Trapped (2 page)

The boy slid out a chair for Sarah. She quickly sat down and pulled the plate toward her.

“No.” Marco pointed at the boy. “You eat first.”

Sarah licked her lips as the boy tore off a chunk of the sandwich, then popped it into his mouth and chewed. He swallowed. “Okay?”

Digging into the sandwich with gusto, Sarah didn't wait for Marco's reply. She spoke with her mouth full. “Ish really good.”

Marco's mouth watered as he watched Sarah eat. His empty stomach rumbled. “What else can you make?” he asked.

The boy shrugged. “Whatever you want.”

“Cheeseburger. With fries. And ketchup.” Marco held his breath.

The boy chose a disc, inserted it, and after a brief buzz, opened the door and pulled out a plate with a steaming cheeseburger and crispy-looking waffle fries, an oblong pool of ketchup off to one side.

Marco's mouth fell open. He sat down before the boy had even set the plate in front of him. Marco took a hefty bite of the cheeseburger and had to shut his eyes as he chewed.

Delicious.

Sarah said, “Don't you want him to try it first?”

Marco's eyes shot open and darted to the boy.

The boy shook his head. “There's nothing in the food. I promise.” He sat down on one of the seats against the wall and watched them eat.

Sarah asked, “What's your name?”

“I'm the Cur—”

“No!” interrupted Marco. “I don't want to hear it. Who are you
really
?”

The boy sighed, as if resigned to finally tell the truth. “My name is Leonis.”

“Like the star?” asked Marco.

Sarah raised her eyebrows at him.

Marco shrugged. His stepsister obviously had no idea how impossible it was to live in the same house as Nacho without picking up a fair amount of astronomical knowledge—facts that Marco had considered useless, until now.

The boy nodded. “My mother calls me Leo for short.”

“Where are you from?” asked Sarah.

Leo's gaze shifted from Sarah to Marco. “I don't know if you want to know. Or if you're ready to know.”

With a full mouth, Marco said, “We're ready.”

Leo said, “You won't believe me.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “After the past few days? I'd believe just about anything.” She stuffed the last of the grilled cheese in her mouth, and then wiped her greasy hands on her shorts.

Leo stood.

Marco quickly grabbed the white tube from where he'd set it on the table and aimed at the boy's chest.

Leo frowned. “I meant it. I'm not going to try anything.” He walked over to a blank wall and waved his hand over it. A large square portion of the wall glowed, then flickered into a screen. Leo deftly touched several lit buttons along the side, and a view of the starry sky appeared.

Marco stopped chewing and stared.

“Cool.” Sarah leaned forward and put her elbows on the table.

Leo swiped the screen and the vision zoomed in, revealing one star in particular.

“This is Sirius.”

“The Dog Star,” said Marco. He took another bite of food.

“Yes. And behind Sirius…” Leo swept his hand across the star, and a green-and-blue planet—clearly more blue than green—popped into the space.

“Is that Earth?” asked Sarah.

“No. It's my home.”

Marco swallowed, setting down both the tube and what remained of his cheeseburger. “You're an alien.”

“Perhaps.”

Sarah said, “If you're from outer space, then you're definitely an alien.”

“Then I suppose I am.” Leo touched the screen and the wall was simply a wall once more. He sat back down. “Like I said, I am not sure you are ready to hear any of this.”

“Will you unfreeze my brother and stepdad?” asked Marco.

Leo hesitated, and then shook his head.

“Will hearing all this
help
unfreeze them?” asked Marco.

Leo said, “I don't know. The problem is…”

“What?” asked Sarah.

“I need help,” said Leo.

“We can help,” said Sarah.

Marco nodded.

Leo sighed. “I don't think anyone can.”

Marco finished his meal and stood up. “We will. If you unfreeze my brother and her dad.”

Sarah nodded. “My dad is smart. He can help.”

Marco said, “So can we work out a deal?”

The boy in the blue jumpsuit jumped up. “Yes.”

Marco patted the white tube. “No funny stuff.”

“Marco, seriously?” said Sarah.

