I sit there alone, staring at the gray wall. The paint is chipped near the corner, and there is a faint crack running from the ceiling down toward the floor, like a fracture that has slowly spread over ti. Damn Dan and the constant lies. I thought I had handled the situation before, but apparently I let her off too easily. I took away her voice. I altered her body. I thought that would be enough to end the threat. I underestimated her desperation. There is always another way for soone to hurt you if they are determined enough. Even silence can be twisted into a weapon when resentnt is strong enough.
Albrecht returns several minutes later, shaking her head. Her heavy boots echo against the hard floor before she steps fully into the room.
"She corroborates your story," the massive agent says. "I think she’s delusional, though, talking about aliens and sex changes. But that does not an I believe you. And it does not answer my questions about you and those two deviants we caught in Arizona."
A loud commotion erupts from the cell block again, tal clanging against tal. A guard rushes over, slightly out of breath.
"That woman in cell three is asking for you," he says.
Albrecht nods sharply and leaves without another word. The door shuts behind her with a heavy thud, leaving alone once more with my thoughts. I rub my wrists absently, even though they are not cuffed, and wait.
When she returns, her expression is unsettled, and that alone tells sothing significant has shifted.
"She confird everything," Albrecht says slowly. "That girl just confird everything your girlfriend said, including the parts about aliens and sex changes. Funny how she never spoke a word until you got here." She gives another one of her ugly glares, but this ti there is doubt beneath the anger.
"Because they happened," I reply quietly. There is no triumph in my voice, only exhaustion.
She exhales through her nose. "What can you tell about the other two?"
"Exactly what I told you. I ca out of class, and they attacked ."
"Witnesses claim your leg was badly burned," she continues.
I lift both pant legs, showing her my undamaged skin. I even rotate slightly in the chair so she can see clearly under the harsh fluorescent light.
"And you suddenly vanished?" She does not want to give up. Her eyes bore into as if she can peel the truth out by force.
"I admit I have not seen the videos, but as soon as I could, I took off running. If it looks like anything else, the videos must have been edited." I keep my voice calm and smooth, knowing she does not have anything concrete on now. Inside, however, my mind is racing through every possible angle she might still try.
"Why could we not find you until tonight?" She is starting to lose so of her intensity but still wants every question answered, every blank space filled.
"They attacked ," I tell her. "I did not know if they knew where I lived. I did not know what to do. I needed ti to think."
"Why did you not co to the police?" she asks, now sounding more curious than accusatory.
"They were throwing fireballs at . What could the police do?" I ask honestly. "Write them a ticket?"
Her jaw tightens, but she cannot argue the absurdity of it.
The questions continue for a few more monts before Special Agent Albrecht has to admit that she has nothing on .
"For now," she says, "you are free to go. But this is not over."
"I did not expect it to be," I answer quietly.
Tina greets with a massive hug as I reenter the lobby. Her arms wrap around tightly, and I can feel the tension she has been holding in finally release. A cab is called and takes us to my place, where Dennis and Rose give another interrogation, peppering with questions and sarcastic remarks, laughing as I tell them what happened and laughing even harder when I explain what I did to Dan.
"That guy was always a prick," Dennis chortles, shaking his head.
"Not anymore," Rose laughs. She has to get herself under control before she can continue. "Now she is just a—"
We all laugh at that and have a couple of beers to relax after the crazy day before heading to bed. The laughter feels necessary, like a pressure valve releasing steam. For a brief while, it almost feels normal.
Dennis and Rose invite us to join them and Tina’s ga, but I just want to call an end to this miserable day. My head aches, and my body feels heavier than it should.
As soon as Tina and I are in my room, though, reality shifts without warning.
I find myself on Vage’s ship and groan. The familiar hum of alien machinery fills the air, low and constant.
"Nick?" Tina’s worried voice sounds behind , and I groan again. Is everybody going to co up here? Next thing I know, Janet, Mom, and Nancy will be popping up for a visit.
"Do you want them here too?" Harana asks ntally, her tone laced with faint amusent.
"No!" I reply quickly, not realizing that I have been broadcasting my thoughts again. The ntal space around ripples faintly.
"Yeah," Loveth’s voice says behind , "you tend to do that a lot. It is rather fun, actually, peeking into my perverted brother’s thoughts."
Tina runs to Loveth and gives her a big hug, or at least tries to, before pulling back with a grimace and squaring her shoulders. Loveth is wearing nothing but a light suit that clings closely to her form.
"I take it this is the alien’s ship?" Tina asks, and I smile when I see her backbone returning.
"Alien ship?" a slightly Asian voice says from behind us. I turn in shock. "I was wondering if I would ever see an extraterrestrial."
I can only stare in shock at the Asian chick from the math competition. She is still in her nice clothes from the competition, hair perfectly arranged, eyes sharp and calculating.
"What is she doing here?" Tina asks, forming the words my mind is unable to create.
"I asked Vage to get her," Loveth says, and I watch an almost equally nude Stephanie co through a black portal in the side of the room. The portal seals silently behind her.
Why are they both in light suits? I wonder, and this ti make sure the thought stays firmly in my own head.
"Why?" I finally manage to say, my voice rough with fatigue.
"Because I have a beyond genius level intellect, and you need for sothing," the newcor says confidently. I stare at her and her arrogance while she takes in Loveth’s and Stephanie’s lack of conventional clothing. She then turns back to with a very judgntal look. "I take it this is your harem?"
The disgust and scorn she places in those words hurt more than I expect. I an, yes, each one is kind of my woman, but they all have free will of their own. I do not own them. The situation is far more complicated than a crude label.
Loveth smirks at the words, while Tina hugs tighter as if staking a silent claim. Only Stephanie does not seem to react, her expression neutral.
"We prefer to see him as ours rather than the other way around," my wonderful, sweet, psychotic sister says calmly. "And you are partially right. We may need your help. I wanted to bring you here on the off chance that you might be able to offer us so advice."
Way to go, sis, I think to her, glad that soone is able to put the pompous genius in her place.
"I can," the other girl says without hesitation. She glances around the blue lit, featureless room for a bit before facing again. "Where are the aliens?"
"They wanted to let us talk to you first in order not to scare you," Stephanie answers, but the other woman just continues to stare at as if I am the true anomaly.
Bring her to us. The words appear before , glowing faintly in my mind, and I smile slightly, knowing what she will be experiencing shortly.
"What is your na?" I ask her.
"Leslie," she replies, and I wait for her last na, but she just stares at expectantly.
"Okay, Leslie, I will take you to them." I try to keep my tone level, but she suddenly becos wary.
Ignoring her trepidation, I ntally command the ship to open the doorway and then indicate that she should go through first.
Leslie steps up to the black seeming wall and hesitates for only a mont before stepping through. I barely hear a sigh of relief from her as I smile at the other won.
Seeing Tina standing there, I ask, "Will you be all right here for a bit?"
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