It was dark.  Not just outside the window, but in the room too.  It must have been really late because no one was on the streets anymore.  The lights were on downstairs, and I could smell their dinner.  I could hear them moving around, talking in whispers.  I tried to ignore them, instead staring out the window at the lights.  I couldn't stop staring at them - there were so many!  Ever since I'd gotten here, ever since I'd started staring out this window, everything I'd seen was incredible.  The really big light up in the sky had started falling, and at first I'd gotten scared.  From what I could tell, that light was all that kept it bright outside.  And then, when it hit the ground, it exploded!  It was so beautiful, even if it was scary.  When the big light was gone, it was really dark.

    But then I saw all the little lights start showing up.  I tried to count them, but I couldn't count that high, even though I restarted a few times too.  All of them together still weren't as bright as the big one but they were so much prettier.  Most of them were white or kind of yellow or blue, but there were some that were other colors too.  The ground looked different now too.  Earlier, it was light colored, not white, not yellow, not brown, but kind of all three.  Now it was dark blue.  I wondered if it had changed, but I didn't know.

    I heard one of them start coming up the stairs and I ran and hid in the corner farthest away.  The shadow coming up the stairs before them was big and scary.  I squished into the corner more.  They hesitated before they came all the way up, but when they did I saw it was the little girl.  She had something in her hands and she set it down on the table by the window.  She looked around the room, looking for me.  I tried to disappear, I didn't want them.  I just wanted to stay hidden and keep watching the lights.  The girl finally saw me and started over.  When she got to me she crouched down and sat a little bit away from me.

    She smiled at me.  "Are you hungry?"  I didn't answer.  "I brought you some food."  She pointed at the thing she'd put on the table.  We sat staring at each other for a few minutes before she spoke again.  "What's your name?  Mine's Karah."  She stared at me, waiting for my answer.  Her eyes were green.  I don't know why that was important, but it was.  "Do you know your name?"  I shrugged a little, I didn't want to answer.  "Everyone's talking about you, you know.  A lot of people went home early today because you showed up."  I didn't say anything.  I didn't know what to say anyway.  "Where are you from anyway?"

    I wasn't going to answer, just like all of her other questions, but I spoke before I realized it.  "I don't know."

    "Well, how'd you get here?"

    "I don't know."

    "You don't know how you got in the dessert?"

    "Dessert?"  Is that what outside was called?

    She pointed out the window.  "The dessert.  Where you were coming from."  She got up and went over to the window.  After she was staring out the window for a little bit, I got up and went over there too.  I stayed away from her, close enough to see out the window, but still away from her.  "It's ok, you can come over here.  I don't bite."

    I moved a little closer, but there was still a lot of space between us.  I stared out the window again, at the lights.  After a few minutes I decided to talk again.  "What are those?"  I pointed at the lights.

    "What?"  She looked around, like she was trying to see what I was pointing at.

    I pointed again.  "The lights."

    "The stars?"  I stared.  "You don't know what stars are?"  I shook my head.  "Well... stars are really far away and they're really bright, which is why we can see them all the way here."

    "Are they there whenever it get's dark?"

    "At night they are."

    "Night?"

    "After the sun goes down."

    "The sun... is that what that big light was called?  The one that blew up?"

    She giggled.  "It didn't blow up, silly!  That was the sunset.  When the sun goes down every night, the sky looks really pretty and colorful."

    "Oh."

    She was still giggling when my tummy made a noise.  I looked down at it, trying to figure out what was wrong.  "See, you are hungry."  She grabbed the food and held it out to me.  "Here, you can have this."

    I hesitated, but I took it.  It was dark, so I couldn't see what it looked like, but it was in a round thing.  "What is it?"

    "It's my mommy's soup.  She made it for dinner tonight.  When she got our bowls - for me and my daddy - she kept looking at the stairs.  She wanted to bring you some, but you keep hiding.  My daddy wanted to bring you some too, but he didn't want to scare you.  While they were eating, I got another bowl and brought it up.  Oh!"  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stick with a round part on the end.  "I forgot, you need a spoon."

    I stared at it, I didn't know what it was.  "Spoon..."  I saw another one like it in my mind, but it was see through and smaller.  I reached out and grabbed it from her.  I looked around, and ended up sitting on the floor.  I dipped the spoon it and pulled out some of the 'soup'.  As I brought the spoon close to my face, I finally smelled it.  It smelled so good!  It was probably the best smelling food I'd ever smelled!  I put the spoon in my mouth and tasted a bite.  It was as good as it smelled, maybe even better!  I put the spoon down and just slurped the soup out of the bowl instead.  There were chunky parts, and I had to chew those, but a lot of it I could just drink.  In about a minute it was all gone.  My stomach made the noise again.

