[i Jingle, jingle, jingle.]

“Yes, I’m feeding you…hold on….”

Myles twisted the silver key into the lock and pushed open the door to his untidy studio apartment. It was nothing elaborate, just a small space for him and his cat to hideaway in. The walls were off white, it had aged appliances, and the smell of stale cigarettes lingered in the air. He had lived there a few years, unmotivated to upgrade into anything finer.

What was the point, really? He often wondered why he should put any effort into finding something ‘nicer’. Would his parents come over more? He hoped not. Would his job pay him more? That would be a miracle. Would his cat meow less?

[i Meow.]

Myles looked down, shaking the golden strands from his line of sight.
“Okay…. okay…”
He opened the cabinet to his left and grabbed the small sack of cat food.
“You’re so bossy. You know that Big Mac?”
Myles tilted his head at the oversized feline and dumped a cup of dry food into his bowl. The cat proceeded to attack the bowl as if it was the last meal, it would ever eat.
“You are a savage.”

He proceeded to put the cat food away and made his way to the living room which was only about ten steps from the entryway. It also happened to double as his bedroom. He pushed the empty take out boxes and dirty clothes from his seat and finally sat back to breathe. The last twelve hours had been hell as he had been forced into brainless meetings about obscure concepts that wouldn’t sell. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to input his ideas into the magazines concept, no one would listen. He knew expanding the print internationally needed to wait another quarter for sales to reflect yet they rushed the print anyway.  
He knew that he was wasting his time at the company yet he was still there. He was still nodding his head in obedience and collecting a paycheck.

What was the point of quitting? To just find another brainless and mindless job where your input is pushed to the side because of a fucked hierarchy?

Myles exhaled dramatically and threw his arms up over his head. He didn’t want to think about work anymore, not when he had to be back in the office in less than six hours. He needed sleep and food- yet the sleep would take priority. He grabbed the thin blanket from the floor and draped it over his slender body. As he was about to close his eyes, he paused annoyed by the lights coming from the window. He had forgotten to pull the curtain back when he got home and sighed out.
He grumbled as he got back up from his makeshift bed and made his way to the window. As he was about to close the curtain, he noticed something peculiar. The city lights were shining as usual, yet there was another strange light he didn’t recognize.
It seemed closer to him than the immediate city, almost as close as the apartments shared backyard. He opened the curtain wide and peered out trying to get a better look.
“What in the hell? Is there a party? Who would be having a party at this hour?”
The light was a mix of green and yellow that fluttered in and out of cohesion. He stared at it in confusion for a few moments before turning away.
Something inside of him was telling him to have a closer look. Even if it was almost 2:00 AM in the morning and he desperately needed sleep, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Myles grabbed his phone and made his way for the door. He wasn’t sure where he was going, what he would find, or how long he would be out, but he needed to go. With a nod to Big Mac, he left in a stir not even remembering shoes.

There was a shudder. 

This place was mushy, it smelled funny. Well, they had trained her for this but it wasn’t like the simulations. It was oddly nice though and she got to her feet, not the nicest drop off and she brushed off her outfit. It was shabby, tattered jeans and a jumper with holes in it. Getting the outfit right had been a little troubling but she was here on a mission, she just had to figure everything out before she reported back. Neila frowned some, of course they had altered her appearance somewhat, her actual appearance would draw far too much attention with bright colours and what not. 

Neila heard something and got low, human interaction had always been odd. Frankly, she was used to seeing the poor things on a slab being poked and prodded at. This one got close and she figured it was best to act like she belonged, no one would be any the wiser. He was tall, lanky even and she stood straight. 

“Greetings!” 

She put on a smile and swept her white hair back over her shoulders. Her eyes were shining blue, people liked fair haired and bright eyed they had learned in all their time. 

“Hi.” 

She greeted him again. Definitely male, she knew that and she looked him over. There were a few ways to greet people and she was enthralled. This place looked nice, although it was dark and she wasn’t so accustomed to the dark light. 

“Do you think I could trouble you for a coffee ?” 

People liked coffee, she also knew that and Neila grinned happily at him. That was a sure why to find some shelter and he certainly didn’t seem like one of those weird humans who liked killing people for fun. Then again he was also wandering around in the dark by himself. Neila however, looked homeless and helpless so wasn’t exactly threatening either plus she didn’t weigh much and was shorter than him by a bit. 

“I think I’m lost.” 

It wasn’t a lie, she really was lost. Neila knew what coordinates she dropped at but she also didn’t know the exact places but she was excited to explore. The mission was simple and had been done a million times but she was more so excited to see this world. She hasn’t been down here before, there was so much to see and do. So much to experience and maybe this kind human man would help her out in showing her around. Maybe when their sun came up though.

