Aeteanilise

January 8th, 2046
Rocky Mountains
6:42 p.m.

I looked around. The pine trees were now getting taller and wider as we went deeper into the mountain. I never would know how to get out of the mountains from all the twists and turns Leitun was taking. But he seemed confident and I was exhausted. Little Kaden had fallen asleep in my arms. His fiery red hair looked brown in the darkness. His breathing was slow and paced. I couldn’t help it. I closed my eyes.

January 8th, 2046
Rocky Mountains
6:45 p.m.

Leitun looked over at Lilly. She and the baby were fast asleep. Lilly was leaned against the window and her forehead pressed against the glass. Her cheek lay on her shoulder. The baby rested on her chest and his red hair touched the bottom of her chin. His chubby cheek was pressed against her body and his breathing was slow and calm. Lilly however was breathing hard and she was sweating. Leitun’s vision began to blacken and he had to shake his head to wake up-or rather- to keep from going unconscious when he was supposed to get them all to safety.

Leitun drove and drove. Soon the California scenery began to fade and a different kind slipped in. The dark pine trees grew taller. The green leaves grew bigger and began to change color slightly too. Now green was mixed with deep purple and the air started to change and it had a sweet scent in the underlining of the fresh grass and the soft scent of flowers.

Leitun drove up to the large gates. The dark looming fence was covered in vines and thorns. The fence was at least two human stories high. Leitun rolled his window down and called out.

“Eclai natum!” he was tired but he tried to mask any and all signs of such. He looked at the girl next to him.

The gates began to open and Leitun looked around the car for anything to cover the two humans. He did not see anything so instead he took off his jacket and covered Lilly’s head. He did not want any Aeteans to see the humans he brought. It was not because Leitun was ashamed on any level. After all, in the Aeteanilise Base, bringing in humans without registration was illegal. And despite her being tall, Lilly did not look anything like an Aeteanilise.

Leitun drove into the base and proceeded to the only safe place he knew… Kalytem’s house.

January 8th, 2046
Rocky Mountains
6:59 p.m.
Aeteanilise Base
Eclutiman Residence
Kalytem

I plopped down on my bed and began to start devouring my nomstils. It’s a treat that is similar to the human cookie except the flour used is made from actual flowers from our home planet, Nomals. Normals are purple flowers that have a scent like the human cinnamon mixed with lavender. The cookies are then stuffed with a gooey center that is like the human vanilla custard but it’s made from the Aetean bean called “Zatri”.

Nomstils are my favorite snack.

I was about to bite into my first one when I realized that I didn’t bring any milk with me. I sighed and stood up as I went to my kitchen to pour a glass. Walking over to the fridge I accidently stubbed my toe on the corner of the counter.

“FLIST!” I cursed. Good thing my parents weren’t home. They hate it when I curse. I took out the milk and poured myself a glass. I then put the milk back and then grabbed my glass and took a swig. But when I lowered my glass I was shocked and accidently dropped my glass. Leitun had magically teleported into my couch.

“Normatis flista neati, Leitun! When the hell did you get there?” I demanded to know.

“Not too long ago, I promise,” was his response.

I rolled my eyes. “Shillrf,” I muttered. The glass had shattered and pieces had scattered everywhere and of course I wasn’t wearing any form of footgear. I groaned. It was going to be a pain in my ass to clean it up.

I carefully stepped through the minefield of glass and back to where I had previously sat and where Leitun currently was resigning.

“You could have given me some form of warning.”

Leitun shrugged. “Look I need to crash here okay?”

“Yeah, no problem,” was my immediate response. I then noticed that he looked oddly tired and incredibly sweaty.

“Nel, desti nemruk nalis?” ( Hey, are you okay?)

“Yeah,” he managed to say back in our language and he leaned back on my couch and covered his eyes. “Just do me a favor and don’t go into your room yet, okay?” His voice faded out and he started to drift off to sleep. But his breathing was heavy and his hand was on his forehead as if he had a headache. I didn’t bother to go to my room though. Whatever the reason for his sudden interest in my own room was something I didn’t care to be involved in yet. I was certainly concerned but I wasn’t about to get into something when Leitun was so clearly under stress.

Instead, I headed back to my kitchen, grabbed a broom and started to sweep.

January 8th, 2046
Rocky Mountains
6:59 p.m.
Aeteanilise Base
Eclutiman Residence

A little warm body next to me started to move. I tried to ignore it. Then it moved again but this time it started to groan and coo. I still tried to ignore. Then a little voice started to whimper and roll on top of me and touched my face with soft and chubby fingers. I had a major headache but I couldn’t help but smile.

