from the neglect and weather it had endured over the years. Linda looked out at Mary. Mary nodded and smiled. “Go ahead.”
Linda smiled back. And suddenly the most surprising thought entered her head: Kohath had answered her prayer. She couldn’t believe he had done it not to mention that he had done it so soon. She had expected it to take months or years before she saw them again but now with the feel of the steering wheel in her hands and the rumble of the machine in her ears she couldn’t believe it was true. She smiled and turned to Mary. “I’ll be back in a couple hours, I promise.” With that she took off to Imaginess. She would spend a whole morning there and hopefully get that engine fixed and she would still be back in time for lunch.
She couldn’t wait to see her friends again. What a surprise it would be for the Rowan’s to see her so soon and she was sure Rowel would be interested in hearing about her dream and that somehow his aunt and uncle were still alive. And she was sure he’d be even more interested in hearing about how she had decided to trust Kohath as well. After all how could she not. Rowel had shown her the proof but she had chosen to ignore it and look at only the bad things that had happened to her. But Kohath hadn’t given up and she couldn’t ignore it anymore. For as long as she was alive how ever long that ended up being she would follow Kohath in every way she knew how. She just needed to learn how to do that and she knew just who could teach her.
“Linda…Linda”
She was stumbling through a sea of darkness and the voice was coming from somewhere ahead of her in the darkness. She stumbled forward in the direction of the voice her hands straight out in front of her.
Her necklace began to glow slightly lighting up the cavern. “Linda” the voice was barely above a whisper now and she looked in the direction of the voice but didn’t see anyone. A hissing sound filled her ears and she spun around. On the other side of the cavern was a large snakelike creature Saliva dripped from it fangs as it stared at her it stretched itself to its full height and she had to crane her neck in order to keep it in her sights. She gulped and turned to run when she heard the voice again. “Wait Linda, don't run.”
“But if I don’t I’ll be eaten.” She yelled into the darkness.
“Trust me.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“Trust me.” The voice said again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then turned back to the snake right as it lounged. A bright light came out of nowhere making her fall to the ground and cover her eyes she heard a scream from the monster and then all was still. She opened her eyes and looked around. The snake was gone and the only light was the light coming from her necklace. And from the semi-darkness she heard the whisper again. “Linda.” It bounced off the walls so many times that she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Who are you?” She shouted into the shadows.
“One who has waited long for you?” A man suddenly stepped out of the shadows followed closely by two others who were still hidden by the shadows so she couldn’t make them out. But the man had stepped completely into the light now and she noticed that the closer he got to her the brighter her necklace got.
It took Linda a moment to find her voice again but when she did it came out as barely above a whisper. “Are...are you Kohath.
The man nodded his head and as he did the darkness around her melted away and she found herself in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. She had to blink to adjust to the sudden light and when she did she was surprised to notice that the light was coming from Kohath himself. The two people standing behind him were clearer now and she could tell that it was a man and woman both looking at her with gentle, loving eyes.
“Why are you here?” She asked Kohath
He smiled gently at her in a way that made her feel a bit uncomfortable and she shifted nervously to her other foot. “Linda I have longed for this day since the day you were born. You are my precious daughter and I long for you to put your faith in me.”
“But I’m not very religious. Never have been and never want to be. Where were you all those times when I needed you? Where were you when my parents died or when Brenda picks on me or when Cindy’s mom got in that accident? All those times that Cindy prayed for her mom to get better only to find that she’d never be able to walk again. Where’s the fairness in all that. And if you had kept my parents alive I wouldn’t have to deal with Brenda or the embarrassment of being the only person on earth without a green thumb. Did you ever think of that when you took them away from me? How can I put my faith in someone who has let me down time and time again? No, the only person who’s never let me down is me and that’s the only person I’ll ever trust. Me.”
Kohath hadn’t said a word the entire time Linda talked and now as she finished he just shook his head and looked at her with sad eyes. “Very well Linda. If that’s the way you want it then that’s your choice. But whenever you’re ready I’ll be waiting.”
Suddenly it went black again. And from the blackness came voices. They were the voices of the man and woman.
“Leena, Leena, Leena” the man chided her “You think you have found yourself but you are still lost. And until you are found you can not find us”
“Oh Leena, Leena.” The women sounded sad as she spoke “You must accept who you are, you are not an earthling you are a Imaginese and you must accept it and until you do we will never be found.”
“Who are you?” Linda asked.
“To some I am known as Layka to others Kayla but I believe you know me best as mother.”
“Mom?”
“My darling daughter you must find us, you must accept who you are if you ever hope to find us.”
“That’s impossible how can I find you, you’re dead.” Kayla laughed a crystal clear laugh that hung in the darkness. “What do I have to do? How do I find you?” Linda screamed into the darkness.
“You must believe Leena.” Gaylin’s voice echoed from behind her. “Believe in Kohath that is the only way you will ever find us.”
“I can’t believe in Kohath. I’m not that type of person.”
Her mother’s voice was sad as it echoed through the darkness. “Then you will never find us.”
“No, there’s got to be more. Mother, don’t leave me…Dad?”
“Do not fail us Leena Elopee.” Her father’s voice was barely a whisper that sounded in her soul
“Mom? Dad?...MOM?”
