Ch7

I awoke later on the same ship. Again, my injuries were healed, no scars...and I was also clean...which was aqward, since I was still naked...But anyway, my alien came for only a minute after I woke. He wore his mask again and had the netting on as well. He led me threw the ship and then it was suddenly like scene from Star Trek. We were in flipping space. I know that seems so cheesy, done in so many movies...but I was staring out of an alien ship and at the stars in space. He stood next to me and it was almost romantic. If that's the effect he was wanting he did a great job by bringing me up there. I leaned against his arm. It was nice for a moment until other aliens joined the room.

I again felt terrible for loosing control like that. I gave a little "I'm sorry if I attacked you" wave to one of the aliens-and you know what? He flipped me off! My mouth dropped open in surprise and I gave a little nervous laugh, knowing he was the one I must have stabbed with a kitchen fork . . . But besides that they were cool, there didn't seem to be any hard feelings (later I would learn that the aliens had a kill gland that could cause them to loose control and kill absolutely anything that moved, in a blood-thirsty frenzy...I think they associated my rage with that and forgave the dishonorable outburst). But being in space wasn't to be the only surprise of the day.

My alien lifted his bracelet to me and brought up a hologram of earth. Then he brought up another planet, a bigger planet, that kinda looked like earth with water and such...At the time I didn't understand. He showed me earth and then the other planet again. He must have taken my confusion as uncertainty, because he took me back to Earth.

Their ship landed back in the field in the woods. Just my alien and I got off, and we slowly walked threw the woods towards my house. He'd shown me both planets, so far away...and he'd landed back on Earth...and only we'd gotten off the ship. I knew then he was saying goodbye. What else had I expected? I walked slowly, forcing myself not to stop. I was the one that had fallen for him, not the other way around. This was how it had to be. He walked me all the way to my house. I stopped at the door, held back my tears. I couldn't let it end like that-I had to at least know his name.

I stared up at his face and asked, "Do you have a name?"

"Azek." He clicked, quickly responding like he understood.

I waited to see if he'd ask my name. He didn't, so I opened my front door and let my tears break past. I wanted to run up the stairs and cry my eyes out on the bed, but I couldn't make myself move a step farther away from him. I turned back to see him still standing in the doorway. I waited for him to leave. He held up his bracelet again and showed me the two planets as he had before. My eyes were blurry with tears and he turned to leave. I watched him disappear into the forest and I sank to my knees.

I didn't want to feel this way! Didn't want to love him. It was crazy anyway to feel so strongly for an alien. I blamed it on myself for being a not-so-normal shape-shifting freak. I had no proof he liked me as much as I...as much as I loved him. Did he love me? That was one question every girl was bound to ask in their lifetime. What kindness had he shown me? He'd fed me cookies BEFORE he knew I was human. . . and he very well may have used me as bait to lure the hunter closer. That doesn't say love. He had spared my life-only to show me to his buddies, who tazed me. He left me when I couldn't change and then let me be hunted! But...he'd came back, made sure I wasn't killed, and by the look of it against his leader's orders. That showed love, didn't it? Then when I'd attacked him he avoided hurting me. That showed care. It seemed he had taken me into space to see the stars. What other purpose was there for having the ship take off only to land back on Earth? That showed love! But again, I was only assuming his intentions...It could have all been in my head...It occurred to me then, that I hadn't said goodbye...He had flashed those planets-his and mine-that his way of saying goodbye? I had just stood there...

I didn't exactly know why. In my head I just felt I needed to say goodbye and I wanted him to know my name-as before I had wanted him to know I wasn't just an animal. I guess it was a strange urge, but I was running out the door nonetheless. I let my body change and I ran threw the woods as fast as my hooves could take me. I found the field and was picturing the end of E.T. but there was nothing. No aliens. No ship. The field was completely empty and I was all alone in the dark. I stared at the empty field, looking for that shimmer. I was foolish to still be hoping. I walked forward, and was actually thinking I might make a fool of myself and run into the invisible ship. . . but I didn't. My mind finally gave up hope, and I stopped walking.

I folded my legs under me and layer my head in the grass. I could not cry as a deer, but the pain that consumed me was like none other. I pictured the water swallowing me down, begged it to take the pain away. I was too late. I hated my self then. Why hadn't I just. . .

But then there was a noise that made me stir. A ramp in the middle of the field appeared and I held my breath. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the door op the ship open and him standing there. My legs felt weak as I stood up. He didn't budge from the opening of the ship, and I began to feel nervous, like a bother when they wanted to leave. I walked up to him, my hooves clicking on the hard ramp. I changed right in front of him and stood up.

I begged he could understand me, "...My name is Cora."

He took off his mask, it letting out a little zissp like air escaping. He held up his arm and his bracelet only showed me the other planet, his planet. Then he grasped my arm to pull me closer...I stood there frozen...and finally understood! It was a question! It was a question: my planet, did I want to stay? His planet, or would I come with him? And he had asked several times! Would I come with him? I stood there, stunned, a smile slowly growing on my lips. He let my arm go, but asked again, flashed both planets on his bracelet. That, showed love. It was as good as a proposal.

I leaped up to throw my arms around his neck. He was the smart one and quickly placed his gloved hand between my stomach and his chest spikes. I held onto him tightly and rambled, "I don't know how much you understand, but YES! Yes I want to go with you! That's what you were asking, right? You didn't have to ask so many times, I didn't understand. I would have said yes in a heartbeat! Yes! I...I love you."

He held onto me with his free hand and carried me back into the ship, then he repeated, "I love you." in my voice, like a recording. It was strange communication, but I knew at least he understood...and he loved me back.