Danny parked the car in front of the garage while Gina closed the gates; and a large dog came running around the corner of the house.

"Hi Zorro!" Gina said when she saw the half-Doberman head for her, and the dog answered with a bark. "Been watching the place?"

Zorro sat down and lifted his paw to 'shake hands' with her.

"Good boy."

Danny switched off the headlights and turned to the strange girl before stepping out. "You'd better wait here till Zorro is tied. I don't want to take any risks with him."

"There is no need," was the reply, and before Danny could stop her, she was out of the car.

"Hey!" Danny got hurriedly out. "Gina, hold him!"

"Sit, Zorro!" Gina cried and tried to grab for the collar. But the dog had already noticed the strangeress, standing like a statue: feet slightly apart and arms akimbo, waiting. The dog didn't heed to his young mistress' command. It went straight to attack the trespasser.

"Danny, do something!"

But then something strange happened. As Zorro was about to leap at Mickmi, he suddenly stopped, dropping his tail down between his hind legs and backed away, snarling. When he was once again by Gina's side, he gave away a low whine.

"What's this?" Danny said, wide-eyed with wonder. "Zorro, what's the matter with you? Strange, he's never behaved like this before."

"No animal ever bothers me," Mickmi said, and there was a hint of triumph in her voice. "If any, only those of the family of cats would."

Danny looked at her dark figure. "Why?" he asked after a while.

"They do not like me; and I do not like them. But time is growing short."

Gina opened the front door, switched on the light and before she went inside, she said, "Hurry up, Danny."

"Okay, sis."

The two were left to get the panther inside. As Danny looked at the girl, he noticed how the light caught her eyes, and her pupils appeared to be glass green, biconvex in shape, like a cat's.

"So you're new here, aren't you?" he asked.

"Aye." She smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Where are you from? Somewhere in Europe?" But then he swallowed hastily as he understood that he'd taken the wrong track. The girl stared at him with her cold, half-empty green eyes. He'd never seen someone with eyes like hers—they were so intense, boring straight through him and reading all that was going on within him.

But that wasn't all. There was something else in them—a warning.

The limp panther was lying on the low bench in the kitchen and Gina was taking out bandages, disinfectant and healing oil from the first aid kit. While Mickmi tended to the panther, Danny got to study the handsome animal closely. It was a powerful creature, with strong, sound limbs. The fur was sleek, only that it had several cuts and bruises, and it seemed to have lost quite a lot of blood also. Danny wondered what had happened to it. He was particularly curious about the collar around its neck. It was beautifully carved, with small glittering stones—maybe diamonds—all over, and Mickmi's own, he'd noticed, was identical to it.

Mickmi rubbed the healing oil on the wounds.

"Thou can put back the bandages, Gina," she said. "I will not use it."

"Don't you need one on that big cut?"

"Nay, thou need not worry. It will not help, and it will just be in the way."

"Mickmi," Danny interrupted, "why do you always say 'thou' instead of 'you'?"

[A/N: Here I'm shaking my head as I transcribe this... Why did I make Danny ask such a stupid question?]

"That is how I speak the language."

"Oh. But say 'you' instead. That's what we use here now. The 'thou' sounds so old-time ancient."

"So I will: You are very inquisitive, Danny. That may be good at times, but you better make sure that you will not get yourself into trouble just because of it."

Danny eyed her suspiciously. "You mean to say that you're warning me?"

She studied him carefully, then replied, "Aye, I am—for your own good."

It was Gina who broke the silence: "Look, it's moving."

They looked at the panther which indeed was slowly coming to life. Gina held onto her brother's arm as the cat lifted its head and stared back at them with eyes that were similar to Mickmi's.

"Will—will it attack?" she whispered.

"Nay, Wamba will not trouble you as long as I am present, and am not in a negative mood." Mickmi rested her delicate fingers on its head.

"I think... I'll go to bed now," Gina said. "Please forgive me, Mickmi, for not seeing to that you get a place to lie on, but I'm sure you'll make yourself comfortable in the living room over there. If one can trust you?"

"You can. I always mean what I say. Trust me. My word is my promise."

"I hope so. Coming, Danny?"