Linda awoke in a sweat. Her heart was beating wildly. She pushed her self up. With her father’s words running through her mind. ‘Believe in Kohath’ and ‘do not fail us Leena Elopee.’ How was she supposed to put her trust in Kohath? He had done nothing to prove that he was worth her time. She put her head in her hands and concentrated on her breathing. And thought about the dream, it seemed so real. Like somehow Kohath had somehow transported her to another place and he really had stood in front of her and told her to trust him. And what about her parents? Could they really be alive somehow? And if they were was it worth denying the one person who could return them to her? I can’t! She thought and she felt her eyes begin to well up in tears. Once I say yes I’ll be no better than a slave. I’ve lived this long with out them I refuse to give up everything I’ve ever known just to meet them. I don’t even know them. The tears were coming down her cheeks harder now and she did something she never thought she would do. She began to pray. Kohath I don’t know you and I have no reason to trust you. But here’s your chance to prove that I can. If you’re really as great as Rowel says give me a way to see him again somehow.
Her bedroom door squeaked as Mary poked her head into the room “Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream.”
Linda wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m fine it was just a bad dream.”
“Well I got something that might cheer you up hurry up and get dressed I have something I want to show you.”
Linda got up and got dressed as fast as she could. Everyone else in the house was still sleeping when Linda and Mary slipped out of the house. Mary and her husband and son would be leaving the next morning to go back to Chicago where they lived and Linda had been hoping her and Mary would get a couple of hours alone before they left. But Linda could barely concentrate on what Mary was saying. Something about Kyle starting preschool in September and how fast time flies cause it seemed like just yesterday she was 12 years old and watching Linda stumble around the farm and now it was her own son who was the munchkin.
But Linda’s mind was on her dream and what her father said. She was so wrapped in her thoughts that she almost bumped into Mary. Linda looked around she had no idea where she was. “Ok close your eyes” commanded Mary. Linda sighed and did as she was told.
“Ok you can open them”
When she opened her eyes she couldn’t help but gasp. For sitting before her was the most beautiful spacepod she had ever seen. On the door was a Wiper flower and on the back the name had rusted and she couldn’t quite make it out but she could barley make out the letter A at the end of the word as she looked closer she also made out a very faded L. Leena? No that’s impossible Linda looked at Mary aghast. “How did you…?”
“When I was younger I used to walk in these woods too, especially after we found you. I thought it was so cool that aliens had actually been here. When I was about your age I found it hidden in some bushes. Of course I hid it and figured I’d give it to you when I gave you the necklace. I believe it was you’re parents and since they died I guess it would be yours now.”
Linda looked back at the pod and gulped she looked back at the name and could barley make out the letter K. Layka. Her mother’s birth name. Linda looked back at Mary. Mary was staring at the name as well as if trying to figure out what it said. “It says Layka.” Linda answered the unspoken thought. Mary looked at her the question visible in her eyes. “The name, it’s says Layka. That was my mother…my real mother.” Mary nodded and looked back at the ship. Linda almost told Mary right there about her dream but she didn’t. Instead she reached over and gave her a great big hug. Mary dug into her pocket and handed over the key that had been hidden with Linda. Then Linda jumped into the pod and started up the engine it rattled from the neglect and weather it had endured over the years. Linda looked out at Mary. Mary nodded and smiled. “Go ahead.”
Linda smiled back. And suddenly the most surprising thought entered her head: Kohath had answered her prayer. She couldn’t believe he had done it not to mention that he had done it so soon. She had expected it to take months or years before she saw them again but now with the feel of the steering wheel in her hands and the rumble of the machine in her ears she couldn’t believe it was true. She smiled and turned to Mary. “I’ll be back in a couple hours, I promise.” With that she took off to Imaginess. She would spend a whole morning there and hopefully get that engine fixed and she would still be back in time for lunch.
She couldn’t wait to see her friends again. What a surprise it would be for the Rowan’s to see her so soon and she was sure Rowel would be interested in hearing about her dream and that somehow his aunt and uncle were still alive. And she was sure he’d be even more interested in hearing about how she had decided to trust Kohath as well. After all how could she not. Rowel had shown her the proof but she had chosen to ignore it and look at only the bad things that had happened to her. But Kohath hadn’t given up and she couldn’t ignore it anymore. For as long as she was alive how ever long that ended up being she would follow Kohath in every way she knew how. She just needed to learn how to do that and she knew just who could teach her.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
The Scar (Chapter 6)
Home at last
The early mist was still clearing when Linda woke up nearly a week later. She slipped out of bed and pulled on the new shirt Sira had given her. It was comfortable and it changed shape with her body as she needed it too. Linda slipped quietly out of the house and out to where Sira’s garden was. She stopped under the tree and placed a hand on the strong leaves of its trunk. The leaves were smooth under her hand and she wished she could pull one of the huge leaves off and take it with her. Instead she reached up with her back-upper arm and pulled down a small handful of flower-nuts and pulled them inside to the little pouch that the arm rested in.
The mist was beginning to soak right through her thick sweater onto her skin and she shivered slightly. She heard the door open and turned to see Rowel coming toward her. He was wrapped tightly in a green rubber coat and hat and was carrying a purple one in his hands “Are you cold?”
“A little.” She took the coat and slipped it on and fixed the hat on her head to keep the mist off. He came to stand next to her under the tree.
“What are the flower-nuts for?” She looked at him slightly surprised questioning him with her eyes. “I saw you take them through the window before I came out. What are they for?”
She looked down at the ground and nudged a rock with her toe. “They’re for my family. I don’t think they’re going to believe me when I tell them what happened to me and I want to be able to prove it.” Rowel sighed and leaned against the wet trunk of the tree and stared at the ground a frown playing between his eyebrows. “What is it Rowel?”
