I woke up and found myself in bed. I don't remember going to bed. I felt a hard, numbing pain playing around in the back of my head as a sat up. I tried to recollect what happened last night as I rubbed away the pounding headache. What did happen to me last night? I remember seeing Dean in my dream, and he was haunting me and toying with me about my personal business. He asked me if I liked sci-fi movies and...oh no!

Everything came back to me in a flash.

Dean bribed me into telling him where Dainu was, and I spill the beans on him. It was definitely not a dream - plus, you can't feel pain in your dreams. Daylight was peeking out of the horizon. I had to inform Kyle before Dean came into my room. I clumsily scurried out of my bed and searched for my phone in my bags and pockets of my jeans. Eureka, I found it in one of my purses! And thank god it was still on, so I wouldn't have to wait through the opening intro. I quickly texted "CODE GREEN" a dozen times with dozens of exclamation points. I hit send and it was successfully sent it to Kyle. I just hope he's awake to notice.

I heard heavy, hard footsteps up the stairs coming towards my room. I quickly turned off my cell phone, stuffed it in my back pocket, and plopped myself on my bed. Dean opened the door. I gave him a dirty look which told him to go away. His expression was unreadable. He stepped forward in my room and stood beside my bed. His hand extended towards me, palm up, and twiddled his fingers at me. I knew what he was asking for. I just acted like I had no idea what he was talking about. He continued to twiddle his fingers at me with his eyes staring at me fiercely and warningly. That must mean he's giving me a second warning.

I took out my cell phone and hand it to him. He flipped it open and broke it with his rough hands.

You scumbag, I wanted to say. But I held my emotions.

"Sorry, Kaley," he said, "but you can't contact your friends. This is between you and me. I got my eyes on you."

Dean really meant that. He stood at the front of my door like a bodyguard—a really mean bodyguard. I wasn't allowed anywhere else except the bathroom. I could've gone out the window, but I was up too high and I could really hurt myself. Plus, Dean installed an alarm on my window and it would automatically go off if I opened up the window a crack. I was a prisoner in my own room. This stinks!

It felt like I was trapped in my room for an hour and a half. I couldn't tell anyways because my cell phone got killed and I didn't have any watch or clocks with me. It was like I was trapped in a room of endless time. The entire time I just sat in my bed, wondering what was going on and what's going to happen. I thought about my mom if she was OK. But mostly, I thought about Dainu. Will he be OK once he gets the message, or was it too late? And more importantly, will he ever forgive for what I've cowardly done?

Dean entered my room.

"Time to go," was all he said.

I got up, put on some sandals, and walked naturally, but cautiously, out of my room with Dean behind me. I found Mom sitting down on the couch in the living room. She looked concerned for me and about the situation that was going on. The moment I saw her, I ran towards her and hugged her tightly, relieved that she was all right.

"Kaley, what's going on?" she said. "Dean told me that there was something you had to show him."

She looked at him with a scornful look.

"It's nothing, Mom," I said. "It'll be quick. Don't worry about it."

"I think there's plenty to worry about," she said, hugging me some more. "What's with this extraterrestrial business? Who is this foreign friend you've been hanging out with?"

Dean placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. "There isn't much time. Let's go now!"

I pulled away from my mom and followed Dean out the door. In this quiet neighborhood, there came a lot of ruckus and roadblocks. There were three black cars with black windows. It's red and blue lights were flashing inside of the back windows and on top of the roof. A black mini-truck with the FBI label parked on the side of the road and another grayish mini-truck parked itself on the side of my house. A load of men in black, heavy duty uniforms with helmets spilled out of that truck. They must have been the SWAT team. They were already holding up their guns, unloosing their nets, and pulling out their tear gas and long metal sticks that seem to have electronic sparks at the tips.

Neighbors were coming out of their houses and watching the view as if it was some kind of movie shooting. Some neighbors pulled their children inside the house and locked their doors.

"You said you wouldn't bring the army," I hurled around and yelled at Dean.

"It's hard to keep promises when you're working for the government," said Dean. "It's our job to keep this country safe no matter what kinds of consequences we make. That's how things are."

"No!" I protested. "You guys are a bunch of scumbags! You just don't get it, my friend is not the alien; YOU ARE!"

"You don't understand, Kaley," he said. "You're so young and naïve. You have no idea how difficult it is to run this country without having this kind of trouble. For years, the government has been trying to keep out the extraterrestrial beings from attacking or causing fear. We should never trust something that is out of the ordinary to us; it can cause great harm. Just like now."

"You're wrong! You people are sick, you're so judgmental. Why do you people genocide others who are different from you?"

"One day, Kaley, you'll understand."

He pushed me lightly, but roughly, to keep moving to show him where Dainu was hiding. Dean mumbled something into his sleeve. I knew there was a hidden walkie talkie in there.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me. How could I've been so irresponsible? My darkest fear was coming true like a repetitive nightmare. I had to come up with a plan quick before it was too late.

The SWAT team was banging on Kyle's door violently, demanding him to open up or they'll break it down. Mr. Handermen came out of his house, wanting to know what all the commotion was.

