The Unfinished Story

So here I am. In my pale blue skin, waiting for some sign of life. With our species, shape shifting is a plus. Once you’re level forty-two, shape shifting is enabled and we adapt to living expectations anywhere. Our eyes are what allow us to do so.
I walk to one of the tinted windows, I spot a life. Two blue legs, of some fabric, a musky scent glows around it, some sort of yellow vest-like top and variation of what we call brogans. This thing has a dark green aura floating amongst the scent. Dark green represents nature and purity.

“Yes Morgan that is a human. We adapted this farm in our educational institution back in Znorbia.” The first one commented.
Thank you Nister.

Nister presses a few significant buttons and the ship turns into a “car”, a vehicle designed to transport these human ‘beings’ to and from destinations.
There are now five of us in the car. We shift into human form. I have never done this but this new experience is now semi-permanent until our study has run its course.
Znorbs are the strongest of our kind. Each level a Znorb obtains adds to their power, reliability, skill and many other traits. We can reproduce, but only with Earth creatures. This is my first trip among many more. I am amongst the most L337. In this second, Nister is the most accomplished. Nister is our leader. We do not question comments or statements presented by Nister. This is because Nister is level twelve hundred eight. Nister is associated with the ancients.
I am level one hundred eighty-eight. I am the youngest of the Znorbs on this ship. Right now we are in human form. I am what a human would call a teenager. These Znorbs are now my “family.” Nister is my “father”, Jag is my “mother”, Terroq is my “brother” and Narn is now a dog.
To avoid confrontation, our names are only spoken when we are surely alone in our setting. My name is still Morgan, for it already resembles the human nature. I am in year seventeen, which is supposed to reflect my level. In human form, skills and such are no longer to avail. I am now among the human beings.
Nanton is our ancient leader, level seventeen hundred fourteen. No Znorb is among the capability of Nanton. Nanton lives in a place called New Jersey. Our landing is Nanton’s property. For as long as we are located here, we’re safe. Nanton knows of our arrival and should be greeting us in a matter of earth minutes.

“I see you have reached Earth, friends.” Nanton breaks the silence.
“Yes. What is the mission?” Nister questions.
“You will find out soon. Follow this road to Leadale Road, it is when this road forks. Follow?”
“Yes.”
“Each of you will be given money, in order to pay for your Earth needs. Do not waste your money, spend it wisely.”

We depart from Nanton and make our way back to the car. Narn now shifts back to human. Nister now distributes the money. Some human emotion comes over me as if the two hundred dollars is not enough, what is this feeling? I ask Terroq.
“Greed, my friend.”

So this is what greed is. It feels unreal. What else will I feel?

- * - Three earth days later - * -

Nanton says I start “school” tomorrow. I am in grade twelve; I suppose this is to be a replica of my former knowledge.
Tonight is our first night as a family. Nister and Jag are the only ones that have been here before. They understand all the rules and regulations of the human mind. Of course I do not. I have only read such things.

“Morgan, stop that writing and listen for a moment.”
Yes Sir.
“Do not express your mind when you go to school tomorrow. Things may occur that are strange to you but do not interact with them. All you are to do is go and enjoy their educational institution. That is it. Do you follow?”
Yes Sir.

Nister leaves. I am now alone in this new place. There are many things around me that I do not know what they are. This life is a mystery. I feel like I don’t belong. Maybe tomorrow will be different.
There’s this long, flat thing near me. I suppose this is where I’ll sleep? My hand glides over the material, it has a nice feel.

“Morgan! That’s a bed! Stop thinking I can hear you!”

Fortunately, level six hundred allows a Znorb to keep its skills and its strategies during all shape shifts. Until I am unconscious, Nister can hear everything I do. Even if I haven’t done it or acted upon it.
I look at my earth watch; it says something roughly twenty-three hundred hours. A strong sensational feeling comes upon me. This is supposed to be fatigue. In earth language this means to be overwhelmed with tiredness.
I sit down on the rectangle. I bend my upper body down and I steer my head to this soft looking pillow and a sudden wave of comfort winds through me. I breathe a sigh of relief. I raise my two legs and strategically place them upon the rectangle.

Resting.

At eight hundred hours I awake, to the faint aroma of something quite delectable. I rise and walk out of the sector down a narrow hallway with walls papered blue with a darker blue trim along the top of the stretched walls.
After I finish, mother rushes me out to the automobile and turns it on. The ignition is running and the exhaust is smoking profusely. Terroq comes blasting from the home carrying some kind of package. One I seem to be without. Natalie assures me I won’t need it yet. It’s my first day so nothing is expected.
The car turns down a few shadowy long roads and ends on the street of the school. 1420 Laurier Crescent. Terroq does not exit with me; he’s going somewhere else.

