Asher avoided the house however and went to a small shed off to the left of the main structure. A tool shed of some sort, before I reached it, he came out of it with a variety of gardening implements.
“Anything else we need?” I called to him.
“Could you get the watering can for me, please? There is a tap on the other side of the shed.”
I nodded and headed into the shed. It was small but tidy; my expectation was that it would be a mess. The owners deserted it a long time ago. But it seemed whoever left last made sure that everything was in its place.
Once out of Asher’s view I looked at the house a bit closer, it appeared as tidy as the shed. The curtains were drawn and all the windows I could see firmly closed, and probably correctly latched.
All the plants around the house were dead, no more than dried husks. But the house itself still appeared pristine, that the owner could come back at any moment and move in again with little disruption.
Had his parents left it like this in hopes Asher would return? I could picture a family leaving everything ready for a long lost son and my heart ached for both them and him.
After filling the watering can, I walked back to our chosen plot. My expression was carefully crafted, and my thoughts expertly focused. On the plants and the task at hand, not the man digging in the muck without a shirt.
Forty-Three
My resolve firm, once again, I watched as Asher planted the tiny Shi into the readied soil. I watered each plant with care and possibly love. My survival depended on theirs, and I loved the life they had bestowed upon me.
After being planted, Asher had tidied up the plot, and each tool was meticulously put back in the shed. It seemed the farm had a profound effect on him, a place he respected greatly.
I stood looking over our small patch of life and had a profound sense of health and vitality. Even with Shi coursing through me I had never felt this alive before. This place seemed pure, undoubtedly more so than my patch of the city.
I closed my eyes and turned towards the warmth of the sun, of which there was only one. Another of my sci-fi dreams shattered. But I had known that from the visit to the plantation, but in this part of the alien landscape, the sun felt more somehow. Not diluted, or dimmed.
And not as harsh as the sun at home, and for the first time I wondered what this world's name was. So selfish had I been that my thoughts centered around how to survive the day. But here, it was so peaceful that the future seemed far and unimportant. Now is all that mattered, this small place caught between time and space.
For that moment, I gave myself up to fate, and to the perfect moment that would last forever. Asher’s lips were on mine light in a feathery touch, his arms around me warm and his body heat fuelled my own. I didn’t resist him and opened my mouth and lost myself in the softness of his lips.
As first kisses went, it was sublime, none of the awkwardness usually associated with firsts. Our fit was perfect; my tiny frame slotted perfectly into his larger one. He held me close, and I didn’t feel strained to meet his lips and I felt he was leaning down comfortably to meet mine.
I kept my eyes closed, once opened the spell would break, and I would return to reality. Soon, so very soon it would rush in, and the urgency of my situation would return. After so long spent on my own it was bliss just to give in entirely to another.
The future was far away, the panic of my preferred life a planet away. I was ready to give myself to him completely. My hands were roaming his naked back, tracing muscles and contours. Discovering the rest of him would be a pleasure, one I would enjoy slowly.
A rude awakening to reality came when he slowly pushed me away. Asher pinned my arms to my side and reluctantly I opened my eyes. I looked into his and saw the same desire I felt reflected back to me.
“Why?” I asked.
“You aren’t ready Beautiful Girl.”
He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on my forehead. I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. Stupid reality, it only ever broke my heart.
He let me go, and I stepped back, away from him. Distance was the key I reminded myself. I picked up the watering can and walked back to the shed. My legs were shaking badly, and my heart was doing flip-flops.
It was so close, and despite what he had said, I was ready. For a moment there it wasn’t just my body, I was willing to give over. Hopefully, he couldn’t read my thoughts from this distance. In respect of this place and the people that took such care with it, I put the can back where I found it.
I closed up as best as I could and walked back to find Asher with his shirt on and a small basket. He smiled at me and showed me the basket, nestled inside were a little harvest of Shi leaves.
“Fancy a cup of tea?” He said.
I laughed, there was something I hadn’t considered.
“Really? It will be as simple as making tea?”
He nodded and turned back to our side of the opening. It was home but felt nothing like it anymore. Leaving here would be difficult, and I considered how it would be to stay on this side. I turned back and looked longingly at the farmhouse.
But there were reasons aplenty I was sure not to stay here permanently. With a sigh, I put the house behind me and walked forward to the divide that separated here from there. I stopped short of it and met Asher’s eyes.
“At the plantation, I had to fight to get through the rift. Will it be the same here?”
He shook his head and took my hand, one step, and we were through. Into my suddenly freezing basement, I felt shivers running up and down my arms.
It was from the cold as much as the letdown of leaving the farm behind. The light seemed harder somehow on Earth, muted and unpleasant. It felt like there were bugs under my skin, crawling and trying to find a way through. I rubbed my arms, and the itch subsided a bit.
“Sorry Eliza, I should have warned you. The transition can be a bit rough the first few times.” He rubbed my arms and the heat from him eventually transferred to me.
