Hi everyone. Well, I'm back, and it's been way too long. Life has been so busy lately and this chapter was so difficult to write. I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but my editing software is playing up, so excuse any punctual errors.

As I've said before, the story is taking a slower pace, I'm planning to build it a lot more as each chapter is produced.

Without any further delay, lets get into the chapter.

I hope you enjoy!

Riyo was growing restless as she tried to cope with the humidity that was venting from the work lamp. Lengthy exposure to such heat was beginning to make her feel irritable. Nevertheless, she had been working tirelessly for what was now coming to nearly an hour and a half. Having completely dismantled the transmitter, the mess that had been created atop the bench now resembled something similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Wires, plates, and bolts were laid out in such a system that looked like nothing but clutter to an unwitting observer. Riyo, however, had laid out the many components in a rather methodical fashion. Parts that made up the transmitter's structure had been separated from the electronics which were placed on one side of the bench, etc. Only she could understand the madness of her method.

This must have been my fourth visit to the garage by now. When I stepped through the doorway, I saw Riyo carefully trying to steady the shake of her hand while she was soldering a few circuit wires together. I wasn't necessarily surprised that she hadn't even noticed me come in. There was a faint scent of iron in the air from where she had been attempting to rewire the device circuits with the soldering tool.

I made my way over towards the bench. "There you go, Riyo. Got your tea," I said softly to not make her jump when I placed the cup down beside her.

She jerked her gaze away from the spaghetti cluster of wires. "Ah, thank you, Sam," she replied, picking up the cup and taking a sip.

"How're the repairs going?" I enquired, crossing my arms as I leaned against the table.

"Not too much progress to report, I'm afraid. I have a feeling that a few of the circuits might have been fried because, unfortunately, the battery has leaked a little. I also can't seem to get any life out of the capacitor. So I'm just trying to seal a few loose connections and rewire the inductors to the transceiver. There's a chance it might provide a short-term boost of power to the antenna when I'm eventually able to power it up . . . it's going to take some time!"

"And there you were saying you were short on knowledge when it came to these kinds of things!" I said.

Chuchi just shrugged. "Only a small grasp on the basics was what I said, Sam. This mess may look complicated, but I can assure you that this design is a lot simpler than you'd imagine at first. But even then, there's no guarantee I'll succeed in getting it operational!" I could tell she wanted to throw the tool down in frustration. Instead, however, she took a deep breath to recompose her temperament. "I'm sorry, Sam, my temper nearly got the better of me. To tell you the truth, I'm just afraid that all this effort will only prove in vain. I wouldn't know what to do were I to remain stranded on this planet. Oh, if only I knew what was going on back on Pantora! I knew that attack was coming, why didn't I do more to warn the Republic!"

From the reflection of the lamp, I could see the emotion that was brewing behind her eyes. Her hands were lying in her lap while she dolefully stared down at the table. Without feeling completely sure whether or not I was doing the right thing, I walked towards her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She didn't even flinch when my hand came into contact.

"I can't begin to understand how you must feel, Riyo. But you can't allow yourself to give up, I've learnt that lesson the hard way throughout my life. You've got to remember that it's not your fault what happened, you did everything that was within your power to warn your government. They chose not to take you seriously, and that was such a huge mistake on their behalf. Unlike many politicians this planet has seen in its history, you put others before yourself. The Assembly and the Senate must see that about you!"

The girl didn't speak but appeared sincerely moved by what I'd said. She didn't turn to look at me. Instead, she gazed at the brick wall straight ahead behind the bench, taking a moment to evaluate my words. What she did next, however, I could have never anticipated. Before I was able to process what was happening, her hand reached up and took hold of mine, still placed on her shoulder. She squeezed gently; her blue skin felt warm and soft.

"Thank you, Sam. I guess I probably needed to hear that. I can't help but feel so guilty over my actions. Looking back at the build-up to the invasion, there was so much more that I wish I could have done. My hesitance was verging on cowardice . . . But, I appreciate you believing me to be as selfless as you say. And it's true, I've only ever wanted what was best for Pantora. However, that evidently wasn't enough to convince me to voice my concerns louder. Everything has just unfolded so fast that I don't even know if the reality has completely sunk in yet!"