I opened my eyes and found myself looking into deep green eyes on a smiling baby. I giggled and grabbed Kaden’s fatty little body. I swiped his red hair out his eyes and started to hug him. He nuzzled in my chest and I couldn’t help but nuzzle his head back.

I then realized that I was in a bed that wasn’t mine and the recollections of what happened at my house came flooding back. I groaned. I had no idea what was going to happen to Clare and had no idea where I was now. I didn’t see Leitun but the room I was in was HUGE. The bed was a king-sized bed and had red cotton and silk covers. The lights hung like vine chandeliers and the window was a huge doorway to a terrace that had a spectacular view of trees and nature.

Then I realized that I had never seen those kind of trees except in newspapers about the… Aeteanilse Base.

My eyes widened. If I was on the Aeteanilise Base with Kaden, that meant I was on different territory which was bad because I certainly wasn’t registered to be here.
“LEITUN!” I screamed and I got up and out the bed with Kaden in my arms. I bolted to the door and dashed down the hall. I didn’t know where I was headed but I imagined that if I made enough noise, or ran far enough, that I’d find him.

I made a sharp turn and ended up crashing into something… hard. I was falling back when two hands gripped onto my shoulders and held me firmly thus preventing my fall. I looked up.

“Kalytem?”

“Lilly?”

We looked at another for only a moment before we both had the same thought. “Leitun,” I muttered at the same time he hollered back.

I peered behind him.

Kalytem glared at the tall, black haired boy behind him and he was answered with a smirk and a “What? I said don’t go into your room because I didn’t think what was in the room would come out so soon.”

Kalytem and I were not amused.

Kalytem released me and I stepped to his side.

“Leitun, are we in the AB? Because I hope you realize that I’m not registered which means that in being here, I’m kinda breaking the law?”

Leitun stood up. “Look,” he started, “ I didn’t have time to think! It was either to come here or go where they would be able to kill or kidnap or whatever the heck those guys would have done!”

“I still shouldn’t be here. The area is full of Aeteanilise and frankly, I kinda stand out.”
“Again, safer here then out there!”

“I can’t believe this!” I started to pace back and forth. Kaden was just cooing and making spit bubbles in my arms. “How am I supposed to even get out? What are we supposed to do about Clare? I can’t even go to the authorities because I’m not even supposed to be here myself! I cannot believe you didn’t think this through! Even if we did go to the authorities All that will happen is that I either get thrown in jail or sent back to my house and then what? House arrest? I’ll be a sitting duck!”

“At least jail here is safe!”

“I think you-”

“STOP!” Kalytem interjected. His voice was deep and firm and I instantly became silent. Kalytem looked at me to Leitun.

“What exactly is going on here?”

Leitun and I shared a glance. I sighed and then looked back to Kalytem.

“I think you ought to sit down,” I told him.

He did and I began to tell him about the last few hours of my life.

“Leitun and I were at my house when I believe it was men from H.O.M.E broke in. They took Clare, my nanny, and Leitun barely made it out my house. We were driving away but they followed and were persistent. They even started to shoot at us in broad daylight. But I was really tired by the time we lost them and I couldn’t think of where to go when Leitun did and so that’s when he took the driver’s side and that’s when he drove us here but I was asleep and so I didn’t see this and when I woke up I was already in what I imagine is your room with the red bed sheets.”

Kalytem gave me a skeptical look for a moment before putting his hand on his chin and going deep into thought. After a moment of silence he asked, “Why are you two so tired? I mean, it was a lot but recently in general, I’ve noticed that you’ve been incredibly exhausted.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Just, ever since I was released from the hospital, I have been feeling weird and-”

“It was before the hospital.” I looked at Leitun. He didn’t meet my glance.
“When we had that attack from H.O.M.E. at school last year,” Leitun began, “Lilly had been shot.” I raised an eyebrow. It was true that I had thought I had been shot but it turned out that I didn’t and that was why I was released from the hospital so quickly. I was just surprised that Leitun was going to tell Kalytem about the blood.

“I ran in when she was already shot and H.O.M.E was leaving. Lilly was on the floor bleeding and the wound was so close to the heart, I got scared. I didn’t have a phone and there wasn’t any time anyway. The ambulance wouldn’t have gotten there for a few minutes at best and Lilly was bleeding out too fast.

“I did what I thought was best. Using a nearby knife and some straws- against Natasha’s warnings might I add,” he sighed. “She was particularly concerned about the risks. But I figured that since she for sure wasn’t a match and if we waited, Lilly would have died anyway, my blood was the best bet for any hope at all.

