The Boy with the Long Tail

Everything went white for an eternity. If it came to pass that Sam had fallen into a coma for years, she would've accepted it. Regardless, she could feel herself return to the living world, and her half-conscious mind decided to take stock. Her body ached. Burns seared her delicate skin, and her shoulder had her nerves firing on all cylinders. A very tense reintroduction to Pandema. However, aside from that she was healthy, even comfortable.

She realized she was under a rock, the same type as the ones from underground. It kept her safe from the beating sun. A cool tinge of water was at her fingertips, and a soaking rag was dripping from her head. An aroma of fruit and alcohol drifted through the area. It was as if she was poolside on a tropical vacation. Surely, she thought, she wasn't dead, right?

From the corner of her blurred vision, a figure watched over her in the shadows. It was quiet initially, but it became more animated as she stirred from her slumber. Suddenly, Sam felt its hands shaking her with excitement. Now she definitely couldn't go back to sleep. As far as she could tell, her molester had dark skin, round green eyes, and oily black hair. They had a red scarf covering their shoulders and a strange extra appendage waving around their backside. They were also overjoyed to see her, annoyingly so, as their hands put pressure on the wound. They couldn't help themselves.

"You're alive! I was so worried. Hello there!"

In her sleep-induced stupor, Sam concluded that this person was a Pandemian and that this was first contact. It would not be a grand spectacle or a formal delegation as planned but an intimate face-to-face between two human beings. The following words would be for their ears only, but they would echo across history as the first from Earthling to Pandemian.

"Wow," Sam mumbled. "You're such a beautiful girl."

This compliment forced the Pandemian back on their feet. They were dumbstruck. "Girl? I'm not a girl. I'm a guy! See?" The boy promptly dropped the evidence.

If there was anything that would bring Sam to 100% attention, it was that. "Oh god! Gross! What are you!?"

"My name is Vinisnu!"

Sam turned away in terror, wondering if she was having a nightmare. Her first meeting with an alien couldn't be this! From the corner of her vision, the appendage returned. She screamed. "A tail!?"

"Of course! Isn't it amazing?" the boy was undoubtedly packing. The tail was almost the same size as he was. No, it shrunk and expanded at will and strongly indicated Vinisnu's mood. It wagged. "You almost lost your grip up there, but my tail's so strong it can hold someone as heavy as you!

"I'm not heavy!"

"But you were really hurt, so I dressed your wound and applied some medicine. It's cactar herbs and Redstreak fat. Pretty great, huh?"

"My wound?" Sam looked down. Her chest and shoulder were tightly wrapped in bandages with a red linen pad that smelled of vinegar over the wound. The execution was well done. He really knew his medical stuff. However, her tank top was nowhere to be seen. Nor her bra, and he dressed her specifically. She covered up. "Who said you could do that!?"

"I did."

This caused Sam to scream further.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" Vinisnu asked, wounded. "I saved your life, and this is how you repay me? Maybe I should throw you back over the canyon. Would you like that?"

"I don't know!" Sam made many more strange and alien noises, but it was all so overwhelming, and her body was barely up to standard. She just curled up into a ball and wept.

"Wait, don't cry!" His senses came back to him, and he rushed to her aid. He was at least aware enough of how to approach a crying woman. It almost made him cry, too. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it. Please forgive me."

Sam sniveled and wiped her face. It was embarrassing. This was first contact. These were the first words exchanged from species across so many light years, and here she was crying about it. It made her want to cry more, but as uncomfortable as he made her feel, she had to acknowledge that she was alive thanks to him. It wasn't fair to stay mad at him.

"You said you were Vinisnu?" Sam whimpered.

"Yeah, yeah," the boy feverishly nodded, his voice hushed. "Vinisoya clan's Vinisnu. That's my name, but my parents call me Snu." 

She sniffed. Snu. What a cute name. "I'm Sam. Samantha Reynolds. I'm from Earth."

"Sam," he replied. The name came out untranslated, so in Pandemian, it sounded like the equivalent of "shiver" or "tea ceremony." "Where is Earth, Sam?"

"Uh, very far away."

"How far?"

"Light years."

"Is it near Ssyommith?"

"...Probably further."

"Wow." The boy was impressed. "I have another question."

"What?"

"Where is your tail?"

Sam groaned. This was going to be a long story to tell. But still, she couldn't complain. In fact, this was actually exhilarating after all of the turmoil she'd suffered. An alien, neither Earthling nor Kainian, was before her, staring at her with such curiosity in his eyes, not privy to any preconceived biases that would alter his view of her. Even more, this was the first time in years she had spoken to someone her age. To not have someone look down on you as a child or as some problem to throw onto someone else was such a relieving thought. It was exciting. Her heart was pounding out of her chest but she couldn't ascertain why. She tried to lean up but the hole in her shoulder kept her down.

"Ah, ahm…" He mouthed out. :" Sa-ahm-anda? I think your name is weird. It sounds like backflip-summer-shudder."

That was kinda funny. "My mother called me Samaelura. Is that better?"

"That's even sillier!" he laughed. "Now it's tea-salt-purple-cup."

The imagery of salt in tea was enough to give Sam a chuckle, and her smile brightened Vinisnu's even further. Perhaps he wasn't a bad kid after all.

"By the way, this pool here." Sam splashed some water around. "We're at the oasis, right? Do you live nearby?"

Snu pointed to the humble stone building a few meters from where they sat. "Actually, I live here. This is my home."

"Oh," Sam blinked. That sounded luxurious."

It was then that her belly reminded them that she was human and hadn't eaten since yesterday.

"Do you wanna eat? I already told Mom what I was doing. You can stay with us for a while."

From the depths of space to the harsh wilderness of Pandema to a quaint, cozy cottage, all within 24 hours. If Sam had one wish given to her, it would be never to experience a day as chaotic as this one ever again. She scratched her cheek. "I would like to know what the food tastes like."