Banished To Earth Book Two (3)

the great oak—a tree that had always unsettled me. Even before the Fall, when I was just a kid, something about it felt wrong, like one more crack in my sanity.

 

   Green shadows. Cracked doors. Something had been trying to break through even then. Pry made it through, so why couldn’t something else?

 

  We definitely didn’t need anything else coming through.

 

   I stood and walked to the edge of the porch. Fresh flowers scented the air, and a warm breeze promised better days. I knew better. A distant plume of smoke told the truth.

 

    Earth was gone. Our small pocket of peace—our little earth—would only keep shrinking.

 

    “Early riser?” Trudy asked as she stepped onto the porch.

 

    “Yeah. I’m surprised I slept at all.”

 

    Trudy eased up beside me. “Can I ask you something?” she said, hesitating. “What was that last night?”

 

    “You mean the monster invasion?”

  

    She laughed, though she was clearly not happy. “Nah. You and Little Bit—assuming she doesn’t mind me calling her that, because I can stop…”

 

   I looked out across the forests and fields that lay beyond the grey strip of asphalt running north to south in front of her perfect yard, one more time. “I think she likes it. Trudy, you’ve given us a home, even though you know what we are…”

 

  “No, Chase, I don’t really have a clue—except that I know you’re good. That’s kind of why I’m out here. You look drained, and she’s still sleeping like a baby.”

 

   “You checked on her? That’s not an accusation.”

                                                                                            

   “Yeah, and, well, y’all were awful quiet, last night.”

 

  “What were you trying to hear?” I teased.

 

    “No. Not that, no Chase!” She blushed. “I figured I’d hear you talking, I don’t, know maybe even fussing. There was tension, stuff you two were keeping, from us…” She pulled away, but only a few steps. “I was worried about you, and her too. I saw her dive out of sight last night.

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Guess I was trying to get a grip on all this. And you two had some issues last night. Anyway, I couldn’t help but go upstairs and make sure everything was okay. Then I saw a strange light under your bedroom door. This is embarrassing, but I peeked in.”

 

   “Trudy!?”

 

  “I know, I know. But I’m not as comfortable with all this as I act. I just couldn’t ignore it.”

  

  “You don’t trust us.” My tone came out sharper than I meant.

 

   “I don’t really know you. I do trust you, but even back then, you were a strange kid. And last night, I saw you both glowing. I couldn’t help myself. Chase, you, both of you scared me.”

 

  “Okay, here it is…” I was about to tell her everything we experienced earlier, knowing full well it would only make her more afraid, because it still scared me and worse…

 

  The front door squeaked. It was Pry, and worry was written across her face.

 

  “I woke up, and you were gone, just like last night on Alisar.”

 

    “Alisar?” Trudy slumped toward Pry, as if someone dropped a concrete block on her, no, yet another concrete block on her already overburdened frame.

 

  “I was just about to explain last night to Trudy. Did you know we glow when we join?” I asked, intentionally changing the subject.

 

  “We do. You saw that?”

 

   Trudy’s face turned bright red. “I—I peeked. I couldn’t help it. I was worried something was happening in there—something bad. I saw golden light under your door and thought the worst.”

 

  “And you didn’t run away—you came to help us.” Pry was smiling again.

 

  “Well, yeah, I guess you could see it that way.”

 

  “Trudy, that’s exactly how I see it too. You were scared, but you didn’t let that stop you.”

 

“You gonna give me a medal or something?”

 

  Pry ran to her and hugged her tight. Her hair draped over Trudy’s wiry frame, gently stroking it.

 

   “Another sister,” Pry exclaimed.

 

   Trudy hugged her back, but it was stiff. Forced. Pry released her. “Forgive, sometimes I am impulsive. My presence in your world, your life, how can it not be threatening?” Her hair slinked away, as if its’ feelings were hurt.

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 “No, no Little Bit, I. You know what. You're right. You and Chase, Nikki, Beth and Tucker just showing up last night, being what you are, sumthin’ that shouldn’t exist. And here you stand, in the light of day, still here. Real. It’s all real….” She stepped away and looked out across her beautifully manicured lawn. I keep things nice. Neat and orderly.”

 

  “And we show up and blow it all to…”

 

     I caught my tongue when Nikki and Beth stepped out. “Hey, baby.” I quickly changed gears, “Sleep well?”

 

   “She did,” Beth answered, “me not so much.”

 

     “So, you two get squared away last night?” Beth came right out and asked. I couldn’t believe she’d be so bold, but then I reminded myself she has a child. Any problem Pry and I have could well endanger her. Still, I could feel my face getting hot. How could I tell them what I am? What I did. Suddenly, the werewolf thing felt trivial.

 

   I was about to tell them, well, at least some of what I learned about my and Pry’s past, when Tucker came clumping up from behind the house.

 

   “Didn’t tell me you have horses.” He grinned up at Trudy. She tried to smile back but couldn’t quite manage it.

 

   “Yeah,” she said, clearly struggling to collect herself as she spoke. “Smokey is mine. Thor is, ah, was Tom’s.”

 

   “Sorry, didn’t mean to poke a sore spot.”

 

   I heard fear in her voice; I figured they did too.

 

   “Hey, we're going to be okay,” I said, drawing close to her. Tucker forgot his Hunter speed and flashed up beside her in a blur. It didn’t help.

 

   She jumped. I rolled my eyes at him. “She’s having trouble with all this.”

 

   “Well, that tears it.” Trudy said, finally reclaiming her backbone, “My big girl britches are about to fall to my ankles. You are all in this mess as much as I am. None of us can afford a pity party.”

 

   “I like parties.” Nikki piped.

 

  “Not that kinda party baby,” Beth said, lifting her child close to her bosom.

 

   “Ah, sorry about that.” Tucker ‘aw shucked’. “Sometimes I forget. I only changed a couple

11

days ago.”

 

   “No Tuck,” Trudy said, “Don’t you forget what you can do, in fact the three of you need ta’ hone your skills, not hide ‘em away.”

 

   “And that reminds me,” said Tucker, “the guns are fused, and the cars are dead, locked up tight. So, we need to get you two strapped and armored.”

 

    “How…” I asked.

 

    Tucker raised his eyebrows but said nothing. “Right,” I said, knowing he meant stripping some other Hunters of their gear.

 

    “The perimeter is clean. Just so you know. Now, that tree, getting something off that. Didn’t sense anything threatening, just a weird little vibe. In fact, that whole area, behind your property, is just odd.”

 

   “Been knowin’ that. Thinkin’, Mable must have stained it with her meanness.”

 

   Her words stung. I stained that land. It had to be me. I opened a door in her, and cracked the world, right there, in somebody’s backyard. I did that.

 

   I put my hand on her shoulder, “She suffered a terrible loss.” Glancing over at Beth and Nikki, I decided to go no further.

 

    “So, the Fall has reached out and touched us.”

 

    “Yep, Chase, kinda like the damage after the storm. But the storms moved on, not burned themselves out.”  Tucker looked at the sky, “You’d never know it.”

 

  “But we’re good for now.”

 

    Trudy grabbed Tucker’s arm, “Get them some guns that work!”

 

     “Yes, Ma’am. Hope they like black.”

 

     Tucker grinned at Trudy’s confusion. “Just don’t ask, when they come back lookin’ like refugees from a Goth convention….”

 

 

 

 

 

    

Chapter Three