Copyright 1/17/2018
All rights reserved, property of the author

The town I live close to isn’t nestled back in some spooky hollow, butted up against an enchanted forest, or even some bewitched mountains. Nope, it is the flattest land in western Texas one could ever think of. The city thirty one miles to the south west is called Plainview. An appropriately named town for everything around it is also flat. The official name of high school I go to is named Buffalo Run although everyone called it Buffalo. The town was named Doxy for whatever reason known only to the early settlers of the town.

Mom and dad both worked for the same business, which had scheduled them to fly to China to learn a new metal treatment process. The company made farm and industrial equipment. Kevin Butcher, the CEO of the company had already made the trip and decided it would save the company over a hundred thousand a year to switch to the Chinese way of hardening metals. Mom and dad were to learn the process and bring the skill back to Butcher Mfg. Inc.

Mom, dad, sis and I had a lot of discussions for several days before they left. Sis being the older of us assured mom and dad we could take care of ourselves There would be nothing wrong when they returned home from their trip. I made a promise to not tease my sister while they were gone and to behave myself. I guess it helped Jenna and I never got into any real trouble in all our years growing up. One of the other things that helped was although my sister was a cheerleader, and I had heard the prettiest girl in school, ugh. She wasn’t dating at the time. With a no boys and no girls in the house and a no dating rule while they were gone, our parents left for China for three weeks.

Friday, after learning our parents were gone, several of our so called friends asked Sis about having a party at our house over the weekend. Offers of free beer, hard liquor, and party treats were met with a definite no from sis. Toward the end of the day they moved in on me thinking I was the weak link. Since I didn’t date they figured the promise of lots of girls would work.

“Nope, not only no, I’ll call Gabe if anyone comes looking to party.” I was disgusted they would try and bribe me with girls. I knew I was a boy but what was between my legs didn’t contain my brains…, yet. At least not like it affected all the other boys in high school.

“Fuck you Ronald Wayne. We didn’t want to include you in our party anyway.” Joey, the ringleader for the jocks, gave me a hard push as he and the others moved on.

I ended up on my butt with my books scattered all over in the middle of the hall at the same time Jenna and her circle of cheerleaders turned the corner and saw me. Except for my sister it sounded like a gaggle of geese as they pointed and laughed.

Jenna, spun on her heel and glared at the group. “Knock it off. That’s my brother.”

She turned to look at me as I was getting up. “Ron, what happened?”

“Joey happened. He and the others wanted to party at our house after learning our parents weren’t going to be home this weekend.” I was on my knees gathering up my books before I stood up.

Jenna picked up the last book and handed it to me. “He asked me this morning and I told him no. I’m guessing you gave the same answer for him to knock you down?”

“I promised mom and dad. I’m not going back on a promise just because they aren’t there watching.”

“You got it little brother. Are you coming to the football game tonight?”

“I don’t think so unless you need me there. I know I’m not any good as a protector for you, Sis. I’d still put my life on the line for you if it came to that.”

“aaawwww” Came from the cheerleader pack. They had been watching and listening.

“I’ll be okay. Dad asked Elvis to watch the game and escort me home afterwards.”

That brought a short laugh from everyone. Elvis was a nickname for Don Howard, one of Gabe’s deputy’s. He got that name because he was always singing in the patrol car. Sometimes he would key the mike and sing to any of the dispatchers. He wasn’t what I would call a bad singer. The truth was, he really didn’t carry a tune that well. We all liked him just the same.

Jenna moved back to the cheerleader group and they headed off down the hallway as if a silent signal had been given. I watched until they walked out of the building. It seemed they were all talking at the same time. Who could understand any of that? They also walked in unison step for step as good as any military group I had ever seen. Must be some secret brain signal they develop being cheerleaders and working together all the time?

It was four miles home and I headed that way walking. Our house was the last drop on the school bus route. That meant almost an hour riding the route as the driver dropped off the other country kids. The mornings weren’t bad because we were the last ones on and it was straight to school, ten minutes tops.

There was a huge sonic boom just as I reached home. The windows rattled, the chickens squawked, and Tug, or fearless watchdog, headed for the barn. I shook my head as I watched him disappear inside. “I hope we never need protecting.”

My curiosity was killing me over that sonic boom. It was the first time I had ever heard one for real. Watching and hearing one on the TV certainly was no match for the real thing. I was wondering if the military had got carried away? I heard the government had banned sonic booms sometime back in the fifties.

About that time I heard a double sonic boom. Looking up I saw two jets streaking across the sky. The chickens cackled, and the windows rattled again. I imagined Tug was buried back in the hay inside the barn. Shaking my head, I walked into the house and tossed my backpack on the couch, heading for the fridge, and milk, and jelly. It was time for an afternoon peanut butter sandwich before gathering eggs and feeding the horse.

The horse was mom and dad’s idea. They figured kids needed to grow up around animals. Chickens and cats were good, dogs better, and the horse a necessity to learn responsibility. All this supposedly was Jenna’s and my chores. With Jenna always tied up in socials, school games, cheerleading, and other girl things almost as long as I could remember, those chores were naturally mine since I wasn’t into socials or games.

Hearing a car drive up in the yard and a door shut, I looked at the clock. It was nineteen before ten. That would be my sister.

“Thank you, Elvis.”

“Anytime, Jenna. I’ll wait for you next Friday and the week after that. With your parents gone I’ll come by the house on a drive by time to time. If you need something, leave the porch light on whether it’s day or night. I’ll know to check. You or Ron need anything don’t hesitate to call the office. One of the guys will be out if it’s not my duty shift.”

“You don’t need to do that. We’ll be okay.”

“Jenna, no matter how grown up you and Ron seem to be…, I and half the town wish you were our kids. Gabe would adopt you both in a heartbeat. No, things happen. Someone will be by now and then checking. Don’t let any strangers into the house.”

“Elvis, when was the last time you saw any strangers around this town? We hardly have anything worth stealing in our farming community. That would be a lost soul indeed if anyone came wondering into our town.” She sounded amused.

I didn’t have to imagine Jenna putting her hands on her hips and laughing at Elvis. I knew she was doing exactly that.

“Do as I say or I’ll haul both of you down to the pokey and lock you up.”

“Oh yeah? You and who else?”

“Scat you little brat. Into the house while I watch. Flip the porch light if everything is okay.”

“ha, ha, ha, ha, thanks Elvis.” Jenna was already at the door. She closed it behind her and flipped the porch light on and off a couple times.

I could hear the car start up and drive away. Getting up from the couch I waited until Jenna walked into the living room. “Who won?”

“Cutter Bears. We didn’t stand a chance. They made the first touchdown and rolled over us from there. Twenty eight to seven was the final score. Joey got upended on our last play of the game. Coach pulled him. Doc Carter examined him and said he was only rattled and nothing serious.”

“I’m glad he wasn’t really hurt. I don’t like him; I don’t wish him ill will either. He’s the best quarterback we got. Mason doesn’t have a long pass in him. The next three games will be it for the Buffalo. We won’t be going to any playoff. I still would like for us to win the next three. Everyone out there on that field deserves a win. Joey is our best shot at bringing it home. I wish we had a chance at state so you and the other girls could show what you can do in front of those TV cameras they always have at those games.”

Jenna walked over and hugged me. “Oh Ron, you are always think about everyone else no matter how mean they are to you. I felt it when the girls laughed at you today. Yet, you still want the best for us. I still think you’re a rotten little brother.” She gave me another serious squeeze.

I pushed away from her. “Yeah, and I think you’re a rotten, ugly sister, even if you are the prettiest girl in school.”

“Why you!” She was reaching for me.

I fled to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. Jenna was hot on my tail but I managed to get the door shut just in time. I didn’t lock it. Didn’t need to. Jeana would never invade my space without asking as I wouldn’t invade her space. I wasn’t sure the lock even worked since I had never tried it. I wonder if Jenna ever tried hers? Probably not.

==========================================================

Tug was raising cane somewhere out by the barn as I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was three in the morning. Probably a coyote or skunk after the chickens. Slipping on my pants and shoes I headed through the living room and pulled the twelve gauge out of the hall closet. It was a pump loaded with six shells of double 0 shot for coyotes. Skunks were nothing but shredded meat when I unloaded on any of them. I grabbed a flashlight and opened the door. AND STOPPED IN MY TRACKS.

What was in front of me was not what I was thinking Tug was getting excited over. A dozen thoughts ran through my mind in less than a heartbeat. Bringing the shotgun up and pointing it was one that never entered the thought processes. All options apprised and dismissed, I did what I had never done in my life. I screamed.

“JENNA!”

Seconds later Jenna came into the living room wearing nothing but a Baby Doll nightie, which I didn’t know because my eyes were glued on what was standing on our porch.

“WOAH!” She pulled up short inside the living room as soon as she saw what I had screamed about.
Jenna is a straight A student. I never figured school was a necessity and didn’t ever study. Yet, I always figured both of us were somewhat intelligent students, top in our respective classes. The reaction and words coming from both of us was not in the intelligent spectrum.

“Help me please. I’m dying.”

As if what was in front of us wasn’t stunning enough. The woman’s voice was lyrical sing song. Despite the words and the most beautiful sounding voice I had ever heard. I backed up out of the doorway, still unable to get my senses back online.

“Thank you.” She walked into the living room and waited.

“Who are you? Are you stranded? Is someone after you? I’ll call the sheriff? Do you need medical, an ambulance?” Jenna had got her act together a little better than me.

“Sheriff? That is your controllers? No they can’t help. Your body repair? Medical? No help. I need your help if you will.”

“How can we help you?” I finally got my senses back by this time.

“I’m dying.” She looked from sis to me.

Boy oh boy did she have beautiful raven black eyes. “Uh yeah, we got that. Again how can we help?”
Jenna moved over to stand beside me and reached out to hold my hand. For the first time I noticed what she was wearing or what she wasn’t wearing. Oh boy was my sister stacked and her nipples were…, I shook my head. That’s Jenna I was ogling. My sister for god’s sake. I turned my attention back to the woman in the painted on gold jumpsuit which didn’t help. That lady might as well have been naked herself. She wasn’t running second in wow to my sister. In fact, if I was judging, she was ahead by several leagues. I shook my head again. What in the hell was the matter with me? We had a strange, albeit beyond beautiful woman, in our living room asking for help.

“Again, not to be redundant, you’re dying, what do you need?”

An ultra bright white glowing, large marble sized ball appeared in her hand. She held it out toward Jenna.
Sis was either brave beyond brave or shocked as she didn’t move back.

She held it out toward me and it got even brighter if possible. Too bright to look at before it disappeared. I still couldn’t see even though it was gone. Was that a trick to blind us?

“You’re close enough match. I need to borrow your…, energy.”

“YOU NEED TO BORROW WHAT!”

“It won’t hurt and I won’t do it if you don’t want me to. I will leave if you feel you can’t trust me.”

“Trust you? I don’t know you. Jenna say something.” I glanced over at sis.

“uh yeah, what’s this borrow energy thing?”

“My biological is not completely compatible with your environment. My time, matter, displacement drive has been damaged otherwise there would not be a problem. Do you understand?” She was carefully watching both of us.

“NNOO” Jenna and I both replied at the same time.

“I’m sorry but it is the only explanation I have. I’ll go.” She turned to the door.

“Wait. What is it you need and how do I share it with you?” I really didn’t want her to leave as she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. That included all those the artists draw up in their fantasy.

“Ron?” Jenna gripped my hand a little tighter.

“I think so. She said it wouldn’t hurt.”

“What do you need me to do?” I turned my attention back to the woman which meant nothing because my attention had never left her.

“Turn loose of your..., sister? Stand alone.”

“RON!” Jenna was squeezing even harder.

I handed her the shotgun. “Cover my back in case this isn’t on the up and up. She can’t be hiding any weapons inside what she’s wearing.”

Jenna had to turn loose of my hand to take the gun.

The woman had that little glowing ball in her hand again. Where was she hiding that thing? I was beginning to have second doubts when I was blinded and immediately looking at Jenna who couldn’t see a thing.
Looking around the woman was gone. Did she blind us and rob us or what?

Jenna was looking around. “Ron?”

“Yes. Where did she go? Did you see her leave?”

Jenna was looking at me kinda funny. “Ron?”

“What?”

Jenna screamed and pointed the shotgun at my chest. “What the hell have you done to my brother?”

Reaching out, I pushed the barrel away as Jenna pulled the trigger. Our living room couch took the blast and it didn’t look good. I yanked it out of her hands. “ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!”

“WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY BROTHER!”

Oh great, now we are both screaming! “Calm down Sis, I’m right here. What is the matter with you?”

“HELL NO YOU’RE NOT RIGHT THERE! SHE’S RIGHT THERE! WHERE’S MY BROTHER!”

I swear it looked like Jenna was getting ready to attack me. I held out my hand. “STOP! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”

“I better explain.” The voice was the golden woman but it came from my mouth.

“oh hell…, this can’t be good.” I pumped the rest of the shells out of the shotgun so Jenna couldn’t shoot me and sat down on our shredded couch.

“The micro time, displacement translator is many things. One of those, it is a time, matter, displacement disrupter.” The glowing ball appeared in my hand…,

Now I was starting to get a clue as I heard her speak and was looking at her hand. Funny but I wasn’t freaking out just yet.

“Your atmosphere is toxic to me. I can breath it, live in it for short periods of time before I must need to return to my ship. My ship has been damaged and no longer provides me life support. I was dying when I saw your house. I needed stabilization from those who inhabit your world. Which happened to be you and your brother.”

‘WE’ looked at Jenna. “Your body was not truly compatible. Your brother’s was.”

“I’m a girl, you’re a girl, I wasn’t compatible and Ron was? That is so fucked up it doesn’t make sense.” Jenna could sound so…, cheerleader intelligent at times.

“It has nothing to do with what is or isn’t between one’s legs or the DNA coding. It does have everything to do with how your DNA coding is aligned and sequenced. I do not mean to imply you are imperfect and your brother isn't. It has nothing to do with intelligence.”

“I want you both to know I mean you no harm and none will come to either of you from me…,”

Jenna glared at her…, us. “Tell that to my brother who is no longer among the living.”

“He is among the living as you say. He is also here.” She touched her chest.

OH MY GOD! I felt that all the way down to my toes and back.

