I have been better now for nearly a week. I have a lingering cough, but for the most part, I am doing great. All of my sickness issues wound me up lagging behind in my class, so I have been spending extra time catching up. I still have plenty to do, but I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
*************************************************************************************
Witold was hardly sleeping at night. All he could think of was Sora. Was she safe? Where was she? How long was she going to be gone? He wondered the village wishing he could help her. He performed his duties... or at least he thought he did. Many of his tasks went by in a blur.
Agatha had been watching Witold. She knew that he was fretting about Sora. After planning with Leo, Agatha decided to bring Witold in to inform him on Sora's quest. After all, in the end, he would be the only one able to help her. After searching the entire village, Agatha finally found Witold sitting in the most obvious place.... right in front of his home. She approached him quickly as to speak with him while he was alone.
"Witold." Agatha whispered forcefully. "Come with me, quickly."
Witold looked up at Agatha puzzled. "What? Why?"
Agatha sighed loudly. "Just come with me, it's about Sora."
At the name, Witold perked up. "Where are we going?"
"To the archives." Agatha stepped back as Witold stood. She then turned around and walked down the most deserted paths back to the royal home. Witold followed close behind and wondered why Agatha was being so secretive and why she was in such a hurry.
As they entered the royal home, Agatha turned toward Witold and held her finger to her mouth prompting him to be quiet. She scurried along the corridors, with Witold close behind. Things were starting to get interesting.
As they entered the archives, Agatha slowed down. For an old Kiswan, she could move pretty fast. She walked straight to the back where the old man sat.
"Leo, we're here." Agatha sat down in a soft chair and ushered Witold to sit next to her, while Leo slowly emerged from his private quarters.
"Excellent! Witold, it is good to see you. Thank you for coming." He sat looking at Witold, which made Witold shift uncomfortably.
"We need your help Witold," said Leo. "Sora needs your help."
"How can I help? I have no idea where she is!"
"She is in the human realm." Leo stopped to let Witold take in this information.
Witold was looking down at the floor. He stood up from the chair next to Agatha's walked, around the back of it, and leaned on the high back. He looked from Agatha to Leo, then back to Agatha.
"You are serious! How did she get there?" Witold's eyes were wide and filled with worry. "Does her father know that she is there?"
"No. No one knows where she is, except for Agatha and myself," stated Leo. "Have a seat please, Witold, this might take a few minutes to explain."
Witold walked back around and sat next to Agatha in the soft chair. Leo explained every little detail of the last few months to Witold. How Sora's quest came to be, and how it was being prepared for. Leo explained about the cave with the secret entrance. The whole while, Witold just silently listened.
Leo ended his account. "Sora needs your help to bring down the barrier. She is not going to be able to get back through on her own. You must go to her, and when the time is right, you will join the power that the two of you have together and bring down the barrier, thus restoring that energy to the earth's core."
"When do I need to leave?" Witold asked.
"In two days time. You will leave in the night, when the clouds are covering the sky from all heavenly light." Leo paused..... "You are going to have to swim to get to the cave."
"Swim!?" Witold's courage began to wain. "I have never been in water higher than my knees!"
Agatha exchanged a glance with Leo then said, "Not to worry Witold, I can help you learn enough to get you into the cave.... but it has to be you Witold. No one else will be able to get out of this realm and into the humans' world."
"How will I find her? She could be anywhere!" Witold was beginning to realize how difficult this task would be.
"I put a stone in Sora's pack. It contains earth power in it. Here is its sister." Agatha pulled out from a pocket in her dress, a stone that fits perfectly in the palm of Witold's hand. "This stone has the self same power as Sora's. It will glow as you draw nearer the other stone."
Witold took the stone and examined it closely. It looked like a regular bit of rock. Leo interrupted his thoughts. "We will get everything ready for your trip. In the meantime, Agatha will take you to the small water hole and teach you how to swim. You need to put a lot of effort into learning. This will be your secret quest. Tell no one where you are really going. You may tell them that you are heading for a neighboring village, but do not be specific."
After receiving more instructions, Witold left the royal home for his own. He had to get some supplies together in order to learn to swim. If there was one thing that Witold enjoyed out of all of this was the fact that he got to find and be with Sora. It took his mind off of the worry for the time being, and he set his mind to succeeding with his personal quest.
Friday, April 1, 2011
14: A New Plan
Sora was not quite sure how the subject switched so quickly. Neither of them seemed inclined to let this one major commonality pass by. Sora began asking questions about Justin's family history. The stories, according to Justin have become somewhat legends passed down from one generation to another. After so many centuries without receiving any kind of contact from the Kiswone Nation, Justin's ancestor's began to believe the stories were just that. Stories.
