"Yes'm, young we were." she said as they clasped their hands together

It was a good day, with temperatures steady at 76 degrees and slight over cast. The small community of El Dinu would have thought that life was defined for such a day. The sky had just begun to turn an amber-orange with feathery violet clouds skimming their way westerly towards Black Mesa. As an elderly couple sits on the front porch swing, swaying back and forth in hymn with the crickets, they watch as one by one, the clouds breaks apart.

"Hmm, tha 's pretty," the wife said, as she rests her hand on her husbands’ knee.

"Sho' is, ya 'member when we saw that there meteor showa' when we first met?" he asked resting his hand on her knee.

"Yes'm, young we were." she said as they clasped their hands together.

"Na' no more, na' no more..." he said as the wind picked up.

It was a good day...

Seventy miles away, in the similar town of Ridgemend, the sun just set, folks locking up shop and heading home, heard a distant explosion. With reports of distant weather storms and the last weeks tornado that tore through part of the out skirts of town. Few took notice of the sudden appearance of a wind.

"Why do you want to know?" a girl shouted as she stormed out of a house.

"Because I care sweetie," her mother explained chasing after her.

"No you don't," she began to explain, "If you did, you would not have allowed him to hit me..."

After a brief pause, "He' doesn't know how to show his emotion," the mother began to explain.

"No, he does. It's just that he has two emotions, drunk and hateful," the girl explained as she hoped in a truck. "If he truly loved you, he wouldn't have just two emotions,” she said shutting her door and starting the monster of a truck up.

"Rivir..." the mother muttered as her daughter backed out of the driveway and sped off towards El Dinu.
Barely leaving the city itself, River noticed the flashing red and blue lights of Sheriff Hughes. Still upset with the fact that her mom won't leave the alcoholic and abusive boy friend of six years, after her father disappeared eleven years ago. She pushed harder on the accelerator, and Sheriff Hughes kept pace. The Sheriff knew about the abusive history, having been called out many times to the residence because of concerned neighbors. Sheriff Hughes knew what had to be done, but he was a sheriff, a moral compass in the community. Using his “power” to somehow make Rivir and her mothers’ problem disappear and cover it up in small town politics was a little unconscionable, but it was the only way that would stop that violent man from harming Rivir or her mother ever again. It had been thirty minuets of high speeds when suddenly Hughes watched as Rivir slammed on the brakes upon entering El Dinu. Pulling along side Rivir, the Sheriff saw what had caused her to stop so suddenly.
The road that lay out in front of their headlights had been scorched and littered with debris. Both Hughes and River stepped from their vehicles and observed the damage.

“The… The entire town, gone.” Rivir gasped.

“What the hell?” Hughes muttered, “Sherrill?” Hughes called as he grabbed his radio. “SHERRIL!”

“What?” the radio crackled with Sherrill’s voice.

“We’re going to need a lot of help,” Hughes spoke as he stepped towards the darkness at the end of the headlights.

“What, what happ’ned?” Sherrill asked. “Where are ya?”

Pulling his Mag-Light from his waistband, He flipped it on and peered at all that had been lit up. “I’m not sure, but it looks like El Dinu is gone.”

“Gone? What do ya mean by that?” The radio squawked, “Are ya sure yer in El dinu?”

“No, ‘cause it looks like there ain’t an El Dinu no more.”

“You may want to call a lot more folks Sheriff…” Rivir yelled as she faded into the darkness.

“What? Rivir, get back here!” Hughes said as he chased after her, the light from his Mag-Light danced along the ground as Hughes trailed after Rivir.

“It’s like what happened in Tunguska,” Rivir exclaimed as she dragged her hand along one of the fallen timbers. "Only this, this was smaller."

Ten Hours Later...

"With state and national forces working together to understand the recent destruction of El Dinu..." the television crackled. "... Early reports claim that some form of space debris had detonated upon entering the lower atmosphere."

“Always an answer for everything,” a man chuckled, “hey, Rivir! Get me another beer…”

“You got to legs to get yourself a beer,” Rivir muttered as she made her way to the kitchen.

“What was that?” He yelled.

“Nothing just going over some homework,” she replied tossing him the beer.

“Watch it, I don’t want it all over me…”

“Sorry…” she said as she went upstairs. As she made her way past her mothers’ bedroom, she heard her mother talking to a picture of her father.