“Two molecular matters can not occupy the same space. We do not. There is a whole lot more empty space between molecules than what they occupy. There is also a time difference. I’m occupying a smallest slice of time ahead of your brother which can not be described in your world. I will return your brother, although he isn’t gone, if he decides he does not want to help. I will die. I won’t die here. My ship is behind your barn. Although not able to achieve time, matter, displacement, it can still fly. I’ll program it to travel to your sun after I am inside. When the ship burns up, I won’t feel it because I’ll already be dead.” She waited for a response from me I think.

“GIVE MY BROTHER BACK NOW!” Jenna was adamant she wanted Ron standing there where she could see him.

“Jenna wait.” I was trying to decide. So far I hadn’t been hurt that I knew of. Feelings I never knew existed were flooding my senses if I was truly sharing time and space with the golden woman. Okay, almost sharing time and space.

“uh, ma’am, what’s your name?” I realized it was her voice not mine when I was speaking.

“We don’t use words as you do. We use sound. I guess words could be described as sound. My name is ets. We have only one sound for a name. The tone and inflection can be pronounced several billion different ways.”

“I don’t think I can properly say your name. Would you please give me a name for using on this world?”

“RON! What are you doing. Tell her to leave and leave us alone.” Jenna was glaring at me…, us.

“Jenna, sis, trust me. This is so amazing I find it almost impossible to believe. I feel her thoughts, her emotions. I’m betting she can feel mine at the same time. She’s telling the truth. She means us no harm. She will die if I’m…?”

“Released is the word I think you are seeking.”

“Yeah, well that one doesn’t feel right either. I don’t honestly believe I’m trapped am I? I could…? Not the right word either, but I could will myself away from your space?”

“Either one of us could. It is not a locked bonding we share.”

“God, this is so confusing. In a way it is a bonding. You need this close contact with my body to stay alive. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll call you a liar. I can read…, understand your thoughts now. They seem to be getting stronger the longer we have this contact.”

“RON! HERE NOW!” Jenna pointed to the floor beside her.

“Sis, I’m okay. ets, won’t hurt you or me. She could have killed us both before she walked into the house. The time, matter disrupter she has been pulling out of thin air is a very powerful weapon if used in that way. She’s sharing knowledge with me. My mind is being flooded with knowledge we humans could never imagine. Right now, if I had the materials, I could build a nuclear spacecraft capable of flying to all the planets in our solar system in less than a year travel time.”

I stood up. “I’m not letting her die because I’m scared of who or what she is. She has a time matter disrupter on her ship which has been damaged by getting caught in a time loop. Not a common thing but it can happen. She can’t repair it with what we have on earth. She will hook the smaller time matter disrupter into her transmission device and send a signal home. Not an easy task as the signal has to be pointed…”

“You gotta be kidding? You gotta beam the signal to a star system over a million light years away? This isn’t good.”

“Ron, what is going on?” Jenna put her hands on her hips.

Her standing there in defiance in the shear Baby Doll she was wearing almost made me laugh. “She is sharing mind thought with me. We don’t need to vocalize it to communicate. This is so awesome, Sis. Maybe she will give you a ride too before she leaves us. Although you aren’t fully compatible it could still work to a limited extent. She wouldn’t be able to survive very long with you though. Not close enough link.”

What surprised me at first was ets quietly staying in the background and letting me take the lead. I mean, she was the one with all the intelligence. Jenna and I talked the rest of the night about how I was feeling. If I truly felt I could leave anytime. If ets would really die if I did, and a hundred other things only a brother and sister high schoolers could think of.

The sun was way up when the phone started ringing. “I better answer. You sound like her instead of Ron. Hello?” Jenna held the phone out so we could both hear.

“Are you and your brother doing okay. You know you can call Gabe if you have problems. Is Ron taking care of the livestock?” Naturally it was our mom calling.

“We’re good. Everything is fine. Ron is not here right now or I’m sure he would want to say hi. Where are you at? Have you landed in China already?”

“Oh no, honey, we are in a big airplane out over the ocean yet. Be another six hours before we get to our hotel. I just wanted to make sure you and your brother were okay.”

“Yes, mom, we’re okay. Give daddy a hug from us.”

“From us? Your brother isn’t the hugging type. I’ll tell daddy you said so anyway. Love you, bye.”

There was silence. Yep that was our parents. Said what they had to say and hang up. I love them to death and they were the best parents ever if hands off child raising was being a good parent. Jenna was more of a parent than mom and dad ever would be. I loved them and Jenna. No one could have a better sister.

I grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Which shocked the devil out of her. Ops, I was still the golden woman wasn’t I? Oh well, she would get over it. “Sorry Sis, I forgot. Come on, let’s go look at that spacecraft she came in.”

Jenna backed away. It finally dawned on her she had been in a Baby Doll all night long with a stranger and her brother looking at her. She blushed a bright red. “I’m going to get dressed.”

She gave me a hard look. “That paint job ets is wearing isn’t going to work either. She needs some clothes. None of mom’s clothes is going to fit her. She’s too tall and too…,” Jenna held her hands out in front of her own breasts.

“Yeah, I get the picture, ets gets it too. The only thing I can think of off hand is dad’s coveralls.”

Jenna actually giggled and smiled for the first time since this crazy business started last night. “She’ll still be hot. That body shouts look at me I’m all woman. I don’t know whether to hate her or be jealous.”

“You jealous? Sis, everyone in school except the girls who hate you say you’re the prettiest girl there. Find some clothes. I’ll check the washroom for dad’s coveralls. I wanna see that ship.”

==============================================================================

“Oh mannn, that’s big.” I was standing out away from it with Jenna. We were both staring at it. In the house I had seen it in ets mind. Looking at it even if it was through her eyes was totally different. Of all the drawings I had ever seen of flying saucers this wasn’t one of them. It could still fly, but not at light speed or above. It was then it dawned on me. The sonic boom yesterday was ets. The two fighter craft creating their own sonic boom were in pursuit.

I felt her smile. She was sensing what I was thinking, staying in the background to let Jenna and I adjust to all this. “ets, I know this is yours and it’s a personal craft. May my sister see inside. I already know from your thoughts. She isn’t in on our private conversations.”

“Jenna, your brother suggested you might want to see the inside.” ets was waiting on a response from Sis.
“Maybe another time after you get it repaired? We need to cover this thing up before someone else sees it. I have no idea where we can hide it.” Sis was staring at the ship.

“I converted the size from the dimensions ets gave me. It is a hundred and sixty one feet plus nine and three sixteenths inches in diameter. Call the co-op and see if they have enough tarps to cover that big of an area?” I shook my head. “I can imagine what mom and dad will say when they get the bill for that. We’ll be grounded until our grandkids have kids.”

Still staring at it, Jenna shook her head. “Even the tarp they use to cover the football field wouldn’t cover it. It is wider than half a football field.”

“No need to cover it completely. Use camouflage on it. I found it in your brother’s mind. Some netting they use for…, bailing hay. Four tarps, brown sheets eight feet by ten and use them to cover in small areas in a random pattern.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “We should have thought of that. By the way, I’m never going to get use to you and my brother speaking from the same body. That is just too weird.”

“There is a wholesaler in Amarillo for tarps and other farm supplies. Jenna will have to drive as you don’t have a driver’s license. As long as I’m you they would never believe it was me if we got stopped. Sis, you’re not the only one confused by this.” I pointed at the ship. “Think it will be okay while we drive to Amarillo and get what we need?”

It was then I thought of them. “Oh fudge, I haven’t fed and watered the chickens or the horse. I better do that now.” I was headed inside the barn to get the feed for the chickens.

Jenna headed for the house. “Mom left a credit card for emergencies. Gabe has to okay any purchase. I’ll call him and tell him…? What?”

“YOU’LL THINK OF SOMETHING!” I shouted from inside the barn. “Jenna, there is a dealer in Plainview. Look up his number and see if he has what we need before we drive to Amarillo.”

She gave the okay sign above her head as she walked into the house.

Picking up the feed scoop, I put a couple scoops of feed into a pail before heading to the hen house. “How did you end up here? The sonic boom I heard yesterday wasn’t that close. How did you evade those fighter jets?”

‘you don’t need to verbalize your thoughts. we can exchange data between us without saying it.’ ets shifted in me, on me?

‘okay, do you want to drive? i mean you’ve been laid back not saying much. i kind of get the feeling I’m moving and you are in synchronicity with me.’

‘as good explanation as any. it’s a lot more complicated than that. the concept is the same. we are bonded as one like this. this is your world not mine. i couldn’t exist without your help. you will do just fine without me as you always have. to build and focus the transmitter, I will need to do that. although you read and understand my thoughts and emotions as I do yours, the parts and alignment are critical. there are no spare parts if something goes wrong.’

I hugged myself and it felt better than good. I know it was impossible but I think I’m falling in love with the alien female I am sharing space with. Only God and her knew how much older she was than me. Probably had a husband, or a thousand boyfriends at home.

She giggled. I swear she giggled. ‘no Ron, I do not have a husband, boyfriends yes. you’re so cute. i am a research scientist is the closest definition I can think of in your language. my life has been spent away from home for the most part, examining worlds and collecting data. if the time, matter transfer drive had failed on any of those other worlds, I would be dead. if you had rejected my request for help, i would be dead. i owe you my life. provided I make it back home, i’ll never forget you. j couldn’t even if I wanted, which I don’t. your thoughts and emotions are blending into my own.’

We blushed in embarrassment. Of course she had listened to my thoughts and emotions. How embarrassing. If she knew how beautiful she was I’d be even more embarrassed to be sharing her space.

‘thank you’

‘stop, oh please stop thinking. she’s picking up everything.’

Jenna came out of the house with the pickup keys in her hand as I…, we finished feeding and watering the horse and chickens.

“I called Gabe and told him I needed to pick up a tarp. He didn’t even ask why. He gave an okay on the credit card. The dealer in Plainview has netting and tarps. Save an extra five hours driving to and back from Amarillo. I took the petty cash out of the cookie jar so we can get ets some clothes. Dad’s coveralls looks too darn sexy on that body. She’s going to have every male who sees her tripping over their eyeballs and their tongue.” Jenna slid up into the pickup.

I got into the pickup passenger seat. “Sis, thanks. I know you don’t fully understand who or what ets is. She needs our help to call for help from home. With their space drive technology, that million light years distance means they are our next door neighbors. The fact they look a lot like us is a big plus when they decide to announce themselves. Their knowledge of medicine is so far ahead of ours, left on our own, we still wouldn’t know a hundredth of what they know in a thousand years.”

Jenna took a deep breath and looked at me before starting the pickup. “She better not hurt you is all I ask..., Do you know how hard this is when I’m talking to you and looking at her? This is all so just damn freaky.”
“I won’t hurt your brother. I can feel his and your love for each other. I would die first before I let anything happen to him.”

Jenna shook her head, stared straight ahead as she started the pickup. “See, that’s exactly what I was talking about. You are both the same. Even when Ron speaks he sounds just like you.”

At Gebo’s Farm Store the tarps and netting was easy enough to get. We also bought a thousand feet of nylon rope to tie it all down and stakes to hold everything. Toss in a half dozen rolls of duct tape, several gallons of green, brown, red paint, paint brushes, and turpentine. It was ets who suggested all this stuff. As I was downloading information from ets mind, she was doing the same from mine, which was a joke. I had nothing to share. I’m a seventeen old kid. She flies a space ship and has visited star systems we don’t even know exists. School was going to be so ho hum boring after all this. Would mom and dad let me take mail order lessons in quantum physics?

Loading it all in the pickup was the last thing on those men’s mind. Sis was wearing a soft turquoise polyester blouse, jeans, and sneakers. And for the first time in my life, I realized how well sis filled out all her clothes. Sis was right about ets and how well she put abundant curves into dad’s coveralls. The men and the customers couldn’t take their eyes off either of us. Sis’s emerald blue eyes, long honey blonde hair and ets’s onyx black eyes, and long raven black hair was an added striking contrast to the two girls…, women. That was the day I also realized my sister was no longer a girl but a woman.

After sis handed them mom’s credit card, they made a call before running it and handing it back. It must have gone through all right. I choked when I saw the total. Yep, sis and I were grounded for life and then some.

Our next stop was Ellen’s Second Time Around shop. When sis picked out a dress for ets to try on, it was the second time that day I choked. “I can’t.”

“Close your eyes then and let her try it on.” Jenna shoved it into our hands.

“It doesn’t work like that. She and I see everything the other sees or hears.” I pushed the dress back in Jenna’s direction.

“Get over it then. Because if this takes more than a few hours after we get home, I have a real strong feeling you will find out everything about the female anatomy in less than a minute.”

Jenna was searching through the clothes as she was talking. She found jeans and blouses. “Try these and see if they fit. ets, do you need a brassiere? I don’t think asking my brother will get a straight answer.”

“I know that of which you speak as it is in your brother’s memory. He’s blushing so hard right now. Your brother is an adorable sweet heart. I have no need of such articles of clothing, thank you.”

“Okay, we’ll stop at Walmart on the way home and get you some panties and a bra. You still need a bra to cover those assets of yours. They are just too perky. Heavy cloth coveralls is one thing. A light blouse is another. Those intimate items are never secondhand clothes. We buy new. Take my brother into the dressing room.” Jenna pointed to a curtain. “See if those clothes fit while I try and find you some sneakers or boots. Any idea what size you might wear?”

“None what so ever. That data in your brother’s mind seems to be mixed. There are men’s and women’s sizes? He has no idea what size I might wear.”

Jenna took a good look at ets’s feet. They hadn’t thought about shoes before they came to town. Daddy’s coveralls and barefoot, she wondered what the people down at the farm store thought? A seven or a seven and a half I think. I’ll get both. You can see which is the most comfortable after you try on the clothes.”

I never was so embarrassed in my whole life. ets trying on clothes in the second hand store was bad. That was nothing. When we got to Walmart and she tried on bras, if possible I probably would have passed out as everything ets felt and thought, I felt and thought. When I volunteered to help ets, I never figured this would be part of the job description.

ets was laughing as she and Jenna left the dressing room. “Your brother is cute. He has been blushing so much, I’m surprised he has any blood in any part of his body beside his cheeks.”

Jenna nodded in agreement. “Ron has dated only two girls I know of. Those dates were for a movie, a hamburger and Coke, and then take her home. His relationship with girls isn’t the best.”

“I noticed your ears are pierced. Do you have earrings or should we get some?” Jenna reached up and moved ets hair away from her left ear. When she did, she stopped and squeaked. “OH!” She quickly brushed ets hair back down in place to cover her ear.

She didn’t say another word until we got back into the pickup. “The eyes, the beautiful face, the pointed ears, the beyond competition body…, you’re an elf!”