"After everything you've already been through, I can't say I blame you for feeling like that. But I suppose the only option right now is for you to remain patient. If you give up then it'll only lower the chances of finding a way to contact the Senate. You've got to be tenacious. You'll find a way out of this," I wanted to reassure her while keeping such unforeseeable prospects realistic.

Letting go of my hand, she gave her temple a rub. "You're probably right. If I focus on feeling sorry for myself then that'll only distract me from my main objectives. I've got to find a way of getting a transmission through. Although, I don't believe this is going to be a quick fix. And as I've already said, there is a possibility that the transmitter is beyond repair."

I let go of her shoulder. "Like I said, you can't give up."

The girl agreed with a silent nod.

Unplugging the soldering tool, Chuchi carefully placed it on the bench. "By the way, Sam, I was going to ask you: how long do you think we have until your mum gets back?"

"Ah, yeah, about that," I said. "I was going to tell you that she'd messaged me about twenty minutes ago to say she'd just passed through Oxford. That probably gives us a little under two hours before she's back."

Taking a deep breath, Riyo straightened her posture. "Okay, seeing as we're not going to be able to avoid her finding me here, how do you think we should handle this? Remember that you had only come round from unconsciousness when you found out who I was. Who knows how your mother's going to take it? The last thing I want to do is frighten her. Oh, what to do!" she was at risk of panicking.

"You're not the only one who's worried, Riyo. I have no idea how she may react. But the simple fact remains that her finding out about you is inevitable. If I were to make any kind of suggestion, I'd say the best thing to do when gets back would be to let her settle in for a few minutes. You'll have to stay out of the way until I can find the right moment to tell her. We don't want to frighten her to such an extent when she'd have only been home a few minutes. Once we're past that initial stage, I'll call you out of hiding."

"I suppose that's likely to be the only sensible option we have. I could stay in the spare room until it's safe . . . I understand that you can't know this for definite, Sam, but seeing as you know your mother better than anyone, how do you think she might take finding out about me?"

"I'm not going to lie, I think there's a good chance of her losing her nerve a little at first. But I'd say that if you keep your distance and leave the talking to me when it comes to the introduction, I'm sure I'll be able to calm her down. You can try and talk to her once I bring the panic down to a stable level. She just needs to get to know you as a person, Riyo. She's a very reasonable person, I swear."

Riyo pursed her lips. "I don't know . . ."

"Remember how I was when we first met! But I'd say we've gotten to know each other reasonably well, wouldn't you say? I reckon we have a fairly good chance of repeating the process," I attempted to reason.

"Good point," she said. "It's not very often I meet somebody so frightened at the mere sight of me. But, we got there, didn't we? Alright, Sam, if you're certain, then I'll take your word for it . . . "

"Great! It'll be fine, I promise!"

I expected a smile of confidence from Chuchi. Instead, however, it seemed something about our discussion had troubled her. Looking away from me, she shifted in her chair slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I, uh . . . do you mind if I ask you something, Sam?"

"Um, sure, what is it?"

"You promise you won't take this the wrong way?"

"Course I won't. What did you want to ask?" I was thoroughly confused. "Please, tell me."

"Okay, I will. Well . . . given these strange circumstances, is there a part of you that still has any doubt about me?"

"Doubt? In what way?"

"You know, about my story being genuine. Let's not forget that before yesterday evening, you still did not know of the existence of species such as myself! Then I turn up out of nowhere, and stand to put you and your mum in serious trouble if the police find out about me!"

She nervously twirled a lock of her hair around her finger.

"So you're afraid that I'm secretly distrusting of you?"

"I realise how that sounds. But in many ways . . . yes, that's kind of what I'm getting at."

"Riyo, what would make you think that? If I were still unsure, wouldn't I have probably called the police on you already? I'd hardly want to stick around if that was how I felt, would I?"

"I apologise for bringing something like this up, Sam. It's just that it's been playing on my mind all day. I suppose I was maybe a little surprised that a person who has never encountered a non-human before could be so kind to someone like me. We didn't exactly have the most formal of introductions, did we?"

