Maria stared down at Eakran and suppressed a smile. She was happy to see him vulnerable, to know that whatever was happening to Darker was proof that he could over power the alien. She was concerned for Darker, for sure, but she also couldn’t help but relish the sight of Eakran in physical pain.
“Help me up,” Eakran said and Maria robotically offered him a hand. “I don’t know what to do, it’s the middle of the night. Maybe fresh eyes tomorrow is the best thing?”
Maria shook her head, “I’m not leaving him out here like this.”
“Nothing can get close to him. You don’t need to worry, and we’ll take the time to do some research. Maybe we can understand it better and come back to help him instead of hurting ourselves.”
Maria stared at the glowing form of Darker and she approached him before she could stop herself. Eakran called after her but gave up when she stood just a few feet from the chaos that was now the form of her new friend.
“I wish you could tell me what to do,” Maria said out loud, desperate for some idea how she should handle this situation.
“Go,” Darker strained to say and Maria leaned in closer. “Go before it hurts you.” It pained Darker to speak because the Voice that seized his body had muted him, but it seemed that the compulsion of Maria still worked on the small part of Darker’s consciousness that remained.
Maria cried and backed away. There was nothing she could do. Eakran led her to his pod traveller and they got a room at a local hotel.
“It has to be related to the resurrection,” Maria said as she paced the floor of the room. Eakran sat yawning on the bed. He checked the time every five minutes and he wanted to sleep because the sun would be up soon, but Maria found it difficult to wind down. “Maybe Dr. Worthington can do something. We should get him to come tomorrow.”
“I haven’t spoken to Worthington since you and Darker arrived. I’ve left him messages, but he isn’t responding.”
Maria shook her head. It seemed hopeless. She had left the laboratory of Dr. Worthington on bad terms, but it was possible that no one at the facility remembered her ordering security to leave her alone while she essentially escaped with Darker. She had hoped that Worthington retained no memory of the incident, that he had been under her influence. But even if he was, Darker had been an important experiment for the facility and they were no doubt curious where he was.
“What if it’s them,” Maria said suddenly, but Eakran had fallen asleep on the bed and his only response was his soft breathing in and out. “What if,” she said then turned out the lights. She lay next to Eakran on the bed.
She woke the next day and it was much later than she had intended to sleep. She woke Eakran and they hurried to the spot where they had left Darker. Maria was devastated that he was nowhere to be found.
She cried, she bawled her eyes out. He was gone for good, she thought. This stupid world and all of its changing rules had stolen her friend from her.
Maria yelled loudly and trees shook. Eakran jumped a foot in the air. The birds in the area took flight.
“This is your fault!” Maria yelled as she turned her attention to Eakran. “All of this is because of you! You came here and you ruined this planet! Everything is gonna die isn’t it? That’s your plan?”
She wasn’t hysterical. Something had snapped in her, but Maria’s anger was poised and pointed at Eakran. She used her words like a razor to slice at Eakran who had been emotionally fragile since Darker’s resurrection, and she made the doctor whimper away from her.
Just then, they both heard rustling in nearby woods and Darker stumbled out, looking like his normal self. Maria ran to him and knelt at his side.
“Some guy came and got rid of those sparks,” Darker said. “He left right after, didn’t explain himself at all. I’m sure it’s done.”
“What was it?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know, some dead people stuff I’m sure. It’s a reason why I’m unnatural. Why I probably shouldn’t be here.”
Maria helped Darker to the pod traveler and Eakran did not say a word as he got into the driver’s seat and flew the trio to his home. He didn’t speak much at all, but followed the instructions of Maria very dutifully, as though he was afraid to upset her. After Darker showered, she tucked him into bed.
“What did you do to him?” Darker asked.
“I lost my temper when I thought you were gone. I think you were right before,” Maria said thoughtfully. “I have to use him the way he uses everything else while I have the opportunity. I know we just met,” she said playfully, “but I was wondering if you would go to space with me?”
“You beat his secrets out of him?” Darker said chuckling.
“Not yet, but I guess I should right?”
Later that night as Maria lay in bed waiting for sleep, she caught a vision of something beautiful. Maybe she had partially dozed off, but she saw a huge ball of purple energy in a field of stark white. The ball was a chaos of movement, there were swirls and torrents around it’s surface and somehow Maria could tell that it was settling.
“You can never stop time again, hija,” she heard as she watched the ball. “That was a temporary gift. And you did not do the will of the Aje. I will leave you now, but I am happy to finally say goodbye. If you really need me, shout with your soul for me and I will find you, but you can take care of yourself. And you should take care of those in the basement before you fly off into space. I love you. Be careful my sweet girl.”
Maria woke the next morning with a smile on her face.
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