“elf?” Of course I had been wondering what was bothering Jenna and had been listening.

ets sighed. “I am not what you think in that respect. I am processing your brother’s thoughts since you have mentioned elves. As there are many races on your world, there are hundreds of millions on the planetary systems we inhabit. I’m not a historian of your planet’s past. Could your fables of elves come from such who lived among humans? It is possible. Did they leave or die off? I can’t answer that question. My race uses forces unimaginable to your species. In that sense it could be called magic. Among those many races of our systems there are those who are called Elvan. I am of that race.”

“Oh this is so cool.” I injected into the conversation.

“Park it little brother, ets and I are having a girl to girl talk.” Jenna started up the pickup and was pulling out of the parking lot. “The little ball of light you have…”

“Time, matter, displacement sphere?”

“Yes, that one. Where do you hide it when we aren’t seeing it?”

“It is…, think of your brother. He is here and yet you do not see him. His existence is the smallest measurements of time lapse slower than your own time. Such a small slice of time your world couldn’t begin to imagine. He is hidden in the same space I occupy but not at the same time. He could step away anytime he felt like it and you would see him again. Nothing would be changed.”

“I have a…, room where I keep many things I need from time to time. Most are tools of my…, profession as a scientist. This room is the smallest slice of time lagging behind my present existence. I am able to reach into it and retrieve whatever I need and then put it back. That is where I keep the sphere among other things.”
Jenna passed the last stoplight and pointed the pickup toward home. “That room is back on the farm?”
“No, it is here.”

“Here?” Jenna glanced over at ets. “How big is it? Are we talking about something as big as a mailbox?”

“uh oh, Sis, I received the information on the room as ets calls it. It’s a house with six rooms and it is right beside her. Now I would call that magic for sure.”

“House?”

“Yep, I am looking though it using ets memory. It’s really cool. Oh wait, I’m sorry ets. I shouldn’t be doing this. A person’s room is private stuff.”

“I’ll vocalize for your sister’s information, Ron. Because we are bonded I don’t mind. You are right as it is a private place for me. Very few have ever seen my demesne. They were only invited into the room facing the doorway. You may describe that room and what it contains to your sister if you like.”

“Jenna, this is unbelievable. ets opened the door for me and I’m looking into her home. The floor and walls…, yes, even the ceiling seems to be polished white marble. On both sides inside the door are shelves or cabinets of polished, uh, deep brown kind of wood with lighter streaks. I’m not describing it well. I can’t. It’s beautiful, the whole place is beautiful. The only way I can think of describing it is, this place belongs to a queen or a princess.”

Jenna looked over at ets and then took a second and third look. “Ron, I think it does belong to a princess. ets isn’t surprised by the description. She’s been called that before.”

“oh…, OH! She is, I can feel it in her mind.”

“Please, it isn’t what you think when you think of a princess in your world. I am a scientist.”

I didn’t say anything. This bond ets and I shared was getting too personal. Knowledge transfer was instant and in some cases intimate. When princess was mentioned her mind pulled up her life as a princess. She wasn’t exactly a runaway princess…, well, yes she is. She refused to obey the rules set up for one of her status. OH POOP! After she sends her signal we are going to be up to our eyeballs in alien craft. This can’t be good. Our military, our government is going to have a cow.

‘please don’t say anything to your sister’

‘this mind thing needs an off switch. i won’t say anything to her’

‘thank you’

“uh, sis, ets needs or more realistically we need a different name for ets. Although the longer I use it the more comfortable I am with it. I think she needs an…, earth name for lack of a better word.”

Jenna took a quick look in our direction. “I was thinking along the same line. ets, you have a preference for a name? Or better yet, how long do you think it will take for you to build that SOS device and get a response? If only a couple hours we can forget covering that ship of yours and thinking of names for you. A day or two maybe?”

“If it doesn’t take too long we can return all this to the farm store tomorrow. We’ll have to think of some explanation why we got it in the first place when daddy sees the tickets.”

Jenna sighed. “Wish we had thought this through and asked these questions before we did this. Having an alien drop into our living room and possess my brother hasn’t helped. Oh, did I mention staying up all night might have been a factor?”

“Jenna, I’m not possessed. If anything it might be ets is possessed by me. She is letting me drive for the most part.”

“Oh yes, and when she was trying on bras? I mean when you were trying on bras?” Jenna giggled.

“Duly noted, Sis.”

“Amari”

“Amari? Is that supposed to mean something?” Jenna turned into our driveway.
“I remembered it from a book I had read. It can be a boy or girl name but it means miracle. ets, would you mind if we called you Amari?”

“The sound is pleasing to the mind. I would like if my friends Jenna, and Ron call me Amari.”

==============================================================
“Oh boy!” I was looking at the ship after Jenna backed the pickup up to the side of the barn.

“We are never going to get any tarps or netting pulled over that thing.” Jenna was looking at the same thing I was.

“So much for planning ahead. Listen, I’m starving and so is Amari. What time is it? Amari isn’t wearing a watch.”

Jenna took a look at her left wrist. “It’s after two. Let’s go into the house and fix a TV dinner for now. Something more substantial for supper later. How is that going to work with you and Amari? You going to separate?”

What I felt and read from Amari’s mind left me without any doubt. “Amari, I’m not leaving you until your rescue is here and you’re headed home.”

“Jenna, a parting won’t happen. Amari won’t last more than a couple hours and we can’t rebond once I leave. She isn’t sure but she thinks this energy bridge works both ways. When she eats or refuels her energy then it feeds back to me. The reverse of what is happening now.”

“Jenna, I won’t let any harm come to your brother if possible. If this doesn’t work then I will move away from him and leave. I won’t let him starve because of me.” Amari was trying to give comfort to Jenna for the strange existing conditions.

“I guess. Come on then, that ship can wait a little longer.” She opened the door to the house and motioned Amari in.

It was after seven, we had gone out and looked over the ship several time still not coming up with a plan. We were at the table eating supper as this energy flow back and forth seemed to be working between Amari and me. Jenna and I had fixed mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, and salad for supper. And made what we both called chicken fried steak hamburgers.

It came to me when Amari finished her plate of food. “County yard.”

Jenna was gathering up plates for the sink. “What?”

“The county has a bucket truck. It will be there in the county yard. Tomorrow is Sunday. Nobody will know if we borrow it. We can use it to lift the tarps and netting over the ship and do the painting at the same time.”

“Ron, that’s stealing.” She was rinsing the dishes as I was gathering up the leftovers and putting them in containers for the fridge.

“We aren’t stealing. We will be borrowing. We borrow and take it back when we are finished borrowing. That isn’t stealing.”

“That type of thinking is exactly what every crook has thought since the beginning of time. And nothing has changed since then. It is stealing.” She was stacking dishes in the dishwasher.

Scrapping the last of the table scraps into the pail for the chickens, I shook my head. “Not if it is taken back. Bonnie and Clyde never intended to return what they borrowed so that was stealing. Besides, have you come up with any ideas on how to get those tarps spread out across that ship?”

Jenna straightened up and put her hands on her hips as she turned to look at me. “I have an idea. Let’s go down to the county yard tomorrow and STEAL their bucket truck.”

“oh, oh.”

“What oh oh? It was your idea in the first place.”

“No not that oh oh. Amari needs to make a…, We never thought of this situation either did we?”

Jenna looked like she was trying to figure it out. And then she burst out laughing. “ha, ha, ha, remember when I said you were going to get exposure to the female anatomy? Take it like a man little brother. You signed on and there is no backing out now.”

Trying to close my eyes, turn off my brain, not feel what Amari felt wasn’t working as she headed for the bedroom. She discarded all her clothes in the bedroom before heading to the bathroom. Accessing my thoughts gave her guidance on how things worked in there.

AND her thoughts gave me more than I wanted to know how her female body worked. I was blushing so hard there couldn’t be any left in the world for anyone else.

She stepped into the shower and turned it on. “Ron, in my race, we do not have the inhibitions you seem to have. I am not ashamed of my body. It is mine.”

“…., if I had your body, I wouldn’t be ashamed either. I mean…, you’re so beautiful, gorgeous. You’re exotic, a creature of legends we always admired and loved. You’re a perfect life. I’m sorry, I’m babbling. I’m trying to not think.”

She stopped and touched her breast. ‘i won’t ever forget you’

When she touched intimate places on her body we seemed to have a separation in emotions. While it was normal and didn’t bother her, I almost felt like I was going to die of emotional overdrive. I shivered in uncontrolled ecstasy every time.

She didn’t laugh or make fun of me. ‘relax Ron, our bodies are a gift from the gods. it is to be appreciated.’
‘i’ll never be able to forget you’ I prayed with all my heart she made it back home.

Amari dressed in fresh clothes Jenna had purchased for her in town before returning back to the kitchen. “I am going out to work on the transmitter if you don’t require my assistance.”

“No, I’m good. I’ll take a shower myself and start the laundry before I come out to see what you are doing. That is if you don’t mind?”

“I am forever in your debt. How could I mind? Come when you are ready.” Amari was walking out the door.
Standing beside the ship she retrieved her small globe and held it out in her hand. It glowed. We were inside the ship.

I would never get ready for her time matter displacement generator. That thing was wicked.

The inside wasn’t all gleaming polished metal. It was more like one would decorate a room, soft beige walls with light brown panels installed. Two light tan seats in the middle of the room with control panels beside them. Two more seats in tandem behind those with different controls.

Amari walked over and sat down in the front right seat. The control panel swung around in front of her. She was light blinding fast as she typed in touching the screen, programming, flipping switches, and pushing buttons. I wasn’t able to keep up.

Instantly I was looking at the brightest stars and the blackest black I had ever seen right in front of us. Instinctively I wanted to reach out and touch it. I held back as I sensed from Amari’s thoughts it was part of the drive system in the ship showing the way home. Symbols and things I didn’t have time to assess from her mind blipped across in front of me. A blue dot lit up on…, in the hologram with symbols, and designs I would call crop circles around it. I knew that was the star system she called home a million light years away.
The hologram disappeared, Amari pushed the control panel away, and stood up. ‘i will need to remove the time matter displacement drive in the ship’

She walked over to a wall and pushed some buttons. A panel in the wall opened up revealing hundreds of dials, switches, buttons, and coils. Quietly I watched not wanting to distract her.

She sequenced a series of controls and a soft eeeeee started reverberating throughout the ship. ‘it is alerting a serious breach to the time matter displacement disrupted hold in case there was an operator error’

A panel in the floor was sliding back. Amari walked over and easily dropped into the hole. There was no mistaking the object she was looking for. It was suspended inside a crystalline ball which was suspended in the center of the compartment. It kind of looked like a half dead light bulb. It certainly wasn’t glowing brightly.

‘traveling through time matter requires a constant drop in out in measurements of time which doesn’t exist. which makes little sense to those who don’t understand how it works. if it wasn’t sampling time displacement one would never know where to end the trip because time doesn’t exist. there are records going back millions of years of this problem happening only twice where the unit gets caught up in a time loop it can’t escape. no one really knows if it is a fault in the module or if the craft flew through a time anomaly. it is still functioning but not in this time period. i strongly suspect it is like you and me separated by a slice of time too small to measure. without someone in the particular slice of time it is functioning in there is no way to realign it with this time.’

She was working with another control panel as she was mentally explaining to me why the unit had stopped functioning. There was another eeeeEEEEeeeeEEEEeeee as the globe settled down to the pedestal under it. She held out her small sphere and the crystal globe disappeared leaving the almost dead ball exposed.
After putting her small sphere back in the space the big one had previously occupied, she climbed back up into the cabin. Amari , found her seat, brought the control panel around and touched several buttons.

‘i hope the co ordinates are right. the main unit wasn’t really functioning although I could siphon data off of it. the small unit doesn’t have enough power to feed the ship. i sent the message. if the co ordinates are right my people will receive it.’

‘how long before you know’

‘two hours tops if it reached omh four.’

‘and if it didn’t?’

‘realign the signal and try again. your sister is outside.’ Amari pushed everything aside, dropped down the hatch, retrieved her sphere, and returned to the control room.

She held the sphere out, it glowed, and Jenna was standing in the cabin.

“Wow!” She looked around. “That was a rush. I like your ship. It doesn’t look anything like I expected. I mean it isn’t all sterile and shiny metal. Have you managed to send a signal yet?”

“The signal was sent. The main unit is faulty. It was necessary to use it to ask the ship for the coordinates pointing toward home. If no one arrives in two of your hours, I will readjust the signal one pi u ta and try again.”

“pi u ta?”

“Half the thickness of a carbon molecule. I am aiming for a system one hundred light years away. They will relay the message home. That much variance can mean the difference between them receiving or the signal missing them completely.” Amari shifted us back outside.

Jenna looked startled, then she smiled. “Something else you do that would take some time to get used to. How far can you transport?”

“With the small displacement unit, only about fifty yards. If the ship unit was working the request could be five miles to pickup or placement.” Amari walked into the house behind Jenna.

“May I call you Jenna?” Amari and Jenna were standing in the living room.

“Yes, of course. I guess we should have cleared that up sooner but things have been really weird.”

“I suggest you get some sleep. You look tired. I will wake you if they come. If they don’t I will realign the signal in two hours.”

When sleep was mentioned Jenna couldn’t help herself. She put her hand over her mouth as she yawned. “You and Ron need to rest too.”

Amari took a step back toward the front door. “I don’t need the sleep as bad as your brother does. I’m not going to punish him by keeping him up all night. Two more hours and help arrives or I realign the signal and go to sleep ourselves.”

“I’m fine, Sis. I’m probably not as tired as you because I’ve been kinda coasting. Amari is right. Two more hours and I’ll convince her to crash for the night.”

Moments later Amari was back in the ship. I had an idea. ‘Amari, why don’t you adjust the beam now and send the signal. If the first one missed you won’t be waiting two hours to send another?’

‘we aren’t the only space travelers. there are those who have been trying to get our displacement technology for hundreds of thousands of years. if one of them picks up the signal they will try to be the first to arrive and take the ship. they may even be operating in your solar system. in that situation they could arrive first even though they can’t match our drive system. there is the possibility I may never get the signal aligned right and my home system never receives it.’

Amari sighed, as she dropped down into the drive system compartment. ‘i will need to put the displacement sphere in position so it can power the alignment coordinates. i am going to do as you suggested and place several thousand signals around the first and send them out. it will be the maximum the smaller unit can handle at one time.’

