He leans back in his chair, taps his fingers on the armrests.“Everyone is. Everyone who believes, anyway. You're not the first one to go out there.”
“Then I'm probably not the first one to experience what I experienced, am I?”
His brows rise.“I couldn't tell you without you telling me what it is that you experienced. Look, I've...I've seen a lot of shit, okay?I've been living in this town my whole life.And I've been part of this society since I was a teenager. I've seen shit you wouldn't believe.And not just here. I've visited other intersections.Where crazy stuff happens. And you can always find a way to explain it away.Say it's not real.Or…”He shrugs. “Like you, find a way to hide it.”
I don't want to trust this guy. I'm terrified.Terrified that instead of getting back home,Starlight's going to end up on the news or something.That they'll,I don't even know, lock him up or something.
But I'm afraid he'll die if I don't get him back into the sky soon.
“Okay,”I tell him.“But I swear, if you fucking tell anybody...I will track you down, and I will hurt you.”
He looks me up and down.I’m sure I don't look menacing in my puffer jacket, beanie, and hiking boots.ButI would.I would hurt anyone who hurt Star.
“There was an electrical storm a couple weeks ago.I don't know if you remember.”
“I remember,” he says. “There was a lot of electromagnetic activity.”
“You…monitor that sort of thing?”
He shrugs.“It can have an effect. Anything that's energy can have an effect.”
“So, you think that a spike in energy can cause something strange to happen?”
“Absolutely,” he says, confident. “I think, for the most part, the energies just...exist.They're kind of harmless.Then somebody comes along and gives them a nudge.”
I nod, soaking in everything he’s saying. It’s not like I didn’t mostly put that together myself, but it’s nice to have it confirmed by someone who might know more than me on the subject.
“Something happened.A spike in energy, I suppose.And... Starlight fell from the sky.”
“What do you mean?Like, a meteor?”
“Like, a person.”
His mouth opens just a bit, like he's shocked but doesn't want to show it. Apparently, of all the weird things he's seen, this isn't one of them.
“Starlight…” he says, not quite a question.
I shrug. “Maybe it’s a dumb name.I didn't think he was going to be around this long.I didn't even know who or what he was. But...he says he's a piece of the sky.He fell, and he's here.”
“What does he look like?”
I throw my hands up. “I don’t know, man. What does it matter?”
He mimics me, throwing his hands in the air, too.“I don't know, man. He’s a sky boy. Can you blame me for being curious?”
No. I can’t. Isn’t my own curiosity how I ended up in this mess to begin with?
“He’s big. Curly blonde hair. Brown eyes. His skin changes with the sky, light during the day, dark at night. Male…parts.”
His eyebrows rise up to his hairline at this.
I wave a hand in the air. “Look, just forget about it, okay? He’s a guy. He’s just a guy.”
He seems to finally accept this. “How long ago was this?”
“Three days.”
“Three days.”He looks around, like he's searching for someone.“Why didn't you bring him with you?I could have met him. Is he in your car?” He puts his hands on the armrests of his chair, like he’s going to stand without waiting for me to answer.
