Loving Change - Chapter One
The sounds of the forest around her filled her senses and calmed her soul. Sam always preferred the comfort of her own mind to dealing with other people's drama. That's why the woods became her refuge. She hiked down the track, in the afternoon light, that would lead her over the creek that runs into the river a number of kilometres away. What Sam didn't know was that this path would bring her new days and, just maybe, a new companion.
Sam was too busy looking up, through the thick branches to the blue sky beyond, to notice the column of shimmering light streaming down from the forming thunderheads. The trembling earth beneath her feet and the echoing boom of impact is what brought her attention to, what appeared to be, a landing sight that was not even fifteen minutes from where she stood. Thinking of possibly injured bystanders or wildlife Sam ripped her phone from her pocket. While dialing and waiting for an answer she ran as fast as the forest floor would allow.
"911, what is your emergency?" An impatient sounding woman droned through the speaker.
"Hello, my name is Sam and I think there's been an... explosion or something!? I'm in the Eastern reaches of the Appalachians. There may be injured campers or wildlife!" Sam was struggling to keep a calm and even voice with her quick running.
"Ma'am, are you aware that it is a federal offense to prank call emergency services?" The woman sneered.
"Yes, I am aware! And this is no prank!" Sam was shocked at the woman's words to say the least but she was also slowly losing her patience and temper.
"There have been no other reports of anything in that area. Only call this number of you have a real emergency!" Then Sam only heard only silence. 'She hung up on me!' Sam thought in disbelief which sizzled down into worry when she began to think of how she was going to be able to help anyone now if they were severely injured.
She may not be a doctor or a trained nurse but Sam knew she had to help somehow. Sam was only a few hundred meters away when she thought she could hear shouting and arguing. She slowed her pace to a leisurely jog then completely stopped. It was definitely men arguing with each other that she could hear, it wasn't actually that hard to hear them.
"Really brother!? Here!? Of all places! Earth!? This place has no real intelligent life on it! And you expect me to serve my punishment here!?" The first man shouted. Sam couldn't see them from where she was but she more than easily hear them. 'Wait... Did he just call people unintelligent!? Asshole.' Sam was confused by some of the language he used but she most certainly understood what he said.
"You should be thankful that mother was the one to decide your punishment and not father. She is the only reason you get to walk freely." The other man warned. 'Punishment? For what? What kind of punishment is setting off an explosion in a forest!?' Sam wondered.
"Walk freely?", the first snarled. "You call this idiotic planet a place to walk freely?" He mocked.
"You call this planet 'idiotic punishment' compared to a permanent prison cell?" The second sassed back. Grumbling and sneering mutters followed the comeback , then silence fell.
Choosing now to steal a glance at the strange men Sam silently stepped closer to the clearing. Watching every place she put her feet as not to make a sound, Sam crouched behind a large dense bush to shield herself from their eyes but still have the ability to see them. Parting the leaves for only the smallest gap to peek through Sam held her breath and stared around the charred ground not too far away on the other side of the bush. More than just burnt grass but two oddly dressed men were within her gaze. 'Strange outfits to match strange vocabulary.' Sam thought to herself. 'Maybe they're just cosplayers?' She doubted remembering the light display and explosion.
The blonde man in silver armor with a gold cape followed after the other black haired man in black leather with bronze metal plating.
"Please brother, don't make things harder for yourself.", the one in silver wielding a sword said, putting a comforting hand on the ravenette's shoulder. 'Wait - SWORD!? HE'S ARMED!?' Sam panicked. "When mother and father deem your sentence fulfilled then you can come home." He promised. Pausing the conversation long enough to get the other to look him in the eye. "Don't make things more difficult than they already are, Tyron." The blonde Shakespearean cosplayer pleaded. This "Tyron" man scoffed and pulled away walking a few steps away from Goldilocks, bringing him unintentionally closer to Sam.
Tyron refused to meet his brother's eyes, "Why are you still here!? Be gone already! Let me spend my time of punishment in peace." Turning his back he let the dude in silver slowly walk back to a blackened circle of grass alone.
