by Stella Casey
She walked us off the bridge, to the edge of the road, and into the woods until we were out of sight of the highway.
I sat down on the ground and leaned back against a tree trunk.
“Jesus, Lii’thoou,” Alyssa said, dropping down beside me. “Where are you hurt?”
“Here,” I said, pointing at my shin bone, which had a bulge that did not look natural.
She touched it, and I flinched from the pain. “Looks broken,” she said. “We need to get back to my house.”
I gave her an incredulous look. “You think they won’t be watching your house?”
“Oh shit. You’re right.”
She checked the rest of me, but other than cuts and bruises, I seemed to be fine. “And you need clothes,” she added, avoiding my eyes.
I gave her a smirk. “Not for my benefit, of course. Just because of social norms, you know.” I laughed out loud at that.
“Oh my God. And we need to get Zoe.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, remembering my conversation with Callie. “Your friend called and I told her you’d be right over. She needed you to pick Zoe up because she got called in to work.”
“How did you explain who you were?” she said, giving me a worried look.
“Um, I kind of impersonated you.”
“What?”
“I shifted into your form so I would have your voice when I answered.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that’s … weird. But we don’t have time for this. We need to decide what to do.
“I know. You can shift into something small, so I can carry you.”
I gave her an apologetic glance. “No. I can’t. That’s why I shifted before we fell. When I’m injured, the stress levels in my body are too high to change forms.”
“Damn it,” she said, tipping her head back and staring up at the trees. “What are we going to do?”
She had asked me that when I had first told her about myself. It had always been we.
I sighed. She wasn’t going to like the answer. “I think we have to get out of town and go on the run,” I said, and her head whipped around. “As soon as we get Zoe, of course.”
“You have to get out of town and go on the run,” she said.
“Lyssa,” I said, scowling. “Listen to me.”
I put my one human arm around her, feeling that only one arm was somehow inadequate to comfort a female with. “Those people wanted to take you away. They told your boss to give them your stuff, because you wouldn’t be returning to your job. So, they’re planning on either locking you up, or killing you.”
“Lii, what are you saying?” she said, appalled.
“I’m saying your life here is over, Lyss. It’s gone.”
“Oh my God,” she said, closing her eyes. Then she jumped to her feet. “I have to get Zoe.”
I nodded. “I agree. And then we run. Maybe your friend can give you some clothes or supplies for the little one. Maybe some money, too?”
Alyssa nodded, fear and sorrow in her eyes. “Let’s go flag down a cab. That should still be safe, right?”
“For now,” I said. “Until they figure out you’ve escaped from the van.”
I watched as she got a determined look on her face. “Come on,” she said, helping me stand. “Let’s go get my baby and get out of here.”
As we rode in the cab towards Alyssa’s friend’s house, I tried to figure out a way to tell her my plans to leave. I couldn’t think of any good way to do it, so I decided to just spit it out. There was really no way of saying it that would go well, so better to just get it over with.
My leg was really hurting and I felt like I might pass out, so if I was going to say something, I should do it now. “Lyss,” I said into the silence.
“Yeah?” she said, with an expectant look on her face.
“I think … I mean, I’ve thought about it a lot and … well, I guess first I want to apologize for all of this. I never wanted you to get hurt.”
“I’m not hurt, Lii. You saved me. Please don’t apologize, when it’s me who has brought so much trouble down on you.”
She searched my eyes, a distressed expression on her face. But I shook off her apology. “Lyssa, I’m trying to say that…”
“This it?” the cab driver said, interrupting me.
Alyssa looked away from me towards the house. “Yes,” she said, digging in the pocket of her work shorts for some cash. She stuffed the bills into his hand and jumped out of the car, coming around to the other side. I opened the door and she helped me out, an agonizing experience with my broken leg.
“Lyssa,” I tried again, but the door of the house opened and a woman, holding Zoe, stared at us. At first she looked very pissed, and then the expression changed to worried.
“What the hell, Alyssa? Are you okay? Who’s this? Where were you?
“You said you’d be here ages ago. I had to tell them I couldn’t come in. My boss is super pissed.
“What’s wrong with him? Why are you in a cab?” She paused to take a breath, and then asked one more question. “What the hell’s going on?”
“Inside,” Alyssa said curtly. “I’ll explain everything, Callie, after I take care of his leg.”
Callie stepped aside, trying to hang on to Zoe, who was bouncing and reaching her arms out to her mother. As soon as we were inside, Alyssa took charge.
“First I need to set his leg,” Alyssa said, taking Zoe and squeezing her tightly before giving her back to Callie.
“Set his leg?” Callie said. “It’s broken? Why don’t you take him to the hospital?”
“We can’t,” she said. “Explanations later, okay?”
She went in search of what she needed. Soon she was back, with tensor bandages and some pretty thick sticks that appeared to have been broken off a tree. She had Callie hold my foot while she realigned the bone as best she could.
That hurt, and I might have groaned a few times. Alyssa never wavered; though her face was pale, she put the splints on and wrapped the bandages around so that they held the sticks in place. It wasn’t pretty, but it would do. I would need several hours, but the leg would soon be healed.
