Kringl (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

J oy walked through the village, her pulse jangling. She’d left Kringl and Snowball alone in her house and warned them sternly to remain quiet. The memory of their solemn expressions—the alien prince twice her size and the wild snow squirrel who’d adopted her both bobbing heads—almost made her smile. But it didn’t mean she wasn’t worried that someone might hear them or see a shadow moving behind the curtains.

She shook her head, willing herself to forget how endearing Kringl had looked with Snowball on his shoulder and push aside her own worry. She needed to focus instead on her mission.

Joy had to know more about the alien ship departing. Had anyone seen it lift off? Had the rest of Kringl’s crew made it on before it took off? Most importantly to her, had anyone seen Tami since she’d been chased by elf guards?

As she passed the towering Christmas tree and the empty tables, recently cleaned from the previous night's banquet, Joy stifled a groan. In mere hours, those same tables would be laden with identical fare, the endless cycle continuing.

“But not for me,” she said under her breath. “Not anymore.”

She was getting off the planet, no matter what it took. And that meant gathering information and being prepared.

As she walked down the cobbled path, she couldn’t help sensing something was off. Most days were the same, day in and day out, but this morning the mood in the village was different. Elves scurried about more frantically than usual, their movements erratic and distracted. Joy also noticed an increased number of humans milling around, their expressions wary.

Joy knew exactly where to go for answers, where everyone in the village went every day, where gossip was exchanged and secrets confided. She pulled open the bright red door, and warm air enveloped her as she slipped inside the bakery. She inhaled the aroma of freshly baked bread and caramelized sugar, her shoulders relaxing at the familiarity of the small shop.

She was the only customer, so she walked the two steps to the wooden counter that sat on top of a glass case displaying an array of pastries. Wicker baskets full of various loaves lined the shelves behind while ovens hummed in the back kitchen that was visible through the open door.

The baker, a tall, thin man with a dark mustache that curled outward at each end, began putting her usual order in a brown paper bag. Joy's stomach rumbled at the sight of the crusty loaf, but she pushed her hunger aside, focusing on her goal.

“So, Tom,” she jerked a thumb behind her as casually as she could manage, "what happened with those visiting aliens?"

The baker’s thick eyebrows peaked, and he glanced around the empty shop before leaning in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "That big blue fellow who came to the celebration was thrown in the ice huts after he collapsed. You saw him collapse, didn't you?"

Joy's heart raced. Even now, the thought of Kringl being knocked out made her pulse jackknife and her fists want to curl into fists, but she kept her voice steady. "Of course, I remember that. But what about after? I heard the ship left."

The baker nodded. "It did. And when the elves checked the ice huts, the blue guy was gone."

"He must have left with the ship," Joy suggested, hoping to reinforce this idea. The more people who thought that Kringl was gone, the better.

The baker shrugged, moving to the back area to grab a thick cloth and pull a pan of bread from the oven. A blast of heat filled the shop. "Maybe. Or he could be loose on the planet."

Joy's pulse quickened. She needed to quash any notion that Kringl might still be around. "I doubt the ship would leave one of their own behind."

"You're probably right," the baker conceded, wiping his hands on his floury apron as he returned to the front.

She hoped the baker, known for spreading village gossip, would help cement the idea that all the aliens had departed. She needed the gossip to become an accepted fact.

After he bagged a brown loaf and twisted the top of the paper sack, Tom held it out to her. "Do you mind delivering this? The girl hasn't been in this morning to pick it up like usual."

Joy's spine went rigid as she asked the question she already knew the answer to. "Which girl?"

"That little girl who's always shadowing your footsteps. Tami."

Joy's world tilted, and she gripped the edge of the wooden counter to keep herself upright. If Tami hadn't collected her family's bread, that meant something was wrong. That meant she might not have escaped the elves.

She mumbled her thanks, taking the extra bag, and staggered from the bakery on wobbly knees.

As soon as she was outside, Joy had to fight the urge to break into a run. Her mind reeled as she sucked in the cold air to steady herself. Had Tami gotten caught? Had Velsnickel discovered her role in Kringl's escape? Or was she just hiding out and keeping a low profile after being seen by the elf guards?

She hoped that was the case, but her eyelids burned as she made her way toward Tami's house. Guilt pressed heavily on her, the weight threatening to choke her. If anything had happened to her friend, Joy knew she'd never forgive herself.

She spotted the girl’s house and quickened her steps.