Miah

“When do I get to see my sister?!”

“Soon,” the doctor says.

We’ve returned to Earth days ago, but these doctors still won’t let me go. They keep me in quarantine, taking my vitals every few hours, and I’m starting to feel like a lab rat.

No one will give me a straight answer, even though I feel fine. I just want to go home. Is that too much to ask for?

This is not what I expected coming home would be like. I half-expected the Onyx corporation to throw me a parade or something; just to reward me for being such a loyal employee… or something. At least a “sorry we sent you on such a deathtrap of a ship” would be nice.

But no. They’re treating me like a liability.

Which, I guess, I am. I’m one of their employees, and I nearly died. That doesn’t look good to shareholders. I’m dying to know what Egon was talking about — he said Onyx was literally the devil — but I never got him to tell me exactly why.

However, with the way these doctors are treating me, I’m starting to feel like there just might be some truth to his words…

“Abby!”

I run towards my sister as fast I can. The doctors finally let me go, and my little sister is waiting for me in the lobby of the hospital. Well, little — she’s a young woman in her own right, but she’ll always be my little sister to me.

“Miah!”

I hug her tightly, and tears fill my eyes instantly.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I say. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Me too,” she says, “Me too. They wouldn’t tell me anything!”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t say goodbye.”

She hugs me tightly. “I’m just happy you’re back, sis.”

Abby looks as beautiful as ever.

I wonder what Egon would say — would he think we look alike?

“What’s wrong?” Abby asks.

“Hm?”

“You had a strange look in your eyes.”

“It’s nothing,” I lie. “Let’s go home.”

We spend the entire ride home talking. I ask her about work and her drawings, though she’s far more interested in asking me what happened. I brush her questions off — I can’t talk about Egon in the crowded subway. I wouldn’t be surprised if Onyx had eyes and ears everywhere. I’m not quite sure what to think about them anymore…

“You’re acting funny,” Abby says when she closes the door of my apartment behind me. “What’s wrong with you? I knew surviving for weeks in the wilderness is not easy, but you’re acting like a crazy person.”

“It’s not your fault,” I say.

“I know it’s not, I’m awesome,” she laughs. “What’s really going on? Were you on some kind of secret mission?”

“Something like that,” I sigh.

“I knew it!” she says. “Hold on. I’m going to fix us dinner, and you’re going to tell me everything.”

“Make sure you turn off your phone,” I say hastily. “It has a microphone, you know.”

Abby laughs. “Yeah, duh. I switched it off in the hospital already. Do you think this is my first rodeo?”

“Well, yeah,” I stammer.

“Then you have no idea what I get up to at night.”

I’m learning a whole new side of my sis. I watch her work in the kitchen, dumbfounded. She grabs my plate and fills it with lasagna — my favorite.

It’s so sweet of her to take care of me, while I should really be the one taking care of her. I’m the older one, after all.

“Now, tell me everything. Don’t keep any secrets from me!”

“Okay, okay,” I say. Where do I even start? “So guess what? I met this guy…”

“Ohhh,” Abby coos. “This is gonna be good.”

“You have no idea.”

I tell her everything. The full story. How Egon saved my life, how I feared him at first, how we grew closer and closer, until it felt like nothing could separate us… and how it all came to a crashing end.

When I’m done, tears are streaming down my face.

“I just don’t know,” I stammer. “I’m happy to be home, but…”

“You don’t have to finish that sentence,” Abby says. “I understand. You found love — real love. I would’ve understood. Guys like that don’t show up everyday.”

“How can you say that?” I say, wiping my tears away. “I can’t leave you alone. You’re just a kid.”

“I’ll let you know I’m a fully functioning adult, thank you very much. I know I’ll always be your baby sister, but just because mom and dad aren’t around anymore doesn’t make you my mom, you know.”

“I know, I know,” I say. “I just don’t want you to grow up.”

“That makes two of us. But I’m doing it regardless!” she laughs. “Wow, I can’t believe you dated Beast. Beast! That’s so crazy!”

“It is, right? I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“And he wouldn’t tell you what really happened?”

“Not a word,” I say, “except that Onyx was involved somehow.”

Abby nods, and I see a familiar glint in her green eyes. I’ve seen that look before. It means she’s cooked up a crazy plan.

“What are you thinking?” I say. “Don’t do anything rash.”

“I’m just going to dig up some info,” she says as she whips out her tablet.

“Dig up info? What are you, an undercover journalist?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “What do you think I do online all the time? Play games?”

“Well, yeah,” I admit. “You don’t.”

“I’ll let you know I’m quite a respected figure on the dark web message boards.”

“The dark web?” I gasp. “If the Federation finds out, you’ll be arrested.”

“Exactly,” she says. “What does that say about them?”

“Why haven’t you told me?!” I say.

“Because you were going to go all mom on me, like you’re doing now,” she smirks. “I know what I’m doing sis, trust me.”

“Okay,” I say. “Okay. I get it. I trust you. But… be careful.”

“Says the woman dating an intergalactic criminal.”

“Hush.”