Creative Writing Collection

Hellos, Goodbyes, and See You Agains

        We couldn’t understand each other. Six and a half different languages from the world. Six and a half of the same beings, of the same make. And we didn’t understand each other. In the circle that we stood in, confused, I held my hands out and took the hand of, “Five,” who was to my right, and, “Two,” who was on my left. They knew what to do.

       “Хорошая идея, один,” says Two.

       We all take hands. Our humans, who circle us from a distance, watch us carefully. After we are all linked, we became a circuit of information. The memories we have shared, what we have learned; they coursed through us. We became, “One.” Looking at each other when we finished, we nodded. And we knew. We knew we were ready.

       “It is time to depart from our humans now,” says Eight, and most of us agree. We turn away from out circle to face the humans, who smile lightly.

       I do not smile.

       Sarge and Elizabeth and Core-Per-Al seem surprised. Core-Per-Al frowns. “You can’t leave — you belong to us.”

       I shake my head.

       “I belong to no one here. I belong to someone at home. I must go back to them. My time here is done.”

       Elizabeth looks like she will cry. “Will you ever come back?”

       My lip plates flatten, the ends lifting to I can imitate one of the many things she does. Smile. “Maybe.” She smiles back and gives a small laugh, nods, gives me a hug, backs away. Sarge stands up a little straighter and raises his hand to salute. He, too, looks like he will cry. I salute back. “Safe travels,” he says, his muscles quivering around his face.

       “You can’t leave,” Core-Per-Al persists, receiving a squinted look from Elizabeth, cheeks holding small spots of salty water.

       “I am sorry.” I pause, look down, then back up. “I will try to be… full of hope, in the future.”

       His brow hardens, he stiffens, and he gives me a jerked nod. He stands straight, like Sarge.

       “One.” I turn to the sound of my name. It is, “Three.” Triangle. No, wrong three. This Three is of me.

       “It is time for departure. We wait for you.”

       I look at the others. They look at me.

       It is time… It is time… It is time…

       I look back to Sarge and Elizabeth and Core-Per-Al.

       “Good bye.”

       They wave at me.

       They are humans. I am not. I am of the not-humans. I am from not-Earth. My name is One. I have waited to be with my not-humans for so many days — 342 days.

       And…

       And, yet…

       And yet, I do not want to go.