The Alien

The Alien - Chapter 5

Mae

As he grabbed a lantern and headed toward the back door, I darted forward.

"Stay here," he whispered.

I cringed inwardly. I couldn't let him face whoever or whatever was out there with a broken weapon. "I have to tell you something first," I whispered.

He frowned. "Now?" His eyes darted to the door and back. "Can't it wait?"

"No. It can't."

"Okay." His eyebrows inched up higher on his forehead. He was poised to rush outside, but thankfully, he stayed to listen.

"Um... The night you found me in the barn, you had that gun..."

"Yes?"

"I... umm... made it so you couldn't shoot me with it."

"You what? How?"

"I used my mind to remove all the powder and fuse the projectile to the barrel."

"What? How can you— I've never heard of anyone being able to do anything like that."

"It's something I can do. I had to protect myself."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "I wasn't going to shoot you."

"I didn't know that at the time. You're an alien and I was trespassing."

"You're an alien."

He had a point. I sighed. "Well, I guess. Alien to you. Alien to this world..."

"So now that there's a noise outside and I urgently need the gun, you're telling me this?"

I bit my bottom lip. "I forgot about it till now."

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay. I have another gun."

He stalked over to the room he slept in and came out a few moments later with a longer gun in his hand. "Now wait here."

"But—"

"No. If it's a person, they'll see you..."

Oh. Yeah. Duh. I nodded. He was right. We couldn't risk it.

I was trained for this sort of thing, though, so I felt useless letting him go alone.

He placed the lantern on a small table near the back door and crept out silently without it. I figured he'd come back for it if needed.

A few moments later, I heard quiet footsteps on the back verandah. Probably waited till his eyes adjusted to the darkness. I wondered if his species could see well in the dark.

I waited, frozen in place. My heartbeat the only sound. Well, it was pounding so hard that it seemed like I could hear it.

I tried to imagine the yard and the barn, but it was difficult. I'd only been out there once in the dark and once in the daylight. And a few peeks out of the windows.

Was he at the barn now? Could he see well enough? Would he shoot someone if they were spying on us or robbing the place? I didn't think so, but I really didn't know him well enough to make that call.

Every now and then I could hear a faint noise out there. I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. And even then I could only manage shallow breaths. What if something happened to him?

I jumped as a loud crash split the silence. Oh my stars! What happened? What should I do? I need to go out there. I need a weapon. I need my pistol.