Hameel studied the figure. It was wearing a glass dome over its face. He struggled to imagine whose face might be hiding under the dome. Whoever it was had no wings. Maybe this was a dream. The figure was crouching, peering at something on one of his shelves. Did it need an elixir to sleep? Was the white cloth fitted snugly over its body, covering a painful rash? There were no other customers in Hameel's medicine shop. He was thankful to have sent Lizzak home early.

  The figure's mind was full of thoughts. Hameel observed them reverently. It was equally scared and curious. Hiding out in his own store wouldn't help solve the mystery, so Hammel decided to step forward and introduce himself.

  The figure froze and then let out a blood-curdling yelp. An appreciation for the small knife, tucked snugly between his wings and lower back, surged within Hameel. How much force would be necessary to break the dome, he wondered?

  "My name is Lilly," it screamed, "I'm seventeen. Please don't hurt me. I'm from America."

  Hameel cocked his head sharply. The figure spoke his language. How remarkable! The word America was foreign, but he clearly understood the rest.

  "I am Hameel. I wish you no harm. Please remove the dome so I may see your face."

  The figure said nothing, its shoulders heaving up and down."

  Hameel registered that it did not understand his request.

  "May you remove your dome so that we can fully see one another."

  "I can't take off the helmet. I need it to breathe."

  Hameel stared hard at the figure now. His hand rose involuntarily to feel a slight rush of air as he inhaled and exhaled.

  "I don't understand. Why do you say you can't breathe?"

  "Because there isn't any oxygen on Mars."

  Mars, another foreign word, he thought.

  "What is Mars?"

  Lilly stood up, surprising Hameel. She was much taller than he had anticipated.

  The figure was debating whether Hameel was human. The thoughts were upsetting the figure. Hameel wondered what the word human meant.

  "Mars is our word for your planet. I think we're from different planets. My planet is Earth," Lilly said.

  Hameel thought about the word planet. The stranger was from another planet. He had never considered that there was anywhere else to live other than Merrrick. Who was this figure from another planet who could not breathe their air? The Orb must know. Why hadn't it warned him?

  "Our planet is called Merrick. It sounds like merry. We wish you to be merry here," Hammel said.

  "Like Merry Christmas," Lilly said, smiling under the helmet.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "I do not know Merry Christmas," Hammel replied, hoping not to offend.

  But Lilly nodded agreeably, and Hameel smiled too, pleased that the child felt safe.

  "Can I ask you how you know you cannot breathe without the dome?"

  "It's complicated," Lilly said.

  "I'm a reader. I see you think I will not understand your explanation."

  Lilly didn't respond, and Hameel sensed she didn't understand what he meant by "reader."

  "A reader is someone who can read minds. All Merrick people have a gift given to them by the Orb. I am a reader."

  "When you say Orb, you mean that big fireball out there, right?"

  Hameel laughed and shook his head in agreement.

  "And when you say gift, you mean a superpower like reading minds or telekinesis?" Lilly asked.

  "What is the word telekinesis?"

  "It means you can move things with your mind."

  "Ah, yes. We have Merrrick that can do that. We call them movers. We have strengths, too."

  "Strengths?" Lilly asked.

  "Some Merricks are born with great strength. They could lift this store off the ground if they choose."

  Lilly shook her head, which was full of thoughts too rapid for Hameel to read.

  "I sense you have a gift, too. Am I right?"

  "I can fly," Lilly said.

  Hameel thought about this. Flying was no gift. All Merrick could fly, even babies mere hours after being pushed out of their mothers. But the figure was enthralled with flight. Dismissing something the stranger considered a gift would be rude.

  "So not everyone from Earth can fly?"

  "No. I mean- well, yes, anyone can fly if they have money to buy an airplane ticket, but no one can fly on their own on Earth."

  Hameel looked at Lilly, confused.

  "Then how is it that you can fly?"

  "Well, I couldn't fly until I came to Mars. We all got a superpower because of the radiation levels here."

  Hameel quickly deduced that Mars and Merrick meant the same thing to the figure.

  "What types of powers did Mars give your people?

  "Flying, telekinesis, telepathy or reading minds as you call it, super strength, speed, and visions."

  "What do you mean by visions?"

  "Well, one of us can see visions of things that have happened or are yet to happen. It's not clear if what she sees is the past or the future. Most of it is upsetting."

  Hameel didn't know what to say. The figure was describing her friend as all-knowing, like the Orb. Surely this was false.

  "This sounds like a dangerous gift. What if her visions are wrong?"

  Lilly didn't respond- her mind flooded with anxious thoughts about a woman named Sloan.

  "No, Merrick people can see the future, thankfully. But all Merrick are fast, just like all Merrick can fly."

  "Oh, and Mia can heal people. She can save them as long as they don't die before she gets to them."

  Hameel stepped back, grabbing a shelf to keep himself steady. His fingers grazed a row of potions meant for headaches, and several tipped over loudly. There was no way he'd heard the stranger correctly. The Orb was the only source of healing. A creature as fragile as the figure standing in front of him could never heal. Who were these strangers, and why were they here?

  "Who are you, child?" Hameel asked.

  "I'm Lilly," she said.

  "But how did you get here, Lilly?"

  "I traveled through the Orb. I think I'm from your planet's future. My friends, Edward and Max, may be here. I'm not sure how to find them."

  Hameel felt sweat beading on his forehead. Something about Lilly was beginning to scare him, although their conversation had been primarily pleasant. He pinched the back of his hand to see if he was dreaming. A sharp pain prompted him to keep his composure and keep the creature talking.

  "And in the future, are Merrick people well? Have we made great advancements? Is the planet happy and prosperous?"

  "Well, no," Lilly said hesitantly. "I believe your species went extinct. We've been exploring Mars for several years now, and there's no evidence that any living beings ever existed before us.

  "How strange," Hameel said, suddenly feeling somewhat vulnerable, knowing the stranger had friends on the loose.

  "Lilly, may I ask if you are male or female?"

  "I'm a girl. I'm female."

  "And Edward?"

  "He's male."

  "And Max?"

  "Also male."

  "And only three of you traveled through the Orb, you say?"

  Lilly straightened her body as if she realized the atmosphere in the room had shifted. And then she screamed again, a second high-pitched scream that sent Hameel lunging forward to make it stop. While at the same time, Alex barged through the shop's front door, the metal shank held high above his head.