“Why, why did you have too leave us? Your daughter doesn’t like him…”

Well, he’s abusive and a smart drunk, he knows how to manipulate us, Rivir thought as she paused by too listen in.

“Yesterday he hit her, I know it was wrong of him too, but there is just something about him…”

One day… Rivir thought as she walked into her room. As she closed the door, she pondered to herself if she was just another person in the world, but there are reasons you see things others don’t, she thought. So, with nothing left to say or do, she locked her door and went to sleep.
Eleven years ago…

“Dad’s coming home!” a little Rivir sang as she ran into the living room, “Daddy’s coming home!”

“Hold on Rivir,” her mother sighed as she bent to pick up the dancing girl.

“What, it’s been a week since he left, and he promised a present!”

“I know, but first we got to get to the airport, or dad won’t come so soon.”

“Okay!” the excited seven year old cheerfully replied as she ran out the door and hopped in the car.

After the long trip to the airport, a sleepy Rivir tossed aside her kids meal toy and looked out the window, still amazed at the size of the airplanes and the loud sounds that they made. “Is that Daddies plane?” she began to ask.

“No, sweetie, dad hasn’t landed yet.” She sighed.

Rivir awoke within the darkness, nothing stirred, but that was usual. She got up and headed over to her window, and peering out into the darkness she grabbed a pencil and her notepad and wrote:

If your reading this, than it means I’ve not come back from El Dinu yet. I’ve gone there with my telescope and my laptop, only to get a better look at the night sky with out the hassle of buildings blocking out the view. Love ya…

Slipping the truck into reverse and quietly backing out of the drive way and down the street a ways, she turned over the key and the truck roared to life. With her laptop and telescope in haul. She was bound for El Dinu…

As she navigated the foggy road that led into El Dinu, there were few things left by the people that had come to investigate and eyeball the remnants of the old town. El Dinu was a mirror town of Ridgemend, with the same type of country folk, and city dwellers looking to escape a troubled past or just make a fresh start in a calming town. The two towns were founded during a family feud way back in 1912. It started with two families competing for land and oil, separated by the woods that surrounded the both towns. Few of either town’s native citizens bothered to care about the original history behind their town, and even fewer immigrants that cared for it either…
She found a spot that had been cleared of debris and parked her truck and set up the massive telescope, and began to search the skies. As she did that, she began thinking about her father again. She thought about the day when she last went to the airport…
Eleven years ago…

“Mrs. Inolla?” a guard asked as he approached a woman holding her daughters hand.

“Yes?” she replied as she turned around.

“Can you follow me?”

“May I ask why?”

“Let’s go!” Rivir sang as she tried pulling her mother along.

“Okay, Rivir, just calm down.” She giggled haphazardly as she, Rivir, and the guard trudged into a conference room where another group of people stood in separate areas. Realizing that with her husband a pilot and recognizing the wife of the other co-pilot. She broke into a silent cry.

“Don’t cry mommy?” Rivir said as she herself began to well up.

“Judging by the look of a few of you,” a man in a business suit shouted as he entered the room. “You believe that your families and or friends may have crashed and you are receiving a blanket condolence…”

Few murmurs of “yeah,” and “oh, my gosh,” cycled throughout the room, along with tears in the eyes of the remaining silent.

“Well, I am sorry to report, all though it has yet to be confirmed,” he cleared his throat, “As of Oh-eight-hundred-hours this mourning. Flight 832 disappeared off of radar a few miles south west of Altus air force base with out so much as a word of what may have happened within the time frame of its’ disappearance, and all 317 aboard are unconfirmed missing including pilots and staff.”
“Beautiful night, huh?” a voice dredged out from behind Rivir.

“What?” she replied as she spun around. “Who are you?”

“Beautiful night, no?” a guy no older than Rivir, stood holding onto a dingy yellow backpack…

“Yeah, but who are you?” she asked again.

“Euphiuse,” he said still eyeing the late night sky.

“What?”

“See,” he said pointing towards his bag, “It says my name…” lifting up a travel tag.

“Okay,” she sighed hesitantly, “where are you from?”

“Wow, that’s some telescope.” He said as he moved closure towards it.

“Don’t touch it.”

“Sorry, it’s just that it has been so long since I last saw one.”

“What?”

