《Alien Witch》 1. Dead Again In a run-down old house where mold crawled up walls and floorboards creaked, Kristy Clark shook her daughter''s lifeless body. No amount of screaming or tears could wake her back to life. Without wasting another second, Kristy wiped her swollen eyes with the collar of her stained t-shirt and frantically dialed 911. ¡°Please help, I think my daughter is dead!¡± She tried to catch her breath as she went to pace the dusty hallway, piled with boxes and laundry baskets. ¡°7782 Oracle rd, Caldron. Her name is Zoe Clark.¡± She gripped the phone tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡¯ she continued between uncontrollable sobs in the dark. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time this happened.¡± She glanced at Zoe¡¯s body again, waiting for a rise of her chest, a flare of the nose, anything.
Although Zoe¡¯s heart had stopped, she could hear her mother¡¯s voice from light-years away, lost in a black vastness she instantly associated with death for the second time in her entire life. The eternal black, a living being of its own, brought images of early childhood memories in bits and pieces; A thin woman with pale hair, crying on a rocking chair, the red dust of a barren desert, a rusty Ferris wheel turning in a bright blue sky. A presence was felt somewhere close. She looked around, her clouded vision useless. ¡°Why am I here? Where am I?¡± A voice, like broken static, replied, ¡°You must meet me on Earth.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You are the lost soul of magic blood.¡± A jolt of lightning seared through her. ¡°You will not die unless you give away your soul,¡± the voice said. ¡°Let him find you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The ghost you met last summer.¡± In one second she was shrinking into a swirling vortex, the next, she was gasping for oxygen on her bed. Her ebony eyes widened, looking up to the starry sky from her cracked bedroom window. Lost soul? Magic blood? Radios went on and off. Footsteps ran up and down creaky stairs. Red and blue lights flashed on the trees. Caw, caw, went the pesky conspiracy of crows, crouched in the bare branches. How she wished she was out there on a small piece of the roof where she liked to sit and gaze at the sky. ¡°Take deep breaths,¡± said a man she did not know at the foot of her bed. Zoe sat up with her legs to her chest. Her shaky, goosebump covered arms shielding by her cascading ash brown hair that stuck up every which way. Kristy returned to the room, relieved to see the life brought to her bronze face. ¡°Zoe, you¡¯re okay.¡± The paramedic pressed a stethoscope to Zoe''s chest. ¡°Heart rate normal,¡± he said after a good minute. ¡°How are you feeling, miss?¡± Zoe felt the heat return to her cheeks. ¡°Fine, I guess.¡± ¡°Miss, it is very important you answer this question," the paramedic said. "Are there any substances you¡¯ve taken tonight that we need to be aware of?¡± She glanced at his buzz-cut hair and blue eyes, then looked back out the window, away from him entirely. The cop in the room stepped out. ¡°We can take your mother out of the room," he said. "It¡¯s okay, miss." She stared blankly at the twinkling stars as a tear rolled down her cheek. ¡°It wasn¡¯t drugs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying it was, but we need to be sure if we''re going to help you. This could be very serious, do you understand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, Zoe," Kristy said. "All that matters is you¡¯re okay.¡± Zoe closed her eyes to stop the tears. She wished she was back in heaven or space, wherever it was. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Not unless I find him.¡± Kristy¡¯s cheeks turned solid red. "Find who?" The paramedic took out a syringe and a rubber cuff. "Hold still." Zoe didn¡¯t struggle this time. She let him grab her limp arm and feel for a vein. She didn¡¯t dare speak another word about what happened - How she died so that her confined soul could travel to another dimension - That is unless she wanted to spend another few months in the loony bin. She was never fond of that place. Tears swarmed her eyes as another paramedic burst into the room and asked about a gurney. ¡°Don¡¯t let them take me, Mom,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± After some protesting with the paramedics and EMT¡¯s, the ambulance left without her. The cop stuck around, questioning Kristy longer than he should have. She could hear their low voices mumbling in the hallway, unable to make out the words. He¡¯d been here before, that cop. Officer John Bertrand was his name, the father of one of her classmates. He was divorced, and the only reason she knew was because he asked Kristy out on a date. That would be so weird, but thankfully it never worked out, and she hoped it never would.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It was a relief to hear his heavy steps down the stairs and out the front door.Kristy returned to the room with a glass of water and aspirin. Afterward, she helped her down to the bathroom and ran a hot bubble bath. ¡°That should warm you right up.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± ¡°Let me know if you need anything else. I¡¯ll be right outside the door." Zoe knew if her mother wasn''t such an excellent nurse before she quit, the night might''ve turned out much different. She had worked at the only hospital in town for years and still knew most of the staff. They were always asking her to come back, but she insisted on starting her greeting card business that barely got anywhere and took up half the house. Zoe took a deep breath and sank into the warm water, inhaling the earthy scent of lavender that filled the small room, dimmed by candlelight. She closed her eyes, falling, falling, deeper into the water, deeper into the black void. The glass clock chimed in the hallway, striking midnight. Her eyes sprang back open. You will not die...give your soul to me...let him find you. The words were locked behind her skull and wouldn''t go away. Were they worth repeating to anyone else? Was the voice who said them even real or just a part of the vast wilderness of her imagination? But there was no imagining him. He was real. That much was certain. ¡°The ghost,¡± she said under her breath. "The ghost I met last summer." Kristy paced around the dark house, no less nervous than earlier. Why had this happened again? Zoe¡¯s been CAT scanned, X-rayed, you name it, but there was nothing ever to suggest that she was sick with anything. Not drugs, huh? She snuck back up to Zoe¡¯s room. It was still cold and stiff and horrible just to be in. There on the floor by her bed was her journal, glittery blue with a crescent moon and stars. Never once did she open it. She was a cool mom like that. But now she wondered if there was something in it she needed to know, an answer she wasn''t getting. She picked up the journal and flipped to a random page. You know that house in crab apple village? The one deep into the woods? That one that looked like it could¡¯ve come right out of a Christmas catalog? Kristy¡¯s heart sank to her stomach. She sat on the bed and continued reading. My mom used to live there when she was a little girl. Back when the villagers lit candles in the windows at night and in the winters they ice skated on the hollow that used to be a pond where waterfalls spilled into. I know because she used to tell me the stories and for forever I dreamed about a place like that. Her father was the mayor of the town and was killed by an unknown thing that eventually drove them all out. There¡¯s rumors it was witchcraft, but to this day no one knows. Me? Personally? I don¡¯t know if I believe in all that but I¡¯m definitely into it. Just last summer I had a small birthday party for my 14th and my best friends Gwen and Luca showed up. Luca so got me an ouija board because he knows I like that stuff. He was forbidden to play it but we decided to give it a try that day and we got some crazy activity, thing is, I don¡¯t know if it ever left. I feel like I¡¯m being watched sometimes, like there¡¯s someone there wanting my attention. It¡¯s so creepy. I guess that¡¯s what I get for messing with that thing. But yeah, I stopped going in the woods a long time ago because who knows if what killed my grandfather is still out there. And I don¡¯t like running into the old village, seeing a new graffiti mark, a new broken window and the pond just as hollow and empty. But it¡¯s always there and sometimes in the winter, I can see it from my bedroom window, the rooftops on some of the houses, the white of my mother¡¯s. I never lived there, but it always gives me this weird empty feeling I can¡¯t explain. Sometimes it makes me want to cry. I think it just reminds me of how fragile life is and one day we¡¯ll all die just the same. Kristy shut the diary and went back downstairs. She felt bad for even picking it up. She knew her daughter, and she knew their unordinary situation. Admitting that was the hardest part. And the old village, gone to the wind. It surprised her Zoe must''ve still thought about it so much. She swore she thought she''d be reading anything else - boys, drugs, the usual teenage angst. She knocked on the bathroom door. ¡°Zoe, you okay in there?