He felt the rocks beneath his feet and tried to move quicker avoiding the pain. Not taking his shoes may have been the dumbest thing he had done in months.
As he got closer to the light, he began to slow his pace, suddenly forgetting about the pain at the bottom of his feet. The light was more than bright, it was vividly brilliant. He could barely open his eyes as he got closer. In hindsight, he should be mad at himself for forgetting shades, not shoes.
Myles quickly came to a stop as he heard a noise not too far away from him. A weird feeling came over him and he ducked behind a tall tree to decide his next action. He didn’t expect anyone else to be out at this hour. Maybe this person was curious too? It wasn’t every day that you see a bright ominous light illuminating from your apartments window.

As he was about to take another peek and assess the situation, he was met with a stranger. She seemed to come out of the light, her white hair shining just as bright.
Myles frankly didn’t have a clue what to do in this situation. He gave her a crazed look over and jumped back as she greeted him twice in a merrily tone.
“Uhm, hello. Excuse me?”
It was the middle of the night, and she was asking him for coffee? Did she know that nothing was open at this hour? He felt a strange feeling in his gut as he properly got to his feet and began to close the gap between them.
“Lost? Do you need to call someone? I have my cellphone with me.” He casually drew it from his back pocket and gestured for her to take it.
“I don’t know if this is your first time in Chicago sweets but this isn’t the street for a pretty lady.”
He felt the charm come upon him, hoping it would convince her to call home. He didn’t want to just leave her out here…unprotected.

“Hey, while I have you though…”
Myles looked out beyond her at the light again, watching it slowly fade into the dark sky.
“Did you come here searching for that light too? It was weird huh? Is that why you’re lost?”
He was trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together as he glanced back at her tiny frame.
“Well, if you can’t get ahold of anyone, you can sleep on the end of my couch.”
His conscious couldn’t exactly leave her outside, but his gut was telling him to get lost. Why was such a little lady causing him fear?

“You can leave when the sun comes up…I won’t be weird or anything.”

Neila looked utterly enthralled with Myles, he was rather handsome she supposed, good bone structure and high cheek bones, she supposed many women on his planet would think he was an ideal mate for fathering children. She didn't see a woman around though but maybe she was back at his home. 

"My family is a long way away." She wasn't lying but she also didn't go into specifics with him. He would only freak out and then everyone would think he was crazy or some guys would come catch her, she knew people were scared of creatures like her. She smiled at him when he offered his home and she nodded excitedly, starting to follow him. He wouldn't try anything weird? What did that mean? Neila had enough self-defence in case she ran into trouble while she was down here but she didn't want to use it. She wanted to use this mission as a learning curve, a way to explore everything she found curious about this planet and its inhabitants. She giggled a little when a raccoon went ambling by and she stopped to watch it, that she had never seen before, it was new and the animal looked soft. She couldn't wait for the sun to come up so she could go someplace else and go off exploring. 

"What's your name?" She asked him, forgetting if he had mentioned already. he pointed to herself, 
"Neila." She introduced with a bright smile. Apparently being out on the streets at three AM in Chicago didn't phase her and truthfully, she guessed it didn't because she didn't know what the streets could be like. 

When they stepped inside, she immediately enjoyed the warmth and she was greeted with another, fluffy little creature and she squatted down to peer at it. It seemed friendlier than the raccoon before and she knew this was a cat, domesticated by humans to have as companions an she smiled a little, reaching a hand out and looking utterly bewildered when the kitty rubbed up against her hand and she smiled to Myles.

“Myles”
He nodded his head, too tired to ask her about her family. He was indeed curious about her but he had to be at work in three hours and his mind wasn’t ready to be blown.
As they walked back to his apartment everything was so silent that a pen could be heard if it dropped.
[center …]

He looked down at Neila as she played with his giant cat. She seemed to take a liking to him, though everyone did. It was hard not to love and adore such a fat creature. He had found him in the woods by his parents’ house over ten years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
“Soo, I’m sure you must be tired so there’s a space on the couch over there.”
He pointed to the spot a bit embarrassed that he didn’t have any sort of privacy to offer her. He hadn’t had a female in his apartment since his wife so it made him a little unsure about how to react.
“I have to be at work in a few hours so you are welcome to leave whenever you want.”
It wasn’t like she seemed evil, even if he did have a sinking feeling in his gut. She seemed like she wouldn’t rob him senseless and frankly he was too exhausted to draw out any consequences of the idea.
Myles took a seat into his spot and melted into a comfortable position.
“So, I guess goodnight and it was nice meeting you, Neila.”
As he muttered her name, he felt himself drift off into the world of dreams.
[center …]