“I have these,” Callie said, coming into the living room as Alyssa finished up. “They’re the pills they gave me when I broke my wrist. Want some?”
After Alyssa had moved the broken bone, my leg was aching so bad that I felt like throwing up. It fucking hurt. “Okay,” I said.
“Are you sure?” Alyssa said, her voice uncertain. “Your physiology…”
Callie put the bottle in my hand and set a glass of water on the table. The label said no more than two at a time. I shook out four and swallowed them down. It was so painful, all I wanted was to feel better.
“Explain,” ordered Callie when I had taken the pills. I wondered what her occupation was that she felt comfortable ordering us around. Maybe she was the head of a company, or something. But my speculating on her job was interrupted by the conversation going on between the women.
“Okay, but I have to give you the short short version,” Alyssa warned her.
“Anything,” she said, giving me a pointed look. “Who’s he?”
“This is Lii, and he’s not from around here.”
Callie studied me suspiciously. “Lee?” she said, getting a thoughtful look on her face, as if she was trying to place me.
“He’s a friend of mine.”
Callie’s face changed. “The friend? The one you told me about? The sleepover friend?”
“Yes,” Alyssa said, scowling at her. “Anyway. He’s in trouble with the FBI.” Callie raised her eyebrows. “Not because he did anything. They’ve got it all wrong.”
“They wanted Alyssa, too,” I put in. “They asked her boss to give them her stuff, because she wouldn’t be coming back to work.”
“Holy shit,” Callie said, her face serious now.
“Exactly,” Alyssa said. “We’re both in trouble. So, we’re t
aking Zoe, and we’re going to go hide out somewhere until this all blows over.”
She met her friend’s eyes. “I don’t know when we’ll be back.”
Callie got a troubled expression on her face. “Seriously?”
“It’s very serious, Callie,” I said. “Will you help us?”
“Of course,” she said, giving Alyssa a look that said you know you don’t even have to ask.
“Good,” Alyssa said, back in control. “Because we need to leave within the hour.”
15
Alyssa
I left Lii’thoou on the couch, while Callie and I packed as quickly as we could. She had given him a painkiller — something with codeine in it that she had left over from when she’d had surgery. He seemed kind of out of it, and I hoped it wouldn’t do weird things to his system.
Zoe was standing and bouncing around in her baby saucer, which we had brought into Callie’s bedroom, and I put some of her favorite toys on the tray to keep her busy while Callie and I worked.
I already had a pretty good stash of clothes and supplies for Zoe here, so those were stuffed in the good-sized camping backpack Callie was lending us. She loved the outdoors and knew how to survive in the wilderness, so she had all the equipment.
Seriously, she could have been on that TV show where they’re naked in the forest, and they survive by rubbing two sticks together to make a fire and eating bugs.
“Grab whatever you want from my drawers and closet,” Callie said as she gathered toiletries from her ensuite bathroom. “I have a tube of toothpaste that I just opened. It’s like new.”
But as soon as we were busy working, she started questioning me, walking back and forth from the bathroom to the bedroom and throwing things in the backpack.
“So what the hell, Alyssa? Are you really going to run away with this guy?”
I grimaced. “Technically, he’s not a guy.”
“What?” She looked at me, completely mystified and annoyed.
“Look, if I tell you something, will you promise not to tell a living soul, as long as you live?”
She gave me a look like I was crazy.
“Lii’s an alien. His name is Lii’thoou. He’s blue and has six arms. And he risked his life to come and save me, even though he could have left me with the FBI.”
I walked over to her and took her hands, trying to convey how grave the situation was. “And he’s really good with Zoe. I mean, really good. I trust him totally, Callie. He’s a really good … person.”
My best friend stared at me for a long moment. “I’ve never seen you like this,” she said.
“What are you talking about?” I said, pulling the backpack closer. Then I began digging my favorite articles of clothing, that I had borrowed before and knew fit me, out of her closet.
“So … so …”
“So … what, Cal?”
“Passionate.”
“Still don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, sorting through her closet, the hangers making plastic clanking sounds as I shoved them to the side.
She moved until she was facing me. “Tell me the truth, Alyssa. Are you in love with this guy?”
“In love?” I said, incredulous. “No. I’m not in love with him. That would be a really bad idea. He’ll just leave me.”
Callie stared at me. Then she tilted her head, studying my face. And then her eyes widened in shock.
“What?” I said, feeling irritated with her.
“You are in love with him. Did you two have sex on this sleepover? I mean, can you have sex?”
“Uh, not your business,” I said, pretending to be offended, and then giving her a smile. “But yes. We can. And yes. We did. You really believe he’s an alien.”
“No,” she said. “I mean, he has some kind of faint accent, so he’s probably an illegal alien and is about to be deported.”
Well, that was kind of close to the truth, I supposed.
“What I’m actually concerned about is that you’re in love with him. What are you going to do when he goes back to his country?” she demanded. “You’re going to be devastated, that’s what.”