“I remember it, but I don’t remember when…”
Continuing to discuss about Euphiuses’ origin, Sheriff Hughes pulls up with lights flashing. As he steps out of the car, all three witness a bright flash from above. The ground rumbles and the wind begins to pickup, but when everything settled, nothing, was left standing. Both the truck and police cruiser had been tossed and tumbled across the landscape. The three people once standing by them tossed into the distance, and it all started with a good day…
Eleven years ago…
“As of thirteen hundred hours on the day after the reported loss of flight 832, a single engine with the serial markings that link it to the missing aircraft was found over three hundred miles from the mysterious disappearance from radar. Officials have scoured the area for any other remains to determine what exactly happened, but preliminary results show that no craft has crashed into the surrounding area around the seemingly intact engine…” the television went on as a young Rivir plays with her dolls in front of it…

Lifting out of the dirt as the sun rose to midday level, Euphiuse coughed too clear his lungs of the dust that had settled. Looking around he eventually found Rivir and Sheriff Hughes unconscious lying in a clearing. Searching for something he couldn’t remember, he found the vaguely familiar black and white cruiser in a crumpled heap, with the red light periodically flashing and blue light missing. After pushing past the tire and sliding into the passenger seat, he found the radio intact.

“Hello?” he said as he pressed a button.

“Who is this?” it yelled back.

“Hello?”

“Dang it Marty, if that’s ya, I’ll get Hughes after ya,”

“No? Hughes is the officer, right?”

“What the?” it started.

“Something happened, I don’t remember much, but two down.”

“Is Hughes ‘kay?”

“Not sure…”

“Ya’ll still in El Dinu?”

“Don’t know?”

“Hold tight, I’ll get some one out to ya’…”

After sitting in the dust for twenty minuets, Euphiuse noticed cars in the distance. He jumped up and watched them get closer. As he got up to wave them down, he heard both Hughes and Rivir rustle in the dirt behind him.
“What the *cough* was that?” Hughes said shaking himself up out of the dirt…

Rivir just stood up and blew her nose, “Eeewwww,” she muttered as the brown snot covered her hand.

“Nasty,” Euphiuse laughed.

“Who are you?” Hughes said as he reached for his radio, “Hello?” he started as he realized it was trashed.

“I’m Euphiuse…” he said as the two cars pulled up behind him.
“We got something you need to see back in town, sheriff!” the deputy said as he opened his door up. “Apparently, El dinu wasn’t the only one hit by that anomaly.”

“Not Ridgemend too?” Hughes sighed.

“No, it’s happening all over,”

“The state?”

“No, the world.”

After loading up (leaving the damaged vehicles behind), they made their way back into town, just on the outskirts of town they noticed a large pile of metal, confused and shocked, Sheriff Hughes, and Rivir, stared in awe.

“Hmm, a C-231 Maj-lin,” Euphiuse said.

“What?” everyone else in the car asked as they pulled slowly by it.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yeah,” Rivir piped up.

“I remember them, I’m starting to remember…”
After that the trip fell silent, somewhat startled with the fact that Euphiuse knew an unknown object, having not knowing who or where he was from. Euphiuse himself was startled at his own revelation. They pulled up to the small town hospital and stepped out. A crowd had formed, just about barring the group from entering the building. As they were cleared from any harmful effects of the events that transpired early, both Rivir and Euphiuse had overheard the deputy talking with Hughes.

“… She was transported to the Minear Medical facility.”

“She was found outside that thing?”

“Yeah, but unconscious.”

“Okay, let that boy look at it, apparently he knew what it is…”

Standing outside the building, both Euphiuse and Rivir stood waiting for the deputy, to usher them back to that large piece of damaged metal.

“So,” Rivir began asking, “Where are you from, cause from simple observation, you stand a bit more upright than any crooked politician.”

“I’m not sure until I inspect that mech,” Euphiuse sighed.

“Hmm, unless your covert military, your not from here,” she said with more emphasis on ‘here’.

“You mean?” he said pointing up wards.

The deputy stepped out with a look of intrusion, but proceeded to take them back to the C-231 maj-lin. “When we get there, Hughes would like it to be moved, if it can be.”

“I might, but I’m not sure if I can.”

“Well, then we got to find out who can.”

“Will we be able to talk with the other person any time soon,” Rivir asked as she put her face close to the divider. “Ask her if she remembers anything?”

