(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)
Episode 109
Wild Fires (The Balance)
Alright, here's the thing, see. Max and Liz, back then, they had this kind of love that was like a… a gas grill, you might say, with a flame control knob and everything. They were trying to keep it on low simmer and pretend like they could keep it that way. Once they experimented with the heat levels, though, they kind of turned it up on high and left it there. But the point is, in the beginning, they were trying to control their feelings for each other all the time. Me and Maria… we were like a wild fire. We didn't have any control. Uh… knob… knob, I mean… You know what I mean. We just burned bright and hard. But you see, what happens with wild fires is then someone comes along and dumps a lot of cold water on them. That's kind of what happened to us. The sad thing is… looking back now with 20/20 hindsight and all that, you know, I guess I'm the one that threw the water on it. But I wasn't trying to put it out… or even tone it down. I was just trying to keep it under wraps… not out in public. Problem is, wild fires don't stay under wraps very well. And that was okay with Maria, 'cause, see, that's the way she wanted it… out in public for everyone to see. But I was still hung up with this 'hide the aliens' mentality. So we had what you call this failure to see eye to… irreconcilable… well, whatever. Anyway, we weren't getting along really great all of a sudden. I already knew it. I was the one that told Maria that we would be better off apart. But I didn't mean it. I don't know what I meant. I was just stubborn, I guess…
Oh, yeah! Now you agree, huh, Maria!
Yeah, well, okay, I admit it. I had a little… tiny… microscopic… trace of a stubborn streak back then. Not now, of course. But Maria, she could be pretty stubborn back then, too. We had both said some things that we didn't really mean. Anyway, I knew for sure that the train had derailed when Max and I went over to the CrashDown, and Maria was there…
Well, if it isn't Prince Charming and Quasimodo.
Maria seemed aloof as Liz got a drink for Max… Max likes cherry cola. What does Michael like?
Cherry cola with arsenic?
I guess Max kind of figured out that there was a chill in the wind. Maybe Maria's little alien doll with all the pins stuck in it was a clue. I had to tell Max that we kind of broke up… me and Maria.
What? Why didn't you tell me?
Look, I don't… I'm not sure if we did or didn't. I mean, it's confusing.
Liz brought Max his drink… Cherry cola… on the house.
And Maria brought me mine… Yours is $1.25.
I nodded. Guess it's not really confusing anymore, is it?
Yep! Wild fires! They burn really hot until they get a good dousing. I got up and started to leave and accidentally spilled my drink; then, in all the commotion, our books got knocked onto the floor and I saw this paper with hieroglyphic symbols on it in Max's notebook… the same symbols I had seen before in my mind.
What's this?
Put that away!
Later, at Max's house, we talked about the hieroglyphs, and Max said that they were from River Dog's cave… that he had drawn them from memory. I knew then that I had to see them. So I went to the Mesaliko Reservation… behind Max's back.
I'm looking for somebody named River Dog… RIVER DOG.
She's not deaf… She's just not answering you. My name's Eddie. Who are you?
Well, Eddie, I'm somebody looking for River Dog.
He's busy… in the tent. It's a sacred ritual. You can't go in unless somebody invites you.
So invite me.
It's a sweat. It's a spiritual cleansing. It's intense.
If that's where he is, then that's where I want to go.
Eddie led me into the tent, and I saw this old man chanting.
Is that River Dog?
Don't worry, he knows you're here. No talking right now. Just follow the chant.
We both drank water from a bowl that was passed around. Then River Dog threw something into the fire that made it crackle and spark like it was alive or something. That was pretty much it. Trouble is, after wasting all that time at the "sweat," I still hadn't got to talk to River Dog about what I had come to see him for, and I knew I had to get back to the CrashDown or Max was going to figure out where I was. I didn't want to have to deal with that right now.
Back in town, meanwhile, Alex was becoming a believer in aliens, thanks to Isabel.
Okay, then let's just say it were possible, alright? Why on earth would… excuse the phrase… Why would you be sent here to begin with? I mean, what purpose could you possibly have?
To wipe out the world, one annoying teenager at a time.
Sorry.
