djinn

[human_girl]

Maria hated that she and Harry no longer lived in the same building. Dangerous things happened in Darrow sometimes, and she had felt safer having him close by, just like she had with Ree and Cassie when they had lived at Candlewood. But she hadn't mentioned this to Harry, even though a part of her really wanted to. The Nook was a nice place that had belonged to his friends. It wouldn't be fair for her to guilt-trip him about it.

Harry's new address sucked for another reason: it was almost impossible to show up to a boy's house looking cute after trekking through the countryside on an eighty degree day. Her skin was sticky and shiny from perspiration and sun lotion, and mostly bare in denim shorts and a warm orange cami.

It was a good thing she'd brought a bottle of water.

As she walked, a strange feeling of anxiety crept up on her. Noises in the distance made her jump and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Her pace quickened, more concerned with getting to Harry as quickly as possible than she was with keeping her dignity.

Maria wasn't far from The Nook when she saw it. At first glance she thought it was a piece of plastic torn from a shopping bag, blown there by the wind, but as she knelt down on the grass she saw what it really was. A thin layer of dry skin, about the size and shape of person's forearm. She picked it up and it disintegrated in the blink of an eye. Panic rising in her chest, she clambered back up to her feet, running a few steps before stopping again as she saw another, this time in the unmistakable shape of a hand.

They were here. Or at least one of them was. Skins. That was the name they called themselves. A group of enemy aliens who had made a one way trip to Earth wearing living environmental suits which allowed them to survive Earth's atmosphere and blend in among humans. But after a few decades, these 'human suits' had started to decline, the layers of 'skin' drying out and peeling off.

Tess—of all people—had saved the lives of her friends, of everyone in Roswell, possibly of the entire world, by killing the Skins. But while they may have been in Maria's past, Darrow didn't always follow the rules of past, present, and future.

Harry was in danger. She was in danger. Darrow was in danger.

She ran, calling out Harry's name as the house came into view.

Comments

[who_lived]

Harry is still getting used to living in the Nook as opposed to Candlewood Apartments. The lack of noise takes some getting used to, as does the fact that he no longer has to worry about wonky laundry machinery. The openness of living out in the country appeals to him greatly, as he can fly around on his Firebolt without any worries at all, and Hedwig can fly with him, too.

But no longer living in Candlewood means he also no longer lives with Maria, and that eats at him terribly.

He thinks of her with her new hair, and he smiles. He's expecting her today, which means he's taken the time to decorate the interior of the Nook with flowers. Perhaps too many flowers, but he thinks she'll like them.

He's making his way to the front hall to look out the window when he hears his name. Concerned by the frantic way with which Maria's shouting, he runs out to her.

"Maria?"

[human_girl]

The door opened, but it wasn't Harry whom Maria saw come running outside. Her legs froze, the bottle of water falling to the ground as her hands came up to cover her mouth.

A Skin had been inside Harry's house, and not just any Skin, but their leader: Nicholas, or so he called himself on Earth. Disguised as a fourteen year old boy, he looked harmless, but Maria knew what he was capable of. With a wave of his hand, she could be dead.

He smirked menacingly at her as he said her name. It took her by surprise that he even knew who she was. She had never been his target. But why else would he be there, at the house of someone she cared so much about, if not for her?

"Where is he?" she demanded, both angry and afraid, "Where's Harry?"

[who_lived]

Harry stops in his tracks, startled by both the bottle of water falling to the ground and the look on Maria's face. She looks horrified, as though she were staring at some improbable monster.

"Maria?" He repeats her name, cautiously stepping closer. She starts asking where he is, and Harry grows both more concerned and confused. He wonders if some magical being cast some sort of spell on her; some sort of illusionary magic. He looks at Maria, and she seems so far away, even as she's standing right here.

"Maria, it's me," Harry says, holding his hands out and trying to appear as calm and nonthreatening as possible. "I promise, I'm Harry. It's me."

[human_girl]

Maria took a step back as she watched her enemy come closer, but she stopped before taking another. She wanted to run, to cry, to beg for her life, but she couldn't think only of herself when she didn't know if Harry was safe her not. Harry was powerful, she had some idea of the things he could do with his magic, but was he powerful enough to fight Nicholas?

"What the hell?" she spat out in disgust at his words, the situation too shocking and intense for her to consider right away that there might be any truth to them. The American accent was too wrong, and Nicholas' face still wore that cruel, obnoxious smile, as though he enjoyed taunting her.

He was even worse than Maria had remembered.

Her body recoiled away from his hands. "Don't touch me," she warned, not caring that she thought she was talking to a dangerous alien.

[who_lived]

"Maria?" Harry asks, making a point not to reach for his wand. No matter how much he might yearn to help her, the last thing he wants is to frighten her. So he tries to keep himself as calm and as reasonable as possible. Even as the fear on her face transforms into anger, disgust.

"I'm not going to touch you," Harry promises, still holding his hands out before him. He remains still, not moving any further. He doesn't want to give her cause or reason for alarm. "I don't know what you're seeing, but please let me help."