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Think you¡¯ll go to school tomorrow? You already missed so much this year.¡± ¡°Maybe...Yeah, I¡¯ll go.¡± Meanwhile, Kristy boiled like a cauldron on Halloween. Ouija board?! I told her never to use one of those things! And Luca? Of all people to give her one?! She shook her head. Luca, the sweetest boy any mother would hope her daughter would one day marry. Guess it''s a good thing they aren''t dating yet. Maybe I should just ban him from this house if he''s going to be bringing in a lousy piece of cardboard to make her think there''s something watching her when there''s not! ¡°Mew!¡± It was Pumpkin, rubbing up against her leg. The mangy orange tabby must¡¯ve been hiding while all the commotion was going on. She kneeled down and scratched under his chin. ¡°Thanks, Pumpkin,¡± she said. It wasn¡¯t for him scratching and yowling at her bedroom door, alerting the world something was wrong, she might¡¯ve never bothered to check. She pulled back her blonde curls and let the thoughts of the ouija board simmer over. There was no use starting a fight over something that happened months ago. Not unless I find him, Zoe had said. Now that was another question entirely. It sounded like she was talking out of a dream. She used to sleeptalk all the time, especially the first year she and her dad brought her home. Not unusual. Then again she died before, and just because something happened before doesn¡¯t make it usual. The first time was no stranger than the last. It happened a few months ago on a hot, humid, unrelenting Pennsylvania summer day. Then they swore it was a bad case of mono or the flu, but she tested negative for both and it wasn''t like it was the season for catching colds. Zoe was just lying in the field in the backyard, trying to catch some sun when she ran into the house crying that her eyes felt like they were burning out of her head and dropped to the floor. Kristy hated to think what would¡¯ve happened if she weren''t there. The ambulance came and revived her. Then they believed it was a neurological or heart disorder, but they never figured it out. ¡°Think it might have anything to do with her past?¡± Officer Bertrand had asked when she ran into him at the gas station later that week. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± was all Kristy could say, but there has to be some sort of explanation because if there wasn''t, the world would start to draw eyes on her. The worst part about living in a small town was how everyone had to know everyone else¡¯s business. Rumors spread like wildfire, not that there hadn¡¯t been talk on the Clark¡¯s before. And there was plenty to talk about. A heavy silence filled the house. Kristy stood by the door, her lips parted. There were things she wanted to say, wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t dare. Just then, in the corner of her eye, she saw a shadow with bright eyes the color green. 2. The Ghost from Last Summer Mr. Anderson picked up a clipboard. "Faun Ashburn, Timothy Bertrand, Zoe Clark." The entire class looked back at her. ¡°Good to see you¡¯re here,¡± he said and continued attendance. ¡°I bet she likes the attention,¡± Zoe swore she heard one girl whisper to another. ¡°Maybe I should start dying my way out.¡± Shawn Bertrand, good old officer John Bertrand''s son, turned back from a desk ahead of hers. ¡°Hey, Zoe,¡± he said, just quiet enough so that the teacher couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Maybe you should go back to that village in Ukraine and get some air.¡± Zoe slouched into her oversized hoodie like a turtle in its shell. Mr. Anderson took a marker to the board. ¡°The four basic jobs of the cell,¡± he said, writing a list. ¡°Store DNA, help the cell move, protect and keep the cell¡¯s shape, and direct and monitor the cell¡¯s activities. And yes, that will be on the test.¡± Zoe opened up a notebook and bit the end of her pencil, more focused on keeping cool than on what would be on a damn test she might not even be alive for. Suddenly the pages began to flip on their own. She glanced around to see if there was a fan blowing or an open window, but there was no fan and all the rain-sprinkled windows were shut. Faint letters began to appear on the blue lines. Meet me at the Oracle factory. She slammed the notebook shut. Shawn Bertrand looked back and noticed her staring bug-eyed at her notebook. ¡°Hey, Zoe,¡± he said. ¡°What do you think? How scientifically possible is surviving two overdoses?¡± Zoe remained silent, wondering where her voice went. It was gone. Out the door, where he was standing, a boy, maybe even a young man, with dark gold hair, a mischievous grin, and intense green eyes. He could¡¯ve been a senior. Maybe even a teacher. But there was something about him she couldn¡¯t explain. His clothes, a navy sweater, dark ironed slacks, and his fe...where were his feet?! Whoever he was, he vanished with a blink. She wished she could say he didn¡¯t look at all familiar, but that would be a lie. ¡°Pss, Zoe,¡± a girl in a desk beside her said. ¡°There¡¯s a hole in your sweater.¡± Zoe looked down at the measly hole Pumpkin accidentally poked with his claw. What the hell did she care? All she could think about his mysterious eyes, shining like two bright stars. Her notebook flipped again. This time there were only two words. Remember me? She quietly gasped. Yes, she thought. But I don¡¯t want to. The class couldn¡¯t end fast enough. Gwen Black shuffled down the hall, clinging her books to her bulging torso. Her hair was slicked back with too much ultra sheen, and she smelled strongly of sweet body spray she doused herself with every hour. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone get to you,¡± she told Zoe as they stopped at her locker. A group of tall, rambunctious guys in football jerseys swaggered down the hall. ¡°Hey Zoe, what are you on these days, and where can I buy it?¡± One of them asked. ¡°Dude, she probably gets them from her mom,¡± one of the guys said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she work street corners these days?¡± Zoe buried her head in her hand and turned away while Gwen threw her books and waved her jiggly arms. ¡°Get the fuck out!¡± Zoe pulled her back. ¡°Gwen, stop,¡± she said as the guys snickered away. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say don¡¯t let anyone get to me?¡± ¡°Girl, that doesn¡¯t mean don¡¯t stand up for yourself!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t deserve our energy. Any of it.¡± Just then, his green eyes appeared in her mind - That mischievous smile. ¡°I have a feeling I won¡¯t be here much longer anyway. In this school, I mean.¡± Gwen slammed her locker shut and turned her head. ¡°Whatchu sayin?¡± ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on now. I mean, not really, bu-¡± ¡°Girl, tell me all about it at lunch. These halls ain¡¯t good for tellin¡¯ nothing.