    "You're still hungry.  This is all you ate today right?"

    "I think so...  How do you know I'm still hungry?"

    "Your tummy's growling."

    I looked at it.  "That's what that noise is?"

    She nodded.  "It's how your tummy says 'feed me!'"  She giggled again and I smiled a little.  "Come on!"  She waved towards the stairs and started down.  I slowly followed her, grabbing the spoon as I went.  When I saw the two big people sitting at the table I froze.  I didn't know if it was okay that I was there or not.  Karah said that they didn't want to scare me, but they did anyway.  "Mommy, daddy.  She's still hungry, can she have more?"

    The lady got up and carefully came towards me.  "Of course you can...  Can I have your bowl so I can fill it up?"  She held out her hands.  I stared at them for a minute before I held the bowl out to her, and the spoon.  As soon as she had them I snatched my hands back.  She smiled at me, the same way Karah did earlier.  She went over to a giant bowl with handles and dipped a big spoon in and filled my bowl with it.  She turned around and talked to me from the table.  "Do you want to take it back upstairs, or do you think you'd like to sit at the table?"

    Karah came over and grabbed my hand.  She started pulling me towards the table.  "Come on, you can sit with us!"

    The man talked then.  "Karah, don't make her do anything she doesn't want to.  She doesn't have to sit at the table if she doesn't want to."  He smiled at me after he said it.  His voice was really low and a little scary.  But it was nice too.

    Karah let go of my hand.  "Sorry, daddy."  She looked at me.  "Do you want to sit at the table?"

    I nodded a little and slowly went to the chair that was the farthest away from the others.  The lady set the bowl down by me and I pulled it over.  They were all staring at me.  The man looked at the lady.  "You made a wonderful dinner tonight, honey."

    She smiled at him.  "Thank you, dear."  They started eating their food again.  After they ignored me again, I started eating mine.  When I was done, I didn't want to say anything so I sat there, watching them talking.  After a while the lady noticed my empty bowl.  "Are you finished?"  I nodded.  "You don't want any more?"  I shook my head.  "Alright then."  She took the bowl and spoon and put them in a thing with the other bowls and spoons.

    "Karah said you don't know where you're from."  The man was talking to me.  I shook my head again.  "And she said you don't know your name."

    I paused.  "I think I know my name."

    Karah bounced in her seat near me.  "Well, what's your name?"

    "Natalie."

    The man spoke again.  "Well, Natalie.  Since you don't know where you're from, would you like to stay here until we can find a home for you?"

    "Okay."

    Karah jumped up from her seat.  "Yay!  You can stay in my room, and you can use the other bed, and we can have a sleep over!"  The lady laughed at her and the man smiled.  So did I.

---

    I didn't sleep a lot that night, and I woke up early.  It was still dark.  Karah must have heard me up, because she woke up too.  The sky was getting lighter and I'd been watching it.  She came over to the window with me and watched too.  When I saw the big light again - the sun - I pointed at it.  "Look!  The sun's back."

    "It's the sunrise.  It happens every morning."  She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

    "Like sunset?"

    She nodded, still looking sleepy.  "Mm-hm, but sunrise is the sun coming up, instead of going down."

    I noticed that I couldn't see the stars anymore.  "Where did the stars go!"

    "They go away during the day."  We watched at the sun came up.  It looked like it was exploding again, but I trusted Karah when she said it didn't.  When it was almost all the way up, I heard footsteps on the stairs again.

    When we turned around, it was the lady coming up the stairs.  "Oh, you two are up already!  I'm surprised.  I usually have to drag Karah out of bed half asleep."

    "Natalie woke me up and we watched the sunrise."

    The lady smiled.  "It is pretty isn't it?"  I nodded.  She looked over me at the clothes I was wearing.  "Hey, why don't we get you a change of clothes.  Karah's things should fit you until we can get you some of your own."

    "But those are my clothes!"  Karah pouted at the lady.

    "Don't you want to share with your new friend?"

    She looked at me with her mouth squished to the side.  "Oookaaay."

    "Good, now, why don't you pick out your clothes for the day, while I find some for Natalie."

    "Okay, mommy."  Karah went over to a thing by where I hid last night and opened it to pull out a dress and pants.  The lady pulled out another pair of pants and a shirt.

    "Karah, why don't you change in the bathroom for now?"

    "But, mommy!  It's my room!"

    "Yes, but she's our guest."

    "Okay..."  She frowned and stomped down the stairs.