During the first years of the human race, many Kiswan scouted the earth for new and interesting things. The kings wanted to bring to their land the most diverse plants and animals possible. While none of the Kiswan left to colonize other parts of the world, many would be gone for years at a time. When the first sinful act of murder was committed by the humans, the King of the Kiswone Nation made the most difficult decision ever faced by any of the race. To put up a barrier, hiding the Kiswone Nation from the human race. This decision was taken to the counsel of elders. Each of these wise-tellers had a son out of the nation on a quest. Even the King's eldest son, and heir to the throne was too far to be reached in time. These men of twelve made the decision to put up the barrier, barring these noble questkiswan from ever returning.
After hearing this account of Justin's legends, Sora was awe-struck. This is the same story told by the elders of the Kiswan, only from a different perspective. Sora was sure that Justin was the ancestor of one of these noble Kiswan. His ancient ancestor must survived by adopting himself into the human race. What was amazing to Sora was the fact that Justin's Kiswan genetics still seemed quite dominant.
By the time Justin finished his story, Sora was grinning from ear to ear. She was elated! "Do you know what this means?"
Justin looked utterly perplexed. "What do you mean? I have no idea what this means."
Sora continued. "You are either son of a noblekiswan, or son of the ancient king of the Kiswone Nation!" Justin still seemed slightly puzzled. "This could mean that you are the rightful heir to the throne this very day!"
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Justin stood up from his side of the fluffy couch. "I am NOT a king!" His face was glowing red.
"You might be." Sora's tone had hushed. There was no way she could trace the kingship line in her mind. She would have to look at the charts back in the Kiswone Nation.
She continued pensively, "Back when the barrier was established, the king was very distraught at the loss of his son, and heir." She looked Justin in the eyes. "The heir to the thrown is not just by being the eldest son. The heir is chosen by the fates. A king and a queen will have Kiswan after Kiswan until that heir is born...... I am the current heir....."
Justin had been pacing back and forth across the living room, but at this last comment, he stopped abruptly. "You are the heir?"
"Well, I was, until I met you." Sora picked up her glass and walked back into Justin's kitchen to fill it with more ice and water from the fridge dispenser, followed by Justin.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Justin exclaimed!
"No, if we trace your lineage back to this founding king of the Kiswone Nation, then you could possibly have right to the throne." Sora paused. "When the barriers were put in place, the king was forced to choose a new heir. Many of his offspring petitioned to be it. He finally chose a daughter that had shown promise, but was not a genuine match for the position. She is in my family line."
"So since the heir to the throne had to be altered, you are still the current heir." Justin said quietly.
"It is not that simple, Justin." Sora took a sip of her water. "Maybe the cause of the weakness in the barrier is due to the fact that the Kiswone Nation has not been lead by the one hundred percent correct heir to the throne!"
It was Sora's turn to pace back and forth. "I have got to find a way to contact my father! He'll know what to do! If you are the heir, then you will be able to help me bring down the barrier before the earth loses its power to reproduce the vegetation and provide for the life currently living here."
"You are serious?" Justin was sitting at the table in the kitchen cradling his forehead in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. "I have no power to help you."
"We'll get there. I just need to find a pigeon so I can send my father a message."
Justin laughed. "Well, there are pigeons all over town! Good luck catching one!"
Sora approached Justin and knelt down in front of him. She pulled his hands away from his face and looked him in the eyes. "I won't force you to do anything that you don't want to do, Justin. But I need some help. I can't do this alone."
Justin began to get his calm composer back as Sora continued. "I still have to alert the world that there are other races among them. If I just bring down the barrier before they know about us, then there will be a major war, and that is what the Kiswone Nation was avoiding when the barrier was put in place."
Justin stood up and walked to the living room. He peered out the window and pulled the blinds down so that no one could see in. "Jess is back," he said. "I have to talk to you about her and her family."
"She has probably been looking for me. I should go let her know I am here." Sora moved toward the door.
Justin darted in front of her and blocked her path. "Sit down, I have to tell you about Jess."
***********************************************************************************
"Jess comes from a long line of believers in aliens. Her great-grandfather was one of the first to talk about being abducted when the 1947 spaceship supposedly crashed here. The whole family, ever since, has been on the hunt for aliens."
Sora scrunched her eyebrows. "So? Her and her aunt and uncle seem a little odd, but they want to help me get the word out."
"That's just the thing," Justin said. "I don't think they are at all interested in your story as being from this planet. If you knew them like the majority of Roswell does, you would know what I am implying. They want to get you put into some kind of weird hospital that they run, so they can perform tests on you. They have never been able to gain concrete proof of the abductions, and they will do whatever they have to do gain such proof....even if it is a lie."
Sora was speechless. She was still trying to process this information when a knock sounded on the door. Justin got up from his couch and looked out a little hole in the door. He had explained earlier that it was a peek hole. He turned to Sora and whispered, "Its Jess. You should hide. I'll tell her I haven't seen you."
This didn't sit well with Sora. Jess had been very kind to her, and maybe these stories were true, but she could not just disappear without explanation. "No, its okay. I want to speak with her about my changed plans."
