Started: 2003

Finished: October 2011

Summery: Zo-or's shuttle crash lands on a farm. Torah finds him and takes him in, but he lost his memory. They share and relate. What happens when the alien tyrant recovers and wonders what he's doing so close to a human being?

In a beautiful clearing near sunset a young girl rides her horse. Seeing a flash of light in the distance, she pulls her horse to a stop. She was curious so she headed toward the fallen light sixty or seventy yards away. With every step in that direction, a part of her thought that she should turn back. She lived alone in a big house out in the middle of the country, having no neighbors for miles.

Fast approaching the site she noticed a faint purple glow. Then a few feet from the capsule like vessel, she dismounted. 'Could this be what I think it is? A Taelon shuttle?' She asked herself. Her mouth was agape. She didn't know much about them. She had heard several conspiracy theories and didn't know what to believe.

Slowly, she approached what appeared to be a human-like figure in fetal position. She gasped. "A Taelon. My god. Is it alive?' She thought. It didn't move. She started to back away till she saw it move. 'What if it's hurt?' She reasoned to herself. She closed the length between her and the thing in short cautious steps.

It was a long slender Taelon, appearing to be male. The vessel around him was luminescent in the approaching darkness. His eyes were closed and she bent down to his side. She didn't want to touching anything but her hand went for his shoulder and touched it gently. For a moment her mind wandered the handsome human-like features of his face and he moved his head warily. When he opened his eyes, she lost her balance and fell backwards. Wanting to stay and wanting to flee at the same time, she made eye contact with him again.

"Are, are you ok?" She asked. The being was silent. He rose to sit, slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on her. It was a blank stare at first, then confusion. Perhaps he was studying her. He rose, looked around and scanned the landscape.

"Why am I in this place?" He asked looking down at her frozen now awestruck expression.

"You seem to have crash landed."

"Where have I come from? Where am I supposed to be?" He looked around nervously.

"You came from up there." She pointed. "As for where you're supposed to be, I don't know. I know some of you are stationed on Earth."

He stood and thought for a moment. "I have a feeling I am very far from where I belong."

"I've never met a Taelon. I haven't exactly studied up on your kind." She felt a pang of guilt. She never thought she'd meet one, never wanted to. She decided to spare him all the whacked out theories about his kind. They were all very negative. She didn't know any of them to be true anyway. "I'll help you in anyway I can." She offered.

He looked down at her. "That is a very kind offer." He held out his hand and said, "Please." Clearly this being wasn't without manners. His gesture made her think that he's been among humans before.

"Do you have a name?" She asked. He looked at her questioningly. "I am certain I do. I do not remember it."

"Is there a particular name that you would like me to call you? I don't want to refer to you as 'alien' or 'it'. She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can I call you Ian?" She asked.

"As you wish." She shivered from the cold night approaching.

"Why do you shake?"

"I'm cold. We can ride to my house. I don't want to abandon you out here alone. I live alone so no one will give you any trouble." She walked him over to her horse. Climbing up she said,

"Come on, just put your foot in the holder and swing your leg over." He did so. She took a deep breath and said, "Now hold on to me." She smiled a bit and looked back at her rider. He wore a questing look on his face. "Like this." She said putting both his arms about her waist. "You've probably never ridden a horse before."

"I am not one of your kind and still you want to help me. I am a stranger to you. You seem to trust me, why?" The Taelon asked.

She shrugged. "Your mannerisms and you have a soft voice."

"What exactly do you mean when you said my mannerisms?"

"You cared to help me up."

"Does your kind enjoy that kind of physicality?"

"Yeah, we do." He inched closer and encircled her more fully. She took a deep breath. She was nervous at her alien companion but also excited all at the same time. "Are you alright back there? How is the horse ride?" She tried to make conversation.

"I believe I'm ok back here. I find the horse ride very, unfamiliar. What is your name?"

"Viktoriah or Torah for short."

"Exquisite," he commented.

"Tell me when you remember your name. I feel guilty calling you something you aren't."

"As you wish."

On a white horse they road with her white blond curly tresses flowing behind them. The image she had echoed of an earlier time where maidens danced and men where kings. She dressed like a peasant herself, sometimes a princess. Her companion odd looking. He was tall, hairless but donning picturesque facial features. She wanted to look into those fluorescent blue eyes of his again. They neared the stables and dismounted.

"I am quite sure we do not have horses where I come from. I would have remembered that kind of experience."

Her middle tingled where he had held her. She almost missed it. Holding out her hand to him she insisted. "I'll show you my house now. We can talk more. I'll get you something to eat if you do eat." He moved so gracefully toward her, almost floated. His long fingers entwined with hers. The trust between them sparked. She showed him around the bottom level of her Victorian style house.

