Chapter Five
Nasia was fascinated. She couldn’t quite explain it when she decided that she was going to follow this boy that stared right back at her with an expression that she tried to comprehend. She also didn’t understand why he did what he did back there at the bus stop. Hovering over him in her ball of light that she sometimes takes form of, she had watched the entire scene play out.
That young boy was a stranger. He could have ignored them like most people would have done. Ignored and watched. Fear was a common emotion in this world and more than often times it controlled them to do absolutely nothing. So why didn’t he? Why did he reach out and helped that boy knowing what the outcome could have been? He was only saved by the timing of the bus showing up when it did.
He had been scared. She could see it in his eyes, see it in his posture. And yet he stood his ground and was willing to sacrifice getting hurt in the process. And all for what? So a simple thing like a bicycle wouldn’t be stolen? She didn’t understand. Bicycles were replaceable, a life wasn’t. So why?
It was one thing she wanted to ask him. So she continued to follow him. But while that caused her interest to peek even higher nothing stood out to her more than the kindness he showed his home. He was only one man she understood that much. One man wouldn’t be able to save their world, but he was willing to try anyways. He took care of where he walked, trash that was laid about was picked up, the water bottle he held in his pack he poured to a dying plant.
It was like everything he did kept amazing her, and she didn’t quite get it why he was being that way. Now he was looking at her as she was looking at him. She may not understand their human emotions, but she was on this planet long enough to understand some of their customs, the many customs that they held anyways. In greeting she gave a tiny smile, something she had been practicing for a while now.
He frowns at her, something she was sure wasn’t the right response. Usually when someone smiles the other person does the same. But he wasn’t. He looks away from her, shifting in his seat. When his stop finally came he quickly got off and she just as quickly followed. But when she stepped off he was nowhere to be found.
Frowning she goes to turn the bend of the sidewalk and as soon as she passes a large tree he pops out right in front of her and angrily asks,
“Why are you following me?”
She takes a step back to keep them from colliding. She blinks seeing the angry look on his handsome features. Now that she was this close up to him she stares into such vivid brown eyes that looked more like dark honey that she had seen back in the lands of what the humans call Asia.
“Well? Aren’t you going to say anything or are you just going to stand there like a creep that you’re already being?” He snaps.
“Why did you do that?” She asks instead, her voice soft and timid.
Confusion washes over his face. “What?” His tone agitated.
“The young boy. Why did you help him like that?”
He just stares at her with mild disbelief. “What does that have to do with you following me? Because I know for a fact that you have since I saw you back at the coffee shop. Have you been following me even before that?” he asked incredulously.
“No. It was the first I’ve seen you. What if they would have killed you? Are you willing to risk your life for anyone on this planet?” She was deadly curious.
Ry was at a lost for words as her question dumbfounded him. “Risk my life…who the hell are you and why do you keep following me?” He nearly shouts.
“Because you interest me.” Was her answer.
“I interest you? What does that even mean?”
“Are you willing to sacrifice yourself like that again with anyone else?” She ignores his question once again.
“Unbelievable.” He mumbles and starts to back away. “Listen lady, stop following me or I’m going to call the cops. It isn’t normal and it’s not okay.” He turns back around and starts stalking off as quickly as he could.
She doesn’t heed his words as she starts following him again.
“You have got to be kidding me.” He stops and swings back to her causing them to nearly collide once more. “STOP!” He shouts making her jump.
But she doesn’t back away, doesn’t seem frightened at all. But there was something about her that he couldn’t quite shake off. Her blank stare for one thing, but it was something in her eyes that made him feel she wasn’t quite as much of a threat as she was acting to be. But there was also something about her that didn’t seem…normal either.
He looks down at her wardrobe once more. Frowning he asks, “Are you from a psych ward? Did you escape or something?”
“Psych ward…that’s where humans go when their not right in the head correct?” She tilts her head with a frown of her own.
“Um, yeah.” He states slowly backing away just a bit more from her.
“No. I’ve never been there before. Although they aren’t crazy, the people you put in there. They’re just using more of their brain capacity than the average human can. You’re just afraid of what you don’t understand so condemn them for being abnormal, when in actuality they are just being normal.”
His mouth slightly hangs open at her statement. “Why do you keep referring us as humans instead of just people?”
For a moment she becomes silent remembering that she wasn’t supposed to expose herself much less talk to a human being. First rule was to never interact and yet she seemed to have forgotten herself and done just that. This was going to be a mark against her evaluation when she got back to the mother planet. But regardless she couldn’t help herself. There was just something about him that made her lose all sense of responsibility.
“Hm.” Was all she says as she turns around and starts walking away. “One last thing.” She quickly turns back around seeing him stand there just the same with the confounded look on his face. “When you’re ready to tell me why you do the things you do, I’ll be waiting. But don’t have me wait to long. I’d like to know before you die and the world shatters into a supernova catastrophe. Until then I’ll be watching.”
Then she turns the corner and was gone.