Leftover Girl

by Bolick, C. C.

  “I’m sorry” was all he could say.

  Water soaked through my jeans and climbed my legs. My toes were cold, bent painfully under my rear, and I coughed, fire burning in my chest. Tears flowed down my face. I looked behind me, at a family crossing the parking lot, children running, sloshing in the rain, and parents demanding they slow down.

  Seeing a split-second chance, my feet spiraled into motion. I ran in a dance, from one foot to the other as if dodging bullets, and screamed for help with all the force my lungs could give. I extended my hand, but a slap from behind silenced every muscle. The ground rushed to my face until I hovered about an inch above the pavement. Hands appeared and held my arms, the same hands that flipped me skyward.

  In my head, I fought their grip, but in reality, no part of my body responded. Chase’s worry creased his face. He spoke clearly, though I wanted to drown out his words with tears.

  “You were shot with a paralyzer, but you’re okay. Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. You won’t be able to feel again for at least an hour.”

  We were no longer in the rain or the darkness held at bay by the lighted parking lot. Visions of the sky changed to a smooth-as-glass ceiling with no reflection. Down a long hall, I drifted, ending in a room that smelled of freshly dried sheets.

  Alone, with no sound, I stared at the glass above, imagining the strain I felt, holding my face like a clenched fist. Itching urges spiked in my bones, but no command would overcome Chase’s paralyzer.

  Emotions swirled inside, threatening to break out of my body. My pulse sped as fear grew in my throat, which threatened the only movement possible—the shallow rise and fall of my lungs. Faster, faster, the heartbeat drummed in my ears. The rhythm quickened beyond what I could count and I felt sick, though my stomach never moved. A beeping split the air, piercing my ears, and a face appeared at the corner of my sight with what looked like a needle. Blackness trickled through my eyes as warmth filled my veins, a happy sticky sludge that radiated to my toes.

  When I awoke, a padded surface stretched beneath me. Glass still loomed above, no echo on its surface, but my body no longer shrank away in response. I felt numb inside, as if the air didn’t really smell of fresh laundry, like my own brain had betrayed me and fled to Chase’s side. The guards led me down a hall enclosed with the same smooth glass. At the end of the hall, Chase waited, head held high before a plain door. He advanced, speaking to the guards in their language. They released me but hovered at a safe distance.

  Chase squeezed my arm but I jerked away. He sighed and his eyes took on the same weariness from the day at the lake. “Bailey is fine. The weapon was for retaining purposes only. Our doctor has checked her out.” He touched a square handle to the right of the door and it opened, revealing a brightly lit room. Flashing control panels lined the outer edges of the room with blackened glass rising in the space above.

  A table filled the center with Mrs. Pearson standing to the side.

  She crossed the floor with lightning speed, concern in her eyes. “Is she intact?”

  One guard answered calmly, and I recognized the janitor’s voice. “She put up a fight and we restrained her.”

  Mrs. Pearson’s eyes gauged the length of me, her face less than a foot from mine. “You should have given them your cooperation.”

  I couldn’t speak as fear paralyzed me all over again.

  She pushed the hair from my face, still damp and clinging to my skin. “Do you know who you are?”

  I nodded and tried to swallow, but my throat tightened.

  “What is your name?” she asked.

  Although I needed my words to sound defiant, I managed only weak and scared. “Jessica Delaney.”

  “That is not your real name,” she said.

  “It is now.”

  “I know you are adopted. Jessica, I believe we finally know the truth. Your real mother is…” she said, but uncertainty forced her eyes from mine. “A woman of great importance.”

  “You know Marsha?”

  “Marsha?” She looked up, forgetting the doubt. “Who is Marsha?”

  I laughed as the irony of our situation became clear. Some woman was searching for her daughter and they had it all wrong. “Marsha is my real mother.”

  Secrets Revealed

  “Most people know I was adopted, but few know who my real parents were. As much as I’d love to hear you say I’ve got a real mother who wants me back, it’s not possible.”

  “Tell me about them,” Mrs. Pearson said.

  Tears formed at the corners of my eyes, hot tears that threatened to trail down my face. I didn’t need them, I never had. To look back and regret the fact they didn’t need me shredded my heart like confetti. Though I promised myself never to regret them, the feeling had returned so quickly my head spun. Now I must tell the whole story without freaking.

  “Frank and Marsha Naples,” I said.

  No one said a word as I turned for a full view of the blank faces. “They lived in New York City on a bad side of town. My dad was taking a shortcut and it was snowing.”

  I had to push down the sobs in my throat. “My real parents fought that night and I ran away. They reported my disappearance to the police and, because of blood found in the house, became the primary suspects. Four days later, and about five miles from their house, Dad found me in the middle of a dark highway. He had to slam on brakes and barely missed hitting me. He said I wouldn’t tell him my name or where I lived. Knowing the area’s reputation, he decided to take me home with him and call the police. They put me in a ‘safe’ house and assigned a social worker. Her name was Lorraine Conners.”

  Calculating eyes pierced the air between us. “The woman you call mom?”