"Changed plans?" Justin looked confused.
"You are going to help me then right? Because at this point, I have no one else to turn to, and you do have Kiswan blood in you!"
Justin sighed. "Alright."
The knock sounded even louder the second time. Justin unbolted the door and opened it. There was Jess, standing at the door looking extremely upset. "Have you seen my friend I was with this morn......" Jess had just looked in Sora's direction.
"What are you doing here?" Jess accused.
"Well, you didn't expect me to hang out at that court house all day did you?" Sora stood. This made Jess calm down. Sora was very tall, and could be extremely intimidating. "I took a walk, and ate my lunch in a corn field. Justin happened to see me, and he offered me a ride home. You weren't there, so he invited me in."
Jess glared in Justin's direction as if to read on his face if this was true. Logically, how would it not be true. Jess's history of paranoia was beginning to ebb its way out into plain sight.
"Oh, well you could have called me," she shot back.
"Jess, I just learned what a phone was today...." Sora was amused. "Anyway, Justin and I have been talking, and he has been planning a trip to the east coast. He said he would give me a lift in the direct of your president."
Jess's glare returned as she pierced daggers through Justin with her eyes. "Oh, I see, well I was planning on taking you."
"You were? I didn't even have a plan this morning."
Jess was not pleased with the way things were going. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be across the lot. Some people just cannot be trusted." She whisked around and stormed back toward her apartment.
"I don't like the way that ended," said Justin. "We haven't heard the last of this. I'm sure she is on the phone with her uncle at this very moment."
"Well, what can they do?" Sora brushed Justin's worry from her mind. "So are you really up for taking me to the president?"
Justin sighed. "Yes, I will. But it will take a few days. I have to get the last of my pay from the farmer, he is kind of slow at paying me.
***********************************************************************************
Until next time!
During the first years of the human race, many Kiswan scouted the earth for new and interesting things. The kings wanted to bring to their land the most diverse plants and animals possible. While none of the Kiswan left to colonize other parts of the world, many would be gone for years at a time. When the first sinful act of murder was committed by the humans, the King of the Kiswone Nation made the most difficult decision ever faced by any of the race. To put up a barrier, hiding the Kiswone Nation from the human race. This decision was taken to the counsel of elders. Each of these wise-tellers had a son out of the nation on a quest. Even the King's eldest son, and heir to the throne was too far to be reached in time. These men of twelve made the decision to put up the barrier, barring these noble questkiswan from ever returning.
After hearing this account of Justin's legends, Sora was awe-struck. This is the same story told by the elders of the Kiswan, only from a different perspective. Sora was sure that Justin was the ancestor of one of these noble Kiswan. His ancient ancestor must survived by adopting himself into the human race. What was amazing to Sora was the fact that Justin's Kiswan genetics still seemed quite dominant.
By the time Justin finished his story, Sora was grinning from ear to ear. She was elated! "Do you know what this means?"
Justin looked utterly perplexed. "What do you mean? I have no idea what this means."
Sora continued. "You are either son of a noblekiswan, or son of the ancient king of the Kiswone Nation!" Justin still seemed slightly puzzled. "This could mean that you are the rightful heir to the throne this very day!"
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Justin stood up from his side of the fluffy couch. "I am NOT a king!" His face was glowing red.
"You might be." Sora's tone had hushed. There was no way she could trace the kingship line in her mind. She would have to look at the charts back in the Kiswone Nation.
She continued pensively, "Back when the barrier was established, the king was very distraught at the loss of his son, and heir." She looked Justin in the eyes. "The heir to the thrown is not just by being the eldest son. The heir is chosen by the fates. A king and a queen will have Kiswan after Kiswan until that heir is born...... I am the current heir....."
Justin had been pacing back and forth across the living room, but at this last comment, he stopped abruptly. "You are the heir?"
"Well, I was, until I met you." Sora picked up her glass and walked back into Justin's kitchen to fill it with more ice and water from the fridge dispenser, followed by Justin.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Justin exclaimed!
"No, if we trace your lineage back to this founding king of the Kiswone Nation, then you could possibly have right to the throne." Sora paused. "When the barriers were put in place, the king was forced to choose a new heir. Many of his offspring petitioned to be it. He finally chose a daughter that had shown promise, but was not a genuine match for the position. She is in my family line."
"So since the heir to the throne had to be altered, you are still the current heir." Justin said quietly.
"It is not that simple, Justin." Sora took a sip of her water. "Maybe the cause of the weakness in the barrier is due to the fact that the Kiswone Nation has not been lead by the one hundred percent correct heir to the throne!"
It was Sora's turn to pace back and forth. "I have got to find a way to contact my father! He'll know what to do! If you are the heir, then you will be able to help me bring down the barrier before the earth loses its power to reproduce the vegetation and provide for the life currently living here."
