Flimmix Erusha

Rayne is a girl whose mother is the mayor of a small town out in Washington State called Echo Lake. She's an artist, who draws all sorts of strange creatures and oddities. Besides this slightly obsessive hobby, she is a average seventeen year old girl, whom is a senior in college.

The school year is just beginning, and in her home room and English class, there is one strange guy named Flimmix Erusha.

~Chapter 1~

I sat with my best friend, Gina, and her boyfriend, James. The three of us were in the gym with roughly a hundred other high school students, listening to the Echo Lake High principal give a long speech about the goals for this year. Actually, Gina and I were too engrossed in our own conversation to bother listening in. James was on his phone, playing some game from the app store or whatever.

"Rayne. You must get a boyfriend this year. You've spent your entire High School life alone!"

"I don't just want a boyfriend," she said with a huff. She struggled to find her next words, as she didn't know how she could explain it to her best friend in a way she'd understand.

"So you want several boyfriends? Ooooh, your such a diva, love!" Gina laughed.

"No! Just..Ah...I don't want a boyfriend. I want a lover. I mean, a boyfriend I can love, and not just someone for social situations...Not to say you and James don't love each other.. Just. You get what I mean, right Gina?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes, of course. But a sweetheart from high school lasts for life!"

"Usually. If it makes you happy, Gina, I'll try to find a boyfriend. But I don't guarantee anything." I had said this to make her happy. She loved Gina, and hated to disappoint her friend.

"Okay. Can I help!?"

"Ahm...Nah.. I'm perfectly capable of finding a man for myself," I said, silently dreading the idea of Gina helping me find a boyfriend...Oh God... Nooooo.

"Awww. Okay. You have to come to more parties then."

"Okay." She just agreed, for simplicity's sake.

"Yay! James! She's going to party with us more often!" She squealed, hugging onto James arm. He looked over at her, then at me.

"Cool, mate. I look forward to seein' yah drunk. That'll be facebook worthy," he noted in his deep black person voice. Gina and I chuckled at this.

"Yeah, it'll be so cool!"

I smiled, and simply shook my head.

~

After that speech by the principal, we were told to go to our homerooms, which were stated on our schedule. My home room was the art teacher, Mr. White. I at the back table by the window, simply because I hated sitting in the front of classrooms. It just gave me an odd feeling of always being watched.

Mr. White nodded at me, as I was the first in the room, and said, "good morning, Ms. McKenly." He already knew me from my previous year in art class, and from what I could tell, he genuinely liked me.

"Good morning, Mr. White." I flashed him a smile as I pulled out a notebook and a pencil. I watched him go back to shuffling through some papers on his desk. I adverted my gaze to my notebook, and opened it up, flipping through pages and pages of my drawings.

My drawings consisted mostly of animals and odd creatures. Sometimes even hybrids. My favorite picture was a black wolf I drew when I was fourteen. I didn't have it in this notebook, because I had way to many notebooks full of drawings. The black wolf had a magical feel to it, I remembered my Mom telling me, due to the turquoise lines I had drawn into the fur, and the glowing turquoise eyes.

I turned to the next empty page, and started doodling cartoon animals simply to pass the time.

Slowly, people started coming into the classroom, one by one. I jumped when someone sat beside me.

"Hello, Ma'am. How are you?" I turned by head, finding it very odd to be addressed as "Ma'am" by another student. Beside me, sat a tall, lanky guy, wearing long sleeves and long pants. My immediate thought was, 'How is he not hot?" It was the middle of August! How could he wear those clothes?

Then I saw his eyes. The oddest eyes I have ever seen. Two glinting turquoise irises stared back at me. This must've been a new person in town, I thought...I've never seen this guy before.

"Are you well?" He asked this, as he held the pendent of a necklace between he forefinger and thumb, rolling it in between the two fingers. I noticed it was a very odd symbol...A triqueta I think it was called. It was carved out of wood. So well carved, I could almost swear it was a store-bought pendant, but I could see slight imperfections. The two bottom points of it were uneven. The left slightly longer than the right. The right's point was more curved than the left's. I also saw faint notches, indicating it was hand-carved.

I quickly nodded. "Uhm. Yes. Sorry. I'm fine. How are you?"

"Fine as frog's hair," he stated with a smile, then held out his hand. "I am Flimmix. And you are?"

I stared at him, knowing I probably had bug eyes. He struck me as so...Odd. When I shook his hand, he gripped a bit tight, but let go after two shakes.

"I'm Rayne," I responded, still staring at his eyes.

"Rain? Like the water that falls from the sky here?"

"Ahm..No. My name is spelled R-A-Y-N-E. Rayne."

He nodded, and pointed a finger at her face. I leaned back, narrowing my eyes. "Well. Your eyes look like water..The shade of blue that water is generalized as, that is. So, I daresay your name is very fitting, even if it is not spelled the same as rain."

"Erm. Thank you..." I was finding this guy odder and odder.. Then he looked towards my notebook. He placed his index finger on the page.

"You are very good at drawing," he pointed out. I smiled, touched by his comment. People usually found it odd, the things I drew. "Is this a book of your drawings?"

"Uhm..Thanks, and yeah, it is."

"May I see it?"

Wordlessly, I closed it, and handed it over to him. Flimmix opened the notebook, and began flipping through the pages. His expression stayed neutral and without reaction. I started nervously biting my nails, feeling self concious about showing her work to someone she barely knew.

"So you draw animals.." He handed my notebook back on the page I was doodling on. "Very interesting animals... Do you plan on being an artist when you are finished with school?"

I shook my head. "It's only a hobby. I actually planned on being a photographer for National Geographic. There's a thing about capturing a moment to share it with others that just strikes me as fun, ye know?" The reason I wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic, is so I could get inspiration for my drawings.

"I understand."

"So, Flimmix. Where are you from?"

"Canada," he said very quickly. This struck me as a bit odd, so I decided to question further.

"Oh, cool. Where at in Canada?"

"Uh...Out in the boonies. My parents home schooled me, but decided I should go to school for my senior year. They wanted to see me graduate." He flashed me another smile. I wondered if it was just me being crazy, or if that actually sounded like a practiced line.

