Among the Stars (TEASER)

I Suppose This Is Where It All Began

Water splashed underneath my boots as I hurried through the neon lit streets, keeping the nighttime darkness at bay. Hood pulled over my head, I glanced in both directions before darting into an alleyway. My hands and feet were numb as I hid in the shadows, crouching behind the trash and dumpster. I stifled my heavy breathing with a shaky hand as four people ran past the same alleyway I currently hid in.

Stupid, stupid! I mentally scolded myself. You knew better. You should have double checked, you idiot.

My communicator beeped in my ear before a familiar voice chimed in.

"Milliana, for the love of—please tell me you're alive. And not captured. I'd hate to have to break you out again."

"Taj, now is really not the time," I hissed quietly into the communicator in my ear.

"Listen, when you get back, we need to have a talk about your-"

"Not now! These guys are on my ass, shut up Taj!" With my outburst, I immediately ran, following the alleyway before my pursuers could catch up with me.

"Well, hurry up then, Millie! You're our fastest runner, you know you can outrun them. We need that medicine."

"Stop talking," I growled out, jumping onto a fence and hurriedly climbing over. I heard shouts coming from the end of the alley, but I didn't dare look back. Looking back took precious seconds away from me.

My surroundings were a blur. Parkour was easy in the city, unlike the Outskirts, where the Haven was.

The Haven...

It was always my home. Home to extraterrestrials and a small handful of humans that we could trust, we took anyone in that needed protection, a safe place to lie low until they could get back on their feet and leave.

Any aliens, at any rate.

China's government forbade anyone assisting any and all extraterrestrials, punishable by death in our country. It was the same in almost all the other countries, shutting down the idea of other life forms and keeping it a secret from the general public.

I knew better. Taj and my mother knew too. The ones who crash landed here needed help. They were sentient, living creatures, and deserved help when they needed it.

Of course there were other havens across the world; but ours was the only one in China. It was a highly dangerous job, and a surprisingly lonely one, but it had to be done. Who else would help them? Who else would protect them from our twisted governments?

"Hey, Milliana, the perimeter alarm just went off. Are you close enough to see anything?"

"It's probably a bird or something," I grumbled, darting across the roof and leaping to the next building. I rolled when I landed, dispersing my energy before getting to my feet and continuing on. "I'm about to get a visual, hold on." Sliding across the metal part of the roof, I slid under a large pipe before pushing myself to my feet again, keeping my momentum and continuing to run. I pushed my heels hard into the edge of the roof before leaping into the air, hands outstretched to grab the next rooftop that was higher up. I grunted when my body swung into the wall, but my feet braced against the brick cushioned the impact. I pulled myself up easily before letting myself catch my breath.

"Taj, you still there?"

"Of course," came his suave reply. I could almost see his smirk from his tone alone. "Always for you."

"I can see the entrance to the Haven now."

"You see anything?"

Even though the Haven was on the Outskirts of the city, the building I was on was high enough for me to see. I knew what to look for, but to the untrained eye you would never find us.