I don't know. When we came out of these pods, we looked just like normal kids. We've never been anything else but what you see. No green skin, no antennas. We have emotions, we feel pain, and we probably have more questions about ourselves than you do. I mean, haven't you ever felt different from everybody else? Like if you tried to reveal your true self to someone, they just would never understand.
Yeah.
Well, that's what it's like to be us. We're just as human as you are, Alex… only we can manipulate the molecular structure of things.
What?
Isabel illustrated by turning Alex's catsup into mustard.
I think that's about when I started to feel ill. It was a feeling I had never felt before, because, see, we didn't get sick… ever. But my temperature just started going up really high and I started to sweat all over. Maria was the first one to notice. She had been ignoring me, but when I started looking ill, she noticed immediately. She put her hand on mine, and then she freaked…
"Omigod! Omigod! Michael's burning up!"
Isabel rushed over and put her hand on my forehead. Her look told Maria more than words could have. Quickly, Maria fumbled for her purse then pulled out the little alien doll and began hurriedly removing the pins from it. I have to tell you, it took a while to get them all out… and that girl has a real imagination!
"I'm sorry, Michael! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
Isabel looked puzzled. "Maria, what are you doing?"
"Taking the curse off. I didn't think it would really work."
"That's not doing it, Maria!"
"How do you know?"
"Because it's just a stupid doll!"
Isabel took the doll and threw it across the room, and Maria ran out of the CrashDown. When she came back, she had Max and Liz with her. They had gone out for a bite to eat together… kind of a big date. Anyway, Max found me on the floor, with Isabel holding my head in her lap.
Something's wrong, Max. He's really sick.
They gave me some water, and I started to feel better, so of course I insisted that I was okay and said I just wanted to go home. Max offered to drive me.
We're leaving now, Alex. You need a ride? Isabel asked, turning to Alex.
Alex shook his head. What I really need is a sedative.
After we were gone and things seemed to have settled down again, Maria prodded Liz about her big "date" with Max.
I don't think that we should talk about it, Maria.
Are you kidding? We have to talk about it! We're the only two people in this world capable of having this conversation!
That we know of.
Don't complicate things, okay? Who wants to go first? Fine, I'll start, I'll start. It was… explosive.
Yeah. Uh, that's a really good word.
Right?
Okay.
Maria thought a moment. It was like every cell in my body felt the same cell in his and started heating up,
Liz nodded. And I got really dizzy. Did you get dizzy?
I get dizzy just thinking about it.
Ok, you know, like, all of that time that I spent with Kyle… I didn't have any of those feelings that I did when I was with Max. What about you?
Doug Sohn in the eighth grade?
Yeah?
Amateur. Michael is the real thing.
Okay, now, here is the big question. Do you think that we feel like this just because of the fact that they're like…
Oh, their non-human status?
Right.
What if they've like ruined it for us with anyone else?
Yeah.
Leave it to Michael to just wreak havoc on the rest of my life, even though he wants no part of it.
I wasn't there at the time to hear their conversation. I only got the details later… a LOT later! But see, the thing about wild fires is that even if you douse them good, they can still pop back up, because they just keep smoldering beneath the surface. It's hard to really stamp them out. Maria still cared about me!
What Liz and Maria couldn't have known at the time was that it wasn't over… the fever, I mean. Well, Maria and me either. Max and I were in the UFO Center when it hit me again… and this time it hit me like a ton of bricks. I started calling for Max…
I'm here, Michael… I'm here.
I looked at Max, and my eyes were cloudy white. As soon as Max saw them, he told me to keep them closed. He didn't want to draw any more attention than we already had. Someone yelled to call an ambulance, but Max said that I got really bad migraines and that he would take care of me. Then he took me to the CrashDown and sneaked in through the back door. Maria saw Max come in and immediately asked about me…
Michael. Is he okay?
Does he look okay to you? Isabel asked.
What's wrong with him?
How should I know? Nothing like this has ever happened before.
They took me upstairs and stuck a thermometer in my mouth, but it only went up to 112.
We're gonna need some ice and towels. We need to cool him down, Maria said.
That's when I started to chant or something.
What's he saying? Isabel asked.
Max shook his head. I don't… I don't know. It's some kind of chant. Michael, can you hear me? What are you saying? What are you trying to tell us? Michael, it's me… Max. Please let me help you.
I stared at Max with white eyes and just whispered River Dog.
