CHAPTER 13
Max' POV
'Why Maxwell? What the hell possessed you?'
'I told you Michael. I had no choice! I was not about to let Liz die! besides everyone else was preoccupied, Maria was screaming her head off, and that tourist couple were chasing after the gunman!'
'What about Alex, Max?'
'Oh..'
'Yes "Oh". And don't you think those people would have noticed that Liz suddenly magically healed a deadly bullet wound? Or is that just something they're gonna forget? Perhaps the bullet hole in her dress could be a give away? What about that?'
'I didn't think.'
'No Max, that's just it! You didn't think! You didn't stop for a split second to think about what you were ripping away from all of us! You with your cutesy little family life and me with a quiet life with no one bothering me!'
'Look Michael! I don't need this! Do you not think I realise what I've lost? Hmmm or what I've taken from Issy! But did you just expect me to watch while Liz died?'
'What does it matter you two? It's done! Liz didn't deserve to die, she was just an innocent by-stander. Who really cares, it's gone now, we all knew it would happen one day.'
She's right, Issy's right, we knew it would happen, we knew we couldn't stay there for ever but I took it away from them before they were ready.
Oh hey, didn't see you there, welcome back to the nightmare that is my life. Even more excitement since you left, yes, you did hear right, I Max Evans, Mr Invisible, saved Liz Parker's life in a restaurant full of people. Aren't I just the clever one. And where do you find me now? Well now you join me in the jeep with Issy and Loud-mouth Michael, heading south down the 285. No this is not any ordinary road trip, we're running away, way away from everything we know and love. Yup it's goodbye Roswell, New Mexico, and hello hiding and fear.
In one respect Michael's right, I didn't think. How could I? I just saw Liz fall with blood pouring from her and instinct kicked in! I knew what I had to do so I did it! I healed her, yes I said it, I healed Liz. There it is plain and simple, I healed the girl I love. But things aren't so simple as they seemed, oh no, I now have to deal with an irate Michael and a shell- shocked Issy, oh and an army full of FBI men with scalpels. Great isn't it!
'And how about last night Max? How the hell are they meant to find us now if we're running away? God Max you just couldn't live with not screwing up our lives could you?'
Last night? Huh? Oh right, you don't know about that do you? Well aren't you just the lucky ones, I sure wish I didn't! Ahh well, bring on the soap opera drama!
It all started yesterday evening after our 'powers work out thing', Issy had beaten me up for the Liz thing and Michael had eaten his twenty slices of pizza, and we'd all gone off to bed. Using our powers is pretty draining, not that you know that, lucky people! Anyway, Michael was on my floor, I was in my bed and Issy was in her room on her bed, well I think that's where she was. I really wouldn't know, anyway she was asleep.
Michael and I talked for about five minutes then dropped off to sleep. Sleep was well. it's was sleep until suddenly.
FLASH
'You are the eight royal representatives of our galaxy. Together you are a unit of power and a close knit team. You are descendents of the eight planets and only together can you succeed in reuniting our galaxy. Your souls are joined by love, friendship and loyalty yet only when you are complete will you be successful.'
Eight people stood in a circle yet only three faces were illuminated. Isabel, Max and Michael stood facing five others.
'A whole Galaxy is awaiting your glorious return, do not fail them. Follow your hearts they will lead you home.'
The voice faded yet the figures still remained.
'ZAAAAAAN! Help me! Don't let them kill me! I cannot die!'
Max' heart froze as he heard the scream, he lunged forward and found himself surrounded by blood, 'LIARA!'
FLASH
I sat bolt upright in bed. There were beads of sweat all over my forehead. That was definitely a strange dream. Who the hell was Liara? Why had my heart jumped into my mouth when I heard her scream? And why the hell was there so much damn blood?
'Maxwell?' came a frightened croak from the other side of the room.
'Michael? You didn't-'
I was cut short by the entry of Isabel, her hair was practically standing on end and tears were streaming from her eyes. 'Max!' she screamed, flinging herself at me. 'I saw you die!'
Now, that was definitely not expected, I mean how many other people's sisters practically rugby tackle them and then manage to choke out something about seeing you die while hyperventilating. If I had been in any way freaked before I was now officially flying off the edge.
Seconds later a light flicked on and I saw Michael standing by the switch, his face as white as a sheet.
'I-I saw it too Max..' he whispered as he collapsed onto the bed.
That was great, just ********* great! What, was my death some kind of a film epic? Coming soon to a cinema near you, amazing graphics and stunning acting by the man himself, Max Evans! Well I guess the upside could be that I was no longer freaking out. oh no, I'd gone way beyond that, I was in melt down mode. Yes the big alien breakdown! Not even Dr Freud could have brought me back to sanity at that point. Hmmm I wonder why? Perhaps because my sister and best friend just witnessed my death!!! Oh you don't say!