I was still shivering, but I didn’t feel like I was out of place or about to burst out of my skin. My basement still felt rough and wrong. But slowly the light returned to what I was used to. And soon enough I was able to generate heat and moved away from him.
“Thanks, now please tell me what that was?”
“It is your body’s reaction to the transition between the two worlds. For aliens, it is easier, but the human physiology isn’t made for this kind of travel.”
“In other words, they didn’t think humans would use the system?” I said.
“You got it, now let’s make tea. And lunch.” He said and headed for the stairs.
Forty-Four
By the time I reached the top of the stairs, he was well out of my sight. It was a relief; coming down from being on that side was harsh. And I felt vulnerable, exposed, and just a bit rejected.
I wasn't pissed off, but the last few days might have finally taken its toll. I was confused and tired. So very, very tired.
My kitchen was full of the man; his presence filled the room. The oddity of him wrapping up a small bundle of leaves into some muslin was endearing. How he even found the muslin that quickly was another thing, I couldn’t have possibly taken that long to get up the stairs.
Yeah, it wasn’t me at all.
I flopped down onto a stool at the island and watched him work. The kettle was boiling merrily behind him on the stovetop. My favorite teapot was ready, and I wondered if he would take the time to warm it adequately before making the Shi tea.
Watching him move around taking care of a straightforward task was a pleasure. One I tried hard to suppress. By the small smile on his lips, I had apparently not been trying hard enough. Oh well, to hell with it. Later I would work harder; just then I was too tired to bother.
There must have been some micro dozing on my part because an alarm sounded, and I nearly tumbled off my perch. A cup of tea landed in front of me, the cup simple. The way I preferred it.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're welcome," He said and sat down next to me.
"Is this it? Is this how we'll get immortality from now on?" I asked, eyeing my cup apprehensively.
"For now, at least, I working on making a tincture," He said.
"A what? I'm tired Asher, give the girl a break already."
He laughed, relaxed and full of warmth. "Sorry Eliza, a tincture is an extract, usually, herbs suspended in alcohol."
"Ooh, like a tequila shot? Please tell me we are going to do immortality shots." I was getting excited.
"I like that, immortality shots. Tequila could work, but I think Vodka would be better suited to extract the most out of our Shi plants." He said.
I was a little disappointed, but shots were better than tea. I liked tea, but drinking it for the rest of eternity seemed boring.
"And how long before the tincture would be ready?"
He laughed, my disappointment might have been evident. I was a simple girl after all.
"About two weeks, and yes I will show you how to make it," He said.
Sneaky S.O.B.
Do you enjoy reading my thoughts Pretty Boy?
"Especially some of them Beautiful Girl." He teased.
I sighed and looked at my cup of tea, "Will this work Smart Guy?"
"Truthfully?" He asked, and I saw a flash of uncertainty.
"How else? Give it to me straight Asher." I said.
"I believe it will, I just don't know the potency of drinking Shi like this. I have never managed to get my hands on the formula for what the Man peddles. It's a pure and concentrated form, so my belief is that it is much stronger."
I took a cautious sip; the tea smelled as fragrant as the plants did. The taste was contradictory, but I figured as alien tea went it was marvelous. Fresh and reminiscent of mint and a pleasant aftertaste that I couldn't place.
"And, what do you think?" Asher asked.
"Best tea ever," I said.
"I'm glad, now if you don't mind too much, I will crash on the couch for a while Eliza."
He stood, stretched out luxuriously and walked over to the sofa. I pretended not to watch out of the corner of my eyes, as he got comfortable. After a very short time he was snoring, it made me feel better about my attraction to him.
Snoring was normal, something average people did. I felt that it would make it easier in the long days to come, find the cracks in his charming facade. Add those to my emotional armor and I could potentially, one day, not want him as much as I did right then.
I took my cup of tea and went to my bedroom, slowly climbing the stairs. Thankfully my back was toward the couch most of the way up, and only on the last portion of the spiral stairs could I look down at his sleeping form.
In sleep, his deception filter had smoothed out his face, a small smile curled the corners of his mouth a tiny bit. I wondered what he was dreaming.
At long last I carried on climbing the stairs, I heard no sounds from Denny's room. I did take precious time for a shower, but soon I found myself in bed. The empty teacup on my bedside table and peace was descending over me.
I might not wake up later, for I hadn't set an alarm and would sleep until I naturally woke up. And if Asher's tea didn't work, there would be no later. Dying peacefully in one's sleep wasn't the worst way to go. There would be no pain.
At long last my eyes drifted closed, sweet sleep claimed me.
Forty-Five
"Get up, Lazybones."
Denny's cheerful voice cut through my pleasant dream. Vague images of green mountains and brilliant sunshine mingled with the reality of my bedroom. My bedroom suddenly flared with bright light.
"Dude, close the blinds for pity's sake. Have some mercy." I begged him.
"Nope, time to rise and shine."
"Go away, I want to sleep more."
I kicked at the hands pulling the covers off the bottom of my bed. But I kept missing, and they were relentless. The air was cold enough that goose bumps stood out on my bare legs. At least, I had put on pajama shorts before I fell into bed.
