by Heather Wood
“Of course I did. I heard you leave.”
“Why did you follow me?” Rae’s throat was dry.
“You have two warring cultures from the moon searching for you. Of course I followed you.” When Gno explained it that way, it made a helluva lot of sense.
“I just couldn’t sleep,” Rae said.
Gno looked then, lifted his eyes to meet hers. His eyes were so dark that they reflected the bright moon, the slashes of light from below.
Rae didn’t realize her mouth was hanging open.
“Liar.” Gno smiled as he said this.
Rae found herself backing away. She started down the trail that would lead her down the hill.
“Can’t a grown-ass woman have some time to herself?”
She walked slowly, trying not to give into a strange fear that ricocheted through her mind. Her legs twitched with a strange need to run.
He didn’t follow her.
“Rae. Don’t go. I’m sorry.”
She turned back. He looked almost forlorn all by himself.
With a sigh, she walked back.
“Don’t scare people like that. It’s weird.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“You and Finch have been dishing out a lot of crazy. It’s hard to take.”
He laughed softly. “That’s true.”
By now, they stood close together. Rae was tempted to tell him the truth.
“You came out here to see the stars, didn’t you?” Gno whispered.
Rae’s heart stopped.
“Sure,” she said casually. “Who wouldn’t?”
“No.” His voice was so low, she had to lean in to hear. “The stars asked you. They pulled you here.”
Rae’s breath caught. Gno watched her carefully. Then he did something so softly that it almost didn’t register at first: he twined her pinky finger around his.
Before she knew it, his large hand enveloped hers.
They stood there for a full minute.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” Gno whispered.
Rae was silent for a long time. Gno didn’t rush her.
“They’ve always called me,” she breathed. “My whole life.”
Gno smiled, brushing a silky blue strand behind her ear.
“So it’s true.”
There was a hum. Then Rae felt a cold line of energy wind around her wrist. Shocked, she tried to yank her hand from his, only to find that it was captured. A glowing ring held her wrist, connecting it solidly to his.
“What the?”
Rae tried to jump back, but couldn’t shake her hand free of the bind.
“What the hell? What is this, handcuffs?”
“Regrettably, yes.”
Rae pulled hard at the link, causing Gno to stumble forward. She aimed a hard kick at his kneecap.
He dodged admirably, shouldering into her and knocking them both to the ground.
“Sadly, I must take you to Lunalet.”
About the Authors:
VK Lynne is a writer and musician from Los Angeles. She is a 2015 recipient of the Jentel Foundation Artist Residency Program Award for writing. She penned the award-winning web series 'Trading on 15', and she has authored the period novella 'Even Solomon,' along with two poetry volumes, 'Crisis' and 'Revelation,' which make up the audiobook 'The Release and Reclamation of Victoria Kerygma.'
'Crisis' reached #2 on the Amazon Hot Releases chart, and her writing has been published in Image Curve, The Elephant Journal, GEM Magazine, and Guitar Girls Magazine.
You can catch her on stage with her band The Spider Accomplice, and you can hear find the latest album on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, and anywhere you find music.
Heather Wood is a TV writer, standup comic, and secret Tumblr sideblogger based in Los Angeles. She enjoys hiking, overly-dramatic cocktails, and word “flabbergasted.” Find her on Twitter @heather__wood. Heather will add more to this bio shortly… maybe...
xoxo-
VK & H