Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Slowly, cautiously, I opened my eyes.

There was next to no light. It was too dim. It didn't feel right. It almost felt like someone had cut the light to deliberately throw me off. Who or what, I had no idea.

"Ah, so you're not dead yet?"

I let my eyes slide to the right. A boy who was about my age stepped into my field of vision. He was fairly tall, or so it seemed, with solemn grey eyes and a mop of black hair that seemed to have been randomly thrown onto his head from several yards. "You're a lot tougher than you look."

"What?" I squinted, trying to see better. "Who are you?"

"Me?" He indicated himself with a large gesture as though he couldn't believe his ears. "Who am I? Let's start sensibly, shall we? Who are you?"

"None of your business."

He shrugged indifferently. "I could have said the same thing. Although I despise secrecy."

I pushed myself into a sitting position. My balance was thrown momentarily when I found that I was very close to the ground. I gingerly put a little weight onto my injured arm cried out.

"Stop it! You'll hurt yourself!"

I turned to the boy angrily. "Isn't it obvious that I've already done that?"

"And isn't it painfully obvious to me what a downright bitch you are? But am I complaining about your obvious lack of manners?"

"I'm just not in the best of moods at the moment," I muttered by way of apology.

He rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Obviously."

I took the opportunity to look about myself a little. The room had a low ceiling, and tiny windows. That explained the lack of light. The old-fashioned wooden door stood ajar and the mattress I sat on had lost all its spring a long time ago.

"Where're you from?"

"What do you mean?" I dodged the question.

"Were you in that mobile suit fight?"

I frowned disapprovingly. "Would I be piloting a mobile suit?"

"Well," he paused. "Those Gundam pilots are kids, and there were Gundams there. I saw them."

I snorted at him. "Gundams? Yeah, right. Whatever you say Sparkie."

"You don't believe me?"

"No."

He got to his feet. "Why were the military there then? I doubt they came all the way to downtown New York to blow it up – again." He paused again, considering something. "I found it."

"Found what?"

"Your Gundam. I found it."

Then I did the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. I believed him!

"Where?"

He smirked at me. "So you are a Gundam pilot."

I seethed quietly. So stupid Kin! So stupid! I reached out and slapped him. Instantly, he recoiled and put a hand to his cheek in raw astonishment. "What did you do that for?"

"For lying to me."

He gestured widely in no particular direction, still keeping one hand to his cheek as though afraid I would attack it again. "You lied to me!"

I lowered my gaze. "That's different."

"Different? Of course it is. What was I thinking? You being all high and mightier than the rest of us mere mortals? You can tell lies to whoever you want! And the rest of us have to be all truthful and angelic! Let me tell you something Ms. Super Pilot, you have a lot to learn about the way things work around here!"

I looked at him scornfully. "Are you finished?"

"No, but I'll let you off from the full-blown lecture." He lowered himself to the floor and leaned heavily against the wall. "You have a name?"

I kept my mouth shut.

"Mine's Gershom. It means…" he glanced at the floor, embarrassed. He smiled uncertainly. "It means alien."