The unexpected change of topic had indeed taken me by surprise. I could tell that Riyo felt troubled by what she felt as though she had to ask. I didn't want to appear too naïve by displaying an excessive sincerity that I completely trusted her. However, I was smart enough to understand that currently saying anything too sensitive stood the risk of souring the friendship we'd developed. In truth, I was only thinking of how that would make her feel. It wouldn't be fair.

"I understand what you're saying Riyo. But I want you to know that I'm being honest when I say that I do trust you," I answered. "Do I think this whole ordeal to be a bit weird? . . . yeah, I do. But, alien or not, Riyo, I already told you, I'm not prejudiced. Even after the reasonably short amount of time we've spent together, I feel confident in saying that you're a good person. Besides, I think trust is going to be an essential aspect if we're to get you settled into a hopefully short-term stay on this planet."

I hoped that my attempted reassurance might have perked up her mood. It didn't make much of a difference. Although her frown did soften ever so slightly. "I'm glad you're able to feel like that about me. Thank you, Sam. Apologies if I may have put you on the spot at all, only I figured it better to get that off my chest rather than you trying to force a confession out of me later. But, what I won't hold back in telling you is that such a feeling of trust is mutual."

I chuckled. "Thanks, Riyo, I'm glad to hear that!"

As we held our gaze, I couldn't help but take notice of how bloodshot her eyes were. Judging by how her eyelids were also looking puffy and heavy, it was clear to me that she had perhaps been working a little too hard.

I decided to make a suggestion. "Hey, why don't you take a little rest from the repairs? You probably won't be able to make any decent progress the longer you force yourself to sit there. I'd reckon your brain's probably keen for a break!"

She gave more of a response to my reasoning that time. As she rubbed her eyes, she failed to withhold a yawn. "I'd love to, Sam. But I need to focus on getting the transmitter operational. It's as I said, the longer I'm staying in your home, the more trouble I risk putting you and your mother in,"

She was being irritatingly stubborn.

"I realise why you're determined not to give up, Riyo. But at the same time, trying to force yourself to carry on while your mind and body are telling you otherwise, it's better to not try and fight it. You'll only get more and more frustrated if you sit here any longer . . ."

She turned to look at the clutter she'd created, pondering such a decision for a moment.

"I don't know . . ." she turned her gaze back to me.

"Trust me, you'll feel so much better if you just walk away from it for a few minutes. It'll clear your head a bit. But I won't try and force you to stop if you don't want to."

Riyo silently pondered my suggestion for a few moments. I could tell there was a part of her that wished to remain seated and continue the repairs regardless of how tired she'd become. Nevertheless, she at last made her mind up. Standing from her chair, she brushed herself off.

"Perhaps you're right, Sam. I've probably been going a little too long. I guess there'd be no harm in a quick break," she said as she switched off the lamp.

"Come on then, let's get out of here," I said.

"Right behind you."

Her eyes squinted when they came into contact with the hallway light after she stepped out of the garage. I wanted Riyo to be able to feel at ease while she wasn't working. I was, however, aware of the fact that it likely wouldn't be long until my mum got back. I planned to take this opportunity to discuss this forthcoming predicament with, Riyo.

"Raise six," Riyo confidently dropped a small pile of matchsticks into the pot.

With no hesitation, I equalled the bet. "Called."

Taking a moment to glance at her cards, a fine layer of shine began to emerge on her face. A gentle sweat that indicated stress. I knew now for definite that she was bluffing.

"Last card," I stated as I placed her fifth and final card face down. She already had two Jacks on show, in counting with her total of four face-up cards.

I calmly placed my card down. Counting the two I was holding, I did my best to hide my confidence. I would be able to make a flush out of my seven total cards.

Both of us decided to check through the final betting round. I could feel butterflies in my stomach as we readied to reveal our three hidden cards.

"Okay, what have you got?" she asked.

"Flush," I declared, flipping my cards over.

"That's a good hand," she said. "But perhaps not quite good enough," she turned over her three. I felt sick when I saw the other two Jacks in the set. Four of a kind. She'd annihilated me!

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed. "How is that possible? I've barely ever seen a hand like that!"

Leaning back in her chair, Riyo triumphantly crossed her arms. Though her demeanour remained calm and reserved, the corner of her mouth was curved upward, just by a touch. "I suppose you thought I was bluffing, Sam? That's not exactly my style!"

