Chapter 2

I woke up in an unfamiliar room. At first, my heart squeezed with fear, and then I remembered. The Cannon family had taken me in and gave me the guest room to sleep in. The room was big, spacious. The walls were blank, but there were many pictures on it. The full bed was comfy, made me feel like I was sleeping on a cloud compared to my circumstances before. The dresser looked old along with the rug on the floor. The hardwood floor chilled my feet as I got out of the bed. There were two doors, one that led to a bathroom and one that went out into the family room. Sara, the mother, was already up along with her husband, Jerry.

Sara was a tall woman that was almost as tall as her husband. She had a heart shaped face and blue eyes that had been replicated in her son. She had short brown hair that hung just above her shoulders. She had laugh lines and a couple frown lines on her. I thought she was pretty.

Jerry was the man that was instructed to protect me and the one that soothed me the night before. He was reading a newspaper with the TV turned on to the weather channel. He looked up and saw me.

I ducked back into my room as fast as I could. I still didn't trust the family. I didn't trust anyone. Not even when I was back home, I was always alone. But home seemed s far away, so all I could do was bear with the world and just wait for my opportunity.

Steeling my nerves, I walked out of the guest room and into the living room. The kids weren't out yet, but that was expected since it was so early. I just always got up when the sun went up so it wasn't any hardship for me. I stood as close to the wall as I could, unsure as to what I should do. It was an awkward situation until Jerry patted the seat next to him on the sofa. Tentatively, I shuffled towards him and sat down next to him. Without saying a word, Sara handed me a plate full of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a fried egg. I nodded my thanks.

Before, I had been hooked up to tubes since I was in a preservative tank and didn't need any food. I couldn't remember the last time I ate. Before I could even register what I was doing, I was inhaling my food and then it was all gone. Sara hadn't even made it back to the kitchen yet.

Did I do something wrong? They were both staring at me and I couldn't interpret what their gazes were. Sara walked back towards me and I shut my eyes tightly, fearing some kind of physical blow. She just took the plate from me and smiled. "I'll make you some more," was all she said.

As she took it away, I just stared at my lap. I didn't belong in this world. It was impossible for someone like me to live on Earth. Part of me screamed, this isn't like you! You are a warrior, not some coward that flinches at every noise! But I just couldn't get past my fears. I never knew that humans could be as cruel as they were.

"We're not going to hurt you, you know," Jerry said, reading the newspaper again. "You can trust us."

Then again, I never really knew that humans could be so nice either.

Sara came back and handed me another plate full of food, and I made sure to eat slower this time around. The food seemed like heaven and I closed my eyes in bliss.

"So what's your name?" Sara asked shyly. We both had looked at each other wearily, but now, her face was openly curious. At first, I thought it was another trick to get information or of me. Humans lied lie that. They looked innocent or curious and then they use that information for bad things. But she had given me food. This family had given me shelter and protection. Nothing bad has happened yet.

"Aubrey," I said, surprised that my voice sounded steady. Maybe I wasn't so much of a coward as I thought.

Jeff cleared his throat and looked me in the eyes. "Well it's nice to meet you, Aubrey."

"Speak for yourself," a disgusted voice came from the hallway. Royce, the son, came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He was already dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. "Why is she still here?"

I flinched as his glare turned on me. Why did he hate me? I had done nothing to him or his family members, hadn't stolen anything like he thought I would, and he hates me.

"What? Do you pity her enough that you're just going to let her stay here? For how long are you going to be a slave to that old team of yours? She is nothing but a nuisance." He said in a snobbish tone.

With that I trembled. In anger or fear, I don't know. His words irritated me. Like his words had crawled under my skin and made me itch.

"Royce, that's enough. I told you-" Jerry started but I cut him off.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," I stuttered, standing up. "I don't mean to be a burden, and I'll try not to be one. P-please don't f-f-fight. I'll leave, so don't worry."

Royce looked at me, his icy eyes rendering me speechless again. He glared at me and opened his mouth to say something, but Sara interrupted this time.

"You're not a burden, Aubrey," she said gently and patted my shoulder. I stared at the contact. "Besides, where will you go? Do you have a home somewhere nearby?"

I hesitated, not sure if I should answer. All eyes were on me and I regretted standing up to Royce in the first place. "I have a home," I said slowly. "But I don't know how to reach it. I think my... family has forgotten me. I have been gone for so long."

It was true. From what I could tell, I was probably gone for about a century, locked up in that preservative tank. They were definitely not looking for me anymore. They probably thought I was dead.

All if a sudden, Marybeth came storming out of her room. "SHUT UP, ROYCE! I CAN'T SLEEP WITH YOU ARGUING ALL THE DAMN TIME!" She shoved him, and then he shoved back.

They both started screaming at each other and then Sara got involved. After a while, Jerry got up and went to his family and started yelling and separating his two children. All the noise was too loud for my sensitive ears. I covered them, but not before Marybeth saw.

"Holy s**t! What is wrong with your ear?" She said, the fight forgotten and she rushed to sit beside me.

The sudden movement startled me, and I scooted until I came to the armrest of the couch. She made a move to reach where my hands covered my ears and I had a flashback.

I was tied down to a stainless steel table. Clamps holding my wrists and ankles. It was a white room with white walls. God there was so much white. I felt like I was blind all over again. A man with an evil face had reached for my ear and I screamed. Trying to get away from the man and Marybeth. Which one was real, I wasn't sure, but I couldn't get away.

One of them moved my hand out of the way and I started to cry. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Don't hurt me, please, please don't hurt me." I whispered brokenly. That was my first reaction. My second was much worse.

The fear passed only to be replaced by anger. Someone came up behind me and tried to put a reassuring hand on me but I wouldn't let them. I turned around, growling like an animal and snapping my teeth at the hand. My glare met Marybeth's shocked gaze and I hissed at her. As soon as my reactions had come, they left just as quickly.

My head hurt and I my hand on my ear again. It felt warm and sticky. When I looked at my fingers, they came away bloody. I just stared at it for a while and no one in the room seemed to be making a move to me either. I put my hand to the other ear and found it bleeding too.

They were too loud. That's what had caused it. The human world was so loud that my eardrums ruptured. I sighed as a sharp pain went through my head. And the noise gave me headaches too. Wonderful.

Sara was the first to react by getting a first aid kit out of the bathroom. Everyone was just staring at me as I stared at my bloody fingers, broodingly. I flinched when I felt the cold antiseptic against my ear.

"You don't have to do that," I heard myself say, as if in a trance. "I'm not worth that." As I said that, I felt a trail of blood fall down my face like a teardrop and fall onto the couch. I looked at the contrast between the faded blue fabric of the couch and my blood.

I didn't want anymore blood to ruin their furniture, so I took the washcloth that Sara had in her other hand and wiped the blood off my face. I could tell that it had stopped bleeding, already healing itself.

Everyone were like stone statues, staring at my pointed ears. They were like regular ears, but the just tapered off at the top. It really was true that Earth and humans had no idea that elves existed.