Kalytem’s widened.

“You didn’t!” Kalytem said.

Leitun shrugged. “I transfused some of my blood with hers.”

“Leitun!”

“She could have died!”

“But she didn’t!” Leitun snapped. I pursed my lips. “And besides,” Leitun continued. “Right then and there, the bullet wound healed in front of my eyes.” My head snapped up.

“What?” I didn’t know about this little detail.

Leitun looked even further away. “Apparently,” he continued, “the blood of an Aetean mixed with human creates a super-healing thing that healed your wound before it started to, what I imagine, is killing us.”

Kalytem shook his head. “Wait, what?” he asked. He looked at me.
I didn’t say anything. I just sat down where I stood. I put down Kaden and he started to wiggle on the floor. I just looked at Leitun then to Kalytem.

“Kalytem, I think we’re dying,” I told him. “The blood seems to reacting badly with my body and it seems like the same for Leitun. I’ve been having these incredible hot flashes, headaches that are excruciating, I’m tired all. The. Time. I think Leitun bought me some time but, I’m dying. This blood isn’t meant to be in me. It’s too much.”

“Does H.O.M.E know this?” Kalytem asked.

I sighed. “I don’t know. I doubt it though. I think they just want revenge against me.”

“For stopping their intrusion? A little overboard don’t you think?”

I rubbed my temples. “I don’t understand them anymore than you do. It’s just… this danger they brought is something I can’t avoid anymore. But I don’t even know where I could go without someone being put into some kind of danger.”

Kalytem thought for a moment. His ilitis glowed fiery red and the shine gleamed a bit. Finally, he turned to me. “Well, flist.” He muttered. “What kind of a friend would I be if I let you two leave?”

Leitun smirked. “I knew you’d understand.”

Kalytem stood up and smiled. His white teeth against his dark skin was so drastically different that his teeth looked even whiter and more perfect. Or maybe it was the fact that he wasn’t going to hand me, a possible murderer and current illegal alien (funny how that I’m the alien now) in the AB, to the police. Kalytem walked past me and patted my head. He told me he’d be back in a moment with something for me. I wondered where he was going.

Before he left he motioned for Leitun to follow.

The argued for a moment in their language and I didn’t understand almost any of it except for the few profanities they uttered. Ultimately Leitun threw in the towel which I found quite odd but I imagined it had to do with the fact that he was too tired to fight. Both boys left and I was left on the floor with Kaden.

I looked at Kaden. He was rolling around on the floor. I touched his tummy and he smiled.

“You’re such a weird kid,” I said under my breath. “I didn’t even tickle you.”

I sprawled out next to him. He rolled over into me. He began to coo.

“No, no. I don’t think they secretly went to arrest me,” I said as if he inquired about Leitun and Kalytem. “If Leitun wanted me arrested why bring me here?”

Kaden made some gurgling sound.

“Well, I have no idea where they went. And I don’t see why they both needed to go unless they were girls going to the bathroom which of course it’s part of girl code to attend another.” I sighed and pulled the Pudge onto my stomach. I sat him up and let him lean back onto my knees.

He smiled.

“Mhhhm,” I yawned. “I wonder how we’ll get back home too.”

The Pudge just looked at me. I let out a small laugh.

“Yeah. I think we should play too.” I grabbed onto his chubby hands and started to vibrate my body while making my imitation of car noises.

“Vroom! Vroom! Vroom! And Kaden drives down the track and is in first place! Is he going to hold this lead or will car 54 pass him up?” Kaden started laughing. I knew it was time to bring out the hard-core stuff. I held onto his wrists and then turned my body to the side and he followed suit as if he were taking a sharp turn on track. He squealed in excitement.

“And the boy is holding strong! He approaches the finish line… HE WINS!” I picked up the Pudgers and swung him around. He squealed even louder and it looked like his smile would never leave.

Eventually the boys returned and Kalytem had a black thing in his arms.

“What is that?” I asked. He tossed it and it landed beside me.

“Put that on. We’re going out.”

I looked at it then back at the boys. Kalytem was grabbing a set of keys from a nearby table. I turned to my side and rummaged through the black thing only to discover that it was a large coat.

“Put it on,” Leitun said. “We can’t have it too obvious that you’re here but Kalytem doesn’t have clothes your size and his mom is quite a few inches taller than you.”
I agreed. I slipped it on and held the Pudgers close to my chest.

“Where are we going then?”

Kalytem pressed his hand on a doorway scanner and it opened to a garage.

“The twins’ place.”