Yeah….. much shorter chapter. Sorry. But hey, look an update! Enjoy.
Her back felt as if it was going to snap any minute. Even in her animalist form, the great humanoid beast was one heavy creature. She struggled as he leaned most of his great girl onto her back. Deb grunted out of pain as Notch stumble almost tumbling onto the ground. He was slowly growing ever weaker from the steady flow of blood that was leaving his body from multiple wounds. She had attempted to stop the bleeding but with what little she had and her lack of knowledge about the alien tech, she was pretty useless. Deb had never in her life felt as helpless as she did now.
Turning her large four eyed face to the small opening in the tree tops, Deb gazed longingly at the stars. Never had she ever thought that she would miss being cramped in a space ship with twenty or so other aggressive aliens that could tear her apart limb from limb. Bringing her head back down, she shifted her shoulders only to be rewarded by a pained growl from her injured companion. She turned her head to look at him to attempt to communicate her apology via expression but was stopped when her eyes caught a glimmer of light.
Deb stopped suddenly causing Notch to dig his claws into her dark smoky skin just to catch himself from falling forward. Even despite the pain of her skin ripping from his vicious talons, she paid no mind as she looked at the artificial light coming from between the tree trunks. She turned her body towards it leading Notch closer to it. She stopped again letting her jaw drop while simultaneously leaning her four legged body to the side to ease Notch so he could rest against the large trunk of a tree. He hit the ground with a pained groan but otherwise made no other noise. Deb took another step forward before letting her body contort back to being human.
"You have got to be shitting me." She said unbelievingly almost under her breath. Deb stood her body standing before a large solitary house but her surprise wasn't directed at the large house with its porch light glowing happily in the dark of the night. Her eyes were drawn on a single statue of some mythical creature that was in the very center of the yard. It was a crudely done in Deb's opinion but she could not bring her eyes of it. She gestured for Notch to stay put but he wasn't complaining in his current state.
Deb slunk forward to the white stone statue and stood before it bringing her hand out to touch one of the creature's horns. She ran her hand down the smooth texture but still couldn't believe it. She continued to study the creation that was meant to be possibly a dragon, maybe a serpent of some sort but stopped at an inscription that was in a kind of grey stone only inches away from the start of the bottom of the statue. Deb knelt down looking at the letters. She felt tears well in her eyes as she ran her hand along the inscription. It read, Rest in peace, Deborah Evens. She will live on forever in our hearts.
Bringing her hand to her face she wiped her eyes to stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She stood and looked at the front door then back to where her companion laid hidden. She walked back to where he was with leaden steps. She gave a laugh when she was met with the cold emotionless gaze of Notch's face mask. He gave slow rolling clicks in question to her current emotional state. She gave a shrug and another faint laugh.
"Either fates mocking me or everyone and their grandmother just happened to know we would be here." Deb stated flatly but Notch could care less for her dry humor at the moment. "I think I might have found some help but I need you to lay low for a second to make sure it's safe." Notch grunted at her, not feeling all too pleased with her plan but sat back anyway and slowly reached for his cloaking device and activated it. Deb gave a nod and turned, marching in the direction of the door.
Deb stood with her eyes closed with the porch light bathing her body as she took a deep pained breath. She reached her arm out preparing to knock but stopped when she noticed a button for the doorbell. She turned and pressed it with her first finger once. It was awkward for Deb as she held her gaze on the dark wood of the door, hearing her heart pound away in her chest. At first it seemed no one would come to the door but soon the sound of someone clumsily attempting to unlatch the door was heard. The door was finally peeled open and a woman in her late twenties opened the door in sweatpants and a tank top. She looked like she had just woken up, which she probably did due to the either really late or really early time of night. Her short bob cut was scruffy and looked like the back end of a chicken as her eyes hazily looked up to regard her new guest. Deb pulled her lips into a gentle smile.
"Hey kiddo." Deb said as gently as she could. The woman's eyes went wide revealing the familiar emerald green eyes as the color drained from her face. She looked like she had just seen a ghost which in a way she did. She shook her head once as she looked over the newcomer over and over again.
"Auntie!" She whispered the disbelief evident in her voice as she continued to look upon Deb. "You're dead!" She whispered again and Deb gave a slight shrug, bringing her arms out to her sides.
"I look good for being dead. Look rigor mortis hasn't even kicked in yet" The woman shook her head again taking a step forward and bringing her arm out to touch Deb. As soon as her fingertips touch her skin, a single tear fell from her eye and she pulled back.
"They told me you died in that crash. They said that something went faulty in the ship and you crashed on that planet." Deb could do nothing but shrug for an explanation. How was she to explain what had happened? She shook her head slowly.
"I'm the only survivor." She started but was interrupted by her niece.
"Where have you been all of this time!" She practically yelled tears welling in her eyes but fighting to stop herself from crying. Before Deb could answer she was gestured in her house. Despite the age of the women she seemed just like the stubborn sixteen year old she had left so long ago.
As Deb stepped into the light and the woman gasped and took a step back.
"You haven't age since I last saw you almost twenty years ago!" Deb nodded slowly.
"It was some off the wall side effect of space travel or so I have been told" Deb lied giving a half shrug. The woman
seemed to accept the answer with a slight nod.
"How did you ever get back? They said they were no longer looking for survivors and what the hell are you wearing?" She said as she noticed her auntie's attire for the first time her eyes studying the various claws and fangs but stopping on the human skull. Deb gave a nervous laugh.
"Well, I'm sure you know we aren't exactly the only intelligent, sentient beings in the universe." She began and the other woman nodded slowly. Deb told the story of how she had been stranded on that planet for; as she had assumed to be several months maybe even a year or two and how she had met the strange humanoid, conveniently leaving out the part of her being able to change into a horrific beast.
"So why did they come to earth? To drop you off?" She asked and Deb shrugged but shook her head, deciding that it was best to leave out that a company on earth was experimenting on a horrific alien species that had acid for blood. Her niece tilted her head for a second.
"I doubt that they would let me leave their company or for that matter, if I could leave their company. I've grown so used to their society and culture and I doubt I would be able to live peacefully on earth knowing what I know now." Deb honestly felt slightly bad for lying to someone she was so close to but she knew it had to be done.
"So you said you and your companion came here to take care of "business". So where is this companion?" Giving a sheepish smile she turned to the door.
"That's kind of why I'm here. He got pretty banged up and I need somewhere safe to bandage him up. I hate to impose but…" She tutted and rolled her eyes playfully.
"Sure, bring him in. How many Band-Aids do you need?" Deb gave a grim smile as she walked out of the door.
"You might want to cover your couch with a plastic table cloth." She called out as she ran out of the door not giving her niece a second to respond