¡± Zoe agreed, but it was better they never talked about things like that in school at all. They''d been targeted before after talking about things like witchcraft, and how they swore the woods on Oracle road were haunted. Without a peep from their mouths, they walked down the halls to the cafeteria for their usual chips and candy bars from the vending machine, and the pb&j assisted lunch program got them for free. "Last day for candy," Gwen said, but she was always saying that. Their pact to lose weight since middle school was always heading South. . They sat at the most isolated table they could find, all the way in the corner by the window. By then the skies had turned so dark it almost felt like night. Zoe ripped off a small piece of crust and slowly chewed. ¡°Don¡¯t go losing your appetite over this,¡± Gwen said, already halfway done with her candy bar. ¡°Not when children are starving in Africa.¡± Zoe took out her notebook from her bag and flipped it to ¡®the page.¡¯ ¡°Tell me you wouldn¡¯t lose yours too.¡± Gwen wiped chocolate from her mouth and narrowed her eyes at the faint lines. ¡°Meet me at the Oracle factory?¡± She looked back at Zoe, wide-eyed. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± Zoe said, iced over with panic. ¡°He must¡¯ve written it somehow.¡± Gwen shook her head, not as if she didn¡¯t understand, but as if she didn¡¯t want to. ¡°My birthday,¡± Zoe said. ¡°The ouija board. The boy who said he died young.¡± ¡°God Zo, do you have to remind me?¡± ¡°Gwen, Listen. When I, you know, died, something, someone, maybe even God, told me, you will not die unless you give away your soul, and to do that, let him find you.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s trying to kill you?¡± ¡°All I know is he¡¯s probably waiting for me at the factory. Then I saw him in class this morning. You know, the ghost.¡± ¡°What did he look like?¡± Her heart jumped. ¡°He looks good.¡± ¡°Good?¡± ¡°He looks, I don¡¯t know, old fashioned. Sophisticated. He had these eyes. They were so green.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I only saw him for a second this time.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°You mean there was a second time?¡± ¡°Yes, well no.¡± Zoe shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve always kind of felt him around but never really seen him.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be good. We never should¡¯ve played around with that thing.¡± ¡°I know. Maybe I should just burn it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta do something,¡± Gwen said. ¡°It¡¯s been nothing but trouble. God knows why I haven¡¯t been dyin¡¯ too.¡± Zoe laughed as if it were all suddenly funny - A twisted joke. But she couldn''t be any more afraid. ¡°Now here¡¯s the part that really gets strange,¡± she said, lowering her voice. ¡°When I died, this strange voice told me I¡¯m a lost soul of magic blood.¡± ¡°Magic blood? How do you know that¡¯s even the truth? What if it¡¯s a demon just tryin¡¯ to scare you?" Zoe looked back at the notebook. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± ¡°Oh hell no. You are not going to that abandoned factory.¡± ¡°I have to.¡± ¡°I''m going with you then.¡± ¡°Not this time, G. I think it¡¯s better I go on my own.¡± ¡°No way! You have no idea what you¡¯re dealing with. None of us do. The pope himself probably couldn¡¯t even tell you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just going to die again if I don¡¯t.¡± Gwen perked up as if a lightbulb had gone on over her head. "Luca." Zoe smiled. Luca, her old neighbor and friend who loved magic and the paranormal. He was the one who gifted her the ouija board for her birthday and helped her calm down when the game turned for the worst. ¡°Let him go with you.¡± ¡°Good idea. I just might. ¡°No, you will,¡± Gwen said. ¡°Damn, I wish he never got you that thing. We never should¡¯ve played.¡± "I know. It was so stupid." "Your mom would go ape if she found out." "I just wish she would believe me. There''s no way I could tell her I saw a ghost in class." Gwen cleared her throat. "Or a demon." ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Gwen looked back at the notebook and shrank back with dread. "You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?" Zoe nodded. ¡°Terrified.¡±
The smell of smoke lingered below the dark grey clouds, reminding Zoe of the time she spent in Amsterdam. Golden orange leaves crunched beneath her feet, heading home from where the bus dropped her off. Eight houses lined Oracle road, four on each side with wide, open spaces of field between them. Most of the residents were old, and she rarely saw any of them out of their houses, except Tilda, an amicable elderly woman who sat on her rocking chair on her front porch most afternoons. ¡°Our road is totally haunted,¡± Luca always said. He used to live in the biggest house on the street. She could see it from where she walked, a two-story, dark blue house with a wrap-around porch and large windows. She wished he never left. In a lot of ways, his family was like her own. His younger sister, Mia, also loved ghosts almost as much as he did, as well as their parents. Every Halloween, they would string up their house with more lights than they did for Christmas. They never trick-or-treated. Instead, they hosted haunted house parties and invited just about the whole town. Zoe used to wait all year for October so she could help them decorate and bake all kinds of pies, cakes, and other spooky treats. Kristy was always hesitant about it, both about helping and going, but eventually, she gave in and had a blast each time. It was a bummer the day they found out the Mantini¡¯s were moving far across town. Luca and Mia were older by then, and the Halloween parties soon came to an end. Zoe turned into the dirt driveway to her house, small and quaint. Kristy had been renting it since the divorce four years ago. She could barely keep up with rent, and the drive into town was a hassle in the winters with her old white Mercury Tracer hatchback that could hardly make it through unplowed roads, which was almost always since the road was so quiet and forgotten. There was a creepy, mysterious history here that many people outside of it were happy to forget, but it was a road closest to Malus or Oracle Hallow, the long destroyed and abandoned village in the woods were Kristy used to live as a little girl. Her heart¡¯s greatest hope had been to restore it and make it the magical place it once was all those years ago. Forty-two and broke, she had yet to give up the dream. Remnants of Kristy¡¯s other dreams lingered all over the house; Tables and desks piled with drawings, rough drafts, quotes. Every day she worked on her greeting card company, cloud 9. Sometimes she worked through the early hours of the morning well into the night. Other days, she didn¡¯t work on it at all. Zoe could tell this was one of those days as Kristy was snuggled up in a blanket and sweats on the sofa. She took a spoonful of ice cream from the container in her lap and asked her if she wanted any. ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°School getting back to normal?¡± ¡°When was it ever?¡± Zoe said on her way up the creaky wooden stairs to her room. When was anything normal about me? She threw her bag on the floor by her desk, offset the feeling of death still lingering in the room. It was a stiff, cold mustiness she could smell. A break of sunlight caught her eye from the window above her bed. She cracked it open and looked again at where Luca once lived, barely any sign of residence but a small leaf pile. Further down the road were rows of skeletal trees, farmhouses, a veterinary hospital, a car repair shop, and the abandoned Oracle factory. Suddenly scratching came at the door. She tensed, her heart speeding a million miles a second. The door swung open. ¡°Meow.¡± Zoe gasped with relief. ¡°Oh, Pumpkin,¡± she said. ¡®It¡¯s just you.