Cousin

Chloe stepped outside the large machine shop building with Anya, and into the dry night air of wherever they were. The machine shop building stood in the middle of nowhere surrounded by grass. Above, a large red moon beamed a beautiful red haze into the deep blue night sky. Chloe gazed at the foreign colored heavens and the billions of stars lighting the dark horizon.

“Oh wow, so pretty..Ms. Anya, are we still in New Mexico?” she asked, wide eyed.

Anya bent beside her with a smile.

“No honey. We’re on the planet Eres, and that’s our moon. Her name is Kaves,” she whispered pointing at the brilliant red sphere above.

Chloe’s face paled.

“Um..Ms. Anya, are we far from Rylan and my house?”

“Eh?” Anya knelt down. “Sweety, we are but once we get that gate back open we’ll be right back in your yard. But right now I have to get Leif medical treatment and take care of a few things. You want him to get better don’t you?” asked Anya.

“Oh, yes I do!” Chloe answered and turned to Leif laying on top of the flying table behind them.

Leif gave Chloe a thumbs up and pointed past her in the dark.

“Behind you Chloe,” he said.

Chloe spun around to view a flying box shaped van with bright round headlights approaching the trio. The vehicle, without wheels, hovered above the ground and advanced almost soundless. Black with brass trimming, the vehicle reminded Chloe of the old-timey trucks in the black and white pictures in school books.

The van stopped and a loading ramp extended down the side. The passenger door opened and a handsome black haired teenager jumped out with a smile.

“Aunty!” shouted the young man running toward Anya.

“Jasper! Come here!” Anya shouted hugging and greeting him. “Oh my beautiful nephew, how have you been? Kave’s love?”

“Kaves always shines on our family, Aunty!” he said hugging Anya.

“Of course she does, now tend to your cousin!”

Jasper glanced behind Anya at Leif on the flying table. “Leif!” Jasper shouted and ran to embrace him. The second person in the van stepped out after adjusting the interior. A black haired woman who resembled Anya. She walked in front of the van with her arms crossed and a scowl across her face.

“I’m only here because my nephew is in trouble, Anya!” growled the woman.

Anya smirked.

“And my dear elder sister?” If I lay dying before you, would you give your life for me?”

The woman’s face grew furious and tears streamed down her eyes.

“The fact that you know that I’d lay down my life for you little sister enrages me so!”

Anya sprinted at the woman and they embraced in tears.

Chloe stood back startled, behind her Leif and Jasper laughed. Chloe turned to them.

“Leif? Is this your family? Are they always so..”

“Over dramatic like the reality television stars on earth? Yes, that’s the Cesar way!” joked Leif with a weak voice.

Chloe and Jasper laughed as he stared at her with a puzzled expression.

“Leif? This child? Her long black hair, glass brown eyes and so pretty! She must be a Cesar. Our cousin perhaps?” asked Jasper.

Leif smirked.

“Aaah... She’s definitely family!” He said smiling at Chloe.

Chloe blushed and averted her gaze from the two beautiful teenage boys smiling at her. Jasper extended a greeting.

“Hello little one, my name is Jasper Alexander, I'm Leif's cousin. And that’s my mother, Sofia Cesar. She’s Anya’s older sister,” he said pointing at the still crying and hugging ladies.

“Ya! I figured because her and Ms. Anya look alike,” said Chloe. She turned back to the boys, “You all kinda look alike.”

“Yes, inbreeding does that!” said Jasper.

“Haha, you're terrible!” Leif chuckled.

But Chloe didn’t know the word.

“Eh? I don’t get-”

“No worries little cousin," said Jasper. "Come on, help me get Leif in the hover.”

“Oh, ok!” said Chloe with a smile.

The family placed Leif in the hover vehicle and went on their way. To Chloe, the inside of the vehicle appeared similar to the outside design. Brass colored controls with lights and dials resembling old radio technology like she remembered from a world war one movie.

How weird this all looks, like it's in the wrong time.

When the van reached a road it flew faster than any motorcycle Chloe ever raced on. In seconds the vehicle left the dark countryside and flew into, what appeared to Chloe, the largest city she’d ever seen. Brightly lit tall buildings on the ground and shorter buildings floating in the sky. And almost everything held ornate designs of gold or bronze trimming.

“Oh! I bet New York City looks like this,” said Chloe, staring awe struck out the window.

Anya, who sat in the front with her sister, turned to Jasper behind her.

“Jas! Did you bring what I asked?”

