It must've been nice to think about parties and sweets at a time like this.
"I'd like to go, but I really am busy," Samantha said.
"It's just for this evening! You can't spare just this one little afternoon? You'll get to meet more of us!"
"Well, it was a group of Tranludes who caused me to lose my friends in the first place."
Finally the Tranlude's smile broke. "Oh. I'm sorry. Some of us just... Some just think they're better than everyone else, humans and other Tranludes alike. I'm a Pacifist, like everyone else at my school." She looked down at her shoes. "We don't like what the others are doing."
Samantha knew the girl could easily be lying, but she was pretty sure it was the truth. Just looking at the Tranlude now gave her the same guilty feeling she felt with Beatrice that time. She was fairly sure the Tranlude truly was upset.
"I know it's not your fault," Samantha said. "And I know it's not all of you. I think it's great how you want peace. I do too. But...I still need to find the others."
"Then let me help! And maybe, you know...later today..."
Samantha resisted the urge to sigh. "Fine."
"Yay! Free food! Er... You're going to like meeting all those Tranludes!"
The Tranlude, who eventually remembered to introduce herself as Zibetta, helped Samantha search the dense forest, but the two had no luck. Samantha was beginning to wonder if something had happened to Evan and the others. It was hard to believe she hadn't found anyone yet, even with all her calling. And she knew Joby had a loud voice too, so she was sure she'd at least hear him, so long as he wasn't miles away.
Evening came, and as reluctantly promised, Samantha agreed to being Zibetta's human partner for the party. She hated parties on the best of days, but she was tired of arguing. Zibetta was as hardheaded as a cement wall. It seemed easier to attend and just sit off to the side the whole time than to waste energy arguing back and forth with her.
The party was located in an empty warehouse in a small town just next to the woods. Apparently Zibetta's university was located somewhere nearby. Zibetta was sure to dress to impress, as she already had a dress picked out for the event. She talked Samantha into upgrading to a clean blouse and skirt as well.
The two girls were the first ones to show up, outside of those setting the tables. The building was spacious, but could've been a bit cleaner. Samantha promptly went to the nearest window, hoping to zone out the whole time. However, Zibetta joined her.
"Thanks for doing this! Definitely try some of the juice. It's delicious!"
"Okay." Samantha stared intently out the window.
Zibetta missed the hint. "Hey...can I see your necklace?"
"Hm? This?" Samantha held up the clear, bluish rock. She'd been wearing it every day since Joby made it for her. It was important to her for this reason, and because it may have come from space.
Zibetta took it. "Oh wow! I think... Yeah, this might be a moonstone! Where'd you get it?"
"A moonstone? I thought they were more smooth and shiny."
"Huh? Oh, not the gemstone. I mean an actual stone from one of the twin moons. But I'm sure you've heard all about them...right?"
"Er, no, actually. Not the stones, anyway. I know the twin moon gods, though. Geominee and Aquiana."
"You haven't heard of moonstones?" Zibetta did a double take. "They've been all in the news... Oh, wait. Yeah, I guess you wouldn't know. We found out these stones have special powers, but they probably don't want the humans knowing about this."
Samantha felt her heart speed up with interest. "What type of powers? I found this from a shooting star."
"Yeah, that would make sense. A lot of them been falling from the sky lately. But there are different types. They say, long ago, when Areth and the two moons were being formed, they were made from the same minerals. So all three actually have these moonstone thingies. They actually think the moonstones might affect certain things on Areth. Like the weather and stuff."
"I've never heard any of this before."
"Yeah, it's still pretty new stuff. Some Tranludes think it's fake. But they say each life form has a type of energy. If you find a moonstone that matches your energy, then you have some control of that element! Coolio, huh?" She winked.
"So you could control the weather?" Suddenly Samantha wasn't so bored anymore.
"Well, more like certain parts of it. Just generally speaking, ya know? Like the rain, or the lightning, or the wind and stuff. Some can control fire. There's a lot of types of moonstones out there. They're still doing research."
