Catalyst

Ch. 2 - Alien Glow...

Machi, a slim woman with soft eyes came out, and saw the kid unconscious on the mat. Her brows immediately creased in curiosity and concern. She saw Daron running up to her, injured and in a mild panic.

"Machi, he needs help! He's been beaten!", Daron cried out, his voice a picture of panic, as he motions to the kid on the mat. Machi stepped into a room, hopefully going for some first aid, and Daron turned to the other kid, still worried. All his thoughts of recognition from the village had vanished, now replaced with an increasing sense of panic. What if the boy didn't make it? He hadn't thought about it but.... he cared a lot about this stranger. Machi came back with some medical supplies and knelt by the kid's side. She deftly began to dress the bruises and rubbed ointment on the bumps. She then put the boy in her bed and placed a cold compress on his head.

Daron sat next to the bed, waiting for the kid to wake up, and even ate while watching over the kid. Machi, meanwhile, had been wondering who the kid was. She kept an eye on Daron for a whole night as he stayed up to watch over the kid. Machi was glad that Daron was able to bring in an injured kid despite being at the age of ten, and she knew that Daron was a good kid, though stubborn and addicted to cherries. But now, he was a quiet boy who had one mission - to wait for the other boy to wake up.

As Machi sat down, she could see a faint orange glow from Daron's chest. She tilted her head in confusion and slight worry, for this was alien to her. She stood and called out to Daron: "Daron...?"

Daron looked at her with a questioning look, silently asking what she wanted. Machi's eyes still roamed along his chest, the faint glow still present. Daron eyed her strangely. They didn't utter a word for what seemed like a lifetime till Machi pointed to the intensifying glow with a slightly scared face. Daron looked down, and his brow creased at the sight. He should've been scared, but the glow... and the energy emanating from it all felt familiar to him. Why? He didn't know. He just stared at it while it continued to intensify. As for Machi, she picked up her flip phone with a shaky hand and dialed a number, her eyes flicking from Daron's chest to the screen.  She eyed her pistol on the shelf but pushed the thought out of her mind. Daron was a kid. She couldn't... she was his caretaker... She called the number and put the phone to her ear.

"Murray? I... need you to come over.... now."

Her voice quivered slightly, but she didn't know what to do. Murray, a doctor friend of hers and Daron's, was her only hope of getting answers to whatever was going on with Daron.

Murray's voice came smoothly and collected through the phone speaker.

"How serious is it? Any bleeding or fever?"

Machi just wanted him to come over before she had a panic attack.

"Just come over! Some weird glow appeared on Daron's chest! And it's glowing even m-"

"Ah, i see. I know the problem. But promise me when i say the cause you won't freak out."

Machi's fear was briefly replaced by glimmer of curiosity. She wanted to know so badly in case Daron was in danger.

"Sure, sure... just come over."

She hung up and sat down, her eyes never Daron, who was still playing with his chest for some reason. The clock seemed to echo as its second hand moved along the round face. She wanted Murray to come over... now. The silence was as long as a winding river, and one she couldn't take because the thought of Daron getting more injured than he was made her eyes tear up slightly.

As dusk approached, she got to cooking for three, since Murray was still on his way. She gathered diced chicken, vegetables, and noodles, and heated up the frying pan and seasoned the chicken. She was at work, skillfully frying up some chicken stir-fry for her, Daron, and Dr Murray. Just as she laid the food down on three plates, the vapor carrying a simple yet mouth-watering scent, Murray entered the house, a serious expression on his face.

"Machi, grab a seat. This is something else. Something entirely new and alien to you."