Emerald

Even big boys need their mum Part 8

Emerald Chapter Eight

The thing about being ambushed on the Hay Plain is, well, there is nowhere to hide. It's not called a "plain" for nothing and other than some rather large saltbushes scattered across, there's not much of anything out here.

The only trees are back near the river and that's more than half a kilometre away from my current location. So I am literally a sitting duck.

Another beam of light slams the ground behind me sending a fire ball of burning saltbush into the air. I try to work out where this attack is coming from but there is nothing, no sign, nothing.

It's freaky to be under attack and not not where or why. All I know is that I can't stay where I am. But if I run back to the house I'm leading whatever it is straight back to my family. And I don't want that.

While dad could help, my brothers would have no chance and they, and my mother (No she is still my mother whatever dad says – she raised me and I have known no one else) would be home by now ready for dinner and not expecting a fireball from the sky to disintegrate them.

I have to think, not that there is much time to do that. I have to act and soon. This is made even more apparent when another beam of light comes perilously close to my head. It just whistles past my ear and has possibly singed my hair from the smell that's now permeating the air (all I need with a big audition coming up – I'm mad now).

I'm also scared.

And all that seems to be going through my head is "Oh my god I'm going to die – I'm going to freaking die!".

I'm trying to stop myself from going into a full-blown panic attack. I'm not a mystical "demi god" like Loki and dad – I can't suddenly disappear. I'm a duck in a shooting gallery and my goose is cooked.

But just as I give in, curl up in a foetal position, paint a target on my back and wait to be obliterated it dawns on me I might not be as defenseless as I look. I mean – I'm a freaky alien too right? And freaky aliens actually seem to be able to jump around the place and call other freaky aliens.

I start heading towards the house, realizing that while my brother's are there – so is my dad and, well, it's partially his fault that I'm getting shot at so he has to be the one to help. I will myself home and call to my father at the same time, all the while I'm dodging weird balls of light trying to kill me.

Light balls of death!

I feel a strange prickly sensation in the back of my head and wonder if maybe I've made contact. I try to picture dad again and then Loki comes unbidden into my brain. After all, until he beamed me up to his throne room, no one had actually tried to kill me. Sure a few of Matt's fans had written pretty creepy messages on twitter, tumblr and facebook about me but the fan-girls had never actually thrown light balls of death.

I call for Loki and then dad, addressing my dad as both dad and Thor, just in case. I hope someone picks up my message soon.  I'm still wondering how I've managed to survive this long because those light balls are still coming at me at regular intervals.

I can see our machinery shed coming up and I'm wondering if this might be a good place to hide. It's hard to know what will put someone  off when you a) don't know what they look like and who they are and b) are unsure where they are coming from.

I'm ducking and weaving like a pro-basketballer now and the death balls are getting bigger, brighter and a lot more dangerous.

Luckily the aim is getting  worse.

"Loki!!!!! Thor!!!! ANYONE!!!" I call out still thinking of my home.

All of a sudden it seems to pay off and I'm shimmering gold and dematerialising fast.