Befriended an Outlaw

I was having dinner with my mother. I trailed my fork through my pasta, not hungry. Ever since midday I was feeling slightly queasy. My gaze strayed to the wide window, tinged all kinds of different colours. The sun was already below the horizon, leaving a miniscule amount of light. I spotted amongst the stars a glowing spot in the dim night. It grew larger the longer I stared. Soon it was as enormous as a car.

I felt a slight tremor as the large object landed in my backyard. My mother, Allison, seemed shocked from the sudden minor earthquake. I stood, striding purposefully across the room to the back door. I opened it cautiously, gazing into the night. I observed my backyard carefully. The stars sparkled brightly in the ebony sky. A thin trail of smoke billowed up into the atmosphere. I spotted the source of the smoke, a U.F.O., which crash landed near my mother’s favorite raspberry bush. I glimpsed a moaning figure in the rubble. Rushing to the being’s side, I checked for any injuries. Apart from a few scratches and a deep gash in his right shoulder, he was unharmed. However, I had found out in this encounter that he had leathery wings protruding from his scaly back and a tail, severely damaged from the fall. I was shocked, but this creature was injured and needed medical attention.

I half-dragged half-carried the stranger into the house. My mother, Allison Asba, was instantly to his side, moving him gently onto the couch, greenish-blue and striped with yellow. The figure groaned and shifted his silver wings as we laid him down.

Allison tended to the rough-scaled alien swiftly, taking care not to wake him. Though she had put all her efforts into it, his eyes flickered open. They widened as they spotted me and my mother. He tried to sit up, but Allison gently pushed him back down. “Shh. Calm down. We are helping you.” She continued tending to his wounds. “You were hurt terribly in that crash.”

He watched as my mother finished bandaging his shoulder. However, when she was done, he quickly rolled off the couch, landing on his feet. He collapsed only after a few measly moments of standing. When I had lifted him back onto the couch, he spoke. “Who are you? Why am I here? What were you doing? Which planet am I on? What are you?” His words came out in a rush.

“One question at a time please.” I flipped my black hair out of my face.

“Who are you?” He asked slowly.

“I am Esme, and this is my mother, Allison.” I gestured to my mother as she spoke.

“Why am I here?”

“Because you crashed in my backyard.”

“What were you doing?”

“Helping you.”

“Which planet am I on?”

“Earth.”

“What are you?”

“I am a human.” I paused. “Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is my turn to ask questions. Who are you?”

“I am Lucas Carbol.”

“What are you?”

“I am a Tasnar.”

“From which planet did you come?”

“Staran.”

“Do you speak any other language?”

“I speak any language as the speaker I am speaking to.” I was surprised, but was too tired to ask any more questions.

“That is all.” I yawned tiredly. “Time to sleep.”

I strode out the living room, leaving him to ponder over this new place.

I am Lucas Carbol. I have crashlanded on a planet far from home. Apparently it was in the backyard of some human girl and her mother. I do not know this place as well as I wish to, but, I can’t return home, not even if my ship wasn’t broken. You don’t know this, but, I am an outlaw of my people. They shot me off into space, never to glimpse home again. I just have to keep that away from these humans, or else I might never have another chance at life.

So, I am lying on the couch, it is nighttime, and I’m not even close to tired. The moon and the sun deliver me my energy. I don’t need to sleep. I can sprint forever, fly forever, and I can live for eternity. Why do I need these ‘humans’? Because they could just be my only chance at a friend.

I am waiting until morning. ‘Till the humans wake up. Time here seems slow and steady. I waited, and waited. A long time past. Finally, the sun rose above the horizon. It was morning. The human Esme walked into the room. “Good morning, Lucas. How did you sleep?”

“I didn’t.”

“Hmm…?”

“I don’t need to sleep.” I explained. “The sun and the moon deliver me my energy.”

“Oh.” She paused. “Do you adore meat?”

“Yes…?”

“Great. ‘Cause we are having fish and bagels for breakfast.” She left without another word.

A few minutes later I was called for breakfast. I strode into the dining room. Esme turned  her head towards me and smiled. She patted a stool beside her. “Sit.”

I hesitated. Is this a trick? I didn’t know anything about these people, besides the fact that they are kind, and don’t scare easily. Despite my wariness, I sat down and tucked in my wings, my tail draped elegantly around the nooks in the reddish-brown stool.

We sat and demolished the fish and bagels. I had the least, since I didn’t really need to have any. So I was nibbling on a cheesy bagel when Allison, Esme’s mother, broke the silence. “Lucas, me and Esme were thinking that, when her father comes home, we could fix your U.F.O, and you can fly home.”

“I don’t exactly have a home.” I muttered.

“You don’t?” Esme sounded surprised to hear this.

“No.”

They were silent for a moment, gaping at me. Esme spoke, “If you don’t have a home, you can live with us?” She paused. “You know, if you want to.”

Her gaze met mine, her cobalt eyes sparkling with acceptance. She wants me here. I realized. My mind sighed. I have to tell her.

“The thing is, Esme,” I stopped. There was a pause and I continued. “I… I am an outlaw.”

Hello, Esme here. It turns out, this alien before me… was an outlaw. He held his breath, when nothing happened, he let it out slowly.

I must admit, when he had told me he was an outlaw, I was shocked, even a tiny bit scared. But when I gazed at him, I knew, that in his silver eyes, was fear.

He bowed his scaly head shamefully. “I stole from the Starmajer, or as you would call him, king. I did it, for my family was poor. I had four siblings and my parents, who were starving. I couldn’t, I just couldn’t leave them to die.

“I was caught, brought to court before the Starminor, or, prince, and the Stardim, the princess. The Starlight, our queen, was there soon after. She shot me off in a U.F.O, and I was banned from Staran… forever.”

I knew few things about Lucas Carbol, but I knew one thing for sure. One thing that didn’t bother me one bit. I had befriended an outlaw, who became an outlaw because he had to protect his family, and I... I am ok with that.