"Ah..Cool. Where do you live at?"

"We live just outside town. It is about a twenty minute drive."

I closed my notebook and stuffed the pencil down the spiral binding, never taking my eyes off him. "And what brings you to Echo Lake to graduate? Why not a bigger, better school?"

Flimmix simply shrugged. "I've no idea. My parents wanted to come here, and I did not question their motives."

I blinked at him, shaking my head in confusion. "Why didn't you question it?"

"I did not question it because they are my parents. Why should I question it?" He raised a eyebrow straight up, his expression showing curiosity. As if he wanted her to actually answer it.

"I don't know. Maybe because it doesn't hurt to know? It's you who has to go to school here based on their decision. I think ye got a right to know why," I said, and punctuated it with a shrug.

"Hum...Maybe. Thank you."

"...What?" I blinked again. "What for?"

"I thanked you for telling me that."

"Ooookay.." I trailed off, and looked away. This guy was very weird. After that, he didn't say anything else to me. I figured what I said was a bit dickish, but it was too late to take it back.

~

I'd went through the rest of my school day after homeroom without seeing him again. I caught up with old friends, "trolled" some people with Gina, and doodled. Until my last period class, which was English. Flimmix was in that class. So was Gina. Gina and I sat in the back. When Flimmix walked in, Gina subtly pointed him out to me.

"Who is that? I've never seen him in Echo Lake before."

"That's Flimmix. Odd name, right?"

"Right. Where's he from, Ray?"

I shrugged, keeping my gaze locked on him. He spotted me, and gave a nod of acknowledgment, before taking a seat at the front. "All he told me was that he was from the boonies in Canada."

"Ooooh. A Canadian! I wonder if he likes maple syrup and bacon?"

I gave her a pointed look. "You're a racist bitch, Gina," I muttered, then chuckled. She giggled right along with me.

"I'm just curious, y'know? Like, everyone thinks every Canadian likes maple syrup and bacon, like they think Chinese people like sushi and tea." I facepalmed. I wonder about Gina's mental stability sometimes...I really do.

"Whatever. He said he lives outside town. Probably in the woods, because I don't recall any area outside Echo Lake being not covered in trees, critters, and plants."

Gina nodded, looking over at Flimmix, who was tapping his fingers on a pencil, staring up at the ceiling with an unmoving face. He appeared to be either thinking, or he was bored.

"Well. He certainly is an attractive fella', y'know Ray? That black hair of his spikes up in all the right ways." She winked at me, then nudged me in the side with her elbow. I looked at her, then back to Flimmix. He was staring back at us, mostly at Gina. I wonder if he heard what she said... Gina wasn't exactly be secretive.

"Just stop talking about him Gina. Really."

She gave me a defensive look. "But he's interesting. Fun to chat about."

I rubbed my temple. "I think he hears you..." I looked back over at Flimmix, and he was still staring over at us. His head was tilted, giving us both a curious look. Gina glanced over at him through the corner of her eye.

"Oh.. Wave him over then, Ray."

I rolled my eyes. "Why can't you?"

"Because you know him. It'd be odd if I waved him over!"

I sighed, and was about to wave Flimmix over, but he was already approaching. It seems Gina needed to work on her whispering skills. I narrowed my eyes in her direction, to which she responded with an innocent shrug. Flimmix took a seat on my other side, to my right.

"I could not help but to over hear your conversation. And for the record, I do not like maple syrup."

"See, Gina? You're so racist."

"I'm not racist. I'm curious! And my curiosity has been satisfied."

Flimmix smiled at us both, and held out his hand to Gina. "I believe we have not met. I am Flimmix. But I'm sure you're aware of that already, yes?"

Gina shook his hand and winked at me. "Such a gentleman you are, Flimmix. Just the way Rayne likes them. Right Ray?" She didn't. I know she did not just say that.

"Gina! Oh my God..." I put my face in my hands, pretty sure my face was blood red.

"Uhm.. Who is them? Am I missing something?" Flimmix pulled his hand back, and looked suspiciously between Gina and me. I looked up at him in disbelief. Did he really not get what Gina meant?

"Oh, nevermind, doll! By the way, I'm Gina. It is so wonderful to meant you, Flimmix." She gave him a classical Gina-smile. That's when I knew she was planning something. I got that feeling down deep in my gut, that I wasn't going to like what she had in mind either.

"You as well, Gina."

The tardy bell suddenly rang and the English teacher stepped into the room. Mrs. Anderson's heels clicked in a steady rhythm as she strode from the door to her desk, and sat down. She began talking, but I instead focused on Gina and Flimmix's conversation, which had turned to whispers so Mrs. Anderson wouldn't call them out.

"So, Flimmix. You have a very strange name. Does it mean something, or whatever?"

Flimmix blushed a bit, and he looked away. He rubbed his neck, seeming to think about something, almost...Conflicted.. I stood my arms up on the desk, and intertwined my fingers. Then I rested my chin on them and stared at him, waiting for his answer. He looked at me, and seemed to grow slightly more uncomfortable.

"Flimmix is just an odd name my parents gave me. I...I ah...Asked them the same question. And...Uh.. They had told me that they wanted their kid to have a name nobody would forget." He spoke slowly, and seemed to stutter it. Like children do when they lie. Then I realized I had no reason to think this guy was lying...What's wrong with me? He might've just been a shy person.

"Oooooh," Gina murmured in a drawn out manner. "Well. I think that's really cool of your parents. Flimmix is a really cute name, and nobody would ever forget it, I bet." Then Gina gently pushed my arm. I glanced over at her, with a 'What?' look on my face.

"I bet James would like him. They'd be best buds!" I simply shrugged in response.

"Best buds? I thought buds were what flowers were before they bloom."

Gina gave him the strangest look. I almost burst out laughing, but refrained.

"Best buds..Best friends. Same thing. You didn't know that?" Gina had asked him.

Flimmix's face heated up.. "Ah...I..I..Uh... This language isn't my native language."

"Oh? What is, then," I asked for Gina.