"You are serious?" Justin was sitting at the table in the kitchen cradling his forehead in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. "I have no power to help you."
"We'll get there. I just need to find a pigeon so I can send my father a message."
Justin laughed. "Well, there are pigeons all over town! Good luck catching one!"
Sora approached Justin and knelt down in front of him. She pulled his hands away from his face and looked him in the eyes. "I won't force you to do anything that you don't want to do, Justin. But I need some help. I can't do this alone."
Justin began to get his calm composer back as Sora continued. "I still have to alert the world that there are other races among them. If I just bring down the barrier before they know about us, then there will be a major war, and that is what the Kiswone Nation was avoiding when the barrier was put in place."
Justin stood up and walked to the living room. He peered out the window and pulled the blinds down so that no one could see in. "Jess is back," he said. "I have to talk to you about her and her family."
"She has probably been looking for me. I should go let her know I am here." Sora moved toward the door.
Justin darted in front of her and blocked her path. "Sit down, I have to tell you about Jess."
***********************************************************************************
"Jess comes from a long line of believers in aliens. Her great-grandfather was one of the first to talk about being abducted when the 1947 spaceship supposedly crashed here. The whole family, ever since, has been on the hunt for aliens."
Sora scrunched her eyebrows. "So? Her and her aunt and uncle seem a little odd, but they want to help me get the word out."
"That's just the thing," Justin said. "I don't think they are at all interested in your story as being from this planet. If you knew them like the majority of Roswell does, you would know what I am implying. They want to get you put into some kind of weird hospital that they run, so they can perform tests on you. They have never been able to gain concrete proof of the abductions, and they will do whatever they have to do gain such proof....even if it is a lie."
Sora was speechless. She was still trying to process this information when a knock sounded on the door. Justin got up from his couch and looked out a little hole in the door. He had explained earlier that it was a peek hole. He turned to Sora and whispered, "Its Jess. You should hide. I'll tell her I haven't seen you."
This didn't sit well with Sora. Jess had been very kind to her, and maybe these stories were true, but she could not just disappear without explanation. "No, its okay. I want to speak with her about my changed plans."
"Changed plans?" Justin looked confused.
"You are going to help me then right? Because at this point, I have no one else to turn to, and you do have Kiswan blood in you!"
Justin sighed. "Alright."
The knock sounded even louder the second time. Justin unbolted the door and opened it. There was Jess, standing at the door looking extremely upset. "Have you seen my friend I was with this morn......" Jess had just looked in Sora's direction.
"What are you doing here?" Jess accused.
"Well, you didn't expect me to hang out at that court house all day did you?" Sora stood. This made Jess calm down. Sora was very tall, and could be extremely intimidating. "I took a walk, and ate my lunch in a corn field. Justin happened to see me, and he offered me a ride home. You weren't there, so he invited me in."
Jess glared in Justin's direction as if to read on his face if this was true. Logically, how would it not be true. Jess's history of paranoia was beginning to ebb its way out into plain sight.
"Oh, well you could have called me," she shot back.
"Jess, I just learned what a phone was today...." Sora was amused. "Anyway, Justin and I have been talking, and he has been planning a trip to the east coast. He said he would give me a lift in the direct of your president."
Jess's glare returned as she pierced daggers through Justin with her eyes. "Oh, I see, well I was planning on taking you."
"You were? I didn't even have a plan this morning."
Jess was not pleased with the way things were going. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll be across the lot. Some people just cannot be trusted." She whisked around and stormed back toward her apartment.
"I don't like the way that ended," said Justin. "We haven't heard the last of this. I'm sure she is on the phone with her uncle at this very moment."
"Well, what can they do?" Sora brushed Justin's worry from her mind. "So are you really up for taking me to the president?"
Justin sighed. "Yes, I will. But it will take a few days. I have to get the last of my pay from the farmer, he is kind of slow at paying me.
***********************************************************************************
Until next time!
15: Just When You Think You Know Someone
Justin had just re-bolted his door, just in case Jess decided to try and storm in. He did not like the way she left without a further argument or threat. When he was dating her roommate, she was always lurking around and trying to squeeze her way in. Her roommate ended up moving out because Jess claimed that Justin was really interested in her. Justin was never really sure what kind of threat Jess gave her roommate, but Justin was sure that is what broke them up. Ever since then, he had tried to steer clear of Jess Cartwright.
"Justin," Sora interrupted his thoughts. "I didn't leave my nation without any kind of financial support. It might not be the same as your currency, but it should help."
Justin took a seat next to her on the black leather couch. Sora was pulling a little pouch out of her pack. She pulled open the leather draw string and dumped out thick hunks of gold that were molded into uneven disks.
"Where did you get all of this!?" Justin was running his thumb over the heavy coin. "This has got to be worth a small fortune!"
"We mine them in one of the mountains in the Kiswone Nation," Sora waved her hand nonchallantly. "We use them as currency to sell our goods to one another."
