by J. T. Bishop
“Absolutely. Clear as a bell,” she scoffed.
He ignored her sarcasm. “So that’s why I am here. You are about to experience your own Shift, Sarah. That’s why you are sick. You are at the beginning of a very big transition in your life, and I’m here to help you through it.”
He watched her as she processed the information. There was more to tell, but he wanted that much to sink in first. “Sarah, how are you doing so far?” he asked.
She stared blankly at him. “How am I doing? You’re telling me this ridiculous story and I’m supposed to believe you? How do you think I’m doing? I have a mother and father, Ramsey. I was born on Earth, in a hospital, to human parents, and you’re telling me I’m from some other planet? You’re my ‘Protector?’ What you are is certifiably insane. What is happening to me?”
He looked away from her and stared at the wall. He knew how it sounded. Even to his own ears, he sounded nuts. He didn’t know how to convince her, though. There was no physical way to prove to her that what he said was true. At this rate, he was going to have to honor his promise and take her to her aunt’s.
“Are you done now?” she asked. “Is that it? Because if you are, I’m ready for that ride home.”
“No, Sarah, I’m not done yet.”
“Of course you’re not.” She sighed. “What’s next? When do the little green men come in?”
He snickered. “Science fiction hogwash, at least in my experience to date. We are by no means little, and we are certainly not green.”
She said nothing. In fact, she began to withdraw from him. She was slowly trying to inch away and move closer to the far side of the bed. He was losing her, and he knew he better say something convincing fast if he was going to get her to see his side of things.
“All right, then. Let me finish.” He stopped again, searching for his next words. “You are a special case, Sarah. I don’t quite have all the details yet, but we’re working on figuring out how you were born to Earth parents, but are in fact Eudoran. As soon as I know how or why it happened, you’ll be the first to know.”
He watched as she continued to increase her distance from him. He didn’t know where she thought she was going, because pretty soon, she was going to fall off the edge of the bed.
He decided to take a different approach. “Let me tell you a little about us.” He tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn’t look at him. He straightened himself and faced her, making himself relax. His shoulders were almost attached to his ears. He quieted his mind and continued.
“At one point, thousands of years ago, this planet was a central hub of activity for many extraterrestrials. In fact, human DNA can trace its roots to far more than just the human race. It’s a hybrid variety. It contains the DNA of other extraterrestrial species, without which their species would have never evolved to the humans they are today. It’s the reason all humans go through their own personal shifts, just not to the extreme that you’re going through. The fact that there are species that exist on other planets is not the oddity here, Sarah. The fact that humans think that they are the only species that exists in the Universe is the oddity. There are forms of life on a multitude of planets that all manage to coexist with each other, and Earth is but one of several that have yet to become aware of this fact. That’s not a judgment. In time, when humans are ready, they’ll come around to the idea that they’re not alone. But because of the life humans live and the darkness they choose to experience, they are an object of interest to many outside of their solar system.”
He paused for a moment, giving her time to absorb what he was saying. She appeared to be listening, so he continued. “Eudorans are naturally curious and are scientists at heart. We can’t resist a good sociological study, and Earth is the perfect habitat for us. We have coexisted with humans for years. We’ve come and gone on this planet without humans having any knowledge of our existence. We enjoy observing and living among them. As a species, they are unique. They have created many limitations for themselves. They experience extreme highs and lows, are in constant conflict with each other and have come close to destroying the only life and planet they think exists. And yet they are a very emotional species, capable of immense love and kindness. Human polarity and dichotomy is a fascinating study. We, on the other hand, do not experience such extremes. We value balance, harmony, and stability. We accept and appreciate our unique gifts and talents and treasure the planet on which we live. We rarely struggle with the level of instability that humans are commonly exposed to as they mature. We grow up with the sole purpose of studying and learning, and because of this, we travel to various locations and live and research among the people we find there. It can be very challenging, but also quite invigorating. It is a rite of passage to leave our planet and live amongst others for years at a time. Many of us on Earth have raised our families here. Some have married humans and made the choice to stay. We are born, we age, mate, have families, grow old and die, just like humans. We do not need, desire, or require anyone from our host planet to be aware of our presence. We are aware of humans’ uncertainty regarding life on other planets, and we do not judge or interfere with it.”
He stopped again and watched her. “Are you understanding what I’m saying, Sarah?”
She continued to hover near the edge of the bed.
When she didn’t answer, he thought for a moment before continuing. “As Eudorans, one of our greatest gifts is our sensitivity. We can feel the energy of others. We are highly empathic and can sense others’ emotions and feelings, especially the feelings of those close to us. Some of us who are more advanced can connect on a non-physical level to communicate with each other and even with objects. It’s more common on our planet, but it can happen here as well. Humans have these capabilities, too, and some are beginning to realize that. But for the moment, most don’t recognize or even allow themselves the possibility of believing in it.” He felt his emotions getting to him, but he kept going. “I know I sound crazy, Sarah. I know you don’t believe a word I’m saying, but what I’m asking for you to do is to tap into that part of you that contains that heightened sensitivity. It’s there. You are one of us, so I suspect it’s been a part of you since you were a child. You knew things you didn’t know how you knew. You felt things you didn’t understand. I want you to tap into that now. Feel it in your gut and listen to what you know to be true, and then tell me that I’m lying.”