  “She’d just transferred to New York. Through the investigation and court hearings, Dad came to see me every day. My real parents were cleared of any foul play in my disappearance, although Frank had been involved in a bank robbery. Dad proposed to Mom and they decided to adopt me. They petitioned the court and my custody hearing was in December, a week before Christmas. Frank and Marsha never showed.”

  Chase shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

  Mrs. Pearson waved a hand to silence him. “You remember these events?”

  “I was four years old. I don’t remember much of anything from back then.”

  “You have no memory of your real parents, only what you were told.”

  It was the moment for me to tell this woman all about my dreams and make her story more than just plausible. Chase would say ‘I told you so’ and they’d whisk me back to their planet. I’d travel beyond the hazy dome of air surrounding Earth, wave goodbye to the moon, and see the stars up close. Mom would cry every night and Dad would…“I remember meeting Lorraine. I remember Dad visiting me, and the day he promised we’d be a family. They took me home for good on Christmas Eve.” The memory brought strength to my voice and I raised my head. Someone had wanted me, and from that point on, I’d always been taken care of.

  “Why are you sure of this?” she asked. “You have no memory of the time before you were found.”

  “It’s not like this was a secret or anything. Every news reporter knew my name, as did half the country. Jessica Naples, ‘the four-year-old runaway.’ Just search for the name online and see what you get.”

  Chase typed quick strokes on a keypad. Only moments ago, his eyes expressed complete disbelief of my story. “I’ve found an article,” he said, as Mrs. Pearson joined him in front of the screen. “Frank and Marsha Naples do exist, and this story reads just as Jes said. How did we miss—?”

  She gripped his shoulder and Chase looked up at her, neither saying a word for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she motioned me forward.

  In the center of the screen glowed a black and white picture of me at four, one I wanted to reach for and run from in the same instant.

  “This is you.” Her words were more of a statement than a question, and her voice held more curiosity than accusation.

/>   Chase pushed back from the keypad. “Your parents never hid this from you?”

  “What’s the point? Dad always said I should know where I came from. That way I can decide where I’m going.”

  Her voice held a touch of compassion. “You are lucky to have a family who loves you, even if they were not the first.”

  “I just wish…” I said, but stopped after realizing I almost gave up my feelings to her moment of compassion.

  Her eyes bored into me. “We have no plans to cause harm.”

  “Can you read my mind?” I asked.

  “No, my dear, but fear is evident from your expression. We did not come here to make you uncomfortable. We came to complete a mission.”

  “Mom,” Chase said.

  She held up a hand. “We have been on a crucial mission for the last six years. Maybe if you understood our purpose here, you would feel more at ease.”

  “You’re from another planet.” I watched my words reflect in her face. “Aren’t you?” For a few crazy seconds, I imagined being wrong.

  Mrs. Pearson smiled, amusement gleaming in her eyes. “Will you be scared if my answer is yes? From my experience, human children are much better equipped to accept the unknown than their parents. Do you agree with me? Are you open minded, Jessica?”

  “Are you going to hurt me or Bailey?”

  “As I said before, we are not on this planet to cause harm.”

  I breathed relief. “Why are you keeping us here?”

  “You have told us your story. Now I would like to tell you ours.”

  She offered me a seat at the table in the room’s center. She dismissed the guards and the room emptied except for the two of us and Chase, who took a seat along the far wall. Mrs. Pearson sat opposite me, hands rested on the table. She stared into my eyes until I looked down.

  “We have been on a mission for six years. You could say we are here to reunite a child with her mother.”

  “And you think I’m her.”

  “This girl was lost eleven years ago, kidnapped by her own father. He died in a horrible accident shortly after and many people believed she died with him. About six years ago, we found information that led us to quite the opposite conclusion. This information came from a reliable source and I decided to take up the cause. We followed through on multiple leads, all of which ended with no connection to her. Finally, we found evidence that led us to Earth.

  “I know you must be thinking, why Earth? Many of our people have traveled to this planet over the last thousand years. The two worlds are similar in atmosphere and Earth can support our lives in much the same way it supports human lives. Even our language structures are comparable.

  “For the past year, our team has made Earth a home in the search for her. Unfortunately, there is one staggering difference between our planet and yours. The radiation from your sun causes changes to our bodies, down to our genetic codes. Certain abilities are inherent to my people and months of exposure to your sun will cause us to become much like those born on Earth. Years of exposure will kill us. I am sure you can see how this creates a problem.”

  Lights dotting each side of the room seemed to spin or maybe only my head took flight. The woman wielding power with a story filled by space in the cage made of glass was accessory to a dream, not a memory. One point lodged itself firmly in my brain: the girl’s father kidnapped her. No way had my real father kidnapped me.

  “You have questions, of course, though I am sorry to say I have no good answers. What I can tell you is we are out of time.”

  “What does time have to do with me?”

  “We came to this planet to find a girl and the plan is for us to return with one. Our abilities have already started to fade. The ship’s doctor believes even a week more on this planet could cause permanent damage.” Her voice lowered. “I am worried for Chase. He feels the effects more than I do.”

  Chase sighed. “I keep telling you not to worry.”

