Chapter 16: David's Move

David looked out the window, looked at all the log cabins.

Noticing her son looking out the window, she sat by him, in the same position he was.

"Mom? I want Gunner back." The young man spoke, voice melancholy.

"We have a beautiful new home. Hot food. Water. People to help us. We have weaponry and spies. Good people to keep watch at night. So, you don't get hurt again." Julie tried to sound reassuring.

"B-but Gunner is my friend." David looked at his mom, holding her hand.

I remember waking up most mornings. I remember David would always be up before me.

I'd hear him talking to Gunner. It was so odd to see this seven ft. tall lizard/alien in a kitchen, rummaging for stuff. He moved like us in some ways, but in others, he was truly alien. He didn't eat as we did, he did enjoy coffee though. Whether it was for the taste or that it gave him energy, I don't know.

Dave was always around him, smiling and asking him questions. Ranging from what were the ships like to where he was born. Even if Gunner only gave one-worded answers, David never let that deter him.

I can't blame David for liking Gunner. Not only was he someone who accepted him, someone close to his age-but Gunner's knowledge and his honesty are what kept my son from dreading the truly horrific times we lived in.

I remember on one very warm night, I was finishing up cleaning out my gun when I noticed David and Gunner sitting on the back porch. I had never seen my son cuddled up to anyone, let alone someone non-human.

Gunner was pointing to the stars, talking to him about constellations we had no idea existed.

I saw Gunner invested in telling David of concepts maybe he had a hard time wrapping his head around. But he sat and listened.

Sometimes they'd shift positions, but they didn't move other than that. Leaning on one another, both talking.

David tells Gunner what he learned in science class, of his old life. Gunner would ask questions about human customs. Like holidays and what weddings were.

Oh, how badly David wanted to see what Gunner's planet was like. To live a life away from this torment and horror. To not live where death was so, so very close.

Maybe I wished that too.

***

Not being able to fall asleep, David slowly got out of bed and got dressed in a new t-shirt and jeans.

His mother was sleeping soundly in a room that lay across from his.

From the living room, David grabbed a pistol and placed it in a backpack he'd bring with him.

Every little noise would cause him to stop, whether it be trucks driving by or the sounds of footsteps outside his door.

Leaning against the door, as he pushed it open, it squeaked on its hinges. He stopped opening. Then pushed again. Then stopped.

Once finally stepping out into the warm night, he shut the door softly.

He saw the homes shrouded in shadow, some of their lights were on the inside. Had it not been for the floodlights placed about in certain spots, the entire commune would be pitch dark.

Keeping his footsteps soft, the teen kept himself not to the front of the house but went around the back.

Sure, it was dark, and his shoes got caked in dirt.

It didn't change the fact he could make it to his destination. The storage room where Gunner was held. It was lit up brightly.

The walk to the place wasn't long, perhaps five minutes.

Sometimes, armed men could be heard chattering in the darkness, David knew if he was caught his mother would probably yell at him.

The issue boiled down from the fact that Earl explicitly told this small community to stay away from Gunner, and David was willfully breaking this rule. His life had been constructed by rules. Rules were his comfort zone. A product of the type of autism he had. He typically enjoyed knowing what was right and what was wrong. But what happened when an authoritative figure was false? What happened when in your gut you feel the right thing to do is what no one wants you to do? This epiphany is what sent David out in the first place.

Opening the door to the storage room was surprisingly easy, no lock, no elaborate way to get in. David did need to make his movements slow, the act of opening this door quietly seemed impossible.

Gunner woke, looking at David as soon as he found the string hanging from the ceiling and pulled it.

"David. What the hell are you doing?" Hissed the alien.

The teen ran up to the sitting lizard and hugged him tightly. Not caring if the alien was caked in sweat and dried blood. He liked the scales of the alien, smooth and muscley.

"I wanna get you out," David spoke in a shaking voice, looking wide-eyed at his best friend.

"You and your mother are safe here. You've got humans. You've got food, clothes, shelter. Don't worry about me." Gunner spoke weakly.

"I want you in the house. Please? I care about you." A tear fell from the teenager's eye.

"It's not possible. You need to go. You'll get caught." Gunner sighed deeply. Looking at the trembling human before him. Both because of the coldness in the storage unit and his own sad thoughts.

"I'll visit you. I promise." The human pat Gunner's leg gently.

David quietly closed the front door. Julie stood in the living room, shrouded in darkness. Her son yelped slightly.

"You can't go out, David." Julie walked to the teen.

"Mom I just, I miss Gunner. A lot. He's hurting." David sniffled gently.

"I know. He's a good guy. Next time, make sure I'm with you." She knelt to her son. "I know the pain you've been through. I know Gunner helped you. A lot. But we gotta be safe."

She embraced her son before finally going to bed.