by NB Blackbell
Jasper leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. She thought about her stomach. Hmm, I wish we had some pizza. Immediately, the kitchen filled with the aroma of melted cheese. Nick grabbed on to Jasper. He pulled her over so he could hug her. "As thankful as I am for this pizza, I'm even more thankful that you are okay." She smiled and nuzzled up close, I'm pretty thankful for that too." Taking a deep breath, she pulled away but not before running her fingers across his jawline. "I think I'm still in shock over being shot." She took a deep breath and picked up the pizza, "Why don't we go feed the crew."
The six sat around eating pizza, but none of them felt the assurance they knew before the shooting. Billy looked over at the window. "We'll need to take turns being on the lookout. I think I had a false sense of security before; it is unmistakably gone now." Jake and Rick nodded, "Good idea. We'll take shifts." Jasper walked over to the window and looked around. "They know we're here. Perhaps not exactly where we are, but they know we're in this town. We need to be absolutely careful. Remember, don't answer them if they talk to you. How do you think they knew where we were?" Jasper clutched the knapsack. "We need to take a look at everything we got from their ship. Look closely to see if there's anything they can track us with." She pulled out everything from the knapsack and started sorting through it. The others did the same. She ruffled through the pages of a book and then went to open the big blue box. "I don't know what this is. I found it in the drawer." She opened the box. The device inside was odd looking.
No one knew what it was, but they were confident it must be important. Jasper picked it up to scrutinize it. Under it was a tiny blinking light. "Damn it! They had a tracer in the box." She picked it up and ran for the door. She chucked it out the door and out onto the street. The sky filled with the sound of heavy humming as a craft came out of nowhere. Shooting multiple rays from lasers up and down the road. She shut the door quietly. "Oh, my God! Did you see that?" Jake crouched at the window, watching silently.
Jasper continued, "If we hadn't found that, they might've found us again." She laid the device back in the box and put it back in the knapsack. She picked up the book and said, "It seemed kind of silly at the time to take a book, but I'm curious about how their system works." She put the book into the bag. "Maybe we can find a weakness that way." Jasper set her bag aside and leaned up against the door. Jake looked over at Nick. "We need to find a way to get back to the hotel. It's not going to be easy, though. We're not sitting in the lap of luxury anymore. Someone in this neighbourhood must have a red van, something big enough to carry us all home. I'm going to lie down for a bit, but afterwards, I'm going to go door to door and search for a van." Jake got up to head towards one of the bedrooms. Nick pulled up a chair next to the window. "I'll take first watch. The rest of you get a nap and then we'll go search the neighbourhood for a way home."
Nick was still sitting by the window as Jasper wandered down the stairs. "How long did I sleep?" Nick looked up at her, "About two hours." She walked over and sat down on his lap and leaned against the window. "Thanks for watching over me while I slept. This whole situation just keeps getting crazier and crazier." Nick smiled at her. "No problem, I really like you and don't want anything to happen to you." Jasper smiled, "I like you too." Nick reached over and ran his fingers along the side of her face. He took a deep breath," When this is all over, I want to take you out. Maybe dinner and a movie?" Jasper smiled, "Sounds perfect." Nick glanced out the window, "Do you want to go van searching now, or do you need to wake up more?" Jasper bounced up. "No, I'm ready. I just want to get back to the hotel. I'm not comfortable being so far away when they're in so much danger back there. Besides, the earlier we get back, the sooner we can try to get our world back. Then perhaps we can do that dinner." Leaving the rest to sleep, the two-headed out the door. Jasper looked around frantically. "I'm so nervous. I feel like they're watching me." Nick grabbed her hand. "Well, let's not stay still, just in case." They ran from house to house, peering into the garages, trying to see if there were any vans or SUVs around. "There has to be something," said Jasper. They came to one house where the garage had no windows. Nick went to the door. "We need to go in through the house. It's the only way we'll know what's in the garage." They tried the front door, but it was locked. Jasper gazed up at Nick. "Perhaps there's a back door. The two ran around the house in hopes of finding an unlocked door. The back door was locked too, but in the back yard stood an old yellow school bus. "Nick, look at that!" exclaimed Jasper. They ran over to the bus and pried open the door. Nick sat down in the driver's seat. "It's a bright yellow. Don't you think they'll see it?" Jasper searched around for the keys. "Yes, they might. Why don't we paint it?" After moving the visor, the keys fell into Nick's lap. "Well, that's pure luck. You know that idea just might work. You can imagine that there's paint. Can't you?" Jasper shrugged. "I think so. It's small enough." She sat down in one of the seats and closed her eyes. She thought about the safety of her group. 'I wish I had red paint for this bus so I can keep us safe.' Nick began to laugh, "Yes! You did it." She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I wasn't sure if I could. I'm glad it worked." Nick got up and put the keys in his pocket. Let's go tell the others about this." The two ran back to the house, barely making it as some hovercrafts decided to patrol the area. Jasper heard them inside her head: We know you are there, and we will find you. The two crouched down by the window and watched as they circled a few times, then flew off in the opposite direction. Nick flopped down onto the floor, pulling her down with him. "I'm so glad we don't have that tracker in the house with us. It's bad enough they know the area we're in." Jasper laid her head back. "I know, right? I have to wonder if we can do this or if we will even make it home."
