Shimmer (boyxboy/alien)

Chapter 17: Hideout

"I know a place."

☆

Vinnie has little to no time to think as his hand is grabbed and he is being pulled along the street. Joe is fast. Faster than Vinnie, who eventually has to call out. "Joe stop! Stop a minute!" 

"There's no time!" Comes the response as Joe stays focussed on the street ahead. His brain, trying to do a hundred things at once... think about where he was taking them, making sure there were no prying eyes, no commander!  

"Joe!" The plea from Vinnie comes again. Joe now feels obliged to stop and turn.

"What?"....

Joe looks at the sight of Vinnie. They were still holding hands, but somehow Vinnie's arm was now twice the length of his other. 

"You're going too fast, I can't keep up!" Vinnie says a little out of breath.

Joe instantly drops the hand, fearing he had broken Vinnie somehow, but just watches a little open mouthed as the arm seems to retract back to it's normal size. "You're like Stretch Armstrong!" Joe says, his mouth slightly agape. 

"Stretch Armstrong?" Vinnie questions. "You mean there are more like us?" His voice was hopeful that they weren't alone on this planet after all! His kind had been here before.

"Stretch Armstrong is a toy." Joe begins. "His arms and legs stretch like yours when you pull them!"

"That's so cruel!" Vinnie says, now hugging his own body as if to protect himself. "Why would anyone want to do that?" 

"I don't know?" Joe says, on the defence. "It's fun I guess." 

"It doesn't sound like fun to me." Vinnie replies, squeezing himself a little tighter.

'Neither is having my mind wiped, so hop on!" Joe now puts his back towards Vinnie, assuming he will know a piggyback ride is being offered, which thankfully he does.

Vinnie steps forward a little warily and puts his fingers on Joe's shoulders. Joe now reaches back around and cups Vinnie's buttcheeks and lifts, causing Vinnie to squeeze a little on Joe's shoulders, as he wraps his legs around Joe's waist. He is surprised at how light Vinnie is, momentarily wondering what his insides are made of, before getting his thoughts back on track. "Hold on!" He says, before continuing to run up the street. 

"Where are we going?" Vinnie asks as he bounces up and down on Joe's back like a rubber ball.
 
"I know a place." Comes the reply, with Vinnie asking no more. He had faith in Joe. He hadn't let him down so far.

After a few more minutes of running, Joe is setting Vinnie back down in front of a six foot gate, embedded in a brick wall. Joe proceeds to tap in a passkey and push the gate open. "Come on."  He gestures to Vinnie to follow, which Vinnie does, with Joe leading him down a cobbled path to a concrete shed. There was a padlock on it. Joe proceeds to take some keys from his pocket and finding the right one, begins to undo the padlock, taking it off completely before opening a creaky metal door to reveal a dark room.

As they both step inside the small space, Vinnie sees the slight slither of light from a high up window, before Joe reaches for a string to pull on a light bulb above their heads. He then heads forwards to what looked like a fridge which had seen better days. He opens it and proceeds to take out two cans of soda, offering one to Vinnie, who accepts. "Is this your house?" Vinnie questions "it's not what I imagined." He looks back at Joe, who was now dusting one of the stone benches with the sleeve of his jacket, ready to sit down. 

"I don't live here you idiot!" Joe says, chuckling, taking a seat. "I just come here to clear my head sometimes. You know, to get away from parents, people, life, whatever." 

"Who's place is it then?" Vinnie questions, now joining Joe on the stone cold seat. "My grandfather's place. But he's in a home now, for old people. He couldn't really care for himself anymore, he's got dementia." Joe forces a pitiful smile. 
 
"Dementia?" Vinnie questions "What's that?"

"It's when you forget stuff or can't recall memories." Joe tried to explain. "It got real bad after Nana died." 

Vinnie suddenly sits up straight on the seat, eyes wide. "Do...do you think he had his memory wiped?" 

"No, I don't think so." Joe says, smiling at the conclusion Vinnie had reached. 

Vinnie once again looks around the space. "So do you think we are safe?" 

"For now at least." Joe replies. "We will have enough time to work out what we're gonna do about this situation."

"What are we gonna do?"

"I don't know?"

Vinnie once again relaxes back into the seat. "Hey?" Joe says with a question. Vinnie's big brown eyes look up at Joe. "I like your eyes by the way."