Suddenly it all made sense. The Tranludes had wanted them to leave because they were probably out there searching for moonstones. In fact, they probably noticed hers, which was why they wanted to check their belongings.
Samantha stared down at her moonstone. Somehow, it just got even more amazing to her. "What element is this one for? You know?"
"I'd guess wind. Uh, or maybe rain." Zibetta made a face. "Uh, or maybe ice? Ehh, it's hard to tell... They have certain looks to them. Yours is just clear and sorta blue..."
"So, if my energy matched it, I could do cool things with it?"
Zibetta started laughing. "Don't know if it works for humans, but yeah. Chances of it matching you though... Oh! There's Marecka!" She hurried off.
Samantha stared down at her moonstone, fingering it. She couldn't believe she'd stumbled across something so amazing, so powerful. She was dying to tell Joby about it. Initially he hadn't been too wowed by the space rock. She was sure he'd change his mind now.
Assuming he was still okay. The thought of something happening to him make her feel cold and tight inside. They'd been friends since high school, hanging out together most weekends and goofing off either in stores or in forests. Sometimes he was annoying, but usually he was a lot of fun.
As more and more people filled the building, Samantha didn't even notice. Lost in her thoughts and worries, she felt completely alone in the world. All the happy chitchat and laughter couldn't break through her glass bubble.
What would she do if something happened to Evan and Joby, her two best friends? Crawl back to Oliver, who was still pissed at her? She was beginning to notice what a joke her social skills were.
"Wow... That skirt short enough?"
Samantha about jumped out from the offensive clothing. "What?" She snapped her head to the side and finally noticed the guy standing just over her shoulder.
It was Evan.
"Evan! What the hell are you... It's not short. It's knee-length" She glanced at his outfit. A fancy button-up shirt along with jeans. "Oh wow. Showing some chest hair, are we?"
"What? No!" Evan yanked at the top of his shirt. "It's just hot in here!"
"I'd roll up my sleeves before leaving the top of my shirt unbuttoned like that."
"Well, that's because you're a girl, Sammy. Nobody wants to see that."
"Nobody wants to see that either!" She jabbed at his chest.
It felt good to bicker harmlessly with her brother again. It would have to take the place of any real heartwarming reunions. That went against sibling laws, after all.
Just then, Zibetta came over, beaming away. "Finally socializing, huh?" She took a look at Evan. "Ooh! Who's this man?"
Samantha had to snicker a bit at this. "My brother Evan."
"Oh!" Zibetta smiled at him. "Hello then! Invited here by a Tranlude?"
"Uh, yeah, actually..." Scratching at the back of his head, Evan glanced to the side. "He, um...disappeared..."
Zibetta chortled. "Well, that figures! You two both have a good time!" She started to walk away before pausing. "Oh yeah. And try the food. It's dee-lee-shush! Hee hee!" She left.
"You know her?" Evan asked.
"Uh, yeah. So you were dragged here against your will too?"
"Well, that's one way to put it." He looked around. His eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh, gods..."
"What is it?"
"That guy...dancing on the table..." He motioned in the direc
tion of a rowdy Tranlude dancing with a girl. "He's the one who did the dragging, actually."
Samantha stared. "Dear gods. What have you created? Gray people getting their funk on..."
"Let's get outta here before he sees me." Grabbing her by the arm, Evan dragged Samantha out the nearest door.
Chapter 9
Joby had no idea where he was.
He was losing track of what day it was, but it seemed like forever since he'd last seen the others. Wandering through the woods for awhile, he was now checking out a nearby town full of gray people.
The gray people were something else. Their hair ranged from black to white, sometimes even a lavender-gray. The occasional painted fangs reminded him of makeup. Everyone was long-legged, long-eared, and had long fingers and noses.
He was dying to do a painting of the Tranludes. He was so used to the peaches n' cream, peanut butter, and chocolate complexions of humans, that to see something so different popped to his mind all types of interesting ideas for background colors.