¡± The orange tabby rubbed against her leg and purred. She had to admit it was hard to be in that room anymore, so hauntingly still, a place where rumors were born and bred. If it wasn''t for the blood tests, her mother would be as convinced as the rest of the town that she''d been overdosing, or even worse, trying to take her own life. But what hurt most of all was realizing how easy it was for everyone to believe such rumors. ¡°They can think whatever they want,¡± she said, scratching Pumpkin¡¯s pudgy cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± Just then, the globe on her desk started to spin on its own. She could hear the old thing rolling before she saw it. ¡°Be there soon,¡± said a whispery voice like the wind. It came from the direction Pumpin was looking at, though no one was there. She ran out of her room and fled down the stairs. ¡°What is it this time?¡± Kristy asked. Zoe sat on the sofa and shrugged. Thankfully the T.V had a way of sounding out some of the tense energy in the house. She didn¡¯t want to talk about it anymore - she just wanted to feel safe, and it would be easier if her mother would be more accepting of the unknown. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, Zoe, but all I know is that whatever it is, it¡¯s bad.¡± ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t even know the half of it.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Kristy said, her blue eyes darkening. ¡°And it¡¯s my fault for not listening.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Zoe said. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For not dropping me off at the looney bin this time.¡± ¡°Stop calling it a looney bin. And what are you so against medical care for? ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Zoe said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to tell you that¡¯s not what this is, and I don¡¯t have any real way to prove it to you.¡± ¡°Do you know what kind of mother I would be if I started taking you to a pastor? This is serious. You legally died for Christ¡¯s sake. Twice.¡± Zoe got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. A fly buzzed around the sink piled high with dishes. ¡°Hey. Mom,¡± she said. ¡°What if I have some crazy cancer from this house being so filthy?¡± Kristy laughed. ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± Zoe smirked, though cancer sure wasn¡¯t crossed off her list of possibilities. Particularly brain cancer. She opened a cupboard. ¡°I¡¯m sleeping downstairs tonight.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t blame you,¡± Kristy said. ¡°I hate that room too.¡± Zoe poured a glass of orange juice, grabbed a bag of chips and a box of cookies, and walked back to the living room. On her way, she glanced back up the stairs. Pumpkin sat at the top, looking down with a flickering tail. ¡°Pump¡¯s been acting off all day,¡± Kristy mentioned. ¡°Rolling around, meowing loudly, staring at nothing.¡± Zoe sat back on the sofa. ¡°Strange,¡± she mumbled with a mouthful of chips. ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Zoe, listen. The way the cops looked at me the first time I called. I don¡¯t want them accusing us of anything because deep down I know it¡¯s not drugs. They proved it. If it isn¡¯t drugs, that leaves this gap for it to be anything. I know that, and I know¡­¡± Kristy slumped, defeated. She had nothing left to say. A small knock came at the door. Zoe got up to answer it, shocked at who it was. It was Luca, holding a bouquet of fall-colored flowers and a box of Italian cookies. He looked a litter tanner, but had the same scrawny shoulders. His eyes were warm brown, the same color of his wispy hair that brushed over the top of his long nose. He handed over the box and flowers. ¡°Don¡¯t look so freaked out,¡± he said with a quirky grin. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s from me and my family. We¡¯re very sorry for what happened.¡± Zoe felt her breath return. She smelled the flowers and smiled. ¡°Thanks, Luca,¡± she said. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you in forever.¡± ¡°I just spent a year in Italy,¡± he said. ¡°See my tan?¡± She nodded. ¡°Looks great,¡± she said. ¡°What do you want?¡± Luca winked. ¡°What? I don¡¯t want anything. Why?¡± ¡°I see that look,¡± she said. ¡°You died two times. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t bring you anything the first time.¡± ¡°Yeah you did,¡± Zoe said. ¡°Well, your mom did.¡± ¡°I was in Italy, so, yeah. No one told me until I got home a few weeks ago. They didn¡¯t want to ruin my trip, I guess.¡± ¡°How nice of them.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Luca said. ¡°I hear you¡¯re having some...otherworldly problems.¡± She stepped back. ¡°What do you mean.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t hide it, Zo. Gwen told me all about it. She¡¯s worried sick.¡± Zoe ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Luca, I...I can¡¯t even begin to tell you the half of it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± he said. ¡°I brought my ghost hunting kit. You know, the one with the spirit box, the K2 EMF reader. I even brought my-¡± Zoe cut him off and opened the door, ¡°Just come in.¡± ¡°Luca, is that you?¡± said Kristy, grinning from ear to ear. "Long time no see!" Luca waved. "Nice to see you too." Zoe pushed off a pile of papers from a nearby table and set down the flowers. "How sweet," Kristy said. "They''re beautiful." ¡°We''ll be upstairs,¡± Zoe said. ¡°He¡¯s going to help me figure out what why I keep dying.¡± 3. Otherworldly Sound The room turned frigid cold. Zoe shut the window while Luca unzipped his backpack in the middle of the room. He pulled out an EVP recorder and a K2 meter, a device that measures electromagnetic frequencies when paranormal activity is thought to be present. She wrapped her arms around her torso, shivering as she paced the room, not sure what to expect. He turned the k2 meter on, but it didn''t seem to be giving much of a response. He looked back at her with a raised brow. ¡°Do you still have it?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Maybe that would attract him back.¡± ¡°Back?" ¡°So we can tell him to never come to this house again.¡± Reluctantly, she opened her closet door, rummaged through boxes and bags, and found the board just where she left it all those years so, tucked in a crevice on the floor. The K2 meter started to beep. ¡°I think it¡¯s working,¡± he said and showed her the flashing red dot on the device. She set the board between them on the floor, just as they did the last time they used it. Back then, there was a circle of candles around them that had all blown out. The planchette was moving so fast on its own, and no one could figure out what it was trying to say. He closed his eyes for a moment as if he were trying to remember something.¡°When we asked for a name, it just gave us his initials, right?¡± ¡°R.S...something like that,¡± Zoe said. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t remember, but I know what he looks like." Luca¡¯s voice cracked. "Gwen told me,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s scary, you saw him in class.¡± She started to shake, unable to understand how the room could turn any colder. "I know,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s crazy.¡± He turned off the K2 meter. ¡°A strong force seems still connected to this room,¡± he said without doubt. ¡°Stronger than your ordinary ghost¡¯s would be. I think what you¡¯re dealing with is a poltergeist. They¡¯re more powerful.¡± Zoe moved closer to him and asked quietly, ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s a demon, do you?¡± He picked up the EVP recorder. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Fear gripped her throat as he pressed the record button. ¡°Is there anyone in this house?¡± He paused. ¡°If so, we kindly ask you to leave.¡± He let it record a while longer and pressed stop. Zoe wondered if she''d hear the ghost''s voice. ¡°Go on,¡± she said. ¡°Play it.