"Alright, don't rub it in," I chuckled. "How can you be so good at this? I mean, you've won something like the past five rounds!"

Scooping the collected pot to her side of the table, she casually shrugged her shoulders. "Beginner's luck, I guess . . . Although I'm sure you'll be due some sort of comeback soon enough!"

We had been sitting at the kitchen table for nearly an hour. Most of that time we had been sharing details about our different galaxies. We'd only returned to the topic of my mum returning home a short while ago. Somehow during that hour, we had also ended up playing a friendly game of, Seven Card Stud. Of course that was only after I'd taken the time to teach Riyo the game, and the details of a standard deck of cards. I was rather impressed with how fast she managed to get to grips with both aspects. We'd ended up using cooking matches as something to make bets with.

It was fair to say we got so engrossed in the game that I began to lose track of how many rounds we'd played.

"I probably ought to confess that I'm not exactly a stranger to games like these," she said as she shuffled the deck.

"Really? Might have been useful to find that out beforehand," I replied. "I'd have probably played a bit more sensibly! I mean, I'm nearly out of matches here!" I looked down at my small pile. Counting the ante, this next round stood the chance of knocking me out of the game.

"You know, with all due respect, Riyo, given the gentle, sensible vibe you give off, gambling is probably the last thing I would have associated you with!"

"Well, then you've learnt not to judge a book by its cover," she smirked. "Myself and a few other Senators would often partake in a friendly game of Sabacc when we had a little free time together on Coruscant. I'm aware that I may come across as a weak opponent, but I can assure you that I gained a reputation as an exceptionally strong player . . . you could say that the other Senators were frightened to play against me!"

"I think you've already proven that! I'm telling you, if you took these skills to a casino, you'd stand a good chance of winning a fortune!"

"I don't think that would interest me," she said. "I prefer familiar company when playing cards."

"Each to our own, I suppose," I shrugged. "What's Sabacc by the way?"

"The easiest way to describe it would be as a different variation of what you know as poker," she informed me. "I might struggle to explain it without a deck to hand."

"I'm almost disappointed. I'd have loved to have learnt!" I replied. "Anyway, you up for another round?"

"Definitely," she said.

Whilst she was dealing out the cards, a sudden vibration from my phone caused me to jump a little. Picking it up, I saw that I'd received a text, from my mum. The both of us had been so engrossed in our game that I think we'd managed to forget that she was on her way home.

The message was short:

Hi babs, just to let you know, the train got in on time. The roads are pretty clear believe it or not! I've just stopped off for petrol. Should be home in about half an hour xx

"Was that your mum?" Riyo asked.

"Yeah, she says she'll be back in a little while," I replied whilst swiftly typing out my response. "I'm sorry, Riyo, but I reckon it might be a good idea to cut the game short if that's alright with you. I probably ought to wait around for her. Chances are that she'll be here a lot quicker than she estimated. You should see the speed she drives!"

With a soft chuckle, Riyo collected and returned the dealt cards to the deck. "No worries, Sam. That's probably a good idea anyway," she said. "We don't exactly want her to walk in and find me here straight away. Besides, cutting the game short at least means I can walk away a proud victor!"

"Hey, no need to get all smug over it! I already got that you're a better player than me!" I laughed.

And so we waited. Not a lot was conversed between us as we sat peacefully in the living room. I was sitting as still as I could while I listened out for an approaching car. Riyo was sitting on the other end of the sofa with her legs curled up on the cushions. Occasionally, I would take a glance at the time on my phone. It wouldn't be long now.

"She'll be here any minute I'd have thought. Are we clear on the plan?" I asked her.

Riyo nodded. "I'm to head upstairs when she pulls up, and I'll stay hidden until I hear you call my name. The rest we'll have to take from there."

"We'll probably have to. It also might be a good idea to come downstairs with your camouflage on when I call for you. She might take the whole thing a bit better if she sees you as a human first, and if you speak to one another."

"Absolutely. Don't worry, Sam, I know what needs to be done."

"Great. This won't be a quick process, that I'm certain of. But I'm sure everything will be alright if we take things slow."

"I promise, I'll be as gentle as I can," Riyo smiled, cordially.