Night rolled in, and Joby was beginning to notice he had too much time for thinking. He decided to stop by a store and see if the Tranludes had any spray paint. The thought of leaving his street art behind in a Tranlude city was too good to pass up on. Besides, if he left his initials, maybe Samantha and Evan would come through and know he was here? They never approved of his "night job," but at least they should recognize his style by now.
The Tranlude store was almost a parody of human ones. The same types of merchandise were plastered everywhere in advertisements: clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, and food. Female Tranludes in stylish outfits struck sexy poses, to Joby's immense amusement. Gray or not, some things would always be attractive. The purple lips just weren't cutting it though.
He soon found the arts and crafts section. After browsing the walls of yarn and sketchpads, he found the paint section. There, he noticed they even had glow-in-the-dark spray paint in stock, so he was sure to grab a can of each color.
Walking through the store, Joby glanced at each section and person as he passed. Everything was busy, and the Tranludes mostly looked happy.
He remembered his short clerking job and how he hated it.
Even now, he had no idea what he was looking for. He roomed with three ambitious college students who would have bachelor's degrees in another year or two. They were always talking about classes, studying, and planning for their futures.
Oliver would definitely marry Bee-Bee. Then he and Evan would work at some fancy-shmancy psychology clinic. Oliver would have the job, the friend, and the wife. What more could the guy ask for? He'd probably end up with some equally smart kids too, and a huge house. He had both brains and social skills.
Evan would probably make a bunch of money and live by himself. Or with Samantha. Joby could definitely see those two sticking together. They'd be like a married couple, except not. They didn't need anyone except each other. They'd probably die virgins, but they'd die rich virgins. Joby could imagine them being tossed into the same coffin in death.
But what about him? Joby couldn't see his future anymore. When he was in high school, all he wanted was to graduate. Now that he had, he wished high school had never ended. Those were the best days of his life. Everyone wanted to goof around and have fun.
Now, at jobs, everyone was serious and depressing. All they did was talk about the bills, and money, and the kids, and money some more. Nobody even laughed at his practical jokes, like when he left a fake turd in a coworker's coffee cup. No, he was just given "the warning" by the store manager.
What was the point in life? To work until death? Was that the whole point of twelve years or so of school?
All he wanted was to be an artist, but that was a joke job.
And the only girl he ever loved was too obsessed with her cat, classes, and brother to even notice. She'd probably end up marrying some stuffy scientist...that or staying with her brother and dying a virgin cat lady.
And it wasn't like he hadn't told her how he felt. He'd done that over two years ago. Her excuse at the time was that they hadn't known each other long enough. Now, he was pretty sure she would give him the ol' friend zone. She never seemed interested in romance, anyway. Maybe she had a problem ― frigidity or whatever it was called? She did seem a bit off to him, living with three guys yet never seeming interested in anything. If Joby was living with three girls, he'd be having the time of his life.
After paying for the paint, Joby left the department store and stepped out into the night. Outside of the hum of cars, everything was calm and quiet. The streets weren't even that busy.
He wondered briefly if he should look some more for his friends. But after searching all day, he doubted he'd find them now, in the dark. It would be better to relax a little bit for now and continue the search in the morning. Maybe they'd spot his street art?
Heading down a dark alleyway, Joby scanned the area. No one in sight. He dropped the plastic bag of cans down and checked the nearby walls. They were spotless...but that was about to change.
Joby knew street art was illegal, but he didn't think it was a big deal. The walls were boring, and he was making them look more interesting. Besides, he wasn't hurting anyone. To him, laws should only be to protect people. Most of the laws were getting too strict these days. Damaging property? The paint washed right off. It wasn't such a crime.
He picked out the purple can. Shaking it first, he sprayed out SP and put a heart around it. Next, using the orange can, he sprayed a rough image of a cat sitting on top of the heart. After toying with the idea for a minute, he grabbed a red can and wrote next to this "Love ya more than a cat could."