Jake wandered out into the living room where the two sat. "Where did you two go?" Nick looked up at him. "We went searching for the answer to getting home. We actually figured it out too, till those scoundrels came patrolling again. We found a school bus in someone's backyard, just down the road. With some red paint, it'll be good as new to take us back to Richmond." Jake looked impressed, "Great idea. So, let's get painting so we can hit the road. How long do you think it'll take to dry?" Nick got up. "I don't know, but I guess we'll find out."
They headed over to where the bus was located. Jasper peered around. "Someone has to stay guard. Those hovercrafts could return at any time." Jake looked over at her. "Sounds good. Do you want to keep an eye out while we change this beast's colour?" Jasper nodded. "I can do that." The group grabbed some paint and a brush and began painting. Jasper watched quietly. "Don't forget the very top. Don't need those damn ships spotting us from above." Nick crawled up on top of the bus and spread the paint from one end to the other. He then jumped down. "The top is done, what else is left?" Billy looked around at the back of the bus, "I have this end almost complete." Jake stepped back and stared at the bus. "Looks like we're almost done."
After they finished up the last few spots, Jake laid down his brush. "We'll come back in about twelve hours to see if it had a chance to dry." They swiftly crept back to the house. As they closed the door behind them, they could hear the hum of the craft soaring by. Jasper ran to the window. "That was close." She peered out at the tracer lying in the middle of the road. "They seem to come every time we're close to that tracer. What if it has a motion sensor in it?" Nick yanked the curtain shut. "Don't even think about it. Let's just try to relax a little before we hit the road… though once we get that bus on the road, we're not guaranteed any safety." He looked over at Jake. "If the bus passes the test, and we make it safely, then it's pure luck. When I saw Jasper get shot, that was it for me. My guard went up. It won't go down again until I get her home safely." Everyone agreed and headed off to get some sleep. Nick pulled a chair over to the window. "Jasper, go lie on the couch." "You need to get some sleep, too."
"Nick," Jasper responded. Nick looked over at her. "I'll sleep once I'm sure we're okay." Jasper curled up and shut her eyes. She knew it would be okay to sleep f
or a bit.
