Dragon Mirror- Ties Between the Veil
12: Rude Awakening, the Meeting, and Aliens

His words cut off as Tito was jolted awake. She was laid out on the floor next to the bed and Zhao had her shoulders up on his lap while he was shaking her.

“Tito! Tanya! Wake up! My god!” She blinked at him, her eyes gritty and dry. Her head was pounding and her cheek hurt.

“Did you fucking slap me?” Her voice came out in a croak. Zhao inhaled in relief and clutched her to his chest. He was noticeably muscular, and Tito squashed a moment of annoyance. She pushed at him and found his embrace rock hard.

“You did fucking slap me!” She struggled a bit.

“I thought you were dead. I can’t lose you.” He whispered into her hair. She felt a thrill, before he continued. “You’re my only connection left to her.” Immediately she felt a souring resentment. She jabbed him with her elbow, and he finally released her.

“What the fuck ever.” Her voice cracked. “She’s gone and you just yanked me out of talking with someone who might have a fucking clue.” She tried to crawl up onto her knees and fell to her side.

“Whoa.”

Zhao stood and lifted her like a child to lay her on the bed. Her vision was blurry and she felt horrible. She didn’t even say anything while Zhao propped her up.

“You were half off the bed, upside down, with your eyes open.” He went and filled a plastic cup of water and handed it to her. He held out his other hand. She held out her palm to receive the pendant.

“It was on the floor next to you.”

She felt weak and limp. Her eyes hurt and she felt confused. She had completely checked out and met a man that claimed to be her uncle from centuries ago inside a wild dream. A wild dream that seemed to throw her right out of her body.

Zhao placed his palm on her cheek, his fingers cupping her bare scalp. She felt another flash of irritation.

“Leave me the fuck alone, I’m not your damn girlfriend.” He immediately stepped back, his eyes reproachful.

“I’m just concerned, Tito.”

She looked away then closed her eyes against a wave of dizziness. She felt like her brain was lurching to the side.

Meet me at the McDonald’s on the East Side of Charleston, West Virginia in two days. It’s off of the 114.

Kiishthwa’s voice was directly in her brain and she screamed in fright, lurching up, and Zhao grabbed her to hug her to himself.

“Tanya! Tito! I’ve got you!”

Tito gasped, and clung to him. “The fucker is inside my head!” Zhao stiffened, and pulled back to look into her eyes.

“What?”

Zhao drove uncomfortably. Tito lay in the passenger seat, dozing fitfully. He didn’t know what was going on, just that they had to drive a few hours to reach Charleston, to meet a strange man that Tito said had spoken into her mind.

She wore a short red bob with barrettes that looked like lizards, an orange hoodie with the Arizona Gecko on the front in white and black. Legs shod in tight black and white houndstooth leggings were tucked up underneath her. Her black boots were discarded on the floorboards.

Her phone kept buzzing, and she switched it off and pocketed it. She shrugged when she noticed his quizzical look. “Thirsty bitches want my attention.”

He was driving slowly through the east side, looking for the McDonalds. He spotted it and pulled into the parking lot to park. He sat for a moment, looking over at Tito.

“I guess we are here.” She startled him by speaking. “Let's get this crazy ass show on the road.”

Zhao frowned at her. “We just got off the road.” She rolled her eyes and popped open the side door.

When they entered the McDonald’s, Zhao’s eyes immediately locked onto the stark white braid of a man wearing a blue flannel jacket and faded blue jeans. He sat facing away from them and seemed to be hunched over his meal.

“I didn’t realize there was a boyfriend trailing behind.” Tito jumped, and then glared at the man.

“Not mine, hers.” Her voice was venomous and Zhao shifted uncomfortably.

The man turned, a half eaten McDouble in his hand. Zhao was surprised at the sharp black eyes that regarded him. The barest hint of crows feet feathered his skin, but his dark complexion was youthful. A man in his prime.

“So he is.” He took another slow, prolonged bite of his burger. Then he raised his hand and intoned “Hau!”

Tito surprised Zhao by breaking out in a loud laugh. She had been so silent and withdrawn that he’d been concerned that she’d been hurt by this man in the strange dream they’d shared.

“You are unreal, Kishthwa.”

The man, Kiishthwa, grimaced. “Call me Moon, if you’re going to butcher my name.”

Tito blinked, opening her mouth slightly. “I only ever read your name- if it isn’t right, then fucking tell me!”

Kiishthwa leaned back, pursing his lips, then taking another bite. “No, I don’t think I will.”

Zhao couldn’t help himself. He snickered, raising a hand to hide his mouth. Tito turned to him, widening her eyes in betrayal.

“So, Mr. Moon, you've already met Tito, my name is Zhao-” He paused as the man crammed the last quarter of his burger into his mouth. “We have some questions...” He trailed off, as Kiishthwa was swiveling in his chair, looking for something.

“Wait- Wait- There!” He pulled up a wad of napkins and vigorously wiped his mouth. He picked up a greasy bag and held it out. “There are six McDoubles in here, hungry?”

Zhao stood with his mouth slightly open, but Tito snatched the bag from his hand and plopped onto one of the anchored stools on the opposite side of the table. She opened the bag and took out two burgers, pushing the rest towards him.

Moon gestured towards the food and leaned back, his hands over his belly. He spoke. “So I'm guessing that by now you realize that your grandmother was pretty strange.” His black eyes were staring at Tito's face as she ate, with a strange avid hunger that made Zhao uncomfortable.

“Yea, she was fucking strange. And kinda fucking obsessed with Raina.” She bit into the burger scowling.

The man’s white eyebrows slowly raised, and he brought the fingers of one hand to his lips. The corners twitched up. “You sound like my eldest son... when Behitha was born and became the center of my mothers world.”

Tito's arched brows drew down in a scowl that made her look like the poster child for grunge rock. She lowered the burger with the twist of her lips.

“I'm starting to fucking guess that Pani was more than a little self centered, and had her own fucking reasons for the obsession.” Zhao internally cringed at the consistent swearing. Raina had sworn occasionally, but Tito seemed to use the word “fuck” for emphasis for every occasion. Especially when agitated.

Kiishthwa tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling, then looked her in the eyes and nodded. “She's pretty ‘fucking’ selfish.”

Tito blushed, taking another bite of her burger. Zhao had barely opened his, but unwrapped the McDouble to fill the awkward silence. He hesitated, then asked.

“But, for what reason? Was she- ah, like... that?” He finished weakly as Tito had turned her eyes on him to stare. She had told him how Pani had played favorites, but he just hadn't seen it from his perspective.

Kiishthwa, Moon, shrugged noncommittally, then sat up straight, held both of his hands up to either side of his head, and solemnly said. “Aliens.”

Tito dropped her burger and stood up. “I can't fucking process this shit.” She walked out, and stood outside the window to pull out a pack of camels and light up. Zhao stared in shock, first at Moon, then out the window. He took a small breath.

“I had no idea she smoked before all this craziness. How did she even get them? She isn't even eighteen.”

Moon nodded sagely. “Smoked my first peace pipe when I was twelve.”

Zhao looked at him askance.

“So, ah... you really are like, over four hundred years old?”

Moon reached over and picked up Tito's discarded burger.

“Yes.”

“Um. Care to expand on that?”

“No.”

“Well... alright.”

Moon looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. He took a bite of the burger and spoke around his mouth full. “You're about as meek as the backside of a white tailed deer, ain't ya?”

Zhao scowled at him and started eating his own burger. He wanted to argue, but he didn’t know this strange man.

Moon laughed disarmingly, smiling. “For what it's worth, I was honest when I said aliens.”

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