"Uh...Spanish. Spanish is my native language."

Now, I had a reason to believe he was lying. He was way to pale to be Spanish, or Mexican, or any Spanish-speaking race for one. For two, he said he was from Canada. Canada's only other language is French besides English. And three, even someone whose native language is Spanish, I was sure they would know what the English term, "Best buds" means..Right?

"Ooookay...Well, that's cool then. I wish I had you when I had to take Spanish as a freshman. Man, that was horrible. Remember that, Ray?"

I groaned. "Oh, yes. Spanish...Why couldn't we get forced to take something cool, like Latin?"

"Right?" Gina snickered, shaking her head.

"Mrs. Evermoore. What's so funny?" Oh damn. Poor Gina. I watched her as she desperately looked to me for help. Me, being the horrible friend I am, shrugged.

"Just...Uh...Laughing at a memory, ma'am. Sorry."

Mrs. Anderson narrowed her eyes. "Well, as you should be. Try to keep your laughing in your head."

When Mrs. Anderson continued speaking, she looked back to me. "Damn, that was close."

I grinned at her. "That it was."

There was little more that was said, and before I knew it, class was over. Gina and I said our goodbyes to Flimmix, and left.

We were outside the school, waiting on James, when I saw Flimmix again, except he was walking away from the school. I pointed him out to Gina, and said, "why isn't he taking a bus or catching a ride home? I mean, Echo Lake is small, but not small enough to walk all the way to the outside of town.."

"That is odd...But it's not like we can follow him. I mean, we still have to wait on James."

"You guys go on without me. I'm going to go talk to him, cool?"

"Yeah, sure. Have fun, love." Gina winked at me, then shooed me away.

Ugh..I rolled my eyes, before turning and walking towards Flimmix. He didn't even notice me walking behind him, until I actually caught up with him and startled him.

"Shouldn't you be getting a ride home, Flimmix?"

His pale cheeks heated up again. "Uhm...I... Why does it matter?"

I shrugged. "Well... I just figured it's a hell of a walk if you live outside town... Do you want to walk with me to my house? I mean, my car is there, so I can drive you home."

Flimmix shook his head. "No. I thank you for the offer, but I can take myself home."

"I insist, Flimmix. Please let me drive you home."

He stared me down for a long minute. I could see him contemplating my offer. "Oh, alright. I shall accept your offer, Rayne," he finnally said.

I flashed him a smile. "Good. My house is this way. Follow me."

I stood before my Mom's manor, with a gaping Flimmix beside me.

"By the Three... Your home is very large, Rayne."

I figured he would've said something along these lines. "My Mom is mayor," I responded. Then I noticed his exact wording, and shot him a look. "By the three..Is that some video game reference I don't get?"

He seemed to suddenly get scared, and shook his head quickly. "Ah...No. It's...Ah..Family joke. A family joke."

"Oh, cool." I pretended to shrug it off, but I noted it in the back of my mind as another weird thing regarding Flimmix. I waved for him to follow me into the garage, where my favorite venom blue truck sat, shiny as a gem. I reached into my book bag, which was a plain black messenger satchel that was slung about my torso and pulled out my keys. Using the fancy little remote on them, I unlocked the door, and gestured for him to get in.

He did as I commanded as I got in myself.

"Where do you live?"

"I will tell you the directions. I doubt you know where I live if I simply told you."

I shrugged. "Okay..." I pushed the key into the ignition and fired my precious truck's engine up, and pulled out of my driveway. "Left or right?"

"Left. Follow this road out of town. I will tell you when we are close to my road." I followed his instructions and drove.

When we got there, I noticed that it was indeed about a twenty minute drive from school...Fifteen if one was a crazy driver. And the road to his house, was a half-concealed dirt road that led a little ways into the woods. When the foliage finally broke at the end of the road, there was a two-story wood cabin at the end of the road. It had a classic, weathered, old-fashioned feel to it. I could tell it was once painted a bright red, but the paint was faded, and scratched off to the point one could hardly tell it was there. Where there was no longer paint, it was grey, scratched, mossy, and cracked wood.

"You live here?" I looked over at him with a skeptical look.

He nodded. "Yes. I live here. I would let you come and meet my parents, but they absolutely abhor strangers. I would hate for you to be at the end of their hostilities."

I stared at him, wondering what his parents must be like for him to talk so formal like that. I found myself just nodding in response.

"Well. You have my thanks for the ride home. Have a good evening, Rayne." Then he opened the door and stepped out of my truck. I watched him take long, brisk steps over to his porch. When he opened the door, he looked back at me, smiled, then was gone.

Wow... I shook my head as I turned the truck around and drove out of there.

When I got home, I parked my car in the garage, put it in park, and pulled my keys from the ignition. I was about to step out, when I saw a familiar pendent in my car. On the floor in the passenger's seat, was a carved wooden triqueta necklace. I reached over and snatched it up, noting all the imperfections I had noticed when I first seen it. I inspected the black string it hung from, and noticed to frayed ends, suggesting that the string just...Broke. Odd....It must be very old.

I turned the pendent around in my hands, inspecting it closer. On the back, there was the initials F. E. carved into the back in a fancy way. I presumed a girl made this for him, due to the way the letters were carved in such a curving and graceful manner. I also assumed F. E. was his initials.

I put the pendent into my bag, and exited my car. I figured I would just give it back tomorrow.

My Mom heard me come in, and came to hug me. "Hello, my dear! How was your first day?"

"Fine, Momma. There's a new guy, y'know."

"Ooooh? Do you like him?" She gave me that look that spoke volumes of 'Excited and proud mother'. God, she sounded just like Gina when it came to me and boys.

"Mom. I met the boy today. He may be interesting, but I don't like him."

"Awww... Well, if that ever changes, you must tell me! Okay?"

I sighed, and threw my head back. "Okaaaaay, Mom. Jesus."

"What?" She said in a defensive tone. "I must know when my baby falls in love! Besides! You've never had a boyfriend, or even liked a boy as far I am aware. I'm not sure that's even normal!"

