Night dweller by Becky Saari

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NIGHT DWELLER, Part 4
by Becky S.

*You're in love with her.* The faint voice of the Elder seemed to call to him from the distance.

"What? What was that? Who's there?" John demanded. "No one, pal, I think you're imagining things again," Alonzo gave him a sympathetic smile. "What did you hear?" he inquired. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like, to be deprived of sleep for the third night in a row.

"Nothing, I was just remembering something," the mechanic replied. *In love?! Who am I in love with?* his own voice repeated in his mind. He was certain that the Elder had been referring to Devon, but how much credibilty could he place on some semi-stranger? He thought back to the thrill he got every time he had thought of Elle when she was alive. For two seconds, he considered seriously the possibilty of having fallen in love with someone else. He felt a strange disappointment when he quickly concluded that, after what happened to Elle . . . the Elder had suspected something, but he had been wrong. He must be wrong.

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The creature watched the wounded alien's reaction when the slim, dark-haired one appeared and the other one left. His breathing seemed to quicken, his eyes widened, and he almost seemed startled by something. Was the wounded being afraid of the dark-haired one? Or, was it something else? It knew little to nothing about the emotions felt by the humans that the grendlers seemed to share. The creature felt a sick feeling in the pit of its stomach when it realised that these beings were becoming more and more difficult to understand. He had "spoken" with the terrians, and they had assured him that the "humans" meant no harm, and that they would soon be on their way. So why weren't they moving? The creature was a nervous and jittery one, and was wary of the terrians with their powerful lightnening staffs. It felt a great dislike towards these aliens; they had a greater realitionship with the guardians of the planet than the creature. The terrians didn't like the creature's species either. The terrians felt that the creatures were too aggressive. When the first humans had tried removing the terrians from the planet, some of G889's species had to make some drastic adaptations in order to survive. The creature had adapted, and it recognised those aliens that had camped in its home. It remembered the damamge to the planet caused by these aliens. Its eyes narrowed at the sight of the little ones running out to the older ones. It backed away in suprise when the little ones seemed to try to strangle their parents. It became even more perplexed when the parents didn't appear to be angered. These humans made no sense! Why couldn't it find their weaknesses? Its frustrated screech reverberated through the night.

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"What was that?" True asked, involuntarily shaking in fear at the sound. "I don't know, True," Devon replied absently. She stood and examined the woods from where the sound had come. She accepted the jumpers that Danz handed her, but they were useless in the dark.

"It's just an animal," Uly replied indifferently.

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The creature watched as the dair-haired one reassured the little one and sent them both away. The wounded male had immediately froze when he had heard the creature's cry. Now his eyes were fixed on the creatures tree. His cold stare was so focused that the creature wondered if it had been spotted.

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Devon watched with growing alarm as Danziger stared fiercly, unmoving, into one of the trees in the distance. "John?" she ventured.

He blinked a few times, as if he were trying to focus. He ignored her and resumed his glare. Devon followed his gaze to the tree and tried to see whatever it was that he saw. He finally turned his attention to her. "Sorry, Adair, what were you sayin'?" he asked.

She glanced back at the bush. She still coudn't find what had him so intrigued, or frightened, maybe. But his expression showed her that he was no longer interested in the tree. "Nothing," she replied dismissively.

He shrugged and slowly stretched out on his back. Every muscle and joint in his body ached. His gaze fell on the spidery, elm-like tree. Had he really seen the creature? He didn't want to ask Adair if she'd seen anything, or she'd think that he was going crazy, again. All of his doubts faded when he caught a glimpse of a pair of beady eyes staring out of the darkness to him.

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Julia sighed and peaked out the tent flap at the shadowy figure slinking through the camp. Suddenly, he stumbled and fell to his knees. A second silhouette, which tunred out to be Magus, rushed to him with her light, illuminating the area around them. The expression on the man's face was as if he had just been awoken from a dream. Magus helped him orient himself, and pulled him to his feet.

The med-tent was too far away for the doctor to hear the words exchanged by the "baby-sitter" and the mechanic, so she closed up the tent.

"He's getting worse?" Alonzo's voice startled her. She turned around and almost bumped into him. She hadn't realised that he'd been standing right behind her.

"Yes," she replied briefly. Swiftly brushing past him, she strode over to her kit and rumaged inside. The pilot could tell that she wasn't really looking for anything; she was trying to avoid opening up to him, a habit he was trying to get her to shake.

"What's wrong?" he asked lightly, walking over to her. Julia studied his expression for a few moments. "Nothing is wrong. I just wish that there were some other way... Going without sleep for so long is a sure way to drive yourself mad," she stated, trying to sound indifferent.

"But Danziger is going to be okay," he reminded her. "I know. I just wish that there were some other way..." She glanced over at her equipment, "It would be nice to have more information about this creature of ours."

"We'll be fine," he grinned. He made his way over to her and pulled her wrist out of her kit. "I don't think he hurt himself," the pilot told her.

"I just want to check," she replied briefly. She pulled out her dia-glove but Alonzo stopped her before she could leave.

"I think your shift as doctor ended at midnight," his tone was mock- scolding.

"And who relieves me at midnight?" she raised an eyebrow at him doubtfully. The pilot sighed. Secure in the knowledge that she wouldn't be gone long, he reluctantly waved her out of the tent.

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At night, John would wander around aimlessly. He needed to keep moving to stop himself from falling asleep. His mind was foggy, as if he were dreaming. In the day, at least there were people moving around and chores to keep him occupied, even if the things he was allowed to do were limited due to his condition. At night, his guardian would just sit and watch him pace. Morgan would grumble, Bess would fuss over him, Magus was extremely protective of him, and Walman and Baines would speak up every now and then. Cameron was silent but always looked pleasant, and Alonzo would just stare off into space. Devon would make a few obligatory comments now and then, usually warning him not to do this or that.

"Hey, Danziger, are you lost?" Walman called good-naturedly. John shook his head, "Naw, just tired." He pulled a crate up to the fire and took a seat across from Walman.

"You've become a real night dweller," he observed. "Yeah, against my will," the mechanic grinned. "Well, you've just another day or two to go," Walman added. Danziger nodded, stood, and resumed his wandering. He heard a far-off, bird-like call in the distance, more specifically, from the general direction of a certain spidery, elm-like tree. "Sounds like I'm not the only 'night dweller' around here," he mused.

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