"Goodbye brother. I hope to see you soon." With his last parting words a tunnel of shimmering light came down and lifted him away somewhere like a SyFy nightmare come to life. Falling back onto her behind Sam watched breathlessly as the spectacle came and left leaving her brain in shambles.
Getting up onto her knees Sam surveyed the area around her and didn't see any damage done, or more strange men for that matter. But she did see the "Tyron" pacing back and forth not too far from her, in fact, he was not even twenty meters from her.
"You can come out now." He called out to seemingly no one. "The passage won't be opening again for some time." Staying silent Sam listened if anyone else answered. "I know you're behind the bush, come now." 'Shit.' Sam mentally screamed. He sounded less patient this time. Remembering the sword the other guy carried Sam was wary of "Tyron". Sighing, Tyron stalked over to the innocent looking bush and stood before it - arms folded and a foot tapped impatiently.
Surprised and frightened Sam wouldn't even let herself twitch within his presence.
"Well!?" He snapped having lost all patience.
"My name is Sam!" She spoke up suddenly trying to stall for any time at all to think of something better as a plan.
"Excuse me?" He questioned stunned by the outburst from the female behind the 'safety' of the bush. It was almost amusing to him.
"Sam. My name is Sam.' She forced herself to speak calmly and evenly.
Silence surrounded them as Tyron seemed to be pondering things that were beyond her understanding. The eerie stillness forced Sam from her shelter and she stood up, still keeping the shrubbery between her and the stranger. Looking up to observe the odd Earthling Tyron found himself staring at her trying to figure her out. From head to toe he studied her. Her light brown hair sparkled gold in the sunlight and her bob cut brought his gaze to her face which he looked at longer than he would care to admit. Taking in her frame and above average height he guessed she would be half a head shorter than him, intriguing him if anything. Before he realised what he was really doing he caught himself looking at her bust. He scolded himself but still couldn't look away. Tyron admitted that some would find her "unattractive" because of her size or weight, even on his own planet there were those who were considered "heavy", but something about it just suited her. She looked soft, warm and .... Face turning red Tyron swiftly turned and took a few steps past her. 'I did not just think such things of a mortal! I did not want to...' Turning even darker Tyron awkwardly coughed and stopped walking. It was then he realised Sam hadn't followed him.
"Well, are you coming?" Tyron asked not being able to meet her gaze.
"Huh!? Where?" Sam was still trying to get the image of a blushing Tyron out of her head. 'So cute.' Shaking her mind clear of ideas she listened for his answer.
"I'm assuming you reside somewhere nearby, correct?" It was more of a statement than a question really.
"What difference does that make?" Sam was getting nervous at what he implying.
"You heard my... the other man from before talking with me. I'm stuck here. You found me." Slowly putting two and two together Sam instantly got mad.
"Are you saying that now I'm stuck with you!?" Looking her dead in the eye Sam saw the hurt flooding through his lavender pools. Sam's thoughts took a few moments but eventually she could piece a sentence together in her mind, 'Wait a minute... Are his eyes PURPLE!?'
Instantly she regretted her choice of words and mentally scolded herself for letting her temper get the better of her.
"I mean that - will you be staying with me the whole time?" She mumbled distractedly. Looking up into his eyes again the hurt was gone and mischief radiated from them.
Smirking he answered her, "Well, we'll just have to see." Mouth open Sam stood stunned looking at him. Chuckling, Tyron winked at her and waited for her to lead on. Closing her mouth and stomping past the mischief maker, Sam let her gaze flicker over Tyron and she almost wished she hadn't. 'No! Get those thoughts out! He's not handsome. You only just met him.' She reminded herself. Proudly following along behind her Tyron couldn't stop smirking at his victory of getting to stay with her. Letting his mind wander a bit, without meaning to, so did his eyes. Shamelessly Tyron stared at her booty and turned redder and redder at his thoughts. 'No. I only just met her.' He reminded himself. Walking in silence they made their way to her home - well, they're home now for the time being.