¡± "Is there anyone-" Luca''s voice on the recorder suddenly muffled into a screeching clamor, loud and obscure. The haunting noise was like the echo two pieces of metal brushing up against each other, blasting waves of sound. It was strong enough to pierce through skin and spill into blood. He turned it off and slammed the device on the board. Their eyes, wide as saucers met as books came crashing from the bookshelf. They both jolted to their feet. Zoe coward behind him, holding in a scream. She was relieved to hear him laugh, though it was racked with nerves. "It¡¯s just Pumpkin," he said. ¡°Pumpkin?¡± She put her hands on her hips and walked over to the shelf. "You''re in big trouble little man!"This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Pumpkin licked his paw. ¡°Mreow!" She grabbed his chuck of a body and held him in her arms, feeling her muscles relax to the gentle rumble of his deep purr. A knock came at the door. "Everything okay in here?" Asked Kristy. Zoe leaned against the wall, her legs suddenly feeling like jello. "Fine, mom." "Okay. Just thought I''d check." Zoe and Luca looked at each other without a word, then back at the recorder on the board. "Should we show her?" Luca asked. Zoe shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter. She wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± Pumpkin jumped out of her arms and rubbed his head against Luca''s ankles. Luca scratched under his chin and knelt back to the ouija board, wincing in pain. ¡°Missed you too, Pumpkin.¡± Zoe knelt across from him, her knees felt tender, and the back of her head throbbed. "I feel like I¡¯ve been run over by a train.¡± "Me too.¡± She watched him put the devices back in his bag and took out a single stick of violet incense from a wooden box. "Burn this tonight." "Incense?" His eyes flashed. "It¡¯s not just any incense. You have to promise not to tell anyone" "I promise, Luca." Something in his voice turned more serious. "My mom," he said. ¡°She used to get it from Tilda.¡± ¡°Tilda? The old lady down the road?¡± ¡°No, Tilda in Spain. Of course the old lady down the road. You know, the one that always waved to us on our way home. Anyway, my mom swears this isn¡¯t ordinary incense. Ever since she started burning it, my dad got a better job, my sisters health troubles went away, my grandma who was dying became well. I can''t explain it, but it''s the family secret. It''s why nothing bad ever happened to us. I wasn''t sure if it was real or not, but the older I get, the more I start to believe it." Zoe wasn''t sure why, but she felt hurt. If it was real, then all this time, he and his family had been keeping it to themselves and never shared. She twisted the stick with her fingers, lost in wonder about how different her life would be with a little good fortune. Maybe then she wouldn''t have been in and out of mental hospitals. Kristy would have her card business up and running, and she wouldn''t be struggling to pay the bills. "I know what you''re thinking," he said. "Those flowers my Mom gave you last time? She sprinkled them with dust of the incense. Now we know it has to be burned." "Why didn''t you tell me before?" "We didn''t know if it was really true, and as I said, it''s a secret between my mom and Tilda. I only found out because I caught her over at Tilda¡¯s one night and asked her. No one else in my family knows but me, and now you know, but you have to keep it a secret." "I will." ¡°It has a strange smell, like sandalwood, but more bitter. Make sure you burn it until the very end. For now, we need to say a prayer and get rid of the ouija." They said a small prayer, packed up, and headed downstairs.
Afternoon rain still clung to the tall grass. The backyard was nothing but a field, running all the way to a thick line of woods. Luca took the ouija board, Zoe took the shovel. She felt a sense of hope as the sun poked through the clouds, through the unease was still there. Luca''s tan had long gone back to Italy. He was still white as a ghost himself. He almost tripped a few times, every once in awhile groaning in pain. "This is a good spot," he said once they reached the middle of the field. It seemed right, so they began to take turns digging two deep holes, one for the board and one for the planchette. Luca sprinkled salt over them and packed in the top layer. "We should¡¯ve done this the first time." Zoe said, wiping the dirt off her hands. Luca stuck the shovel into the ground. "A ghost couldn¡¯t make that noise. You know that, right? Zoe tensed. ¡°What do you mean? "Whatever that was, it wasn¡¯t a ghost. It wasn¡¯t a poltergeist. It wasn¡¯t a demon." ¡°Then what was it?¡± His eyes faltered in the sunlight, poking through the clouds. "Something not from this world." For a moment, she wasn¡¯t sure what to say. She didn¡¯t want to believe him. Didn¡¯t want to think that whatever they were dealing with was something even more unknown. "What about the oracle factory?¡± she said. It was a long way, and they were weak and tired, but they started down the road with the incense, thinking they''d burn a little there and the rest at the house. Then suddenly, halfway to the building, Luca looked in horror at a deep ditch, but nothing was there. "Luca, what''s wrong?" He straightened his back and tried to laugh it off. Zoe looked around, wondering if she''d see anyone or anything. "I think we better go back," she said finally. "Look at us. Were scared and hurt. Not prepared to go face off some ghost at an abandoned building. And we''d be lucky to make it back before dark.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he said as they turned around. ¡®But don¡¯t go there without me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my battle, Luca. For whatever reason, it wants me. I¡¯m not putting your life in any more danger, or anyone''s.¡± ¡°Will you text me then? Everything that¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll text you everything. Gwen too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to burn the incense,¡± he said. ¡°Burn all of it.¡± 4. The Contract Zoe lit the incense and watched thin smoke dance with the air as it burned. With each breath of the stale, woodsy scent, she felt more energized and fearless. She let it burn halfway, the rest saved for the break of dawn as planned when she¡¯d go out to the factory. I have to go, she kept telling herself throughout the night, wrapped in blankets on the couch, late-night infomercials flashing on the T.V. Lost soul of magic blood. Her blood, magic, she wasn''t sure, but her soul lost she could agree. Once the clocks struck 4, she quietly went upstairs to her room. Pumpkin was sprawled out on her bed, enjoying it all to himself. "Don¡¯t get too comfortable," she told him. Now the room seemed a lot less scary. It was like a veil had been lifted from the entire house. She wondered if this was all some kind of placebo effect, but had a feeling that it wasn¡¯t. She packed only a couple of things, then sat with Pumpkin a little while longer, rubbing his belly, looking around the room as if for the last time. Her eyes dashed across small wooden animal figures, mangas, books, the old wooden dresser of clothes that were either too big or too small that would probably be better off at the goodwill. Above it was a picture, always there, but rarely noticed, of her and her Father, Ellis Banks, at Niagara Falls. Truth be told, she couldn¡¯t remember the last time she saw him. He was living in the Carolina¡¯s now. Myrtle Beach, was it? Somewhere far from this old forgotten town in Pennsylvania. They rarely spoke anymore, and for the most part, she was okay with that. Next to it was a picture of her as a little girl, grinning to the camera on her last day parentless in Ukraine. Gypsy, they always called her at the orphanage, because no one could figure out why her skin was so dark. She had the monolid eyes and wavy, ashen hair of a Ukrainian, but the deep skin, full lips, cheekbones of an African. It wasn¡¯t until years later, after being gifted a DNA test, she found out it was true. She was half Ukrainian, half African American. But how that came to be was anyone¡¯s guess. There was no counting the hours she spent trying to unravel their mystery. How did they meet? Why did they not want her anymore? There were no memories of her father, only dim remnants of her mother, a quiet woman with sullen eyes. She had lived in Pripyat, and her name was Raisa Kotenko. She knew nothing else. The last picture on the dresser was of her and her, Kristy and Ellis together at the park. That was when her new parents both worked as nurses. Now Ellis was into finance, last she heard, and Kristy temporarily on disability after injuring her back and being diagnosed with severe depression after the divorce. Zoe smiled. Even if her adopted parents had split, she was grateful. There were so many children back at that orphanage, sick and deformed. She never forgot how lucky she was to not have any severe deformities or impairments other than some mental illness and learning disabilities, but she knew if she could stay out of the mental hospital and actually go to school, she¡¯d turn out okay, and sometimes just being okay is all someone could ask for. She got dressed and got ready like any other day because it was any other day, wasn¡¯t it? Before Kristy had even woke up, she was out the door and headed for the oldest factory in town.
