Not Human

Chapter 21 - Childhood Bully

It was dark.

Blackness everywhere--endless.

However, specks of light were seen they were bright stars shining.

Outer space was a cold atmosphere. So much of it is unexplored.

What was out there in the infinite space?

Who was out there?

"Are you done with your fair share of the deal?" David gave the white-eyed Oculos a lopsided grin.

The Oculos didn't return it. The creature stood towering over him, intimidatingly close to him and its cold breath fanning over David's. The only human aboard the ship with any authority over the Oculos.

But, not with this one the leader of the Oculos. It shoved a scrappy piece of paper into his hand.

He read: Not even close. So much to explore about your species known as humans.

"Right, of course." David tried forcing a smile this time.

The Oculos had a name. It was the first. No joke. David was confused he finally got it. This Oculos was the oldest of them all. The very first Oculos. How long do they live? Or was he just a special case?

The ship was massive but wasn't alone. There were more sections, units, and ships.

These Oculos have been watching Earth for who knows how long. Since Lily was born possibly which means more than twenty years.

-

Jax was chopping wood. He wiped the sweat from his brow and slammed the ax down once again stacking the wood near him. His eyes never ventured off anywhere but on the logs. Well, before he heard a familiar voice.

"You like this kind of work, a lumberjack?" He nearly dropped the ax on his foot but caught it in time.

"Don't do that." He warned, taking his eyes off his proud work and finding a pair of brown eyes just like his but rounder.

"It's cold," Andy stated. "Good idea, firewood."

"Yeah, thought I might as well. Nothing else better to do around here." He shrugged, gathering the logs in a wheelbarrow.

"Yeah, I'm pretty annoyed by that too. It's boring. I'm waiting for something anything to happen." Andy pouted, folding her arms.

"Yeah, well how about you pick up an ax and help."

"Sure." She smiled taking his. Jax smirked at her as he took the spare ax. It wasn't his but it was there.

After chopping all the firewood they could they both took it inside to the team. Jax started the fire. Everybody huddled up close to keep warm.

They all sat in comfortable silence when a sound tore the comfy atmosphere with three sharp, pounding knocks at the door.

"Who is knocking?" Cherry asked. A question everyone wanted to know.

"Could it just be the wind?" Nixon shared the same scared look. He was on the arm of the couch a book in hand nestled up to the fireplace. Now he was hugging his book close.

"I'll see." Lily stood up volunteering since nobody else was making the first move.

"Wait." Blade said. "I'll come with you."

~Flashback~

"Wait," Emily called from upstairs. "I'll come with you."

"Why?" Lily gave her a suspicious look. "You hate me."

"Because...I'm your sister...." She whispered. "And...well...uh...sisters stick together...." She added, that the atmosphere was soaked in awkwardness.

"Fine." So the sisters went outside and then walked a few blocks to the park where the older boys were waiting.

"So, freakazoid makes it after all." The tallest boy sneers.

"Lily maybe we should turn back." Emily shuddered in her ear. Her breath was cold on Lily's neck. Lily could feel her fear just from her stance, her voice, and her eyes. Especially her baby blues filling up with water. They were terrified.

"Nice nickname pretty boy." Lily laughed it off. The tall boy looks flustered momentarily before recovering.

His pal on his right the short one spoke. "Hah! She called you pretty Trey. Isn't that funny."

"Shut up, Jake!" Trey yelled giving him a small shove. "Before I make conversation with my fist in your stupid face!"

That got the boy to shut up. He kept his trapped shut. The three boys hovered by a skater park. The one on Trey's left was carrying a skateboard. He had long black hair and tattoos on his arms. His name was Mark. He liked to stand by and watch most of the time drawing a cigarette from his lips.

These were Lily's tormentors for all of middle school. She was tired of it. So, now she was standing her ground.

They targeted her for being the new girl who also happened to be adopted and John hated her. John was also a cliched jock from the football team. So whatever he said had to be true even though he spat lies about Lily.

"Why did you come then?" Lily gave Emily an eye-roll.

"Because I-I feel bad. The way I treated- have been treating you since forever was wrong." Emily swallowed.