He stopped speaking and waited. She didn’t look at him and gave no reaction to what he’d said. She had stopped inching away, though and he took that to be a positive sign.
After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to say that you believe me.”
She hesitated. “I can’t do that.”
He sighed and decided to take another route. He might as well use the fact that she was a Eudoran to his advantage. “Sarah,” he said, “do you detect the slightest feeling of deception in me?”
Her face furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Then take my hand.”
“What? Why?”
“Before you start to question it, just take my hand. Trust me that much. Please.”
Reluctantly, she reached out, and he placed his hand in hers. Their fingers interlaced, and the reaction was immediate. Her swirling energy instantly raced up his arm. He felt the lure of it but quickly attempted to still it, to calm himself. If he went too fast with this, he would scare her off, and this would fail.
“Now, feel my energy, Sarah.”
Doubt crossed her face. “What?”
“Feel my hand in yours. Don’t think it. Feel it. Soften your mind. I know you’re weak right now, but this won’t require a lot of effort. In fact, don’t try at all. Just feel my hand in your hand. Feel my energy.”
Sarah thought of pulling away but didn’t. She felt his warm fingers wrapped
around hers. She squeezed his hand, and it felt comforting to her. Although she heard him speaking, she found herself focused on their hands intertwined. She began to relax for the first time since this ordeal began, as warmth spread up from her fingers and into her forearm. She couldn’t pinpoint when it happened, but as he continued to sit with her, that warmth spread up through her arm and into her chest. A brief, bright spark of energy blossomed and radiated throughout her body, and she felt the essence of him as it settled and mixed with her own. His energy raced through her as it moved from his fingers to hers, and she knew, immediately and instinctively, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was telling the truth.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
* * *
THE SOUND OF a throat clearing broke the moment. Ramsey startled at the sound and caught sight of Leroy standing at the door.
“Sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk.”
Ramsey nodded, and Leroy left the doorway. Ramsey looked down at Sarah, who had closed her eyes, but who gripped his hand like a vise.
“Sarah,” he said, “I need to speak with Leroy. I’ll be right back.”
She didn’t move, but her eyes opened. “Ramsey.” She spoke so softly Ramsey had to lean in to hear her. “You’re going to get me through this, right?”
He released the breath he’d unknowingly been holding and gave silent thanks that she had made the decision to believe him. He’d hoped that her abilities were advanced enough that she would be ready to trust her feelings, and it appeared that his instincts had been correct so far. He hated to break the contact with her. Their connection had been immediate and powerful, and he didn’t want to sever it, but he needed to stay professional. He couldn’t let his personal feelings get in the way of the task he’d been assigned.
“Don’t worry, Sarah.” He leaned in even closer to provide some additional comfort. “I’m not going anywhere.” He raised his other hand to pull up the covers that had slid down. “I’m your Protector, remember? And I’m good at what I do.” He started to stand, pulling away his hand that was entwined with hers. “I’ll be in the other room. Call if you need me.” He was almost afraid that when he broke contact with her, she would change her mind and panic, then want to leave again. But when he stood and let her go, she remained quiet and unmoving as she watched him leave.
He walked into the front room and Leroy was on the phone. “Yes, exactly,” Ramsey heard him say. “That’s what we need.”
Ramsey sat down on the couch. He was glad to have a few seconds to collect himself.
“Yes, I’ll tell him.” A few more seconds passed. “I understand,” Leroy said a little tersely before hanging up. He eyed Ramsey sitting on the couch.
“How’d it go?” Leroy asked. Ramsey broke from his thoughts to address his friend. “So far, so good,” he said. “She’s not freaking out anymore. Seems like she’s orienting herself to her new role as an extraterrestrial.”
Leroy considered that. “Not an easy adjustment.”
“Not really, no.” Ramsey sighed, sat back in his seat, and brought his mind back to the task at hand. “So what’d you learn?”
“Not much. No one knows anything about a gray-haired gentleman who may have ill-will toward you or the Council. They’re sending someone by Sarah’s to check it out and see if they can find anything.”
“He’ll be long gone. They won’t find a thing.”
“Probably not. I also called Sarah’s place of employment. Spoke to her boss, Arnold Tolliver. Interesting fellow.”
“What’d you tell him?
“Told him I was her Aunt Geraldine’s doctor and that I was calling to let him know that Sarah was sick and would not be in for at least a week.”
“What’d he say?”
“He was sorry to hear it. Said that he would make sure her shifts were covered until she was ready to return.”
“What about Rachel? She’ll wonder why Sarah didn’t call.”
“I told Tolliver to please let her friend Rachel know that Sarah would be staying at her Aunt Gerry’s and that she would be in touch as soon as she felt better.”