The factory on oracle road looked like something ghosts thrived in. Dark green vines climbed up half of the entire crimson red brick structure. Glass windows were either smashed open or boarded. Graffiti marked some areas. Zoe snuck around it, looking out for a good place to wait where no one would see her inside. The doors all appeared to be locked except one, barely attached to the hinges. She pried herself inside through a window to the dusty, concrete floor. The rooms were dark. Wallpaper peeled from where water dripped from broken pipes. There were tarnished papers on desks from the late ''90s as if someone from that era would come any minute. ¡°Hello?¡± She called. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Upstairs,¡± a voice from upstairs said quickly. He sounded young, not like the voice in the dream. She quickly took out the incense and lit it, then cautiously walked to a small winding set of metal stairs. Before she went up, she made a quick text to Gwen and Luca, hoping they were awake. At the factory. Really creeped out. I think the ghost is here. ¡°Can...can you come downstairs?¡± she asked, trembling with fear. She could hear floorboards from the ceiling creak. ¡°My office is up here,¡± the voice replied. She looked up the stairs. ¡°Your office?¡± ¡°Come up here," he said. "And I¡¯ll tell you all you need to know.¡± In a blink, he appeared at the top of the stairs, his bright green eyes glowing in the shadows of the building. Her beating heart slowed its pace with each breath of the incense. This time seeing him, she wasn¡¯t so afraid. He looked so casual, like anyone she¡¯d see in school. ¡°I know, you¡¯re confused,¡± he said. ¡°If you come up here, I promise you will never die again.¡± She took her first step up the stairs. At the top, it seemed he had disappeared again, but she heard ruffling of papers and followed the sound to an old room that hadn¡¯t changed in a decade.Then she saw him, facing a large painting of safari animals, giraffes, cheetahs, elephants, walking on water. He turned to her and reached for her hand. ¡°Ralph Sorci.¡± She found it hard, if not impossible, not to be entranced by his enigmatic looks. His eyes especially, like two green suns that don¡¯t burn your eyes but healed them. She slowly brought her hand to his, like a cold, airy projection. ¡°Zoe Cl-¡± ¡°I know who you are.¡± He looked back at the painting. ¡°My father¡¯s friend painted this,¡± he said. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he exceptional? He¡¯s long gone now. Used to travel all over the world, hosting art shows in some of the biggest cities.¡± She nodded. The art was strange, surreal, but pretty, and had absolutely nothing to do with why she was there. She noticed the date written on the bottom, 1950. How old was Sorci really? ¡°Back to business,¡± he said. He moved to a large mahogany desk. On it was a name that read Riccardo Sorci etched in gold paint. "He was my father,¡± he said, noticing her stare. ¡°Died not long after me." ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°Wouldn''t you like to know?¡± ¡°What about you?" She asked. "You look...so young.¡± ¡°I was 17.¡± Sorry, she wanted to say, but it didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°This was just one of his many empires," he said. "Had I had lived to take his place, this would be an entirely different town. Caldron would be a city by now, with underground trains, skyscrapers that rival New York. Oracle road wouldn¡¯t be some dirt path the outcasts live on, but where stock brokers exchange millions.¡± "Let me guess,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯d be the president of the united states too?" He smirked. ¡°If the world was lucky.¡± He pulled out a bright gold piece of paper, like something straight out of heaven. ¡°You could take all day to read this,¡± he said. ¡°Or you could trust me to tell you.¡± She looked closely at the paper, written in strange symbols she couldn¡¯t understand, but could strangely feel. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal,¡± he said. ¡°I want a favor from someone else, that someone wants a favor from me, and that favor is you.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± He pointed to a closet door visible from the hall. ¡°He/she. Whatever you want to call it, is here to collect two souls of magic blood," he said. "I¡¯m a lost soul, obviously. You think you¡¯re alive, but you¡¯re just as good as dead, to put it bluntly. It¡¯s been in your cards to die at 14, and your body won¡¯t stop trying unless you sign this contract.¡± She shook her head. It didn''t make sense. That would mean whoever she thought was trying to kill her this whole time was actually trying to save her. ¡°If you sign the contract, it will regenerate our souls and give us our bodies back, but they won¡¯t be the same. They¡¯ll be better. A hybridization of human and alien. He¡¯s basically doing us a favor.¡± She looked down at the incense, the smoke almost dying out.¡°How can I trust you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said. ¡°Sign it, and you will live.¡± She fumbled for a pen, surprised it made a silvery mark on the paper. When she was done signing it, a noise came from behind the closet door. She stepped away, fear seeping back into her skin. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°I take it back.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, scrolling up the paper and moving toward the closet door. "Too late." She ran down the stairs, sunlight falling through the dusty windows. Sitting there contently by the entrance, was Pumpkin. He must¡¯ve followed her all the way there. Not unlike him, she thought. He¡¯d taken walks with her plenty of times in the woods. She went to pick him up, the strength of the incense completely gone, crying, scared. Suddenly all she saw was black. 5. New Blood Zoe closed her eyes to a starless sky. She turned in a puddle of city lights, her lips severed, coughing up heaps of slime. When she opened her eyes again, she Sorci standing over her. She could see the solid line around his body, lanky yet toned with muscle. His dark hair was much lighter now with a slight green tint. He was still intimidating, if not for his soft smile. He almost looked human. ¡°Except your eyes,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re too bright.