'Finally, you're paying attention!'

Shit.

'Yes, You! Took you long enough!'

I had just done the worst thing possible. Make eye contact with the inevitable 'crazy' on the late night train. The guy had been rambling on for the past five minutes about his long journey ‘through the spirit dimensions’ to locate our recently colonised planet. To this very train carriage, in fact. Here and now.

I’ll admit. Spirit Dimensions?

I couldn’t help it. His psychobabble did inspire a teeny tiny pulse of curiosity. So I barely peaked over the top of my dog-eared novel, the last vestige from my life on Earth and-

Boom. Looking directly at me. I. Am. So. Stupid. 

I immediately flicked my eyes back to my page, acting like I’d looked past him rather than at him. Was it smooth enough?

Nope.

‘Finally we can talk again, buddy.’

Great, I thought. Now we’re ‘buddies’.

I felt him get up and walk over to the empty seat in front of me. Chuckling, no less. After two days and more than 30 hours of farm laboring at the outer limits of human settlement on this planet, when all I want is rest, I get the nut-job who won’t take a hint.

I silently sent my thoughts through the back of the seat. ‘Please. I'm not doing this. Not tonight. Or in fact, ever. Just leave me the hell alone!’

What if I just plain ignore the guy?

I checked my watch. Three minutes till my stop.

Alright! Eyes down, don't move a muscle, don't breathe damnit! He'll get bored when you don't react.

Besides, denial is my artform. What's three short minutes?

'Helloooo? Dale?'

HOLD ON? WHAT! That's actually my name. I'm Dale.

'It is you, isn't it?’ he asked.

I looked up again, driven by instinct. Nobody knew me here for a hundred light years. It was the very reason I moved to Enkhor.

The guy staring back at me was mid 20's, filthy, ragged and skinny. His deep tan suggested a more interesting heritage than my white trash background. His green eyes burrowed into my own. But definitely not a face I recognised.

Even off-world, my Aussie accent was in full swing. ’Sorry mate, do I know you, or-?'

'It's me. Surpise! 

'Uh?'

'It's Taos.'

With one word, my body froze still. The one word that could rip me apart like cotton-candy.

Taos...

12 years had passed. But hearing his name, it felt like yesterday. Like everything was still happening.

Emotions erupted internally as I tried to maintain outward composure. Shock. Followed by confusion. Then a wave of grief threatening to engulf me.

It was a wave I had beaten back more times than I could remember. My grip tightened onto my book. Whoever this lunatic was, he played a very dangerous game.

‘How do you know that name?’ I asked in a whisper.

‘Look past the face, Dale.'

'Wh- what?'

'Feel my voice. It’s me.’

My heart rate was rising as the stranger's words dropped memories like deadly icicles. On the outside, I didn't flinch at all. 'You're not him. Taos is dead.’

‘Yup. Happened in my mother’s bathroom.’

My hand flew straight to my mouth.

‘But you know that, don't you. I was told you were the one who found me.’

‘Why? Why are you, whoever your are, talking about this? You’re NOT Taos. He had no pulse. I tried to, to resucit-’

The stranger reached out and touched my arm, cutting off my words as my voice shook.

‘I never intended for you to suffer that. Never you.’

It had to be a lie. But there was a bizarre feeling coming off him.

I shook my head violently. Logic was my safety zone. Wake up, Dale. This is just some fantasy, some joke, come to wreck you. You can beat this.

I looked at him again, all smiles of compassion. I wanted to punch this random’s face to pieces. Maybe I wanted to hug him too.

I'm not that boy anymore. The kind of boy who fell for anything.

‘Prove it.’ I’d expose this heartless shit-bag for the lowlife human he was. And then, I'd run away. Like I always did. Away from anyone and anything that made me feel emotion.

Crazy guy started giggling.

‘Alright, you asked for it. The first day we met, my border-collie pissed on your schoolbag. You cried. I brought you back to my place to wash it, because if your mum had found out, she’d… well, we both remember what she was like behind closed doors.’

And then, it’s tears. It's a decade since I let myself.

They stream down my face like ribbons. 

Taos had sworn never to tell a soul. We never exposed each other's shame to outsiders.

He touches me again. My skin throbs in pain.

‘You’re right. I am dead. At least my old body died. I’m just borrowing this one to visit you.’

'Borrowing? Taos? How, how can this be happening. This is impossible!'

*BING* ‘Next stop, Carusoe Hills.’

This was not the three minutes I had expected. I stifled a sudden sob and picked up my bag without taking my eyes off his face.

Man, this had really got me good. The only person who could still move my heart, was somehow back from the dead? My person. Who had left me forever.

'It's really you?'

He nodded and smiled again.

'Follow me.’

‘I’ve been following you for three years,' he laughed easily. 'Let’s go.’