Jerone and the Girl from the Sky

Chapter two

I was woken up by the unpleasant sound of someone getting sick. After a farther investigation, I found the portaler in the corner of the living room, on a makeshift bed, puking in a bucket. Moda was trying to feed her something while Ori watched from the kitchen table.

"Why feed her if she's just going to puke it up," Ori said.

"Show some compassion, Ortheah," Moda said, but I could tell she was thinking the same thing. Food was scarce, and wasting it on someone who couldn't keep it down didn't make sense. "Jerone, come feed her,"

I took Moda's seat by the girl's bed. Her jet black hair called attention to how pale she was, her lips were dry and cracking, and her green eyes looked glossy as they studied me. She flinched as I propped her head up.

"Sorry, you're going to hurt for a while," I said while spooning a few drops of soup into her mouth. "If you feel like puking squeeze your thumb, it'll help keep it down." The girl didn't say anything, but I fed her the rest of the bowl without it coming back up.

It was hard to focus on working with the sick girl at home, I had so many questions to ask her, but Moda said she needed rest, and I needed to collect twice as much wood to make up for yesterday. No one's asked me where she came from, yet. I expect Moda to ask sometime soon, maybe when Ori goes to the temple tomorrow, or after Pinca.

when I got home that night I was surprised to find the girl sitting up, she was wearing my sweater and, pigment had returned to her face and her lips were no longer chapped. Ori was sitting next to her talking so fast I couldn't understand a word she was saying, but the portaler didn't seem to mind.

"Jerone, look she's better," Ori said. "Moda put a gravity Jacket on her, and now she can move around." Ori talked too fast when she was excited.
"That's great, has she said anything?" I carefully placed my forging bag down, trying not to damage the fungi.
"Not yet, Moda left you some dinner." Ori eyed my bag, knowing the only reason I'd handle it with such care, "Did you find any fungi," It was a question translated to, "Did you bring me any fungi?"
"I found a couple, you're free to have them." Ori's eyes lit up and she sprinted across the little room to my bag.

I looked over at the more portal to find her green eyes focused on me, they jerked down to her hands and a light blush crept onto her face. Was she embarrassed to be looking at me? Ori's cheer of success pushed the thought to the back of my mind as she thanked me and returned to the more portal's bed.

"Evening," I said leaning against the counter.

"Oh Jerone, I didn't hear you come in." She frowned at the blood stain that wouldn't come out, "I was deep in thought."

"What are you thinking about, Moda?" What are you worried about?

"There was a portal breach last night, everyone in the village was talking about it, and the girl you brought home has gravity sickness. You don't get gravity sickness on a planet you're born on." She paused and looked at me. "Did you know she was a more portal when you brought her here?" I stared at my feet and mumbled. "Look at me boy!"

"I saw her land," my eyes darted unable to look at her for too long. "She needed help Moda. I couldn't leave her."

"They will come for her, Jerone, maybe they won't find her at first but they will one day, and they will kill all of us." I only nodded my head and left to my room.

I couldn't sleep that night, I needed to find a way to protect my family and the girl from getting caught. Daba would turn her in and beg for forgiveness, but that's not the right thing to do. I can't tell her to leave, she's hurt, and Ori would have a fit.