They finally settled in a large room with a fireplace. She invited him to sit on the large navy blue velvet couch. She sat on a near by recliner.

"I do not believe we have that where I come from." He said gesturing to the fire place.

"I hope you remember more. I like to know a little truth for a change."

"You are implying that you know of us. What do you know?" She glanced at him and her breath left her.

"Nothing. I live out in the middle of nowhere. I don't really watch much T.V. I know nothing."

'Rambling, interesting.' He thought. 'Lying? Even more interesting.' He observed her rambling not to be one out of malice but one out of apprehension, which made him even more curious. 'I'll find out, later.'

'He seems pleasant,' she thought to herself. She figured she'd treat him kindly so she, in turn, would be treated the same. She sat facing him at an angle. "I hope the others like you are as pleasant as you." She complemented hesitantly.

He turned toward her and said; "Then, I hope, for your sake, that I don't turn out to be the opposite."

Her comfort level fell. For a moment she thought of those stories of abduction, experiments and a disregard for human life. She closed up, drew her legs up and inched away. They sat in unrelenting silence. The question came to her like being hit by a freight train. 'What exactly am I going to do with this being I have here?'

"I don't believe physicality is part of my race." He suddenly said. She looked up then looked away. "Although, the feeling of holding you while riding your horse was, gratifying. Come here, I do not feel that I have your complete attention." She did so without question. She sat on the floor and faced him.

"For you to fear me is the last thing that I desire." She watched already mesmerized by the way he moved his hands when he spoke. "You have treated me with kindness where you could have left me to wander. That will not be forgotten when I become myself again. Do you understand?"

"Yeah I understand."

"Good, I was merely mentioning a potential scenario. If that troubles you then I will not speak of it again." He said softly. "You are worried, "he stated.

"Will others be coming…to look for you here on Earth?"

"Is that the reason for your worry? My kind?"

She realized that sounded bad and prejudice. Hesitantly she went on. "I've heard things about…-"

"What, exactly, have you heard?" he asked curiously.

"I've heard lot of bad, but some good."

"Tell me of the good."

"You cured all diseases, eliminated poverty and gave us technology."

"And in that you humans can find something bad? Tell me of the evil."

"I'd rather not say. It's really bad and insulting and rather suspected."

He appeared to be in thought. 'Maybe she does not have to tell me per-say.' "Put your hand up to mine. I want to experiment if what I sense is true. While you do that, concentrate on what you have heard." He offered. 'Mind reading.' She thought.

"No."

He put his hand on hers. "I need to know this."

Against her better judgment she put her hand up to his. She began to think of the movies and documentaries, series, mysteries and apocalyptic theories and rumors she had heard about extra terrestrials and Taelons.

Also, strange things began to come to her. She was out in the woods. A human guy was there. There was a girl with a bow and arrow. The Taelon was hurt, but couldn't leave. She wanted to know more but he broke it off.

He began with, "I see, that is what dwells in your mind about the, unknown.

"I saw something too." She stated. "This may sound crazy but through your eyes, I saw you, you were hurt. I think you have been on Earth before."

"Proceed." He turned to her with rising interest.

"There was a human guy trying to help you and a girl with a bow an arrow by your side. Their leader didn't want to let you leave." She finished. He sat in silence, pondering. She waited for him to tell her what he made of this. He looked back to her and concluded.

"While I searched your mind it must have opened up a mental passage way into my subconscious. You have probably witnessed what I have been through even though I cannot yet remember. There is a way, I am certain, to block that, when I scan another's mind."

"We could do it again?" She suggested.

"It would be wise if I do not do that again with you at least not until I am myself again." He looked to her. "I am sure you are aware that I, my race, have their secrets. I hope you understand."

"Of course I do." She gently touched his hand.

Her legs had fallen asleep so she decided to stretch out on the large fluffy fur rug in front of the fireplace. She was still in front of him. His eyes traveled over her a few times. All was quiet except for the crackle of the fire. She successfully took her eyes off him for a while. She didn't want to be rude.

That gave him an opportunity to check her over. She stretched and sprawled out in front of him. Her shirt had slipped up without her knowing. He got a full view of her shapely tiny waist his arms were once around. She had her eyes closed. He thought she may have fallen asleep. She looked comfortable lying there. He gazed contently. She stirred and asked him;

"Do you know what it feels like to be lonely?"

"How do you mean?"

She thought twice and said; "Never mind, it's a human thing. It was a stupid question." She sighed.

"I'm going to go, change my clothes, put on something more comfortable. I'll be back." He wanted to stop her. He didn't like the feeling of being told never mind. He wanted an explanation, her explanation.

She darted upstairs to her bedroom. There, she tore off her top and stood in front of her closet to figure out what night cloths to wear. She slipped on violet satin sleep wear. Low slung pants lined with lace, a spaghetti strapped top with lace on the straps and at the waist. To be more modest, she slipped on the long matching robe.

