THE NIGHT THE STARS FELL FIRST CONTACT
Chapter 5

He watched them go, following at a safe distance once they had gone over the hill, he saw them go into the house. He would love to have a dog like that, especially with the skill to heal like no one has ever had on earth before; this dog is special! He could make thousands, millions even if he sold it to the government for instance! He hadn’t informed his paper yet, he had to be sure he had got his information correct, he was certain he had, because he saw the ship land behind the boy’s house, and wasn’t it just coincidental from the press release from the hospital that the kid had been cured of a fatal brain tumour? Apart from that the dog looked strange, he had never seen a dog that colour before; It was just too much of a coincidence, so, for now, he had to watch and wait.

*

The sun tumbled down through a clear blue sky, dappling car windows, and leaving a ray of sunbeams floating in the air.

Todd loved going into town, and Lasko loved going with him. Life was good, no pain, all the energy he needed, and no exhaustion. No matter where Todd was, Lasko was beside him, they were inseparable which left Lasko wondering how he was ever going to leave him!

He knew about human feelings and attachments; how human mothers loved their children and would not ever be apart from them. Now he had those feelings, and soon, his people would come back for him, he was one of the greatest healers on his planet and, he was also very much loved.

He pushed the morbid thoughts from his mind and his thoughts turned to today. Todd held Lasko’s lead tightly as they walked down the high street and shuffled around in his jeans pocket for his wallet. They headed for the stationers where he wanted to buy some stuff for school, and a few other things he needed, and then to the bank to pay in a check for his father.

Lasko trotted nicely by his side, they could not talk as there were too many people around so they walked on in silence, every now and then they would look at each other and smile, Lasko’s lips turning up into a curl, but Todd knew it was a grin. Todd pushed the door open and headed into the bank, “You have to wait here Lask, they won’t let you in.” he patted his head and the dog sat down obediently by the door. He watched people walking up and down the high street, bags in their hands, coats and scarves wrapped around their necks. The air was crisp and cold, and he felt his nose beginning to freeze, so he stuck out his tongue and swiped it across his nose. Still watching humans going about their daily business, he suddenly heard a loud ear-shattering BANG inside the bank People started screaming and running. Lasko dived through the door, he saw Todd near the second counter face. Two men dressed in black with balaclavas over their faces, with two slits for eyes were standing with guns pointed towards the cashiers. Lasko leapt for Todd and pushed him to the ground whispering, “It’s a robbery, stay still!”

Todd grasped the lead as he sensed what the dog was about to do.

“NO, NO, No Lask, Don’t They have guns!!”

But Lasko broke free. It took less than a second before Lasko leapt into the air; Todd had never seen anything move that fast before, he was faster than a scud missile heading for its target.

Absolute chaos and mayhem reverberated through the bank, as the masked gunman levelled his gun at Lasko…Then the gun went off.

***

Ellen was growing increasingly worried as she cooked dinner, Tod and Lasko had been gone all day, she wiped her hands on the tea towel and glanced up at the clock. It was almost five thirty Where the hell were, they?

Brian came in through the back door leaving his car at the side of the house. “Hi, you ok Ellen, you look worried?”

“Tod and Lasko have been out all day, I tried his mobile several times, but it had been turned off.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“Don’t worry darling, I’m sure they are ok.” He ran his hands up her arms reassuringly. “Especially with a dog like Lasko in charge, he would not let anything happen to Tod, that I’m certain of.” And he was!

“Look,” he said draping his arms around her. “I’m sure they are ok, both of them, if they weren’t, we would have heard by now.”

She turned away from the oven dishcloth in hand and asked him. “Then Why do I feel like I’ve swallowed a ball and it’s playing ping pong in my stomach?”

“Any minute now, they’ll be bounding through that door for their dinner.” Brian grinned, “Just you watch.”

“I hope so.” She smiled, turning back to the stove. She put Todd’s dinner on the plate and Lasko’s dinner in his steel bowl back in the oven to keep warm. Lasko ate the same as they did, Ellen considered him more human than canine, after all, he was human to her, with abilities to talk and heal, no one in the world had a dog like that! She felt blessed. And to both of their advantages, Ellen was a vet, she could take care of Lasko’s health with medication, and diagnosis, the only thing was, she wouldn’t know if veterinary medication would work on an alien species. She would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it. Ellen had never told anyone about Lasko, and she never would, she had not even told her colleagues at work. She could never trust anyone, besides knowing what humanity is capable of there was no way she would have any meddling; and without any doubt in her mind, they would take Lasko away to some awful facility and God knows what they would do with him! Oh, no, no, no, that was never going to happen. Ellen pushed the scary thoughts from her mind and sat down to eat.

“Well, I’m watching, and they have not come bounding through the door for dinner!” she looked at him questioningly.

Brian picked up his knife and fork, “They will, I’m sure.” But this time he did not sound so convincing.

Ellen glanced up at the clock again, it was almost 7 0’clock Where the hell was, they? Fear quickened her heart rate.

“Look,” Brian said placing his knife and fork on the plate, “If they are not here in the next thirty minutes I’ll go and look for them,” then gingerly added. “You phone the local hospital’s St Georges are near to us, if there is anything wrong, God forbid they would have taken him there, and put Lasko in police kennels.”

Ellen shuddered at the thought, her eyes fixed on Brian, and she could tell by the worried anxious look on his face, that inner was postponed for now.

***