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My name is Ryan Lewis. My story is one most people can't read, on account they start crying, but it's a sad tale that must be told. I am nineteen, a teenager living in a lonely world, alone with no family, in a small little town in New Zealand. I used to live in a pleasant little town in the US, but as I shall recount, it is no longer pleasant for me. They say something horrible can happen, and life goes on, but they have never experienced what it means to have that happen.

A couple of months, maybe less, ago, my elder brother was getting married. It was a joyous occasion, we were all dressed up in smart suits, for the boys, and I was discussing the merits of chess with the best man. I have a love for chess, indeed it is the only game I've played well, and we were discussing the advantage of the See saw, which if set up right is exceptionally deadly. The ceremony itself had been finished, everyone was congratulating the newly weds over by the make shift altar for the outside wedding.

We were doing this in front of the church itself, my brother always wanted an outside wedding, and tall bars surrounded the church. The reasoning was simple, unsavoury people who did not share the same beliefs would smash windows, or graffiti on the walls of the church. What happened on that day was obviously just another step.

There was a sound of screeching tyres outside the main gates to the church, and a black Chrysler pulled up outside, with tinted windows. Men got out, carried loaded rifles. They were masked, and looked ready for trouble. I instantly panicked, and dived under the bench. The best man followed suit under the one next to me. Everyone sounded confused,and then started screaming as there was the sound of shot gun rounds and automatic fire. I lay face down, trying to block out the agonised screams. After an eternity of time, I removed my hands from my ears.

There was more screeching of tyres, the assailants were driving off. I crawled out from the bench, and stood.

Around me was desolation. Most of the benches had been riddled with holes to make sure no one was hiding behind them, many of them upturned by the power behind the rounds. The altar likewise had been subject to the blasts, and because it was the portable wooden one had been tipped over.

Then there were the bodies. Dozens, lying in various angles and all carrying horrified death cries frozen on their face. My entire family had been gunned down, there was only two other survivors, the best man, who never the less had a shoulder wound, and a third cousin of the bride.

Fortunately the cousin knew medical practise, and bandaged up the wound while we were made aware of approaching sirens. Within two minutes, the place was surrounded by dozens of grim faced cops, looking at the massacre before them.

The full implication of the scene hadn't set in, I was suffering from delayed trauma, I was just standing there, looking stunned, the comforting arm of the best man around my shoulders. We were taking home to my empty house, with two policemen, neither of which wanted to say anything, or were even capable of saying anything after seeing the grisly scene. I went to my room, and lay down on my old tired bed, and then it hit me.

It was like an unstoppable tidal wave. All my family, my relations, mother, father, brother, they were all dead.They would never walk those familiar rooms at my house ever again, and I cried for them. I don't know how I slept, but I must have, because one policeman had sat in the living room, fully armed, and he heard me in my sleep, shouting for my parents.

I don't know what made me travel that week. I suppose it was a sense of just having to get away from what I had just seen.Perhaps it was my interest in exploring.Either or. I had no job, I was still living at home, and while the house had been left to me, I didn't want it. It was too much for them to ask me, to sleep in a grave yard.

My parents were buried that day, the rest of my relations the day after. I switched off throughout all the services, except to remember what the priest said at the end.

"We remember you, you that have moved on so early in your life, tragically taken away. Give us the strength to carry on in your absence."

And that was that. A final scattering of dirt, and it was all over. My life was over, taken away like they had taken my family's lives. I didn't know who they were, no one did, didn't know their motivations, even if my family were accidently in the way.

But at the end of the week, I sold the house, and knew I had to move.Move country if possible, and I immediately started observing places I could go on the world atlas. One place seemed exceptionally friendly to me at that moment, in a country so small and distant, on it's own in a vast ocean. New Zealand.

Of course, it costed me a bit, but I had a lot of money, and I didn't care as long as it got me away from this accursed place.Within three weeks, I was in New Zealand, in a town called Dunedin.

It was so tiny compared to the big cities in America. Barely 120,000, it was a myriad of hills and valleys at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.I arrived in a rental car from the airport, and was dumped in the Octagon. Around me, people went about their business. I had with me a suitcase, the contents of which was a couple spare pairs of clothes, a necklace given to me by my mother, and a chess set from my father, he had known I had a passion for chess, and got me it last year for Christmas.Also various essentials.

I sat down. The weather was fine, although from the nearby walkers it was fairly unusual at this time. I looked lost and pathetic, a lone figure, and debated what to do next. I drew my chess set out, playing chess helped me concentrate on other things as well. I was setting up at the table when four teenagers sat at the table next to me.

