“See for yourself.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Myla said before she stood up and walked out of the room with Mari in tow.
“Giggling? Did I hear Myla giggling?” Denise asked.
“She’s been laughing and giggling a lot.”
Denise lifted the garment she was wearing to reveal an abdomen that looked like she remembered it. “No scar?”
“No scars,” Layla said emphasizing the plural, touching her gently on the left shoulder.
“I love you Layla,” Denise said, tears filling her eyes.
“And I love you Denise.”
They made out like schoolgirls, on an alien bed, in an alien infirmary, on an alien ship, and it felt like home.
Chapter 65
Returned
Once again Denise and Layla found themselves in another part of the ship that had previously been deemed off limits. Gathered before them were the complete ships complement of the Tyrine, less a few personnel needed to monitor and run the ship.
“I know that I speak for the entire crew of the Tyrine when I say that your presence in our lives has been one of the most loving, moving, compassionate, intense and downright crazy experiences we have ever been a part of. On behalf of our crew, our species, and especially Aren, Myla and myself, Thank You, for everything.”
A resounding THANK YOU came from the sixty crew members gathered before them.
Denise and Layla smiled and took a bow. “Thank you,” Denise said, “for coming into our lives, and giving me hope for our species, and for our world. Just knowing that beings as wonderful as yourselves are out there makes fighting to survive, and change, seem so worth it.”
“Thank you, for teaching me to love again, and find love,” Layla said.
The goodbyes lasted for nearly an hour before they made their way back to Aren, Myla and Nola.
“Will me ever meet again?” Denise asked.
“Anything is possible, you’ve proven that,” Aren said.
“I believe we will,” Nola smiled.
“I KNOW we will,” Myla giggled before giving Denise a big hug.
Mari approached and waited so she did not interrupt them.
“Mari is ready whenever you are,” Nola said.
“I think we’re ready.”
“Ilga ventu remil,” Nola said.
“And the meaning?” Denise asked.
“Live long and love,” Myla said.
“Goodbye,” Denise and Layla said.
“Goodbye.”
They followed Mari back to the shuttlecraft where Trepa was already waiting. Within minutes they were on their way back to Denise’s trailer in Southern Illinois.
She brought the shuttle down right over Denise’s yard. They both hugged Mari and Trepa and said their final goodbyes before they walked down the ramp that closed behind them, the hum of the shuttle departing the only sound around them.
“Fresh cut grass,” Denise said, breathing in deeply.
“Love it.”
The Mustang was right where they left it before they headed south.
“You know what I’m really hoping for?” Layla said.
“What?”
“Your ham and egg breakfast.”
“We have nothing here but coffee and condiments and canned goods,” Denise laughed.
“I’ll run out in the morning and pick up what we need.”
“It’s good to be back,” Denise said.
“Oh yeah,” Layla said as she kissed Denise deeply then led her by the hand into the trailer, the sounds of a Southern Illinois night once again filling the air.
“Where did you leave the car keys?” Layla asked when she walked out of the bathroom wearing a short robe.
“Oh, here,” she giggled, pulling the keys out from under the mattress.
Layla shook her head and laughed. “I slept so well I never felt a thing. I’ll be right back.”
She put on a pair of sunglasses and walked out the door. In a few moments she walked right back in through it. “Someone stole the car,” she sighed.
“What?”
“Seriously, it’s gone.”
They both walked out into the yard. The original Mustang was gone.
“I’ll walk over to my place and go get what we need. Are you going to call it in to the cops, cause if you are, I don’t want to be here when they show up.”
“I guess I will, later,” Denise said.
As soon as she finished speaking two Mustangs materialized facing each other on the lawn, one black and one deep burgundy, the color of the original.
“Well I’ll be,” Layla laughed.
They walked over to the black one first and opened the door. When they did a message began. “Dear friends. Please accept these vehicles as gifts of thanks from the crew of the Tyrine.”
“Sweet. And I thought I was going for groceries in my Focus,” Layla laughed.
They then walked over to the burgundy one and opened the door to another message. “Denise. By now you know these are a gift from us to you. We took your original Mustang as a souvenir for Myla. You forgot your backpacks, cooler and pottery. They are in your trunk. Have fun flying. Ilga ventu remil.”
“Have fun flying?” Denise said. She reached over to the console to see a new assortment of controls and smiled. On the drivers seat was a package wrapped in black material. She opened it to find a small stack of DVD’s titled Learning to Fly 101.
“Looks like we’re going to need a completely different flying class than we had originally planned,” Layla laughed.
“Come on, screw making breakfast this morning. Let’s go to Mary Lou’s, you drive.”
“Yes.”
Chapter 66
So Many Stars
Weeks after their return, Denise and Layla sat on a blanket in the open field outside Fort de Chartres.
“Here you are. Happy Birthday,” Layla said, handing her a small package.
“Aw, you shouldn’t have,” Denise giggled.
She opened the gift to reveal a replica of the medallions they used to help them in their quest. “I had a friend who creates jewelry make it. There’s not another one like it anywhere, on Earth at least.”
“I love it, thank you.”
“So you can legally walk into a bar and order a drink now.”
“Yep. You know, ever since I was a little girl, on my birthday I have always given a gift to one person in my life who I love, who is special to me.” She handed Layla an envelope.
“Really? How sweet. What a wonderful tradition to keep.” Layla opened the envelope to reveal one Illinois Lottery ticket. “Powerball huh?”
“Yes. It’s not that high today, only sixty-six million before taxes,” Denise giggled.
Layla hugged her and kissed her deeply.
“Is it dark enough?”
“Yes, I think we’re good to go.”
“Let’s see, that was between the arm and head of the Virgin yes?” Denise said.
“I think we have it,” Layla said, stepping away from a telescope on a tripod. “Here, have a look.”
Denise looked through the telescope to reveal M61, the spiral galaxy and home of all on the Tyrine. “It’s beautiful.”
“I wonder what we look like from there?”
“The Milky Way is phenomenal. I’m sure we look beautiful as well.”
“Well honey, what would you like to do, it’s your birthday?”
“I know this may sound corny, but I’d like to head back and have a cocktail, my treat.”
“Haa. Sounds perfect.”
“Love it.”
Denise folded the blanket and they put everything in the trunk of the burgundy Mustang.
“Look, a shooting star,” Layla said.
“Yes. Wish time,” Denise said before getting in the dri
vers seat. She piloted the Mustang south on Highway 3, popped in a CD and sang along to the first song that came on, “The dawn is filled with dreams, So many dreams which one is mine, One must be right for me, Which dream of all the dreams, When there’s a dream for every star, And there are oh so many stars, So many stars.”
Neither of them noticed the light in the night sky moving slowly in the same direction they were traveling.
Connect with me online at
garbovatwins@gmail.com
http://grevali.wordpress.com/
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66