What if she did see this?
Suddenly losing his nerve, he sprayed over it, blocking the message.
Moving over some, he wrote in large letters "ME: Money = Evil". Under this, in a smaller, more scripted style, he added "Have a nice day!" He put a dollar bill and some change at the end of this, then made it so the dollar bill was choking a stick figure by the neck.
Stepping back to admire his work, Joby wondered if anyone else felt the same way. Maybe someone would see his message and think about it, really think about it.
Maybe someday jobs wouldn't have to exist anymore.
He jumped when he heard a door slam. Standing in the street was a balding Tranlude.
"What are you doing on my property?" The Tranlude glanced at the wall and noticed the glowing paint. "You... You ruined my house!"
Joby had never been caught before. For a second, he wasn't sure what to say. Finally the time-tested, always appropriate line found its way to his lips: "I'm sorry."
"After you sit out here and deliberately do this? Sorry isn't going to cut it, boy!"
Time-tested or not, there's always a first failure for everything.
"It should wash off," Joby tried next.
The Tranlude looked upwards. "Well, I guess it does look like rain, doesn't it?" Overhead, the clouds flickered in the night.
"Yeah... I really am sorry. I didn't know you lived here."
The Tranlude was quiet for awhile. Then he said, "You're lucky for the approaching storm."
"Yeah... Do ya know anywhere I can stay? I'm not from around here."
"Hm. Well, you can come in my house for a bit. My wife will be home in an hour or so though, and she doesn't like humans, so you'll need to be gone by then, whether the storm is through or not."
"Really? Ya don't mind?" Joby was shocked by the man's sudden hospitality.
"My parents raised me better. Holding a grudge is childish. Come on." Stepping back, the Tranlude held his door open. "We can chat for a bit."
"Thanks!" Joby smiled as he walked past. "I really am sorry about the paint."
"Just don't do it again."
The Tranlude's house was surprisingly like a human's. The kitchen had a refrigerator, stove, cabinets, and the usual things. But the scent was different. Joby wondered what dinner had been.
Digging around thro
ugh the refrigerator, the Tranlude took out two containers. One was filled with a red liquid, while the other was more purplish.
"I always have an afternoon cup of juice," he said. "Would you like some? I believe this one is safe for humans." He held up the purple container.
"Sure! Looks like grape juice."
After pouring a cup for each of them, the Tranlude sat down at the table, pushing a cup in Joby's direction.
Joby sat down across from him, taking the cup with a "Thanks!"
"A whole line of storms is heading this way." The Tranlude took a long sip. "Next few days could be pretty bad." His tone was almost mumble like.
"Yeah... I need to find my friends though. Can't stay inside all the time! Oho ho ho!"
"Hm hm. Do your friends paint too?"
"What? Oh no." Joby felt his cheeks flush. "They're more geeky." He downed half his cup. The juice had a strange tingling bitterness to it, but wasn't bad. "What type of juice is this?"
"Oh, that? Er, just something my wife likes. Forgot what it's called." The Tranlude got up. "Just remembered I was supposed to call someone back. Excuse me." He left the room.
Kinda forgetful, Joby thought to himself with a grin.
Finishing his cup, he walked around the kitchen and living room areas, checking everything out. The couches even felt the same. He didn't see what was so different about humans and Tranludes.
Suddenly a glittering caught his artistic eyes. Balanced on a short podium in the corner of the living room was the most beautiful rock Joby had ever seen. As he moved, lights sparkled from it, changing color as his angle changed. The colors were all soft pastels.
What type of stone is that? Joby wondered. He stepped closer and peered down at it. Faintly he saw his reflection staring back, a bemused grin on his face. Unable to help it, he picked it up to get a closer look.
Before his eyes, his reflection began to change. His face became more rounded, as did his nose. His eyes took on more of a cool tint, and his hair changed from its almost mountain peak like jags to a more calm waviness, then from gold to copper.
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