When she woke up a couple of hours later, she saw that Nick was still sitting at the window. She sat up and thinking, he needs sleep to. This is unfair. Grabbing the cushions off the couch, she placed them next to the window. "If you won't leave the window to catch a nap, then the nap can come to you." Nick looked over at her as she positioned the cushions next to him. "I'm keeping watch now. You get some sleep," said Jasper firmly, motioning him to move. Nick smirked but got off the chair and lay down on the cushions. "You wake me if anything happens, no matter how small it is." She nodded. "I'll do that, don't worry." She turned and looked out the window. The moon was full that night, so the sky was bright. She wondered to herself if daytime even existed anymore or if it would remain night for the rest of time. Time seemed to disappear for her. She couldn't recall what day it was or if it was even night. Perhaps time was really an illusion in her world. What if this is all there really ever was? She took a deep breath. Before she had time to exhale, something caught her eye outside. She ducked down and peeked over the edge of the window. It was Zafarians on foot. It appeared that they were patrolling the area in search of them. This town was too small for it to be a coincidence. Could that be what was going on? She reached over and tapped Nick. "Hey, we have action outside. They're on foot." Nick crawled over and peered out the window. "Oh, Wow! I was worried they might do that. They're keeping an eye on the tracker, checking if we're around. When we finally get out of here, we might have to find a back way out." He lay back down and patted the cushion next to him. "Lay down with me. We really shouldn't be looking out the window right now, just in case they spot us." Jasper curled up next to him. "I wonder how long they'll stay out there." Nick closed his eyes. "I don't know… until they get tired of waiting us out, I guess. Get some sleep. I'm right here. They can't get to you without getting to me. Believe me, they're too loud of walkers to do that." Nick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The two shut their eyes and slowly fell asleep. The house was quiet, so it wasn't that hard to do.
Approximately five hours later, Jake wandered into the room. He walked over to the window. He peeked out and spotted the two patrolling the house. "Holy shit!" He reached down and patted Nick's shoulder. "Did you see what's outside the house?" Nick frowned. "Are they still out there?" Jake's eyes widened as he sat down next to Nick and Jasper. "Have they been there all night?" Nick nodded, "Yeah. I think they're watching the tracker, hoping to find Jasper. It seems to have a motion detector attached to it somehow." Jake looked over at the sleeping Jasper.
"How are we going to get her home safely? I could sneak out and get the bus. Running them over might work." Nick smirked as he responded, "Our luck, they'll get back up. I think when it's time to go, we go out the back way and run like the wind. If and when we get there, if the bus isn't quite dry, we can camp out on the bus until it is. I'm even ready to drive the bus covered in wet paint." Jake paused as he thought about it. "Okay, so, what do we have to do before we head out to the bus? Jasper can use her mind powers to bring us food, so we're good there. All we really need is our bags, some blankets, and maybe a few pillows, so our necks won't be so stiff when we get up." Jake peeked out the window as he got up and left to get the rest up and ready to go. "I think they're camping out there." Shaking his head, he headed up the stairs. Nick rubbed Jasper's shoulder softly. "Hey, we're getting ready to go. You need to get up. Possibly get us some of that tasty coffee." Jasper laughed as she opened her eyes. "Is there any other kind of coffee?" Nick paused, "No. I guess in this case, all coffee is good, but I like the brand you get." Rick poked his head into the room. "Everyone is pretty much ready to go." Jasper reached out and grabbed Nick's arm then slowly pulled herself up. "What do you say we get out of here and head home?"
The six stood at the back door, peering out. "I don't see anything out there. You see, the trees over there behind the neighbour's house… that's where I want you all to run to," Nick said as he pointed toward the house. "I'm going to be right behind you." They quietly opened the door and then shut it gently, trying not to make a sound. Nick motioned for everyone to run as fast and as quietly as they could. They headed straight for the trees. None of them stopped to so much as look back. Nick stood behind the tree and waited to see if their movement had alerted the aliens in any way.
"They don't seem to notice us gone. I think for the moment, we're in the clear." They continued towards the house that had the bus in the backyard. They froze when they came to a giant fence blocking them access to the yard. It was the house right before the one they were headed to. Jasper turned and whispered to the men. "We're going to have to go around. If we're quiet enough, they won't know we're there. I think we're far enough away from the sensor for it not to detect us." They crept up the edge alongside the house. When the aliens turned their heads, the group booted into the backyard where the bus stood. The group piled onto the newly painted bus and slumped onto the seats. "We made it," whispered Jasper, sat out of breath. "Do you think there's any chance they'll hear this bus if we drive right past them?"
Billy gasped for air. "Damn! I'm out of shape. They might hear us, but it's red, so they'll have trouble seeing it." Jake joined in. "I can't imagine them hearing us once we're on the move. Those damn hovercrafts are so loud; our bus will sound like it's purring next to one of those."