“That ought to hold for a while, I hope,” replied Ramsey. “At least until Sarah is up and around and can call Rachel herself.”
“That’s the plan.” Leroy paused before telling Sherlock the next bit of news. He knew his friend was not going to like it. “And I talked to Morgana.”
“You did what?” Ramsey was out of his seat in a heartbeat. “What for?”
It got the exact reaction Leroy was expecting. “Now listen to me before that vein pops out of your head.” Leroy held out his arm. “Think about the situation, Sherlock. You’ve got somebody out there who may not have your, or Sarah’s, best interest at heart and who may know exactly where we are right now. We can’t move her. She’s too close to shifting, and we don’t even know what to expect when it happens. You’ve got to be available to her twenty-four seven. You can’t help her and protect her at the same time. Besides, we have the advantage if this guy thinks he’ll catch us by surprise. We can be ready when he shows up, if he shows up.”
“He’ll show up,” Ramsey stated. He started to pace. “I can handle him, though.”
“No, you cannot,” Leroy said. “I can’t stay here. My absence will only cause more attention where we don’t want it. And you can’t stay awake around the clock and wait for this guy and at the same time, take care of her. You’re a talented guy, my friend, but you ain’t Batman.”
Ramsey stopped pacing at that, unable to deny that Leroy had a point. “Mom always said I was Superman.”
“She was lying, Sherlock.”
Ramsey’s face deflated. “Okay, smart guy.” he said. “So what’s your plan?”
“Morgana is sending Declan.”
Ramsey’s face said everything. “Are you kidding me? She’s sending Declan?”
Declan Carsons was a naturally gifted security expert in the earthbound Eudoran community. Even though the Eudoran people were a peaceful bunch, they did not live in a peaceful world. The Council frequently used Declan to consult them in matters of their own security, and he assisted them in all areas of self-protection and advised on home protection as well. He was skilled in the earthly martial arts, as well as the Eudoran specialties of focusing energy in the form of heat and being highly sensitive and intuitive. He could sense minute energy fluctuations and could determine a person’s presence from a significant distance away. He was also Ramsey’s stepbrother.
“Yes, he’ll be here soon.”
“Terrific.” Ramsey’s frustration jumped a notch. He ran his hand through his hair.
“He’ll stay out of your way. He’s got a job to do.”
“You know Declan and I don’t exactly get along.”
“I know it, but he’s the best we’ve got, and like it or not, we need him right now.”
Ramsey sighed and reluctantly nodded.
“She’s also sending Hannah.” Leroy waited for the next reaction.
“Hannah?” Ramsey shouted. “Who in the hell is Hannah? What the hell are we doing here, Leroy, throwing a party?”
“Will you calm down and think this through? Did you see Sarah in there? She’s weak as a kitten. Are you going to take her to the bathroom? Give her a bath when she needs it? The woman’s going through enough, Sherlock. Let’s give her some shred of modesty to hold onto.” He watched as Ramsey calmed himself. “Hannah helped Morgana after her fall a few years ago. She says she can be trusted.”
Ramsey’s body language relaxed a little. “All right. I can accept that. It’s just that this little party’s getting bigger every time you open your mouth. Anyone else I should be expecting?”
“Just me,” said Leroy. “I’ll be back in forty-eight hours.” He understood why Ramsey was upset but knew he’d accept it and move on. “Hannah will arrive by car. If our friend is watching, it shouldn’t arouse any suspicion.”
“And Declan?” asked Ramsey.
“You know Declan. He’ll
arrive by his own methods.”
“Of course he will.” Ramsey walked to the window, staring out.
“You call me, Sherlock, if you need anything. You got that?” Leroy would be lying if he didn’t admit he was worried. “Don’t be a hero on this one. You take care of her, and let Declan handle the tough stuff. You understand?”
“I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about.” Leroy hesitated. “I saw you two in there.”
Ramsey looked at his friend, and the two exchanged a knowing stare.
Ramsey broke the exchange first. “Go home, Leroy. Go hug your wife. I’ll…we’ll be fine.”
Leroy didn’t feel so convinced, but he decided to leave it alone for now. He walked to the back kitchen door, opened it, and left.
Ramsey heard the garage door roll open, and then, a few seconds later, begin to close. He stayed where he was, looking out the back window, and wondered what the next few days would bring.
CHAPTER TWELVE
* * *
HE DIDN’T WONDER for long. It occurred to him that he needed to accomplish a few tasks while he still had the time to do them. He moved into the kitchen and took an inventory of what was in stock. He made a list of groceries they would likely need over the course of the week. He walked through the house and checked the bathrooms and laundry room and added to the list. He would send Hannah to the store once she arrived. He might as well keep her busy while she was here.
After completing the list, he returned to Sarah’s room to check on her. He found her sleeping but restless. He felt her head, and she was warm. He opened the small suitcase he had thrown together for her before they left her apartment. He’d grabbed some T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants from her drawer. He made a note of the sizes and added a few more items to his list. He figured maybe Hannah could help Sarah get cleaned up and changed into something clean tonight before she went to sleep.
