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Sometimes, I wish I didn’t go so overboard with my old customs. But, as often, I felt overwhelmly satisfied with my pursuits. There's nothing better than letting some steam off after the usual turmoil in the orphanage than walking to the most uninhabited areas in the world: the delicious no-man’s-land between colonies.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPGU26HON7
But, once again, I ended up totally exhausted after hours of climbing up and down hills, weaving through trees, getting lost, and collecting all kinds of herbs. Even if I have another bad day at work, I had enough medicines to brew now with all the samples I collected. I would be busy for months after this huge haul. Nothing could make my day better.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIrW3UZWQZ
Or so I thought.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOKuf9e0hV
Just when I was ready to resume my long walk back to the Home of the Stork orphanage, I heard something strange. During all my days on Earth, I'd managed to hear the roar of a bear, the howl of a wolf, the skitter of a rat, and the subtle pattering of a rabbit hopping. I was able to distinguish the cry of a cargo ship engine from one of a cruiser. I was familiar with all kinds of sounds…472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJ72lvTFph
…but this one was an entirely different story. Whatever it was, it wasn’t something a human could do; or an animal, or a plant, or anything I could recall. That mix of roar, rip, and tear that shredded all reality…I could only describe it as “otherworldly”, as ironic as that sounds coming from me.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfM3wvefPyE
I searched for its origin. It didn’t come from the ground, nor from the forest itself. It wasn’t until I raised my eyes to the sky that I got the chance to see what was creating that alien scream.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeBd57sX94
Then, from out of nowhere up in the sky, something appeared out of thin air and, from there began to fall.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB9u830Cjd
Does the tumbling tree make a sound when it falls if there’s no one to hear it? I don’t know, but I was pretty sure I was the only person around to witness the arrival of something completely supernatural. From my position, I could tell that it was red, black, and bronze, and hurtling directly toward me, completely out of control!472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4MQLPb5rX
I decided I should hide, that I shouldn’t be there, that I had to flee. My legs were ready for the jump and my body trembled in anticipation, but my mind had other plans.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJASRYaeftJ
It's not that I wanted to see what was falling, I needed to.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6m06LmCgSb
And then, the meteorite descended down to the highest branches above me, slowed down suddenly, and…472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7O7z2X2K4
“Ow!”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsJm76ByGL
Less than fifty meters away, there was a woman laying on the ground, now trying to get up. Bronze skin, a long, wavering black mane cascading down her back, and revealing red clothing that someone might wear for laughs, or maybe to attract eyes. It showed so much of her well toned skin that, even though I had only been watching her for a second, I was already flustered.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BLh383wZo
“Where the heck did that idiot send me!?” aaaaaand she had a silver tongue. Not that I blamed her, after falling from the sky in such chaotic and disgraceful manner.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjP5bOpUGc
She grumbled for a while as she looked around in all directions. When she glanced in my direction, I ducked promptly and she didn’t see me. As far as I could tell, she thought she was alone here. So far, so vulgar, for someone who came from out of nowhere.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrArDunVKpl
Then, she did something unexpected: she sat down on the ground, relaxed her body for maybe two seconds, and, poof, some practical clothing appeared in front of her.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZns9Q1ET5M
Yes, I wish I could say something like, “and then a big light shone down from the sky and an angel brought divine clothes for her to use as a choir of cherubs sang in the background.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyIohFde6s
But no, it was a no-frills, mundane event. No smoke, no lights, no shinnies… For me though, who had survived far worse places than this tame forest, it was spectacular. That so, I couldn’t avert my eyes when the woman nonchalantly undressed herself, showing all her beautiful features to the nearby butterflies, worms, birds, and a fairly excitable young woman who was watching, fascinated by those spectacular shapes.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIsbSTYLer
And so, I would have remained invisible if it weren’t for, when she finished dressing in her new, more common clothes, she turned around and, finally, crossed gazes with mine. She didn’t seem amused by my peeping. She just kept her eyes on me for a second, and in the most vulgar manner, shouted,472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGofygiVqz
“Heya, girl!”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmHZwmZ016
I didn’t respond, staying completely frozen in place. Sure, I could reply, but I didn’t want to. After all, what could I say to an incredible miracle worker like her?472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaurDOahMi
“So, do you need some help?”, “Hey, I liked how you fell from the sky without breaking all your bones,” or “Could you undress again so I can see that fantastic view again?”… how I wished to bash my head against the tree trunk in front of me to stop having these stupid hormonal teen ideas.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB62wxOwd26
When I noticed her again, the woman was right in front of me, looking me intently in the eyes with all seriousness.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6LuC1zTqV
“I said, ‘heya, girl’” she reiterated. Now, I could see that she was dressed in practical clothes for navigating the forest, but at the same time, a large, weird cloth covered her mouth and neck, seemingly without any practical reason.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMYD7Vczy3
She probably noticed my sudden shyness, so she didn’t seem that impatient. But if I wanted her to remain for the time being, I needed to raise my voice.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDBZzrUOJr
“…he… hello…” well, ‘raising my voice’ is a strong expression in this case. I felt so suddenly intimidated by her mere presence that I couldn’t gather any more strength to reply.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVQ5V5CwN7
She appeared to not like it, so when I came to notice, she’d kneeled in front of me, searching for my eyes. She didn’t look like an insistent person, but she definitely had a strong attitude.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXp2rRTR9r
“So, are you from around here?” I don’t know what got more attention from me, her bright yellowish eyes or the juicy cleavage right in front of mine.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKCXvfMPed
“…yes.” Finally, after getting some air in my system, I could muster a decent reply.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9dDfRTwt9Q
“Could you tell me where I am? I don’t know where I’ve ended up, and…” I cut her off as I got a second mouthful of air. Now, calmer than before, I was able to start acting like a person instead of the nervous wreck I had been throughout the last minute.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt8Dce4Y5P
“This is Earth’s Colony 32” I thought giving the most formal answer would suffice, but the look in her eyes told me a completely different story. “Right now, you’re just in the no-man’s-land between colonies. And wherever you come from, even I can tell you’re not from here at all.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENAGr6qYyC
For the first time, she was the one who was taken aback. But, still, she smiled back at me.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNtx6KTW1D
“Look at you: you can talk!” frank and direct. She again looked me in the eyes and now, her words were delicious to my ears. “I’m Anaissa. And you are…?”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKgyR3jE7n
“Renate,” I replied, now with as much determination as she. No time to be shy if she was this confident. “And, somehow, I know you didn’t understand a word of what I just said,” also, to be a bit sarcastic.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ96fF1p3Jwn
“Well, I’m from Earth… one Earth, at least. Not this one,” she replied. I wonder what she meant by that. “It’s my first time seeing a dome thing like that outside of a sci-fi movie. Aside from that, I don’t have any idea of where472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD43L2zOaV8
I am.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDL7PjgQLP
“Do you have a place to stay?” Didn’t she just say she didn’t know where she was? Despite my newfound bravery, my heart was pounding so hard it was difficult to think straight.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWShzvsIIT
“It doesn’t matter if I have a place or not. I can live wherever I want and any way I want.” She got up and started walking towards Colony 32.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRvlxFgnoX
But she didn’t notice something about me.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKIwbHoyek
“I can live wherever I want and any way I want.” That phrase hit me hard. Really hard.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pXz1kZ6XG
I could say I lusted over her body. That wasn’t wrong, and the fact I couldn’t remove my eyes from her swaying hips was too much for me to deny.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinRDKqJwax
I can confess that her attitude was really attractive to me. I’m sure I wouldn’t be the only one charmed by her concealed smile or her overconfidence.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDaaxKHwEa
But, with that small innocent phrase, she’d won me over completely.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzUK9in0PW
“For now I just want to explore that city a bit.” For an instant I had forgotten that she was moving away. I promptly followed her. “I don’t know what kind of place I’ve been sent to, and there’s no better way to learn than through experience.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtVSZuyctK
“Well, I can say you’ve been sent to the most boring place in this corner of the universe.” ‘But at least, you don’t have to kill half a planet to survive here“ I told myself. “You can visit the streets, bars, the trading post, the platforms, the space elevator... aside from that, the constant temperature all year long gets old pretty fast.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyc3TIgBGs
“And that’s why you wander this ‘no-man’s-land’, as you called it.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXnYrdGSYF
“I came here to gather some herbs.” That was the objective truth, but I preferred that she didn’t suspect why I had chosen to walk with her. “From eucalyptus leaves to some wild sage, I have raw materials for a good number of nice remedies here.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkQ4a62pRc
She glanced for a second into my backpack. Whatever she saw, she raised an eyebrow.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOngJ1bPrxq
“I’m almost afraid to ask you what your job is.” I could tell by the tone of her voice she was joking, but she really had seen something that put her guard up. The wild sage? The nuts? Or the mushrooms? Yeah, probably the mushrooms.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOEhZXRocc
“I’m a simple caretaker at an orphanage.” And a good one at that. “I clean the building, read stories to the kids to get them to sleep, I take care of basically any kind of affliction they have.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3A7cauI8I
“So, you stopped getting your herbs to follow me, because…?”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKkrLyAhH9
“I don’t find a mysterious lady falling from the sky every day.” Again, objective truth. I wasn’t ready to confess the whole picture. “Neither have I seen anyone make clothing appear from nowhere, so…”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa74xx158YM
“So?” She suddenly stopped to look me in the eye, but I wasn’t as impressed this time.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveioUxBjPT
“So,” she asked, because she suspected I wanted her to create something for me. But I didn’t want anything from her. I wanted her. To get to know her better, maybe be able to get near her without my constant inner turmoil getting in the way.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqyCraN065
“Rule number one of curiosity: stick to the thing that caught your attention.” Another ‘rule number one’ in my collection of number one rules. They worked with the kids of the orphanage. I just hoped that she bought it too.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNw0Fp7MlZ
“I’m not a lion in a zoo, you know?” She may look annoyed, but Anaissa sounded satisfied with my answer, so she kept walking nonchalantly.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkXqUje8vG
“What? No! You’re special!”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRMnbzCuN8
And it was in that very moment that I knew I screwed up to the moon and back.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo37d9BptR
“You.” It wasn’t a funny ‘you’. It sounded menacing, almost dangerous, and purely violent. Few times in my life had I felt such hostility directed at me. “One word.” I felt confused. What she was talking about? “One word. I’m giving you the chance to correct yourself: What. Am. I?”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDN5FPwRyA
She made herself very clear and, at the same time, I didn’t get her at all. Why’s she so furious from the best compliment I could give her? Why’d she tense all her muscles, ready to attack me, to give me everything except a hug and a kiss? The hard breathing, the clamped fingers, the half flexed knees ready to leap…472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA9FlLFbme
I had to think fast! If I remained silent, she’d go away and probably wouldn’t let me get near her again. If I speak and say something she doesn’t like, a beating would be the least of my problems. I had to risk it…472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX7JGjPbsP
“…beautiful.”472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjix9iAHkqB
The truth. Not only objective, but pure and unbiased. Maybe she could be special for me, but she was, first and foremost, the most beautiful person I’d ever met.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCDWLsFRQP
I wanted to touch her for her beauty.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfbELgMEvM
I wanted to know her better for her beauty.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV1gWnQPcA
And, above anything else, her sense of freedom was her most beautiful feature.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSEg2WsyOD
All of that I tried to convey with that single word.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOi39ARk1y
Then, just like that, she relaxed her stance, took a deep breath, and resumed her walking as if nothing had happened. And, as if nothing had happened, I followed her. 472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gx8mzYsqL
