Forlot: My Friend is a Human - Book Ten

Chapter Forty-Three

TRIS' P.O.V.

"Oh! Hello there," Pompus greeted. It was far from a warm greeting. "How nice of you to...drop...in."

The glassy floor was black and polished, and the walls were a dark grey. Besides us and Pompus' skin, there were no other colors.

As we came to our senses and staggered to our feet, I spotted something horrifying in the room. Okay, maybe horrifying is not the right word. Let us go with a worried sight.

To the left of us were our classmates. They were awake now, but still did not have their bright colors. All of their eyelids were lowered halfway as if they were tired - and they probably were - and each and every one of them was chained to the wall by their wrists.

Wendy, Wendow, and Triso saw them as soon as I did, and we all noticed the same thing. Our classmates were lined up in a specific order. Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl. There were equal amounts of boys and girls.

I wonder what would have happened if there was an odd number. Would Pompus have his minions kill them or toss them into space?

Wait. Now that I think about it, is that why Pompus ordered two of his guards to throw me and Wendy into the darkness of space?

"Did you bring me, my sister, and our friends here?" Triso demanded in a serious tone as she huddled close to me and Wendow huddled close to Wendy.

My guess was that the aliens were trying their best to act brave against a tyrant...even though that they were terrified.

Pompus nodded. "I used my powers to teleport you four to my throne room. Want to know why?"

"We do not give a flippin' fart! Just let us and our friends go!" Wendow commanded.

Pompus pretended to be offended by this. "And why...on earth?"

Triso stomped her feet up and down, which reminded me of what a young child would do during a tantrum. "We care about them just as much as they care about us! Now allow us to borrow a ship of yours so that we can go home."

"Home?" He leaned forward. "You must be mistaken. This is your home."

Wendow's fists shook. I could tell that she was trying hard to not blow off her top.

"I would blow my top off..." Wendow admitted. "...but I am not wearing a top. I am wearing something else. Anyway...you dimwit! The human planet is our home. It was where we were hatched."

"Indeed, Wendow. It is the resting place where you and your sister were born," Pompus said soothingly. "However..."

"Why can you not leave us alone?!" Triso protested. "We know how much you want our mother. How much you 'miss' her and desire her. But dude. She...is gone."

"Gone? What makes you think that?" He gave me and Wendy a disturbing glare. "These humans have brainwashed you."

"H-how could we have brainwashed them..." Wendy started. "...when it is the truth?"

"What are you implying, human? That Kara is gone? I am fully aware that she fled from this planet to yours in order to escape the love that I have for her." He turned back to the aliens. "And do not fret. Neither of you will be staying once your mother arrives."

"Really?" Triso said. "You will let us go?"

"Not exactly." He rested his elbows on the arms of his throne and put the tips of his fingers together. "I will allow you to leave...once I kill you."

Wendow was outraged. "Aw! Come on!"

"You heard me. I do not want to raise you. And I definitely do not need my beloved Kara to worry about taking care of you."

"Do you honestly believe that Kara was a fool? She was not!" I yelled. "She would know right off the bat that you were responsible for getting rid of her babies! She knows that you do not want children!"

"Hey!" Wendow and Triso shouted in unison. "We are not babies!"

"But you know what? They will be fine," Wendy reminded me and our alien friends. "You will not kill them off until Kara returns. Well, I have news for you. Kara is not coming back anytime soon. She is dead."

I grinned at Pompus. "And you should be familiar with the fact that the dead can never return. It does not matter if the dead are humans or aliens. The dead is dead."

Wendy pointed an accusing finger at him. "You are the main reason that she was depressed and did what she did, and you are going to have to live with that fact."

Pompus looked annoyed. He kept to himself before saying, "Do you believe that I am stupid? I have heard of the rumors that my precious Kara took her life." He sat up straight and rested his hands in his lap. "Suicide. What a joke."

I am normally not offended by anything, but that last part pushed my buttons. "A joke? Are...are you implying that suicide is a joke? 'Cause if you are, it would not surprise me any."

Wendow and Triso did not like his remark either. They roared and pounded their fists against their stomachs like gorillas do.

"You take back what you said!" they shouted.

They charged up to him and attempted to climb on him. Alas, they did not get very far.

They were only up to his ankle when Pompus leaned over and scooped them up. Like they were mice. He wrapped his thumb and fingers around them so they could not escape from him.

"Kara is not dead. She is very much alive," Pompus stated with confidence. "And while we are waiting for her, you two should reveal to your two closest 'friends' who you really are."

"We already know who they are. Aliens," I said.

He ignored me and pulled on their skins.

Pulled until the skins came right off!