What did you expect me to do grin and shake my head? And you think they wouldn't think I'd cracked if I did that?
Well now, for all you confused folks out there let's reset the scene. You have all three of us aliens collapsed onto my intsy-wintsy bed. Michael at one end looking like he's about to faint, Isabel collapsed into my arms bawling her eyes out and me. Well I was sitting there slowly driving myself mad inside my head. Sounds like the perfect recipe for disaster, you say. No shit, Sherlock!
So the next thing I know is our energy has bonded and exploded. And boom, out go all the lights. Yes, you've guessed it, we blew the fuse. So now to add to the drama, we're all sitting in one room in the middle of the night, all alone in the house, with no idea of how to change a fuse, while undergoing a teenaged-life crisis. Hey great! Throw in a few vampires and we've got us a first class episode of Buffy!
Well after that we didn't really have many choices of what to do, it was either sit in the dark or ummm sit in the dark! And guess what we chose, yup, we chose to sit in the dark! Issy calmed down after a while, so did Michael and I, well, I came out of my stupor after about four misguided slaps from Issy, one of which poked me in the eye. Never slap someone in the dark! Your aim is not good and they will end up in a lot of pain, believe me, I know!
Eventually though we did get settled and began to discuss the dream. It had to be significant, right? After all we'd all seen it. We talked about what the voice had said for a while, it was amazingly good to know we weren't alone! The death issue was very carefully avoided.
Suddenly I felt Issy start to cry again. Wow some cool new alien power? Nooot quite, the fact that Is had her head buried in my neck was a bit of a give away, but good try. Anyway, I asked her what was wrong.
'I'm OK, it's just we're not alone Max! We never have to be alone again! There are others and they want to find us! We have a home!'
She was right, of course, but it was then that the problem hit me. How the hell were we meant to find five particular people out of the millions that walked the earth? Especially when we didn't know what they looked like! Seems like nothing is ever easy when you're an alien!
We talked about how we would find these people until day break but then we brought up the 'deaths'. Great!
'What did you see Maxwell?' asked Michael quietly.
I swallowed, 'Like I said before there were eight of us in this circle and the voice was talking, but then it kind of faded away. I thought I must be about to wake up when suddenly someone screamed. It sounded like a girl and it came from the other side of the circle. She was calling out for someone named Zan and begging him to save her. But for some reason the second I heard her scream and call out to me I was. what?'
I trailed off, Issy and Michael were staring at me in what could only be called a mixture of fear and shock.
'You. you said she called to you,' stammered Isabel.
I could feel my mouth dropping. I hadn't even realised that was what I'd said, but in all honesty, that was what it had felt like! It seemed like she was calling for me, no one else, just me!
'Oh.. I.' I had to change the subject, they would just have thought I was mad! 'Uh anyway, I heard her scream for Zan and I panicked, I just ran forward to try an save her. She was asking for help so I gave it to her! But when I got half way across the circle I found blood, it was just everywhere.'
I trailed off not wanting to relive the nightmare.
'I saw that too but when I saw it you ran forward and then collapsed in the middle with blood flowing from you. I was searching for the wound but I couldn't find it and I couldn't heal you. You were in so much pain, just lying there, then the next second you were.. dead.'
Isabel choked out the words as the tears began to once again work their way down her cheeks. I looked across at Michael who had gone white again.
'You too?' asked.
He nodded. 'I saw you collapse and I saw all the blood but I couldn't find who had hurt you. I couldn't get revenge.'
Looking back now I suppose that must have been some sort of message to us. Perhaps just as important as the words spoken to us. Perhaps that's what'll happen to us if one person dies. I don't know! And I sure as hell don't want to find out! That's not how I want to die!
We kept on talking for a while but we were all still in shock. I mean it's not really every day that you discover you're spokes people for a load of different planets in a galaxy far, far away!
Later that morning Michael and I went to the Crashdown for lunch, Issy stayed at home to watch TV and recover.
Everything was pretty normal at the Crashdown for a while, Liz looked tired out of her skull and pretty distracted. Maria was being her normal bubbly self and everyone else was eating! But then these two 'truckies' started arguing. Liz went over to try and calm them down but the biggest one started yelling, Liz was very calm with him and asked him to leave. And then, he pulled a gun. He just shot the other guy! Seriously! I don't even think he blinked! Then he grabbed Liz and pointed the gun at her stomach! I freaked out then, I think I yelled at him, I don't really remember it very well! All I can remember is Liz' face, she was terrified. And then he pulled the trigger! She looked at me for a second with relief and then collapsed to the floor! All hell broke loose, people were screaming and running in all directions but Liz just lay there, staring up at me and I knew I had to save her! No questions asked! So I did.
'We'll find those people Michael! It'll happen, it has to!'