Marco frowned. “What? I don't trust him.”

Leo said, “This way.”

With Marco right on his heels with the white tube, and Sarah following, Leo led the way out of the room and down the hall, where they left the brightly lit cabin for a dark passageway with a rough stone floor, lit only by torches on the sides.

Marco didn't recognize that part of the cave. “This isn't the way we came.”

Leo slowed. “This way is faster.” He began to turn left down another passageway, but suddenly leaped to the right and slipped inside a doorway.

“Hey!” Marco lunged for him, then tripped and fell.

Sarah was so close behind that her feet tangled in his and she landed on top of Marco with a nearly breathless “
oomph!
”

The white tube slid from Marco's grasp. He stretched his arm out, trying to grab it.

But Leo snatched it up and leveled it at them.

“You said you didn't lie!” said Sarah.

Marco slowly untangled himself from Sarah and sat up. “I knew we couldn't trust him.”

“I'm sorry. There is far too much at stake. I have things to do.” Leo backed up so that he stood in the corridor, just outside the doorway.

Marco got to his feet and threw himself at the boy. His head slammed into something hard. He dropped to his knees, clasping his head in his hands. “Ow!”

Sarah set a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

“Do I
look
okay?” Marco rubbed his head. “What was that?”

Sarah reached out. Although she didn't see anything, not even glass, a substance lay under her hand that prevented her from exiting the doorway. She glared at the boy. “We were going to help you.”

Leo shook his head. “But you cannot. And there is no more time to waste.” He paused a moment. “I am sorry I had to lie to you.” He turned to go.

“Wait!” yelled Marco. “You can't leave us here. We have to get back to my mom. She's sick.”

The boy faced them. He seemed about to say something when Marco felt a rumble under his feet, a rumble that soon intensified.

“It's an earthquake!” shouted Sarah.

Although Marco had never been in an earthquake, he didn't think that's what it was.

Leo froze, his eyes wide as he stared down the corridor.

The ground under their feet shook so hard that Marco could barely stay upright, and lost his footing. He set a hand against the wall to keep from falling.

Sarah began to topple and clutched at him. “Marco! What's happening?” Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She pointed.

Marco shifted to see what had her so spooked. His heart nearly stopped.

The corridor was awash with red light, coming from a crimson ball—exactly the same as the one from the other day—that screamed toward them.

Leo stood right in the menace's path, frozen in place.

“Move!” shouted Marco. “Leo!” The boy didn't move. Marcus tried once more.
“Leonis!”

At the last second, as the red missile was nearly upon him, Leo turned, waved his hand, and dove into the room with Marco and Sarah. All of them fell into a scrambled heap.

Marco raised his head in time to see the scarlet flash pass by and continue down the corridor. He untangled his limbs and rolled away from the others. His heart pounded so hard he had to gasp for air. He sat up.

Sarah was on Leo's back, pushing his face into the floor. Her eyes narrowed, her dark bangs smashed onto her forehead with sweat. “No more lying! Tell us the truth!”

Marco was surprised at her strength. Apparently, his stepsister had finally had enough of Leo.

The white tube lay where it had slid across the floor, and Marco quickly retrieved it. He aimed it at the two of them.

Sarah snarled, “Watch where you point that.”

“I know.” Marco told Leo, “She's right. It's time you told us what's really going on here.”

“Fine.” Leo's voice was muffled. “I'll tell you everything if you just get her off me.”

Marco took one look at the anger spread across Sarah's face and had the feeling that now would not be the time to tell his stepsister to do anything she didn't want to do. He bit his lip.

“Sorry. I don't know exactly how I'm gonna do that.”

 

3

Sarah glared at Marco. There was no way she was going to let that stupid lying alien boy up, even if he had fed her an excellent sandwich. She'd had enough of his lies and didn't appreciate being imprisoned by him, especially
after
they had offered to help him.

She leaned over him. “Let my dad out!”

Half of Leo's face was pressed into the floor, his eyes scrunched up.

Marco walked over and set a hand on Sarah's shoulder. “Let him up.”