"So, Alduin where in Central are you taking us next?" one of the males asked. There was a female there, and she spoke next.

"Hush, Grant, I found the art gallery very interesting.I guess some lunch is in order." I listened to this idly while setting up the game.Obviously one of them spotted me doing so, and I saw a shadow cast over my game. A friendly figure looked down at me.

"Are you playing someone?Sorry to intrude if you are, but I was just wondering."

I blinked in surprise."Er, no?"

"Why ever not? You can't have a proper game of chess by yourself."

His smile was infectious, and I shook his hand warmly."Thank you.I'm Ryan, what's your name?"

The boy looked at me quizzically, and then shrugged."My name's Alduin. Time, Can you take Grant and Winslo to get some Subway?"

"Will do." Time appeared excited in the prospect at going to Subway. It was as though she had never done so before. Alduin shot me an unexpected question.

"Have you got lunch? You appear to have just arrived here, by your suitcase."

"Er,"I replied,"I have just arrived here, and I don't have any lunch."

"What sub do you want?" he asked.I mentally reeled in surprise, and Alduin smiled at my expression, apparently my thoughts had made themselves plain on my face, or Alduin was capable of reading minds.

"Don't worry, Ryan, I have lots of money."

"That's true enough." Winslo chuckled."So that's a Spicy Italian for you, Alduin?"

"Yeah, get Ryan here another.Do you particularly dislike anything?" he directed at me, and I shook my head. The three walked off, leaving me and Alduin on a table hunched over the chess board. He allowed me colour, and we began. It was obvious Alduin was a fair player, but I hadn't been playing in my own district team in the USA for nothing. He fought well, and was cunning, but slowly and surely I began to turn the tide against him. The three came back with the food by the time I was winning, and Alduin looked up at his friends, looked at the board, and thought.

"Your game's over, Alduin, Ryan will have you in fifteen moves or less." Time looked briefly at the board. The two boys were showing interest in the game, but Time didn't seem to care about it.

Woah, she was good. Somehow she could mentally calculate the hundred of possible moves that we could make in that time, and Alduin sighed.

"Time Dancer, some of us don't have your brain power. I'm still trying to figure the best way for a draw."

I extended a hand over the table."Draw?" he laughed, and shook it.

"Done. Which one of you has mine, and his?" he turned, just as Grant handed him a wrapped up sub. He did the same to me, and I made to shake his hand. He paused ever so slightly, and shook my hand. As I gripped his hand, it felt, different, slightly hairy if anything, yet his hand was quite smooth looking. I broke off, not showing that I had noticed it, and we all sat down, as we observed the stopped game.

Winslo was the slightly pale male who did not say much, but listened intently.When he thought no one was watching, he would draw symbols in mid air underneath the table. Grant was more toned and muscular, and more vocal than Winslo.Every move he made was swift amd graceful, almost cat like. Time Dancer had a most firm manner, she looked at you as if examining you minutely. But while she rarely smiled, she did seem to be content in herself. Alduin was laid back, and laughing over every little thing.

As we spoke of many things about Dunedin, Alduin began to observe me more and more intensely, before he spoke slowly.

"Where have you come from?"

I looked down."I come from the U.S, I came here to make a living, because I can't there."

"Why not?A good friend of mine comes from there."

"Not exactly." Time steepled her fingers and looked upwards. Alduin made a face at her, which she returned by smiling.

"Something happened there, I can't tell you."

"I'm a very good listener." Alduin replied, but I shook my head.

"No, I'm afraid I can't tell you, Alduin. I was just wondering where the nearest Y.M.C.A is. I need to find a place to live, and somewhere to work."

"I would allow to live at my place, but unfortunately that can't be the case." Alduin replied." But I do know somewhere you can work, my supermarket is offering a part time job as a shelver, if you don't mind doing that."

"It would pay the rent." I smiled," But where could I stay?"

"He wasn't prepared for this." Grant looked at me jovially. Time Dancer spoke.

"He wasn't Grant." those three words sent a tremor down my spine.It was as if she was reading my mind through my eyes. She knew a damn sight more than she said. Grant stopped, his smile faded, and the female leaned back, and returned to looking innocently upwards.

"I'm sorry for Time, she has an annoying tendency to put people off their stride. But why don't we walk together, the Y.M.C.A is not far from here, and further up the hill is my place." Alduin offered.

I smiled back at the teen."That's O.K., Alduin."

We finished our lunch, and much gratified, I followed them along the street. As me and Alduin talked, I was aware that Grant and Winslo were speaking in a different language. I couldn't recognise anything of it, not even some of the shorter words, and I knew one or two common words in quite a few languages.