I was ready to respond, yet was unexpectedly interrupted by the sound of a car approaching. Having heard it also, Riyo, turned her gaze towards the window. There was a developing glow that the car's headlights were projecting against the closed curtains. Standing from the sofa, I strolled over to the window and carefully pulled back the corner of the curtain. My eyes squinted as I stared directly into headlights as my mum pulled onto the driveway.

"She's here," I muttered to myself. "This is it. You'd better head upstairs, Riyo," I said, turning to face her.

The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Right. I guess I'll go and wait for your call. See you in a minute, Sam," she responded.

"See you in a minute."

She rose from the sofa and hurried out into the hallway. I listened to her footsteps ascending the stairs as I continued to watch my mum step out of her car. She reached the top as my mum locked the car.

As Mum began the short walk up the driveway to the front door, I let go of the curtain and withdrew from the window. I hadn't even managed to reach the hallway before I heard a key being turned in the lock. The front door opened and Mum stepped into the house.

A jovial smile appeared on her face when she saw I had been waiting for her. "Hiya, babs," she greeted, wrapping her arm around me whilst holding her work bag in her other hand. "How're you doing?"

I returned the hug. "I'm doing alright, thanks. Good to see you got back alright! Was the journey okay?"

"Surprisingly well, believe it or not!" she exclaimed. "As both of us know, British railways are usually awful with their schedules! I couldn't believe that every train I caught arrived on time!"

Placing her bag on the floor, she slipped her coat off and hung it on one of the hooks on the wall next to the front door.

"I know what you mean! I'm surprised! . . . Anyway, fancy a cuppa? You've had a long trip after all!" I offered.

"Oh, you read my mind! That'd be bloody marvellous!" she replied. "I did manage to get a takeaway from Costa before I set off from Paddington. I could murder a coffee, though! Go and put the kettle on!"

A little while passed by, and both of us were sitting in the living room. Mum was telling me in great detail about what had been going on at her office in London. I was mostly listening on and off. There was only one thing on my mind, that being Riyo still hiding away upstairs.

"And would you believe it, there was some random cold caller who wouldn't stop ringing me! You'll laugh, they kept saying they were from the police and that they had something important to discuss! I just blocked the number after a while . . ."

"Oh, right," I muttered.

"Already knew about it did you?" my mother said sarcastically. "Or is it just that I'm boring you?"

"What? No, it's nothing like that. I'm feeling a bit tired. I'm surprised you aren't feeling the same!"

"You're rubbish, Sam. When you get married one day you're going to have to get better at listening! Classic only child, you are," she chuckled with a roll of her eyes.

She decided to carry on with casual gossip, seemingly not bothered whether I had an answer to that statement or not. Although, not without changing the subject first. "By the way, I was meaning to ask, what's been going on outside? It came on the telly when I was in my hotel room. They were saying on the news that something had crashed in Hereford. I couldn't believe it was literally on our doorstep!"

"I know, right! I thought the world was coming to an end when I heard whatever it was come down! I remember the whole house was shaking!" I exclaimed.

"What do you reckon it was that came down?"

"Well, the police, of course, came round and told me it was some RAF test flight that had gone wrong. They didn't go into great detail about the whole thing. Though I suppose with the world being in the shit state that it is nowadays the government are probably investing a lot more into military hardware than they were before. I'll bet they're testing all sorts of things at the moment."

"Maybe that's why the police weren't giving too much away?"

"Possibly . . ."

"I'd just like to know who was flying! John Denver from the look of things!"

We shared a laugh. "That's a bit harsh, mum. The weather was horrible that night to be fair," I said.

"It's crazy though, isn't it? We're one of the most influential countries in the world. I mean, we've invented a majority of things that have made humanity what it is today. And yet they still manage to crash one of these 'state of the art' creations into someone's back garden! It's bloody lucky our house wasn't destroyed!"

"I know what you mean. Although I guess, as a country, we'd be pretty arrogant to believe ourselves incapable of making that kind of cock up!"

"True," my mum chuckled.

She stood up from the sofa. "Anyways, better to not sit around all night. Have you had dinner yet?" she asked.

"No, I wasn't feeling hungry, to be honest," I replied.

"Bloody hell, Sam, why's that? That's not like you to skip food!" she exclaimed

I sighed as I crossed my arms. "I've just didn't get round to it. I've been a bit busy today . . ."