I hung my bag on a nail sticking from the wall by the door, then turned to face my Mom again. "Mom. I've liked boys before. But they were crushes. That's all they were. I'm glad I was smart enough not to act on them, too."

Then I stalked towards the kitchen, where I found a very startling surprise. The town deputy, Ronald Wallobee was sitting at my kitchen table. Despite the fact my Mom had a man in the house, I was going to keep my questions to myself. I went to the Fridge, and pulled out a can of Pepsi.

"Hello, Rayne! How are you today?"

"Fine and dandy, Deputy. Could be better if it was still Summer though."

"Well, technically, it is. Until August is over, ye know?"

I shrugged. "Yeah...Well. I'm going to slither out of the Kitchen, and slither up to my room. Peace, Dep." I then turned and high-tailed it out of there. As I trotted up the stairs to my room, I cracked open my Pepsi, and had half of it chugged by the time I reached my room.

My room, was an interesting place to say in the least. Gina loved it up here, simply because all the art drawn and painted onto my walls was amusing to look at. There were animals, and creatures everywhere. Most of them were black creatures, with glowing eyes or wings, or some oddity to make them stand out. Most of the black creatures were panthers, birds, bears, and wolves. But there were things like whales, fish, lizards, horses, and all sorts of animals. The creatures all appeared to be in their natural habitat, which blended together, like a scene from two different movies blended together to make one mural. I never went to sleep bored as long as I could sit on my bed, and simply look at my walls.

I plopped onto my bed, and chilled. I eventually found myself thinking about Flimmix again, and all the strange things about him.

First, was his eyes.. They almost seemed to glow, in a very creepy, but very beautiful way.

Second, he wore winter clothes in summer. And today seemed to be really hot and Humid, and he did not even see bothered by it.

Third, he had the strangest name. Flimmix. Even with his excuse, what kind of parents would name their kid that? His parents had to be the strangest folks...And then what he said about them not liking strangers, had me wondering what kind of people they were. She then thought about Flimmix's personality. He was very...Polite. He seemed humble, kind, and very soft-hearted. He did say he was home-schooled by them up until now. So they must be good people to produce a good person like him.

Fourth, he claimed to be Canadian, then have a native language of Spanish. If I had to chose the oddest thing about him, I would say that would be it, if it was even true. She had a feeling he had to have been lying about that.

And finally, fifth, he had such an odd way of wording things. Honestly, what kind of teenager uses words like "abhor"?

Now, I could nit pick on this guy for all the other little things I found odd, but those weren't as obvious to anyone else, and I supposed could be ignored.

Suddenly, my pocket vibrated, and started beeping. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and saw that Gina as calling me. I accepted the call and immediately put it on speaker.

"Yeeeees, my Soulless Ginger love?" I said into the device with a smile.

"You and I both know....That you're totally right about that. Hash-tag Soulless Gina. Anyways. I was totally calling because me and James saw you driving by with Flimmix in your truck. Just curious how that turned out for you. I demand details, or I'll come over there and torture you like a Soulless ginger!"

We both laughed for a moment, before I answered. "I drove him home, because he seemed determined to walk home, ye know? And he does live out in the woods! In a very old wood cabin."

"Oooooh! Does it have a creepy Cabin in the Woods feeling? You remember that movie, right Ray-bear?"

"Totally. I mean. I remember it. But no, it seemed like a really homey place. I didn't go in, because he said his parents, in quote, "Abhor strangers"."

"Really? Abhor? Who says that?"

I laughed. "Yeah. That's what I thought... Can we include this guy in our group? Make the three Musketeers, four? I mean. He seems really odd and cool."

I heard Gina sigh over the phone. "Girl, if you like this boy, you don't even have to ask. Besides! I like him too! He's got the whole mysterious and politely bad ass thing going on."

I facepalmed, and almost hung up the phone. Did she really call Flimmix bad ass? Hell, he is far from that. "Gina. You're delusional. Stop sniffing that crack. He isn't bad ass. He's just polite."

"Pft. Whatever you say...Well. I'm going to let you go. James is over, and my parents aren't home...I told you how he gets when that happens. Bye! Love you!"

"Love you too, Gina. Don't let him give you a White Dragon!"

"Ray-" I cut her off by hanging up, totally knowing what Gina was going to do with James, and what she was just about to say. Ah, good times....Good times.

~

The next day, in homeroom, Flimmix sat by me again.

"Good day, Rayne."

I reached into my bag to pull out his pendent. As I did, I responded with, "Good day? It feels like hell out there." My hand grasped the chain I used to replace the string on it, and pulled it up from the depths of my bag. He chuckled until I held it up before him. He gasped, and reached for it, but I pulled it back, out of his reach.

"It fell off you in my car. Seemed like the string broke, and I replaced the string with one of my old chains that I never used for any of my necklaces. But. If you want it back, you have to do something."

"Anything."

I grinned, and handed it too him. He immediately took it and put it around his neck. When it was safely latched on, he took it into his left hand and began to finger it between the index finger and thumb. Though he was looking at me expectantly.

"You have to be my friend. Cool?"

"Of course!" He then flashed me a smile.

"Good." And I returned his smile.

Flimmix met me exactly where I asked him to when lunch came around. I led him to the table I usually sat at with Gina and James. Those two twits were already there however, kissing. I coughed. Loudly.

"Usually, I couldn't give two shits about you two kissing at this time, but you could at least show some respect to Flimmix. Gosh."

They snapped apart, seeming surprised by Flimmix's presence. Gina smiled and waved at Flimmix as he and I sat down.

"Heya, Flimmix! This is my boyfriend here, James."

James nodded. "Gina told me a lil' bit about yah, Flimmix. S'cool to finnally meet yah, man."

"You as well."

We all sat an talked about nothing worth mentioning. Though during that time, I noticed Flimmix hardly did any talking. Instead, he watched and listened very intently, as if he was studying us.

~

By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I did not want to hear Mrs. Anderson's agitating, high-pitched voice. I had to resist the urge to put my forehead down on the desk and simply sleep.

"Rayne. Are you well?" I turned my gaze to Flimmix, the one who spoke.