She looked at herself while brushing her endless blond curls.

'Having company isn't bad. I just wish I knew more about him. He seems so intelligent. Friendly, certainly nothing I would've expected. How do I even begin to entertain him? I don't want to turn him over to the government, but it might help him if I did. What am I going to do?' She thought to herself.

She came down the stairs quietly. He was still in the position she had left him in. She sat back down on the rug in front of the fire place and looked into the fire. "Viktoriah, come here." She came nearer. "Explain to me what you meant by lonely."

She sighed again and breathed, "Never mind." She warily looked away.

He took her chin lightly between his fingers and repeated, "You will tell me." The compelling tone in his voice came out of nowhere to her. She kind of liked him be so curious about her. It couldn't hurt to tell him.

"Very well." She crawled back down on the rug. "You know, you don't have to sit there all night." She invited and patted the space beside her. He floated to her side and knelt down. "I like your choice of clothing, by the way."

"Why?" He asked.

"It's a compliment, something humans do to give confidence, to assure. Or to just simply express a liking to something. She touched his clothing as she said this.

"I see, to express a liking to something such as your robe. I would say you look ravishing."

Her eyes widened. She smiled, not expecting to him to use a word like that. "Yes, but you have to be sincere as well."

"I may have a temporary loss of memory but that does not make me a complete imbecile. I know what it means and I meant it," he said touching her sleeve.

She turned away smiling, blushing, saying, "Thanks."

"I believe you had something to explain to me. Your attempt to distract me proved most futile." He said smugly.

"Can't get anything past you, can I?"

"No one ever has."

"And you know this for sure?"

"I have a strong positive feeling that it is indeed true. You are aware that I could rape your mind."

"Well, with an offer like that I just can't resist," she said incredulously.

"Loneliness is a complicated human emotion. People deal with it differently. People can be lonely for a number of reasons. It's difficult to explain."

"Then show me." He put his hand up. "Show me your loneliness."

"You said you didn't want to do that again." She reminded.

"I wish to understand." He took her hand and put it to his, their palms together.

"As you wish." He sat beside her as she laid there, opening her mind up to him once again. She noticed a sensation that she hadn't before. It was like energy binding their hands together. She tried to pull her hand away but there was some sort of invisible bond. She gave in and gave her thoughts to him. She saw inside of his mind for a second time. This time she saw something much darker.

She was sitting in a strange room. She could feel energy transfer into her. She looked down to see a dead man. Suddenly, she was over another guys body with the man's blood on his hands. Only those hands weren't his own, they where the dead mans. He put his hand up to transfer that vision to another alien. The other did not seem to enjoy it. The name Zo'or echoed in her mind.

He broke it off and she tore open her eyes. His were still closed. It was as she had feared. He was the being with blood on his hands. He was a Taelon that possessed human bodies and killed people.

He opened his eyes and said, "That is a sad story," obviously moved. "I would not have pushed you if I would have known how painful it was."

She had almost a blank look on her face but only her eyes betrayed her. She was scared, of him, of what she had seen. "Torah, tell me what you saw." He asked realizing the change in her.

She quickly thought of the character he was now. She thought of his voice, his mannerisms, anything to calm herself. He was after all, not the murderer she saw inside of his head right now. She sat up to face him. He looked to her. "It is imperative you tell me what you saw."

"Hey, what do you think about calling the authorities?" she began. "I'm sure they'd know what to do with you and where you belong. I think I should call the proper authorities." She got up to go to leave the room.

"Torah, stop. Tell me what I want to know."

She got chills. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to call the authorities."

"I don't want you to call the authorities."

"But why? You don't want to stay out here in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm telling you what it is that I want. I want you to tell me what you saw during the sharing."

She started shaking at his forceful tone. "I can't tell you now, but I'll tell you later."

"Very well. I can wait. Come close to me again I want to expand on what I saw during the sharing." She neared him slowly as he gathered her up close to him. He moved them both so he could lean on the couch while she lent on him, her head against his chest.

He laid his hand across her neck and the other on her back. "Not all the aspects of loneliness are alien to me. I quite understand now," he spoke gently. His fingers curled in her massive blond hair. His other hand caressed her back. Her scent was alien to him but pleasant, something he would want to keep near him. She raised her head and asked,

"Does the name Zo'or mean anything to you?" Silently he thought. "Either you or the one you where talking to," she finished.

"Da'an," he breathed in deep and looked at her with realization. "I am Zo'or." She froze awaiting his true nature to surface. He then said, "But, that is all I can remember." She sighed with relief.

She was beginning to get uncomfortable with him on the floor. She didn't want to move from the position though. She decided to ask him, "Zo'or, do you like this?" She gave him a squeeze to let him know what she spoke of.