My eyes jump from subject to form. So many people. I feel overwhelmed. Frightened. Alone. Eyes are gazing upon me. The building is mountainous.

I am rushed and pushed by others. I dig into my pocket and struggle to grasp my daily schedule. My pocket feels never-ending. Finally I get it and bring it out. I unfold the red coloured paper. It reads:
1. Mathematics: Rm. 180: Mr. Gregory
2. English: Rm. 391: Mr. Tedocolunt
3. Freedom and Establishment: Rm. 241: Ms. Francesco
4. Introduction to free world economics: Rm. 440: Mr. Smuck

Classes are an hour in length. Suddenly all the training and learning has paid off. All the complaining I did about Znorbia and its life seems worthwhile and meaningful. This schedule of learning is easy to me. In Znorbia I am level ninety-eight math and my literary skills are the highest for my total level.
I begin my search for room 180. I spot a door and make my way to it confusedly; Room 9. Unexpectedly my adventure now seems tedious and long.
My legs begin to walk and my body follows. I make my way to room 17, which is at the end of a hall. There are no signs of life. Everyone seems to have evacuated the hall and now I’m more alone than before. I’m scared.
I open two doors that lead to a stairwell. The walls are painted yellow and red. A border of black surrounds the paint and a huge logo is stamped onto the ceiling. It is a yellow and black bug with red eyes. This explains the paint. It is a bee.
The steps are evenly spaced and the first flight is twelve stairs. I walk up the stairs. There are railings at both sides of the walkway. The steps coil around and six more continue. I stop at the twelfth stair. A window is before me, I look out and there are eight dark green evergreen trees with the needles still on. There is a soft crystal substance along the outside frame of the window. The stained window is painted shut. It cannot open, unless a person smashes it. The drop would then be about fourteen feet.
I follow the stair path and aboard the thirteenth. It leads to another two doors, or you can continue to ascend to the third and fourth floors. Room 180 according to me should be around here.
I open the bee-coloured doors and infront of me are more doors and more halls. I’m clueless. I’m alone. I feel human.
A girl appears. She looks at me and smiles. She doesn’t look lost. I begin to walk towards her. She has brown hair, long, and a pale face. Blue eyes. She’s pretty. Immediately I feel connected. I feel invited. She turns and smiles again. I ask her if she can help me find a class, I’m new.

She responds, “Of course.
“You said one-eighty right?”
Yes I reply.
“It’s right here. So umm, what’s your name?” She inquires.
Morgan.
“My name is Lane Michaels.”
Lane. Simple, likeable. I like it.
Thank you Lane.
“No problem
“If you need help, with well anything don’t be shy, okay Morgan?”
Yes. Thank you again.

I walk into the class. Everyone looks at me. It is too late to leave. I am already in; I have no other choice but to interrupt.

“Do you have any idea how late you are?”
No Sir. I was lost.
“Are you new?” He asks me.
Yes Sir.
“Name?”
Morgan Landyn.
“Everyone, pick up your jaws. Make Morgan feel welcome. Show him our Springdale spirit!”
The class roars with pride.
“Morgan, today we’re reviewing our previous nights work on quadratic equations.”

Amazing. Quadratic equations, they taught this at level nine. I feel gifted.

He tells me to choose a spot. No one is familiar. I move to the far back of the class and as I walk, I feel the eyes of these unknown individuals staring at me. Prying through my fake skin, as if they know me. They don’t. No one does.

The answer is three x.
“What? What’s that Morgan?” the teacher asks.
Three x, is the answer to that equation.
“Yes. I wish some of these other kids would understand”
The class laughs.