"I'm going to take first shift driving," Billy said as he got up. He looked around the bus before taking the driver's seat. "The whole back has been ripped out, turned into a camper. Not bad," Nick handed Billy the keys. "You ever drive one of these?" Billy shrugged. "No, but I've driven a semi-truck. It can't be much different from one of those." He turned and put the keys in the ignition. "Here goes nothing." The bus started. It was initially loud but got quieter the longer they sat. Billy pulled out and headed towards the highway. Jasper watched as they passed by the aliens. The aliens stood looking around, like they knew something was happening but at the same time didn't have a clue. As they drove away, they heard them let off a deadly scream, one filled with anger.
Jake pulled out the map and checked the location. "We're still pretty far from LA. I would guess we have somewhere between thirty-five and thirty-eight hours before we get there. I'm going to go lie down, so I'm ready for the next driving shift. Make sure you wake me when you've had enough. Jasper, you get some rest too." Jake headed to the back of the bus, found a comfortable place to lie down and went to sleep. Jasper and Nick sat in the front seats, right across from Rick and Carla. Jasper gazed over at Carla and asked, "What do you used to do for a living?" Carla smiled. "I'm a nurse. I mostly worked with older people who couldn't help themselves anymore." Jasper looked at Rick, "And you?" He laid his head back against the seat. "I'm a computer specialist. I can do pretty much anything on a computer and even more, but the more isn't so legal. So, I try to stay away from it unless needed."
Jasper smiled. "Nothing wrong with that. Billy, weren't you a carpenter before all this happened?" Billy looked in the mirror at her. "Yeah, I love working with my hands. Did a lot of work building homes for the homeless through Habitat for Humanity. It feels great when they're done, and you know someone has a home because you helped get them one." Nick shook his head. "Yeah, that would be a great feeling. I used to be a soldier. I mostly did special missions. I liked being able to help people and keep them safe." Jasper listened quietly before speaking. "I think when all of this is over, I'm going to write a book about it. I used to be a writer and would love to continue writing. We grabbed my bag, right?" Nick looked over at her. "Yes, I put it in the back. If there's any way of us winning this war, it's going to entail using red in some way as a strategy. We need to plan everything around it, and our plan must be flawless. One mistake, and we could lose our world forever and possibly the human race." The bus got really quiet. Billy looked back in the mirror. "That's really depressing, you know. I mean, I know it's the truth, but what a mood killer. What's that I smell?" Jasper smiled. "I got some food for us. I figured we better keep eating well
just in case it's our last." Billy grinned. "Pass me up some of that." Nick passed Billy a burger and a shake. "We have it so good. Imagine what we would be eating if she couldn't get this for us." Billy smirked.
"I don't even want to give that a thought." Jasper looked out the window. The green fog rolled across the bus windows. "What do you think that device in the blue box is? It has the same symbol on it that we have on our bodies." Nick turned his head to look at her. "It might be a weapon. I'm not sure what kind, but they seem to want to keep track of it. Why else would they put a tracer in the box? Let's hope it can help us get rid of them, if not, at least to help. Won't it be nice when we have the sun back?" Nick gazed up at the moon. "Don't get me wrong. I love the moon, but I don't think I'll ever look at it the same again. I really miss the sun and building my days around it. It was so nice to wake up to it." Jasper nodded. "I miss it too. I enjoyed walking and having the sun hit my face. I really hope I get to feel that again someday. I would hate to only see the moon for the rest of my life. Any ideas on how we can change the colour of this fog? I'm so sick of green. It would benefit us if it were red. I just can't think of anything. If green allows them to see better and red keeps them from seeing, it would be in our favour for us to find a way to do that."
Jasper leaned against the window, deep in thought. Nick whispered, "Are you okay?" She turned and shook her head. "I guess. What do you think they meant by saying that we were born to help them win against humans? I get it; we're half-alien, but how can we be bred just for that?" Nick bit his lip as he thought about what she said. "Perhaps we were bred for that reason, but it could be the human side of us that allows us to choose our side. I think even if we were full aliens, we would somehow stand up for the humans, or at least I'd want to believe that. I can't wait till we get out of this mess and we get to go out, we can do whatever we want to do." Jasper smiled. "I'd like that. Let's hope we get out of here." She whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder. A few seconds later, all she could hear was:
