“We need to talk,” Kaden said. “I don’t—”
“Not now. Get an Uber back. I’ll see you later.”
There was a knock on the door and Alysha came in. “Oh sorry.”
“It’s okay. Kaden’s just leaving.”
He exchanged his lab coat for his jacket and left the room, his heart pounding. He dropped off his pass and even when he was out in the car park, he kept expecting to feel a hand grab his shoulder, or hear a call for him to stop. But nothing happened. Kaden booked an Uber and the blob curled tighter around his arm.
It was hard now to remember why he’d gone out with Harris in the first place. But he’d been fun, once upon a time, or maybe pretending to be fun. Kaden wasn’t sure. Maybe it had to do with work because Harris was definitely more stressed. And the more successful Kaden had become, the worse Harris behaved. Kaden shouldn’t have put up with it all. He’d spent too long giving Harris the benefit of the doubt.
They were done. They really were.
The blob squeezed his arm.Agreeing with me.Kaden smiled. Just wishful thinking. The blob wasn’t reading his mind.
There were a lot of reasons why he shouldn’t be doing this, but he had to admit, it was the most exciting thing to happen to him in a long time.
~~~
294 couldn’t believe it. The human had saved him. Not just from the container, but from this place, this…laboratory. Once he’d dropped him into his pocket, there had been hope in 294’s heart that maybe, just maybe, he could survive. More than survive. Live on this planet. Though he wasn’t yet sure how. He could feel the fury of the others as he’d been taken away. Lanu in particular. 294 hoped hisotherdied slowly and painfully.
I have a chance to live!
Not only had the human rescued him, but he’d fed him too. Not that tasteless substance in the container where he and the rest had stupidly taken shelter, Gash’s idiotic idea, but food that was beyond his dreams. 294’s grasp of the language was stillinadequate but he’d understood when he’d been asked questions and been able to make a response. Enough of a response that he was now being taken to the human’s home.
294 was desperate to experience life on this planet. He wanted to walk under the blue sky, dive into the water, feel the ground beneath his feet…
This was the most exciting thing to happen to him—ever.
3
Kaden usually stayed over at Harris’ place on Friday and Saturday and he suspected Harris assumed that’s where he’d go. He had the code to the lockbox where Harris kept a spare key, and that was the way he got in when Harris was going to be late. But Kaden went back tohishome.
By the time the Uber had dropped him off, he was brimming with ideas on how to look after the little blue ball. He took off his jacket and tossed it aside. You couldn’t see anything was wrapped around his upper arm, but he could feel it.
He took a clear plastic food container from one of his cupboards, washed it, and set it on the side of his desk nearest the window. Then he carefully rolled up the sleeve of his shirt.
“We’re at my bedsit now. It’s safe.”
The blob uncurled, rolled down his arm into his hand and Kaden let it slide from his fingers into the container. Now there were two dark areas inside the blue.Please don’t be eggs.Just because Kaden had been told no when he’d asked about eggs, didn’t mean it was true.
“You might already have a name though it’s probably unpronounceable, but I want to call you something other than blue blob. If you hear a name you like, wave at me.Oh, and I’ve decided you’re male. Sorry if you’re not. Do you want to stick a tendril out if you’re female?
No tendril.
“Male?”
A definite wave. “Okay. How about…Joe for a name?” Then if it turned out the blobwasfemale, Jo would work just as well.
Another wave.
“Joe, it is! Do you need water? Something to eat? Let me go and look what I have. Oh, and I’m Kaden. That’s my name.”
He came back with a small ceramic bowl of water, a piece of cheese and an apple, and found the container empty. He gasped, looked around and found Joe plastered to the window, looking as though he’d been thrown at it, splattered like one of the sticky toys Kaden had played with as a kid. How fast can he move?Is he looking out?More worryingly could anyone see him?
He put his hand out underneath him and Joe slithered into his palm. Kaden put him down next to the water. Joe went into it, came out the other side of the bowl and the water had gone.
Kaden chuckled. “Okay. Thirsty. I’ll get more. I could do with a drink too.”
