Saturday, December 10^th, 2011

Time Until Human Again = 24 Hours, 3 Minutes

His thoughts now swimming with questions, Alex gave the device another once-over, this time tapping the screen as well as pressing the one button. For the moment, nothing made any changes. The screen stuck to the words it displayed before.

Kudamon kept quiet all the while, prompting Alex to ask, “So, what were you seeking me out for, and what exactly are you?”

“I would ask the same. Werewolves are supposed to be myths of the human world.”

“Supposed to, until one of them comes after you.”

“Hmm. Makes one wonder what else is not just a myth within this world.” When Alex didn’t respond, Kudamon continued. “That aside, to answer your first question, I was seeking you out because of something yet to come.”

“That’s rather vague,” Alex said after a moment.

“True, but as you have implied, you have no idea what I am. If I, and I alone, gave you little or no time to agree to a request, would you?”

Alex shook his head.

“My point exactly, and that is why I am here now rather than two weeks from now.”

Two weeks? “Is something supposed to happen close to Christmas?”

“At the moment, those who sent me are unsure. Because they believe there is a chance, I and others were asked to approach humans like yourself well ahead of such an event.”

“And do what? See if we’re capable?”

“More to see if your reaction to our presence is too upsetting.”

Alex saw the logic of the idea, and repressed the grin he felt coming on. “Was that why you came at night?”

“Yes, though I knew well before I emerged that someone was up. My original gateway was closed just before I made it through, hence where you found me.”

“And if this house had just one computer when that happened?”

“Then I would have had to bide my time and emerge later. Act accordingly.”

Alex took a minute to wonder how many more creatures like Kudamon had made their presence known by now, or were in hiding until the time was right. And the event Kudamon’s handlers thought was coming… Alex’s first thought was something internet or computer related; Christmas was ripe for internet-based games, both personal computer and console.

“So, what about you? I still don’t know what you are.”

“You will, eventually. For now, my objective is to remain with you for a while. Any other developments, we will deal with as they come.”

Developments? “Anything I should be watchful for?”

“Yes. What humans call ‘glitching’ electronics, most of all. That would be a sign that something like me is nearby, or about to be.”

“Assume it’s bad if it does happen?”

“Not quite, but at least be on your guard.”

“Alright.” Alex waited to see if Kudamon would say more, and continued when he didn’t. “I should tell you, I have to leave this house later today, go somewhere else.”

“What for?”

“It’s something related to me being a werewolf.”

Kudamon hummed. “I see. If you have no desire to share details, I will not press you for them.”

“Thanks.”

“Though, if possible, I would prefer to come along and stay close to you.”

The focus of Kudamon’s large, golden eyes told Alex everything. “We might be able to work something out.”

“You have a solution in your hand already.”

Alex looked at the device. “This thing?”

“Correct. I can hide myself away in there at any time, and come back out when I need.”

“Oh. That’s useful, but, how exactly?”

“That button on the face of the device? Hold it down for a few seconds.”

Alex did so, and in turn, the screen produced a glowing circle that expanded well beyond the boundaries of the screen, making him hold it away from his body.

“Hold it still,” Kudamon said, before leaping towards the circle. His body vanished and so did the circle a moment later, his head reappearing within the screen afterward. “And that is how you can quietly keep me at your side.”

“And you can still hear me?”

“Clearly, as well as anything near the device, or loud enough otherwise.”

“Good to know,” Alex said before he held back a yawn. Rubbing his eyes free of tears, he posed a question to Kudamon. “Since you woke me up, you won’t mind if I go back to sleep?”

“Not at all. I will leave this device on my own when I feel it is safe.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Alex said as he stood back up. Once the pantry light was off again, he opened the door, finding Bailey at the ready to investigate the pantry but still unwilling to come close to the wolf-man form of his owner. His dog backed up as Alex left the pantry, zipping into the tiny room to sniff around for the creature at his first chance.

“So your presence frightens everything not like you.”

“Yeah, it does.”

“I see. I will keep that in mind.”

Once in his room, Alex plugged his devices back in and then checked his phone. It hadn’t faced the same fate as his desktop or XBOX, and was lacking new texts otherwise. With the device containing Kudamon set nearby, he climbed back into bed and let sleep take over again.

* * *

Alex awoke several hours later, though still before the sun had fully risen. Initially, he didn’t see Kudamon anywhere, and the device that once contained him was empty. There was no growling coming from Bailey, wherever he was within the house.

“Down here,” Kudamon said; his voice was coming from Alex’s left, near his bookshelf. When he checked, he found Kudamon reading one of the hardcover novels from the bottom shelf, and past the halfway point already. “Your Shepherd made no attempt to chase me while you slept.”

“Good to know, but I’ll still have to train him a bit if you’re staying with me.”

“I would appreciate that.”

As Alex got off his bed and moved to his door, he could hear Kudamon following him. He poked his head out into the hallway, seeing no visual sign of Bailey; like other times when the full moon came, he was sleeping on the futon in the guest room.

Alex gestured for Kudamon to follow the hallway, and he did so, though waited at the end for him to come close. “If you have no issue with the idea, I can balance on one of your shoulders until he is trained.”

“Or, small as you are, I can hold you with one hand.” Alex then crouched and held his paw out, onto which Kudamon could stand with ease. “Weird. I didn’t think you’d weigh this much.”

“Neither did I, even after I was told to expect it.”

Thinking back on Kudamon’s words from the previous night, Alex couldn’t help imagining he and several others like, and possibly unlike, him sitting in a conference room and being taught what a second world would be like.

Once in the kitchen, after letting Kudamon step off his paw onto the counter, Alex asked him, “This place you came from? Does it have a name?”

“Yes, but that I will tell you if the need arises to go there.”

Alex’s eyebrows raised at that. “Wait, go there? How? I’m flesh and blood.”

“And clearly not human, in that form at least.”

“That makes a difference?”

“If it does, I hope in no serious ways.”

Alex changed the subject at that. “That aside, if you have mass, and a physical body…does that mean you can eat things?”

“Yes, and it would be my first time tasting anything of your world.”

“In that case, I’ll fix up some of the best I’ve got.”

Alex then gathered some of what he needed to make ravioli, before wondering if Kudamon’s size would make eating it an issue.

“Question: have you used utensils before?”

“I know what those are, but no.”

“Hmm. The ones I have are probably too big, then.” At that, Alex gathered the things he needed to make sandwiches instead, along with a strainer full of grapes and cherries. Within a few minutes, he had enough sandwiches for both himself and Kudamon, and set everything up in the study.

As it turned out, Kudamon was well-versed in how to eat cherries; within minutes, three dozen were eaten to the pits. Bailey meanwhile was begging for scraps again, to which Alex obliged with parts of his own sandwich, though in doing so felt an odd twinge, like he was pushing his dog aside or treating him differently.

He shook his head at the idea. No, he does this all the time. This isn’t different.

“Something wrong?” Kudamon asked.

“No, just had a weird thought. Needed it gone.”

“Oh. Does that happen often?”

“Not as much anymore, thankfully.”

Kudamon hummed before looking over to where Bailey was. “If I may, how long have you lived like this?”

“Little under four months now.”

“And you remain inside the entire time?”

“Not quite. I do slip outside, into the garage, when I can.”

“Since your current form is overtly frightening?”

“Yeah. My parents saw it, as did my friends; took me a while to tell them and all of them were scared. Anyone else, they’d probably shoot me or get the police on me.”

“I see.”

“And yeah, this did frighten me for a long while. Had no idea what was truth or fiction about it until the full moon came, and even that didn’t reveal everything.”

“Hmm. Well, if you need assurance of anything, your secret is safe with me also.”

“Thanks, though if it ever happens, how can I explain what you are to anyone who sees you?”

“If that ever does happen, it would be best to let me do the talking. Though, given your situation, I believe you have experience enough in hiding things from others.”

“That’s true, and that device you brought will help a lot.”

“Indeed it will.” Kudamon then resumed eating the cherries while Alex finished the rest of his meal. When he at last tired of eating them, his attention turned to the second half of his sandwich, cut into sixths to allow his tiny hands to hold each segment.

“I’m impressed you can eat that much,” Alex said as Kudamon finished; his own meal was only half finished by then.

“We have to where I am from, though I believe I have the smallest appetite out of the many who made the trip with me.”

“Many? How many came with you?”

“Twenty-four.”

Alex’s eyebrows raised at that answer, and his response was delayed in turn. “Like you?”

“Not exactly like me, if that is what you meant.”

“Sort of. Where did the others go?”

“All over the United States, this time.”

“‘This time?’ So this has happened before?”

“At least three times, mostly in recent years and in various locations. This would be the fourth such expedition.”

“Really?” Kudamon nodded. “Then, is there a way to find or contact the others?”

“After three days, that should be possible.”

“Why the delay?”

“To ensure the twenty-four others are willing to help, rather than be frightened by our presence.”

“Oh, right. So, if they refuse or can’t handle it, their device stays off?”

“Yes, and the ones sent to them must then return to my world to report the refusal of their partner.”

“Huh. Was that why so many were sent? You figure a lot of these ‘partners’ won’t be willing?”

“A lesson learned from the first expedition as I was told. Back then, only five were sent and all but one came back. So, we assume one of five will be willing each time, though more is always welcome.”

“And what was the reason for the last three expeditions?” Alex asked after tossing Bailey another piece of ham.

“The first time, several of our own made it into this world and removed themselves from the ‘grid’, as you humans say. Hence the expedition and the human partners; we needed a way to find where they had gone. The two times after, there was anticipation of something similar or worse from our side and some of ours were sent to this world in response.”

“I take it it helped.”

“The first time, yes. Nothing serious happened, and the ones who made it here were either rounded up or dealt with. The second time, the ones who came through were more capable and caused issues, but in the end, they lost.”

“Sounds like a recurring problem, the ones who make it over here.”

“It is, but this is something we cannot stop unless humans like yourself willingly give up everything electronic in nature.”

“No chance of that at this point.”

“Indeed, so the next best option is allowing ourselves to come here, making contact with those we selected ahead of time, and being ready in case similar events occur once again.”

Though Alex appreciated Kudamon’s words and explanations, part of him worried about the timing of the arrival. His meat hunger and overnight stay at Shane’s place would be simple to handle, but his finals were only days away. How soon would he be needed, and what would that entail?

And how long would this partnership last?