With a sigh, I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes. The world was far too bright and bloody cheery. All I wanted to do was go back to that beautiful dream I was having.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Eight in the am. And by now I assume you are starving. And Asher said you should have some tea."
Wait, what? I sat up abruptly and looked at Denny. He stood to smile; arms crossed over his chest. He looked fresh and decidedly happy.
"I'm sorry, did you say eight in the morning?"
He nodded, "Yes, I did. Come on, put your robe on, I've made some breakfast."
He picked up and tossed a robe at me. He went ahead, and I dashed to the bathroom. Vanity demanded that I inspected myself in the mirror.
The face I saw was mussed from sleep, but other than that it was the same as it has been for the last eighty years. For the first time in many years though I look refreshed. No bags under my eyes and my eyes were bright and brilliant.
I looked down at my shaking hands, and apart from needing a manicure they looked the same as always. The tea worked, I had slept far longer than I thought possible, and it worked.
I gave in and jumped up and down in excitement a couple of times. I took care of business and rushed down to the boys.
Breakfast smelled divine, and a steaming cup of tea waited next to my plate. Asher was nowhere to be seen, but Denny was seated and waiting.
"Thanks for breakfast. It looks fantastic." I said.
"Only a pleasure Eliza, tuck in. We ate earlier when it became apparent that you weren't getting up anytime soon." He said with a smile.
I laughed and did as instructed; the food tasted better than anything I had ever had before. The tea was as good as the day before and, all in all, I was pleased with life in general.
"So, I've been thinking about something Eliza."
And there it was, the other shoe. Dropping fast and furious. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, at least, I had a moment's peace. For a small time, there were no worries.
"And what did you think about Denny?" I asked.
I opened my eyes and looked at him. His hands clasped he had a serious expression. That looked bad, had something happened with the marketeers after all?
"We still don't know why you were chosen specifically to deal with me. It seems too much of a coincidence that a friend of my family was involved." He said.
I nodded, "I agree entirely, it feels too convenient. Like we were led around like puppies on a leash."
It had nagged at me, but what with one thing and another those thoughts had slipped to the wayside. Now, though, we had time, and I wanted to scratch this particular itch.
Only I didn't know where to start looking into it; I couldn't approach any of my connections in the Man. They assumed I was dead by now, a thorn removed from their side.
I heard the basement door open and quickly pushed down the thrill that coursed through me. My stomach did an excited flip, stupid thing. I wasn't excited to see him, damn it. Keep telling yourself that and soon it might even be true I thought.
Asher came into view and gave me a radiant smile, a smile that light my insides on fire. My body responded without permission, and I found myself grinning. I was certain my damn eyes had lit up, and I looked like a love sick idiot.
He winked and sat down on the opposite side of the table. I bit the inside of my lip, and the pain brought reality back into focus a little bit. Denny looked from me to Asher and back again. I saw the disapproval, but he suppressed whatever he wanted to say. I appreciated it immensely; I would figure out how to get past this eventually.
"Anyway. I thought that Viv could help us," Denny said.
"Oh, how so?" I asked.
He sighed and looked at me impatiently. Oh, right. She was a hacker. I shook my head took a sip of tea instead.
"I think she can hack the Man through your tablet," He said.
Stunned sile
nce met his statement; I looked at Asher. We both stared at each other for a moment and turned to Denny. It would never have occurred to me to the use the app that way. Apparently the same went for Asher.
"How do you even know about my tablet?" I asked him.
"Geez Elisa, I'm not stupid you know. There were plenty of times you left me alone, and I looked around. You left your tablet out, and you don't even have a password on the thing. The app isn't hidden, so it was easy to put two and two together."
I was speechless. Asher laughed and clapped Denny on the shoulder. At least, the boys seemed to be getting along. Denny shrugged and smiled.
"I'm hoping the app has a weakness that Viv can exploit. So what do you think?" He asked.
"I guess we don't have anything to lose by letting her try. But do you think she'd be interested?"
The looks I received was unfair, I didn't know any hackers. Everything I knew came from television and movies. I raised my arms in surrender and decided to focus on my food.
Denny got up and got his mobile out. He dialed and started walking as soon as he put the device to his ear. I didn't listen in; it would no doubt be pleasantries and what not.
I studiously avoided looking at Asher, food good. Food easy, no need to think or suppress thoughts. He sighed, and I glanced up briefly. He looked a bit sad.
"So this is my punishment then? "
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I said and took another bite.
He gave me a long look, my eyes locked on his. I kept my thoughts carefully clear of anything other than breakfast. Before we could see where our mini-standoff would take us, Denny returned to the table.
"She says she'll help us, but for a price."
"Of course, that makes sense. How much?" I said and broke eye contact with Asher. Damn.
"Viv doesn't want money from us. She wants us to help her."
"What?"
"Yeah, she says money is useless to her," He said.
Shi: A Dark Adventure into Living Forever Page 16