"Alduin, what are they talking in?" I asked.

The ever pleasant boy smiled,"It's a very rare language, spoken by only a few around here.In fact, I know all that do in Dunedin.It is what I would call Centralite, I don't think there actually is a proper name for it anymore."

I was impressed, these two could converse together, and no one would be able to understand them. We got to the Y.M.C.A, and Alduin spoke.

"This is it, but before you go in, you are always welcome to come around to my place, providing you give me notice."

"How can I do that?" I asked. Alduin wrote down his phone number.

"I'm not one for surprise visits, call me if you need anything." he smiled, and we continued up the hill. After another five minutes, Grant took my suitcase when it became too heavy for me, we arrived at a small house. It was surrounded by dense trees, and the front had a two metre stone wall broken only by a metre wide hole where the gate was. In front of me was a perfectly normal house, and Alduin walked up to the door and knocked four times in rhythm. After half a minute, the door opened, and two more teenagers were standing there.

"Ah, Alecto, Gareth. We're back a little early. This is a new friend of mine, he's called Ryan."

Both of the teenagers nodded at me, and I came forward. Both of them had their hands behind their backs, and I didn't offer to shake their hands. The seven of us went inside. To the right was a huge bank of windows, seperated by three pillars of plasterboard from the inside. It continued down the length of the house. Directly to the left was a walk in kitchen. The living area was spread out around us, and two couches, a T.V and a computer desk in the far corner were there, along with a couple of low shelves filled with books, DVD's or music CD's.

The back door was next to the computer desk. Alduin showed me the bathroom, the two bedrooms, and the rest, and I thanked him.

"I shall certainly visit, you've been exceptionally kind."

"Not at all, Ryan."Alduin dismissed it,"If you want, I can get a form from work so you can start work right away. Have you any previous work experience?"

"I was a filler at the local grocery store during the school holidays." I replied. Alduin smiled.

"Excellent, you'll fit in just fine."

I left, feeling a little staggered at my good fortune.I had already one very good friend, and possibly a job. I had no idea why Alduin was being so nice, but as I went to the Y.M.C.A, I thought it was damn decent of him. I filled in a form, and paid my rent to the manager of the building for a week, before going to one of the many bedrooms.There appeared to be no actual order of sleeping in the bedrooms, and precious little space for everyone, but what was theirs would not be disturbed, these people were the proper sort. There were twenty or there abouts to a room, and I found a bed in the far corner, next to a pair of Germans, who insisted on practising their English on me. All I could say was that their English was much better than my German. That night, I slept well.

The next day, Alduin brought me the paperwork for the job, while I had to finish the paperwork that allowed me to work here.It was a Sunday, and he looked at the lists of paperwork.

"So why are you working here again?"

"Alduin, I'd prefer not to tell anyone." there was a voluble Spanish argument at the other side of the room, and those still in the room were paying more attention to them.

"Come on, I like to help people in need, and I can certainly help you if you tell me why you randomly came all the way to here from America."

I tried to stall, but then decided that I had to keep the friends I had.

"My entire family were murdered by random thugs during my brother's wedding." I said, looking down. There was a hiss, and as I looked up, Alduin's face was contorted in shared pain. He looked heart broken.

"I am so sorry, Ryan. I had no idea."

"It's O.K."

"Right, I shall never mention that again." he said firmly, and gave me the form to apply at his supermarket. He took the other paperwork away, he told me he would sort it out.

"You are very gracious, Alduin." I smiled at him. Alduin looked solemn.

"Ryan, I have never known what you have, but I know it must be terrible. I would hate myself if I refused to lend a hand." with that, the boy turned, and walked straight out. I was stunned by this change.

And thus I was triply surprised when he arrived eight hours later, smiling widely.

"Here's to the newest citizen of New Zealand!"

I looked astounded. Alduin smiled.

"If necessary, I can change it back, but I know friends of friends, I would speak of them, ah hem, in glowing words."He smiled in a private joke,and continued,"and they might have caused a few cogs to turn, but regardless, you are hereby a citizen of New Zealand.I swear, you've heard of recreational impossibilites, like trying to fly or trying to convince the Civil Service that you're not interested in paying 125 million dollars for the new stadium that no one wants?"

"Not really, but I get the drift." I replied slowly, and Alduin smiled.

"I swear, getting New Zealand citizen ship without the help of my friends should be under that list somewhere, possibly between flying and walking through mountains."

I was absolutely astonished, and not just because of the astonishing lines of jargon I had just been listening to.. This man had the key to the country, it was literally his play thing, if he could do what he had just done. I stood, wordless, and embraced him tightly.