"Well you can do something about it now," Lily said.

Emily gave Lily a small nod and smiled weakly at her.

Trey moved his red hair to one side of his face before smirking at Lily. His green eyes were colder than a juvenile kid who caught a church on fire. "Well let's have some fun." Trey laughed loudly. "Right, Lily?" He took three steps closer face to face with Lily. Eyes narrowed down on hers.

"I thought I was a freakazoid, pretty face." She breathed in his face.

"You know if you weren't an outcast weirdo I'd maybe like you. You're kinda cute." He drawled out. His hand hovering over her face so close. She had an urge to back up but didn't want him to know how he made her uncomfortable. So, she just squinted her eyes at him hoping she looked intimidating.

"Right, because John said I was a freak. So, everyone bows down to him and bullies me." Lily folds her arms and glares at him. "I may be an outcast but at least I'm not a bully."

"You should shut her up, Trey. I wouldn't let a freak talk to me like that." Mark says, dropping the cigarette and stomping it underneath his boot. "Or I will."

"You're not worth my time." Trey finally said. He took another step toward her and his hovering hand was now resting on Lily's face. It was warm and gentle.

"What are you-"

"You are nothing but a ghost. Stay that way." Trey's green eyes softened for a brief moment before they hardened again.

"Well, I guess that makes you the devil." She spat out as he dropped his hand and was walking off.

Jake threw a hand full of pebbles at Lily and she tried blocking them with her arms. Mark wanted to join him and toss a couple of handfuls too.

"FREAKAZOID!" They both chanted as the rocks hit her raining down on her body.

"I hate you all!" She cried out. Emily tried shielding Lily which ended up hurting both of them.

Then it happened. A fire was forming inside of her. Her body was hurting as her eyes begin to glow.

"What the hell!" Jake and Mark said in unison. Trey was leaving the skatepark when he saw it too.

"Your eyes." Emily gasped from her crouching position on the ground.

"I'm tired of you all thinking you can get away with this!" She spat a hot green substance on the grass. It melted through it. She was creating acid in her mouth.

Her limbs stretched out longer and her skin changed to gray. "Ahhhhhhh!" She screeched as her body begin its transformation.

"Boys let's get outta here!" Mark called as he ran for the hills linking arms with Jake.

Trey was ahead of them but he hesitated. He was frozen-fixated on Lily's transformation. She became a literal monster he thought.

But instead of thinking, she was, even more, freakier than before he was fascinated by it.

"She's badass," Trey muttered.

"No, she's an ugly creature!" Commented Mark.

"Ahhh! Monster more like!? Jake whined clutching Mark's arms and shaking in fear. "Guys lets' leave before we die."

"They left, Lily," Emily told her.

But all she did was growl causing Emily to jump.

"Please, don't hurt me." The poor girl pleaded to her alien sister.

Lily was thrashing at the air and making loud grunting sounds and wails. When she started shrinking back to her original form. She was completely naked. Her transformation tore her clothes. Emily quickly wrapped her jacket around her and then helped her up.

"Lily, can I ask you what that was?" Emily mustered up with her bottom lip trembling.

"No," Lily said quickly. "Forget it, I'm not even sure what that was. It was just unreal. It never happened."

"Okay, if you say so." She slid her hand into Lily's and they walked home in silence.

~Present time~

"Alright, open the door, you guys." Cherry urged Blade and Lily.

Lily reached the doorknob first while Blade was by her his hand resting on her shoulder as if protecting her from whatever was on the other side of the door: the unknown.

She twisted the knob feeling the cold metal of it in her palm as she pulled the door open and saw him.

"What the f**k, Trey?" That was what spilled out of her mouth as he stood before her. He was a mess. An absolute nightmare. His shirt is torn with holes in it. His jeans were dirty and ripped and his hair was in a tangled nest of dirt and leaves.

"Lily, please, I'm scared. The last few days have been the worst. I can't live like this anymore." Trey cried falling in shambles on the porch on his knees hiding his face with his hands crying.

"What's going on?" Blade looked at Lily confused. "You know this guy?"

To be continued...