A couple hours later, we, an exhausted Amari and me, were asleep on my bed. My last thoughts were, I sensed her thinking about reinstalling the main disrupter, asking for the coordinates again before trying to send more signals. I prayed she made contact.

Because we were bonded, when Amari opened her eyes before sunup or the rooster even crowed, I was also awakened. She had gone to bed fully dressed last night. I know she did it to keep from embarrassing me.

She rolled out of bed. ‘i’m going to take a shower.’

‘girls take a lot of baths or showers. ‘i’m sorry you still need me along when you must do the necessity. i also understand the reason we can’t unbond and rebond. I’m sorry if I embarrass you.’

Amari smiled as she dropped her clothes including her panties and bra. She went up on her toes and stretched reaching for the ceiling. ‘ron, as I said yesterday, my society is not as inhibited about one’s body as yours seems to be. this bond we share does not embarrass me.’

There was only one bathroom in our house, she opened the bedroom door, walked down the hall to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. All the time totally naked and me totally embarrassed with my cheeks a flaming red I’m sure. Amari washing herself and me feeling all of that did not help in the least.
She stepped out of the shower and dried off using one of the big fluffy bath towels from the towel rack. Me? Forget me. I was in sensory overload.

Amari was reading and feeling all my thoughts. “You have given me a new experience in my own upbringing which I admit I must have missed. As I said, we are not as inclined to be embarrassed or shocked if we see another naked. A community bath is a common thing among us. Thus the intrigue of one of opposite sex is nonexistent.”

Jenna hearing the shower turn off got up and waited in the hall for her turn when Amari opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the hall completely naked. Jenna stared and her mouth partly opened. She was a cheerleader, she had seen naked girl bodies before. She still did every week before and after PE. The one she was looking at now was way above any ten. She coughed as her mind caught up. “I take it my brother is looking at that when you’re in front of a mirror?”

“Your brother and I share mind thoughts. A mirror is not a necessity for him to…”

“Oh jeeze, god, I hope he doesn’t have emotional meltdown. Ron, are you okay?”

“Okay? No I’m not okay. I’m closer than anyone ever will be to the most beautiful woman who ever set foot on this planet. It is a gift and a curse. And not in how you might think. Sis, I’ve fallen in love and I don’t even know what love is. Amari is more than any man deserves. She’s…,”

Tears filled Jenna’s eyes. “Don’t hurt my brother. Please.”

Amari reached out and touched Jenna’s face wiping off some tears. “You and your brother’s kindness is not taken lightly. I would die before I let harm come to either of you.”

She turned and headed for the front door the glowing ball in her hand. The gold suit formed on her body. “Help did not come. The signals were not pointed in the right direction. I am going to realign and try again.”
An hour later Amari had realigned twice and resent the signal two thousand times pointed toward different parts of space separated in increments so small it would be a hundred thousand years before humans even begin to understand.

Jenna called us in for breakfast. As Amari and Jenna ate, I picked up on Amari’s emotions. Our bonding couldn’t last longer than two more days or I would die. The energy we shared might have been two way, however there was a real need for physical substance which our bonding wasn’t supplying to me.

Finishing her meal, Amari helped Jenna rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. “I believe we need to get the truck your brother was talking about. Hopefully help will arrive before we start covering the ship or shortly there after. We need to keep working with the idea the signals aren’t getting through. If they don’t show up in time, I will take the ship out to keep it from your government and others research.”

Jenna nodded. “That’s a plan. I’ll get the pickup keys. Think you can drive that bucket truck?”

“I can. Remember I helped out Gabe and William when they needed an extra hand to get that guy out of the overturned car in the irrigation ditch? Everyone else was out at the accident. I drove the truck out there.”

Jenna closed her eyes as she nodded again. “This is not getting any better when you and Amari are able to switch back and forth like that.”

“Let’s go.” She pointed at the door.

The county yard had a fenced in area where all the equipment was left. It also had a gate which nobody ever closed. All the vehicles had keys in the ignition in case someone needed one in an emergency. Nobody ever came to Doxy without a reason and nobody in Doxy bothered locking their homes. Our part of the word wasn’t that connected with the rest of the world.

Climbing up into the cab, I started up the bucket truck and let it idle. It would be a two minute wait while it built up air pressure before I could unlock the brakes. Oil and voltage gauges found the right numbers on their respective gauge face. Air finally came up to ninety pounds. I released the parking brakes. There was a loud hiss and whoosh as brakes released. Dropping the shift lever down into drive we started rolling forward. I got such a rush last time I was allowed to do this. I mean a kid in a really big monster truck, and I used the air horn a lot last time. This time? Nothing. Humans haven’t really progressed since the stone age and pushing wooden wheels. Knowing a lot of what Amari knew? We were still Neanderthals pushing wheels.

==============================================================================

“Your brother has an extensive knowledge of camouflage. In nature there are seldom any straight lines. The tarps need to be diagonal to one another spread out over the hull. We can spread them out on the ground eight yards apart. Tie them together with the rope and then pull them up over the ship with the bucket boom on the truck. Then we tie off the edges and rope them down to stakes in the ground so when we pull the netting up over all that it doesn’t slide the tarps off.”

“Wow, Ron has all that in his mind? I’m impressed little brother.” Jenna had been looking at the tarps and netting they had removed from the pickup. She turned her attention to Amari and shook her head. Still confusing when she looked at where the voice came from and it was her brother’s ideas.

Three hours later the tarps were spread across the hull of the ship. It was after one o’clock. Lunch was sandwiches and fifteen minutes later, Jenna and Amari were spreading out netting to pull over the tarps which were now laying on the ship. I knew Amari could run that bucket as well as I could. Every now and then she let me take over so I would feel useful. It was getting dark before the tarps and netting had been secured and paint was splashed helter skelter over it all to cover any straight lines. We took the boom truck back to the yard and returned home.

Jenna went into the house to bath and clean up, Amari went into the ship to realign and rebroadcast. Time was closing in on her and me.

When we made it back into the house, Jenna was waiting. “Listen little brother, it is obvious you can’t go to school like that.”

She shook her head after imagining what might happen if her brother showed up as Amari. “I’ll make some sort of excuse for you tomorrow if Amari’s ride doesn’t show up tonight. Are you sure you two can’t separate now?”

“Not yet, Jenna.” I didn’t feel the need to tell sis come Tuesday Amari and I had gone as far as we could supporting one another. She would shove me away to keep me from dying and afterwards she would slowly die herself. I wanted to sit down and bawl. The injustice of it all. Amari had traveled a million light years from home to die. It wasn’t right.

‘courage, young one. you have a lifetime ahead of you. we have shared everything between us. i will not die, for do you not understand through the bonding we are one? come, let us clean up this body as I feel a need to be clean’

“Amari is going to clean up, Sis. Help will come. They must.” I headed for the bathroom before Amari took over again.

“I still don’t think that’s right.” Jenna watched as Amari walked into the bathroom.

Amari purposely took her time bathing in the bathtub, soaping down and wiping every square inch of her body. And I do mean every square inch! I wasn’t over run with emotions nor was I shocked. If I could describe it, I enjoyed it as every woman would and no man could. Men don’t have the same sensory input women do. I was so in love with a woman who I would give my life for if possible. Amari was everything a woman should be.

After the bath she dried off and retrieved her sphere. Her golden jumpsuit appeared on her again. I knew why. We were going to spend the night in her ship adjusting and sending signals all night long. There wouldn’t be any sleep for us.

At seven the next morning, we fixed breakfast while Jenna got ready for school. She came into the kitchen wearing jeans, boots, cowboy belt and buckle. She was wearing a polyester mauve blouse with enough darts it was form fitting to her body. I revised my opinion of my sister again. She wasn’t only the hottest girl in school, she was the hottest one in Texas.

“You’re looking good, Sis. Something special today or you just want to stun all the boys so they flunk all their grades.”

She laughed, “Ha, no, I’m taking the pickup to school so I can come home right after. Don’t answer the door if anyone knocks. You have a slight fever so you stayed home today. It’s the only excuse I could think of that wasn’t that questionable.”

Ten minutes after taking a bite of her eggs, toast, and drinking a glass of milk she was out the door.
I dumped the dishes in the sink and let Amari go out to the ship. Time was getting short.

Amari stayed in the ship all day until we heard the pickup pull into the yard. After retrieving her sphere from the drive console she transported us out of the ship.

She had just walked into the house when we heard another vehicle pull up, and then a second one after that. Jenna walked to the door. “It’s Gabe and Elvis, Chris is in the second car. Stay in the house.”
She opened the door and stepped out. “Hi Gabe, lose something?”

“How’s Ron? Heard he didn’t go to school today. Flu or something, mind if check on him?” He wasn’t looking at Jenna but keeping his focus on the house.

“Don’t bother, he’s okay. I checked on him as soon as I got home. Little fever, still in bed. We’re good.” Jenna looked from Gabe over to Elvis and Chris who were still back by the vehicles. They were suspicious and cautious.

“I’ll go on in and check on him then.” Gabe stepped up to the door and opened it.

“Gabe, wait, don’t. Ron is alright.” Jenna was near panic.

Gabe stepped into the house and stopped. The person across the room most certainly wasn’t Ron. “Who are you and what are you doing in this house? Ron and Jenna knew they weren’t supposed to let anyone visit while their parents were gone.”

His eyes scanned the room, saw the shredded couch where the shotgun had chewed it up. His hand went to the gun on his hip.

I gave Gabe credit, he didn’t pull his gun, yet. “Gabe, wait. Listen before you go all Rambo. Please.”

His focus was now intensely on the woman. “Where’s Ron. That is the first item in this conversation.”

“Gabe, listen to me very carefully. You’re one of the smartest people I know. I’ve never heard anyone say you did anything without thinking it through first. Ron is okay. You need to believe that before you pull that gun and do something all of us regret. This will be easier to explain if you let me show you something behind the barn. Step over to the side of the room. I’ll walk out ahead of you. Elvis and Chris are outside and can keep an eye on me after I walk out the door.”

“Behind the barn? What happened to the couch and where’s Ron? Listen lady, I’m losing my patience here and you aren’t in any position to be arguing with me.” Gabe had his hand firmly gripped on his pistol.

“Gabe, you were in the military. If there were ten thousand enemy ahead of you and it was just you and your buddy in the trench would you take them on?”

Gabe snorted in response.

“That’s what you’re facing here. Amari has more disposable power in her possession then you could imagine. She isn’t going to let that knowledge be turned lose so others can exploit it. If you shoot her, me, you have removed her choice. This farm, half the county will be vaporized. Give everyone a chance to live. For god’s sake, go see what is behind the barn before you kill us all with your stubbornness.” I could sense Amari holding that sphere in her hand. She was allowing me to do the talking but not hold the sphere.

“ELVIS, CHRIS, WE’RE COMING OUT. KEEP YOUR GUNS HANDY.” Gabe backed up across the room.

“Gabe, thank you.” I walked out the door.

Elvis and Chris expected someone to come out. What did wasn’t exactly what they expected. The lady in the gold jumpsuit was..., stunning. “GABE, IS THIS ALL OF THEM?” Elvis yelled back.

Gabe quickly gave a quick search through the rest of the house. Still no Ron or anyone else. Minutes later he came out. “She’s the only one. Ron isn’t in the house.”

“Behind the barn and I’ll explain.” I pointed off across the yard.

“No tricks, you run, I shoot. Do you understand?” Gabe held back about six feet.

“Just don’t get jumpy. Tell Elvis and Chris to breathe before they do anything stupid.”

Jenna walked up beside me and took my hand. “We can’t blame Gabe. He was worried about us. He promised mom and dad he would look in on us.”

“I know. If he had only waited another day. Oh well, what is done is done.” I led them out into the field so they could look at the ship.

Gabe and the others were staring at it. Gabe was the first to question. “What the hell is that?”

“THAT! Is an interplanetary spaceship which had…, engine trouble. Remember those fighter jets that flew over last Friday pushing as hard as they could go? The sonic booms? They were chasing this. It is the reason we covered it. Any planes searching for this ship probably had a search pattern they are working.”
That was when we heard the sonic boom, a whine, and a tube ship about a two hundred feet in diameter and four hundred feet long settled down in the field a hundred feet from us.

“It is me they are after. Everyone leave now. Ron, we break our bond.” She pushed.

There was a flash, and I was standing there looking back at Amari. “NO!”

Some really ugly people were coming across the field toward us from the ship. Every story about big eyed, large head, small mouth gray aliens was drawn with these guys in mind.

So far, Gabe, Elvis, Chris, Jenna hadn’t moved. Jenna of course knew this was real but I wasn’t sure about the others. “Gabe, you and the others need to leave now if you can. Take Jenna with you.”

If finally dawned on Gabe I was standing there too. “Where did you come from? Were you inside that ship?”

“Gabe, Sis, leave. These aren’t nice people.” I had Amari’s knowledge of them in my mind. I didn’t think they were going to let any of us live.

All of them were armed except for the big one who stopped about ten feet from Amari. “Greetings Princess, we picked up your signal. Your ship is disabled, we are here to guard it until it can be retrieved.”

It was a language none of the others could understand. My bonding with Amari gave me the ability to know what he had said.

“I will never let you have my ship. Get back in yours and leave now while you still can.” Amari stared back at him.

“You are not in any position to bargain, Princess. We scanned your ship and you have no time disrupter. It’s a pity as that is what we really wanted. The rest of your ship will suffice.”

“Never.”

I could feel Amari's grip tighten on the sphere. I looked at my sister. “Jenna, I love you. You’re more of a sister than anyone deserves and more of a beautiful woman than any boy deserves.”

“Ron, what’s going on? What are they saying?” Jenna stepped up beside me and took my hand.

“They want Amari’s ship. She isn’t going to let them have it. When she calls for self destruct nothing is going to survive in a ten mile radius.”

“Jesus!” Gabe took a deep breath.

There was a sonic boom that rattled everyone’s brain along with a concussion wind that swept out from where a huge saucer appeared approximately twenty feet from the first ship. I didn’t have time to count as somewhere approximately thirty or forty men and women appeared in a formation facing the first group. Some were kneeling, others standing and all of them armed with what I knew was very serious firepower. Really serious weapons!

I don’t know when or how Gabe made it to his truck and back. He had retrieved a high end camera and was taking pictures like mad.

A man and a woman walked over to our little gathering. Both stood the same height as Amari, about six six or six seven. Both had silky white hair that hung down to their waist and pointed ears that stuck up above it. Soft white jump suits, utility belts, side arms, and I swear to god he had a sword over his shoulder. She had a bow slung over hers. Both had lithe bodies, she packed a lot of easy curves into her suit.

