Young Writers Society

Maahes suddenly bumped into something.

He turned around, eyes wide and alert, but discovered it was just the door he had been backing up towards. He looked back at Evaline. Part of him wanted to leave still, but there was something off. Something that didn't make sense at all with what Elias had said earlier.

He tilted his head to the side and studied her like she was one of the experiments Odris said he wasn't supposed to touch.

"I'm Maahes," he said, completely forgetting about wanting to hide away with a different name when he first met Elias. After a pause, he walked over to her.

He narrowed his eyes. Then he put his hand underneath his chin, too; it was partially out of habit and partially because he saw Odris do it all the time.

He gave her a poke.

"Maahes," Evaline repeated slowly as she backed up against the wall. She didn't like how Maahes was approaching her slowly, and she suddenly felt very anxious as her heart started to beat loudly against her chest.

Was she supposed to know that name? She knew many people in Sector 2, but she didn't recognize a Maahes. But she was in Sector 1 right now. Was this person from here? But why... and how...?

Evaline screeched as Maahes was in front of her and poked her. She shielded her face away from the person. "Why do you look like me?!" she shrieked as she ducked away.

She wished she could use her powers right now -- her true and main powers, not the dingy mutation. But she knew she barely had control over it right now.

Maahes thought for a moment.

Why did he look like her still? Earlier it had been because he didn't want to admit he wasn't Mel, but he didn't have to keep using her guise. He switched to the guise he had used with Elias: one right around Evaline's age, with bright blue eyes and dark brown hair. He wore different clothes, though - these were Alteran clothes instead of the uniform.

"You're scared," he said matter-of-factly and with a smug pride to his voice. It wasn't really that he was proud that she was scared. He was proud that he knew she was scared. That was why she had sounded upset earlier! His guess had been right.

"It was Elias's idea," he said. He took a step back so he wasn't right up in her face - he didn't need to poke her anymore to test any theories.

Evaline peeked through her fingers and saw that Maahes had somehow transformed to be a boy around her age. She didn't know for sure, but she presumed this to be his real identity... maybe. She wasn't even aware that it was possible to change an appearance like this... was it? She wasn't that far into the science classes yet, so there was still so much she didn't know.

She slowly set her hands down and stood up again to face him. He looked calm and less scary... especially when he mentioned Elias. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Elias sent you here?" she asked, sounding annoyed. But really, she was relieved. This was just a weird harmless prank.

Maahes gave a big shake of his head.

"He didn't send me here," he informed her. "I'm not supposed to be here right now - I was just with Elias. But then my bag started humming and the world moved and then I was here."

He pursed his lips, suddenly very deep in thought. He popped open his bag and reached a hand inside. Once he grabbed onto the strange metal device he had stolen from the lab, he pulled it out and gave it an accusing look. It had brought him to Elias before, so it had to have brought him to Evaline, too! But the only ways he knew how to travel were with pentacles and the rings, so that wasn't really helpful.

Evaline stared at the metal contraption Maahes was holding, not understanding what was going on at all. So, Elias didn't send him here? Who did? How did he even know Elias? She thought she knew more people than he did, but she didn't even recognize Maahes. Things didn't seem to add up.

"I don't understand," she said flatly. "How'd you get here? And how do you know Elias? Or... me?"

Maahes frowned.

"I just told you how I got here," he pointed out. He glanced back down at the device in his hand, giving it a little poke. Nothing happened when he did. It didn't even feel like it was humming right now.

He looked back up at her.

"I know Elias because I met him when I first grabbed this," he said. He didn't realize how little that actually explained. "And I know you because I went into your-"

He froze, suddenly realizing that it was a very bad idea to admit exactly how he knew what she looked like. Elias could get in trouble. Or, even worse, Maahes could get in trouble.

"I know because Elias showed me a photo of you!" he quickly corrected.

Honestly, Evaline had no idea what was going on. She wanted to know, but her mom usually told her that if she didn't know something, she should leave it to the adults. She wondered if she should tell someone about Maahes, but the stubborn side of her was determined to figure this out herself.

"Um... okay," she said, still staring at the metal object he was showing her. That really told her nothing because she had no idea what it was or how that had anything to do with this.

It was weird that Elias showed him a picture of her, though... and it was even weirder that he had a photo of her. Suddenly she started to feel embarrassed.