"Come on," he smiled," I did what any decent person would do."

"A decent person wouldn't have managed that." I could feel tears trickling down my face.

"O.K., so I had a few short cuts, but still." I broke off him, and he left. Happy to the world's end, I lay back on my bed, thinking what this meant.This guy was incorrigible, and seemed like he was capable of moving mountains.

A week later, I went for my job interview. This was conducted by a lady called Marie, and a gentleman called Ron, who was the store manager. It was conducted in the team cafe, and which bugger, resplendid in his blue with black striped top, happened to be on break, but Alduin.

Ron asked me quite a few things, which I answered well, and Marie, who only stood at five four, but was quite friendly, directed a few more questions at me. After ten minutes, Marie spoke to me.

"Alduin, is this a friend of yours, you delivered his application form?"

The youth leaned back on his blue chair." He is, and if he will pardon the expression, fair desperate to get a job. I find desperate people work much better than those who have little problems."

"Well that explains why you don't work that fast." Marie smiled, and Alduin merely rolled his eyes. Ron chuckled, obviously this was an inhouse joke.

"I do work fast, it's just I do it in a way that seems lazy, because I do it eight hours at a time, I conserve strength."

"No, you're just lazy full stop." Marie retorted. Alduin managed a look of mock outrage at such a suggestion, and I was informed that by the end of the week I would have my response.

That week passed in a slow and unhurried way. Grant turned up twice for polite conversation, and that reminded me to ask him a question.

"Grant, do you all flat in Alduin's house?"

Immediately, Grant stopped speaking.I had done something dreadfully wrong, I knew it. The youth looked thoughtful, and then he spoke slowly.

"In a matter of speaking, Ryan. Gareth and Alduin live in it all the time, Alecto also, but the rest of us are just good friends, and pop in frequently." the conversation returned to it's normal cheerful way not long after, but I could tell I had startled Grant.What he had told me was truth, but not in a form he could give it. I wondered what he was hiding.I mean, it was reasonable for people to have their own secrets, but I couldn't see what was wrong with what I had asked.

The week ended, and immediately I got confirmation from Alduin, who came in with the letter, beaming.

"You work three days a week, twenty four hours in total, and you get Friday to Monday off. I like that sort of weekend, pity I don't have it." He handed me the letter, and then pulled a package that had a couple more pieces of paperwork and a booklet on the rules of working at the supermarket.

"It's fairly standard, translated it's a bunch of paperwork you neither like nor really want, but have to have read. Code of Conduct, uniform, etc, etc, just a bunch of bumf." he shrugged,"Just read it up, sign the piece of paper, and bang. Your uniform will be there on your first day, which is tomorrow.See you at work." he smiled. I was past smiling, I was jubilated. I thanked him profusely, and he walked out with a smile on his face.

Work was, I found, fairly tedious, but as Alduin put it, it was work, and that meant it was paying the bills. The indefatigable youth seemed to be pulling all the back stage strings, he got partnered with me, so he could show me around the store. The first day, we went into the biscuit aisle.

"This is my aisle, well, while we aren't supposed to have aisles, this is the one I spend the most time in.Now pay attention to where everything goes, there are over three thousand products in Grocery, and it's very hard to keep track of them all."

As he begun, I was aware of a somewhat tall, say six five, low twenties man standing casually against the milk chiller. As I looked up, he started forward, and spoke.

"Alduin." Alduin's head shot up from the shelf, almost collecting the roof of the shelf with the back of his head.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" he looked very pleased, but also a little annoyed. The adult shrugged.

"I happened to be in the neighbourhood." he replied,"Who's your work mate?"

Alduin clapped a hand on my shoulder."This is Ryan, no not the one you know, he's from the country of America."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ryan." the adult nodded, bowing his head to me. Draco looked, in a word, cool. His body was lean and muscular, his hair was a sleek black colour, and trimmed neatly. His clothes were all silvers and black, and he looked, for want of a better word, hot. Alduin made his introduction.

"This is Draco, he works with me doing other things, my best friend." he said smoothly."He also broke a wine bottle last time he was around, so warn me if he gets a hold of anything fragile." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Stop teasing me, Alduin, it was an accident."

"It was, on the other hand you should have been more careful."

"Will do.By the way, Doran wants to know if you'll be around for dinner tonight."

"Of course." Alduin replied. Draco turned and walked out of the store.

Alduin was in a very good mood after that.