“It’s nothing.” He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile. “I knew you’d have to go back eventually I just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.”
Linda came to his side and took his hand lightly in hers. “Rowel I have to go home. That’s where I belong. I might belong here on Imaginess one day…but for now my place is on earth.”
“Will…will you come back?”
She bit her lip and closed her eyes going over the possibilities in her head. “I don’t know Rowel… I really don’t know. If there is ever anyway possible for me to come back whether its tomorrow or years from now, if it’s at all possible then I’ll come back… but I can’t make any promises.”
Rowel nodded slowly. He was quiet for a moment then he looked up and smiled at her weakly. “Then I guess I better get you back.”
Two hours later Ali and the entire Rowan family were surrounding her wishing her good-luck and saying good-bye. “We’re going to miss you Linda.” Said Mr. Rowan coming up and shaking her hand.
“We sure will.” Mrs. Rowan came and hugged her and then gave her a small bag of something. “Rowel tells me you like our flower-nuts.” Linda smiled and took the bag holding it close to her. Shanti and Teesha ran up to her then and both latched themselves onto her legs. “Will we ever see you again Leena?” Said Shanti looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Linda pried the girls off of her and bent down to their level. Linda had promised Mrs. Rowan that she wouldn’t tell the girls where she lived while she was there. They had insisted that they call her by her newly found Imaginese name and she had even begun to pick up some of their language. As far as the girls were concerned she was just another Imaginese from another part of Imaginess. She had done her best to play along when the girls were talking in Imaginese. Now as they sat here looking up at her pleading with her in her own language she couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of sadness at having to leave these two precious little girls. “I don’t know Shanti. I live a long way’s from here and it might be very hard for me to ever get back.”
“Will you try?”
Linda smiled at Teesha who had voiced the question. “Yes, Teesha I’ll try” Then she gave both of them a hug and stood up. Mr. and Mrs. Rowan ushered the girls inside then leaving just Rowel, Sira and Ali to say good-bye.
She hugged Ali then turned to Sira. Sira smiled at her and punched her lightly in the shoulder. “Don’t forget about us alright cuz?”
Linda smiled “How could I forget. Because of you guys I finally found my family. How could I forget that?”
“We’ll miss you Leena.” It was Ali and Linda turned to her.
“It’s Linda Ali. I’m not ready yet to be a Imaginese.”
“You got to accept it eventually.” Said Sira.
“One day maybe but not yet. I’m still human at heart.” Sira nodded slowly. “Well tell Adan I said good-bye.” A shadow fell over Sira’s face and she nodded hesitantly. “Are you guys still not talking?”
“I haven’t talked to him since he turned you in.”
“You guys love each other Sira don’t let me get in the way of that…besides you still haven’t told him about finding your long-lost cousin yet.”
Sira smiled but shook her head. “It was wrong what Adan did. What if you really had been a human you could have been killed. In fact as far as he knows you are dead. And he doesn’t even seem to care. He doesn’t care about me the way I thought he did.”
“I’m sure it will all work out.”
“I pray to Kohath that it will.”
With that Linda and Rowel climbed into his pod and took off. Up to this point Rowel hadn’t said a word and Linda turned to him curiously. “You’re quiet.”
Rowel shrugged and turned to her. “I just wish we knew if this was a ‘good-bye’ or a ‘see ya’”
Linda nodded and grasped for a way to change the subject. “Who’s Kohath?”
Rowel spun to look at her and she suddenly wondered who this person was that she would get that kind of a reaction. “Who’s Kohath? He’s only the most amazing being in the universe. Kohath knows every alien in the universe and holds every single one in his hand. He’s the one who decides whether we live or whether we die and he knows what we will do with every moment of our lives until that day.”
“So you mean he’s like your god.”
“Not just our God Linda but every single person in the whole universes God. Just every planet has a different name for him.”
“Ok…but he’s still a god.”
“Linda you’re missing the point he’s not just a god he’s my friend.”
“How can he be your friend? Can you see him, talk with him, play games with him?”
No, but He walks beside us everyday of our lives directing us in the way to go. It is only because of Kohath that we breathe and that we are who we are. It’s because of Kohath that you found my family out of all the family’s on Imaginess. It’s only because of Kohath that I had the strength to go to the museum that day or that you found out who you were just in time to save you life from the Tuli. He’s the only reason we truly live Linda
“I don’t know it seems kind of far-fetched to me I’ve never really been into all that religious stuff.”
“It’s not a religion Linda it’s a friendship and it’s not anymore far-fetched than some of the other wacky religions you have on your planet. Like all that weird humanistic and free-thinking stuff. That’s the stuff that’s far-fetched Linda.”
They were nearing Earth now and Rowel didn’t say another word as Linda replayed the conversation over in her head. They landed in the field and Rowel turned to her. “Look I’m sorry I didn’t mean to preach at you. It’s just after all the miracles that have happened just since meeting you it’s hard to believe that anyone can go through life without believing in Kohath.”
“That’s ok Rowel you gave me something to think about.”
A grin spread across his face then. “Really?”
“Yep!”
“Great, Oh I almost forgot I got something for you.” He pressed one of the buttons in front of him and a drawer in front of Linda slipped out on it was a flat little silver box. She picked it up carefully and flipped the top up like a cell phone. As she did she gasped for it was one of the teeniest laptops she had ever seen. “It’s got universal internet on it so you can keep in contact with us. And maybe one day I can come get you for a visit. Oh and Alita put a program on there just for you. Something that will teach you our language just in case. It charges automatically when it’s turned off and it’s small enough to fit in an arm pouch.”
