*
Alexia dropped the phone. “Ouch!” Alexia yelled as she grabbed at her burning ear. Lacier calmly bent down and picked up the phone. Although she was sensitive on the inside, her exterior was one of a skilled warrior who rarely showed signs of fear.
“Who is this?” Lacier demanded into the receiver. The shrieking stopped.
Alexia watched intently, the pain in her ear had subsided into a dull ache. “What is it?” Alexia asked.
“It is not of this world,” Lacier said. “Here, hang this up,” Lacier handed Alexia the phone. “I don’t know how to work these things.”
“Okay,” Alexia took the phone and ended the call. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to Robert’s house.”
“Do you think we need back up?” Alexia thought the Sianic army would come in handy right now.
“Not until we know what we’re dealing with. We don’t simply march into these civilized countries with armies. We like to keep a low profile.”
“Okay, so what do we do?”
“We’re going to go and look around. If we can handle the situation we’ll deal with it. If not, I’ll call for reinforcements.”
“Lacier, do you think they have my family?” Alexia thought for a moment. “I guess they aren’t my family anymore.”
“They will always be your family. And I don’t know if they have been abducted. It’s possible.” The tone of Lacier’s voice told Alexia that she knew they had been abducted.
“What would they want with them?” Alexia thought about this and then remembered the last words that she heard the guard in Flameia utter so jovially. “Stupid, successful,” Alexia muttered.
“What?” Lacier turned to her.
“It’s what one of those guards on Flameia said before he died.”
“Hmm,” Lacier paused. “I think we’ve been had.”
“What do you mean?”
“They didn’t gain anything from kidnapping Amosa. I think that was a decoy.”
“A decoy…” Alexia shook her head. “Why would they do that?”
“They weren’t interested in Amosa at all. What do they want then…” Lacier’s voice trailed off. A puzzling look appeared on Lacier’s face. “I have to go and see the watchers of Siania. If anything is happening they will be able to find out,” she said hopefully.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, stay here in case we are wrong and Cynthia comes home. I won’t be long.” Lacier looked at Alexia and smiled weakly as she balled up her fist in preparation to leave. “I won’t be long,” Lacier said as she disappeared back to Siania.
Alexia was alone for the first time in a few days. She felt as though she was the only person alive on a far away planet. Suddenly the house where she grew up, the house that contained all of her childhood memories, didn’t feel like home.
She walked into the hall way and smiled. She looked at the stairs and remembered the time Cynthia panicked because Alexia had gotten over the safety barrier and made it to the top of the stairs. Alexia knew now that she had most likely used magic to get over the barrier.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Alexia froze and wondered if it was one of Temorvick’s minions. She pushed the thought from her mind. They wouldn’t knock on the door, they would just barge in.
She crept toward the front door and looked out of a side window. To her relief, Ava and Ronda were standing on the front door. A wide smile appeared on Alexia’s face as she rushed to open the door.
“Alexia!” Ava yelled as though it was the first time she had seen her in a year.
“Where have you been?” Ronda said, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
“You guys don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Alexia said as she ushered the girls inside and shut the door after them, making sure it was locked.
“Alexia, we’ve tried to call like a million times,” Ava exaggerated.
“I’ve been,” Alexia stalled. She didn’t know what to tell them. “I’ve been away,” she finally said.
“We know that. Cynthia told us the same thing, she was very vague. What we don’t know is where you were,” Ronda said.
“I want to tell you guys. I really do. You will just think I’m crazy.”
“Alexia, you’re starting to freak me out,” Ava said, looking apprehensive.
“If I tell you guys, you have to promise not to tell anybody.” Alexia looked at them and tried to work out whether she should tell them about her powers.
“Come on, Alexia. It can’t be that serious,” Ronda said. She was starting to sound impatient.
“Fine,” Alexia said. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Ronda and Ava looked at each other and shrugged. “Alexia what are you doing?” Ava demanded.
Alexia shut out her voice and concentrated. In her mind, she imagined a gigantic hamburger, Ronda’s favorite food, bulging with meat and cheese.
Screams forced Alexia to open her eyes. In front of her was a giant brown cow. Ava was hard against the wall, screaming while Ronda stared in shock at the animal.
“Sorry, guys! It was supposed to be a hamburger. I’m not very good at this yet,” Alexia said as she inspected the cow who was staring back at her drearily.
“Where did that come from?” Ava managed to talk between her screaming which had died down.
Alexia smiled and said, “I conjured it.”
“How?” Ava asked, still looking bewildered.
“With magic.”
Ava shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
“No, I would have thought so too,” Alexia told her. “But it isn’t. Not for me anyway.” Alexia thought about how strange some humans are. They think they know everything. The word ‘impossible’ is used far too often. How can they just assume that something doesn’t exist? When in reality they have no idea.
“C-c,” Ronda stammered. “It’s a cow,” she finally managed. Her usually dark skin had turned pale.
“Yes, it is. Are you okay, Ron?” Alexia knew she shouldn’t have performed magic in front of them. Lacier would probably be pretty mad if she found out.
“No, yeah, I dunno,” Ronda said, shaking her head.
“Come sit down,” Alexia said, pulling her away from the cow who had started to nibble on a rug. Ronda looked back at the cow and blinked hard. Ava followed them into the lounge, her mouth wide open.
After sitting down for thirty minutes Ronda’s color. had returned. Alexia had explained what she had been through and that she had a twin sister called Amosa. Ronda hadn’t stopped staring at Alexia as if she were looking for an answer that may be written on her somewhere.
Alexia said, “So you guys will probably have some questions.”
