Follow Me

"How on earth were you able to drag that Drayjon?" I had the impulse to ask Jay-Jay after we took care of our little task.

"Oh...I've been with people who've taught me some things."

"I see."

"Are you sure you don't know any Eriks?" She asked again.

"Cross my heart."

She looked hesitant of something. I was wondering what, unless "Erik" wasn't this person's real name. That only made me more curious. So much lying about names! I needed to know exactly who they were.

"His name is Ecuram Ferata," Jay-Jay's voice suddenly sounded hoarse, as if hoarse with grief. Surely this man was not dead?

"Never heard of him." I grumbled. "A middle name would make matters better, you know."

"I don't know his middle name."

"Well, isn't that helpful for us all?"

"Well, sorry!" She snapped. There was silence between us for a heavy moment. I was more concerned about when the tranquilizer would run out on the Drayjon, but an interesting theory came to my mind.

"You love that man, don't you?" I said quietly. Jay-Jay's face lit up like redstone.

"Don't be rediculous." She turned her back on me.

"So much lying involved with your life. I know you do," I stepped in front of her. "But be sensible. You're out in the middle of the wild, Jay-Jay, and you've got nowhere else to go but with me."

Our eyes locked at that. Why did I say that? An assistant would only get in the way of things. But Jay-Jay was too much of a character to be dissected or zapped or melted. Something else could take her place for the dissecting and burning.

"Why do you call me Jay-Jay?" She frowned. "I'm not very fond of people calling me by my real name."

"Jay-Jay isn't your real name. It's Jessica." I saw her stiffen. "Why don't you like it? It's a good name. 'Sky' just sounds like rubbish. Would you rather I call you Blue Jay? Those are some nice blue eyes you have there."

"No." There was something she wasn't telling me and I wanted to know what it was.

"You lie, you hate your own name, you're physically weak, you're easily scared...something screwed up in your life, didn't it?"

"How would you know?" Jay-Jay countered.

"I can see it in your eyes." She backed up when I took a step closer. "Those are eyes of pain. Misery. I'd know because I focus on eyes a lot."

Jay-Jay whirled around, about to leave, when I grabbed her shoulder and held her in place. "You can't get anywhere on your own. But I know what it's like to lose someone close to you."

"Like you care, you sexist scientist," Her insult only washed off me.

"I don't know who this Ecuram Ferata is, but I can find people when others can't. You've got no choice but to follow me."