The First She ✓

EIGHTEEN

She used her nifty science trick to detach more silver from the rock. At one point, Vrox grabbed some and mimicked her motions. Having his hands beside hers reminded her that she was a pebble while he was a boulder.

She smiled. For the first time since she landed on the planet, she had proved that she didn't need muscles to be powerful.

Vrox carried her back inside. While he messed around with the silver, she gave her attention to her purse. She found her phone and powered it on. The battery was at 60%, and the reception at zero. At that point, seeking reception was wishful thinking. The only thing this Jurassic Park hell wanted to connect her to was heart attacks.

Although she knew it was a bad idea, she unlocked her phone. She wasn't too worried about the battery life since the device had been designed to survive a week with 50% charge. She made sure to hide the device from Vrox's line of sight, having seen enough sci-fi movies to know that introducing advanced technology could change timelines.

She scrolled through her gallery, but most of her pictures were stored on her cloud. The few she had access to featured her mother, Cherry, and a few acquaintances.

Damn. I am one lonely bitch.

She zoomed into her mother's face, waiting for longing to jab her heart. The organ remained undisturbed. It had disowned her mother a long time ago.

The rest of the day was spent staring at either Vrox or the millions of trees that surrounded them. The alien painted a prettier picture. The muscles on his back made a big show of flexing whenever he made the slightest shift. Even the lift of a finger trigged some action on his biceps, pulling her attention to them.

"Nice guns, Vrox."

Vrox turned to face the boy. "Gun?" he repeated.

"Yep. While gun means no on this planet, on Earth, your guns are a yes."

Vrox kept hearting Kira repeat the word "no," but he didn't know what the child wanted. Noticing that he was staring at his arms, Vrox looked down at his biceps. Figuring that there was nothing on his skin, he turned his eyes back to the trees.

The sun had begun to dip, and the night was starting to raise its head. He could only hope that everything went smoothly through the upcoming hours.

Soon enough, the planet was blanketed with pitch blackness. Their moon was big, but it never provided much illumination.

He gave Kira a scan. The boy's figure was laid down by the deepest edge of the cave. With a final look at the wilderness, Vrox moved deeper inside. He laid down a foot away from Kira.

Minutes after he settled, the boy's breathing pattern changed. He had been waiting for Vrox to come close before allowing himself to fall asleep.

A smile dawned on Vrox's face.

– • –

Breakfast was available for Kira when she woke up. After tossing a groggy thank you to Vrox, she began to eat the pink fruit he gathered. As she chewed, she was reminded that she was in desperate need of toothpaste.

Vrox seemed interested in getting a move-on. He passed her water and then turned around to give her privacy as she drank.

She took her last sip and stood, cringing when she realized how full her bladder was. She had only cleared it a few times while on the road, and she wasn't looking forward to introducing her private areas to more leaves.

After picking up her purse, she stuffed the silver inside. Vrox watched it poke out before shrugging and extending a hand out to her. Kira accepted it, and he helped her straddle his back. They threaded through the jungle, but it didn't take long to make their first stop. Vrox had brought them to yet another body of water.

How many lakes does this place have?

Vrox placed her on the shore and walked into the water, submerging under it. She eyed her dirty clothes and dirtier skin. With a shrug, she began to undress. She wouldn't deny herself the joy of a bath.

She entered the water only in her underwear and walked until her breasts were covered. Although they were surrounded by draping vines and white flowers, she felt exposed.

Vrox swam over to her side, all large, wet, and delicious. She smiled his way coyly and then splashed him. Vrox blinked many times before finally coming to terms with her playfulness. With a smile of his own, he slapped the water.

A wave of massive proportions drowned Kira, tossing her backward. She yelped as she lost her balance. An alarmed Vrox dove for her, cringing with regret when she coughed and sputtered.

"I apologize. I should have used less strength," Vrox offered as he began to fret over her. He pushed her hair aside, pat her back, and supported her weight with his free hand.

Seeing his vulnerability, Kira splashed some more water his way with a laugh.

"Hello?"

Her smile dropped like the drops of water skidding down her skin.

She had just heard English, and it didn't come from her.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" A woman called out.

Their eyes swelled with equal shock. Instantly, they dashed for the shore. Kira sloppily tossed her clothes on before jumping into Vrox's arms.

"Brandon? This isn't funny. Where are you?"

They were getting closer.

"Brandon!"

Vrox ran as fast as he could.

Another boy is here? Mothers, what is happening?

The woman's scream stabbed the air. Vrox looked up, half expecting the sky to shatter.

"Calm down! It's okay!" Kira tried to hush. Her words were hard to believe since they were coming from a woman that was in her wet underwear and in the embrace of a naked alien.

The girl's eyes flickered left and right, creating a whirlpool of horror. Kira understood her emotions all too well.

"What the fuck– who are you people? I want to go home! This isn't funny. I'll– I'll press charges."

Vrox squeezed Kira deeper into his chest in a protective fashion. Although his ears were oblivious to the conversation, his eyes were able to pick up quite a lot. This boy had strange skin-coverings like Kira, and his braided, long, black hair was loose around his shoulders. It was his fidgeting fingers and angry gaze, however, that unnerved him.

He felt Kira wiggle in his arms, trying to be placed down. He refused to let go.

"We teleported to this planet. How did you get here? Did you meet Cherry? What year is it on Earth?"

The woman's eyes crawled to the back of her head, disconnecting her from reality and sending her to unconsciousness.