Ava nodded and said, “This is very weird.”
“Is this all a trick?” This sounded more like an accusation rather than a question.
“No, of course not.”
“Never heard of Siania,” Ava said quickly as if she was an expert on the universe.
“Neither had I, until my real mother took me there.”
“Alexia, maybe you should see our school counselor.”
“I know this sounds crazy. But I am adopted. I come from another planet and I have magic powers. I can’t state it anymore simply than that.”
“Your magic is that you can produce cows in an instant?” Ronda asked.
“No,” Alexia paused and scratched her head. “I can do that, obviously, but that’s not what I meant to do.” Alexia suddenly wished she had just lied and told them that she had been away at her grandmother’s house.
“Can you show us anything else?” Ava asked hopefully.
“Okay. I’m still learning how to control it though.” Alexia decided not to conjure any items this time. She looked at the remote control that was sitting on top of the television. Concentrating harder this time, she raised her hand and silently ordered for the remote con
trol to come to her. She smiled as the remote control floated into the air and traveled toward her. She caught it with her hand and surveyed her friend’s faces.
Ava’s mouth was still open in shock and Ronda looked speechless again but not as stunned as before.
“I’m not actually sure what else I can do at the moment. I’m told the fact that I can move objects is kinda special.”
“Yes, I’d agree that it’s special,” Ava said and then finally closed her mouth. She seemed to be taking this better than Ronda.
“What are you? Are you an alien?” Ronda’s voice was shaky.
“I guess you could say that. You guys are aliens too. Everyone is an alien to somebody.”
“Are we safe here?” Ronda asked.
“I’m still the same person I ever was. I’m still Alexia.”
“Where are you going to live now?”
Alexia thought about Ava’s question. She had thought she’d stay on Earth but wasn’t entirely sure. “I don’t know yet,” she replied.
“Lacier sounds nice, Polly sounds a bit weird,” Ava sounded like she was starting to believe Alexia.
“Lacier thinks that she's like that because she feels guilty for sending me away.”
“How come Amosa is being such a twat?”
“She seems to blame me for something. I don’t know. She’s an attention seeker.”
“And she looks exactly like you?”
“Exactly the same. Like a body double.”
“Cool,” Ronda seemed to be warming up to the idea of Alexia being from another planet. Alexia smiled at her and said, “maybe I’d be allowed to take you guys to Siania some time. Might be a problem with the ground though.” Alexia giggled slightly at the thought of her friends swimming through the streets of Siania while she walked on top of the extraordinary water.
“What’s wrong with the ground?” Ava asked.
“Oh, just a good security system is all,” Alexia said and laughed to herself. Her laughter stopped when she spotted a framed photo of her and Cynthia sitting on a sideboard. “When was the last time you guys talked to Cynthia?”
“Um,” Ronda thought briefly. “Yesterday, she was about to drive Gina back to her father’s house.”
“So she did go to Robert’s house.”
“How come you’re calling him Robert?” Ava asked.
“He isn’t my father, remember?”
“Sorry, it’s going to take me awhile to get used to your new life.”
“That’s okay. I’m finding it hard too. I can hardly believe that Cynthia isn’t my Mom.” There was another knock at the door. “Who’s that?” Ronda jumped up out of her chair.
“Quiet,” Alexia said as she walked to the window, staying low to the ground. She peered out the window and saw Karla standing on the doorstep. She looked run down and not as stylish as usual. Her blond hair was in need of a wash and she was wearing an over-sized dress that could be mistaken as maternity wear.
“It’s Karla,” Alexia said.
“What’s she doing here?” Ava whispered.
Alexia shrugged as she walked to the front door. She opened the door and smiled at Karla. “Hi, Karla,” Alexia said. Karla looked at her drowsily.
“Alexia,” Karla’s voice was quiet. “I had to come and see you. I feel so guilty.”
“Karla, come inside,” Alexia said as she gestured for her to come inside. “You look cold.”
Karla nodded at her and said, “It’s my fault Price attacked you.”
“No, it wasn’t your fault.”
“But I told him about you telling me I could do better,” Karla protested. Her eyes widened as she noticed the cow in the hall way. “Why is there a cow in here?”
“Long story. Come into the lounge, Ronda and Ava are here too.”
“Oh, I’m not really dressed to see people.” Karla referred to her baggy dress and scruffy hair. Alexia frowned. Not dressed to see people, what was she, a cabbage?
“Well, what can I do for you, Karla?” Alexia didn’t want to hurry Karla but she didn’t have time for anymore drama.
“Price feels really bad. He has no recollection of the last two years. He knows that he attacked you. We told him about everything, about his erratic behavior. One doctor even thought there might have been something wrong with his head, you know, that may have caused him to act differently. But he’s healthy.” Karla lowered her eyes to the ground. “Healthy except for the scars.”
“Oh, is the scarring bad?” Alexia dreaded the answer she was about to get.
“He’s unrecognizable.” A tear strolled down Karla’s face. “I reconciled with him. I’d look like a giant ass if I didn’t.”
Alexia studied the look of despair on Karla’s face. She looked as though all the enjoyment in her life had been stolen from her. “I would like to visit Price.”
“You would? That would make him feel so much better. He feels so bad for attacking you. He has no idea why he attacked you, and me before you. He seems to be his old self again.”
Alexia knew that this was true. But she couldn’t tell Karla the real reason why he was acting so strange. She didn’t know how to tell her that a dark shade had taken over his body and was now gone.
“I’ve got a bit of time now,” Alexia said. “Is it visiting hours at the moment?”
“We can go now sure!” Karla was exuding some of her old enthusiasm.