"I'm fine. Just ready for today to be over."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Just...Tired. School has that effect on me." I made a short chuckle and gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled back in his odd flashy way. He did not respond to me. I continued to stare at him for several minutes.

After staring him down for a few long minutes, I finally grew the guts to ask, "do you need a ride home today?"

Flimmix simply shook his head. "I can get myself home. I will not let you waste your time driving me home. It is very appreciated, though."

I nodded. "Alrighty, then."

Nothing more was said, and school had ended. I decided to let Gina wait for James by herself once more. I had told her I was eager to get home, and simply didn't want to wait out there in that blistering heat. Gina, of course, understood, and shooed my ass home.

And I was walking home, when I noticed Flimmix walking ahead of me, his hands in his pockets. Before I had decided to catch up, he turned into an alleyway between the Ice Cream shop and the Cafe... If I recalled correctly...That was a dead end...

Curious, I followed him, being careful not to make myself noticed. But when I turned to look into the cafe, there was no Flimmix. Just a empty alleyway...

"I could've swore..." I mumbled to myself, looking around frantically.. No. No Flimmix. It was as if he was never here.

Blinking my eyes really hard, I turned around, and exited the alley, to continue walking home. Flimmix...Disappeared... I simply couldn't believe it! As I walked home, I pulled out my cell and dialed up Gina.

"Helloooo~" Gina sang down the line.

"Gina..You won't believe what I just saw," I spoke very quickly. "I was walking home, and, and, and...I saw Flimmix. He went into the alleyway between the Ice Cream shop and the Cafe. Y-you know the one I'm talking about, right?"

"Woah, love. Slow down. What's so wrong with Flimmix goin' down the alleyway? Maybe he was gonna smoke or somethin'."

"He went in there, I swear! And it's a dead end there. You know that, Gina. And...And when I turned to to go down the alley to see what he was up to, he was gone. Gone, Gina!"

I heard Gina gasp over the phone. "There's no way....I love you honey, but are you sure it's not the heat gettin' to yah?"

"Gina!" I practically screamed. "It's not the heat! I know what I saw!"

"Okay, okay. Uhm... Okay, listen Rayne. Tomorrow, if he's not in your homeroom, we'll go to his house. You remember where he lives, right?"

"Right," I breathed.

"Okay. We'll go to his house if he's not here tomorrow. Understand? And if he's not there, then we call the police."

"Okay..." I said, trying to calm down..

"Okay," she repeated. "I'm coming to your house tonight. Cool? You seem really freaked, and I don't want you to be alone, or anything, y'know?"

By this point, I finally reached my house, and slipped in the door. "No, Gina. It's cool. I'll be fine."

I walked into the kitchen, and almost dropped the phone. My jaw dropped as I watched my Mom kiss the Deputy...I almost screamed, 'What the hell?' right there...But I really didn't want to interupt that..So I slowly and quietly back out, and went to the door.

"You sure?"

"No. Can I come to your house?"

"Oh, Sure! I'll meet you there, then?"

"Yeah, Gina.." And I hung up. I ran upstairs as quietly as I could and grabbed a bunch of things I'd need to spend the night with Gina, and shoved it all into my school bag. Then I ever so ninja-like, snuck back downstairs and out the door. And I fast-walked all the way to Gina's house, which was a ten minute walk, roughly.

Halfway there, I sent a text to my Mom telling her where I'd be just so she wouldn't worry. Thankfully, my Mom and Gina's parents knew each other. So my Mom trusted me to stay over her house whenever she and her family would have me. And Gina and her family accepted me like a second daughter, pretty much, so it was all cool.

Gina was waiting on her front porch. James wasn't with her, so I assumed he went home himself. "Rayne!" She ran up to me to walk into her own house with me.

"God, this day is crazy. First, the new kid disappears down a alley way, next I come home to my mother kissing the Dep. What's next? Aliens?"

Gina did her classical dramatic gasp, with the tips of her fingers over her mouth. "Oh -my-! Your mother kissed Ronald Wallobee? Oh my God. That is crazy."

I nodded. "Yep. Well. Let's go do girl things. Before I go crazy." I gave her a small grin. "If its not to late." Gina giggled, and hooked her arm in mine as we entered her home.

~Chapter 4~ Part 1 ~

The next day, Flimmix was indeed in school. When he sat next to me in homeroom, I gave him the sweetest smile I could muster.

"Good morning, Rayne," he stated, though he seemed to be a bit skeptical of my sudden sweetness.

"G'mornin', Flimmix...I don't want you to take this the wrong way..." I took a deep breath, gathering up my guts so I could spit this out...I hated beating around the bush. "I saw you walking home yesterday, and was going to catch up to you to talk to you...But you turned down an alley."

I stared at his face, watching it. His eyes widened, and he blushed. "I..I.. D-do not know what you mean...I wal-walked straight home.."

I narrowed my eyes at him..Now I knew what he looked like when he lied. I then gave him a smile. "Oh..Okay. I must've mistook you for someone else. Sorry."

He gave a weak smile, then looked away. I continued to stare at him, now leaning back in my chair. I had my arms crossed over my chest. This boy was one big ol' bundle of mystery. And I was determined to find out what is going on with him.

~

A week passed, and every school day of that week, I followed Flimmix home...I knew what I was doing was creepy, and stalkerish, but I had to know. He seemed absolutely unaware every day of me following him. Each day, he disappeared into that alley. I knew I wasn't hallucinating...

So, after a very long weekend of anticipation, Monday came. I waited until English to enact my plan.

"Flimmix. After school, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me for a bit. Maybe I could go show you some cool little nooks around Echo Lake... I mean..The actual lake, y'know?"

He tapped his fingers on the desk, seeming conflicted if he should agree or not.

"C'mon. It'll be fun."

"Uh...Alright. I will go with you."

I smiled, silently screaming in joy of my success. "Cool."

So, after school ended, I told Gina my plans, and of course, she squealed. "Aww! But you have to promise not to show him the little club place we had when we were kids. Our kids are going to play there, I swear it. Nobody must disturb it!" She said, changing her voice to a valiant one. I facepalmed.

