When The Stars Died

Watching and Waiting

Skeeter bit back another sob of emotion as he watched a whole troop of little figures enter his house, the moonlight casting a soft blanket of yellow white light over everything. The moonlight was how he saw five figures carrying his Ma outside. Yes, she was a heavyset person, but one man could've easily carried her.

They laid his Ma on the ground and poked at her with what suspiciously looked like rifles.
His Ma didn't stir, not once, not that he could see much, but still.

Nut nuzzled Skeeter's cheek in reassurance, and Skeeter once more heard the voice inside his head that he now recognised as Nut's.

Want me to go see what they're doing? Nut asked.
Skeeter sighed. Probably not. How long do we have?
Till they come or till they go?
Till they find us.
Not long.

Skeeter crouched in the depths of the Dead Hill forest, and peered down at the figures.

Do I call them aliens? He asked Nut.
You can. I call them the Boneless.
The what?
The Boneless. They don't have bones.
What? How? What?
They've never had bones. They have magic pumping through their veins. Keeps their limb moving.
Magic. Skeeter breathed.
And you must have some too.
Not me. Pan does. She can lift things into the air with her hand without touching them.
You do too. And she has telekinesis. If she practices, she can move things with her mind.
Wait. Why aren't the Boneless using their magic?
They haven't unlocked it yet.
Unlocked?
Sure. A Boneless has to stay on Earth for a month before they unlock their powers.
This is crazy.
But it's true.
How do you know?
Mother Nature knows a lot, and whispers in our ears. The Boneless were here first.
And here I was, thinking squirrels just ran around eating acorns.
That's not funny. Your face is funny.
Skeeter snorted. Says the little red squirrel. Now, what are my powers?
You can talk to animals. No technical name for it that I know of.
Animals. Cool. Are you guys all friendly?
No. My cousin Roger is an asshole.
Ah. What's your name?
Nut, you idiot.
How did I know what your name was before you told me?
I did tell you. Nut snorted. I planted the idea in your brain.
Animals can control me?
Just your thoughts. Nothing to worry about when you've got Pandora to restrain you from doing anything incredibly stupid.
What's my part in all this? Pan's smart, athletic, she's apparently real strong... What about me?
You're the brawn.
She's the brawn.
Some things take two.
Ew. No.
If I could sigh exasperatedly, I would right now. Not that kind of two person thing, you dirty minded farm boy. I meant some of your plans will take two. Some of your actions require a second person to rely on.
What's our plans?
Eh. I'm not telling.
Wouldn't Mother Nature love having her bloody boneless children back?
No. They're dangerous.
How?
In a month.
Skeeter bit his lip. How dangerous?
Imagine all the people on Earth. Men, women, children.
Yeah?
Halve their number many times, till you have about... Five hundred thousand.
Yeah?
And times the power, strength, intelligence of the human population by about a hundred. The Boneless are more dangerous than double the Earth's population.
Oh. That bad?
In a month.
One month, Skeeter puffed his cheeks up and blew all the air out, that's not much time.
Tell Pandora.
Pan?
Yes. Tell her what to do. Take charge. She's everything but a leader. She doesn't want to admit it, but she's emotionally challenged right now.
She's definitely a leader. She's strong, beautiful, talented, smart... Skeeter sighed. I'm just a dumb farm boy. Look at her.

Nut and Skeeter watched Pandora as she sat on a stump on top of the hill, golden eyes reflecting the moon, raven hair straight and long streaming down her back. Her features, strong and tan, were beautiful, or that's what Skeeter knew.