Danny looked at Mickmi, considering, then replied, "Okay, sis. 'Night, Mickmi."

"Good night."

Danny's sleep was fitful. But Gina couldn't sleep at all. She strained her ears to hear what was going on downstairs, but no sound broke the silence. When she wasn't listening, something bothered her. Something that the strange girl had said. She searched and searched her memory but couldn't figure out what it was. And when she finally fell asleep, day was already dawning.

Danny went quietly down the stairs a few hours later, trying to avoid the creaky steps. There was nobody in the kitchen, so he went to the living room door. No sign of the beast. He went in and saw her, seemingly sleeping in the armchair. Her hands were clutching the armrests as if she was meditating and had to hold onto something for some kind of support. And her nails, they fascinated him: long, narrow, sharp like claws. But what was that dark spot on her hand? He moved closer. Strange, he hadn't noticed that she had a bruise on her hand before, when he'd been watching her tending to the panther. Which reminded him, where had it gone to? Was it hiding somewhere?

Mickmi slowly opened her eyes and looked at him, and her eyes seemed almost normal. Now when he could see the whites, they didn't look half empty any longer.

"Where's that—your panther?" Danny demanded.

"Wamba is here and not here; she is everywhere and nowhere. She will not appear to you or me, and will not give trouble as long as Wamba and I are not psychically separated."

"What d'you mean?"

"What I said. Do not worry. As long as I am not forced into a negative mood."

"Were you in a negative mood yesterday—or early this morning, I should say, when we met you?"

"Nay, but before we met, I was. That was when my other half, Wamba, and I got separated."

"But now you're alright?"

"I have almost recovered, aye." She stood up and started walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Danny asked quickly.

Mickmi turned around, eyeing him.

"I am leaving, because I have things to attend to and— Oh, do you know where I can get a small transport such as the one you have in the garage?"

"Wait a minute! Are you talking about my motorcycle?"

"Aye."

"How did you know I have one? Have you been sneaking about the place while we were sleeping? You said we could trust you. Now I really doubt it!"

"Danny—I have not been breaking any promise. I did not 'sneak' about anywhere."

"How am I supposed to know that!"

"I simply knew of it."

"Do you have any proof that you didn't?" Danny demanded.

[A/N: Aw, come on.... I'm sorry for butting in again, but as I'm reading and typing this, I'm shaking my head to myself. SMH... Like, really??? I wrote that???]

He noticed a yellow tinge in the girl's eyes as she fixed them on his.

"Danny: I do not want to get into a negative mood again. For your own sake, do not force me into it!"

"Why?"

"Do you want Wamba to attack you?"

"No."

They were silent for a while.

"Well?" Mickmi asked quietly when she had calmed down.

"Well, what?"

"Can you show me where to get a motorcycle? I need one if I am to stay."

Danny opened his mouth to say something but shut it again. I'll be seeing her again, he thought, both contentedly and uneasily. But who is she? And what will this acquaintance lead me into?

"Well, okay then," he replied after a while. "When?"

"To-morrow will be alright. Where your road meets the main road, at your third hour of sunlight."

"You mean," he counted on his fingers, "eight o'clock."

"Aye. But now I must take my leave."

"Wouldn't you like to share breakfast with us?" Danny asked.

"I thank you and your sister for your hospitality, but nay. It is getting late. See you," and she turned swiftly and went out. Danny stood dumbfounded in the living room at first, but then caught her up by the gate.

"Hey, Mickmi! Don't be in such a hurry! How old are you?"

[A/N: Already?? He wants to know how old she is? SMH]

She turned around again, looking up into his face, and then suddenly she smiled. The warmth of it was so surprising that it almost knocked against Danny's senses, and the impression he had formed of her. She wasn't made of stone after all.

"I am ... seventeen and a half," she replied, and her eyes got a far-away look that caught Danny more than anything else—because it reminded him of that gentle girl, Marilyn. When she had been with him, she often used to get that same expression, and he had loved her—loved her more than anything else in the world.

Mickmi touched his arm and went out through the gate. "Tomorrow," she said and left.

Danny just stood there, unable to think clearly or do something sensible. When he at last returned to the present, Mickmi had gone. He sighed and took out the contents from the letterbox, and went back inside.

