Alpha Centauri

Ten - Jaden

Julian and I slowly find our feet and run and hug Mom.

"Mom...how?" Julian asks.

"I couldn't just watch you leave. Nizami left this at the house, so I thought I'd bring it back. How right I was to do so..." Mom is about to hand the firearm to Julian when her grip goes limp, and it tumbles to the ground at our feet.

Several claws are protruding from Mom's stomach. I look up and see the malicious smile of a beast: blood red eyes and a mouth full of daggers. The creature yanks its claw back out from her stomach.

I'm too shocked to react. I hear a click from behind me and another huge bang. In a splatter of blue blood from its head, the alien topples over.

I don't have time to wonder what just killed the monster, because Mom falls to her knees. Julian and I rush to catch her before she topples over like the beast. Blood is pouring from her torso like a gory waterfall.

"Mom...it's...it's gonna be okay," Julian whispers, tears welling up in his eyes.

"No..." Mom croaks. "Julian..." I hold my breath, my heart nearly stopping in my chest. She reaches out and strokes his face. "You look so much like your father."

"I know, Mom," Julian says. Her blood is soaking our clothes.

"Jaden...you've always been my beautiful little fighter." She touches my face. My tears are beginning to blur my vision. "You two are going to make great rulers. When you get there, can you...tell Calabastor that...I loved him?"

I can't find my voice.

"You have to kill them," she whispers. "You have to end this."

I firmly nod, despite the flood of tears spilling down my face. "We will."

Mom coughs feebly, and blood sprays from her mouth. "Julian, take care of your sister."

Tears are streaming down my face when Julian says, "I will. I promise."

Her bloodstained mouth spreads into a smile. A single tear rolls down Mom's cheek. She closes her eyes, and her grip on my hand lessens.

I bury my face in Julian's shoulder and sob, and he leans his cheek against my head. I feel my hair grow wet with his tears. Still leaning against each other, we stare up at the night sky. It's a beautiful night, and I curse it for being so. But Mom deserved a night like this. She'd be pointing out constellations like no one's business.

I know my life is absolutely shitty, but this is about as bad as it could get. It's not fair. It's not fair that Mom had to die for some guy who never cared about any of us. I didn't think I'd have to say goodbye to my mother a second time.

I don't know how long we sit on our knees with Mom's body in our arms. Finally, I hear a voice say, "Julian, Jaden, I'm so sorry."

I whirl around to see Nathan Kolyma, still alive but bedraggled, standing by the wreckage, holding a small, normal handgun.

"You're alive," Julian croaks.

"Yeah," he says like he regrets it, tucking the gun into the waistband of his jeans. "Is it too early to say that Lilo and Stitch has been completely ruined for me?" He pauses. "Oh yeah, and what the hell just happened?"

"I don't know, man," I admit. "Where's your mom?"

"I searched the wreckage. Couldn't find her body or anything."

"I'm sorry, Nathan."

"Eh, don't be. She wasn't even my real Mom, just another chapter in my history of endless foster care. I didn't really like her that much anyway."

I don't ask for him to elaborate.

"Where's Veronica?" Nathan asks.

"Her name isn't Veronica," Julian says, standing, clutching Mom to his chest. "I'm going to bury her."

Nathan hesitates, like he wants an explanation, but he says, "We have some blankets in the car...or what's left of the car."

Nathan disappears and comes back with a folded quilt. He drapes it over Mom's body. Julian shifts her over to one arm.

"How are you going to—" Nathan starts to ask.

I stand back and watch as Julian thrusts out his free hand. A huge chunk of soil dislodges itself from the earth, crumbling in midair. Julian carefully places Mom's body in the grave at the roots of a huge oak tree, not far from where the car hood is holding the body of an alien to a tree. I set Nizami's handgun on her chest and fold her arms over it.

We all stand at the foot of the tree.

"I'm sorry I didn't shoot earlier," Nathan says, hanging his head.

I shake my head. "It's not your fault, man."

I'm done crying. I'm not giving those bitch aliens any satisfaction. Julian telekinetically pours the dirt back into the grave, permanently separating us from our mother. Julian hands me his pocket knife, and I carve some words into the oak tree at Mom's head.

HERE LIES CATHERINE J. EVERETT

WHO GAVE HER LIFE FOR TWO BASTARDS WHO SURE AS HELL DIDN'T DESERVE IT

1979-2013

I pocket the knife, unaware of the time that passed as I was carving her headstone. Then I just stand there, unplanned tears falling. I want to carve an entire eulogy into the tree and stay there and cry forever. I turn away and try to distract myself from the pain. Julian puts an arm around me and plants a kiss on my head. But I can mourn later. Now we have to worry about what the hell happened to Nizami.