"Sitting on your arse watching iPlayer doesn't count as busy, Samuel! What else have you been doing that's taken it out of you?" she began to tease.

I couldn't be certain when would be the suitable time to reveal our unusual 'guest' to her. Perhaps I was being a little impulsive, I didn't know. But while I had her attention like this, I couldn't see any better opportunity coming any time soon.

I decided to take a risky gamble. "There's a bit more to it than that, mum." I began.

"In what way? I'm a little confused, Sam . . ."

"It's hard for me to explain!"

"Can you at least try?"

Knowing that whatever might happen next would be unpredictable, I swallowed my nerves and rose from the sofa. I was now committed.

"There's something I need to come clean with you right now, mum. But, please, promise me that you'll keep a cool head?"

My mother was understandably perplexed. "Okay, I promise. Just tell me what you what you're hiding. I can only help you out if I know what you're on about first."

"Alright, okay, okay. To tell you the truth, mum . . . well . . . let's just say that there's something I know about the crash that the police don't . . ."

That intent to tease was gone from her face. It was replaced by an anxious look of concern. "What'd you mean, you know something? Like what?"

"It's not exactly something that I can explain. You wouldn't believe me! You'll need to see this to believe it. Just give me a minute . . ."

"Where're you going?"

"You'll see," I said. "Just wait there."

I wanted to make this quick. Leaving my confused mother standing there, I hurriedly made my way across the living room and out into the hallway. At the bottom of the stairs, I called up to my friend. "Riyo, you can come down now."

"Okay, coming," she called back.

Her footsteps began to tread towards the stairs. I returned to the living room as she began to descend the stairs. I expected Mum to be confused and asking questions. Instead, I received a reaction of the complete opposite. She appeared more amused than anything.

"So, that's what you were trying to say. You've got a girl here! I don't see how that relates to the crash . . ."

I quickly shook my head as I felt my face reddening. "No, no, that's not what this is! She's just a friend, I swear. I'll explain when she comes down."

"You needn't try and make excuses. I'm glad that you've finally met a girl!" Mum chuckled.

"Mum, I'm not making excuses. Seriously, we're just friends, nothing more!" I insisted.

At that very moment, Riyo's footsteps silenced as she reached the hallway. She was already in the living room after I'd instinctively turned around. True to her word, she'd made sure to activate her camouflage. Nevertheless, it was visible as to how edgy she was feeling.

"Hi there," mum greeted. "I hope Sam's been treating you well!"

"Um, he has, absolutely, Mrs Walker. I don't know what might have happened to me if it hadn't been for him!" Riyo replied nervously. "I must apologise for intruding into your home like this! I . . ."

"Riyo . . ." I began.

Mum, however, decided to interrupt me. "Don't worry yourself, my dear, it's wonderful that Sam has found himself such a seemingly lovely girl!"

"Excuse me?" Riyo was confused by what my mother was suggesting. "We're just . . ."

"Mum, I told you before, we're just friends, nothing more! Please, just listen! There's something I need to tell you!"

There was a hint of disappointment on Mum's face that she had assumed wrong about Riyo and I's relationship. Nevertheless, she also appeared willing to listen to what I had to say. "Then . . . what is this all about?"

I stepped over to Riyo's side. I could swear that she was nearly shaking.

"Her name is Riyo Chuchi, and that aircraft that crashed outside belonged to her. She found our house after it came down. Well, I couldn't exactly have left her out there in the storm, she needed shelter!"

Mum was truly perplexed. "Is she some kind of RAF pilot? Why's she still in our house? Surely they'll want to know what happened to her. Are they coming to get her, or something?"

"No mum, she's not a pilot, per se. . . in fact, well . . ."

Mum was starting to grow impatient. "Then who is she!"

"Um . . ."

I failed to find the suitable words that stood the lowest chance of spiralling this situation out of control. However, I soon found out that my intention of taking the lead was unneeded. I learnt that when Riyo unexpectedly placed a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, Sam, leave this to me."

After she took a step closer towards Mum, I could see that Riyo was preparing to deactivate her camouflage.

"Please don't be frightened by what you're about to see, Mrs Walker. I don't think any words can fully explain this situation, so I think it best you just see me for who I am . . ."

