He Comes in Peace

Skye had run into her house, heart pounding and blood rushing quickly through her veins. She felt a choking feeling clench around her stomach, and she was surprised when she felt hot tears running down her face.

"No, no, no..." she whispered softly, taking her head in her hands and pressing her palms tight against her ears.

It had been half an hour already, and there were no signs that Kartayon would come back for Skye.

The sense of loneliness was overwhelming, and she felt like screaming; yet she knew no words would come from her mouth if she did.

In result, the constricting feeling grew, and she found herself breathing heavy, the sounds of every intake of air loud in the dead silent house.

It was scary, too. She had never been alone at the lake house, and this was not the best time to be alone, not when the ECI were now on her tail (metaphorically speaking); not when Kartayon had just taken his leave without a single explanation.

All Skye could do was wait.

So she did.

-x-

One day, two days, three.

On the night of the third day, she despairingly decided to head back home after breakfast.

Skye packed up what was left of the money, leaving Kartayon's clothes in the lake house. She had no use for them. And if he ever decided to go back to the lake house, he would find his clothing there.

It felt exactly like the first day they had met, when Kartayon had knocked her down onto the ground and carried her off into the forest.

That same feeling of something being dug out.

Skye shuddered as a small spasm of shivers ran down her back, spreading to her arms.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the ghost-like feelings, she tucked the key to the door of the lake house into her jeans' pocket and slung her small bag over one shoulder.

Her hand rested on the railing of the stairs and with a small sigh, she headed for the door.

Almost hoping the Tay would come bursting in through the back door, she lingered around the front steps of the house, her fingers tapping against the metal of the door knob.

"He's going to come back. I know he will," she whispered.

Forcing herself to take her hand off the door knob, she descended the steps of her house.

"Going back to face the dangers of my mom's anger...Great," she muttered, walking down the familiar road; Brittley Avenue.

Skye paused near the forest, remembering that this was where Tay had knocked her down.

She squinted her eyes and looked at the forest, where the trees had started shaking.

"What the heck?"

Her heart started pounding when a familiar shape came into view, weaving in and out of the trees.

Skye clutched her bag tightly and started running, delving into the forest.

"Tay?" she shouted.

"Skye!"

Kartayon came hurtling out of the dense brush and slammed into her, his shape molting back into his human form as he leaped. His arms wrapped tight around her as the two of them tumbled into a giant blackberry bush, the thorns tangling in their clothes and hair.

Skye felt them pricking her bare arms, but she ignored the feeling and hugged him back.

"Skye, I am-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Skye reeled back and slapped him hard across the face.

"Ah!"

"Tay, you're an asshole!" she shouted, throwing her arms around him again.

Kartayon wore a baffled expression at her sudden bi-polar reaction.

But he smiled and stood, picking her up from the ground and hoisting her up so she sat on his shoulders.

"Don't drop me, all right? Those thorns were enough trouble."

-x-

Instead of heading back to the lake house, Tay carried her deeper into the forest. They found a tiny little clearing in the midst of wild, overgrown bushes, just big enough for the two of them to sit in.

If it weren't for the seriousness of their current situation, Skye would have wanted to play hide and seek.

"So where did you go, Mister? I want some explanations." Skye threw a tiny fragment of a broken branch at him.

Kartayon dodged it and smiled, rolling a blackberry over to her.

While Skye dusted the dirt off of it, he explained.

"When I froze, I was receiving a message from my people."

Skye's eyes widened as she popped the blackberry into her mouth. "How?"

"They were my family; we are able to communicate telepathically, no matter how far away we are from each other."

"That's amazing."

"They had located Earth, and where I was." Kartayon paused, as if thinking of what to say next. He licked his lips and said softly, "They are coming to retrieve me."

Skye blinked, feeling her heart drop until it seemed to nestle against her stomach. "What?"

"They are coming. We have arranged to meet at Stanley Park." He studied her barely concealed sadness and carefully said, "Skye, would you please take me there?"

Mechanically, Skye nodded.

"Skye, say something. I know you are upset about this news; it does not make me very happy either when you look at me like that," he murmured, raising a hand to touch her face.

Skye jerked away. "I'm not that upset about it, Tay. I already nodded. I'll take you to Stanley Park, okay?"

He raised both hands this time, managing to touch her face before Skye slapped them away.

"Don't, Tay," she snapped.

"Skye..."

"Don't."

Kartayon sighed and placed his hands on the ground. He half-heartedly picked the biggest blackberry from the pile beside him, rolling it to her.

It stopped in front of her and Tay nudged Skye's foot with his own.

She turned her head away.

He rolled another blackberry to her, the force just right so that it stopped next to the previous one.

Skye ignored that one too.

Kartayon smiled slightly before rolling another one.

And another one.

And another one.

Pretty soon, the whole pile was in front of Skye, and she had a hard time fighting back a smile.

"Eat, Skye. You know you want to."

Skye turned her head just in time to see him wink. A first for him.

She sighed in mock exasperation, picking the biggest one up. "You're adorable, Tay," she said genuinely.

He blushed, his face glowing from the silver blood that had rushed up to his face.

"Especially when you're embarrassed," she added, popping it into her mouth.

"I am not the only adorable one."

Skye turned redder, feeling her face grow hot and sweaty.

She cast around for another subject, picking up another berry.

"I could make a jar of jam with all these blackberries."

Kartayon snorted. Yet another first.

"Right, Skye."