Part 4
"Was that?" said Maria, panic beginning to show in her voice.
"The door..." said Kyle.
"What do we do?" asked Liz.
"Well... we COULD turn to look at it," said Alex calmly.
"Good idea," said Tess not really sounding very cheerful.
They turned and at once let out a small, collective scream. Isabel turned her head to where their eyes were still fixed. There stood a figure. They couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman or anything. He or she was wearing a long hooded dark blue cloak, nearly black. They couldn't see his or her arms, legs, face... nothing. All of it was hidden beneath the dark velvet.
He or she stood motionless beside the ladder to the upper-level. "Who... who are you?" asked Max slowly. There was no response, but they knew he or she was looking at them and listening. They approached, and surprisingly, he or she took a step backwards.
"Max," said Isabel, still on the table, "I... I think he... or she... is scared." He or she looked to the side, spotting her sitting there. Soon, his or her head fell to Isabel's ankle, still sitting on her knee. No one moved for a few seconds. Then, he or she turned and started walking towards Isabel.
She drew in a few short breaths. It may have seemed scared just a few seconds before, but it still remained that he or she still looked very tall and slightly menacing under the cloak.
"H... hello," tried Isabel. He or she remained soundless, continuing to look at her ankle. "So... do you... do you live here all by yourself?" No response, but Isabel thought she saw him or her nod just a little bit. These attempts at communication didn't seem to be having ANY positive results... or negative for that matter, actually.
Isabel could see, behind him or her, that the others stood, probably still in shock, just watching the two of them, apparently not moving up to help her. They didn't know whether this person was safe or not to be around.
Suddenly, he or she raised his or her hand and stepped closer. Unsure of what a sudden movement to evade might cause in him or her, Isabel simply sat there and waited for what would happen next.
He or she stepped closer and extended his or her hand again, until it finally hovered above Isabel's bloody ankle. Max and Alex both took a step forward, but the others stopped them.
Isabel felt herself shaking slightly, but didn't make a sound. Before she knew it, she was connected with the cloaked being. She realized almost immediately that the images she saw in her mind were her own, and he or she was seeing them too.
She saw herself emerge from her pod... walking in the desert with Max, Michael and Tess. She saw their parents, first meeting Liz, Maria, Alex and Kyle... She saw herself and the other three using their powers at many different occasions.
And then she heard a voice. She soon figured out the voice was her own. But why? When she listened to the words, she understood... he or she was communicating with her.
"How did you find this place? Tell me," her voice said.
"We found a picture... at a dome that belonged to a man named Atherton," she heard herself respond, knowing the others couldn't hear.
"Atherton... How did you know this place was here? It's not on any maps..."
"A friend had seen it before. He's standing with the others."
"What are you doing here?" asked the voice.
"We..." Isabel started, a bit hesitantly.
"It's alright," said the voice, and she felt calmer then.
"We're looking for clues."
"Clues? For what?"
"To get home." There was silence.
"I might be able to help you... perhaps not to get home, but... to discover some parts of yourselves you are unaware of..." There was a pause. "Your ankle is better now." And the connection was broken. He or she stood back to the side.
All eight looked down at Isabel's ankle. It was whole again, and the blood had disappeared. Isabel looked up at the cloaked being. "Thank you," she said, her voice showing her gratitude. He or she bowed his or her head lightly, as if to say 'You're welcome'. Isabel lowered herself to the ground and saw that her ankle felt much better now.
She walked over to the group and explained to them what happened when they were connected. She told them about the images, the message. "I think... in fact, I know... we can trust this person," said Isabel.
"I don't know," said Max hesitantly. Isabel had an idea. She turned to the being.
"Do you think... could you connect with him... talk to him, show him we can trust you?" The being nodded slowly. Isabel pushed Max forward, and he stood before him or her. He or she put his or her hand on Max's shoulder. The connection happened almost instantly.
"I've been waiting for so long for all of you to come here," he heard his own voice say, "I'm glad you finally are."