He woke up in a stir, confused by the time. He felt like he had only closed his eyes when the alarm started blaring into his ear. Quickly he silenced it and stretched his arms out. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a white-haired female fast asleep.
“So, it wasn’t a dream…”
He muttered the statement under his breath, hoping he would wake up and she wouldn’t be there. However, she was, and he had to go to work so thinking about the matter wouldn’t do him any good in the long run. Besides she would be long gone by the time he returned from work and he could choke it up to his imagination running rampant.
Myles sighed out in relief and jumped off the couch. He scrambled for his white shirt and tie and swiftly ran out the door. He could drive but the office was so close that walking was cheaper and allowed him to get in his exercise every morning. When he finally made it to the building, he walked in with a fake smile on his face.

“Myles! The reports show a critical loss in Germany. I need you to contact the sales team and resolve the issue immediately.”
Myles nodded obediently at his manager, deeply annoyed that no one had listed to him. They wouldn’t be in such a pickle if the director had moved operations to Columbia instead.

Neila watched the odd male head off and just nodded. She didn’t need much sleep frankly and the cat wandering around was far too much fun to simply leave alone. In the end, she must have dozed off with the creature snuggled into her stomach under some blankets. Her eyes opened when the door shut and she realised she was alone in the house. This was unfamiliar territory to her and there was so much she didn’t know. Neila peeled herself off the couch and left the blankets, it was a little untidy in all honesty but she had found most single human males lived like this. 

Neila eyed the fridge, curious contraption but she was hungry and she opened it after a few attempts. She peeked inside, a few things she thought she recognised but it seemed like fantasy somehow to her. She nestled down in a chair and started picking through the fridge, there was a thick white liquid that tasted sweet and she nosied around as she found a spoon and started scooping it out, shutting the fridge as she made her way back to the blankets. 

She eyed the label, a yogurt. A big tub of yogurt and a spoon. She happily and contently spooned the substance into her mouth before eyeing the remote control and pressing random buttons until the black flatscreen whirred into action. She wasn’t sure what she was watching but it seemed like valuable input. It was some sort of talk show and humans were talking about their problems and some bald headed male was talking them through it. 

Neila grinned as she continued to eat the yogurt and watch the television screen. After some time, the little cat jumped up and decided to help her with the last part of the yogurt, licking happily at the lid and Neila laughed, rather amused by it. Part of her wanted to tidy up this messy place but she was curious to see if the male would. It seemed strange, he was in the prime of his life and she looked at some of the photographs, there seemed to be a pretty lady and a younger version of the male with her looking happy. She cocked her head, maybe he had children.

Myles leaned against his car and sighed loudly to himself. Work was hell and he needed a new job. Every time he went in it seemed he was only fixing the problems he previously had the answers to.  He pushed the lump of stress down his throat and reached back into his car for his bag. Finally, he was home, alone, and free to melt in his couch and watch Netflix until his eyes fluttered to sleep.
He searched around for his keys and made his way to the front door with a pep in his step. Oddly enough he didn’t hear ‘Big Mac’ meowing at him for once. The big fatty always seemed to sense when he was coming home.
However, when he pulled the front door open, he instantly remembered why,

[i The girl…]

It took him a minute to jog his memory from the night before as he staired at the fair girl. Even odder, he couldn’t understand why she was still there. Did she not have anywhere else to go? Was she mentally ill? Did she not have any money? Was she hungry?
The thoughts and questions swirled for a few moments, finally ending their dance.
“Uh hello…”
The awkwardness came out like fire, unable to control it.
“I didn’t think you would still be here…”
If only he could just get one proper sentence out.
“Do you need a ride home or anything? I could buy you a bus fare too.  It’s okay it doesn’t cost a lot of money so don’t worry about it.”
He felt his face flush at the embarrassment of not knowing what to do. He wanted to help her, wanted to figure out the root of her cause, and more importantly he wanted to get her on her way.

He waited a minute before putting his bags down by the door and kicking off his work shoes. If he had to house her another night, he would though he wouldn’t be happy about the fact. Myles took a few steps into the living room and noticed an empty yogurt cup on the floor.
[i
 “So, which one do you want, Izzy?”
Myles tightened his grip around Isabelle’s waist pulling her closer to him. She was always indecisive about the food she wanted. Sometimes it would take her ten minutes of debating in the bread aisle alone. Oddly enough he didn’t care and was happy to be by her side as she debated on the type of yogurt she wanted.
He watched his fiancé with a smile on his face wondering which she would choose with curiosity.
“Myles! Let’s get the value size tub so we can eat it together.”]