  Mrs. Pearson studied her son as if she expected welts to explode from his skin, and then sighed, exactly as Mom did when she decided not to argue with me. “My son does not realize the magnitude of our situation or the potential harm to himself. At sixteen, how can I expect him to?”

  A deep groan flowed from a panel along the wall. She waved a hand and the noise stopped. “You are angry with me,” she said, without accusation. “I can see the fire in your eyes.”

  I considered what to say next, glaring at the unblinking pair of eyes opposite mine. I remembered knocking Tosh to the floor. Had it happened only yesterday? The thought started me laughing. It began with the corners of my mouth curling up. My hands flew to cover my face, shielding the giggles ready to burst from my mouth. Classes flashed before me, all the times I hated school. My parents hugging me, the twins causing trouble, Bailey…

  How would I get out of this? How could I get my life back? Dad’s words repeated in my head, Be careful what you wish for. I felt cheated by fate and my real parents. They left me and eleven years later, I was still in pain. “I want to know how you could hurt your son like this. Why did he have to come here?”

  Mrs. Pearson’s face softened. “You are angry about how I have hurt Chase. Interesting.”

  “I know how it feels to be hurt by family.”

  “You know nothing of what family means. You know two random people shared your blood and hurt you, which causes you to feel a kinship with my son. What about the people who raised you? What if they made choices meant to protect the well-being of others? What if those choices put your life in jeopardy?”

  “What do you mean by ‘the well-being of others’?”

  Mrs. Pearson sat back, pursing her lips as if she’d said too much. “Just to put events in perspective for you, I, as Chase’s mother, do feel guilt for bringing him here.”

  He opened his mouth, but again she held up a hand.

  “Chase has a special gift needed to find the girl in question. We have traveled tirelessly in search of her, and the trail has ended here in Credence. He has ruled out every prospect except for you.”

  “Can’t you just do a DNA test?”

  She smiled. “Remember what I told you about Earth’s sun?”

  “You said something about radiation.”

  “Radiation changes our genetic code. Long-term exposure renders your DNA analysis useless, which is why I have decided to take you back with us.”

  The articles about Lauren’s disappearance filled my head. “I can’t leave.”

  “It would be a new experience for you, and maybe even your friend. Yes, we will take Miss Sanders as your companion. We can restore you both to this planet once your skin has been regenerated and a proper analysis of your genetic makeup has ruled you out.”

  Did they tell Lauren the same story? “What if I am this girl?”

  “That would be a…unique situation,” she said, as her face filled with a glimpse of hope.

  “What are the chances of me actually being her?”

  Mrs. Pearson eyed the black glass. “Based on the information you have given us, I see the possibility as lost to the realm of faith. Fortunately, a thorough analysis will provide us with the answer we seek.”

  I closed my eyes, lowering my head.

  “It’s not bad where we’re going,” Chase said. “I can finally show you my home. Please agree to come back with us.”

  His statement from the night of the fair jumped into my head. ‘You could leave if you want to.’ I opened my eyes to the boy seated beside me. “Agree?”

  “Chase!” Mrs. Pearson said.

  “Agree?” I asked again, staring at Chase. “You mean I have to agree before you can take me?” The ground below my feet began to solidify. Tears disappeared as a surge of strength replaced my anger.

  She sighed. “We have laws on our world, just as humans have laws. We cannot interfere with the natural inhabitants of another planet unless they allow us to. That is why you are here, why I am asking you to come with us. This mission cannot
be completed on Earth. Do you understand?”

  “I don’t understand any of this,” I said, staring into my hands as a vacuum drew our situation to the point of no return. The woman needed me in a way no small words could change, but I had the knowledge to keep me safe.

  “I thought maybe you could sympathize with our intentions. Somewhere on this planet is a girl whose mother has spent years seeking her tearful return. Nothing would bring me more pleasure than seeing them reunited.”

  The truth in her words filtered through me. She wanted this reunion, wished to see the tears with all her heart, and the longing in her eyes nearly choked me. My hand ached to reach for hers, but I had to stay strong. “The possibility of me being this girl is almost nonexistent. Isn’t there anything you can check here?” The voice rang in my ears, but someone else must have made the screeching sound. “Why is this mission important to you? You could let me go and I’ll forget all of this. If I can forget my real parents, I could certainly forget you.”

  She smiled, this time as if to humor a child throwing a tantrum. “Jessica, we are out of time.”

  “Why is this girl so important to you?”

  “When you remember, you will know.”

  “I don’t get why you think she’s still alive.” I looked to Chase. “You said this planet kills your people. You said no one from your planet has lived here more than three years without returning home. I think I’d remember leaving Earth in the last three years.”

  “An Olsandyol said I would find her,” he offered, with quiet hope. “On Earth, before her sixteenth birthday.”

  “In Credence? This town doesn’t even qualify for a big dot on the map. Plus, I’m not sixteen yet.”

  “She was lost in New York, just like you. At first, I thought she was Lauren, but when we took Lauren to Golvern and regenerated her skin, the new cells didn’t match. We’d almost given up, until the Olsandyol said go to the first state and never stop believing.” He smiled. “Credence means belief. After returning Lauren to her adoptive parents, we spent months in Delaware.”