Terra Firma

Wires

"Luna, are these your pictures?" Eli looked confused as he pulled the small kitchen chair out from the table and sat down. He felt like he hadn't rested in days. He scanned around the old dusty kitchen waiting for Luna to reply. He ran his hands down the old dusty table taking the old cabin in.

Luna walked into the kitchen followed by El. She pulled up another chair and sat down feeling a little overwhelmed. The cabin brought back so many mixed feelings for her.

"Yes, these are my pictures from when I was a child. I spent a few years here" She got up and walked back into the sitting room to look for something to show them both. She returned only seconds later clutching a small book.

"This is Frank, he saved me. My mother was shot the day we were supposed to leave this planet and I don't know what happened to my father if he left or not.

I was only a small child. I must have sat clutching my mother's dead body for at least two days till he found me. He was deaf but could still talk a little, enough to get by. He managed to pull me off of her and then he took me back here and he taught me how to survive. He was a kind and a loving man, he was like a rare gem" Luna's voice grew shaky and she fiddled with the small book in her hand.

She looked away from them as she spoke "I remember the day my mother was shot like it was yesterday, every tiny detail. I never expected to have to experience it twice. Frank was shot to death by humans trying to find food. He managed to hide me in the cellar, where I waited and waited but he never came. Most of the food was stored down there so they never found the good stuff. From that day on I wanted to be the only human left on earth, I hoped so badly I was.

I come back here once or twice a year as a kind of holiday. But really it's to remember Frank and be somewhere I always felt safe"

Eli reached over and placed his hand on Luna's shoulder "I'm so sorry Luna, that is awful"

Luna stood up and walked over to the dusty old green rug, rolling it up. A small handle was hidden under the rug. She pulled on it and a door flung open. Small wooden stairs led down to the cellar. Luna walked down and then came back up seconds later holding two tins of food.

"Look! I have the good stuff for tea tonight! We can sit and eat and plan what we are going to do"

El smiled at Luna as she thought about food and how it had been so long since she had actually thought about something just for her. Being controlled, never being able to just have your own thoughts about what to wear or eat.

El reached over to her brother and placed her arm on his as she looked over at Luna "Thank you, both of you for saving me"

Eli pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly feeling emotions swell inside him "Of course El, you are my family. It's what big brothers do"

Luna walked closer and passed El a packet. El caught it and her smile beamed "Girl needs a good bag of crisps after what you have been through" she winked as she went back to the small cabin kitchen.

"You two go look around while I prepare tea" Luna scrubbed her hands on an old cloth in the sink and then searched her pockets for her hairband. She pulled her hair up into a messy bun and started preparing the food.

The two of them headed out to the porch where El sat on the old wooden furniture. Eli walked to the end of the porch placing his arm to lean against the large wooden beam. He looked out at the beautiful view.

"It's like we are on a different planet here El, isn't it? no noise, no ruins, the air seems better"

El looked out and smiled back at her brother "I could get used to this Eli"

They both stared out into the distance "You like her don't you?" Eli moved his arm quickly walking a little further away from his sister.

"What? what do you mean?" El let out a little giggle "You like Luna a lot. I can see it, anyone can see it by the way you look at her, like a lost puppy. You always had those big gushy eyes with those long dark lashes. Mum always said you could get away with murder"

Eli laughed as he remembered his mother, it was a mix of pain and comfort. "It would never work El. look at me, I'm a droid! Luna deserves someone without wires running through them, someone just like her"

Eli walked to the step and sat down with his head hung low. El stood up from the wooden chair and joined him on the step wrapping her arm around him. 

"Eli, look at me" she looked at her brother and held his hand as he stared back at her

" I know your heart, without all the wires. I know you, without the droid parts. You are exactly the same Eli, it's YOU! you might look a little different but you haven't changed one bit. If mum taught us anything In life, it was to never lose that spark. I see it, Eli, it's right there" El placed her hand across his chest.

Eli felt his throat tighten along with his chest "Thank you El, I missed you. What would I do without you? you always know what to say. I see mum every time I look at you, not just because you look like her but... you became her. Like she left an imprint in you, it's amazing, you know that?"

El's eyes lit up as she thought of her mother "I do?" Her tears ran from her eyes as she felt the pain of losing her. The pain of everything that had happened to her. El was strong, she was always the strong one.

"You do El. She would be proud of the woman you have become. She would probably love all this droid stuff" They both let out a loud laugh

"Yeah she probably would"

Luna walked out after the two of them had stopped talking, she didn't want to interrupt.

"Tea's ready guys"

The three of them sat around the small handmade wooden table with the amazing foods that Luna had found in the storeroom. They were all so hungry their stomachs felt broken.

"This looks amazing Luna" Luna smiled as she tucked in happily "It's my pleasure" It felt so normal like the world was ok for today. The food went down too quickly and Luna had soon reached the bottom of her bowl.

El smiled at Luna wiping her mouth clean "So, let's make this plan"

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Hey guys,
If you are still reading this story ... then I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with Luna! She's coming on slowly! But it's my goal to get her to a good place...
Let me know your thoughts? What would be a happy ending?
💕