The flashback disappeared as fast as it came, tucking itself back into the catacombs of his memory. He was thinking of her less and less over the years but seeing the cup on the floor made it seem like she was right next to him again.

Neila glanced up when the door opened and she looked over the man from last night. Where had he gone? She seemed perplexed to see him back almost, even more confused when he spoke about her leaving. Her wide eyes watched him and he seemed preoccupied for a while. Perhaps eating his treat had caused offence and she furrowed her brow. 
“Sorry.” She said and flicked her wrist towards the yogurt pot. She could get him more, she had studied supermarkets and grocery stores. 
“I thought I was staying.” Neila said bewildered and rummaged in her pockets. They had prepared her for this and she had some human currency, they had given her some and it hadn’t exactly been difficult for her to receive some. 
“Here!” She said enthusiastically and held out a fistful of twenties, easily adding up to at least two hundred bucks. She studied him for a moment and frowned as she set it on the couch and pulled some more out. By the time she was done emptying her pockets of the currency, there was close to five hundred bucks lying on Myles couch and she smiled, 
“You can get some new uh… what is it?” She gestured to the yogurt curiously. Part of her wanted to tell the man what the deal was but it would be risky and he really hadn’t asked. 

Neila looked around, she supposed the place could use a clean but she wouldn’t know where to start. 
“We could go now?!” She asked excitedly, moving up to her knees and watching him. She would love to go to a grocery store or a big supermarket, he seemed kind and Neila didn’t want to prey on his kindness but he seemed safe, she had seen and heard stories of people who really weren’t so nice and had nasty streaks in them. She giggled and figured she would need some more clothes too sometime. Something that wasn’t so simple because this was such a flashy world! She wanted to be colourful! 

Neila looked around and fished up the plain sneakers she had been given for her mission. She knew eventually she would need to get on that and start tracking down the escapee but a few days wouldn’t hurt and she knew they were in this area somewhere, they wouldn’t get far they were just as lost as she was but she doubted they had help from some kind guy like she did! Neila grinned at him, hopeful he would agree and given she had given him some currency. 
“Please? I’m not… Well, I’m not from around here so I want to try some things.” She explained with a grin.

Myles stared at the twenties that were sprawled about in shock. Did he just unwillingly acquire a roommate? It seemed she was comfortable enough-though he couldn’t understand how. There was barely enough room for him in the cluttered mess he called his home.
Every action she made after the fact made no sense. Did she really think yogurt was five hundred dollars?
Myles flushed and put his hands up in a defensive position trying to get her to calm down. She was spazzy and curious and he was starting to think he was dealing with a puppy.
“We can go out. I’ll show you around the town and then you can please your curiosity, okay?”

He bent down and started to collect some of the twenties off the floor. The shock certainly hadn’t worn off but he wasn’t a monster. He could sense something was off with the woman-even her speech was different. He had met many English-speaking people and her accent was one he couldn’t put a place to.
Once he collected the twenties, he began to count them.
“You gave me seven hundred and forty dollars. Maybe you’re not used to using cash…but this is too much for what you want.”
He kept forty and handed her back the rest.
“Put that away and I’ll use this to get you what you need. After that, we can figure out how to get you back home, all right?”

He kept asking her questions like he was talking to some child and not a fully grown woman. It was pathetic but he just really wanted her to go away. He was comfortable with his life. He was comfortable with sitting in the same spot forever. He was comfortable with being [i alone].
Myles awkwardly handed over the rest of the money and ran his fingers through his locks. He couldn’t turn back now; he already told her he would show her around.
“Well let's get a move on now so we have time to get you back home.”
Even though she seemed reluctant to speak of where she was from, he needed to know. He couldn’t just house the stranger forever without knowing anything about her, right?

[i

“Hey, are you all right?”
Myles bent down to her height and extended a hand. The woman’s face was flushed red and stained. She looked like she had been crying for hours, tormented by something. She looked up at him and wiped her eyes embarrassed that someone else was seeing her like this.
“Oh I’m fine! No worries here!”
He could tell something was not right with her. He didn’t know her but he knew when a woman was in distress.
“Do you want to grab a cup of coffee and vent about it?”
He watched as her face began to lose color, perplexed by the beauty under the wreckage.
“Sure.”

It was the beginning of an ending.]