"What do you want with us?"
"I'm not going to hurt you, I would never... I'm here to help you, that's my sole purpose."
"Help us do what?"
"That information will come in time. But not today, I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Max asked before he could stop himself.
"That's for me only to know, and you to find out... and like I said, that will not be today."
"You're like us, aren't you? You healed my sister's ankle."
"Yes, that's right."
"How long have you been here?"
"Ten years."
"Ten years? How did you know we would ever find you?"
"I just did. I may not have known when, but I knew it would come," he or she said before breaking the connection. Max stood there for a few seconds before walking back to the others.
"So?" asked Isabel anxiously.
"I think you're right," said Max.
"So what happens now?" asked Michael.
"I'm not sure," said Max, "I think we need to know more about... this person... before we do anything else. I mean, we don't even know if it's a guy, or a girl, we're dealing with..." Tess looked back to the being and found herself stepping forward.
"Why are you wearing that? Is it necessary? Do you want to remain in shadows?" she found herself asking suddenly.
"Tess!" called Kyle in astonishment. She turned her head and shrugged, finding no other way to explain herself. She turned back to the being and it was evident he or she was thinking.
Finally, they saw some movement within the cloak. They were confused but waited. What came next was definitely NOT what they'd expected. The being lowered his or her head and... jumped... forward, landing on the ground, much lower than he or she had been before.
He or she stepped aside, giving them a glimpse of very small feet before they saw what he or she had just jumped off of... stilts. They were bewildered, and again, the feeling grew at the next unveilings.
Arm extensions flew out of the sleeves and landed by the stilts. Out of the sleeves came two small hands. The being placed his or her hands on the hood of the cloak and pulled it down, the cloak following suit as it was discarded with the rest. Their mouths and eyes hung wide open.
Before them stood a small child, a girl, not more than four feet tall. Long brown hair framed her slender face, her small clear blue eyes... The person they'd been afraid of just moments before... was not more than five years old...
End part two of the Silent Ally series
"Was that?" said Maria, panic beginning to show in her voice.
"The door..." said Kyle.
"What do we do?" asked Liz.
"Well... we COULD turn to look at it," said Alex calmly.
"Good idea," said Tess not really sounding very cheerful.
They turned and at once let out a small, collective scream. Isabel turned her head to where their eyes were still fixed. There stood a figure. They couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman or anything. He or she was wearing a long hooded dark blue cloak, nearly black. They couldn't see his or her arms, legs, face... nothing. All of it was hidden beneath the dark velvet.
He or she stood motionless beside the ladder to the upper-level. "Who... who are you?" asked Max slowly. There was no response, but they knew he or she was looking at them and listening. They approached, and surprisingly, he or she took a step backwards.
"Max," said Isabel, still on the table, "I... I think he... or she... is scared." He or she looked to the side, spotting her sitting there. Soon, his or her head fell to Isabel's ankle, still sitting on her knee. No one moved for a few seconds. Then, he or she turned and started walking towards Isabel.
She drew in a few short breaths. It may have seemed scared just a few seconds before, but it still remained that he or she still looked very tall and slightly menacing under the cloak.
"H... hello," tried Isabel. He or she remained soundless, continuing to look at her ankle. "So... do you... do you live here all by yourself?" No response, but Isabel thought she saw him or her nod just a little bit. These attempts at communication didn't seem to be having ANY positive results... or negative for that matter, actually.
Isabel could see, behind him or her, that the others stood, probably still in shock, just watching the two of them, apparently not moving up to help her. They didn't know whether this person was safe or not to be around.
Suddenly, he or she raised his or her hand and stepped closer. Unsure of what a sudden movement to evade might cause in him or her, Isabel simply sat there and waited for what would happen next.
He or she stepped closer and extended his or her hand again, until it finally hovered above Isabel's bloody ankle. Max and Alex both took a step forward, but the others stopped them.