"Yes, I believe it is unlike anything I've ever experienced before." He slid his hand up and down her back.

"The floor is uncomfortable. Could we move to the couch?"

"As you wish." From her memories he knew how she wanted to be held. He lied down on the large velvet couch with the arm serving as an oversized pillow. She eased herself in the spot between his side and the couch's back.

"Are you sure you don't mind this? Even I have to admit, this is strange." She smiled and he smiled back.

"If I did not want to do this, I would not be doing, this." He pulled her closer finally getting to encircle that tiny waist that he had enjoyed earlier. One arm was between both of them and the other rested on his shoulder.

"I almost feel human. Even though I do not know my true nature, I understand your human emotions through your eyes. It feels pleasant and advantageous." He kept his arms firmly around her as if his very sanity depended on her body in his protective embrace. Her fingers grasped his shoulders. 'Could he possibly feel? Do the Taelons feel?' She wondered.

"Zo'or-" She raised her head.

"I know what you would say. You mean to question me." His words stopped her. She was fixated on how his lips moved when he spoke. She found herself wanting to kiss him. She stared and stared at his mouth. The urge became overpowering. 'Is this what he wants?' After all he was returning her gaze.

He knew what she was thinking of, for in her mind, he had seen that too. His curiosity to be educated by experience rather then conversation was welling up inside of him. He wanted to explain to her that he had feelings.

He moved a hand up to slide a curl out of her face and touched her lips with his finger tips. His opening up of physicality assured her that it was ok if she did the same thing. Torah brushed his full lips with her fingers. They were soft and satiny. He slid his hand beneath her hair to hold the back of her neck and bring her lips to his. She drew in a sharp breath of excitement.

He refrained from searching her mind deeply. He did not wish to violate her mind at her most vulnerable state. Only the thoughts that were most apparent did he play upon and get lost in himself. This human action, this kiss.

As soon as they touched she could see his explanation of emotions. This time he expressed a degree of loneliness himself. She was also met with various scenes of his life. There were flashes of conversations, deals, trickery, threats, and atrocities. He was sharing with her not being aware of how to block."

She wanted to see his motivations but felt too terrified to continue so she broke the kiss. Looking up at him, his eyes where still closed, dwelling on the sensation. She tried to keep calm, tried to stop herself from shaking. She didn't want to give him a reason to ask her what she had seen this time and become upset when she didn't want to breathe a word of it.

'I'll tell him what I saw last time and that's all I'm going to tell him. Then he'll let me off the hook.' she thought. "I'm ready to tell you what I saw." She stated when he opened his eyes. "I saw myself as you. It was like I was in another human's body. There was blood on my hands. Of course I have no idea why. I think you where just trying to protect yourself-"

"Stop." he said remembering. "That was my first taste of blood…that day." She felt his hands tense.

"I know why I did it," he realized. A visible change had come over him. Her heart began to race as not knowing if she should back off or stay stalk still. "How in the name of galactic conquest, are you this close to me?"

"I-" she stopped as he moved himself away from her and rose up off the couch. She watched his expression, his eyes move wildly around the room. Then they fell upon her.

"The man that I possessed, he was a loose end. I had him killed." He stated plainly. She whimpered.

"You are a loose end."

"No,"

"I should not have shared with you. There are facts that you should not have learned of me. That was too great a risk." He stated coolly. He looked at her as she cowered on the couch in front of him.

She thought of inviting him to read her mind, the thoughts he gave her. But she said nothing, afraid each next breath would be her last. "Wait,-" She begged.

"I have endangered my race, should anyone find out its secrets…or mine."

"You said you wouldn't forget." She blurted out desperately. He was caught by surprise. The alien tyrant gave her a look of death only to remember the dizzy cyclone of emotions he had earlier felt. They were so alien to him, yet enjoyable. She took him in treated him kindly. She kissed him. Loneliness was also a dominant thought in her mind as was in his but that was a secret.

She did not move. She knew she had nowhere to run. She reached out her hand, trying to stop herself from crying. She choked out the words; "Here, share with me. Know that your secrets are safe."

He looked at her, shocked, murderous with a hint of hesitation. "Very well." He grabbed her hand and with his other he pulled her up by the front of her robe.

His face softened. As he searched her mind, he came to the conclusions that certain things could not be proven. Some fit as rumors. Also, though one of the most damaging was the fact that he felt emotion, like loneness. He would lose his position if the other Taelons found that out. As it was unlikely that another Taelon would share with her and he would never divulge that he was with her, he felt a safety in that. He also got to see how she felt about him and again how he had reacted to her when he wasn't himself, which he wasn't sure how he felt about right now.

He cut off the sharing and looked at her cringing in front of him. "I suggest you phone your Earth authorities."