Linda smiled and pulled the computer into her stomach. She leaned over then and hugged him. “Thank you Rowel, for everything and make sure you thank Ali too.”
“I will. Oh and Sira wanted me to give this to you.” he handed her a paper thin control box thing
“What is it?”
“It clings to your shirt and it allows you to be able to change its color that way all you need is the one.”
“How does it work?”
“Sira already downloaded the program onto your Pocket Computer or PC. All you do is put it on your shirt then you plug it into the side of the PC and the program will pop up and you go through the steps to change the color and design. Once you save it, it downloads on to the material and you got a brand new shirt. It works on pretty much any Imaginese material but we aren’t sure how well it works on earth stuff. And of course it can’t change the style or the quality and it can’t wash it.”
“Wow that’s awesome thank Sira for me too.”
“Bye Linda.”
“Bye.” She climbed out of the pod then and he zoomed off before she could barely blink
Only after Rowel was out of sight did Linda begin to worry about what she would tell her parents. She knew her parents had to be worried sick and probably thought she was dead. What would she say when they asked her where she had been. She still had the flower-nuts in her back arm-pouch but would they actually believe when she told them that she got them from another planet? Would they believe her when she told them that she had found her family? She doubted it. She tossed around a couple more ideas as she walked slowly in the direction of the farm. What if she showed them her arms and proved to them that she really was an alien? No, that wouldn’t accomplish anything except to maybe freak her parents out and get her sent to a lab where they could experiment on her. No, as much as she loved her parents she couldn’t trust them with something that freaky it was better if they didn’t know. She worked through a couple more excuses but none of them seemed believable, her mother would see right through the lie.
Suddenly a thought hit her like ton of bricks: What about the time difference? For all she knew she could have been gone for a year or more everyone that she used to know could be dead.
When she finally reached the farm she at once noticed that Mary’s silver Hybrid sat in the driveway. Good I obviously haven’t been gone that long. She thought.
Just than Little Jenny stepped outside to shake out a rug she looked up and saw Linda standing there. “Linda!” She yelled and ran to her nearly knocking her over as she hugged her waist. “Where have you been? Mommy and Daddy and Mary have been all secretive ever since you left and they won’t tell me and the twins anything. So where did you go for so long?”
Linda kneeled down in front of her sister and looked into her eyes. “Jenny what’s the date today?”
Jenny looked at her funny but answered her question anyway. “It’s June 3rd” Linda was surprised but she tried not to show it. Her birthday was on June 1st meaning it had about a day and a half since she had disappeared. So that meant it was 6 hours to every 1 day that she was on Imaginess. “I’m sorry” she said “I uh got a little side tracked.” Just then her mother came out after hearing voices “Linda,” she ran out to them and hugged her, “It’s about time you show up again I was beginning to think you’d left us for good.”
Linda was slightly taken by surprise by her mother’s gentle welcome she had expected her mother to take her by the shoulders and demand to know where she had disappeared too. Linda looked down at her feet “I’m so sorry I, I, I just went for a walk and then well I…” She didn’t know what to say. But her mother interrupted her.
“It doesn’t matter Linda you’re here now.”
“But…” Linda couldn’t have been more surprised if her mother had sprouted arms and told that she was an alien as well. She decided not to push the issue and followed her mother inside the house.
Dinner that night couldn’t have been more awkward. Her family was completely acting as if she hadn’t just fallen off the face of the planet just to show up again two days later with absolutely no explanation. And that was making her more nervous then if they had drilled her for details. Jenny was the only one who asked her any questions but her parents always shushed her before she could answer and even the twins seemed to be distracted in their own sports talk and didn’t seem to notice that their big sister had just mysteriously reappeared after being gone for 2 days with no explanation.
Finally as her mother stood to start clearing the dishes away Linda couldn’t take it anymore. “Doesn’t anybody in this family care that I just left for two days without telling anyone and don’t even have a reason why?”
Her mother looked up slightly surprised. “Of course we care Linda we just figured you’d tell us when you were ready. So if you’re ready we’ll be glad to listen.”
Her mothers response still didn’t satisfy Linda and she wished with everything she had she knew more about other alien races so she could tell what was wrong with her family. She took a deep breath and began hopping that her family wasn’t really some alien spies trying to get information from her. Jenny and her brothers were the only ones acting normal and if there was one thing she had learned on Imaginess it was to be careful of whom you trust. “Forget it! You guys are only pretending to care.” With that she stood and left the table.
Later that night Jenny slipped into her room. “Linda?”
“Yeah what is it Jenny?”
“Why did you get so mad at Mommy and Daddy?”
Linda sighed and pulled Jenny up onto the bed next to her. “I wasn’t really mad at them Jenny just confused.”
“About what?”
Linda thought for a moment. How could she explain what had happened to her with out scaring her little sister? “You know that lamp that mom has in the living room that she got from great-grandma when she died.”
“Yeah”
“Well say you broke it”
Jenny gasped “Oh I would never do that.”
“But just say you did. Wouldn’t you be afraid of what mom would say?”
“Mommy would be really, really mad.”
“Exactly, you would be afraid because you know that she would be mad and probably punish you. Now say that when mom found out instead of getting mad she ran and gave you a big hug and thanked you because she couldn’t stand that lamp anyway and now she didn’t have to feel bad about getting rid of it?”
“That would be confusing.”