On the Mesaliko Indian reservation, Liz and Max weren't finding Eddie to be very helpful this time.
You're not welcome here anymore.
We just want to find out what happened.
You told someone what you found here! River Dog is really angry!
It is really important that we talk to him about what he did to Michael.
He tested him. Your friend didn't pass.
What do you mean?
That's all I know.
That's not enough. I want to know exactly what River Dog did to him.
He wants nothing to do with you. You betrayed his trust, and that's something he won't forgive.
I don't want forgiveness. I want answers before my friend dies, Max said insistently.
Michael's really sick, Eddie, Liz added And we don't know what to do. We need River Dog.
I'm sorry, but he's gone.
I'm waiting here until he comes back, Max said flatly.
Back in town, Maria brought Isabel a plate of food and a bottle of Tabasco sauce, as they watched over me…
I care about him, too, you know.
I know you do, Maria. But Max and Michael are all I have… and if I lose them…
At that moment, I started to convulse and began chanting softly. At the same time, on the reservation, Liz and Max heard chanting nearby and went to check it out.
Max! That's what Michael's been saying over and over.
It's coming from that tent.
They peeked into the tent and saw Indians passing a bowl around.
What are they doing, Max?
I'm not sure. But maybe what's happening to Michael isn't natural at all.
That's when River Dog suddenly appeared. He told them to bring me to him right away… that there wasn't much time. When Max and Liz got back to the CrashDown, I was covered with this weird webbing. They rushed me to River Dog, and Maria, Isabel, and Alex went along.
Man who lived in this cave when I was a boy was not like us. Some of the elders believed he was an evil spirit, so they decided to test him. He was invited into the sweat, just like I invited your friend. His reaction was quick and severe. Within a minute, his eyes were white, and he developed a fever.
Just like Michael.
Only it took the symptoms longer to show up in your friend. That's why I dismissed him at first. But when you told me he was sick, I knew he was another visitor.
That's an interesting way to put it, Maria said.
River Dog nodded slightly. That's what he called himself. In my language, the word is "nasedo." So that's what I called him.
And you knew Nasedo well? Isabel asked.
I saved his life. After the sweat, he ran out into the desert. And we were told not to follow him. But I was a boy, and I didn't listen. I found him in this cave… dying. He had to trust me with his secret so that I could heal him.
And now you'll do the same thing to heal Michael?
I'll try, but I'll need the help of all of you.
Alex looked up, surprised… Even me?
Healing requires energy. The more we have, the faster we heal. Now everyone take your place in the circle. There's a line for each of you leading to the center. Nasedo gave me these stones. They're from his place, and they carry an energy inside them.
You mean, these are from… Max asked.
Wherever you are from. He said that his body carried the same energy that's in these stones. He called it the balance. He said that the heat from the sweat disrupted it in some way.
How?
He told me to hold the stones until my energy activated them. And the balance would be restored.
And if you didn't?
He would die…
As they followed River Dog's lead and began to chant, the energy in the stones began to have its effect on me. First, I woke up in this other place again, and this time they were all there with me… and Maria kissed me. Then I went back to the past and saw Max and Isabel right after we left the pods. I watched them leave me because I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone enough to go with them. Did you know that it was three years after that before we saw each other again? Max and Isabel trusted each other right away. She held his hand, and they walked together. But I stayed there. After that, I saw something that I've never revealed to anyone… ever… until now. I went from the past to the future, and I found myself on this strange planet. It was Antar, but I didn't even know its name. And there was Maria again… on Antar. I didn't know what it meant, but she smiled and kissed me. Then she held out her hand… and I took it.
I guess you've figured out that I didn't die, so you know River Dog pulled it off… with a bit of help from everyone there… Well, except Liz. He made her abstain because he sensed her deep concern for Max, and he knew that that wouldn't work or something. I woke up and pulled the webbing off of me. It was really gross! The webbing, I mean. I liked the kiss! And now I knew what to do with the rocks. I inserted them into various places in the cave wall, and after I had inserted all five rocks, all the rocks started to glow brighter and brighter, revealing a constellation of where we came from. It was a map… a map home… and maybe, just maybe… to something more. If I was willing to hold onto Maria's hand and never let go.
End of Episode 109
tbc…