"There is one mountain that all of this comes from?"
"Yes, we have not even needed to start looking into other mountains," Sora picked up one of the soft coins to run her own thumb over the top. "We recycle the same gold most of the time. There is a large store of it in one of the chambers of the castle. Some of it hasn't even left that room for centuries."
Justin was in awe. "This could be a very large case in getting the President of the United States to listen to you. My country is in so much debt that his ears will perk up at the sound of large nuggets of gold just sitting around in another nation."
Sora began to fill her pouch back up. "Will someone one buy these do you think?"
"There are a lot of people who would buy these up in a heart beat." Justin put the few coins that he was holding into the pouch. "But you don't want to sell these. We'll need these later on, as they are."
"Listen, you should stay here tonight. You can sleep in my bed. I'll sleep on the couch...." Justin hesitated. "I don't think it would be wise to stay with Jess." Justin got up quickly and walked down a hallway. Sora thought she saw his cheeks go red. Once she realized why he had blushed, she blushed herself. Truth be told, Sora did feel a bit uncomfortable going back to Jess's apartment. She just couldn't get over the sickening feeling that something was not right.
***********************************************************************************
Justin had changed the sheets on his bed, and put some on the couch to finalize the arrangements. Their plan was simple. Justin would talk to his boss the next day telling him that he needed some time off, and his last few weeks of pay. The old man would see reason, after Justin smoothed over how long he would be gone. Luck was on Justin's side, since there was not much to be done until it was time to harvest the corn.
The old farmer should be able to get Justin his money by the next day. They planned on leaving that night. In the meantime, Justin and Sora would make preparations with food, and a route to get to Washington D.C.
With their plans finalized, Sora gave Justin a hug, thanking him for his help, and bidding him a good night. She entered his room to retire for the night. She was very grateful for his generous heart in helping her. She would be stranded without his help. As a female Kiswan, he could not help appreciating such a good human, or was it Kiswan... or both? As she laid in his bed waiting for sleep to wash over her consciousness, Sora thought of how Justin's short hair reflected the sunlight through his highlights. His dark eyes had the same flecks of sunlight in them as well. He was clearly a handsome Kiswan. Sleep enveloped Sora, and she dreamed of Witold, trying to get to her to help her.
***********************************************************************************
The sun had just risen, and Sora heard a distant, yet urgent knock on a door. Sora sat up in the bed. She heard a few thumps which may have indicated that Justin had fallen off of the couch when the knock sounded. She smiled at the image, but remained where she was. Something told her that it was not a good idea to go out into the living room.
Sora heard muffled talking for a few minutes, and finally silence.
A few minutes after the muffled conversation ended, Justin walked down to his bedroom, where Sora was staying. He knocked quietly, and when Sora invited him in, he entered looking extremely worried.
"That was the sheriff." Justin sat down at the end of the enormous bed.
"The sheriff?" Sora had not heard of a sheriff before.
Justin gazed up at her. "Oh right. A sheriff is a chief enforcer of the laws of the town. He basically answers to the higher government officials like the mayor."
"Oh, what did he want?"
"The sheriff was looking for you. He says that you are wanted for robbery... He claims that you stole a map of the mayor's when you were with him yesterday. The whole police force has been instructed to watch out for you."
"What?" Sora was shocked. "I didn't steal anything! I looked at his map, while he was comparing mine with his."
Sora took her map out of her pack and unrolled it. She had just then realized that Justin was holding a piece of paper in his hands.
"That is the same map in this picture," Justin handed the photo over to Sora to examine.
"How did he get this! Mayor Cartwright was taking pictures of it on his phone, but how did he get it printed out?"
Justin looked at Sora's map. "I don't know, but he is claiming that your map is his. He sent the mayor here, because Jess told him that she had seen you 'nearby.'"
"I think that you should keep that map well hidden. If Cartwright has the police involved, they will be back later with a warrant to search my apartment..." Justin paused and said, before Sora could ask. "A warrant is a piece of paper that says the police can search my apartment, no matter what."
Sora was surprised, "I can't believe the treatery that seems to be so common here!"
"Yeah, well that is how it is." Justin said matter of fact.
"Oh, yeah, they asked if you were here. I said no. I told them that my mother was staying for a few days. I don't know how long that will hold them off, but I suspect someone will be watching me."
Justin made breakfast for Sora, pancakes with syrup, which was utterly delicious. He then got ready for the day to head over to his boss' house to discuss his pay. The plan was for Sora to keep a low profile while he was gone. If anyone came knocking on the door, she was to remain silent until they left. If the person was starting to break in, she was to head out the back window and hide in the place he described to Sora. It seemed easy enough.
Nothing happened for many hours. Sora was just quietly making her way through the house. She was looking at every picture that Justin had, and every detail of his belongings. It was very interesting. He seemed to be such a simple person.