He stopped short keeping an eye on the alien. “Sojo, how unpleasant to met you again. You were in the neighborhood were you?”

“Argus, why all this show of force? I am offended. Is this anyway to treat someone on a diplomatic mission?” The gray turned his attention from Amari to the newcomer.

“Diplomatic mission? Is that what they are calling looting, stealing, murder now days? I’m sure you decided to stop, help the Princess, and relieve her of her ship and probably her life. How would you like to end this old friend?” A wicked smile crossed Argus face.

Saucers began to appear in the sky like snowflakes. I mean they just appeared one after another every tenth of a second or so until I figured there were about twenty or thirty of them.

The woman turned her attention to Amari and gave a slight curtsy. “Your Highness, do you know what is wrong with your ship?”

Her voice was lilting and angelic. I was positive the men would have sworn an oath to marry her on the spot if they could find their wits or their tongues. All six foot six of her, pointy ears, almond eyes, and heart shaped face. That would include the weapons she was carrying, I’m sure.

Amari glanced over at the guys and I thought she was going to giggle but she held it back. “Usha, you have entranced the men. Do you want to take one or all of them home with you? The displacement drive went out on my ship.”

Usha was holding a sphere in her hand. She spoke to it. “The Princess says the displacement drive is out. Send a ship to retrieve one. I apologize your Highness we didn’t bring a spare with us.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. It isn’t something that has happened in over eleven thousand years.”

Usha got a frown on her face. “Your environment stabilizer is tied into your ship drive. How did…, Oh.” She took a look at me. “You bonded.”

Argus took a quick glance in my direction but didn’t say anything. He focused back on Sojo. “Your window of leaving is closing old friend. You can stay until we leave. When we go, everyone goes except for those who live here.”

“Another time perhaps.” Sojo waved to the others outside his ship. They started filing back inside.

“Perhaps.” Argus waited as Sojo walked back to his ship before he turned to Amari.

He gave a slight bow of his head. “Your Highness. I apologize for the delay. We never picked up your signal. Orand, received it and sent a ship to inform us. They having only light ten it was four days in coming.”

A saucer landed in the field, two women appeared outside it, one holding a sphere about the size of a soccer ball. It was a time displacement drive for Amari’s ship. They walked up to her ship and disappeared. I knew they were inside replacing the drive. They had left here after receiving notice her ship needed the drive replaced. Traveled a million light years home picked up a drive unit and traveled a million light years back in the time everyone had been occupied in keeping the grays entertained. Unbelievable! My mind boggled at what these people achieved.

When the drive was initiated in her ship I could sense her small sphere pick up and stabilize the environment around her. She was safe now from the toxins we put in our own air. That included what mother nature dumped into it from all the sulfuric volcano eruptions around the world, I didn’t need to wonder why Elvan’s left if they had been here.

“Princess, your ship has been repaired, we need to leave.” Behind Argus, Sojo’s ship was lifting off.

“A moment Argus, a debt must be paid.” She walked over and took my hands in both of hers.

“Their flyers are approaching your Highness. Time is of the essence.” Usha moved up beside Amari.

“Our fighter jets. They were scrambled when that first ship appeared. You must go, Amari. I’ll never forget you.” I leaned up and kissed her on the lips. To hell with what her people thought. We shared our lives for four days closer than anyone on my world ever had.

She didn’t pull back and actually returned the kiss before breaking it off. “We are bonded. You understand what it entails. Stay safe.”

She let go of my hands and turned to Usha. “Transport me to my ship.”

“By your command, Your Highness.” Usha and Amari both disappeared. Her ship rose up in the air taking the tarps, netting, ropes, stakes with it. Then it disappeared. Everything that had covered it floated back down to the ground.

Argus studied me for a few seconds before he nodded and disappeared. Almost at the same instant all the saucers disappeared.

Our meeting with aliens had become a non occurrence except in our minds. There wasn’t any physical evidence left they had ever been here. Except…, I smiled.

“No one and I mean no one is going to believe any of this.” Elvis finally found his voice.

“I’m not telling. Everyone will think I’m crazy.” Chris was looking around to make sure it was all gone. Whatever “it” was that happened.

Gabe looked at me and then Jenna. “Care to explain?”

Looking over at Jenna at back at Gabe I shrugged my shoulders. “Explain what Gabe? I think I’m over the fever. I’ll be back in school tomorrow if that is what you are asking. Must have been that twenty four hour virus.”

There were four sonic booms as four fighter jets streaked across the sky. Jenna looked up. “I wonder what they are doing? Gabe, are they out practicing today?”

Gabe looked frustrated. “Okay you two. What about that shredded couch in the living room? Huh? I didn’t imagine that.”

He held the camera up. “As far as other things we AREN’T talking about. I’ll make sure what is in here gets spread out to all the right people. Don’t you two go and admit anything happened here today.”

“That poor old couch?” I looked over at Jenna. “I thought you called the exterminators? Termites are bad this time of year. Don’t know how they got into the house. Must have left the door open.”

Gabe was laughing as he shook his head. “You two are a pair. I want to be here when your parents get back and see you try and explain the couch, much less that.” He pointed to the tarps and netting spread out across the field.

The corners of Jenna’s mouth curled up. “Art project. Sorry daddy, Ron and I were assigned an art project on camouflage and we got carried away.”

Elvis and Chris started laughing as they turned around and started walking back to their vehicles. Elvis looked over at Chris. “Best damn art project I ever saw.”

“Yep.” Chris nodded in agreement.

“Jody decided her old couch didn’t go with her paint scheme. It’s only a couple months old and she’s replacing it. The old one is by the alley in back of her house. Take yours, dump it where hers is at and replace yours. It’s not a match for the one you have. I’m betting your parents never notice. And for that you owe me the story of what happened to that couch. I expect to be paid sometime in the future.” Gabe gave us both the eye before he turned and walked back to his truck.

Walking over to Jenna I pulled her into a hug. “I love you, Sis. More than words can explain. Thanks for being there for Amari and me.”

She hugged me back. “I love you too little brother.”

She pushed back and looked into my eyes. “Now spill. What are you not telling?”

Holding out my hand the sphere appeared in it. “Amari left this.”

“She’s coming back isn’t she? When?” Jenna was still looking in my eyes.

“In one hundred and seventy two days. Jenna, I’m in love and she loves me. It happened while we were bonded. It shouldn’t have between a human and an Elvan but…”

“And then what? She can’t stay here. You plan on leaving with her?”

“Yes. I’ve been invited to return to her star systems. Sis, please, think about coming with. I know you have friends and we both have family but there is so much more out there. We can be the bridge between their world and humans once more.” I took Jenna’s hand and was leading her back to the house. More sonic booms shook the world as more fighters flew by looking for that which was a million light years away now.

“I don’t know.” Jenna shook her head. “I haven’t been invited. What will Amari and her people say? They already left once if the fairy tales have any truth to them.”

“They will say the same thing I said, they will love you. Give it some thought, Sis. Now, I’m starving, I haven’t eaten anything for four days.”

“I thought you and Amari were sharing that energy thing. Was that a lie?” Jenna and I headed to the kitchen to dig out some food.

“No it was the truth. But the other truth is, physical substance wasn’t passing between us. Tomorrow was the last day we could have bonded. The problem is when I left, she would die in a couple hours. If I didn’t leave, we both would die at the same time.”

She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“What was there to say? We were looking at a problem with no solution. Sharing our end with you wouldn’t help and only make you worry also.” I pulled her into another hug. “I love you, stinky, ugly girl, let’s find something to eat.”

She swatted me on the shoulder as I pulled back from her. “Listen brat, you’re not anything I’d wish to share with my cheerleader club. Keep your insolent remarks to yourself.”

When I opened the door and reached into the fridge to retrieve the hamburger meat, I felt Jenna hold onto a handful of hair.

“Just a minute little brother. How much of that bonding did you share with the Elf? Four days? Your hair is longer, softer, shinier.” She pulled me back from the fridge and cupped my chin in her hand. “Your skin is smoother, there is a definite change to the shape of your eyes. What is going on?”

Taking hold of her hands again I focused on her eyes. “Promise me you won’t freak out on me.”

“I’m not making any promises until I know what I’m not supposed to freak out on. Give…, OH MY GOD! YOU’RE CHANGING INTO AN ELF!”

I nodded in agreement.

“OH MY GOD!” Jenna stared back.

There was no sense in telling her the rest of it. In that one hundred and seventy two days, maybe she will be willing to accept and understand the whole change. I loved my sister even if she was the prettiest girl in the state and a cheerleader…, ugh!

================================================================================

It wasn’t even daylight when the sound of heavy vehicles pulling up into our yard woke Jenna and me. She was coming out of her bedroom and had a bathrobe wrapped around her. I was pulling up my pants. She looked at the lights shining in through the living room windows. “Now what?”

“Call Gabe, I bet it is the military or worse.” I retrieved the shotgun. It was stupid I know. They are going to have automatics and there are going to be several of them. Pointing a gun at them will only promise to bring pain and possible death to one of us and it won’t be them.

There was heavy pounding on the door. “Come out of the house with your hands in the air.”

“YOU COME IN THAT DOOR AND I’LL CUT YOU IN HALF WITH THIS SHOTGUN.” Sure I was bluffing, which only works if the other side doesn’t call you on it. I wasn’t sure Gabe could be any help when he got here. He would be like me, kinda over matched no matter who these guys were.

“You can’t escape. We have the house covered. Come out now and no one will get hurt.”

“They cut off the phone somehow.” She held the cellphone out. There was no signal strength. “I already called the dispatcher and was cut off. Hopefully Gabe will get the message.”

“YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. LEAVE BEFORE I CALL THE SHERIFF.” If the situation hadn’t been so bad I would have laughed. “I hope they don’t know you called before they cut us off.”

The sound of our back door being shredded by something big and heavy caused Jenna to scream. Me? I didn’t scream until a tenth of a second later the front door was smashed in and pieces went skidding across the floor. Big and uglies in black armor carrying heavy automatics swarmed into the room from the backroom and the front door.

“DROP YOUR WEAPON! DO IT NOW!” Came from the guy sticking a gun barrel in my face while Jenna was screaming bloody murder.

I was positive I would go deaf either from Jenna’s screaming or these clowns yelling. Maybe both. I dropped the shotgun hoping it would go off and tear someone’s feet or ankles apart. Didn’t happen. In retrospect probably best. If the shotgun had gone off everyone of them would have pulled their own triggers. Gotta love adrenaline pumped Storm Troopers.

“FACE DOWN ON THE FLOOR! DO IT NOW!”

They didn’t wait as they pushed Jenna and me face down onto the floor, grabbed our wrists and zipped us up with those always useful zip tie handcuffs. Jenna was bawling now. Me? I was more than pissed they were treating my sister this way. These guys were operating way outside the law.

A man on either side of us grabbed us under the arm and yanked us to our feet, half carrying half dragging us outside. That was the moment more red and blue lights showed up along with a couple blasts on a siren, whup, whup. Spotlights came on along with Baja Cab lights, Then another half dozen trucks with red blue lights pulled up with their spotlights added to the blinding light we were all now bathed in. I couldn’t see a darn thing. I was positive none of those who first arrived could either. Only those behind those lights were able to see what was in front of them.

“This is Sheriff Howard. Put down your weapons and release your hostages.”

Lieutenant Casey tried covering his eyes. “This is a military matter. Back away.”

“I see, Lt. Casey, you seem to be head of this Operation Fuck Up. The military has no jurisdiction here. And before you bring up that fucked up concept the military has jurisdiction over all civilians, it is a lie fostered by your own government. The Posse Comitatus Act was passed explicitly for assholes like you who like to step outside the rule of law. If weapons start to discharge for one reason or another, you are going to be the first to die.”

“Hank, are you secured?”

“That’s affirmative, Captain. The Lieutenant is acquired as target lock.” Came from behind the lights.

“Kelly, have you registered all the men taking part in this stupidity?”

“Everyone of them is now in the database, Captain. I know where they live, eat, and shit. I also know every family member they have and where they live. The Lieutenant’s up command is Commander Brerman.” Came from way back of the lights.

Some of those macho men who had first arrived and were enjoying themselves to no end frightening a couple civilians, were now having second thoughts. Those behind the lights weren’t civilians or not any civilians they could think of. Had they run into an opposing military unit? Was this a test of their skills to get in and get out without being captured themselves?

“Casey, your call. Release the hostages or die here.” The voice and demeanor was so calm it chilled every man’s soul in front of those lights. It came from a man who had seen Death and no longer feared it himself.

Lt. Casey turned to the men holding the boy and girl. “Release them.” He spit out the words like poison.

Our bonds cut, I reached out for Jenna’s hand. “Come on, Sis.” I started walking toward the lights. There were an awful lot of weapons with adrenaline filled bodies holding their fingers on those triggers. I wanted us to be out of the way if someone twitched.

“Casey, don’t be a fool. We know where you live. We know your whole family. You come back or these kids get hurt, you die. It is that simple. There are no negotiations, no debate. There will be a scorched earth recon if necessary. There is no need to tell Commander Brerman. He has already received the same message. This whole deployment was SNAFU from the beginning.”

“There is no doubt the government in all its stupid wisdom will question the boy and the girl. Do it legally next time. Court order, lawyers, taped sessions. Now, have a good day Lieutenant.”

After Jenna and I got behind those lights and my eyes kind of adjusted, I was looking at over a dozen armed men and women. Some holding automatics, others holding high powered hunting rifles with scopes, two holding sniper rifles with some kind of laser sights on them. Where had Gabe called up all these people? How did they get here so quickly? This was all preplanned. It had to be.

“Get in the truck. You’re staying with friends the rest of the night.” Gabe opened the passenger door to his truck.

The military was pulling out as Gabe’s posse backed out of the way. After the last military truck left, the others in Gabe’s group begin leaving.

Gabe was pulling out of the driveway onto the road, I had my arm around Jenna when she started shaking. I reached under her chin and turned her head so she was facing me. “Jenna, look at me.”

The eyes of a frightened deer were looking back at me. My heart went out to my sister as my disgust for what happened rose. “Jenna, we were never in any real danger. Look into my eyes, I’ve never lied to you.”

I gave her a one arms squeeze as hard as I could. “Remember Amari’s private rooms? She left me the doorway to those rooms. I didn’t tell you because it didn’t seem important. I’m such an idiot. Yours and my life is bonded also. Not in the way I bonded with Amari but it is a bond of love, and trust, and sharing. If I felt we were in any real danger I would have pulled you into that room with me. Once we did that we would have to leave for certain. They would never leave us alone, ever again. I strongly suspect we would disappear in one of our government’s rooms to never be seen or heard from again.”

