Page 9 of Eclipse Bound
Either way, she felt compelled to deny it, especially to Stephanie, who didn't need more encouragement.
After her shower, wrapped in a comfortable robe, Rowan made herself a cup of chamomile tea and settled onto her small back patio that overlooked the valley. The sun was setting, painting the red rocks in brilliant oranges and purples. This view was what had sold her on the rental, even though it stretched her budget.
Her phone buzzed with a text from Stephanie,“Aliens at the Crash Zone! Get your ass over here!”
Attached was a blurry photo of what looked like the back of someone's head at a crowded bar.
Rowan sighed and put down her phone without responding. She was not going to get sucked into Stephanie's alien conspiracy theories. Tomorrow would be busy enough dealing with the aftermath at the retreat, fielding calls from curious tourists, and probably having to issue refunds to guests whose spiritual journeys had been interrupted by falling space debris. Even though they would dine on that story for the rest of their lives, people were people, and they'd use any excuse they could to get a discount.
She was just about to head inside when movement in her peripheral vision made her freeze. Someone lurked in her yard near the fence line where her property met the desert.
"Hello?" she called out, immediately regretting it. If it were an intruder, announcing her presence would not have been the smartest move. Every horror story told her that much.
Silence answered her. Then a soft rustling sound.
Rowan grabbed her phone, ready to call 911, when a figure stepped into the dim light cast through her window.
It was him. The tall man from earlier.
He stood perfectly still, watching her with those strange, intense eyes. He wore what looked like cutoff yoga pants and a plain t-shirt that was too tight across his shoulders, as if the clothes didn’t actually belong to him.
"Can I help you?" Rowan asked, her voice steadier than she felt. There came that adrenaline rush again, teasing her senses, begging her to run forward when she should back away.
The man tilted his head slightly, studying her. When he finally spoke, his voice was surprisingly melodic, with an accent she couldn't place. “I have come to speak to an authority.”
Rowan frowned.
He touched the side of his neck. “Is my translator malfunctioning? Can you understand my words?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Uh, yes, I understand you.”
"You saw us."
It wasn't a question.
"I saw a lot of people today," Rowan replied carefully. "It was chaotic."
"Yes." He nodded, as if pleased with her answer.
His arms twitched like they were trying to get out of his skin. His delusions could be running very deep. She needed to be careful.
"Chaos is an effective camouflage," he said. "It allowed us to walk amongst the locals."
Okay, so he was a weirdo. Or on drugs. Possibly both. Rowan's fingers hovered over her phone screen.
"Look, sir, I don't know what you want, but you're trespassing on private property," she said firmly. “You can’t be here.”
"I apologize for the intrusion." He stepped closer, and Rowan again noticed something odd about his movements. They were too fluid, like he glided rather than walked. "I am Eclipse. I need your assistance."
"Eclipse?” Rowan frowned. "Is that your actual name?"
I mean, sure. It was possible. One of the pool girls at the retreat was named Cosmos.
"Eclipsyionic. But Eclipse Bound is the name I have been assigned for this mission," he replied, completely serious. “Bound is the surname.”
She took in a steadying breath. This man was deep in his roleplay.
"Right. Well, Eclipse, unless your mission is to get arrested for trespassing, I suggest you leave." Rowan tried to appear more confident than she felt. "Now."