Max' POV
'Why Maxwell? What the hell possessed you?'
'I told you Michael. I had no choice! I was not about to let Liz die! besides everyone else was preoccupied, Maria was screaming her head off, and that tourist couple were chasing after the gunman!'
'What about Alex, Max?'
'Oh..'
'Yes "Oh". And don't you think those people would have noticed that Liz suddenly magically healed a deadly bullet wound? Or is that just something they're gonna forget? Perhaps the bullet hole in her dress could be a give away? What about that?'
'I didn't think.'
'No Max, that's just it! You didn't think! You didn't stop for a split second to think about what you were ripping away from all of us! You with your cutesy little family life and me with a quiet life with no one bothering me!'
'Look Michael! I don't need this! Do you not think I realise what I've lost? Hmmm or what I've taken from Issy! But did you just expect me to watch while Liz died?'
'What does it matter you two? It's done! Liz didn't deserve to die, she was just an innocent by-stander. Who really cares, it's gone now, we all knew it would happen one day.'
She's right, Issy's right, we knew it would happen, we knew we couldn't stay there for ever but I took it away from them before they were ready.
Oh hey, didn't see you there, welcome back to the nightmare that is my life. Even more excitement since you left, yes, you did hear right, I Max Evans, Mr Invisible, saved Liz Parker's life in a restaurant full of people. Aren't I just the clever one. And where do you find me now? Well now you join me in the jeep with Issy and Loud-mouth Michael, heading south down the 285. No this is not any ordinary road trip, we're running away, way away from everything we know and love. Yup it's goodbye Roswell, New Mexico, and hello hiding and fear.
In one respect Michael's right, I didn't think. How could I? I just saw Liz fall with blood pouring from her and instinct kicked in! I knew what I had to do so I did it! I healed her, yes I said it, I healed Liz. There it is plain and simple, I healed the girl I love. But things aren't so simple as they seemed, oh no, I now have to deal with an irate Michael and a shell- shocked Issy, oh and an army full of FBI men with scalpels. Great isn't it!
'And how about last night Max? How the hell are they meant to find us now if we're running away? God Max you just couldn't live with not screwing up our lives could you?'
Last night? Huh? Oh right, you don't know about that do you? Well aren't you just the lucky ones, I sure wish I didn't! Ahh well, bring on the soap opera drama!
It all started yesterday evening after our 'powers work out thing', Issy had beaten me up for the Liz thing and Michael had eaten his twenty slices of pizza, and we'd all gone off to bed. Using our powers is pretty draining, not that you know that, lucky people! Anyway, Michael was on my floor, I was in my bed and Issy was in her room on her bed, well I think that's where she was. I really wouldn't know, anyway she was asleep.
Michael and I talked for about five minutes then dropped off to sleep. Sleep was well. it's was sleep until suddenly.
FLASH
'You are the eight royal representatives of our galaxy. Together you are a unit of power and a close knit team. You are descendents of the eight planets and only together can you succeed in reuniting our galaxy. Your souls are joined by love, friendship and loyalty yet only when you are complete will you be successful.'
Eight people stood in a circle yet only three faces were illuminated. Isabel, Max and Michael stood facing five others.
'A whole Galaxy is awaiting your glorious return, do not fail them. Follow your hearts they will lead you home.'
The voice faded yet the figures still remained.
'ZAAAAAAN! Help me! Don't let them kill me! I cannot die!'
Max' heart froze as he heard the scream, he lunged forward and found himself surrounded by blood, 'LIARA!'
FLASH
I sat bolt upright in bed. There were beads of sweat all over my forehead. That was definitely a strange dream. Who the hell was Liara? Why had my heart jumped into my mouth when I heard her scream? And why the hell was there so much damn blood?
'Maxwell?' came a frightened croak from the other side of the room.
'Michael? You didn't-'
I was cut short by the entry of Isabel, her hair was practically standing on end and tears were streaming from her eyes. 'Max!' she screamed, flinging herself at me. 'I saw you die!'
Now, that was definitely not expected, I mean how many other people's sisters practically rugby tackle them and then manage to choke out something about seeing you die while hyperventilating. If I had been in any way freaked before I was now officially flying off the edge.
Seconds later a light flicked on and I saw Michael standing by the switch, his face as white as a sheet.
'I-I saw it too Max..' he whispered as he collapsed onto the bed.
That was great, just ********* great! What, was my death some kind of a film epic? Coming soon to a cinema near you, amazing graphics and stunning acting by the man himself, Max Evans! Well I guess the upside could be that I was no longer freaking out. oh no, I'd gone way beyond that, I was in melt down mode. Yes the big alien breakdown! Not even Dr Freud could have brought me back to sanity at that point. Hmmm I wonder why? Perhaps because my sister and best friend just witnessed my death!!! Oh you don't say!