“Look, Callie. I know that. Believe me. I’m not getting attached to him. I’m not in love with him. I know what a bad idea it is. I know that men in my life always leave. I know all that. That’s why it was only one night of sex. Well, incredibly hot sex like I’ve never had in my life,” I modified my original statement.
“Oh. My. God. I can’t believe it,” she said, truly awe-struck. But at least she refrained from telling me I was in love with him again.
“Well, believe it,” I said. “And listen to me, Callie.” I took her shoulders and stared into her eyes.
“If you ever see anyone blue, with six arms and amber eyes, well, you’ll obviously know they’re an alien. If it’s Lii’thoou, you can trust him. But if it’s not, well, just be careful, okay? From what he’s told me, these aliens are just like us humans — some really great, and some really terrible.”
“Are you actually warning me about aliens?” she said, gazing at me like I ought to be going to the loony bin.
“I am,” I said. “Callie. If aliens are real, then alien abductions may actually be real. Lii’thoou would never do that. But there are some that might.”
She gave me a look of total disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Look, I’m probably just being paranoid, because I have to leave and can’t watch out for you anymore. But I want you to promise me that you’ll be wary of any aliens that might come here.”
“You’re really not kidding?”
“No,” I said, shaking her. “I’m serious. Promise you’ll be careful if you ever see an alien.”
“You want me to be careful if I see any aliens.”
“Callie…”
“Alyssa…”
“Promise,” I said, tears in my eyes. “This may be the last time we’ll ever see each other.”
“Fine. I promise. When the aliens come for me, I’ll be careful.”
“It’s not a joke, Callie.”
Her face got serious. “I promise, Alyssa. I’ll be careful. I’m a black belt in karate, and I’m the executive assistant to the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world. I deal with assholes all day long. I can take care of myself.”
“Okay,” I said, taking a shaky breath and trying to relax and think what else I needed.
“But what am I supposed to think, then? You’re warning me about aliens, but then you’re running off with one?”
“I’m not running off with him. We’re just getting someplace safe, and then I’ll figure out my next move. Besides, you said you don’t believe he’s an alien.”
She thought about that for a moment. “True. Okay, here’s some cash,” she said, pressing a roll of bills into my hand. “It’s only four hundred, but it should keep you for awhile.”
“Thanks, Cal,” I said. “I’ll send you some money for the clothes and everything. Well, once I can access my bank account again, I mean.”
“Never mind that,” she said, flapping her hand at me. “You gave me that five hundred for expenses for Zoe, so I could buy what I needed, remember? I haven’t spent much of it.”
“Oh yeah,” I said, dragging more clothes out, and then realizing that the bag was full. I couldn’t bring everything, only a couple changes of clothes. I began to remove everything from the backpack to start over.
“Are you really never coming back?” she said, her voice wistful.
I twisted around to look at her. “Really. This is so serious, Cal. I’m pretty sure Zoe and I aren’t ever going to be able to come back here.”
“I’m going to miss you so much,” Callie said, coming to me and giving me a hug.
“I’ll miss you too, Cal. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Alyssa.”
We both wiped at our eyes. “What are you going to drive?” she said. “You can’t take your car.”
I shrugged. “I don�
��t know.”
“You should take Harris’s truck. You guilted me into letting you park it here because there wasn’t enough room at your place. At least, for once, it will be useful.”
“Oh my God, Cal, that’s brilliant. I haven’t thought of it since I paid the insurance on it a few months ago. I started it the last time I came for supper, and it seemed to be running fine.”
She rolled her eyes. She was annoyed at my inability to let go of Harris’s stuff, but it felt like it was a betrayal to give it all away or sell it. I knew I would have to, eventually; I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Guess I was being forced into getting rid of it now.
“It’s time to go,” I said, and headed downstairs. Because if we stayed much longer, and I thought about what I was leaving behind, I would dissolve into a quivering mass of tears.
And the bad guys would catch me.
And then what would become of Zoe?
I had to be strong for her.
After a tearful goodbye, I pulled the truck out of Callie’s backyard and onto the street. It was late afternoon by now. Lii’thoou was in the passenger seat, and he hadn’t needed as much help as before getting into the vehicle. He had explained that his kind healed much faster than humans.
Zoe was in her car seat in the back, chewing on her giraffe and gurgling contentedly to herself.
“Where are we going to go?” I said, when we were on the interstate heading north.
Lii’thoou shrugged, seeming uncharacteristically indifferent. “Do you know of anywhere that you think would be safe?”
I thought for a couple minutes. “Well, there’s this little place where my mom used to take me when I was a kid. We would go for the weekend. There’s not really a town, but there’s cabins you can rent, and a gas station. They probably still don’t even have internet up there, or a cell signal. I do remember the cabins had TV, though.”
I hadn’t brought my phone, in case they could track it. Instead, Callie had run out and bought a burner cell and a few other supplies we would need.
“Sounds good. The less tech, the better,” Lii’thoou said, his face still looking spaced out. A few minutes later, both he and Zoe were fast asleep.
