Feel Again (8 page)

“Lionel,” the strange
woman said. “The time has come for us to meet.” Her green eyes
glistened with mischief and advendure, perhaps even a tiny hint of
danger. Lionel was rather hesitant to go behind the curtain with
the woman, but her followed her cautiously, glancing back at the
table full of skulls now and then and hoping that his own would not
soon join the collection. When he was finally behind the curtain,
he never looked back.

“Can I
tell you a secret?” the woman asked of Lionel as he sat at a small
table, before he even had the chance to ask her anything that he
might have wanted to know.

“Sure,”
he replied, carefully trying not to offend the woman.

“I am not
a real psychic,” she answered quite bluntly, the shimmer leaving
her eyes, at least according to Lionel’s perception.

Lionel was confused. “If
you’re not a real psychic,” he began, “Then how do you know about
Sam? How did you know my name?” He was beginning to wonder if the
woman was not even more sinister than she had originally expected.
Lionel bit his lip hard, and it started to bleed. He licked the
blood off quickly, not wanting the unnamed woman to know that he
was nervous to be there with her.

“Ahh,” the woman said,
pouring herself a cup of tea and also placing one in front of where
Lionel sat, his chair shaking with him. He refused the tea. “Your
strange lady friend came to see me a few nights ago. It was the
most peculiar thing I’ve ever seen in my life. She looked like one
of us, but she claimed to be from a place called Zebda, allegedly
another planet. I wouldn’t doubt it, either,” she added, gently
sipping at her tea. “She showed up in a cloud of eerie green light
and everything. She said that she could not bear to be without you
and that her father gave the two of you his blessing.”

Lionel was completely in
awe. “Are you sure?” he asked the creepy old lady. “Does she know
that I’m an alien now even though she is human?” He was certain
that if Samakri and Blekrin did know this, they would no longer
approve of such a match.

“I know
everything,” a young woman’s voice said. Lionel turned around, not
really aware of what-or who-he might expect to see when he did
so.

It was Samakri. She was
there. They could be together at last.

Lionel and Samakri walked
out of the back entrance hand-in-hand. Then, they jumped into
Lionel’s pickup truck.

“Canada here we come,”
Lionel said to Sam. His hair was completely green now.

Samakri turned on the radio.
Loretta J’s latest hit was playing on full blast.

Sometimes you feel like
leaving,

Cause nothing good comes
easy;

Sometimes you stop
believing,

Cause nothing good comes
easy

But good things in life
aren’t free,

Cause nothing good comes
easy

Life doesn’t always make
sense,

That doesn’t mean it’s
pretend

Another night without
sleep,

But yet you dare to
dream;

Another day in the
rink,

Fight through the clouds
like lightning

When just right isn’t
perfect,

Or forever long
enough;

Just keep moving
forward,

Remember faith, hope,
love

And when you feel like
leaving,

Remember life’s not
easy;

And when you stop
believing,

Try to look and
see,

That nothing good comes
easy.

Lionel and Samakri didn’t
know it yet, but Loretta J was very on spot. It wasn’t going to be
easy. But it would be worth it.