What did you expect me to do grin and shake my head? And you think they wouldn't think I'd cracked if I did that?
Well now, for all you confused folks out there let's reset the scene. You have all three of us aliens collapsed onto my intsy-wintsy bed. Michael at one end looking like he's about to faint, Isabel collapsed into my arms bawling her eyes out and me. Well I was sitting there slowly driving myself mad inside my head. Sounds like the perfect recipe for disaster, you say. No shit, Sherlock!
So the next thing I know is our energy has bonded and exploded. And boom, out go all the lights. Yes, you've guessed it, we blew the fuse. So now to add to the drama, we're all sitting in one room in the middle of the night, all alone in the house, with no idea of how to change a fuse, while undergoing a teenaged-life crisis. Hey great! Throw in a few vampires and we've got us a first class episode of Buffy!
Well after that we didn't really have many choices of what to do, it was either sit in the dark or ummm sit in the dark! And guess what we chose, yup, we chose to sit in the dark! Issy calmed down after a while, so did Michael and I, well, I came out of my stupor after about four misguided slaps from Issy, one of which poked me in the eye. Never slap someone in the dark! Your aim is not good and they will end up in a lot of pain, believe me, I know!
Eventually though we did get settled and began to discuss the dream. It had to be significant, right? After all we'd all seen it. We talked about what the voice had said for a while, it was amazingly good to know we weren't alone! The death issue was very carefully avoided.
Suddenly I felt Issy start to cry again. Wow some cool new alien power? Nooot quite, the fact that Is had her head buried in my neck was a bit of a give away, but good try. Anyway, I asked her what was wrong.
'I'm OK, it's just we're not alone Max! We never have to be alone again! There are others and they want to find us! We have a home!'
She was right, of course, but it was then that the problem hit me. How the hell were we meant to find five particular people out of the millions that walked the earth? Especially when we didn't know what they looked like! Seems like nothing is ever easy when you're an alien!
We talked about how we would find these people until day break but then we brought up the 'deaths'. Great!
'What did you see Maxwell?' asked Michael quietly.
I swallowed, 'Like I said before there were eight of us in this circle and the voice was talking, but then it kind of faded away. I thought I must be about to wake up when suddenly someone screamed. It sounded like a girl and it came from the other side of the circle. She was calling out for someone named Zan and begging him to save her. But for some reason the second I heard her scream and call out to me I was. what?'
I trailed off, Issy and Michael were staring at me in what could only be called a mixture of fear and shock.
'You. you said she called to you,' stammered Isabel.
I could feel my mouth dropping. I hadn't even realised that was what I'd said, but in all honesty, that was what it had felt like! It seemed like she was calling for me, no one else, just me!
'Oh.. I.' I had to change the subject, they would just have thought I was mad! 'Uh anyway, I heard her scream for Zan and I panicked, I just ran forward to try an save her. She was asking for help so I gave it to her! But when I got half way across the circle I found blood, it was just everywhere.'
I trailed off not wanting to relive the nightmare.
'I saw that too but when I saw it you ran forward and then collapsed in the middle with blood flowing from you. I was searching for the wound but I couldn't find it and I couldn't heal you. You were in so much pain, just lying there, then the next second you were.. dead.'
Isabel choked out the words as the tears began to once again work their way down her cheeks. I looked across at Michael who had gone white again.
'You too?' asked.
He nodded. 'I saw you collapse and I saw all the blood but I couldn't find who had hurt you. I couldn't get revenge.'
Looking back now I suppose that must have been some sort of message to us. Perhaps just as important as the words spoken to us. Perhaps that's what'll happen to us if one person dies. I don't know! And I sure as hell don't want to find out! That's not how I want to die!
We kept on talking for a while but we were all still in shock. I mean it's not really every day that you discover you're spokes people for a load of different planets in a galaxy far, far away!
Later that morning Michael and I went to the Crashdown for lunch, Issy stayed at home to watch TV and recover.
Everything was pretty normal at the Crashdown for a while, Liz looked tired out of her skull and pretty distracted. Maria was being her normal bubbly self and everyone else was eating! But then these two 'truckies' started arguing. Liz went over to try and calm them down but the biggest one started yelling, Liz was very calm with him and asked him to leave. And then, he pulled a gun. He just shot the other guy! Seriously! I don't even think he blinked! Then he grabbed Liz and pointed the gun at her stomach! I freaked out then, I think I yelled at him, I don't really remember it very well! All I can remember is Liz' face, she was terrified. And then he pulled the trigger! She looked at me for a second with relief and then collapsed to the floor! All hell broke loose, people were screaming and running in all directions but Liz just lay there, staring up at me and I knew I had to save her! No questions asked! So I did.
'We'll find those people Michael! It'll happen, it has to!'