"Who you are?" said mum.

There emitted a soft beep from the device as Riyo pressed the button. That familiarly misty haze covered her as the projection came down. Taking a quick gaze back at Mum, her eyes were wide, and the blood had drained from her face. Time seemed to slow down as I waited to see Riyo's true form once again, although the whole sight could not have lasted longer than a few seconds.

Once the haze was gone, there she stood, her skin blue, her tattoos visible, and her pink hair hanging freely.

My mum fearfully took a step back, seemingly unable to process what she had just seen. "Wh . . . Sam, what just happened? How did she do that?"

In an attempt to offer a little comfort, I gently placed a hand on her back.

"Please, don't be scared, Mrs Walker. What you saw before was just an image. This is my true form," Riyo gently tried to explain.

"Is this some kind of weird trick you thought up, Sam? Because it's not funny!"

"Mum, I swear this is no joke. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but it's all true. Riyo here is what humanity would consider to be an alien. She comes from a planet called Pantora. But, I promise you there's nothing to be frightened of, she won't hurt you," I said.

"But there's no such thing as aliens!" mum snapped. "Just please tell me how you pulled that trick off!" I could tell she was desperately hoping that we were pulling some kind of prank.

"None of this is a joke, Mum! I cross my heart and hope to die! Riyo's in trouble herself. She had no other choice but to land on Earth. Please, hear her out!" I attempted to reason.

"I understand how you must feel, Mrs Walker. I'd be reacting in the same way had I never encountered someone from another planet before. This must be so much for you to take in. But Sam is right, I have no ill intentions towards you or him. To tell you the truth, I couldn't be more scared myself!"

"She's not lying, mum. Riyo is a politician back on her home planet. She only ended up here on Earth because her planet was being attacked. She fled with a few others in the hope of finding help."

Mum's fear appeared to be de-escalating. "Well . . . where are these others then? If that's the case."

"Our enemies chased us down. We were ambushed before we could contact any of our allies. I was the only one who escaped. The only turn of good luck I have so far encountered is that you have such a kind son who, despite his initial fear of me, offered to shelter me," Riyo tried to explain. "I would likely be dead by now if it hadn't been for him!"

For a moment, I was sure that Mum had quashed her fear because she was giving Riyo a look of sympathy. It was as if she briefly didn't see her as a non-human being; instead, as a frightened young girl who had been through a series of traumatic experiences.

Her response, however, demonstrated that she was not yet willing to lower her guard. "You're trying to tell me this is true? . . . This is just . . . unbelievable, Sam! I . . . I don't know if . . ."

A stumble of her feet showed that she was beginning to lose her balance. I wasn't completely surprised that she was feeling a little faint.

I took hold of her arms to steady her as her legs began to weaken. Her head drooped slightly when the dizziness worsened. My arms were beginning to ache since she was no longer supporting her own weight.

"I . . . just need to sit down," she mumbled while rubbing her eyes.

"Come on, mum. Let's . . ."

All of sudden, the weight I was holding up lightened a touch. Riyo had rushed to mum's side and had taken hold of her other arm. I had to admit, this selfless act did take me by surprise a little. Since my mum hadn't been shy of voicing her distrust, I'd have expected Riyo to keep her distance. How wrong I was.

"We've got you, Mrs Walker," she spoke kindly. "We'd better sit you down."

She glanced over to me. "Perhaps we ought to take her into the kitchen? She might feel better if we get her some water," she suggested.

"Uh, yeah, good idea," my response was hesitant.

To my relief, even in her weakened state, Mum managed to keep up with the slow pace between Riyo and myself as we led her towards the kitchen.

"We'll sit her down at the table and give her some time to recuperate. I expect we may be starting the explanation all over again when she's able to listen properly," Riyo said as the three of us entered the kitchen.

"Pull her a chair out, Sam," Riyo instructed.

After I did what she said, we helped Mum to sit down. I immediately rushed to the sink to grab her a glass of water.

Riyo sighed. "Something tells me that we're going to be in for a long night, Sam!"

Another one over and done with. I don't expect the next chapter will be as long. I'll try not to keep you waiting for over two months next time!

See you soon,

Bye.