    The lady smiled at me again.  "Here, try these on.  If they don't fit right, then you can come and tell me where, that way I'll know what size you need.  Okay?"  I nodded and she went down the stairs.  I stared at the clothes, and then at the ones I had on.  It was a thing that covered my body... and I didn't know how to take it off.  After staring at the clothes for almost ten minutes I slowly went down the stairs and found the lady in the room with the table.

    "Um."

    She turned around and saw me still in my clothes.  "What's wrong?"

    "I... need help."

    "What's the matter sweetie?"

    I looked down.  "I don't know how to get my clothes off."

    "Here, let's go back upstairs, and I'll see if I can help."  She followed me back up into Karah's room where she helped me open them so I could change.

    As she was walking down the stairs I said, "Thank you."

    She stopped and smiled at me.  "You just get changed and then we'll go out and get you some clothes of your own."  She turned around and went downstairs.

    I pulled my clothes off and put Karah's on.  The pants were too short and loose, and the shirt was loose too.  I picked up my clothes and went down the stairs.  "Where... where should I put this?"  I held up my clothes.

    She came over and took it from me.  "I'll take care of that for you.  Now, how do they fit?  Let me see."  She had me turn around so she could see how the clothes fit.  "Looks like you're skinnier than Karah, but taller.  That's not a problem."  She turned and called out a window.  "Karah, come in honey!  Let me grab my things and then we're going out."  She started searching around the house for her things.  I didn't move from my spot until Karah came in.  She walked over to me to see how her clothes looked on me.

    "My pants are too short on you."  Her dress she was wearing came to her knees and her pants came almost to her ankles and were tight on her.  The ones I had on were supposed to be loose, but not as loose as they were on me.  Karah looked down and saw that I had no shoes on.  "Here, let me go get my other shoes."  She ran off and came back with a pair of older looking shoes.  "Sorry that they're old.  I don't have any others.  These are my new ones."  She pointed at the ones on her feet, that were almost shiny.  I pulled on the pair she'd handed me.  They was a lot of space left and they almost fell off when I tried walking in them.  "Don't worry, mommy's gonna get you some that fit.  You're only borrowing these for today."

    I stared down at my feet and the too big shoes that covered them.  I slipped my feet out and picked them up, handing them back to Karah.  "I like barefoot better."

    She looked at me with her face scrunched up.  "Ookaaay.  If you say so."  She shrugged while she went and put them back.  She came back right as her mom did.

    "Are you two ready?"  She glanced down at my bare feet.  "Karah, go get your old shoes."

    "I already did, Natalie said she doesn't want to wear them."

    The lady looked at me.  "Are you sure?"

    I nodded.  "They're too big.  I like barefoot better."

    "Alright.  Come on, then, girls."  She ushered us out the door and closed it behind us.  I didn't know why, but it was important to me that she didn't lock it.  I didn't point it out though.  Karah grabbed the lady's hand as we started walking down the street.  There were a lot of people that passed us as we went along.

    At first I didn't notice anything weird - well more than I expected anyway.  A lot of the houses we passed had their doors wide open, and the ones that didn't I'm sure were unlocked.  Other kids were running around, playing with each other.  Some called out to Karah as we passed.  Some people were sitting out on the sidewalks eating together, or just talking.  Everyone looked happy.

    Then I started to notice that as people saw me they stopped talking and stared at me.  I looked so different from all of them.  They all looked like their homes, their habitat, and I didn't.  Karah didn't notice the staring, and was chattering away to her mom.  I don' know if the lady noticed or not.  I don't know why I did what I did next, but I did.  I grabbed the lady's other hand and scooted behind her.  I think I was trying to hide from the people staring.  I don't know when it happened, but the lady felt safe.  She glanced down at me looking surprised, but then she smiled, and squeezed my hand.

    She led us into a shop where there was a sign with the word 'clothing' written on it, as well as a picture of pants and a shirt.  We walked to the counter where a lady with a nice face smiled at us.  I was still hiding behind Karah's mom from the starrers, so the lady didn't see me right away.  "Hello, Karah.  Did you tear a hold in your clothes again?"  She chuckled at her.  I guess Karah did that a lot.

    Her mom laughed too.  "No - at least not yet.  Alen and I are taking care of the girl they found yesterday."  She nudged me out from behind her.  I still stayed close to her side, but I let her push me into the counter lady's sight.  "We're here to get some clothes for her."  She glanced down at my bare feet.  "And shoes."

    The counter lady leaned over the counter to see me better.  "Oh, my poor dear, you must be frightened out of your mind!"

    "She's actually doing really well, we have Karah to thank for that."