"Kaley, what's going on?" he called out. "Who are all these people? Are they here to take Danny away?"

"Mr. Handermen, please go back inside the house," Dean demanded.

"Uh-uh, I won't let you bother Danny. He's our friend." He was about to cross the street, but some of the other SWAT men blocked him off.

Kyle finally opened the door and acted like the SWAT team didn't bother him. They were asking him to step aside, but he was stalling them with a bunch of random questions. Dean stormed towards Kyle and started yelling at him in the face. Was this my chance to do something?

I went towards the tree near Kyle's house. I had to be real careful not to draw attention. I looked up at the tree to see Dainu was in there camouflaging. No sight of him. Now I was really getting worried about where he would be.

"I am here, Kaley," I heard Dainu said in the tree.

"Dainu, you're OK. I didn't see you at first," I whispered. "I'm so scared."

"I had sensed that before their arrival," he said. "Kyle had received your message and ordered me to evacuate his house and search for a place to conceal myself until you arrive for me."

"That's a good boy," I said. "Stay put, OK? If they spotted you, run for your life."

I was about to leave Dainu when I suddenly bumped into Dean. Crap, I hope he didn't hear me talking. But he did look displeasingly suspicious.

"Kaley," he said in a calm, but firm, tone, "what were you doing over there?"

I kept my mouth shut.

"What were you doing over there?" he repeated more firmly. "Do I have to do it the hard way?"

I still kept quiet, gazing at him with attitude and fierceness.

Dean bent down and picked up a rock. I backed away a step so he wouldn't hit me with it. Kyle ran over to my side. "Hey, leave the kid alone! She has nothing to do with you! Take your crappy SWAT team and the FBI out of this neighborhood and look somewhere else."

Dean ignored him and threw the rock into the tree's branches. I busted out a short scream. The branches shook, the leaves tumbled onto the ground, and so did Dainu. The SWAT team crowded around and held their guns at their target. Kyle was pinned to the ground and cuffed by one of the SWATs.

"DAINU, RUN!" I screamed. Dean knocked me onto the ground getting ready to cuff me too.

Dainu stood there like he didn't know what to do. He looked at me with worried eyes, having the urge to save me.

"No, stupid!" I screamed again. "Forget about me! Get yourself out of here!"

He disobeyed. He snatched me out of Dean's grasp and lifted me up into the clearing. Dainu soared fast into the open sky and watched out for any SWAT or FBI or anything that might attack or capture him. To my surprise, nobody, not even Dean, was firing bullets at us. Not even the trucks, cars, or any military tanks were following us. Were they waiting for the perfect moment to attack? Were they saving their bullets so they won't accidentally shoot me? Whatever the reason was, they didn't kill us and they let Dainu go free—I hope.

I told Dainu to take us in the farthest east side of the forest. He soared over the thick bushes of trees. I turned my head to see if any helicopters or trucks were following us. Still, nothing was chasing us. Good, they won't know where we are hiding. Plus, their trucks or tanks are too big to enter the forest; the tree is big and tall enough to block their directions.

Dainu settled down on the green grass near a stream. I told him to cross over the stream so that the SWAT can't follow us if they find us. He took my hand, leaped into the water, and his feet delicately touched the surface of the water without getting wet. I wasn't getting wet either. Somehow, Dainu created some kind of invisible glass underneath my feet so that I can walk on water as well without tripping and getting wet.

We finally got to the other side of the stream. I check my surroundings again. No sign of anything; it looked like we were safe from the enemy. There's no way they could come this far.

"You're safe, Dainu," I breathed. "They won't find us here. We're too far."

Dainu wasn't paying attention to me. He seemed to be distracted by something else. I was looking in the direction he was looking, but there was nothing ex forcept the blue sky and lots of trees.

"What is it, Dainu?" I asked. "Do you hear something?"

Something, as quick as a dragonfly, shot itself out into the open and stung Dainu at the side of his neck. Somebody shot a tranquilizing dart at him. But I didn't see anybody following us.

Soon, men in their SWAT and military uniforms darted out from behind the trees, or descended from its branches on zip lines, exposing themselves from their camouflaging.

"An ambush!" I exclaimed.

I held onto Dainu's arm so he wouldn't fall over. I pull out the dart from his neck, and shook him violently.

"Come on, Dainu," I yelled. "You have to wake up. They're gonna take you if you fall asleep."

"Too...weak. I feel...faint," I murmured slightly. "I cannot...move—so heavy."

"DAINU, FIGHT IT! YOU CAN DO IT! GET US OUT OF HERE NOW!"

He tried running but collapsed on his knees. I tugged on his arm. "C'MON! FIGHT IT. YOU'RE STRONG. YOU CAN FIGHT IT! KEEP GOING!"

Dainu didn't respond. Every time I tried pulling him up, he became heavier by the second. I tried slapping his head to wake him up, but that didn't help. It was no use; Dainu was sedated instantly. The SWAT and military guys crowded around us, aiming their guns at Dainu. I had nothing to do except cry. I didn't know why I was crying so much when I gave up.

Dainu uttered a word to me before the sedation took the very last inch of his awakenings. And that word...was my name.