“I don’t know. She was banged up pretty bad.”

“How bad?” Euphiuse asked

“Badly,” he responded, “They’re going to have to reconstruct one shoulder, and there is the possibility that she won’t walk again.”

“Hmm,”
As they approached the badly damaged mech, they spotted some one already tinkering with some of the hardware on it.

“Just couldn’t leave it alone could you?” the deputy called out as he stepped from the vehicle.

“Wha…” The kid peered out between two pieces of metal and then cracking his skull as he jumped to attention, “Ow, dang it.”

“I got a kid who knows what that contraption is,” The deputy said as he opened Euphiuses’ side and proceeded to Rivirs’ side.

“Some one smarter than me?” The kid reached out and grabbed Euphiuses’ hand, “Jeff, and I’ve never seen a power source that advanced in a long time…”

“Now play nice, I got to get on over to the Markinson’s place, she thinks she got another criminal from that TV show.” The deputy said as he slid back into his car.

“Probably the paper boy again…” Jeff smirked as the deputy pulled away.

“So you know what this is?” Jeff said as he turned towards Euphiuse,

“Yeah,” Euphiuse said as he ran his had over the smooth surface of the mech, “It’s a C-231 Maj-lin, a very special combat unit. Built seven years ago and only the operators know how to work each individual one due to the complexity of each pre-build.”

“Hmm” Jeff agreed.

“What?” Rivir said as she looked at both of them.

“It’s a pre-built frame, it’s the operators duty to customize it to suit his/hers’ likeness” Euphiuse said as he ran his hand over a part of the metal close to the cockpit.

“From what I can see,” Jeff started, “is that, assuming there are more out there, each one is like a custom computer. You just add the features you want.”

Jeff and Rivir watched as Euphiuse managed to lift the shattered cockpit cover and brush the glass out of the seat.

“Yeah, this isn’t mine, its’ that girls. Hold on,”

They watched as Euphiuse brought the mechanized beast roared to life only to have it die again.

“Okay, main power’s shot, but aux is steady at twenty percent.”

“What does that mean?” Jeff and Rivir both asked.

“She isn’t moving far,” Euphiuse said kicking the busted cockpit hatch off from the mech. “You got a transport I can use too carry this?”

“Not immediately, but I can arrange for one,” Jeff said.

“Crap, I got to get home,” Rivir said looking at her watch. “Euphiuse, umm, you want to come stay with me?”

“Sure…” He said, leaving the mech as it was, “Oh, and Jeff, nice meeting you.” He grabbed Jeff’s hand and shook. Jeff just nodded.
“You okay!” Rivir’s mother shouted as she watched both Rivir and Euphiuse approach the driveway, “and who is this?”

“I’m Euphiuse,” He out stretched his hand.

After introducing himself to Rivir’s mother, Euphiuse was offered a place to sleep, a meal to eat, and a warm shower. He accepted these things, but with an uncertainty that he’ll never return to the place he once lived. After his shower, he stood outside, staring into the distance. Thinking about the things that he held close, he was glad that he wasn’t waiting to be called to some firefight.
“You need some company?” Rivir asked as she approached.

“What? Oh, yeah, sure…” he sighed.

“What’s wrong?” She asked pulling two root beer bottles from behind.

“What is that?”

“Root beer, never heard of it?” she said popping the top of his.

“Nah, but its funny how similar we are…”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m remembering who I am and where I’m from, but, just can’t figure out how I… No, we, how we got here.” He said pour the carbonated soda into his mouth, “ahh…”

“You mean that girl, that girl is from where you were?”

“Heck, we’ve been childhood friends…”

“You mean…”

“Nah, we’re just friends, besides, she doesn’t go for men…”

“So she’s…”

“Nope, She doesn’t swing that way either, real self righteous. She sees herself as a goddess. Pure.” He said as he pulled out a small trinket.

“You got folks?” Rivir asked as she glanced at the trinket in his hands.

“Yeah, but I hadn’t seen them in a long time…” he said clasping the trinket in his fist. “Where’s your father?”

“We don’t know, dead I’m sure…” she began to sip at the drink.

“What happened?”

“He just disappeared…”

They finished the soft drinks with out saying any thing else and watched as the stars gently waltz across the night sky, Euphiuse was worried, but it didn’t show. Rivir was amazed that there was another world aside their own.

