Banished To Earth Book One (13)

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 She nodded, tentatively. “I must train it.”

   “Yeah, you must. Or else we’ll have a lot more than Hunters after us. Who knows? We may already do.

   With that, they sat down. Chase found a nice, quiet nature show for her to watch while he got ready.

   A short time later, they were sitting in the truck. He decided his long blousy shirt was all the clothes she needed…

   “Now when I turn the key this thing is going to roar. But that’s what we want, okay. Don’t be scared.”

   She nodded. Her hair slid and shifted over her shoulders. He turned the key. It rumbled and shook. Her hair sprang out in all directions.

   “Pry we can’t go anywhere until you make our ‘friend’ behave.”

   “Our friend?”

  “Yes, our friend.”

    She closed her eyes and flattened her hands against the soft comforting seat. The sweet whisper rush of her body gently drawing in air, caressed his ears. Her hair fluttered down, settled across her shoulders still and lifeless as a shawl.

   “You did it.”

   “Yes, I have never willed it to do anything. I was not sure I could. But it trusts you. Loves you. I think it wants to please you.”

   “Oooh, kay, this is different.  It protects you, so I love it too.”

 “Her hair rippled.”

 “Can it, hear me?”

  “No. It knows you, because I know you. I think that’s why I can control it so easily. You are right. This is different. But the difference is what makes us grow, is it not?”

   He smiled leaned over and kissed her cheek. “One more thing, buckle up. The last thing we want is for some cop to pull us over.”

  “Cop?”

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    “Guys with guns and badges, they make everyone behave. They’re good guys, but we don’t need that kind of attention. But more importantly, I want you safe. We’re going to be moving fast soon. Kinda dangerous, that’s why we must strap in.”

  “You want me safe.”

   “Always.” With that he reached over pulled down her belt and secured her snuggly against the seat.

  “Guns and badges. What are those?”

  “The badge gives them authority. The guns, well they are little machines that throw little pieces of metal through the air, really fast. Fast enough to punch holes through flesh and bone. They hurt and kill people who don’t obey.”

   “Much like The Transit Authority. So, you are their gun.”

   Chase slumped, “Yeah, I am their gun.”

    “And, because of me, you disobeyed. So, you are now like me, a monster.”

   “Yeah, that’s why we need to get you some nice, pretty girl clothes, help you fit in.”

    “I love your world. I want to belong, to fit in. The Hunters are only here for monsters.”

  “Maybe you can pass for human, blend in and disappear. And I’m certain the Hunters want to avoid killing humans. If we can fit in…”

   “Oh, you want to use your people as shields?”

   “Uh, doesn’t sound good when you put it that way. I guess I really am a monster now.” A grin bent his lips even though he knew he wasn’t joking. “Can’t help but wonder why they’re dropping Monsters and Hunters here, in the first place?”

   “I have wondered the same thing.” Pry’s sweet little features clinched; her eyes darted about as if searching. “I think they have passed judgement on Earth. That is what they do. It could be what they are doing now.”

   “Judgement? You mean?”

   “Earth’s time might well be over. I do not know everything about them. But I do know that they have never interfered with Phastanar, not judged it, only taken me. But I am different. Did not belong to that world. My banishment made sense. Especially since my sisters came to hate me. I loved my warrel and my mahrah, took comfort from them, protected them. My

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sisters could not understand much less accept that. Lostereal defended me, but the day she disappeared into our woods darkest parts is the day they took me and cast me into the caverns of Mynar. It was the same day I refused to wallow with them in the blood of the fallen. They were outraged.”

   “Yeah, that makes all kinds of sense. We still need to get you clothes, even though I’ve a sick feeling having people around won’t do you much good after all.”  Chase’s eyes rolled down. When he looked up he stared out at the sky. He shuddered as one word dropped from his lips like a rock. “Fall. They call it The Fall.”

   “They? Oh. You mean The Transit Authority.  Fall? What is fall?”

   “The day the world falls, the walls of the world anyway. It will end Earth, my Earth our Earth. We can’t stop it. They know about the Fall, just like I was supposed to know. I’m afraid the other Hunters, hopefully not all, really want it.”

   “Why would they want such a terrible thing?”

  “Power.”

  “You mean control.”

   “Yeah the worst kind. It’s going to be a free-for-all. Hunters against Monsters, monsters against monsters, or Hunter against Hunter, depending on who or what survives. It’s the old evolutionary idea of survival of the fittest, played out on Earth. The fittest being the most deserving of power and total control.”

   “A World War?”

   “Yeah, and not our first. But it may well be our last. Our governments will fight back. They have bombs, world-destroying bombs. If they use them, nothing will be left but a cold black radioactive cinder.”

   “They will not allow that Chase. They are like the Cry ‘chi. The Transit Authority do not want to destroy worlds, only purify them.”

   “That doesn’t sound much better.”

   “No, it does not.”

   “Guess Phastanar was too backwards to…”

   “Purify.”

  Chapter 10

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