"It is the least I can do," Loki said. "Right foot forward."

"I am trying," I mumble, putting my left foot forward.

Oops, wrong foot.

I fell flat on my face.

"That is it," Loki said. "You need a guiding rail!"

"I do not need a guiding rail," I mumble, lifting myself up.

"Veterans of Midgard use it when on Physical Rehab," Loki said, making a rail appear at both sides. "And you still have a long way to go speaking right again."

Loki helps me up.

"I am fine," I mumble.

"You are lucky I can understand you," Loki said. "You are speaking Portuguese."

I blink, surprised, by Loki's comment.

"I am...what?" I mutter, in shock. "I am speaking English."

"To you, you are," Loki said, patting on the rail. "Come on, try using the rail," Loki takes his hand off the rail. "I know you do not want to rely on a wheelchair to walk to and fro."

I look over towards the gray rail.

"I do have legs," I said.

"Which you need to exercise in using," Loki said.

Whatever I had gotten ailed by had certainly been put out by the healers. The healers told me the fever had been part of an infection that originated within my back. Loki had not told what made me fall into a dark sleep last year. Being a Xenomorph for so long I have really lost some basic skills that a human can do; walk, talk, and hold.

"I thought walking like a human as a Xenomorph would have done that," I said.

"You walked on four feet,Emily," Loki said. "You did not always walk on your back legs."

"No, I didn't," I said.

"Emily," Loki said. "I can call Polly and she will say the same thing."

So as a Xenomorph resembling a domestic animal I walked like a dog and rarely like a human. The thought of it made me think of Tarzan in the cartoon movie Disney made four centuries ago because of the way he walked which was kind of like an ape.

I sigh.

"All right," I said. "I will use the rails...Um...Might need a little help getting to the starting point."

Earlier today Loki met up with a man that I have vaguely little memory of. The look on the man's face was at first shock and then disbelief that I had forgotten his name but not Loki's. The man believed I had selectively forgotten his name when really I did not. Loki had told me the man's name but for some reason his name is not staying clear in my head.

Each day after today I went to the front half of the garden where Loki had set up the rails. I went there in a wheel chair. One day when I was in the hall in the dawning hours of the morning I stop my wheel chair beside the clear holes in the wall lacking glass. I guess they are called windows just without the glass. I push myself forwards using the right hand ledge of the window as my support to stand up straight.

I saw the pathway to the garden feet away.

It seemed daunting at first.

"Come on, Emily," I mutter to myself. "You made it through weakening Deverous and living as a Xenomorph." I take a step forward resting my shoeless right foot on the floor feeling it numb. At first it is a sharp pain then it becomes eased down a little while later. "That doesn't hurt, whiny butt."

I lean to the side forcing my left foot forwards.

No, I am not going to use my wheelchair.

Well I slide it forwards using my left foot near to the entrance of the garden. I sigh raising my left foot forwards then put it through the wheel part of the wheelchair and challengingly made it slide past me. When the wheel chair started rolling I made sure to take my leg out, however painful it was, while wincing. The rolling empty wheelchair came to a stop at the entrance.

I lower my foot down.

I can do it, I thought, I can do it!

I take a breath straightening myself up.

Five steps forward.

"Only five steps," I said, taking a step forward.

I nearly lose my balance and made the pose of a ballerina. I lower my foot down straightening my back up. Right foot forward. That seem to trigger a memory from my childhood. I felt like a little girl all over again sitting down near a chair beside mother playing with something strange.

"How has you husband been, Sherrine?" A woman from across at the table asked.

"Quite fine, Elizabeth," Mother said. "He has been out with Lewis."

"Is he going to be a knight?" Elizabeth asked.

"No," Mother said. "We are not losing our little boy. He will be taught by his father."

A butterfly flew into the little house and landed on my nose. I can remember the beauty of the butterfly being black,red,orange, and yellow. The butterfly hopped off my nose floating above the brown ground floor. I tug myself up using one part of Mother's dress. I held my little fatty hands out towards the little beauty.

I take a step forward.

"Butt—-er fly," I said.

"Well, you are not really losing him," Elizabeth said. "He will be serving his birthplace in honor."

"I know," Mother said. "But what Lewis has...Is different."

"He has a courage," Elizabeth said. "That is not different."

"But people these days don't like different and they scared of it," Mother said.

"Courage is not different," Elizabeth said.

"That is not what I am talking about, my friend," Mother said.

I twirl my feet around trying to catch the butterfly and my last grasp I caught it!

"Momma," I said, turning around in excitement. "Momma, butt—-er fly!"

Elizabeth screams in horror and I let go of the butterfly.

"SHE IS A MOVING STATUE!" Elizabeth shrieked. "She is cursed!"

"My baby walked!" Mother said, picking me up. "My little Emmy walked."

I noticed my hands had turned gray and bumpy similar to a rock. My Mother's face turned gray as well while I laughed. I saw Elizabeth step back making the chair fall over on the floor.

"You are a monster!" Elizabeth reacted.

My Mother turns towards Elizabeth, happily, in the occasion.

"I am no monster," Mother said. "I am what you are."

"You have allied yourself to a witch," Elizabeth said, taking a small step back and her eyes are wide.

"No," Mother said, as her facial features turn to human. "I am sorry you had to find out this way."

"I will tell everyone what I have seen!" Elizabeth said.

"You want to be burned at the stake for accusations?" Mother asked. "Think about your life,Elizabeth!"

"I am," Elizabeth snapped back and I started crying.

"It's okay, Emmy," Mother reassured little me. I sniffle. "Don't cry."

"So that is why you don't want your son to become a Knight's Apprentice," Elizabeth said, in a harsh angered voice. "Your family is cursed and everyone will know of it starting today!"

Elizabeth ran out the door leaving Mother and I.

"And there goes a young woman," Mother said, sadly. Mother sighs shutting the door.

Then I am brought back to reality by a fallen rock. My Mother had gone through life on Earth being called the worst whenever people found what she is and so did my Father. I gathered my courage to push on taking little steps at a time. Through crap and loss of friends my family had managed to survive countless years aging.

Day by day I made goals for myself.

Run five miles.

Jog for half an hour.

Jog on Midgard in proper work out clothing. I put on head phones connected to a small music box tucked into my pocket, had on sunscreen on, and a belt loop with a bottle of water attached thanks to a hook. I had magical make up covering my magical scars. One time I went so fast I made a old man lose his newspaper on a park bench and a bag of bird feed fall down to the floor that would be swarming in pigeons afterwards.

I am getting back each day what I lost from being a Xenomorph for so long.

I can do it.