“Yes Aunty, Leif’s finalizing it!” said Jasper as the teens adjusted a small computer screen in the back of the vehicle.

“Good,” said Anya turning to Chloe, “Honey, come here for a second.”

Chloe stepped to the front of the large vehicle as Jasper passed Anya a familiar item. Anya unwrapped the item and presented it to Chloe.

“Here baby, put this on your left wrist,” said Anya as she placed a sparkling new wrist gear device on Chloe.

Chloe, surprised, gaped at the super cool toy.

“Oooh! Just like the one you and Leif have Ms. Anya!” she cheered, not sure what the device did exactly. “Um…is it like a smart phone?”

“Hee, hee, better!” said Anya.

She pulled Chloe onto her lap and placed the device on her wrist with a very comfortable metallic cloth band.

“Chloe, this is a computer device called a Geteroplasmic Energy Amplified Receiver, but we just call it Gear or Wrist Gear.”

“Oh ok,” said Chloe, admiring the device. “Does it create a shield weapon like yours?”

Anya smiled.

“Yes honey, but you don’t need to worry about that now. I just wanted you to say hello to someone.”

Anya switched on Chloe’s gear and a blinking dot appeared with a strange alphabet. Anya gave the device a voice command and the text changed to North American English. Then a voice crackled.

Chloe covered her mouth in disbelief staring at the device as her eyes watered.

“M-Mr...Sentinel?” she whispered to her wrist.

Chloe cried, “Mr. Sentinel, I don’t know what you just said but I’m so happy you're alive,” she covered her face.

“Sentinel, shut up, she’s happy to see you,” barked Anya.

Mr. Sentinel paused and computed.

“Haha, Mr. Sentinel you talk too much!” said Chloe. Her face a teary mess she glanced up at Anya. “Thank you for saving him Ms. Anya.”

Anya hugged Chloe tight.

“I had to save him, honey, he’s your friend. And I don’t want you to be sad, because that makes me sad,” she whispered in her ear.

Chloe buried her teary face in Anya’s breasts.

“Sssh, don’t cry honey, I got you,” Anya whispered in her ear.

Within minutes the exhausted Chloe fell asleep on Anya who held her for the remainder of the journey. Their destination, Eiten Manor. The home of Anya and Sofia’s parents. The Grand Duke and Duchess of Eiten, heads of the clan Cesar.

The Hill

In the black of night Evan parked his pickup truck in the open desert and hustled a quarter of a mile to a small hill. The hill stood two hundred meters from Rylan’s yard and porch. Once Evan reached the base of the hill he crawled on his belly and mounted and aimed his APM5 sniper rifle at Rylan’s front door.

“Come on brother, where are you?” mumbled Evan, scanning the dark road leading to Rylan’s house with his night scope.

After a moment he spotted Rylan walking on the road.

“Good! There you are...I got your back man, go ahead,” he muttered as Rylan reached his own porch and banged on his own house door.

Evan watched as the big man Hannibal opened the door and he and Rylan appeared to have a civil conversation. Then Hannibal stepped outside on the porch and sat down listening to Rylan...and nodding his head. They even shared a laugh.

“Hunh? What in the hell are they talking about?” muttered Evan.

“They may have more in common than you think!” said a girl’s voice behind Evan.

“What?” yelled Evan as he jumped up from the ground and pulled and pointed a handgun in the blackness behind him. “S-Show yourself or I’ll shoot!” he waved the gun from side to side.

Right before him a dim light illuminated the full face and body of a girl standing five feet behind him. The girl created her own light from a wrist device resembling Maya’s and Leif’s. Evan backed up aiming his gun at her chest.

“You came with them didn’t you?” he asked.

The girl, expressionless, raised her head and stared in his eyes. Evan stared back at her. She was a beautiful girl with short white hair and dark streaks. And she wore a slim body hugging, thigh length black music band t-shirt..and black boots.

“Your question is irrelevant as you’ve no say in the matter...Evan Kiley,” said the girl.

Evan cocked the hammer on his semi-auto handgun. Of course she knows my name...these people have the technology to do whatever they want.

“Little lady, I may not pose a threat to you now, but if anything happens to my friend Rylan-”

“Anything happens? Evan Kiley your statement makes no sense. We would do nothing to the grounder Rylan. We need his help,” said the girl. “See for yourself.”

The girl walked past Evan and pointed down the hill to Rylan’s front porch. Evan glanced down and saw the porch light on and Rylan conversing with three male visitors on his porch.