Her musings were interrupted by some rustling around the front door. Sora tip-toed up to the door to look out the peek-hole. She could see the top of Jess' head. The doorknob jiggled, as Jess tried to open the door. The next thing Sora noticed was a piece of lined paper being slid through the crack in the door. Sora waited until Jess was gone before removing the paper. She sat down and read the disturbing note.
"Sora,
You are making a huge mistake! My uncle is the only one around here that can help you. He knows the president personally, and he ensures that you will be safe with us. We are you friends, and want nothing more than to help you succeed! Please let us help you. If you don't come to us willingly, then we will have to come and get you. My uncle can either be your greatest asset, or your worst enemy. Chose carefully.
Love,
Jess xoxo"
The change in tone was enough to give Sora chills. What were these humans planning to do to her?
"Justin," Sora interrupted his thoughts. "I didn't leave my nation without any kind of financial support. It might not be the same as your currency, but it should help."
Justin took a seat next to her on the black leather couch. Sora was pulling a little pouch out of her pack. She pulled open the leather draw string and dumped out thick hunks of gold that were molded into uneven disks.
"Where did you get all of this!?" Justin was running his thumb over the heavy coin. "This has got to be worth a small fortune!"
"We mine them in one of the mountains in the Kiswone Nation," Sora waved her hand nonchallantly. "We use them as currency to sell our goods to one another."
"There is one mountain that all of this comes from?"
"Yes, we have not even needed to start looking into other mountains," Sora picked up one of the soft coins to run her own thumb over the top. "We recycle the same gold most of the time. There is a large store of it in one of the chambers of the castle. Some of it hasn't even left that room for centuries."
Justin was in awe. "This could be a very large case in getting the President of the United States to listen to you. My country is in so much debt that his ears will perk up at the sound of large nuggets of gold just sitting around in another nation."
Sora began to fill her pouch back up. "Will someone one buy these do you think?"
"There are a lot of people who would buy these up in a heart beat." Justin put the few coins that he was holding into the pouch. "But you don't want to sell these. We'll need these later on, as they are."
"Listen, you should stay here tonight. You can sleep in my bed. I'll sleep on the couch...." Justin hesitated. "I don't think it would be wise to stay with Jess." Justin got up quickly and walked down a hallway. Sora thought she saw his cheeks go red. Once she realized why he had blushed, she blushed herself. Truth be told, Sora did feel a bit uncomfortable going back to Jess's apartment. She just couldn't get over the sickening feeling that something was not right.
***********************************************************************************
Justin had changed the sheets on his bed, and put some on the couch to finalize the arrangements. Their plan was simple. Justin would talk to his boss the next day telling him that he needed some time off, and his last few weeks of pay. The old man would see reason, after Justin smoothed over how long he would be gone. Luck was on Justin's side, since there was not much to be done until it was time to harvest the corn.
The old farmer should be able to get Justin his money by the next day. They planned on leaving that night. In the meantime, Justin and Sora would make preparations with food, and a route to get to Washington D.C.
With their plans finalized, Sora gave Justin a hug, thanking him for his help, and bidding him a good night. She entered his room to retire for the night. She was very grateful for his generous heart in helping her. She would be stranded without his help. As a female Kiswan, he could not help appreciating such a good human, or was it Kiswan... or both? As she laid in his bed waiting for sleep to wash over her consciousness, Sora thought of how Justin's short hair reflected the sunlight through his highlights. His dark eyes had the same flecks of sunlight in them as well. He was clearly a handsome Kiswan. Sleep enveloped Sora, and she dreamed of Witold, trying to get to her to help her.
***********************************************************************************
The sun had just risen, and Sora heard a distant, yet urgent knock on a door. Sora sat up in the bed. She heard a few thumps which may have indicated that Justin had fallen off of the couch when the knock sounded. She smiled at the image, but remained where she was. Something told her that it was not a good idea to go out into the living room.
Sora heard muffled talking for a few minutes, and finally silence.
A few minutes after the muffled conversation ended, Justin walked down to his bedroom, where Sora was staying. He knocked quietly, and when Sora invited him in, he entered looking extremely worried.
"That was the sheriff." Justin sat down at the end of the enormous bed.
"The sheriff?" Sora had not heard of a sheriff before.
Justin gazed up at her. "Oh right. A sheriff is a chief enforcer of the laws of the town. He basically answers to the higher government officials like the mayor."
"Oh, what did he want?"
"The sheriff was looking for you. He says that you are wanted for robbery... He claims that you stole a map of the mayor's when you were with him yesterday. The whole police force has been instructed to watch out for you."
"What?" Sora was shocked. "I didn't steal anything! I looked at his map, while he was comparing mine with his."
Sora took her map out of her pack and unrolled it. She had just then realized that Justin was holding a piece of paper in his hands.
"That is the same map in this picture," Justin handed the photo over to Sora to examine.