“It was kind of the same way after I left. I knew when I came back mom would be mad at me. But then she didn’t get mad at me at all so now I’m kind of confused.”
“Because you thought Mommy would yell at you?”
“Right.”
“So where were you anyway Linda?”
Linda hesitated. What would it hurt to tell her little sister the truth it wasn’t like her sister could turn her in and if she ended up telling anyone and they asked she could tell them that she had told Jenny a bed time story and she had had a dream that it was real. “Come here Jenny.” Jenny hopped closer to Linda and snuggled up next to her. Linda leaned back against the pillows and told her the whole story every single little detail and when Jenny finally left the room a half hour later she had a pocket full of flower-nuts.
Kayla followed Linda into the woods the next day. The sun had only been up for a couple of hours and no one else on the farm stirred. She watched as her daughter picked flowers as she walked. Soon she had a good sized bouquet and she took the ribbon out of her hair to tie it off. Her hair fell in front of her face and she pushed it back behind her ears. Her daughter had changed a lot in the time she had spent on Imaginess and Kayla couldn’t be happier. She still didn’t follow Kohath but Kayla didn’t have any doubt in her mind that given some time her daughter would accept Kohath as her friend. Linda entered the clearing and walked to the middle, left over flowers from the mourning ceremony two days ago blew across the clearing otherwise all was still. She knelt down and laid the dogtooth violets and spring beauty’s she had collected at her knees and then looking at them as if she was looking at a tombstone she began to speak “Well Mom, Dad, it’s me your daughter Lin…Leena I went to Imaginess last week. It was the most at home I’ve ever felt. I finally found out who I really am, and you’ll be glad to know that I’ve accepted my destiny. I will be a light in this dark time. Imaginess is doing great though it doesn’t need me so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if I made a difference here in this world on this planet.” She paused for a moment as if expecting some kind of answer. Kayla kneeled down beside her but didn’t respond. It was the first time her daughter had ever spoken to her and she couldn’t find it in her heart to deny her daughters only request. Besides that was Kohath’s job. Linda would learn soon enough that it was only through Kohath that she could communicate with her parents and the sooner she learned that the better. It wouldn’t be long before Kohath would make a visit of his own and until then it wasn’t Kayla’s place to tell her daughter of the dark times that were hovering over her daughter and the land of Imaginess. Things would difficult for her daughter and there was only one possible way for her daughter to survive it and that was to put her faith in Kohath and trust him to lead her through.
Linda wiped a couple stray tears from her face then stood. She turned around and was surprised to see Mary standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks as well.
“Mary” Linda gasped in surprise, “how long have you been standing there?”
Mary smiled and wiped the tears from her own face “Long enough, but don’t worry you don’t have to explain anything to me we all know what happened to you. Why do you think no one questioned you? It’s because we all knew you were telling the truth.”
Linda narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“We knew you were an alien when mother adopted you, I was there 15 years ago when your parents were killed. I was 10 then; mother and I had gone to gather eggs and there was a bang in the woods and we ran to see what it was. When we got to the clearing, this same clearing, there was a man and woman. Another space ship landed and an alien stepped out.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing “he killed them.” She stopped again and ran her hand on the tree trunk “mom found you by this exact tree you were wrapped in a very strange material it was as soft as silk but looked as if it was made out of a type of leaf.”
Linda smiled. “Oh that’s Wiper bark well actually it’s the leaves but the leaves grow on the trunk and the wood grows on the top. My necklace is shaped like a Wiper flower, Wiper flowers grow from the roots of the wiper tree.”
Mary smiled and shook her head at her sisters sudden knowledge of alien things “I found the necklace here after we found you; I saw the necklace and gave it to mom but she said I could keep it. She saw the name on the back and decided that Leena was too alien and so decided to call you Linda. We figured when you were a little older I’d give you the necklace and tell you everything but as the day got closer mom started getting afraid that we would lose you once you found out and couldn’t do it, we loved you too much. I painted over the back and figured if you found it you found it and then when you left that morning I had to find out what you were going to do. Finding those aliens was the last thing I expected.” she stopped and didn’t seem to want to go any farther.
“Why didn’t mom at least tell me that my parents had died when I was looking all over for them a couple years ago?”
“She tried a couple times but you didn’t really want to hear it and never let her finish.” Linda suddenly remembered the times when her mother would come into her room and ask her if she’d ever considered that they were no longer alive. She hadn’t wanted to believe it and now it turned out that her mother had been implying the truth along. Her mother had been the only one who could have helped her learn the truth and every time her mother had offered to help Linda had turned her down and told her she would find them herself. In the end she had given up and stumbled upon her long lost family completely by accident.
“Listen Mary you can’t tell any one about this. I’m the one whose in danger here if anyone found out that I was an alien then I might end up in a science lab or something and I don’t want that.”
Mary smiled “I don’t want that either. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”
The early mist was still clearing when Linda woke up nearly a week later. She slipped out of bed and pulled on the new shirt Sira had given her. It was comfortable and it changed shape with her body as she needed it too. Linda slipped quietly out of the house and out to where Sira’s garden was. She stopped under the tree and placed a hand on the strong leaves of its trunk. The leaves were smooth under her hand and she wished she could pull one of the huge leaves off and take it with her. Instead she reached up with her back-upper arm and pulled down a small handful of flower-nuts and pulled them inside to the little pouch that the arm rested in.
The mist was beginning to soak right through her thick sweater onto her skin and she shivered slightly. She heard the door open and turned to see Rowel coming toward her. He was wrapped tightly in a green rubber coat and hat and was carrying a purple one in his hands “Are you cold?”