"Gina. It's probably overgrown..."

"Still! Can't show him! Nope! We made that promise when we were 9 and 10! 'Kay?"

"I wasn't going to. I doubt I even remember where it is."

Gina gasped, and I figured that was my que to grab Flimmix and bail before she blew up on the longest speech ever.

As we were walking to my house to grab my truck, Flimmix looked down at me, and kept his gaze on me. I looked at him back. "What?"

"Ah...Sorry. I could not help but to overhear your conversation with Gina again, but what does she not want you to show me?"

I gave him a strange look...He couldn't have heard our conversation from across the road...Me and Gina weren't whispering, but we weren't screaming it to where he could hear. We weren't even talking that loud at all, really.

Nevertheless, I told him. "It was a cave entrance we found. We only went where it was lit up, because we didn't want to go any further. When we were kids, we watched a freaky movie, about cavemen who murdered these chicks who fell into a cave, and only one survived. And, that kind of scared us. But it was pretty secret. Seemed like nobody was there in ages. So we called it our little clubhouse."

"Oh..That is nice. Caves are always fascinating...One never knows what one will find in a cave."

I laughed. "Yeah...Could be a pretty lil' gem for damsels, or a nasty little critter who'll tear your throat out."

At the mention of something tearing someone's throat out, I thought I saw him cringe...I decided not to point it out, simply to be a nice person.

"Well...I can't take you there. Promised Gina I wouldn't show anyone..So...Yeah... But I know tons of other cool places..Hell. We might even find another cave."

Within twenty minutes, we were at the park by the lake, about to enter the woods. I looked up at Flimmix.

"Ready, mate?"

"Yes." He flashed me a smile, and gestured for me to lead the way. And together, we walked into the woods.

When we were deep in the woods, I looked back at him. "Hey. What was it like being home schooled?"

"It was...." He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming to think about how he was going to answer my question. "Lonely. It was lonely."

"So. You're glad they shipped you off to a public school?"

"I...I am."

"Well. It's always fun to see a new person in town," I said, stepping over a fallen tree. "I've lived my whole life lookin' at the pretty much the same faces here in Echo Lake."

"I would imagine."

I looked back at him. "Well...After you graduate...Flimmix...What's your plans?"

We had stopped when I looked back. "Ahm...My plans are to one day get a job with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration."

"You mean NASA...Right?" I wondered why he simply didn't call it that, to be honest. There was no need to say the long fancy version of their name.

"Yes. NASA.."

I turned back around and continued walking forward. "NASA...And why do you want to get a job with them? I mean...That's a lot of years of college before they'll even consider taking you in."

"I am aware of that, Rayne." Then he grunted. I turned around to see him almost trip over a branch. Luckily for him, he balanced himself and stood upright. "Tripped.." He said, with a small chuckle. I grinned at him, then continued on. After several moments of silence, I noticed he wasn't going to answer my first question. So I asked it again.

"Uh..I.. I have a fascination with s-space," he stuttered. I glanced back at him, to see him blushing. I figured he was probably lying about it, then.

"And what exactly fascinates you, Flimmix?"

"The search for other life forms. It is an interesting concept."

"You mean aliens, right?"

"I do, Rayne. I mean what yo-.. I mean Aliens."

I looked back at him after he said that, wondering what he was about to say. I decided to shrug it off, as the mention of Aliens made me think of something that happened a few years ago.

"Quite a few years ago. About three-ish, I believe... There was a really cool phenomena. A meteor shower. So everyone pretty much was outside watching it.. Then there was an explosion in the distance. And we watched this really big fiery ball fall to the ground in the mountains, deep in the woods."

"Oh my..That is intriguing..."

"Yeah, tell me about it. James' dad was high on it, thinkin' it was a crashed Alien spaceship or some crap like that, and was going to go check it out. James wanted to make an adventure out of it, and it was summer, so it was all cool. Me and Gina conned our moms into letting us go... And we made a camping trip out of it."

"Did you all ever find it?"

"Nah. At least that little trip was when Gina and James got together. It was so cute...So I suppose something was accomplished."

"Well. I suppose that is good, then."

"Yep." I looked around, noting several familiar features. The big ass mossy boulder propped against a tree... A fallen mahogany tree... One of my favorite places around Echo Lake wasn't that far off..

"Rayne. Do you have a lover?"

The question startled me coming from him. I felt my face heat up, and I actually stuttered in my response. "N-no... I don't have a boyfriend."

"Why not?"

I shrugged in response, then said, "Gina's pretty hellbent on getting me one though."

"She wants to get you a lover? How can that work? Only one person can chose who you love. And that is you."

I almost thought he sounded like an old man, with his wise words and whatnot. I gave a short stab of a laugh when I responded. "Heh.. She thinks I'm going to let her find me a boyfriend. And I think not. I'm all fine and dandy without a soul mate... I've always tend to work better alone anyways."

"I see... Well, Rayne. You are a nice enough woman. I highly doubt you will spend your whole life alone."

I looked back at him with a twisted little grin. "Are you trying to flirt with me, Flimmix?"

He flashed me a smile. "Well. I could be. Or I could be simply telling the truth. Maybe a bit of both."

"Clever boy," I said, as I broke into the clearing. Now, on the other side, it was just a hop skip and a jump through the trees, and we would've been at a really beautiful cliffside overlooking Echo Lake. Too bad we never made it.

A piercing roar pierced the air and echoed through the wind.

"Fuck!" I yelped, my gaze falling upon a very large grizzly bear. "Oh fuck..."

Flimmix grabbed my wrist and yanked me back with such force, my head spun, and I fell to the ground. Something hard hit my head, and my vision grew all fuzzy.

I sat there, confused and bewildered, as I watched the blurry, fuzzy mass of the Grizzly charge due to being tipped off by Flimmix's sudden movements. I panicked, but my mind seemed to fuzzy to command my body.

I watched in horror as Flimmix's body seemed to melt. Instead of shrinking and forming into goo...It melted into a larger, fuzzier, and much browner shape. A warm orange glow emanated from what seemed to be...lines. Ribbons of orange veins glowed throughout the fur of whatever Flimmix now was...