"How did he get this! Mayor Cartwright was taking pictures of it on his phone, but how did he get it printed out?"
Justin looked at Sora's map. "I don't know, but he is claiming that your map is his. He sent the mayor here, because Jess told him that she had seen you 'nearby.'"
"I think that you should keep that map well hidden. If Cartwright has the police involved, they will be back later with a warrant to search my apartment..." Justin paused and said, before Sora could ask. "A warrant is a piece of paper that says the police can search my apartment, no matter what."
Sora was surprised, "I can't believe the treatery that seems to be so common here!"
"Yeah, well that is how it is." Justin said matter of fact.
"Oh, yeah, they asked if you were here. I said no. I told them that my mother was staying for a few days. I don't know how long that will hold them off, but I suspect someone will be watching me."
Justin made breakfast for Sora, pancakes with syrup, which was utterly delicious. He then got ready for the day to head over to his boss' house to discuss his pay. The plan was for Sora to keep a low profile while he was gone. If anyone came knocking on the door, she was to remain silent until they left. If the person was starting to break in, she was to head out the back window and hide in the place he described to Sora. It seemed easy enough.
Nothing happened for many hours. Sora was just quietly making her way through the house. She was looking at every picture that Justin had, and every detail of his belongings. It was very interesting. He seemed to be such a simple person.
Her musings were interrupted by some rustling around the front door. Sora tip-toed up to the door to look out the peek-hole. She could see the top of Jess' head. The doorknob jiggled, as Jess tried to open the door. The next thing Sora noticed was a piece of lined paper being slid through the crack in the door. Sora waited until Jess was gone before removing the paper. She sat down and read the disturbing note.
"Sora,
You are making a huge mistake! My uncle is the only one around here that can help you. He knows the president personally, and he ensures that you will be safe with us. We are you friends, and want nothing more than to help you succeed! Please let us help you. If you don't come to us willingly, then we will have to come and get you. My uncle can either be your greatest asset, or your worst enemy. Chose carefully.
Love,
Jess xoxo"
The change in tone was enough to give Sora chills. What were these humans planning to do to her?
13: Finally Learning New Things
When Justin pulled his enormous truck into the parking lot, he and Sora walked toward the apartments. Sora noticed that Jess's car was not in her parking spot. She walked up to the door and tried the knob. Locked.
Justin was watching, and when Sora turned back around, he said, "Well, I'm done with work for the day. You can come in and wait for Jess to come back."
Sora's heart sped up. The offer made her nervous, but it was extremely hot outside, and she could use a nice comfortable place to sit down and wait for Jess... and the court house did not qualify for such a comfortable spot. Not with Mayor Cartwright lingering around, and his wife watching Sora's every move. (Sora was not unobservant--they both regarded her as what they thought she was, an alien).
"Okay, if it is no trouble." Sora responded.
Justin lead Sora down the sidewalk to where his apartment door was. He unlocked it with a key and let Sora pass through first.
She took in the entry room. It had an enormous over-stuffed black leather couch. Jess's couch was so much smaller than this one. Sora had arose that morning with a pain in her neck. This couch, looked completely welcoming. The rest of the room was scattered with books, and other things that Sora had never seen before. Justin had an enormous black device on the wall, just like Jess's. However, Sora had not been able to find out what it was.
Sora turned around to see Justin watching her as she looked around at everything. "You really aren't from around here, are you?"
Sora shook her head. "Everything here is so new, I don't even know what to think."
Justin walked past her. "Do you want anything to drink?.... um, water or something?"
"Water would be very nice, thank you." Sora responded.
"Have a seat on the couch, I'll be right out." Justin then went into the room the humans call the kitchen.
Sora heard clanking then the rush of water filling a glass. Justin brought out a glass of water with little cubes floating on the top. Sora brought the glass up closer to her face in order to see the contents a little bit closer. She glanced up as Justin drank deeply from his glass. As he drained the water, the little cubes clanged to the bottom of his glass. She poked at the little thing floating at the top of the water. It was cold. Freezing cold.
Sora asked Justin, "What are these?"
"Ice cubes....... frozen water," Justin added since Sora obviously did not catch on. "Come here, I'll show you.
Justin walked into his kitchen and showed Sora an enormous white box sitting up against a wall. It had two handles on it that were to open two separate doors. Sora recognized an identical piece of furniture in Jess' apartment.
"This is a fridge." Justin opened the bottom door. "It keeps food cold. Milk, cheese, eggs..... anything you want to be cold."
"Oh, I wondered about the milk that Jess served me this morning. It was very cold." Sora bent down to look inside. There were apples, grapes, carrots, and many other fruits and vegetables that the Kiswan enjoy.
Justin shut that door and opened the top door. "This is the freezer." He was looking very pleased to be giving Sora this tutorial. "This is where we make ice." Justin pulled out a little tray with little compartments.