Isabel felt herself shaking slightly, but didn't make a sound. Before she knew it, she was connected with the cloaked being. She realized almost immediately that the images she saw in her mind were her own, and he or she was seeing them too.
She saw herself emerge from her pod... walking in the desert with Max, Michael and Tess. She saw their parents, first meeting Liz, Maria, Alex and Kyle... She saw herself and the other three using their powers at many different occasions.
And then she heard a voice. She soon figured out the voice was her own. But why? When she listened to the words, she understood... he or she was communicating with her.
"How did you find this place? Tell me," her voice said.
"We found a picture... at a dome that belonged to a man named Atherton," she heard herself respond, knowing the others couldn't hear.
"Atherton... How did you know this place was here? It's not on any maps..."
"A friend had seen it before. He's standing with the others."
"What are you doing here?" asked the voice.
"We..." Isabel started, a bit hesitantly.
"It's alright," said the voice, and she felt calmer then.
"We're looking for clues."
"Clues? For what?"
"To get home." There was silence.
"I might be able to help you... perhaps not to get home, but... to discover some parts of yourselves you are unaware of..." There was a pause. "Your ankle is better now." And the connection was broken. He or she stood back to the side.
All eight looked down at Isabel's ankle. It was whole again, and the blood had disappeared. Isabel looked up at the cloaked being. "Thank you," she said, her voice showing her gratitude. He or she bowed his or her head lightly, as if to say 'You're welcome'. Isabel lowered herself to the ground and saw that her ankle felt much better now.
She walked over to the group and explained to them what happened when they were connected. She told them about the images, the message. "I think... in fact, I know... we can trust this person," said Isabel.
"I don't know," said Max hesitantly. Isabel had an idea. She turned to the being.
"Do you think... could you connect with him... talk to him, show him we can trust you?" The being nodded slowly. Isabel pushed Max forward, and he stood before him or her. He or she put his or her hand on Max's shoulder. The connection happened almost instantly.
"I've been waiting for so long for all of you to come here," he heard his own voice say, "I'm glad you finally are."
"What do you want with us?"
"I'm not going to hurt you, I would never... I'm here to help you, that's my sole purpose."
"Help us do what?"
"That information will come in time. But not today, I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Max asked before he could stop himself.
"That's for me only to know, and you to find out... and like I said, that will not be today."
"You're like us, aren't you? You healed my sister's ankle."
"Yes, that's right."
"How long have you been here?"
"Ten years."
"Ten years? How did you know we would ever find you?"
"I just did. I may not have known when, but I knew it would come," he or she said before breaking the connection. Max stood there for a few seconds before walking back to the others.
"So?" asked Isabel anxiously.
"I think you're right," said Max.
"So what happens now?" asked Michael.
"I'm not sure," said Max, "I think we need to know more about... this person... before we do anything else. I mean, we don't even know if it's a guy, or a girl, we're dealing with..." Tess looked back to the being and found herself stepping forward.
"Why are you wearing that? Is it necessary? Do you want to remain in shadows?" she found herself asking suddenly.
"Tess!" called Kyle in astonishment. She turned her head and shrugged, finding no other way to explain herself. She turned back to the being and it was evident he or she was thinking.
Finally, they saw some movement within the cloak. They were confused but waited. What came next was definitely NOT what they'd expected. The being lowered his or her head and... jumped... forward, landing on the ground, much lower than he or she had been before.
He or she stepped aside, giving them a glimpse of very small feet before they saw what he or she had just jumped off of... stilts. They were bewildered, and again, the feeling grew at the next unveilings.
Arm extensions flew out of the sleeves and landed by the stilts. Out of the sleeves came two small hands. The being placed his or her hands on the hood of the cloak and pulled it down, the cloak following suit as it was discarded with the rest. Their mouths and eyes hung wide open.
Before them stood a small child, a girl, not more than four feet tall. Long brown hair framed her slender face, her small clear blue eyes... The person they'd been afraid of just moments before... was not more than five years old...
End part two of the Silent Ally series