    "Well, then."  She came around the counter towards me.  "Come on, then dear.  Lets go and get you measured up, then we'll see about finding some clothes that fit you."  Her smile made her eyes almost shut.  I wondered how she could still see when she smiled.  She led me to a round platform in the corner of the room and had me stand on it.  She pushed a button on the wall and laser lights beamed all over me.  I don't know why, but it was the most normal thing I'd seen so far.  When the lights stopped the lady let me get down.  She pulled a flat thing from the wall and moved her finger over it.

    "What's that?"

    She turned it so I could see.  It was a screen with readouts on it.  "These are your measurements."  She pointed to the numbers on the screen.  I leaned closer to see.  "Here's your height, your waistline, how long your legs are, your arms.  Everything."  She pulled it away from me so she could see better.  "Now...  Okay, follow me."  She went through a doorway next to the counter.

    I hesitated.  Karah looked at me.  "Don't worry, there's nothing scary.  It's really cool back there!"

    I nodded.  I walked through the door after the lady and into a room filled with machines and robotics.  There were screens and lights and buttons everywhere.  And there was a clear door at the other end.  The lady was standing by the door, waiting for me.  I was frozen on the spot.  I was scared.  The computers and machines scared me and I didn't know why.  The room didn't feel safe.  The lady saw that I was scared and came over to me.  "Oh, it's alright, dear.  I know, they seem very intimidating, but they're harmless."  I shook my head.  How could I explain to her that this room felt bad?  "Do you want to go back to Ina?  Karah's mom?"  I nodded and she gently steered me back through into the other room.  "Ina?  Do you think you could come with us?"

    "Sure.  Natalie, what's the matter?"  I grabbed onto her hand again.

    "The room feels bad."

    She looked at the counter lady and then back to me.  "It's okay.  I'm here.  I promise, nothing bad will happen to you in the room.  It just gives clothes out, that's all."  I didn't say anything.  I just clung to her as she gently tugged me back into the room.  I squeezed my eyes shut.  I didn't want to see the room.  With my eyes closed it was a little better, and Ina pulled me where I was supposed to go.  She tapped my shoulder and I opened my eyes.  The counter lady pushed buttons while looking at the screen in her hand.  When she was done there was a noise and parts of rooms started whooshing past the door.

    When they stopped the door opened and Ina led me into the room.  "Everything in here will fit you.  Just pick what you like."  She smiled at me.  I was starting to notice, whenever she smiled at me, it felt like everything was gonna be alright.  The same thing happened with Karah and her dad - Alen?

    I looked around the room.  There was a section with shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, even shoes.  I didn't like the skirts and I didn't want any dresses.  I picked out a few shirts and pairs of pants.  And a pair of shoes.  They were kind of plain, but I liked them.  Most of the shirts were one of three kinds of green, but the pants came in all sorts of colors.  The dresses were the same greens.  "Why are the shirts all the same colors?"

    "That's the colors Canyon Cliff use."

    "What's Canyon Cliff?"

    "It's the name of our habitat."

    "Oh."  We walked out into the front room.  "Where'd Karah go?"  She wasn't in the room.

    "She's probably outside playing."  Ina looked at the counter lady.  "Thank you, Mary.  We'll be back when Karah need some new things."

    Mary laughed.  "Oh, I know you will.  Take care, Natalie.  And take better care of your clothes than Karah does."  She waved goodbye to us as we left.  When we got outside, Ina called Karah over from the friends she was playing with.  We all went back to their home while Karah led me upstairs to her room.

    She cleaned out the bottom part of the thing that held her clothes.  "Here, you can have the bottom drawer for now."

    "Thank you."  I put my new clothes in the drawer.  "Um... do you want your clothes back now?"

    She shrugged.  "If you want.  Just put them in the hamper."  She bounded downstairs and left me alone.  Karah's clothes - and my new ones - were way easier to get off than the first thing.  I changed into a set of my new things and went downstairs to look for Ina.

    I found her in the room with the table, she was doing something on the counter that I couldn't see.  "What are you doing?"

    She looked down at me.  "I'm making some lunch, would you like to help me?"  I nodded.  I put the clothes on one of the chairs and pulled another one over so I could see.  She showed me that she was cutting something - she called it a vegetable.  "Here, you clean the ones I still need to chop up."  She handed me some that were a little dirty and a bowl with water in it.  "Here, you take this cloth, and you wash the dirt off.  See?"  She showed me how and then let me do the rest on my own.

    When I was almost done Karah came running in the door.  "Natalie, you wanna play?"

    I looked at Ina.  She smiled at me.  "I can finish the rest on my own, you go ahead."

    I smiled back and hopped off the chair, following Karah outside.