“A hundred year’s…” Euphiuse muttered…
The ringing of the phone woke Euphiuse from his sleep. He search for what the sound was, and in finding its source, he lifted it to look…

“Hello?” a voice came from one end of the head set.

“Hello?” Euphiuse speaking into the phone, quickly catching on that this was some form of communications device.

“Euphiuse?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“It’s Jeff, but I got your flat bed. I think that you’re not the first to find your selves here…”

“What?”

“Well, doing research on the events that happened over the past few days to gain info, and one event stood out.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here…” *click* and the connection was gone.

Placing the phone where he found it, he went upstairs and knocked on Rivirs’ door. It opened slowly. He walked in. Looking at all the photos of Rivir growing up, he looked and gained a sense of her history through them. Picking each one up individually and studying it closely, he read into every detail the smiles, the frowns, and the posture of each one. He found a photo of Rivirs’ dad in his full attire, carefully he studied the way he was dressed. The navy blue suit, a name badge stating who he was and whom he worked for, but that hat…

“What are you doing?” Rivir asked stepping into the room.

“Is this your dad?” he pointed.

“Yeah, why?”

“When I was young,” he began as he reached into his pockets, “I was given something, something I just saw in this photo…” he finished pulling out his trinket from the night before.

“Those are…” she began.

“My dad gave this to me after finding some strange craft crashed.” He said. “He found it in the wreckage.”

“They put those pins on just about everything!”

“So, you know what it’s from?”

“Yeah, those pins, they give to members of Royal Marie Airlines…”

“Let’s go, Jeff called.”

“Okay,” She said, grabbing her coat and rushing at the door.

Euphiuse took one last look at the room, and decided to leave his pin on her desk.
Jeff sat on the flat bed, eyes fixed to his high-end laptop. Rivir and Euphiuse approached as the mech slightly lifted and fell. “This is some piece of work…” He called out.

“You like?” Euphiuse smirked.

“Heck yeah, I had to install my own virus to ‘dumb’ the system a bit. Earlier it ate and froze this computer just on initial inspection.”

“You didn’t hurt it did you?”

“Oh no, I just had to bypass a boatload of features.”
Just then Rivirs’ cellphone rings. Both Jeff and Euphiuse stare in a bit of bewilderment. “It’s new…” Rivir mouthed. “Hello… Hmm… okay. We’ll be over shortly… bye.”

“Who was that?” Jeff asked

“It was Sheriff Hughes.” She said looking at the display, “Your friend, is awake…”

“What you do you want me to do with this?” Jeff asked pointing to both the flatbed and the mech.

“Hide it,” Euphiuse said as he turned.
The now inseparable two headed to the police station, where the deputy from the day before was waiting to take them to the hospital eighty miles away. The trip was silent for an hour, until the deputy heard Euphiuses stomach growl. “You hungry, boy?” he called back.

“What?” Euphiuse said snapping out of his concentration of taking in the scenery.

“You hungry?” The deputy repeated “We can stop and get somethin’ if you’d like.”

“Sounds, good.” Rivir spoke.

“Wouldn’t ya know it, we’re coming up on a burger hut now.”

“A burger hut?” Euphiuse mouthed to Rivir.

“Sort of like a mess hall, only you get to choose your meal,” she mouthed back.
After stepping out of the police car in the same fashion as yesterday. They made their way into the restaurant. They ordered their food and sat down, Euphiuse still continued to watch as these people, and Rivir managed to guide him to a seat.

“It’s not like where you’re from is it?” Rivir said quietly as she watched the deputy wait on the food.

“No, it’s not. Here, it’s calm, not having to wait until the next time your needed is a huge relief, but now I feel empty because of it,” he sighed bringing both hands on top of the table.

“So, would you want to go back if you can?”

“I don’t know,” Euphiuse huffed as the deputy came back.

“Here’s the food,” the deputy said setting the tray on the table, “and here are the cups.” He finished by setting them down next to each person.

“I’ll fill them up for ya’” Rivir said jumping up while grabbing them again.

“Thanks miss,” the deputy grinned.

“Yeah, uh, thanks,” Euphiuse said as Rivir made her way to the fountain.

“Spill it,” the deputy said looking straight at Euphiuse.

“What?”