“Am I right, Captain?” I leaned forward to look past Jenna at Gabe.

Gabe chuckled. “A little too smart for your own good, Ron. You’re right. Now, what is this private room you were telling your sister? I have a real strong hunch it has something to do with all those ships and people we saw yesterday.”

Taking a deep breath I sighed. “Gabe, probably best you didn’t know. That said, the lady you met when you walked into the house yesterday was both Amari and me.”

Gabe’s head snapped around in my direction before turning his attention back to the road and his driving. “okie dokie”

“No, it is true. While we shared the same space we didn’t actually share the same time. I was slightly out of sync with the present. They utilize a Time, Displacement, Disrupter for their drive systems, weapon systems, and for life support along with thousands of other things. It is kind of like a Swiss all in one knife. Before Augus and the others arrived we were about to receive a first hand look at how powerful that weapon could be as it flattened everything in a ten mile radius. Amari would not let that technology fall into the hands of Sojo and the others.”

“You still haven’t got to the room.”

“No, guess I haven’t have I. It is tied in with the disrupter technology. Elvan can create folds in time and in those folds they can create homes away from home. When the fold is created it also is tainted with the essence of the Elvan who created it. Thus it is tethered to the one who created it. It is always near them no matter where they are.”

“So, this Amari has a room no one else can see. And this explains why you weren’t worried?”

Holding my right hand out in front of me, I opened it up. In the palm of my hand was a glowing sphere. Jenna gasped. Gabe glanced over. “I supposed that means something?”

“Amari put this in my hand before she left when she kissed me. It was why she couldn’t teleport herself back into her own ship and asked Usha to do it.”

Jenna sucked in her breath as her eyes focused in on mine. “You have her rooms! But the bond…, You’re tainted with her essence. That is why you are changing.”

“Woe, tainted, changing? Do I dare ask?” Gabe was slowing down afraid his attention was no longer on his driving.

“Gabe, Jenna already knows. Please don’t freak out on me. Over time, I am slowly changing into an Elvan. The lady you saw in our living room imprinted on me. It isn’t something I fear. In fact, I’m thrilled it happened. In time, less than a year, I will leave and join them in their star systems. I’ve been invited and I’m going to accept. I’ve asked Jenna to come with me. The reason I didn’t go with them now, I wanted to give Jenna time to think about it.” I closed my hand and the sphere disappeared.

Gabe shook his head as he pulled into the driveway of Art and Connie Newberry. “I always knew you and Jenna were special. Had no idea how special until now.”

He looked at his watch. “A little after four. This night has been shot to pieces.”

The porch light came on and Connie stuck her head out the door. “Come on in.”

“A couple of us will be by around seven thirty, take you back out to the farm to get your school clothes and make sure none of those idiots are waiting around. You still have school despite leaving this world behind in a few months.”

Jenna leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks Gabe, you’re the best.”

“Scoot, brats.”

Jenna and I were both giggling as we slid out of the truck and headed for the house.

School? We had some of our own clothes handed to us the next morning. Someone had been out to the farm and collected what they thought Jenna and I would wear. Jenna was wearing her cheerleader costume. I was wearing jeans and a denim shirt. The conversation around school was the lights or silver things or sparkles yesterday out east of town in our direction. Add the sonic booms and everyone was guessing what was going on. Jenna and I stuck to the story we didn’t really notice anything. It had to be the military doing something.

We had a test in second hour algebra and Mrs. Travers, my teacher, held up my test paper after looking at it. “Ron, I want you to wait after class.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Some of the jocks were humming the death march as they filed out. Joey snickered as he walked by my desk. “You’re screwed bitch.”

Slowly I gathered my books and walked up to stand in front of Mrs. Traver’s desk, and silently waited as she stared at me.

A small smile touched her eyes and her lips as she looked at my test paper. “Have an interesting night?”

I choked. That wasn’t what I was prepared for. “uh, yes, ma’am, I did, we did, Jenna and I both did.”

“And yesterday? When you didn’t come to school, was that interesting also?” Her eyes were dancing in amusement now.

“ummm, I guess.” Where was she going with this?

“There are some very interesting pictures being shared among some very few select people. I would like to hear the story behind those pictures sometime.”

“Yes, ma’am, I would like to hear that story myself. Possibly see the pictures also? The story might be worth sharing as long as people don’t start dying or disappearing. I pray the pictures don’t cause any of those problems if any of it is true.”

“What interested me is your test paper. You normally make a C in this class. Did you study for this test while you were home sick yesterday?”

“No ma’am. Did I fail the test?”

She closed her eyes for a second as the smile spread to her cheeks. “You know you didn’t. Is there any test I can give, you won’t ace?”

Now it was my turn to smile. “I don’t take Calculus until next year. Think I might take it now?”

“Do you need the book to study for the tests?”

“Probably not, but I ought to carry one anyway.”

“Should I order in any college courses?”

“That would be interesting and a waste of money.”

“Okay, try and not get to bored with the rest of us while we work through the school year. I’m looking forward to hearing that story about the photographs.”

“Me too.” As I walked out of her class, I knew without one iota of doubt she was one of those who were there last night.

I stopped at the door and turned. “Mrs. Travers?”

She looked up where her attention had been on the test papers on her desk. “Yes?”

“Thanks. Don’t worry about me. I’m beyond being hurt unless they hurt those around me. Watch your back. Please. That was a very brave and foolish thing everyone did last night. Jenna and I are grateful. They will do their best to find the names of everyone who was there. Take care, please.” I headed for English class.

“The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he is on.” Catch 22

There are only four hundred twenty six students in high school. I explained over one thousand times I had no idea what was going on where everyone thought they saw something yesterday. Elvis picked me up after school; Jenna was staying for pep rally practice.

“Elvis, I don’t like leaving my sister alone like that.” I was looking back at the school as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Bryan is watching. He’ll send out an alert if any strangers show up.”

“Mark’s dad? How many are in the know? Wait don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” Gabe had four deputies and two dispatchers. The deputies filled in time slots as dispatchers also. I knew Gabe was going to make his two dispatchers, Carla and Betty deputies as soon as they received their cleet certifications. There were over twenty people out at the house last night after the military showed up. I prayed what they did didn’t get any of them hurt.

When Elvis pulled up in the yard I noticed someone had nailed a sheet of plywood over where the front door used to be. “Did they nail up the back door too?”

“Yep, figured to keep the skunks and other critters out.”

“Thank them for me. I’ll call Eldon Hays and see if he can come out tomorrow and repair the doors.” I slid out of the pickup.

“Good idea. Tell your folks some wild creatures got to fighting in the yard and busted the door.”

“Wild creatures? Shouldn’t I be a little more specific? And the back door? How do I explain that one?” I was chuckling as I head to the barn to feed and water the horse and chickens. Bet they figured I forgot them since I didn’t do it this morning. Tug wasn’t anywhere around to be seen. Probably hadn’t left the haystack since the other night.

“More wild creatures. Ron, you and your sister are good as gold. Half the town thinks you two were adopted. The whole town would think the same thing if Shirley and Helen hadn’t been there when your momma gave birth to you kids. Tell your parents the doors were starting to sag and getting drafty. You thought you would surprise them with decent doors when they came home. I’ll make you a dollar bet. No matter which story you tell, your parents won’t even say much more than good after you tell them.”

I laughed as I walked into the barn. “No bet.”

It was then I noticed Elvis had got quiet. I turned around to see him standing by the front of the barn with his hand resting on his gun. “Elvis?”

“Nothing Ron, just cautious. Get your chores done and we’ll go to the house so you can pack up some clothes for a couple days.

Chores were quickly taken care of. I gathered the eggs and set the basket in Elvis truck before heading to the house where Elvis was using a crowbar to pull the nails back. It wasn’t going to be a job like I thought it would when I first saw the plywood. Whoever did it used duplex nails. That’s a nail with a second head about an eight of an inch below the top head. Designed that way so the top head is above the wood the bottom head is holding the wood down. Easy to pull when it became necessary.

The quick door removed, I walked in and saw the phone Jenna had been using that night lying on the floor. Picking it up, it still held a charge and I had a signal. Picking up one of the old newspapers I opened it up to the classifieds hoping Eldon’s ad was in it. The paper was the Plainview Daily Herald. Doxy didn’t have a newspaper. We had a kind of information page printed up and posted at the Get and Go Drive-in. Mostly a gossip page with some advertising on it along with schedules of the school programs and plays.

Eldon’s single line ad was there. He was a carpenter, one of the best around for over a hundred miles and that included Plainview. He built cabinets, furniture, and even a couple houses. It was rumored he lived in Doxy because he liked the people and the laid back atmosphere. I gave the number a try.

“Eldon” he answered on the first ring.

“This is Ronald Howard. Our house seemed to have an accident the other night. The front door and the back door need to be replaced. Really soon. Are you able to work it into your schedule?” I knew Eldon never had a slack day. Everyone wanted him as their cabinet builder. Was I insulting him by asking him to replace a couple doors?

He laughed. “I heard about your termite problem. Gabe told me they managed to get in and chew up your couch too before you shot them with the twelve gauge. I’ll take care of it tomorrow morning. I was kinda curious what your place looked like after those termites got hold of it.”

“I don’t have enough cash from what mom and dad left to pay you. Jenna has an okay on their credit card. I’ll ask her to stop by tomorrow evening if you can accept credit cards.”

“Ron, don’t worry about it. I know your folks real well. I’ll send them an invoice when they return home. They can invoice the government to pay for it. Expect a real long delay getting a payment from them, if at all. Better ask Gabe or one of the deputies for your new keys before you head home tomorrow. That be okay?”

“Perfect. Gabe and the others have been a godsend for Jenna and me. Elvis is here with me now. I don’t know how much of the rest of the county is getting looted while they baby sit us.”

Eldon laughed again. “Right, we are knee deep in thieves while Gabe and his deputies are baby sitting Jenna…, Trust me Ron, it ain’t you they are looking after.”

That one caused me to laugh too. “Don’t I know it. Thanks Eldon, you’re the best.”

I closed up the phone and gathered up a couple days worth of school clothes. I gave a very brief thought to gathering up some for Jenna. It was really brief. I had no idea what her next two days school activities were. I shook my head. How sad was it I took Jenna for granted expecting her to do her thing everyday while I did mine. My total knowledge of her school activities was, she was a cheerleader. I loved my sis with all my heart and didn’t know what she did. Pathetic! That would change starting today.

I couldn’t call her asking what she needed for school. I was holding her cell phone in my hand. I didn’t have a cell phone of my own. I never needed one nor wanted one.

Elvis and I were soon headed back to town. I was going to stay with Chris and his family tonight while Jenna stayed with one of her cheerleader teammates, Evon Burrows. I understood Gabe would run taxi service for Jenna when it was time for her to retrieve clothes from the farm. I rolled the little sphere around in my hand. I could have stayed at the farm and been perfectly safe even if the government military came back with a thousand men next time. And if there were a next time, I would pull Jenna into hiding with me. If I had been thinking I would have done it that first time they showed up. The house would have seemed empty to them. I wasn’t really thinking then. Maybe it was for the best? How much of the house would they have torn up looking for us?

Wednesday school started normal enough. It was a shame it didn’t end the same way. Four men showed up at the principle’s office claiming they had a warrant for the arrest of one Ronald Wayne Howard and one Jenna Ann Howard. Two men stayed at the office making sure no one made any phone calls and the other two separated to go pick up the individuals from their classes.

When it happened I was in Mrs. Travers class. A big guy walked into the classroom, eyed me and headed for me. “Ronald Howard, you’re under arrest. Let’s go.”

“WHAT! I WANT A LAWYER AND A PHONE CALL!” I was trying to gather up my books as he manhandled me out of my chair. My books and papers scattered everywhere as I was literally hauled out of my seat by my right arm.

Mrs. Travers was really brave to step over in front of the door blocking it. “This is an illegal arrest. You can’t do this.”

He shoved her aside as he dragged me out the door. “I’m a Federal Agent. You’re interfering with the operations of a Federal Agent and you will be arrested too.”

Mrs. Travers hastened back to her desk and picked up her phone. She touched a couple buttons. “GABE, THEY’RE HERE! THEY ARRESTED RON!”

Fifteen miles to the south of Doxy, Gabe tossed his phone on the pickup seat and pushed the accelerator all the way to the floor. “shit, shit, shit”

He keyed his radio as the speedometer was climbing up past seventy. “CARLA, GET ELVIS AND CHRIS OVER TO THE HIGHSCOOL NOW! THEY ARE TRYING TO ARREST THE KIDS! STOP THEM! I DON’T CARE IF THEY RUN OVER THE SONS OF BITCHES! STOP THEM!”

“They are headed that way, Gabe.” Came back over the radio.

Emergency lights flashing, siren wailing, Gabe’s truck topped out at a hundred and thirty eight miles per hour.

Jenna and Ronald Howard were handcuffed sitting in the back of an SUV between two men as it headed west out of Doxy on FM 214 running close to eighty five miles per hour. “In four minutes we’ll be out of the county and that asshole sheriff’s jurisdiction.”

“This is illegal. You guys are so hosed.” I knew they wouldn’t care what I said. Hopefully it reassured Jenna who hadn’t said anything after they had dragged her screaming out of the school and tossed her in the car.

“Shut up you little freak. All we wanted was to ask you about those ships. You couldn’t do this the easy way could you? You and that fucking sheriff. Where does that prick think he gets off telling the military they can’t arrest civilians?” Came from the guy in the front passenger seat.

“The military must be more intelligent than you idiots. They took the hint and left. Kidnapping us from school? That’s real intelligent. Hundreds of witnesses left behind, el Stupid O.”

Jenna started crying.

“Sis, don’t worry. Everything will be okay. I promised I’d take care of you. I mean it now more than ever.” I cupped the sphere in my right hand. If I started teleporting these guys out of the car…? Sis and I would probably die before either one of us could make the driver’s seat and the steering wheel. Still, could I be charged with murder since we had been kidnapped and I was defending my sister and myself?

I smiled as a thought came to me. Why didn’t I do this back at the school? If the time, matter, displacement sphere could teleport, it was a very powerful weapon among so many other things. There was a pop under the hood.