My vision and control came back slowly, as I watched the glowing bear charge the grizzly back, and rip into it's neck.. Blood splattered everywhere...I swore my heart leapt into my throat as I pushed myself back to my feet. My mind suddenly decided it was time to scream, and run for my life. Thought I figured I really wasn't in danger...

As I turned to run, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the glowing bear that was once Flimmix get mauled along the side. I figured I couldn't help him, and ran.

Thousands of thoughts ran through my mind as I ran through the forest, leaping over rocks, trees, and any other obstacles much like a deer would.

What the fuck?

Where did Flimmix go?

Why the hell is that bear glowing?

More importantly...Did I really see Flimmix turn into that glowing bear?

I ignored my body's demand for me to stop and catch my breath as I shot through the forest like a bat out of hell.

I almost free of the forest, when suddenly, my face was firmly planted into the ground, with something heavy on me.

"My apologies, Rayne, that you had to witness that," Flimmix said. Holy fucking shit. He was naked, and on top of me...And...What was that, that was getting me wet? It was really warm and felt...Gross.

Nevertheless, I did the sensible thing and opened my mouth wide. Then I screamed. I hardly got a good one out before a bloody hand clamped over my mouth.

"Hush. This will be very awkward if someone finds us. Now, you need to calm down, Rayne. Will you let me explain?"

I nodded, because it wasn't like I was going to open my mouth and try to muffle an answer. He had blood on his hands! Blood!

He removed his hand from my mouth and got off me. "Do not turn around. I'm nude," he warned.

"What the fuck, Flimmix? Why didn't you jump on my as a bear, then?" As I asked this, I got to my feet. When I was there, I raised my shirt up enough so the hem would reach my mouth and tried to frantically wipe the blood off.

"Because a bear is very heavy compared to me. I fear I would've crushed you."

"Speaking of which, you have explaining to do. What the fuck was that? You turned into a bear, with glowing lines all over your body! That's all fifty shades of fucked up!" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to spin around and scream at him.

"Uhrg...Let us start with the beginning...I am not from here, Rayne."

"No shit. You said you were from Canada, right?" After the I thought the blood was gone, I pulled my shirt back down, and saw that there was a large crimson spot on my left side. Well...He fucking bled on me...Bastard.

"I lied. By not here, I meant I am not from Earth."

"You're telling me...You're a God darned Alien?"

"Uhm... Yes."

I spun around and stared him down, totally ignoring the fact he was naked. "No fucking way. You can't be an Alien! You look way to Human!"

"Well. Intelligent life forms tend to look similar to you and I, Rayne. Trust me."

"You're asking me to trust you!? You've lied to me repetitively!" Then I looked past his face, at his body. His body was covered in similar flowing lines, that glowed a bright turquoise blue, and seemed like they were apart of skin..It was so...Odd...To look at. I was staring at his lean body, finding it very hard to look away.

"I...I know. But I can not exactly be open with the truth, now can I?"

I forced myself to look back at his face, which seemed to be pleading with me to understand. "What is the truth?"

"I told you, Rayne. I am not from here."

"Yeah, I get that you're a bloody Alien. I'm talking about why the fuck are you on our planet, acting like you're a Human? How did you get here? Are there others like you in this town too?"

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I will tell you everything if you take me home."

"Deal," I said quickly, and spun on my heel to walk away.

It was getting dark by the time we made it to my truck. That was when my phone started ringing. I pulled it out, and fear settled in my chest. The worst kind of fear.

My Mom was calling me.

I almost shook in fear as I pressed the accept call button.

"Rayne! Where the hell are you?"

"Out with a friend, Mom. I'm on my way home now."

"You know you're supposted to be in this house at Six'o'clock sharp! It is...Six-Oh-three! You better be here before Six-ten, or you're so grounded young miss!"

And she hung up. Fuck.

I turned to Flimmix. "I can't take you home. But you are so not getting out of this. I swear it." His eyes widened, so I assumed I scared him a bit by my tone of voice.

"Well, let me come with you. I will explain it to you at your house." I got in the car, and started up the engine. He got in the passenger seat, sinking down in his seat some so nobody would see him if they came by.

"Flimmix! My Mom will kick your ass, then kick my ass. You're naked!"

"Well. I will just have to change again. Your notebook of drawings is in your bag, yes?"

"Yeah, why?"

Wordlessly, he reached into my bag and pulled it out from my bag which sat in between us. He opened it up and flipped through it until he stopped on a page, and just stared at it. I glanced at the page, and saw it was a sparrow I doodled while waiting for food at a restaurant.

Then Flimmix's form melted into that of the sparrow I drew. The blue lines seemed to glow brighter when he changed. Then Flimmix was the exact likeness of my drawing, except the blue lines stayed, wrapping around his now tiny body like a ribbon.

"That is the creepiest shit...But. Okay...." I forced myself to look away from the little glowing bird to the wheel. I turned the key in the ignition, and drove home like a fucking lunatic.

When I got home, it was six-oh-nine. I didn't even grab my bag, or acknowledge Flimmix. I snatched my keys up and sprinted like an Olympic Gold-medal winner to the door. When I ripped it open and hopped in, I screamed, "I MADE IT!"

"Good girl. This better not happen again, Rayne. Now, who were you out with?" My mom stood right in front of the door, arms crossed, and her foot tapping the floor in a brisk, agitated pace.

"Uh...Flimmix. I was out with Flimmix..." I knew I couldn't tell her Gina or James, because she'd call and check to make sure it was true.

"That new kid you told me about? And what were you out doing with this boy?"

"I was at the park with him." It wasn't a lie...But it wasn't the whole truth!

"And what were you two doing?"

"Mom! We were just talking."

"You better be telling the truth..."

"I am. I swear." Just not the whole truth. I lifted my left hand to scratch the back of my head. After I did that, my Mom gasped.