"So you're friends with Elias," she said as she decided to not ask more about the photo. "Do you, um..."

Again, she had no idea what was happening. But a good leader was supposed to know and assume things.

Sector 2 was already pretty far, and although she was sure Maahes wasn't from there, he must have been in another sector nearby since he was friends with Elias somehow. He must have been far from home.

"Do you need help to get home?" she asked. "Which sector are you from?"

Maahes froze again.

Evaline seemed like she was responsible. Elias hadn't ever said if she'd try to get him back to Odris, but now Maahes was starting thinking it was something that could happen. He stuffed the device into his bag and took a big step back.

"I don't need help getting home!" he quickly replied. He didn't know what sector he would be from, so he kept his mouth shut as tight as possible and didn't say anything else.

"Um... okay," Evaline said quietly as she started to wring her hands from the nerves. She wondered what her mom would say if she were here. Yeah. She should say that.

She cleared her throat and started again. "Do you want me to escort you to your home anyways, just in case?" she asked with newfound confidence, but it began to falter. "Wherever... that is. And, um -- you know, to get out of... my house?"

There were a lot of unanswered questions. Namely, where he came from, what the deal was with his weird power, and how he got in her room in the first place. But she was glad that her parents were not home right now so that he wouldn't get in trouble. Maahes didn't seem aggressive, so she didn't want to call extra attention to him.

"I know how to get out of your house," Maahes said with all of the confidence of someone who very much didn't. He guessed he just had to go right through the door, but Evaline was making it sound like it was complicated.

Then he frantically shook his head.

"And you don't have to bring me home!" he said. "I don't need to go home. I...I..."

He glanced around Evaline's room, trying to get an idea of what he could say he needed. He needed to get as far away from Odris as possible, but he was sure Evaline wouldn't help with that.

"I need to get back to Elias!" he finally told her.

At this point, Evaline was more confused than anything. She was just trying to help. Maahes needed help, right? She could help him. Yeah... if she could figure out what he needed help on.

He didn't need help to leave her house (but she wanted him to leave her house anyways), and he also didn't need help to get home, wherever that was. But... he needed Elias of all people?

Stubbornness began to swirl in her chest. What, she couldn't help? What could Elias do that she couldn't? She excelled in every subject compared to him, and she was generally better at helping in general. It almost felt insulting that Maahes came to her room just to ask to return to Elias.

Still, she bit back the mild annoyance. She knew she had to be calm in front of strangers.

"Okay," she said softly. "I guess I can take you there, but... we're in Sector 1 right now. He's in Sector 2. But! Tomorrow my parents and I will be back at our real home there, so maybe you can come along?"

His eyes widened.

Evaline could take him home, but he'd have to deal with her parents. Some adults seemed to know everything. The people Odris and him had meetings with didn't, but Odris did. He wasn't sure what group Evaline's parents were more like, but Evaline was observant. What if her parents figured out he had run away from home and sent him back?

He nervously looked between Evaline and the door.

"I can get back to Elias on my own!" he quickly informed her. He scooted back to the door. He was ready to run if he had to. He was a spirit; he could move faster than a sort-of Alteran like her could.

"W...wait!" Evaline said as she reached out for Maahes already backing away and looking like he was about to run. Once he opened the door, he'd be in the main living area and would be able to see the door to leave the small building.

"Why Elias?" she asked, sounding a bit desperate.

Because this made no sense, and she had no idea how Elias could help, or what kind of role he'd play in all of this.

Maahes didn't know how to answer her question.

He couldn't tell the reason why without revealing the truth, and he definitely didn't want to let Evaline know that he had run away. He bit his lip, thought long and hard (for all of a few seconds) on what answer he could give, and then decided on the first thing that came to mind.

"He's my friend!" he informed her.

And then he threw open her door and darted out of her room.

He didn't know where he was going - he was just so focused on getting away. He rushed over to what had to be the front door, ready to slip outside and figure out how to get back to Elias. But the moment he opened that door, he bumped into something warm.

He stumbled back and looked up.

It wasn't something.

It was someone.

...Someone who Maahes had seen in photographs in Evaline's house.

He stared up at the tall woman before him, horror clearly written across his guise's tiny face.