“What was that?” The driver was looking at his dashboard. Everything looked good so he ignored it. He also ignored focusing on his gauges for the next several minutes until the engine started knocking. A quick look at his gauges showed him the problem. The water temperature was way over redline.

“Oh hell, the engine overheated.” He didn’t slow down. The engine knock got louder until there was a bang under the hood. It sounded like a rock crusher just before the engine died.

“Hells, bells, Paul call for an air evac.” He steered the coasting car over to the side of the road. Behind was an oil streak down the highway.

“Gabe, they lost an engine. Looked like they lost water first. They didn’t stop. There is an oil streak for a half mile down the highway. Probably threw a rod.” June in the AirPatrol Cessna had gone up to check on some smoke to the west when she heard what was going on via the radio. She saw the smoke was nothing more than Doran burning off some shrub brush. She changed course and picked up the SUV speeding down the highway. Flying at four thousand feet and half a mile to the back left quadrant of the black SUV she was keeping Gabe informed where they were.

“Thanks June, we are four miles away yet. I’ll be there in less than two minutes.” Gabe had been pushing his truck for all it was worth. Linda Travers had run out of the school behind the agents and got into her own truck. She followed them out to FM 214 keeping Gabe and the others informed which way they were headed.

There was a ranch road cutting across Tropp’s ranch between where Gabe was when he received the first call and the second. It would be ten miles shorter than taking the road he was on to Doxy and heading west on FM 214. Several times on that old ranch road, Gabe wondered if he had pushed it too hard each time his pickup was launched airborne to land fifty or eighty feet further down the road. And each time he mentally said no as he thought of Ron and Jenna being kidnapped. And that was exactly what it was, a kidnapping no matter what kind of credentials those guys had.

When he spun upon FM 214 he was less than a mile behind Chris and Elvis who were pushing their respective trucks for everything they had.

Six minutes later Gabe passed them. Chris grinned from ear to ear. “You’re in deep shit now boys.”

That was about the time June told them their target, trailing oil, had pulled over to the side of the road. Gabe rocketed by the black SUV, slammed on his brakes, tires squawling in protest. When his speed looked right, he did a defensive, pulled his emergency brake, let off the brakes and whipped the steering wheel to the left. The truck hop scotched as the rear end swung around. Gabe released the emergency brake and hit the accelerator. Smoke poured away from the rear tires as they clawed for traction. He was racing back toward the black SUV. Fifty feet in front of it he shut it down in a diagonal block across the highway, passenger side facing the SUV.

Gabe was instantly out of his truck and had a big serious rifle with a scope and laser.

“It’s that fucking sheriff.” Came from the front passenger.

“He’s out of his jurisdiction.” Came from the driver.

“For someone good at spouting laws, you sure don’t mind breaking them.” I kept a good tight hold on the sphere. If things went badly, Jenna and I weren’t going to be in the middle of it.

“Shut up you little asshole.” The guy on my right smacked me across the face.

Two trucks pulled up twenty feet behind the SUV turning so they also put their passenger side toward the car. Chris and Elvis might not have been as fast as Gabe but it was only seconds they were aiming at the SUV with scoped rifles. Cars were coming up the highway from the direction of Doxy, stopping and people with rifles were running up to the trucks where Chris and Elvis were.

The driver, Daren saw several women in that gathering crowd. “Damn vigilantes. He unbuckled his seatbelt, opened his door and stood up outside the car. “I’m a Federal Agent. You are interfering with our operations. Back off before I place all of you under arrest.”

“Your name Mr. Agent?” Gabe called across the short space.

“Special Agent Tucker, sheriff. I need to remind you, you have no authority here. We are out of your jurisdiction.”

“Damn hillbilly law.” Tucker muttered under his breath.

“So I can call it in and check. The other agents with you are?” Gabe put the crosshairs on agent Tucker’s heart.

“Special Agent Sheffield, Special Agent Carlson, and Special Agent Riggs.”

“As if it is any of your fucking business.” Tucker was muttering to himself again.

“Okay, this is how it is going to be Special Agent Tucker. My jurisdiction as you seem so intent to point out the law to me does not end at the county line if I am in pursuit of a felon. That is one who has committed a crime in case you need a refresher course in law terminology. You and your special agent associates became felons when you kidnapped Jenna Ann Howard and Ronald Wayne Howard from school.”

“I have a warrant!” Tucker sputtered.

“Did you show your warrant before you kidnapped the kids? Careful now, there are dozens of witnesses. Your claim you have a warrant does not provide proof you have same.”

“YOU GOD DAMN HILLBILLY! YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR JURISDICTION! YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY HERE!” Tucker was furious this cow dump cowboy was questioning his legal rights.

“We have hit an impasse, Mister Tucker. I’m not letting you leave here with Jenna or Ron. In one minute I’m going to put a bullet in your heart or your head. Then we are going to close in on that vehicle and see if the other three are as stupid as you. Look at your watch. One minute you turn the kids lose or you die.”

Behind him where the other vehicles were, Tucker heard several clicks as bullets were chambered up into the barrels. They wouldn’t dare! He was a Federal Officer.

Tucker turned his head so those in back could hear him. “Carlson, can you reach the rifles?”

“They are packed in cases behind us. I would have to crawl over the seat to reach them. Tucker, I don’t think that sheriff is bluffing. Have you really looked at all those people behind us? We aren’t going to live through this if we start shooting.”

“Damn it Carlson, get the rifles and stop sniveling.”

“You’ll be dead before I get the first one out. Then I’m going to be dead before I get the clip in. And then Paul and Mark will be smart and not pull their weapons so they can write up the report about how stupid you and I were. I don’t think so Tucker. I’m going in to write that report too. I’m sure it won’t be the same as yours but I’ll be alive to write it. Damn it Tucker, he wanted our names. It wasn’t because he was going to check. If anything happens to these kids they will hunt us down. Twelve fully armed and ready military men decided they didn’t want to mix it up with these people. We are far from ready and you still want to test them?”

“Turn em loose.”

Carlson and Riggs opened the back doors, stood up and pulled Jenna out on the driver’s side and Ron on the right side.

Jenna, still handcuffed, was crying her eyes out as she ran to Gabe’s truck.

“Get in Jenna.” Gabe was still covering the SUV in case anyone decided to be stupid.

She managed to get the passenger door open and climb up into the seat. She doubled over in the seat crying.

Pulled out of the van on the ditch side of the SUV, I ran the opposite direction toward Chris and the others. It was when I reached them I realized Jenna had headed the other way. “JENNA!”

Elvis pulled him behind his truck. “She’s okay. She’s with Gabe. Hold out your hands.”

I held out my arms. Elvis pulled a knife out of his belt and it flicked open with a snick. He cut the nylon zip tie handcuffs. “Get the rest later. Get in the truck.”

After I opened the door and climbed up into the seat, I called the sphere and clutched it in my hand. What was left of the cuffs still strapped to my wrists fell to the floor. Was Jenna too far away? Reaching out, I found her. ‘Jenna, I’m so sorry, I love you Sis’. Her bonds dropped away.

Jenna looked up expecting to see Ron beside her after he had spoken and removed her handcuffs. She wiped her eyes. “Ron?”

‘Don’t be afraid, Sis. I wasn’t going to let them hurt you. I love you more than you will ever understand.’

Gabe got in the truck. “Hold out your hands and I’ll…” He was looking at the handcuffs laying in Jenna’s lap. They weren’t cut off, they were still complete zip tie handcuffs. The problem was, they weren’t on Jenna’s wrists.

“We’ll talk about that later.” Starting up the truck and driving past the SUV he received a glare of hatred from Tucker. The others looked kind of ashamed.

Gabe stopped and rolled down his window. “Don’t come back for seconds, Tucker. You won’t like the final outcome. Leave the kids alone. Be thankful it was only your pride that took a hit. You can take your UFO theories and weather balloon explanations and threats of a lifetime padded cell or disappearing acts and stuff them where the sun doesn’t shine. The kids weren’t the only ones who saw something unusual that day. Pictures have been spread all over the world. You’ll never chase them all down. The claims they were photo shopped or staged and conspiracy theories are rampant.”

Gabe leaned out the window and talked in a very soft voice. “I suggest you take a good look at those pictures yourself. If you want a copy of the originals, email the sheriff’s office. Taken with a high end, twelve thousand dollar, investigative camera, everything is time stamped with a GPS location ID. Of course the location ID was removed before they were sent out for public consumption. Others received them as they were taken.”

“You touch those kids and some ones will be very pissed. You won’t have to worry about me or any of the others in town. The term scorched earth will become very clear to a whole lot of people before they are finished. And everyone will know whom to blame. You’ll be lucky if you die at the beginning.”

He sat back up in the seat. “You can thank me later for saving your sorry ass.”

The roadblock ahead of him had cleared up and everyone was headed back to town except for Chris in his truck and Linda Travers in her pickup. They waited until Gabe passed and then dropped in behind.

“That asshole threatened a Federal Officer. He’s going to be sorry for the day he was born before I’m through.” Tucker was fuming.

Sheffield shook his head. There couldn’t be any stupid left in the world, Tucker owned it all. “Give it a rest Tucker.”

Tucker was already planning on how to get the kids. He would take agents he could count on next time. These three were totally useless in a pinch. That stupid sheriff had no idea who he was messing with. Accidents happen out in the country when no witnesses are around. Call him out for some theft and the county will need a new sheriff.

Back at the school things hadn’t settled down after Jenna and Ron were arrested. Mrs. Travers running out of class after them didn’t help. Nobody was interested in classes or studying. Which was just as well as none of the teachers were interested in teaching. Rumors were running rampant among students and teachers. When some of the kids downloaded the latest UFO pictures spreading across the net, those who had seen the lights and objects to the east of town knew exactly where the pictures were taken. Of course there were the believers and the non believers. Debates and arguments broke out as to who was telling the truth or was it all lies? In a way, kids were learning but it wasn’t anything from the textbooks.

Everyone ended up at the sheriff’s office. They all wanted to give Jenna and Ron a hug or handshake before they returned to their respective vehicles and left. I said my last thank you before Gabe, Elvis, Chris, and Mrs. Travers walked into the office along with my sister and me.

I was frustrated, tired, angry, and yes miserable. Without exposing myself even more there was nothing I could do to protect my sister. “Why don’t they leave us alone! We haven’t done anything. What business is it of theirs if someone stops by and visits for a little while. We didn’t break any laws unless it’s illegal to get out of bed and help someone knocking on your door.”

Looking at Jenna I shook my head. “Jenna, I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. I wanted to kill them but that would only make it worse.”

Looking at Gabe tears started leaking from my eyes. “Gabe, I’m sorry anyone else got mixed up in this. They’ll be back. Maybe not them but certainly others. I’ve put everyone in danger and I don’t know how to stop it now. It is going to keep getting worse and worse until people start disappearing or dying, isn’t it? Tell me how to stop it and I’ll do it. Please to god make them stop!”

Mrs Travers came up and pulled me into a hug. “I have some friends. We don’t email one another so no one will know outside of us here. They are in Australia. You and Jenna need to leave the country now.”

I hugged her back and then reached out and took Jenna’s hand. “Is that how this ends? Jenna and I are forced to run because we saw something?” I pulled Jenna into a hug. “Sis, this isn’t up for debate. You’re coming with me.”

She was in shock. “Australia!”

“A little bit further out than that. I called for help when they dragged us out of school. They have been waiting to see how this played out.”

Gabe’s eyes got a tad bigger. “O BOY!”

Nodding, I looked back at him. “Yeah. I figure if we make this as public as can be and there is no doubt we left, the rest of you will be safe. Let’s go back to school.”

“Mrs. Travers, will you please call it in and ask everyone to gather out in the bleachers at the football field. No one to be on the field itself as most of that will be needed for the ship to land.”

She opened up her phone and stopped. “You know you can’t ever come back. You think they are bad now? Leave and come back and you’ll be hunted by psychos, news hounds, government, which is just the start of the list.”

“Oh, Jenna and I will be back from time to time with friends of course. Only a select few will know when. I mean it really isn’t that far. Only a million light years. This was going to happen anyway. I wanted to give Jenna time to adjust to the idea rather than dragging her away before she was ready.”

Linda pushed a couple buttons. “Sherell, gather all the kids, staff, any parents and every one else you can. Take them out to the football field. Make sure they stay in the bleachers and the field is empty. Bring cameras, cell phones if they have them. We are going to see first hand what Ron and Jenna have already seen. Okay, No, Ron didn’t give a time but I imagine it will be soon. Okay.”

She closed up the phone. “You can change your mind.”

“No, it has to be this way.” I walked over and shook Elvis hand and Chris hand. “Thanks for looking out for sis and me. I’ll remember you guys forever. You’ll always be top notch in my book.”

Chris patted me on the back. “You and Jenna are tops in ours.”

Jenna gave Elvis a hug. “I’m going to miss your singing.”

He gave a lopsided grin. “Sure you are. I’d make you a recording but there isn’t time.”

“Make it and she’ll be back to pick it up.” I gave Elvis a smile of my own.

“A million light years?”

“Time wise, it’s closer than Australia.”

“Am I interrupting?” Argus, walked in the door.

Mrs. Travers let out a slight squeak as she jumped.

Gabe, Elvis, Chris did little better only in they didn’t squeak.

Jenna caught her breath. Argus looked the same as that first day we saw him. Tall, yes he had to duck the door frame to get into the room. A very lithe body, dressed in white, long white hair hanging down to his waist, and pointed ears peeking up above. He had a serious side arm on his hip and a sword strapped over his shoulder.

He nodded to me and walked over to stand in front of Jenna. “My Lady, I am at your command.” He took her right hand, bent down, and kissed the back of it.

Linda put her hand up to her mouth as she stared at Argus.

No doubt he could walk into any room and every woman there would be instantly in love. On the upside, any doubt Jenna had about leaving vanished with Argus appearance.

“My Lady, may I escort you to the place your brother planned for departure?”

“He is not going to fit in anything we’re driving. I hope he brought his own.” Gabe muttered under his breath.

“Oh he did.” I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face. “Argus, if you will escort my sister, we will meet you at the football field when you bring your ship down.”

He turned his attention in my direction. “She returned also. No one could convince her otherwise.”

“I know. I felt her presence when you parked in orbit. Will she leave the ship at the field to let the people see her?”

“That is up to her Highness. Your sister and I will meet you there.” The sphere in his hand glowed brightly as he reached out and took Jenna’s hand. There was no pop, no flash, no nothing except they were no longer there.

“That was…, Chris started to say when.