"Look." Justin said. "I just filled this tray with water, after a few hours, it will turn solid. It will be ice, like in your glass." He pulled out another tray that had ice already in it. "See?"
Sora touched the ice. It was very cold. Sora then turned her attention back to her glass. She took a sip of the water, and drew a breath. It was so cold in fact that it gave Sora chills down her arms.
"Wow! This is so...... refreshing!" She then began to drink more deeply from her glass.
Justin said, "Look what else we keep in the freezer. He pulled out various containers of food. One was ice cream. "Let me show you a little treat that we have."
After dishing up the bowls of ice cream Justin lead Sora back out to the entry room where he sat down on one end of the couch with one foot tucked underneath him. Sora sat on the opposite side, looking down at the bowl and spoon in her hands. The bowl was very cold, it made Sora shiver. As she took a spoonful and put it in her mouth, nothing surprised her more than the wonderful taste of vanilla ice cream with swirls of fudge running through it.
Justin laughed at Sora's expression, and she found herself falling into a very comfortable conversation with someone she had just met. Nothing was ever this fun with Jess. Sora felt like her relationship with Justin was a natural one. They talked for a few hours about things that are human, before they returned to the Kiswone Nation.
Justin was watching, and when Sora turned back around, he said, "Well, I'm done with work for the day. You can come in and wait for Jess to come back."
Sora's heart sped up. The offer made her nervous, but it was extremely hot outside, and she could use a nice comfortable place to sit down and wait for Jess... and the court house did not qualify for such a comfortable spot. Not with Mayor Cartwright lingering around, and his wife watching Sora's every move. (Sora was not unobservant--they both regarded her as what they thought she was, an alien).
"Okay, if it is no trouble." Sora responded.
Justin lead Sora down the sidewalk to where his apartment door was. He unlocked it with a key and let Sora pass through first.
She took in the entry room. It had an enormous over-stuffed black leather couch. Jess's couch was so much smaller than this one. Sora had arose that morning with a pain in her neck. This couch, looked completely welcoming. The rest of the room was scattered with books, and other things that Sora had never seen before. Justin had an enormous black device on the wall, just like Jess's. However, Sora had not been able to find out what it was.
Sora turned around to see Justin watching her as she looked around at everything. "You really aren't from around here, are you?"
Sora shook her head. "Everything here is so new, I don't even know what to think."
Justin walked past her. "Do you want anything to drink?.... um, water or something?"
"Water would be very nice, thank you." Sora responded.
"Have a seat on the couch, I'll be right out." Justin then went into the room the humans call the kitchen.
Sora heard clanking then the rush of water filling a glass. Justin brought out a glass of water with little cubes floating on the top. Sora brought the glass up closer to her face in order to see the contents a little bit closer. She glanced up as Justin drank deeply from his glass. As he drained the water, the little cubes clanged to the bottom of his glass. She poked at the little thing floating at the top of the water. It was cold. Freezing cold.
Sora asked Justin, "What are these?"
"Ice cubes....... frozen water," Justin added since Sora obviously did not catch on. "Come here, I'll show you.
Justin walked into his kitchen and showed Sora an enormous white box sitting up against a wall. It had two handles on it that were to open two separate doors. Sora recognized an identical piece of furniture in Jess' apartment.
"This is a fridge." Justin opened the bottom door. "It keeps food cold. Milk, cheese, eggs..... anything you want to be cold."
"Oh, I wondered about the milk that Jess served me this morning. It was very cold." Sora bent down to look inside. There were apples, grapes, carrots, and many other fruits and vegetables that the Kiswan enjoy.
Justin shut that door and opened the top door. "This is the freezer." He was looking very pleased to be giving Sora this tutorial. "This is where we make ice." Justin pulled out a little tray with little compartments.
"Look." Justin said. "I just filled this tray with water, after a few hours, it will turn solid. It will be ice, like in your glass." He pulled out another tray that had ice already in it. "See?"
Sora touched the ice. It was very cold. Sora then turned her attention back to her glass. She took a sip of the water, and drew a breath. It was so cold in fact that it gave Sora chills down her arms.
"Wow! This is so...... refreshing!" She then began to drink more deeply from her glass.
Justin said, "Look what else we keep in the freezer. He pulled out various containers of food. One was ice cream. "Let me show you a little treat that we have."
After dishing up the bowls of ice cream Justin lead Sora back out to the entry room where he sat down on one end of the couch with one foot tucked underneath him. Sora sat on the opposite side, looking down at the bowl and spoon in her hands. The bowl was very cold, it made Sora shiver. As she took a spoonful and put it in her mouth, nothing surprised her more than the wonderful taste of vanilla ice cream with swirls of fudge running through it.
Justin laughed at Sora's expression, and she found herself falling into a very comfortable conversation with someone she had just met. Nothing was ever this fun with Jess. Sora felt like her relationship with Justin was a natural one. They talked for a few hours about things that are human, before they returned to the Kiswone Nation.
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