“A little.” She took the coat and slipped it on and fixed the hat on her head to keep the mist off. He came to stand next to her under the tree.
“What are the flower-nuts for?” She looked at him slightly surprised questioning him with her eyes. “I saw you take them through the window before I came out. What are they for?”
She looked down at the ground and nudged a rock with her toe. “They’re for my family. I don’t think they’re going to believe me when I tell them what happened to me and I want to be able to prove it.” Rowel sighed and leaned against the wet trunk of the tree and stared at the ground a frown playing between his eyebrows. “What is it Rowel?”
“It’s nothing.” He looked up at her and gave her a weak smile. “I knew you’d have to go back eventually I just hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.”
Linda came to his side and took his hand lightly in hers. “Rowel I have to go home. That’s where I belong. I might belong here on Imaginess one day…but for now my place is on earth.”
“Will…will you come back?”
She bit her lip and closed her eyes going over the possibilities in her head. “I don’t know Rowel… I really don’t know. If there is ever anyway possible for me to come back whether its tomorrow or years from now, if it’s at all possible then I’ll come back… but I can’t make any promises.”
Rowel nodded slowly. He was quiet for a moment then he looked up and smiled at her weakly. “Then I guess I better get you back.”
Two hours later Ali and the entire Rowan family were surrounding her wishing her good-luck and saying good-bye. “We’re going to miss you Linda.” Said Mr. Rowan coming up and shaking her hand.
“We sure will.” Mrs. Rowan came and hugged her and then gave her a small bag of something. “Rowel tells me you like our flower-nuts.” Linda smiled and took the bag holding it close to her. Shanti and Teesha ran up to her then and both latched themselves onto her legs. “Will we ever see you again Leena?” Said Shanti looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Linda pried the girls off of her and bent down to their level. Linda had promised Mrs. Rowan that she wouldn’t tell the girls where she lived while she was there. They had insisted that they call her by her newly found Imaginese name and she had even begun to pick up some of their language. As far as the girls were concerned she was just another Imaginese from another part of Imaginess. She had done her best to play along when the girls were talking in Imaginese. Now as they sat here looking up at her pleading with her in her own language she couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge of sadness at having to leave these two precious little girls. “I don’t know Shanti. I live a long way’s from here and it might be very hard for me to ever get back.”
“Will you try?”
Linda smiled at Teesha who had voiced the question. “Yes, Teesha I’ll try” Then she gave both of them a hug and stood up. Mr. and Mrs. Rowan ushered the girls inside then leaving just Rowel, Sira and Ali to say good-bye.
She hugged Ali then turned to Sira. Sira smiled at her and punched her lightly in the shoulder. “Don’t forget about us alright cuz?”
Linda smiled “How could I forget. Because of you guys I finally found my family. How could I forget that?”
“We’ll miss you Leena.” It was Ali and Linda turned to her.
“It’s Linda Ali. I’m not ready yet to be a Imaginese.”
“You got to accept it eventually.” Said Sira.
“One day maybe but not yet. I’m still human at heart.” Sira nodded slowly. “Well tell Adan I said good-bye.” A shadow fell over Sira’s face and she nodded hesitantly. “Are you guys still not talking?”
“I haven’t talked to him since he turned you in.”
“You guys love each other Sira don’t let me get in the way of that…besides you still haven’t told him about finding your long-lost cousin yet.”
Sira smiled but shook her head. “It was wrong what Adan did. What if you really had been a human you could have been killed. In fact as far as he knows you are dead. And he doesn’t even seem to care. He doesn’t care about me the way I thought he did.”
“I’m sure it will all work out.”
“I pray to Kohath that it will.”
With that Linda and Rowel climbed into his pod and took off. Up to this point Rowel hadn’t said a word and Linda turned to him curiously. “You’re quiet.”
Rowel shrugged and turned to her. “I just wish we knew if this was a ‘good-bye’ or a ‘see ya’”
Linda nodded and grasped for a way to change the subject. “Who’s Kohath?”
Rowel spun to look at her and she suddenly wondered who this person was that she would get that kind of a reaction. “Who’s Kohath? He’s only the most amazing being in the universe. Kohath knows every alien in the universe and holds every single one in his hand. He’s the one who decides whether we live or whether we die and he knows what we will do with every moment of our lives until that day.”
“So you mean he’s like your god.”
“Not just our God Linda but every single person in the whole universes God. Just every planet has a different name for him.”
“Ok…but he’s still a god.”
“Linda you’re missing the point he’s not just a god he’s my friend.”
“How can he be your friend? Can you see him, talk with him, play games with him?”
No, but He walks beside us everyday of our lives directing us in the way to go. It is only because of Kohath that we breathe and that we are who we are. It’s because of Kohath that you found my family out of all the family’s on Imaginess. It’s only because of Kohath that I had the strength to go to the museum that day or that you found out who you were just in time to save you life from the Tuli. He’s the only reason we truly live Linda
“I don’t know it seems kind of far-fetched to me I’ve never really been into all that religious stuff.”
“It’s not a religion Linda it’s a friendship and it’s not anymore far-fetched than some of the other wacky religions you have on your planet. Like all that weird humanistic and free-thinking stuff. That’s the stuff that’s far-fetched Linda.”
They were nearing Earth now and Rowel didn’t say another word as Linda replayed the conversation over in her head. They landed in the field and Rowel turned to her. “Look I’m sorry I didn’t mean to preach at you. It’s just after all the miracles that have happened just since meeting you it’s hard to believe that anyone can go through life without believing in Kohath.”