For the next couple of weeks, Alduin would turn up at work on Tuesday, smiling and whistling. We would work together for the next three days, and then he would work the next one by himself. I made a few visits to his house, always announced before hand, and saw Gareth and Alecto most of the time. Of the others, I saw little.The only thing Alduin insisted on was me giving him five minute's warning. Furthermore, he said, he went out a lot during the weekends, so I shouldn't be too surprised if I wasn't there when I rang.

Then after the fourth week, I decided to thank Alduin for all he had done. He had confided he enjoyed playing computer games, so I bought him a copy of Battlefield Bad Company, and on the Saturday night, snuck up the road to his house. All was quiet on the street, and I smiled as I slipped noiselessly through the gate. I liked giving surprises to people, and so far it had been one way traffic with Alduin.Then there was a loud bang inside, and I stopped inches from the door.

That bang was followed by two more, and I crept around the side of the house, towards the bank of windows. I realised that this banging, unless Alduin was having a cap gun fight, was not usual, and I looked quietly into the window into the house. The curtains were not drawn,and I saw everything perfectly.

What I saw took my breath away. Standing next to Alduin was a, well, fox. Standing six foot tall, on it's hind legs, and talking to Alduin. The window was open, and I could hear the conversation.

"You're back early, Alduin."

"I am, Silverine said there was no planet visiting for us this week. And after the last couple of weeks, and Central New Year still several weeks away, I was feeling fresh for a planet fall."

I ducked back down, and looked at the wall in confusion. Who was this Silverine character, what was Central New Year, I certainly hadn't heard of it, and planet visiting? I kept quiet, and listened. Then I heard Time speaking.

"The fact remains Alduin that Silverine thinks you need a break from adventures."

"I do not. Besides, I enjoy having them."

"No doubting that." Alecto replied. I looked back up, and saw two more. One was another fox, and the last was a canine, dog like creature, again standing at about six foot, and chatting most naturally with Alduin.And furthermore the canine had very developed breasts, and a feminine physique. That was Time Dancer?

What in the name of God had I stumbled across here? I thought as I ducked back down. Alduin consorted with, with, aliens, every week. And the one beside him was Gareth? How did he look human every time I came and visited. Same goes for the others. What about Alduin, was he human? I guessed so, although he might not be.

"But enough of the argument." Alduin dismissed it, and I looked back in. Time was leaning against a couch in slight boredom."Where has Draco and Propani got to?"

"Well, Javid and Propani are in the bathroom, that wolf has a very strong liking for draconic sex, and Salbar and Blake are in Gareth's bedroom..." Time began, before the fox called Gareth interrupted.

"Excuse me, that's my room, I should point out."

"On the other hand, you're not having it off, are you?" Alecto smiled. Gareth shrugged.

"I could be."

"Is that an invitation?" Alduin smiled at the fox evilly. The fox backed slightly.

"If you're intending to fuck me in bionic form again, no."

This was getting strange.Not only, did it appear, that Alduin regularly spoke to aliens, he and all hs alien friends had sex with one another. The mind truly boggles. My mind was being annoying, trying to imagine Alduin having it off with one of the ones I had seen in the room. Now while I would admit to being bi curious, I still couldn't believe that these creatures made love to one another.

"Silverine said he'd be popping around later, by the way."

"I am not having that sex crazed Lupogriff charging around my rooms." Alduin replied matter of factly.

"Actually, sex was the last thing on his mind.I think he just wants to converse with you about something, he wouldn't say what."

"Knowing Silverine, probably something along those lines though." Alecto chuckled.

"Still, he's bringing Kodey along, the reindeer hasn't seen this planet yet."

"Not surprising." Alduin yawned, stretching. Reindeer, I thought,these creatures explored other planets for a living, obviously. Thus the scouts visited one another on their own planets, which explains the other's presence. But it still didn't explain how they were able to look like normal human beings.

I felt at this point that it would be wise to get help, or ring the police, or do something other than listen. But who would believe me. Short of photographs, nothing would convince people I was telling the truth. I looked in the window again.

"So Alduin, if you're not interested in fucking me, can we play a game?"

"Well, if the other's are interested, I want another game of Colditz." Alduin replied, and I ducked as one of the foxes walked over to the bookshelf near the window, and grabbed a box.

Then, to my amazement, they sat around the centre of the room, putting out pieces, and beginning a game. I was absolutely dumbstruck. Here I was, watching two foxes, a canine and a human, playing a game, and all of them seemed to think this was reasonably normal. Alecto and Gareth were embroiled in a row over who wanted to be which colour,and then I heard a noise behind me.

"Enjoying yourself?" a sibilant voice said, and I turned.What I saw almost made my heart stop completely.