“Solstice, what are you doing here?” Leslie gasped. She ran down the hallway toward him. “You can’t be walking around my school like this!”
Leslie pushed Solstice over to the entrance of the boy’s restroom. A student was exiting the bathroom. His mouth opened in amazement. He dropped his books and ran away without saying a word.
“I borrowed, what would you say, a page from your book and snuck out of the basement,” Solstice said. Several students had gathered. “Why do they look at me so strangely?”
“Because there’s no one on this planet with green hair and yellow eyes,” Leslie said, trying to block him from view. “So please get your alien self back home!”
“I saw several humans on your television with green hair,” Solstice remarked. “They were in a place called Japan. Is this not Japan?”
“No,” Leslie shrugged. “This isn’t Japan. This is the United States of America. Did you say you stayed up all night watching television?”
“Television and, what do you call it, the internet,” Solstice answered. “I know all there is to know about your world.”
“What are you talking about?” she whispered.
Leslie pushed him into the boy’s restroom and out of view. She turned back toward the other students.
“Cool cosplay, don’t you think?” Leslie said.
“Green hair?” one of the female students said. “So 2000.”
“Lame,” her male friend agreed. “I would have used purple.”
Leslie rushed into the restroom. Solstice was fixing his hair in the mirror.
“Your social media is obsessed with appearances,” Solstice said. “Am I handsome,
Leslie?”
“Handsome? You have green hair and wear spandex,” Leslie frantically said. “At least you’re not a clown.”
“I cannot return home,” Solstice remarked. “I have no home.”
“I meant my home,” she said. “You can’t stay here.”
“You are Elisha Lightning,” Solstice said, “But, your father calls you, Leslie. How can this be?”
“We’re like the same person,” Leslie responded. “But, we’re totally different. I have
like a secret identity. Does that make sense?”
“Perfectly,” Solstice replied. He entered one of the bathroom stalls and closed the door. “One moment, please, Leslie Billings.”
“So when I look like this you have to call me Leslie,” she said. “When I’m in my costume, you have to call me Elisha Lightning. You’re not seriously using the bathroom in there?”
There was a bright flash of orange light. The toilet flushed. Dakota Nelson stepped out of the bathroom stall. He was dressed exactly as he was the previous night. Leslie rushed over to the door, knocking Dakota aside, and gazed inside the stall. Solstice was gone.
“What in the world did you just do?” she gasped. “How did you…?”
“Dakota and I are one now,” Dakota said. “His form is more to your liking?”
“Wait a second,” Leslie suddenly realized. “That was Dakota’s car that was destroyed last night in the desert. It was his car that was leaving the party.”
“Why yes, it was,” Dakota replied. “I saved his life.”
“So, you’re Solstice,” Leslie questioned. “Or are you really Dakota?”
“I am both,” Dakota answered. “Or do you prefer my Solstice form?”
“No. No,” she said. “This works for now. Let’s get out of here before I get suspended. Remember, be convincing.”
Leslie and Dakota exited the boy’s bathroom. Sarah, Leslie’s red haired friend, and
her boyfriend, Scott, were getting books from their lockers. Immediately, they stopped what they were doing. Sarah adjusted her glasses in disbelief.
“Dakota?” Sarah slowly said.
Scott dropped his books in shock. He shook his head several times in amazement and pointed at Dakota.
“Holy crap,” Scott remarked. “Dakota, is that really you? The whole school thought you were dead! I mean, I posted it all over social media. Sorry about that, dude.”
Sarah slapped Scott on the back of the head.
“Don’t mind him, Dakota,” she said with a laugh. “We’re just glad to see you are alright. And, might I point out, looking mighty fine!”
“And I thought you were some kind of fearless Indian warrior, dude,” Scott joked.
“The correct term would be Native American,” Dakota responded.
“Remember,” Leslie whispered. “Convincing.”
Dakota walked over to Sarah. He took her hand and gently kissed it. Her face turned a bright red, as dark as her hair. She giggled.
“As I was struggling to get through the flames, Sarah,” Dakota began. “All I could see was your beautiful face. And, the idea that I might never see that face again, it kept me going. You’re the reason I made it.”
“It was a little scary,” Dakota chuckled. He rubbed the back of his head. “But, I’m fine. Really.”
“Oh, Dakota,” Sarah gushed. “How romantic.”
“Not what I meant,” Leslie quipped. “Disgusting.”
“You’re sounding jealous,” Scott laughed. “You’re hilarious.”
Leslie turned and gave Scott a stern look.
“You do realize that he’s hitting on your girlfriend,” Leslie snapped.
“Oh, yeah,” Scott replied, scratching his head. “You’re right.”
“I’m beginning to think this day couldn’t get any worse,” Leslie grumbled. “Dakota, drive me home.”
“I don’t have a car,” Dakota reminded her. “Remember, the big explosion, fire, pile of rubble. Boom.”
“Drive my car then,” Leslie said. She dug into her pockets and tossed Dakota the keys.
“Of course,” he said. “I hope I was convincing.”
Leslie and Dakota started walking down the hallway toward the nearest exit.
“Call me!” Sarah shouted after them.
Dakota stopped and clutched his head.
“What’s wrong?” Leslie asked.
“I sense something,” Dakota responded. “I sense someone.”
The wall exploded in an avalanche of brick, dust and metal support beams. Leslie and Dakota were thrown across the corridor into the opposite wall. As the smoke began to clear, a towering figure slowly began to emerge.
Dakota helped Leslie to her feet.
“Are you alright, Leslie?” he asked.
“I’m good,” she answered. “I heal fast.”
Professor Dox wheeled himself to the entrance of his classroom.
“And who might this evil fiend be?” he remarked. “Let me venture a guess.”
The Moon Hunter stepped through the gaping hole in the wall. His cape flapped and flowed behind him.
“Solstice!” the alien hunter shouted. “Prepare to face the wrath of the Moon Hunter!”
Leslie and Dakota looked at one another.
“It’s worse,” they said in unison.
THE ADVENTURE WILL CONTINUE IN ELISHA LIGHTNING #2: RACE TO SPACE..........