“Do I got stupid on my head? I know you ain’t from around here.”

“Fine, your right.”

“Really, I mean, you knew what the heck that contraption was and the sheriff hasn’t seen you before…”

“So?”

“Sheriff Hughes makes it a habit to meet with every one. He knew every one in El Dinu and knows everyone in Ridgemend.”

“Ever think I might be from another state?”

“Heck no, which brings me back to that Mah-jin-whatever contraption.”

After thinking for a moment, “you’re right, I’m not from here. After we eat, we meet with Ranue.”

“Ranue?” Rivir said as she sat down and put the drinks on the table.

“That’s her name, now can we eat?” he said as he grabbed the burger.

“Sure…” The deputy said in semi-disgust…

The rest of the meal was silent. They even made their trip to the hospital with out speaking. They made their way up to the room that Ranue was in. When Euphiuse laid his eyes upon the items that lay next too her, he sighed. Rivir stood next to the door, the deputy in the doorway, and Euphiuse stood next to Ranue as she woke.

“I would like him out…” she said staring at the deputy.

“Fine, I’ll leave…” He said stepping out of the room and shutting the door.

“You could never leave a pretty woman alone,” Ranue said lifting out of the bed a little.

“A curse…” Euphiuse said smiling

“What’s her name?” Ranue asked.

“I’m Rivir,” she said stepping closure to the bed.

“Euphiuse, where is it?”

“Don’t worry, it’s safe.”

“My friend, Jeff has it.”

“She knows?”

“As much as I do.”

“What happened?” Ranue said slumping back into the bed.
Reaching into his pocket, Euphiuse pulled something out. In a flash, the room was replaced with what looked like grainy stock footage. Rivir watched as the stars lit up and replaced all things within the room. All of a sudden, countless mechs appeared.

“What is this?” Rivir asked.

“A record, of what happened. We take these into each of our battles…”

Watching the image speed up and eventually distort. All three sat there looking into the blurry image as it paused.

“Can’t tell,” Euphiuse said as he shut the thing off. “How long are you going to suck this up?”

“Maybe about a day, but it’ll be a while until I walk…” Ranue said.

“That bad, huh.”

“How bad?” Rivir asked as the image faded back into the room.

“You now how I said Ranue compares herself to a goddess?”

“Which I am!” Ranue exclaimed

“Well, she has abilities…”

“What kind?”

“Healing, foresight, other stuff,” Ranue said as she pulled a food tray close, “it’s just that what ever happened has somehow prohibited me from using them to MY likeness.”
Commotion rattles throughout the hall. Rivir, Euphiuse, and Ranue look towards the door, as the sound gets louder. They hear the Deputy yell something, screaming, metallic objects rattle against the floor, but then they here the shots ring out…

Euphiuse ran to the door, Ranue and Rivir stared as the door swung open. Nothing, no sound except the various machines in each room. Inspecting the deputy who was sitting on the floor staring at the heap of flesh laying on the ground in front of him, still clicking the revolver at it…

“Ra’” Euphiuse called back into the room.

“Yeah?” she said hesitantly.

“Things just got worse.”

“Ah man,”

“SOMEBODY GET TWO WHEELCHAIRS!” Rivir bellowed, as Euphiuse took the revolver, but the deputy continued with the motion, Euphiuse took a glance into the room, Rivir shrugged. “What else could I say?” She finished as two nurses came with the two wheel chairs. Euphiuse just smirked loading both Ranue and the deputy into their own wheel chairs, Euphiuse grabbed the large being that the deputy just fired six shots into, and made their way downstairs.

Now this is what Euphiuse longed for, in the short time here, he had gotten the idea that his world was gone, no spontaneity, no call to arms, just living like those that weren’t fighting. For about a hundred years, these things have killed thousands on both sides, and it all started with the attack that killed both leaders. The Tiamites claimed that it was an act of hostility from the Muaetes, who claimed quite the opposite, and shortly within the first months of the battle, these creatures, show up to claim the lives of both sides. Every talk about a peace treaty ends only with more bloodshed from these creatures…

As all four reached the courtyard police cruisers suddenly surrounded them.

“Crap!” Euphiuse yelled as he kicked at the ground.

“Set that… Thing on the ground and put your hands behind your head,” One officer called out.

“Okay,” Euphiuse said tossing the creature to the ground and putting his hands behind his head. Rivir followed suit.