“That’s ok Rowel you gave me something to think about.”
A grin spread across his face then. “Really?”
“Yep!”
“Great, Oh I almost forgot I got something for you.” He pressed one of the buttons in front of him and a drawer in front of Linda slipped out on it was a flat little silver box. She picked it up carefully and flipped the top up like a cell phone. As she did she gasped for it was one of the teeniest laptops she had ever seen. “It’s got universal internet on it so you can keep in contact with us. And maybe one day I can come get you for a visit. Oh and Alita put a program on there just for you. Something that will teach you our language just in case. It charges automatically when it’s turned off and it’s small enough to fit in an arm pouch.”
Linda smiled and pulled the computer into her stomach. She leaned over then and hugged him. “Thank you Rowel, for everything and make sure you thank Ali too.”
“I will. Oh and Sira wanted me to give this to you.” he handed her a paper thin control box thing
“What is it?”
“It clings to your shirt and it allows you to be able to change its color that way all you need is the one.”
“How does it work?”
“Sira already downloaded the program onto your Pocket Computer or PC. All you do is put it on your shirt then you plug it into the side of the PC and the program will pop up and you go through the steps to change the color and design. Once you save it, it downloads on to the material and you got a brand new shirt. It works on pretty much any Imaginese material but we aren’t sure how well it works on earth stuff. And of course it can’t change the style or the quality and it can’t wash it.”
“Wow that’s awesome thank Sira for me too.”
“Bye Linda.”
“Bye.” She climbed out of the pod then and he zoomed off before she could barely blink
Only after Rowel was out of sight did Linda begin to worry about what she would tell her parents. She knew her parents had to be worried sick and probably thought she was dead. What would she say when they asked her where she had been. She still had the flower-nuts in her back arm-pouch but would they actually believe when she told them that she got them from another planet? Would they believe her when she told them that she had found her family? She doubted it. She tossed around a couple more ideas as she walked slowly in the direction of the farm. What if she showed them her arms and proved to them that she really was an alien? No, that wouldn’t accomplish anything except to maybe freak her parents out and get her sent to a lab where they could experiment on her. No, as much as she loved her parents she couldn’t trust them with something that freaky it was better if they didn’t know. She worked through a couple more excuses but none of them seemed believable, her mother would see right through the lie.
Suddenly a thought hit her like ton of bricks: What about the time difference? For all she knew she could have been gone for a year or more everyone that she used to know could be dead.
When she finally reached the farm she at once noticed that Mary’s silver Hybrid sat in the driveway. Good I obviously haven’t been gone that long. She thought.
Just than Little Jenny stepped outside to shake out a rug she looked up and saw Linda standing there. “Linda!” She yelled and ran to her nearly knocking her over as she hugged her waist. “Where have you been? Mommy and Daddy and Mary have been all secretive ever since you left and they won’t tell me and the twins anything. So where did you go for so long?”
Linda kneeled down in front of her sister and looked into her eyes. “Jenny what’s the date today?”
Jenny looked at her funny but answered her question anyway. “It’s June 3rd” Linda was surprised but she tried not to show it. Her birthday was on June 1st meaning it had about a day and a half since she had disappeared. So that meant it was 6 hours to every 1 day that she was on Imaginess. “I’m sorry” she said “I uh got a little side tracked.” Just then her mother came out after hearing voices “Linda,” she ran out to them and hugged her, “It’s about time you show up again I was beginning to think you’d left us for good.”
Linda was slightly taken by surprise by her mother’s gentle welcome she had expected her mother to take her by the shoulders and demand to know where she had disappeared too. Linda looked down at her feet “I’m so sorry I, I, I just went for a walk and then well I…” She didn’t know what to say. But her mother interrupted her.
“It doesn’t matter Linda you’re here now.”
“But…” Linda couldn’t have been more surprised if her mother had sprouted arms and told that she was an alien as well. She decided not to push the issue and followed her mother inside the house.
Dinner that night couldn’t have been more awkward. Her family was completely acting as if she hadn’t just fallen off the face of the planet just to show up again two days later with absolutely no explanation. And that was making her more nervous then if they had drilled her for details. Jenny was the only one who asked her any questions but her parents always shushed her before she could answer and even the twins seemed to be distracted in their own sports talk and didn’t seem to notice that their big sister had just mysteriously reappeared after being gone for 2 days with no explanation.
Finally as her mother stood to start clearing the dishes away Linda couldn’t take it anymore. “Doesn’t anybody in this family care that I just left for two days without telling anyone and don’t even have a reason why?”
Her mother looked up slightly surprised. “Of course we care Linda we just figured you’d tell us when you were ready. So if you’re ready we’ll be glad to listen.”
Her mothers response still didn’t satisfy Linda and she wished with everything she had she knew more about other alien races so she could tell what was wrong with her family. She took a deep breath and began hopping that her family wasn’t really some alien spies trying to get information from her. Jenny and her brothers were the only ones acting normal and if there was one thing she had learned on Imaginess it was to be careful of whom you trust. “Forget it! You guys are only pretending to care.” With that she stood and left the table.
Later that night Jenny slipped into her room. “Linda?”
“Yeah what is it Jenny?”
“Why did you get so mad at Mommy and Daddy?”
Linda sighed and pulled Jenny up onto the bed next to her. “I wasn’t really mad at them Jenny just confused.”
“About what?”