¡± His mouth moved as water filled her ears again. All she could hear were murmurs. A color she had never seen before came upon him, upon everything, turning the world into an empty void. In it she thought of her while life, so much of it spent alone, stuck in one institution or another. She felt lucky for her mother, Gwen, and Luca. If only she saw them more, instead of laying in bed for months at a time, crying for no reason and taking medications that never helped. Now it was too late. There was no coming back from this. It wasn''t game over, but another game entirely - A second chance at life with different settings and new rules. She hoped there would be a tutorial for beginners if she could even make it to the beginning. She could barely make it as a human. Her ears popped to the sound of busy streets as the puddle beneath her began to evaporate. Suddenly her blurred senses started to come together, more acute than she ever had before as a human. Strange, she thought, how she could see the microscopic particles of water. Stronger now, she lifted her body and wrapped her arms around her torso. She could feel her ribs poking through her skin and was reminded of Gwen and their plans to lose weight. Guess I beat her to it. She looked down at what remained of the puddle. Her reflection stared back with eyes that had grown considerably, particularly the pupils, full and expansive, like an owl at night. She noticed the colorful metallic hue of the dried tears on her cheeks, and the tiny gem shined in the middle of her forehead. Her breathing adjusted, giving her enough strength to stand on her feet. My bones, she thought, they feel light as air. The clothes barely clinging onto her skin were so soaked and partially dissolved, she felt as if she were wearing nothing at all. Her sneakers were nothing but rags. She took them off and walked barefoot at what appeared to be the top of a building. It wasn''t until she got to the heart-stopping edge that she realized it was a skyscraper. She squinted at traffic lights and electronic billboard screens below. When she looked toward the darker the sea, she realized where she was. Poking the sky was the statue of liberty, just as beautiful and promising as the pictures. But what was she doing there of all places? She walked away from the edge, scared and afraid she would never go home again, the only place she truly wanted to be. In another puddle on the cement roof, she noticed something small and fuzzy. Her heart dropped into her stomach. It was Pumpkin, deflated, a pile of skin and hollow eyes. She sat beside his limp body, wanting to hit herself for bringing him into this. Now he was dead, and it was all her fault. She fell apart. Cried and cried until her eyes burned. He was the sweetest cat. Gentle and kind. He loved everyone he met. He... "Mew." Her eyes shot back as he began to inflate like a balloon. "P-pumpkin?" His new pupils made his eyes look black, and he, too, had a small gem in the middle of his little forehead. She went to pet him, but he hissed and bolted. "Wait! Pumpkin!" She went after him, suddenly struck by a blistering gust. There was that feeling again, the empty void all around her. It had no color, no sound, no taste, just a force like wind. A sickness carried with it, enough to make her want to faint. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Miss. Clark." It was Sorci. "You should tell your mother goodbye,¡± he said. ¡°Aip says she can''t be making a fuss." "Who?" ¡°You''ll meet him soon enough." Sorci flipped out a small device as a flash of light beamed like lightning, cutting a slit, dividing the air. In half a second, she wound up back in her bed in Caldron. She barely made a noise, yet the ground trembled, and a visible wave blew through the room like liquid-wind, knocking over a music box. She picked up the box, glad it didn¡¯t break except for a slight gap. Inside was a lake of black glass surrounded by sticks and foliage, and tiny swans that moved when you wound up the song Swan Lake. She had gotten as a little girl in a trade with Gwen. She forgot what Gwen got out of it. Everything else about the room was the same, just as it was before she left. The skies were still dark, but she wondered if it were all a dream. If it were still 4 in the morning, and she never left for the factory at all. She ran downstairs with a lightness in her chest until she noticed the light on in the kitchen and heard the low voice of a man. She stiffened by the edge of the wall and glanced to see who it was. A cop! He was sitting at the kitchen table, Kristy across from him. ¡°We¡¯ll keep looking,¡± he said, . ¡°But this sort of behavior isn¡¯t unusual for kids with a record like your daughter¡¯s.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Kristy said. ¡°This isn¡¯t like her. She would never run away.¡± The cop sighed. ¡°Can I be brutally honest for a second, Ma¡¯m?¡± He said. ¡°Your child was dropped off at a Ukrainian orphanage after being found only miles away from the Chernobyl disaster. She came to America only to have her adopted parent''s divorce a few years later. She¡¯s been in and out of mental institutions. In school, she¡¯s in mostly special education classes for learning disabilities. Oh, and you¡¯ve called 911 on her twice this year for a suspected drug overdose. Now tell me, why wouldn¡¯t a girl like that run away?¡± Zoe expected Kristy to burst into a rage at any moment, but she didn¡¯t. Tired and exhausted, she didn¡¯t say anything. What was there to say anyway? Zoe thought. It¡¯s all true. The cop pulled out his chair and went to the door. ¡°I would take a look into the medications she was taking,¡± he said. ¡°In the meantime, we¡¯ll do everything we can. We already have her picture up in about a dozen Wal-Marts.¡± The minute he left, Zoe ran from behind the wall and into the kitchen. Kristy¡¯s reddened eyes were barely able to focus. She stood up from the table, holding in a terrible gasp. ¡°Where? What? I was looking everywhere.¡± She stumbled over to Zoe with open arms. ¡°My God, what happened to you?¡± ¡°You never believed me.¡± ¡°I always believed you, Zoe,¡± Kristy cried. ¡°I just wanted you to be normal. I wanted you to live a good, safe life. You deserve that much. Now you¡¯re¡­¡± She looked up at what remained of her old daughter. She was a little taller now, and so much thinner. Her new eyes, black as onyx. The shining gem. ¡°Mom, listen,¡± Zoe said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much longer I have to be here.¡± ¡°What...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tell the police I¡¯m with Dad or something in Carolina. Stop the search.¡± ¡°But how did you get here? What happened?¡± Zoe tried to find the right words, but supposed there were none. ¡°All I really know is that I was going to die this year. From fate I guess, so something from another world decided it wanted to take turn me into an alien hybrid. That¡¯s what I am now. You have to believe me before I go back.¡± ¡°Go back where?¡± ¡°New York City. Pumpkin¡¯s there too. He¡­¡± A tear rolled down her cheek. Kristy didn¡¯t question anymore, staring at the strange colored tear she knew would be beyond known science. Zoe felt the pull of forces calling her back. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay,¡± she said. ¡°Just keep this all as quiet as you can. It won¡¯t help if you look crazy too.¡± ¡°Zoe, wai-¡± Zoe fell hard on the cement rooftop. The wind was blowing harder, foggy with the unknown color, thick with dread and despair. ¡°Ralph?¡± she called out. ¡°Damn thing.¡± Was that him? She couldn¡¯t even see her hand in front of her. ¡°Behind you.¡± ¡°How did I get home?¡± ¡°Some chip,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re hooked up to this device. Put in the coordinates, and you¡¯re there.¡± The wind blew harder, crashing against them. She felt around for something to hold onto and found his arm. "Wow,¡± she said. ¡°You''re real now. I mean, alive." ¡°Pay attention,¡± he said, making their way through the fog. They soon came upon an open hatch door leading down a set of stairs. She followed him down to a door that brought them to a fancy hotel hallway. In the warm light, she noticed how normal he looked compared to her, dressed to the 9¡¯s in his expensive-looking clothes, more fitting for the era. He took out a card key from his pocket and opened the door to room 667. ¡°Go on, talk to him,¡± he said. ¡°Let him tell you how the world is going to end.¡± 6. The Alien-Hybrid The hotel room was dark and nearly cold enough to see traces of her breath. There wasn¡¯t a crease on the beds. No left out bags or suitcases, only a peculiar slate gray device a small desk. ¡°We meet again,¡± a voice said. Her eyes went wide. It was the voice. That strange, husky voice from when she died. ¡°Sso you¡¯re the one,¡± she stammered. ¡°I am Aip, resident of planet Antera.