When Gina came down, she found her brother sitting absently by the kitchen table with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.

"'Morning, Danny. Where's our visitor?" she asked, seeing that he was alone.

"She's here and not here... everywhere and nowhere," he replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"I can hear and see that," Gina commented and sat down, picking up a postcard from their parents. "Mum and Dad are coming back next month," she informed after reading it, and then looked at the newspaper. "Hey, Danny! Have you seen this?"

"Mmm? What?" He looked at his excited sister.

"'UFO crash-landed'!"

"UFO? UFO?" He rose quickly. "Lemme see! It must have been that Pat and I saw last night!" He looked at the first page over Gina's shoulder.

"You mean the 'shooting star'?"

"Yeah. And I nearly forgot about all about that."

"But wasn't it after that the girl appeared?"

"Well... yes," he said, but then added suspiciously, "You don't mean to imply that..."

Gina looked at him thoughtfully. "When did she leave?"

"About a half an hour ago."

"Did she say anything special?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know; it's you who should."

"Well, all that I can think of now is that I'm going to show her tomorrow where she can get a motorcycle. The only thing is that she already knew that I have one."

"Is that so?" Gina looked intently into his eyes. Then she slowly shook her head and thought, I think this girl will get you into trouble soon, and there's no telling if she can get you out of it.

"Darn it, sis," Danny muttered. "Why d'you have to ask me a question like that?"

Later that same day, after Danny had returned the BMW to its owner, he got a phone call.

"It's me, Pat."

"Oh, hi Pat. How was your sleep?"

"So and so. But—tell me: what happened? Is that girl—whateverhernameis—still there?"

"No, she left this morning. Mickmi. And we found her 'twin' too. So-called."

"How did she look?"

"Not she, it."

"It? What?"

"A panther."

"But she said—"

"No, she didn't. Gina said that. Don't you remember that she first said she was looking for her other half?"

"Oh... Yes, I do." She paused a moment. "Danny?"

"Mmm?"

"What about her—her eyes?"

"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you."

"What?"

"They weren't empty. It's strange though..."

"What is strange?"

"That was when she had found the panther, and each time after that when I looked, her eyes were more normal than before. But it wasn't until this morning they looked as normal as they should be."

"Danny, what is she like?"

"Well... That's hard to say. She seems quite alright now, when one knows her a bit better. It's just that one has to learn how to get along with her."

"Get a— You're going to meet her again?" Pat's voice was high-pitched.

"So what's so special about that?"

"I— Oh it's not fair!" and then she slammed down the receiver.

"Hey! What's—" Danny looked at the earpiece, surprised.

"What's up, Danny?" Gina asked as she was passing by to go out. "You look like a big question sign."

"Oh... it was only Pat," he replied absently, putting down the phone. "She said something about my not being fair."

Gina laughed. "No wonder. I can understand her. She was asking about Mickmi, wasn't she?"

"Yes, but—"

"I can just as well tell you why she did that. She's jealous, that's what."

"Jealous? What for? Doesn't she know by now that I'm not interested?"

"You ought to know how she is by now, Danny. She's all in for you, and she won't give you up that easily, when she's reached as far as going to a party with you."

"So why did you pick her in the first place?"

"Because you need something—someone—to occupy yourself with. You can't keep on thinking about Marilyn all the time. It just won't bring her back, and it won't do you any good either."

"I haven't been thinking about her all the time," Danny retorted.

"Oh yes, I've been watching you, alright. Nobody could find a cure for her cancer, so don't go around blaming yourself."

"I wasn't... But why Pat?"

"Never mind why. As long as you think of something else other than Marilyn, it's alright." Gina went out and closed the door.

Danny sighed and went slowly up to his room. On his desk there was a photograph of an attractive young girl with dark blonde hair. Across one corner were the words, 'To Danny with Love'. He picked it up and looked at the pleasant, smiling face, remembering that day six months ago, when a coffin was lowered into a grave. He could still feel the emptiness it had left inside of him—and the pain. But Gina was right. He found a piece of cloth into which he wrapped the photograph, and put it into a drawer. He'd try to forget, but he wasn't all that sure whether he ever would succeed.

— ∞ —

© November 1981 by kemorgan65