"Rayne! You're bleeding!" She rushed over and started trying to pull my shirt up...Fuck...I forgot Flimmix bled all over me. Speaking of which...I wonder if he's alright...Holy hell! I'm such a horrible friend! I was so worried about him turning into a glowing bear, that I forgot that grizzly got him! Fuck...Well, now I have to worry how I'm going to explain this to my Mom.

She saw that there was no wound on my left side, and gave me a funny look. "If this isn't your blood...Whose is it, Rayne? You better start talking, girl. Right now!"

My mind came up with the most horrible lie one could tell one's Mom.

"Okay. We were at the park. Talking, like I said. But we were walking around, talking. Y'know? And..Well. Flimmix tripped, and fell on a really sharp branch. It sliced his side open. And..And I panicked, threw my shirt off, and used it to try and stop the bleeding.." Oh my God...Is there a class I can take for lying? She's never going to believe that shit.

"Uh-huh...Well...That was a very noble thing to do..I suppose. Well. That shirt's ruined now. That blood'll never come out... Go upstairs, get yourself cleaned up. Throw that shirt away..Remember Rayne. You better not be out past curfew again. Understood?"

"Yep." To make a point, I nodded. Then I watched her go into the other room. After she went, I flew up the stairs and changed clothes. I was now wearing a tank and short shorts, what I usually wore to bed. I was going to hold off on the Shower until later, after I dealt with Flimmix.

Just as he crossed my mind, there was a furious pecking sound at my window...Curious, I went over, and saw Flimmix, still as a sparrow. He was hovering in front of the window. I unlocked the window, and raised it up. As soon as I did, Flimmix fluttered in.

As I was shutting the window, I heard his voice behind me. "Er.. Do not turn around."

"Why?"

"Well. I am still very naked."

I sighed. Was it bad that I wasn't really bothered by the fact that he was naked? I mean..I was bothered..But it didn't really make me feel uncomfortable...I suppose it was because he was an Alien? I don't know...

"What?"

"Nothing, Flimmix...On the couch, opposite of my bed. There's a quilt there. You can use it to wrap around yourself."

I tapped my fingernails against the window sill while waiting for him to do this. After about half a minute, he spoke. "You may turn around now."

I turned around, and saw him sitting on my couch, my red and black quilt wrapped around his body like a cocoon. Only his head was sticking out. I leaned back against the window sill.

"Now. Speak. But be quiet about it. We don't want my Mom to hear you."

"Indeed... It is...Easier... If you just ask me what you want to know."

"Well. Why are you here?"

He snuggled deeper into my blanket. "I am stranded here."

"You're an Alien..How are you stranded here?"

His expression turned into one of sadness. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well..I'm not sure..I just want to know how are you stranded here? Don't you have some fancy Alien tech to solve your problem?"

He scoffed. "Hah! I wish. But no..Nobody..Nothing can help me. Remember when you told me you saw a fiery ball fall to the Earth all those years ago?"

I furrowed my brows, wondering what relevance that had to this conversation. "Yeah. Why?"

"That was my ship. We were hit by a meteor. And we crashed. I was the only survivor." He pressed his lips into a thin line, and looked down at his lap. He seemed to be trying to hide his face. So, I assumed he was about to cry.

"Wow...I'm so sorry."

"Do not be," Flimmix muttered, sounding darker than I've ever heard him sound before. I pushed myself away from the window sill and went to sit beside him. Then I wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"What are you doing, Rayne?"

I was confused my his question, and frankly..A bit hurt. "I'm givin' you a hug. You look like you need one..."

"I will be fine.... I am sure you have more questions..."

I shrugged. "Just one more for now. You can answer the rest tomorrow," I said.. He seemed a bit upset, from bringing up the subject of his crashed ship, and the fact that he was stranded on this planet. So I didn't want to pressure him with my million and one questions.

"Ask away, then."

"Okay...How in the hell did you turn into a Bear.. And my drawing?"

"My nervous system is very different from a Human's, Rayne." He shrugged off the quilt enough to reveal his torso. The lines all over his torso seemed to pulsate their light..Almost in the rhythm of a heart beat.

"In my language..These.." He traced one that ran over his shoulder.. "We call them aguaugaru. They all connect to my brain, and allow me to control my cells on a dramatic level. I can make myself look like any living organism, as long as I can see it."

"Aguay-..What?" It was such a long, complicated word, and he said it so damn fast.

"Aguaugaru," he repeated slower.

"Aguaugaru... So...You could make yourself look like me?'

"Yes. Do you want to see?"

I shook my head fiercely. "Nooooooo. That's just fucking creepy."

Flimmix chuckled at my response. "As you wish, Rayne."

"I do wish," I said, in a joking tone. Then I continued with what I was going to say. "So. I know I said I had no more questions, but is that all you can do that I should know about?"

"Well. I can learn language fairly quickly. Which is why I am speaking fluent English to you right now."

"And that's it?"

"That is it, Rayne," he confirmed.

I sighed, and rubbed my temple...Holy hell, I was suddenly so tired...And it was only what? Six thirty? I patted Flimmix on the back. "We'll talk more tomorrow. I'll interrogate you in homeroom, cool?"

"Alright." He stood up, and looked around my room. "Did you design the walls?"

"Yep. I never fall asleep bored."

"I can tell. Very interesting to look at...Well. I will be off, Rayne. I bid you a good evening.."

"Yeah, you too, Flimmix." I got up myself, and turned away from him.

"Oh. Rayne. You need to keep this to yourself. I do not want to leave Echo Lake because you decided to share my secret."

I snickered. "Of course."

"What is so funny?"

"You commanding me to keep quiet is just the cutest thing..Sorry."

I heard him sigh, and then he went silent. Then my window was open, and a whoosh of wind drifted in the air. I turned around, and saw that Flimmix was gone, and my quilt piled in a heap before the window... I looked around, and spotted the painting of a hawk in her nest above the window. I assumed he must have taken the form of that creature.

I gathered up the quilt in one arm, and closed the window. I had a list of the five craziest days of my life... At first place, was the day I met a creep in the Ice Cream shot, and almost got kidnapped. Well, it was at first place... I daresay, this day takes it's place.