What in the world is going on down there?

“Sheathe your weapon Evan Kiley, you’ll only hurt yourself with it,” said the girl staring at him, monotone and expressionless.

Evan looked down at the porch and back at her. After a moment, he lowered his weapon. The girl walked backwards and spun with a pose for him.

“Evan, do you like my shirt and boots? I bought them from the mall,” she asked.

Evan, truly thrown off, gaped at her.

“Um..excuse me...I don’t quite git-what’s happenin’ here-”

“Oh! Your cowboy drawl! You speak like the men on television,” she said, with a glimmer of an expression. “Earth’s culture is curious.”

Evan, not sure of his next action, remained still while she stared at him, expressionless. Then his phone rang in his pocket. Keeping his eye on the girl, he answered.

“Yo?”

“Evan, it’s Rylan. Drive down to my house, and put away your rifle.”

“Umm..What?” Evan turned away from the girl and squinted down at Rylan’s porch.

Rylan stood in front of his house with his phone to his ear waving up at Evan on the hill. Around him the other three visitors started Anya’s crashed SUV, turning on the headlights.

“Dude, what’s going on?” asked Evan.

“Strangest thing brother...I think I kinda made a deal with these people,” said Rylan.

Evan looked perplexed in the dark. He walked away from the staring girl for phone privacy.

“Dude, what do you mean you made a deal with them? Those people are killers,” whispered Evan.

“I know bro, but they don’t seem interested in killing me...or anyone else,” said Rylan.

Before Evan could listen to Rylan’s explanation the staring girl popped up in front of Evan, startling him.

“Hey!” Evan yelped, jumping back.

“You're right Evan Kiley, we are killers. But not without reason. And I told you, we have no intention of harming Rylan, and we need his help.”

“Oh yeah?” Evan paused and squinted, “And you think that’s a good answer?”

“Then what answer would you like to hear, Evan? I mean, why did you come here in the first place?” she glanced at his rifle, “Did you really think you could threaten us?”

Her poker face forced Evan to measure his words. These people are strong, and I know this girl is too. He lowered his eyes.

“I mean...I guess we hoped to level the playing field,” he said looking at his mounted rifle on the ground.

“Your weapons won’t give you leverage, Evan Kiley. And now...if you don’t mind...can you answer my question?” she asked.

Evan looked at her, still illuminated in her own light and still posing in her, slim form fitting, t-shirt dress.

“What question? Are you referring to your...clothes?” he asked.

“Yes, I liked the graphic on this shirt,” she looked at her own shirt, “Are they a terrible music group?” she asked.

He read her shirt.

“The Clash? Um...No, they are absolutely not a terrible band...But ...they’re from the eighties so-”

“Oh, I see,” she said, and lowered her face, seemingly dejected.

Evan’s mouth dropped. Is this girl serious right now?

The girl’s wrist device beeped. She checked a message on it and glanced back at Evan.

“I have to go now Evan...but before I go, may I ask you another question?”

Evan shook his head.

“What?” he asked.

She moved closer to him. “Evan...is Leif Alexander a gentle lover?”

“Hunh?” he yelped.

“I mean...he chose you. That means you must be special...Is he gentle with you?”

With that question, Evan turned his back on the girl and gathered his things. He picked up his rifle, and walked past her heading to his truck. But the girl followed him.

“You said you had to go, so go!” he barked and turned around...but she wasn’t there, “What the-”

When he turned to his front, he nearly walked into her, “Aaah, how the fuck?” he yelped and fell backward…Good lord, how fast can she move?

“I’m sorry I asked such a personal question Evan, but it’s rude to walk away from someone like that,” she said staring in his eyes. “Even worse to walk away from someone like me….”

This girl scared Evan.

“W-What do you want?” he asked in a low whisper.

“Hmm...My name is Darna,” she said, and for the first time since he spoke to her, she displayed a real expression. A smile. “And I want….everything,” she whispered, and switched off her wrist light.

What the hell?

With her light gone, Darna vanished before his eyes. Evan stood up and frantically searched around him. But she wasn’t there. Then his phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey Evan, where are you?...Those guys left my house!” said Rylan on the line.

“Oh, good!” said Evan, nervously looking around.

“Bro, are you still up on that hill? What’s going on over there?” asked Rylan.

Evan stopped moving.

“I don't even know what's going on dude,” he said with his hand on his head. “But it’s like you said...

...It's the strangest thing..”

Evan's Aero Precision M5 .308