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“Oh…okay.” He thought he heard a smile in her voice as she said, “Then you can call me…” She paused for a moment and then sighed. “I think my creativity is on hiatus. The only thing I can come up with is Cat.”
“Nothing wrong with Cat.”
“Okay, Cat it is. So, Lion, tell me something about yourself.”
He hesitated again, wanting the impossible. He wished they were just two people who’d met under very different circumstances, found each other interesting, and wanted to spend time together.
“Remember,” she said softly, “it doesn’t have to be true.”
Liam shook his head at his stupid thoughts. The way things were going, neither of them would get out of here alive. Wishing that they could really get to know each other was an idiotic hope.
“I grew up on Mars.”
“I…what?”
He grinned at the surprise in her voice. “Yep. Just came down here last week for a look-see, and these bastards grabbed me faster than we Martians can say jackrabbit.”
She giggled and Liam thought it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. A harsh cough followed, and he winced at how painful it sounded.
Finally recovering, she asked hoarsely, “Why were you visiting Earth?”
“Things have been boring on Mars lately.”
“Tell me about Mars. What does it look like? Do you have family there?”
Settling into a dirty corner, Liam stretched out his long legs and began to talk. Weaving a story of his childhood on Mars, he created scenarios of daring adventures on the Red Planet. He talked about his family, his sisters, nieces and nephews. He even told her about his orange cat named Toby. The wilder and sillier he got, the happier she seemed.
His dad had been the storyteller in the family. Family story hour right before bedtime was one of Liam’s favorite memories. He and his sisters would sit wide-eyed while Hugh Stryker entertained them. The more unbelievable the tale, the more they liked it.
After his dad passed, years went by without their unique family tradition. When Robin, his oldest sister, had her first child, Liam took it upon himself to carry on for his dad. In the years since, he had regaled his many nieces and nephews with all sorts of wild stories. Some he made up, but many of them were the ones his dad had told.
He missed those days. Wasn’t even sure he’d ever see his family again.
“Lion, why did you stop?”
“Sorry, got stuck in the memories. You want to try it?”
“You mean I should tell you a story?”
“Yeah. Unless your throat’s too sore.”
“No. It doesn’t hurt that much.”
“Good. Tell me a story. And remember, it doesn’t have to be real.”
“All right…let’s see. I grew up in Caldoria.”
“And where is that?”
“It’s a magical, invisible kingdom. Only people with names that start with C can live there or even see it.”
“What happens in the magical, invisible kingdom of Caldoria?”
She started slowly, haltingly, but finally got into the story of how an unassuming little Caldorian like herself became the ruler of the entire kingdom. It was sweet, funny, and touching.
When she trailed off, he knew she’d likely worn herself out. Seconds later, he heard shallow breaths and figured she’d fallen asleep. That was good. She needed all the rest she could get.
He pushed to his feet and walked around the small area, testing his strength and injuries. Not too bad. Nothing broken. Just bruises and a few cuts. Even though he hadn’t had a decent meal in a while, he was young, healthy, and strong. His stamina would hold for a while.