Linda thought for a moment. How could she explain what had happened to her with out scaring her little sister? “You know that lamp that mom has in the living room that she got from great-grandma when she died.”
“Yeah”
“Well say you broke it”
Jenny gasped “Oh I would never do that.”
“But just say you did. Wouldn’t you be afraid of what mom would say?”
“Mommy would be really, really mad.”
“Exactly, you would be afraid because you know that she would be mad and probably punish you. Now say that when mom found out instead of getting mad she ran and gave you a big hug and thanked you because she couldn’t stand that lamp anyway and now she didn’t have to feel bad about getting rid of it?”
“That would be confusing.”
“It was kind of the same way after I left. I knew when I came back mom would be mad at me. But then she didn’t get mad at me at all so now I’m kind of confused.”
“Because you thought Mommy would yell at you?”
“Right.”
“So where were you anyway Linda?”
Linda hesitated. What would it hurt to tell her little sister the truth it wasn’t like her sister could turn her in and if she ended up telling anyone and they asked she could tell them that she had told Jenny a bed time story and she had had a dream that it was real. “Come here Jenny.” Jenny hopped closer to Linda and snuggled up next to her. Linda leaned back against the pillows and told her the whole story every single little detail and when Jenny finally left the room a half hour later she had a pocket full of flower-nuts.
Kayla followed Linda into the woods the next day. The sun had only been up for a couple of hours and no one else on the farm stirred. She watched as her daughter picked flowers as she walked. Soon she had a good sized bouquet and she took the ribbon out of her hair to tie it off. Her hair fell in front of her face and she pushed it back behind her ears. Her daughter had changed a lot in the time she had spent on Imaginess and Kayla couldn’t be happier. She still didn’t follow Kohath but Kayla didn’t have any doubt in her mind that given some time her daughter would accept Kohath as her friend. Linda entered the clearing and walked to the middle, left over flowers from the mourning ceremony two days ago blew across the clearing otherwise all was still. She knelt down and laid the dogtooth violets and spring beauty’s she had collected at her knees and then looking at them as if she was looking at a tombstone she began to speak “Well Mom, Dad, it’s me your daughter Lin…Leena I went to Imaginess last week. It was the most at home I’ve ever felt. I finally found out who I really am, and you’ll be glad to know that I’ve accepted my destiny. I will be a light in this dark time. Imaginess is doing great though it doesn’t need me so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad if I made a difference here in this world on this planet.” She paused for a moment as if expecting some kind of answer. Kayla kneeled down beside her but didn’t respond. It was the first time her daughter had ever spoken to her and she couldn’t find it in her heart to deny her daughters only request. Besides that was Kohath’s job. Linda would learn soon enough that it was only through Kohath that she could communicate with her parents and the sooner she learned that the better. It wouldn’t be long before Kohath would make a visit of his own and until then it wasn’t Kayla’s place to tell her daughter of the dark times that were hovering over her daughter and the land of Imaginess. Things would difficult for her daughter and there was only one possible way for her daughter to survive it and that was to put her faith in Kohath and trust him to lead her through.
Linda wiped a couple stray tears from her face then stood. She turned around and was surprised to see Mary standing there with tears streaming down her cheeks as well.
“Mary” Linda gasped in surprise, “how long have you been standing there?”
Mary smiled and wiped the tears from her own face “Long enough, but don’t worry you don’t have to explain anything to me we all know what happened to you. Why do you think no one questioned you? It’s because we all knew you were telling the truth.”
Linda narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“We knew you were an alien when mother adopted you, I was there 15 years ago when your parents were killed. I was 10 then; mother and I had gone to gather eggs and there was a bang in the woods and we ran to see what it was. When we got to the clearing, this same clearing, there was a man and woman. Another space ship landed and an alien stepped out.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing “he killed them.” She stopped again and ran her hand on the tree trunk “mom found you by this exact tree you were wrapped in a very strange material it was as soft as silk but looked as if it was made out of a type of leaf.”
Linda smiled. “Oh that’s Wiper bark well actually it’s the leaves but the leaves grow on the trunk and the wood grows on the top. My necklace is shaped like a Wiper flower, Wiper flowers grow from the roots of the wiper tree.”
Mary smiled and shook her head at her sisters sudden knowledge of alien things “I found the necklace here after we found you; I saw the necklace and gave it to mom but she said I could keep it. She saw the name on the back and decided that Leena was too alien and so decided to call you Linda. We figured when you were a little older I’d give you the necklace and tell you everything but as the day got closer mom started getting afraid that we would lose you once you found out and couldn’t do it, we loved you too much. I painted over the back and figured if you found it you found it and then when you left that morning I had to find out what you were going to do. Finding those aliens was the last thing I expected.” she stopped and didn’t seem to want to go any farther.
“Why didn’t mom at least tell me that my parents had died when I was looking all over for them a couple years ago?”
“She tried a couple times but you didn’t really want to hear it and never let her finish.” Linda suddenly remembered the times when her mother would come into her room and ask her if she’d ever considered that they were no longer alive. She hadn’t wanted to believe it and now it turned out that her mother had been implying the truth along. Her mother had been the only one who could have helped her learn the truth and every time her mother had offered to help Linda had turned her down and told her she would find them herself. In the end she had given up and stumbled upon her long lost family completely by accident.
“Listen Mary you can’t tell any one about this. I’m the one whose in danger here if anyone found out that I was an alien then I might end up in a science lab or something and I don’t want that.”
Mary smiled “I don’t want that either. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul.”
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