The Gods Among Us

Chapter 16: Lavender-Scented

A:

"Come on," I say, looking around. "Come on. Where are you? Where are you?"

Flying as fast as I could, I search up and down for either the mysterious figure or Alieen. I scan the white cloud in the sky while focusing on the land and sea below.

"I cannot believe I let that happen," I think as I fly. "How could I have let that happen? How could I have let Alieen go like that?"

I have no idea where either of the two are or where they could have gone. All I have to go on is the direction I saw they fly away.

"I do not get it. I just do not get it. It is nothing more than water yet, somehow, it burns me. Why does that water burn me? No! I cannot focus on that now. I have to find Alieen before anything terrible happens to her. I managed to quickly clean myself using the sand so the two should not have gotten far, but still. Where are you? If anything happens to Alieen."

As horrible images fill my head, I can feel my fingernails dig into the palms of my hands. I can feel my teeth scratching against one another. It feels like my head is about to explode. As I keep flying, I see the bay, and there, standing on the bank is Alieen.

"Yes," I shout, feeling some water forming in my eyes. "Please. I had enough water."

I wipe the water from my eyes and fly toward Alieen.

"Alieen," I say as I land on the river's bank. As soon as I can, I grab Alieen and look her over. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Okay," Alieen says, pushing me back. "A, calm down. Please. Just calm down. I'm okay. I'm not hurt. I am okay. I'm fine."

"You are fine," I repeat, looking around. "Really? Are you sure? You are not seeing things?"

"I'm not seeing things," Alieen answers. "At least, I don't think I'm seeing things. Then again, I was kidnapped by a flying person and now I'm talking with a man that can read minds. Maybe I have gone crazy."

"You are not crazy," I say. "This is, all of this, is just new."

"New," Alieen repeats.

"For lack of a better word, yes. New. It is new for you because of me and that person."

I stop to look around once more. Alieen and I are alone. As far as I can tell, there is no one here. I close my eyes and focus my hearing. I can hear the waves splashing from the ocean. I can hear the birds flapping their wings. I can even hear the wind as it blows. However, I do not hear a heartbeat. I do not hear someone breathing.

"It is new for me because," I go on, "Well. I am usually by myself. I have not really been with people before. It is, I hope this is the right word, it is uncomfortable."

Alieen crosses her arms as she looks at me.

"Thanks," she says.

"No, no, no," I say, waving my hands. "Uhh, not uncomfortable but more like strange."

"Strange," Alieen repeats.

"No. Strange is also not the right word. It is. It is. It is. What is the right word? What is the right word?"

"It's fine A," Alieen says, laughing as she hits my arm. "You're right. This is new and uncomfortable and very, very strange for me. Actually, it's beyond strange. Speaking of strange, are you okay? What happened earlier? What did that person throw at you?"

"Water," I answer.

"He threw water at you and you started to smoke?"

"I do not think it is simply water, but from what I have gathered, I cannot be sure."

"What you gathered? You have some of the water he threw. Can I see it?"

"I guess that would be okay but why?"

"Well. Maybe I can help you figure out what exactly it is. I mean, two minds are better than one."

"That does make sense," I think, "But I ask that you be careful. After all, this water-like burn me. I do not even want to think what it could do to you."

"I understand."

With a nod of her head, Alieen steps back and spreads out her arms. I smile, nod my own head, and step into Alieen arms. Wrapping my arms around Alieen, I fly Alieen and myself back to the gas station.

Upon landing in front of the door to my home, I grab it and pull but the door stays where it is.

"Excuse me for one second," I say. Using my power, I rip the door right off and hold it in my hand. I stare at the door for a bit before turning to face Alieen. Her mouth is hanging open and her eyes are wide. Stepping back, she covers her mouth with her hands.

"I normally never use the door," I say, putting the door down. "I have to remember. Fix the door and also fix the sign. This way."

With a nod of my head, I walk through the empty doorway with Alieen following after me. I guide her to my mini fridge, where I open the door and telekinesis grab the cup with the wet sand.

"Again," I say, placing the cup on the top of the fridge. "Please be careful."

"I will," Alieen answers, bending down to examine both the paper cup and plastic bottle. Standing over it, she peeks inside. "Is that sand?"

"It was the only way to collect it," I say. "A few nights ago, I was attacked by the same mysterious person, and as before, he threw water at me."

"You were attacked," Alieen yells, turning to face me.

"Yes. Do not worry. I am fine. I was able to rub it off in the sand. Anyway, this is water. It is all I have collected. As far as I can tell, it is water. It is clear. It flows very easily. There is nothing more to it. It is water."

"Just because it's clear and flows easily doesn't automatically make it water," Alieen says, bending down to look at the bottle. "It could be something else. It could be, wait hold on."

Alieen stops talking and picks up the paper cup. She brings it close to her face and then sniffs it.

"What are you doing?"

"That's weird," Alieen says after sniffing the paper cup again. "I think I know this smell."

"What?"

She sniffs the cup for the third time.

"No, I'm serious. I think I know this smell. I think it's lavender."

"Lavender? Is not that a flower?"

"It is a flower. Assuming this is water, it's lavender-scented water."

"I was attacked and burned by lavender-scented water," I say. "I am so confused."

"You know the funny thing. Matt actually had some lavender-scented water in his room."

"Matt?"

"Yeah. That's why I recognize the smell. He doesn't use it a whole lot but still."

"Matt had lavender-scented water," I think. "What does that mean?"