Amari was standing in front of me. She put her arms around me as I put mine around her. I gave her a long passionate kiss. She was smiling when we finally broke the kiss. “I couldn’t wait any longer.”

“It was trying my heart to wait but I wasn’t sure.” I gave her another kiss.

Gabe, Elvis, Chris were staring open mouthed. Linda, her mouth wasn’t open was the only difference.

Usha, appeared beside Amari, just as tall as Argus. She was armed to the teeth with a sidearm, rifle slung over her shoulder, a short blade on her left hip. “Your Highness, I must protest you slipping out like that.”

Elvis shook his head as he stared at the two women. “I found heaven, angels are arriving.”

Laughing, I stopped long enough to kiss Amari again. “Your Highness, you must return to the ship. I’ll ride out to the field with my friends one last time. The sooner we do this the sooner we will be together forever. Or maybe you will realize a mistake has been made and get tired of me.”

She kissed me back. “Never.”

Usha and Amari were gone.

Gabe was still looking kind of stunned. “If Tucker had seen any of that he would have tried to capture them.”

“And died. Even Amari who didn’t look like she was carrying any weapon had more disposable energy under her control than any of us could imagine.” I held out my hand and the sphere appeared in it. “This was hers. She gave it to me before she left last time. She has acquired another a hundred times more powerful than this one. It is always there with her whether she is holding it or not. A time, matter, displacement disrupter can put two objects together in the same space and time. Think of the hydrogen bomb and that is what she could make happen as she shifted out of time sync so it didn’t hurt her. We are the most fortunate life form in any star system because they think of us as friendly. So far. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that equation never changes. Tucker and those like him are a fly in the ointment. Everyone in this room and so many others are on the plus side. This will take a thousand years or more but maybe Elvan and humans can share a star system or two once more.”

“Elvis do me a favor. Stop by and feed the chickens, dog, and horse every morning or at least every day. See if you can find someone who will take them. Maybe give them to someone who will leave them where they are and go by to take care of them. Mom and dad, bless their heart won’t take care of them. They will forget until they are all dead. Tell mom and dad, Jenna and I love them with all our heart and soul but things came up and we had to leave. I’ll be back when things quiet down again. I’ll bring sis with me to explain.

Gabe nodded toward the door. “There is never a good time to say goodbye to those you care about. I guess we might as well get this over with. I really am gong to miss you and Jenna. You certainly made my life interesting the past couple days.”

Mrs. Travers caught up with me as I was walking out the door. “Find the parameters a and b included in the linear function f x equals a x plus b so that f minus one equals a x equals a x plus b so that f minus one two equals three and f minus one minus three equals six where f minus one x is the inverse of function f.”

“That’s an easy one. From the properties of inverse functions if f minus 1 of 2 equals 3 and f minus1 of minus 2 equals six then f three equals two and f six equals minus three”

“From the properties of the inverse functions if f minus 2 equals three and f minus three equals six then f three equals two and f six equals minus three”

Which leads to the solution two by two system of equations three a plus b equals two and six a plus b equals minus three to obtain a equals minus five thirds and b equals seven”

Linda nodded. “I’ll give you an A on your Algebra class and your transcript. If you were already taking Calculus I’d give you an A there also.”

Gabe and the others had stopped outside the door to listen. He looked kind of funny. “Out at the farm, that lady the other one called Highness…”

“We were sharing knowledge, Gabe. My mind is crammed full of things humans won’t figure out for a hundred thousand years. I guess this leaving is a good thing? Probably save my sanity. And probably those like Tucker would hall me off to the romper room to keep it all to themselves.”

“Right! Let’s go.” Gabe pointed to his truck.

I wasn’t surprised when Gabe drove up to the end of the football field. Doxy was a small community and word had spread. I bet most people didn’t believe it and came just to say, I told you so. Yet most of the town was in the bleachers filling both sides of the stadium.

I got out, walked around to where Gabe had got out of the truck and pulled him into a hug instead of shaking his hand. “Gabe, thanks for everything. Be real cautious as those like Tucker never take no for an answer. He will be looking for me and when he realizes I’m gone, you will be his primary target for his hate.”

Gabe pushed back so there was some room between us. “I’m good. Don’t forget us Ron.”

“I won’t. Gabe there is one other thing you might keep in mind.”

“What?”

Amari imprinted on me. I’m changing and I might look a lot like her before I return.”

He swallowed and then laughed. “Well, one thing is for sure, if you do, you’ll sure be easy on the eyes.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Nothing shock you?”

“Kid, I’ve seen it all and I’m too damn old to be shocked by anything I see or hear any longer.”

“You’re the best Gabe. Give my thanks to everyone for their support. I love all of you country bumpkins.”

Jenna and Argus appeared beside us. She needed to be seen entering the ship. Although none of us was going to be entering the ship in that respect. “I guess. Show time.”

A huge saucer slowly settled down where it was over the football field. It was then I remembered Amari’s ship was wider than a football field. The one I was looking at was three times that size. Big and impressive as hell just hanging up there in the air like that not making a sound. Now how many people in the crowd didn’t believe it?

Amari appeared beside me. She reached out and took my hand. We walked out to the middle of the field. Jenna and Argus a couple steps behind us. Turning loose of Amari I turned completely around to look at the crowds on both sides of the field.

“Jenna turn around so everyone can get a good look at you. There has to be no doubt we left this place so they will leave everyone alone.”

“Won’t they arrest the whole town now?”

“Not the same thing as trying to kidnap a couple kids. This will be swept under the radar as a hoax. They will try and forget it ever happened. Our disappearance will be an abduction for ransom money or something I’m sure. They will make up enough lies most everyone will believe it, even some of those out there now. Mass hysteria is catching you know.”

Amari, Jenna, Argus, and me were inside the ship. Amari wrapped her arms around me. “Ready to see your new home? Our home?”

“Anywhere as long as I am by your side, Your Highness.”

She smacked me on the arm. “Title only for formal occasions. You do that again and I’ll ship you out to Tetha the frozen ice world until you learn to behave.”

Argus and Usha were standing off to the side with a smirk on their faces.

Amari turned her attention to them. “And that goes for you two also. Don’t think for a pars it is only my bonded wife who has to behave.”

“Understood, Your Highness.” Usha gave a curtsy

“Absolutely, Your Highness.” Argus gave a slight bow.

Amari frowned as she turned her attention on me. “See what you have done. The staff is already corrupted and you have only just arrived.”

“Then I must be punished, Princess.” Honest to god I giggled. I knew every thought she knew and her mine. We were bonded mates for life.

Argus took Jenna’s hand in his as she had been standing back trying to take it all in and not understanding. “Allow me, young miss. As your brother has bonded to our Princess your status must be as a Princess. I will be your servant and guide as will Nefta until as such time you may choose your own. May I show you to your quarters and introduce you to Nefta?”

“I’m…, not sure.” She looked over at me. “Ron?”

“Jenna, I received the full download from Amari so I have an understanding what is going on. You will need to learn it the old fashion way until you bond with a mate. It will be of your own choice if you do. And if you don’t there is no shame or stigma attached to it. Take your time, Sis. Let them show you the wonders of the Elvan society and their worlds. I’m here for you anytime you need me.”

Usha held out a sphere in her hand. “It will not work for you as it does for us or your brother for you are not bonded. It will put you in touch with your brother or anyone who serves you if you grasp it and will it to do so. All of us are here to help you adapt to a strange environment, Princess. Please accept our help and that of your brother.

Jenna shook her head as tears trickled down her cheeks. “All my friends…, I’m lost. I have no direction, no future.”

Usha pulled her into a hug. “It is possible you saved your friends by leaving, is it not? Would they have been harmed in order to get to you? We want to be your friends, Jenna. Will you give us a chance? You, me, are we that much different? I think you’re cute. Argus thinks you’re beautiful. Does your heart not flutter when he holds your hand? His does.”

I looked at Argus. He was blushing. I needed to pay more attention when he was around my sister.

Jenna was blushing also. She coyly looked up at him out of the corner of her eyes. “He’s handsome.”

I think my sister found something to think about instead of leaving all her friends behind. I was beyond happy as I reached out and pulled Amari in for a hug and a kiss. “I love you beyond any words expressing how much. I’ve seen your world through your mind. Please show me so I may see it with my own eyes.”

She pulled me back into a kiss. “No hurry, we have a lifetime to explore it and the people. You will love it.”

“I already do.” As I pulled her in and nibbled along her neck.

As I was embracing Amari I had an idea. “Love, is it possible for Jenna to be an ambassador to earth?”

“Ambassador? Jenna? I believe so…, Yes of course. Why didn’t I think of that?” She had pushed away from me to think about it.

“Nice to know I’m such a distraction.” Pulling her back I nosed her hair aside, sucked her ear lobe in my mouth and started tonguing it.”

Giggling, she pushed back to look in my eyes. “Are you sure you’re only seventeen and a virgin? I’m beginning to have doubts.”

“Good! The best kind of love is where one knows everything about their lover and yet they haven’t a clue.” I didn’t pull her back because I was laughing myself.

Off to the side, Argus and Usla were grinning like crazy, while Jenna was wondering if a rabid skunk had bit her brother last week.

Those in command of national defense and other departments in the United States were going crazy along with a whole lot of the United States Air Force in and around Texas. The civilian population had no idea of the highly classified things going on at the isolated industrial complex north east of Amarillo, Texas. If the public knew they assembled atomic warheads there, the protest demonstrations would be never ending. But then the public never gave any thought to where all those things of mass destruction were assembled.

What was causing all the headache and heartache among so many were the reoccurring UFO sightings near Doxy, Texas. Which was just too damn close to Amarillo and other things to be taken lightly. Jets were scrambled almost weekly it seemed to try and get a target lock on those things which were there and then they weren’t. The stories of weather balloons spotted around Doxy were published in the Plainview Herald every couple of weeks so the public would know why all the government interest in such a small sleepy backwater town. Supposedly the area around Doxy was ideal for launching weather balloons due to the wind conditions and thermal lifts created in that area.

A fourth of Texas citizens thought it was a hoot the government was trying to cover it all up with weather balloons. Three fourths of the citizens thought the first group were insane or conspiracy theorists. Humans were the pinnacle of intelligent life. Those who believed there was intelligent life out there among the stars were entertaining a few bats in the belfry. That guy on X Files, Mulder, was Hollywood crap, not even good entertainment.

============================================================================

“Spread this where it will do the most good.” Jenna handed Gabe an elaborate gold embossed packet with gold cord wrapped around it.

“You could contact our government yourself.” Gabe was holding the packet but staring at Jenna. She had changed. He thought she was beautiful before. Yeah, she was but she had grown even more so in the short time she and Ron had left. She was dressed in a soft white gown of gossamer material. It fluttered out below her waist, the hem an inch or less above the floor. The waist and bodice hugged her like paint. Sleeveless with a scoop neck which was just barely decent exposing her abundant breasts, anyone could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her delicate, multi strand, gold necklace nestled between her breasts. Her spiral golden earrings were a perfect accent to her uncommon beauty. If words could describe her, Jenna was, breathtaking.

The tall Elvan Warrior standing behind her was dully noted. Gabe gave some thought to what Ron had told him about the firepower these people possessed. ‘God help us all if anyone tries to capture or shoot one of them.’

“Are you going to stop by and tell your parents you and your brother are okay?” Gabe was feasting his eyes on Jenna. Things of uncommon beauty were rare and she was among the rarest yet.

“No, they are at work. I’m not dropping in there. Tell them for us, we love them and haven’t forgotten them.” She held out her arms. “Gabe, give me a hug. Ron and I can’t ever thank you enough for what you have done for us.”

It was an invite Gabe didn’t hesitate to accept. He closed in and gently hugged the young woman who he thought he would never see again. “God, you are such a beautiful woman, Jenna. No man deserves you.”
He broke the embrace and backed up to look and admire. “My camera is out in the truck. Send me a picture of you and your brother when you can. I know he was changing. He told me I might not recognize him when he returned.”

Jenna laughed. “She’s changed and more content than anytime she’s ever been. Her and Amari bonded when Amari was stuck here. They bonded officially a couple months back. If there is such a thing as a marriage made in heaven, I think that was it. The gods must have deemed it so. Amari has become positively radiant, even more so since her bond, I am told.”

“And you?” Gabe gave her a wink.

Jenna giggled. “I’ve found my mate. You met him. He is the male you saw when they came back to pick Ron and me up. Argus was called away to the Josh Star System due to some wars and planetary encroachment. Somebody is always wanting to take what doesn’t belong to them. He went to explain the laws of first right, common settlement to all parties involved.”

The Elvan behind her stepped up beside her. “Princess, we must go. Their fighter jets are closing.”

Gabe’s eyebrows shot up. “Princess?”

Jenna giggled as she smiled. “A story for another time, Gabe.”

They were gone. Gabe knew that big ship they arrived in was gone also. The speed they came and went was almost impossible to wrap his mind around. Seconds later, two sonic booms announced the fighter jets had arrived. “Guys, you’ll always be a shade late and a dollar short. They could even be home now. A million light years, give or take a few. Give it up.”

Over at his desk, he opened up the packet Jenna had left. Across the room Carla had watched the whole episode without saying a thing. She smiled as a thought crossed her mind. “Gabe, is this going to be a common occurrence.?”

Gabe stopped what he was doing and looked over at Carla. “Not sure but I’m guessing…, yep, probably.”

“Do you think you could get me a date with one of them? You know, go down to the Get and Go for a hamburger and coke, maybe a drive out around the milky way before calling it a night.”

Gabe was laughing. “I’ll ask next time they are in town.”

Carla cupped her chin in her hands and put her elbows on the desk as she looked dreamily off into the distance. “They sure are handsome aren’t they?”

Gabe was still laughing. “I’m glad they aren’t here. The rest of us men wouldn’t stand a chance with you women.”

“Don’t give me any shit, Gabe. I saw how you were looking at Jenna. Thought you were going to trip over your own tongue before she left.”

“So maybe it would balance out? We get their women and you girls get their men?”

“Didn’t know Jenna was really one of them. But sure, works for me. I’m all in.” Carla sighed dreamily.

Gabe put everything back into the folder. “Need to get this out. They want to set up an Ambassador post on earth. Jenna is going to be their representative if this flies. Excellent idea sending a human back to set up relations. I used the public library in Amarillo to send out the pictures of first contact last time. Think I’ll drive to Dallas to post this.”

“Gabe, be careful. I know you’re good, Take one of the deputies to guard your back. This isn’t a game you can ask for reset if something goes wrong.”