“What the heck is that?” another officer muttered.

“Oh god, It’s moving!” an officer said as he approached the beast.

A single shot rang out across the courtyard of the hospital, hitting the beast and stopping it cold.

“Shots fired!” several officers yelled.

“Stay down!” others yelled.

“Where’s it coming from?” Rivir called out.

“I don’t know,” Euphiuse yelled hitting the ground.

“The roof!” Ranue said as she wheeled behind a bush.

With in the midst of the confusion, the police gathered the rag tag group and took them to station. Three officers inspected the rooftop of the hospital.

“Any thing?” Officer A said.

“Nope, nothing.” Officer B replied.

“How ‘bout you?” Officer A asked as he looked up at a higher portion of the roof.

“I got nothing…” Officer C responded.

“Who ever it was…” Officer B muttered. “Wasn’t looking to harm us…”

Five hours later…

Euphiuse, Rivir, and Ranue were transported back to Ridgemend, after a few questions about the events that transpired. All three were cleared as the deputy who shot the beast was taken to another hospital for psychiatric evaluation. The ride was bittersweet, while they each enjoyed each other’s company, all three couldn’t help, but think who it was that shot the beast. How many others were brought with them during that event?

Back in Ridgemend…

“Don’t cause any more trouble, you hear?” The officer asked as he got back into the cruiser.

“I can’t promise that,” Euphiuse said somberly.

The officer just responded with a condescending stare, then backed out of the driveway, and made his way down the street.

“Ah, crap,” Rivir said as she looked at the other truck parked in the driveway.

“What?” Ranue said.

“Hold on I’ll deal with this,” Rivir said as she made her way up the steps.

“YOUR NOT RUNNING A BOARDING HOUSE!” a voice yelled out as the door swung open, knocking Rivir into the yard. “You’re not letting them in.”

“You alright?” Euphiuse asked made his way over towards Rivir.

“You hypocrite! You stay here!” Rivir yelled as she stood up and found the drunk in her face.

“I have the right…” He said as he raised his fist.

The sound of a knuckles connecting with someone’s jaw echoed throughout the block. Spit and blood was dripping into the grass, and lost somewhere in the grass was two teeth. Many others had begun to step out of their house to see what the sound was.

“Don’t you lay a hand on her,” Rivir’s mother ran out side. “Ever again.”

“Huh? You b…” the drunk staggered.

“If you ever lay a hand on Rivir again…” Her mother exclaimed as she pulled out a pistol.

“Nothin’ hasty.” The drunk said as he rose to her.

Before any other words were said, another precise blow was delivered. Knocking the drunken ex-boyfriend unconscious. Rivir’s mom dropped the gun and began to sob hysterically. The faint lights of red and blue approached the house, as other residents on the street applauded as they made their way back into their houses.
Sheriff Hughes looked a bit displeased as he pulled into the driveway, seeing the drunk laying facedown in the yard, Euphiuse with one foot upon his back, Rivir and her mother sitting on the porch, and Ranue sitting at the edge of yard looking disconnected from reality.

“What the heck happened?” Hughes asked as he stepped out of a newer unit than that of his first one. “She all right?” Pointing at Ranue.

“Yeah, she blacks out from time to time.” Euphiuse said, “and what happened is that HE,” pointing down, “Came out of the house knocking Rivir down. As she got back up he closed in to knock her down again, so I stepped up and knocked the creep, busted two teeth. She,” pointing to Rivirs’ mother, “Stepped out and told him to leave, he moved in towards her, so I popped him again.” Euphiuse said as he raised his foot off of the drunk.

“Ungh,” the drunk tried to mutter something.

“Well. That’s how it looks,” he said overlooking the gun. “I’ll call a medic as you go get cleaned up…”
They all went inside as Hughes called for assistance. Not much was said, Ranue had broken out of the trance she was in, Euphiuse washed his knuckles of the blood, and Rivir and her mom went upstairs. Euphiuse looked through the fridge and grabbed two root beers.

“You should try this Ra’” Euphiuse said handing her the bottle.

“I saw it,”

“What? Present or future?” he said opening his soda.

“Neither, past.” She muttered as she opened hers

“How far back?”

“Unsure, but if it’s the Bri-Jerwo then…”

“A hundred years.” He toasted her bottle.