Ch. 1 - Lost Signal

The hefty and fluffy grey blanket laid atop her as she nuzzled into it , pulling the fabric to tuck it against her neck so the warmth she cultivated wouldn't escape .

It had been a nice day , the clouds were staying up high in the wide blue and their outlines and texture were artistically defined . Along with that , it had been quiet and peaceful , which were days one sometimes needs . She'd actually been quite happy with how everything flowed smoothly and slowly into each other that day , and just as she woke up -- gentle and meek -- she fell asleep , albeit a bit more restlessly because of the coldness left behind by the sun .

She curled up beneath her soft shield , laying on her side with her hands tucked into her chest and her hair cupping her cheeks in the messy way they fell when left unattended . The chill came in waves , but the heat stored by the blanket kept her content with the environment .

Soon , she was losing track of her thoughts and drifting off into obscurity when a click sounded , like heels against her wooden floorboards . Her eyes didn't open and her focus was still hazy because noise didn't really bother her while she slept . When a soft , warm breath became evident on her face and her lips were touched by something similarly textured , she shifted into full-gear alertness .

Her eyes sprung open as she pushed back from the edge of her mattress to the wall her bed was pushed against , seeing in vague detail a person kneeled by the side of her bed before jumping up and over them , crash landing behind the stranger but throwing herself up and continuing to run out of the room and through the halls . The front door was locked and in her panic she fumbled with simple motor functioning skills , cursing herself silently and flipping around fast enough to meet the stranger's eyes as they grabbed her wrist. A knee instinctively made its way to the person's groin but was caught with their hand and pushed down .

All the adrenaline felt like it had suddenly drained and her head was running a mile a minute instead of being the blank slate that simply commanded go . She started tearing up , pushing with her free hand against the person's face and chest , her efforts being stalled as he pushed himself onto her .

" Please, stop . I -- " The person stopped the hand coming for his face by grabbing it and pulling it to the side , staring straight down at her since they were pressed firmly against each other , " I'm not trying to hurt you , please stop fighting , I'm lost . Please . "

There was a clarity and surety in the person's voice that made her listen , tears falling silently from the stress of the situation as she sat in docile quiet -- drained , scared , surprised .

" I don't know where I am , I don't know where this is . I know I can trust you , but I don't know who else I can trust . Please , " There was the soft look of pleading in his eyes , everything he spoke still so pure and clear sounding , " Help me . "

Confusion wiped through her mind , largely covering up every other hurried thought passing through her . Trust her ? She was a stranger . She was supposed to be asleep . He'd broken into her house , presumably assaulted her , and now had her pushed against the front door into submission . There was no way she could trust him , she needed to get away .

" Let me go , I'll help you . "

" Please , trust me . "

" I do , I believe you . "

" No , you don't , " His stare fixed onto her's , and he seemed to be looking deep inside at everything she could possibly feel , " I can see it in your eyes . "

She grew annoyed at the hands around her wrist , the body pinning hers to the door . There was something wrong with him , he acted like he knew her and acted like he knew what she was thinking , but he couldn't do any of these things . She didn't know what he really wanted , but it didn't matter as long as he let her go long enough to call the cops .

The guy's eyes flashed open wide , as if he'd just heard that someone he loved died , and his grip tightened around her wrists . His eyes held a sharp fear and he spoke quickly .

" Don't call the guardians . "

Guardians ? The cops ? Did he know she was thinking about calling them ? She shook her heads slightly , rationalizing that anyone would be trying to call the cops in that situation . But why did he say guardians ? Why ...

She looked up and saw for the first time the strands of pure white hair that fell over his forehead , shaved at it's sides . The white freckles dotting the bridge of his nose and splattered across his cheeks . The crisp white irises rimmed with thin , dark grey . All contrasting a bronzed skin tone . He didn't look normal . She didn't think a person's eyes could be white , or their hair could be white , or their freckles . She'd never seen it all before . He was so pretty .

" Does that make you trust me ? My strangeness ? " His grip loosened somewhat and she opened her mouth to speak , pursed her lips back closed , and decided to speak .

" Can you tell what I'm thinking ? " They stared at each other for a few seconds of unwavering eye contact until the guy broke the stare by closing his eyes , apparently falling into his thoughts .

" You ... are thinking about my eyes and my hair , their color is weird to you . You're scared of me because I'm stronger than you and I showed up out of nowhere . And for some reason ... You're thinking I'm attractive . " He opened his eyes and looked back to the girl who held an impressed and slightly worried look , " I promise I'm not that strong . Even if I was , I wouldn't use it against you . I trust you , so please trust me . "

And even more surprising than the fact that he'd accurately summed up her thoughts was the fact that she actually had began to trust him .

" OK , you can let go of me now . "

He did so promptly , and she gathered her hands to her chest protectively .

" I don't know how to help you , and I don't know why you trust me, but can you elaborate on your problem ? "

The boy stood tall and firm , it was hard to believe he was asking help from a dainty girl like her , but the gentle confusion lurking in his eyes gave away his true disposition .

" I've lost my connection to the Sky Line . "