Part 8/11: words are swirling in my mind (Michael)

So Maria and I walked back to her house for about the tenth time in the last 24 hours. I could tell she didn't believe me when I'd said everything was going to be fine. To be truthful, I wasn't sure I believed it myself.

I checked around the house; there didn't seem to be anyone hiding there, so I left, creating a force field as promised.

As soon as I stepped back onto the street, I had to admit that I had no clue where to start looking. For just a moment, I considered to just forget it, and let Tess come to me. Unfortunately, the last couple of times that had happened, she had managed to get away and nothing had been solved.

I walked down the street, trying to concentrate, but all I could hear was Tess' voice in my head.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll just take my key and leave."

There was something about what she had said that bothered me. I couldn't figure out what. Think, Michael, think. My head was starting to hurt. I turned the corner and absentmindedly reached into my pocket to touch the key, make sure it was still there. It was.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll just take my key and leave."

"Now, if you don't mind, I'll just take my key and leave."

"Shut up!" I yelled suddenly, trying to silence her voice inside my head. Several people walking down the street turned their heads to stare. They must have thought I was crazy. Any more of this and they would have been right. I walked past all of them, ignoring their stares.

"She killed Alex, Michael. Do you expect me to just let that go?"

She practically killed Max and Isabel, too. Forcing them to leave Earth and go to Antar when she herself stayed here. Was I supposed to just let that go? No. I couldn't.

"The key holds no purpose for you; you don't know what it unlocks."

It was true; I had no idea what the key was for. But did Tess know? What could possibly be that important? Another ship, maybe? I tried to remember what else Maria had said.

"Locks aren't going to keep an alien out."

Locks. Alien. Out. It was all there. Why hadn't I seen it before? Why would Tess possibly need a key? She could unlock locks with her powers.

"The key holds no purpose for you," Tess had said. But it held no purpose for her either. I couldn't believe this. Maria had been right. Tess didn't need this key. But then why had she kept it all these years? What kind of game was she trying to play? What was her plan? How long had she had it? Nothing made any sense.

I had two options. I could go and try to find Tess, or go back to Maria. As it turned out, I didn't have to decide. At that moment, someone tapped me on the back. I turned around.

"Surprise!" Tess yelled brightly. Then she lowered her voice. "Maria wants to see you."

"You were over there?" I asked, scared.

"Don't worry, I didn't mindwarp her," Tess replied, as if that would reassure me.

"I know you don't need the key," I told her, completely changing the subject. "You're an alien. Locks don't hold aliens back."

Tess looked at me carefully. "Not this lock."

I stared right back at her. "I don't believe you."

"Well, it's true!" Tess yelled defiantly. "Don't call me a liar!"

"That's really funny," I told her. "You've done nothing but lie since you came to Roswell."

Tess didn't try to deny it. She just smiled at me and said sweetly, "Just hand over the key, Michael, and I'll be on my way."

I reached for my pocket. Slowly. "Suppose your little story about the key is true?"

She took a step forward.

I took a step back, my hand now in my pocket.

"If your story is really true..." I held the key up. She jumped up and tried to take it away from me, but I held it out of her reach.

"This isn't funny anymore!" she protested, making another attempt at getting the key. "I'm sorry for everything I did. I need this key!"

I stopped short. Was she telling the truth? Was she really sorry? I looked into her cold, blue eyes. I saw nothing. Nothing but betrayal, hatred, manipulation. She had never cared about me or Max or cared about nobody but herself.

Then I took a step forward, still looking at her eyes, looking for anything that would tell me I was wrong about her. I didn't see it.

I could still hear Maria. "She killed Alex, Michael!"

So I took a deep breath. And I threw the key as hard as I could, not caring where it went, not caring where it landed.