Sarah pushed harder on the boy. “Not until he promises to let my dad out.”

“Come on.” Marco brandished the white tube. “He won't do anything while I have this.”

Sarah groaned. “Fine.” She stood up and stepped aside. “But I want some answers.”

Leo climbed to his feet. “Just let me tell you everything and then you'll understand.”

Marco cautiously reached a hand through the door, then leaned out into the corridor. “Is that thing coming back?”

Leo shook his head. “It's just a timer.”

Sarah's eyes narrowed. “A what?”

“Like a countdown,” he said.

“Like an alarm clock?” asked Marco.

Leo shrugged. “That is sort of the alarm.”

“Kinda hard to miss,” said Sarah.

Leo said, “That's the point.”

Marco asked, “What's the countdown for?”

Sarah's stomach did a little flip. She was pretty sure she didn't want to know the answer to that question, and halfway hoped this increasingly annoying alien boy (from behind the Dog Star) wouldn't answer.

Leo said, “I have to tell you the rest of the story first.”

“Well, then let's go,” said Marco.

“Where?” asked Leo.

Sarah was tired of the cave. She wanted to be in the sun. “Outside.”

“As you wish.” Leo led the way out the door and down the corridor the way they'd been heading when he tricked them.

Sarah followed. The rocky floor became more uneven, but she saw a light at the end. They stepped out onto the beach and into the glare of the sweltering afternoon sun. The heat seeped in, warming her bones that were still half chilled from the innards of the cave.

Leo put up a hand, shading his face from the glare.

Marco hefted the white tube, pointing it straight at Leo's chest. “You can tell us everything now. But don't expect us to believe any of it.”

Sarah was thirsty from her sandwich and wished she had asked for something to drink before they left. She tried to ignore her dry throat because she had more important things to worry about. Like why this strange kid had frozen her dad. And how he would unfreeze him, along with Nacho and Ahab. She found herself feeling slightly relieved that the dreadful Curator was simply a boy, a boy who she could pin on the floor if she wanted. The knowledge made her feel safer somehow.

Leo stopped and faced them. “I know you won't believe me. So let me show you.” He held out a hand to Sarah, the other to Marco.

The two looked at each other. Marco shook his head. “I don't trust you.”

“I know,” said Leo. “But this is the best way to show you.”

Sarah gulped. “Marco, you stay over there and watch him.” Her heart beat faster as she held out a hand to Leo. “Show me. Show me what you want us to know.”

Marco started to protest.

“It'll be okay, Marco.” Then, before her stepbrother could stop her, she grabbed Leo's hand.

Instantly, a buzz like an electric current rippled throughout her entire body. Her vision went dark and she gasped. Then, slowly, her sight reappeared, revealing a starry sky, and a tiny blue-and-green marble: Earth, from far away. She felt like she was at a planetarium. A chill drifted over her. Goose bumps blossomed on her arms and legs.

Leo's voice was disembodied, as if it came from inside her head. “A very long time ago my people came to Earth.”

Sarah seemed to be in motion, as if on a ship. But she didn't feel sick, like she had on the
Moonflight
.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She wasn't alone. Others stood beside her, but didn't react to her presence in the least. The figures were over six feet tall, some closer to seven. They seemed familiar, yet different, and were all dressed in blue jumpsuits. Their faces seemed a bit fuzzy, unfocused. She realized she should have felt afraid, but she didn't.

Was she in some kind of memory? As an observer, not a participant?

Leo asked softly, “Okay so far?”

In her dream state—or whatever it was, she couldn't decide on a name for it—Sarah turned. Leo stood beside her, clearer than the others. To Sarah, he looked no different from anyone she knew. But then, she reminded herself, she had seen him change bodies. So perhaps what she saw on the outside was not all that accurate.

Leo's hand tightened around hers as he continued. “This is my planet.” Instantly, she and Leo were no longer on the ship. Instead, they stood on a green hill, looking over a vast body of water.

A lake?

No, bigger than that.

A sea? Even an ocean, perhaps?