Mathematics soon became a blur. All the questions were boring and unchallenging. I began to slump in my class. I did not like being around beings that were not like me. It made me feel unwelcome. Even though the teacher liked me, no one else did. I soon fell into a deep slumber, metaphorically of course.
English could be a little more challenging but I face a lot of new difficulties pertaining to language, thoughts, and memories. All these things never existed in Znorbia. Memories don’t exist. Events that have occurred in the past stay in the past. As a Znorb, I have never brought up past experiences. It is against Znorb Policy.
Things are so much different on Earth. There is a lot more freedom to living. Back in Znorbia, it feels as if I never lived. I never existed. I feel suddenly alive.
Something about this world seemed completely different. Something about Lane. She seemed so innocent, so unbetrayed. As if she had never been burned by the sun or drenched by the rain. She is like a symbol of peace, of innocence. Perhaps in this day and age, peace is attainable. Hearing all these stories from my teachers about wars and pain seem almost untrue and barely comprehendible. I felt like I belong here, but at the same time that I did not. I knew I was not supposed to be here, but I am.
That night I went for a walk. I did not go home. I wanted to explore this life. Why was life so different where I was before? Why do I feel all these emotions now?
“Morgan!” I hear someone faintly calling out.
I stopped walking. I turned my head around, and saw Lane.
“Morgan, thank goodness I found you!” She said.
Why is this?
“Because you missed your last class and I’m in that class!” she spoke with a smirk.
Oh. Thank you Lane. I know that I don’t know you well or at all but I need someone to listen.
“Okay Morgan, what is it?”
I am not from here. I am not accustomed to this world. I’m new and everything from my homeland is completely irrelevant to me now. I don’t know what to do.
“We all feel like that sometimes Morgan. It is human nature to feel alone, or to express sadness. This is what it feels like to be human.”
You don’t understand. I’m not from this world! I come from another place called Znorbia; it is unknown to Earth. Now I realize you will not believe me, the thought of something beyond your world does not apply to you.
“Morgan, I do understand.”
But you don’t. You can’t. You don’t know anything I think or feel. I am alone! I am completely alone!
“I can be your friend though. Even though I don’t completely grasp your problems, I can still try to. I can still be there for you when you need help. I’m not going to talk about you behind your back, or be mean to you. I am a genuine person and I know what it feels like to be alone.”
Does she really?
“Sometimes I feel like I’m not from around here either.”
She’ll never understand. How can I base a friendship on something she’ll never understand? All these human emotions, all these thoughts – they are too much. Too much.
Thank you for your time Lane. But I must go. I have to go home.
“Okay Morgan. See you tomorrow then.”
Perhaps.

I did not go back that night. I needed time alone. I needed to think about why I was here. What is my purpose? Who am I supposed to impress? Who is superior to me? Why am I so different?
Suddenly, I realize I cannot do this alone. In a panic state I rush back to where Lane and I were talking. She’s gone. All that is around is a tree and a small shrubbery with loads of red berries on it. The faint smell of midnight air comes over me. I look at my Earth watch, twenty-two hundred hours.
A breeze picks up and I begin to feel cold. The cold breeze turns into a wind. Tall thin trees, lightly covered with a hint of snow surround me. White crystals are falling from the sky and as the winds blew, I feel a shiver go down my human spine. I felt a piece of clothing in my coat pocket, it is a hat. I struggle to put it onto my head; eventually I win the battle.
Suddenly a fog-like form comes before me. Reality becomes a blur. The form has two arms and is wearing some sort of priestly robe. It has a hood on, a faded black one covering up some mangled hair beneath. This is unreal. Reality is no longer tangible. I slowly bring my hand to its face. There is no solidity to it at all.

“Morgan…
“Don’t pretend you don’t see me. I know you see me.”
Who are you?
“I am your soul.”
What?
“Do not question your soul. I know you are not from this planet but you are now. The study you were sent on is over. Nister and the others have returned. They left you here for a purpose.”
What purpose?
“That is for them to know, and us to find out.”
What?

The figure has now disappeared. Just vanished. Was I asleep? Was that a figment of this human imagination? Thoughts are flustering through my mind. I have no idea what to believe now.
I begin to walk towards the home. There are streetlights lit and the wind has died down a bit. I am alone now. Nanton is the only Znorb here that I know of but I do not know where he is. I am alone.
Alone! I shout.
That’s when it occurs to me. I am not alone. Even though I stand here physically, alone, mentally I am not. Spiritually I am not. Being on Earth gives you an advantage. I suddenly remember being in Znorbia and one of the ancients making fun of Earth with a riddle. I specifically remember it. It went ‘how is it that by knowing no one, are you connected to everyone?’
The answer is simple; you’re connected through everyone by knowing that you are on Earth! People on this planet have at one time in their life felt emotion. We have all felt alone. I am not alone! I can find people who have felt what I feel now, it is possible!
In Znorbia this is what we called an epiphany. I have felt an epiphany! I suddenly feel on top of the world! I am not alone!
I pick up my speed and follow a path sketched in dirt. It leads me to a phone booth. I remember Lane telling me her last name. Michaels. I flip through pages of the phone book. Michaels. There’s so many. I do not know which one is her. I look at my watch again, it says one hundred hours. It is the next day. It’s too late to call her anyway.
I begin to walk back towards the house again. I’m so excited. Instead of being unhappy and lonely, I’m so happy. I’m not alone! We’re all connected. All of us. Every person in the world that I do not know, I will know and I will be connected mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually! This is my purpose. I have to connect to everyone. I have to prove to the ancients that it is possible.
No ancients knew the answer to that riddle because they have never been human. They have never felt. I am young and foolish but I have felt now! I am human! My life has begun now. My adventure begins now.