¡± Something moved from behind the bathroom door. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± he said. ¡°I tried to transform into a human, but in doing so I only became injured. It will be a few days before I am in my regular body.¡± She scratched her ear, unsure if she¡¯d been hearing this voice out loud or all in her head. ¡°Do you see the terip?¡± he asked. She looked back at the desk. ¡°You mean the grey thing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°Go to it.¡± The device was frozen like ice and left an imprint where she had touched it. ¡°The terip creates whatever you want it to,¡± he said. ¡°As long as it is a certain size. It can create clothing, money, food, though not as nutritionally good. Tap your finger five times.¡± So she did, and a vial of bright orange liquid appeared on the terip''s surface. ¡°Amazing.¡± She picked up the grainy glass bottle. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Anterian Elixir. Go on. Make one for yourself.¡± She tapped the terip again five times then brought their drinks back to the door. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The vial¡¯s nearly slipped out of her hands when she turned the handle and saw him. The alien creature was nothing more than a pile of bloody, mangled body parts, glued haphazardly together by metallic blue skin. She quickly set the vile beside him and shut the door, breathing in and out, trying to forget what she had just seen. ¡°Listen,¡± she said. ¡°My cat¡¯s out there.¡± ¡°He will return.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a storm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only shadow wind.¡± ¡°Shadow wind?¡± ¡°A strong force, the color void¡± She ran her hand through her new hair, more silky and weightless with a strange green tinge. I see new colors now¡­She bit her nails, surprised she still had them. ¡°Drink,¡± Aip said. ¡°I feel you are weak.¡± She picked up the vial, closed her eyes, and downed a few gulps. It was slimy but wasn¡¯t bad. Actually, it was quite refreshing. ¡°So,¡± she said, feeling a little more at ease. ¡°What planet are you from?¡± ¡°Antera. It is an abundant, peaceful world at the corner of this galaxy.¡± ¡°Well, if Antera¡¯s so great, why do you care about this dump so much?" "Strange,¡± he said. ¡°No one has ever asked, and I never liked to tell." "Why?" ¡°I was human once. I never forgot the experience, brief and terrible as it was.¡± ¡°You were reincarnated?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it.¡± ¡°Is your family still here?¡± ¡°They have all died, mostly," he said. ¡°The problem is, I left a bad imprint.¡± ¡°How bad?¡± ¡°Evil.¡± Chills ran up her spine. Getting to know him, he seemed so kind, but now she wanted to bolt out of the room and never look back. ¡°I am not that man anymore," he said. "I am Aip. I mean you no harm. I would give my life and every life after to save this world.¡± She held her bony knees against her chest. ¡°What exactly are you trying to save Earth from?¡± ¡°There is no balance,¡± he said. ¡°And there is no time. This world is getting to the brink of something terrible, something that human life could ever come back from if balance is not reached.¡± She shuddered. ¡°Why me?¡± she asked. ¡°Why Ralph?¡± ¡°I searched the entire world before I found a magic community in the Caldron forest. That is where Ethelia, the great sorceress of Oracle Hollow, told me the prophecy of two lost souls of magic blood, and I wanted souls that could help me as much as I could help them.¡± ¡°I always knew there was something strange about those woods,¡± she said. ¡°But a prophecy? How do you know that lost soul is me?¡± ¡°She told me your name,¡± he said. ¡°Zoryana.¡± Zoryana. The name was given to her at birth. How else would he know? ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°Ralph told me it was in my cards to die at 14. Is that true?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Aip said. ¡°You had a very rare, unknown heart condition. It may have had to do with your time in Chernobyl. The doctors never would¡¯ve been able to figure out. Now as a hybrid, though your heart is weak, you are healed.¡± She took another sip of the elixir. ¡°Well, thanks then. I guess.¡± ¡°I cannot take any soul against their will, you know. You can leave anytime.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay alive, thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried this before, you know,¡± he said. ¡°There were three then. Three lost souls who couldn¡¯t find their way. I gave them a body to form into, just as I gave you and the boy one, but they had all disappeared into the galaxy once I gift them their terips and spacecrafts. I fear that is what the boy will do. He reminds me too much of me when I was human. He doesn¡¯t care. Do you?¡± The word yes, ran to the tip of her tongue and stopped. It was hard to know for sure. In a lot of ways, the world had been nothing but cruel to her. She knew despair at too young an age. Emptiness. Hopelessness. Abandonment. Unimaginable suffering. She¡¯d seen it all with her own eyes. If the world was ending, why not let it when there was an entire universe to explore? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything in the world worth saving.¡± She hoped he wasn¡¯t too hurt, but he was. She could feel it. She could feel everything now, so much more intensely than before. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to help this world,¡± he said. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll try,¡± she said, on the verge of tears. ¡°I am in the prophecy, after all. But how, Aip? How do I help a world like this?¡± ¡°That I will tell you when we are both in better shape. I¡¯m losing my energy. Before I regenerate, go back to the terip. Press three times.¡± She pressed the cold slate three times and a mauve book appeared with no title. She opened it to yellowed, heavy scented pages. The Alien-Hybrid , the inside title began. 1976. ¡°I wrote it the last time I was here,¡± he said, his voice fading like a radio station losing its signal. ¡°Read it. It will tell you everything you need to know about your new body. She brought the book back to where she¡¯d been sitting and began to read as her eyes adjusted to the deep blue shadows of the room. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The Alien-Hybrid 1976 In this book, we will discuss the Anterian alien and human specifically. No other alien species hybrid will be mentioned. There is no way to translate what exactly an Alien-Hybrid is in any current human language. An Alien-Hybrid, otherwise known as a H/A, or halian, is not a mammal. Nor is he/she a reptile or amphibian. He/she is it is a repstar from a class known as Repstartransus, a very distant cousin of the tardigrade on Earth. The liquid that sustains an alien-hybrid is much like water, but is survivable in the vacuum of space. It is metallic in color and changes with age, stress levels, temperature and diet. This water that sustains the body is called atsyrl, or chromatic water. Unlike humans, H/A can survive long periods without food, water, or even oxygen. The longest known H/A, lost in space for 500 years, had survived with very little traces of each. That being said, alien-hybrids are not immortal, nor are they indestructible. An alien-hybrid¡¯s diet consists mostly of liquids. Solids may be taken with the materil, but we¡¯ll get more on that later. Liquid diets of any plant material is sufficient, as well as direct sunlight (photosynthesis) and minerals in the water. Most foods can be easily made with the terip. At the end of this book, you may find a recipe list of printable meals. This goes for animals who may have turned into hybrids as well, as their diets vary. I must also note, all that is mentioned in this book also applies to earthly hybrid mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Digestion is very simple compared to humans. Defecating, urination, and flatulence is normal, but only in very small amounts. The size of a pea in a month is considered normal. It may seem like the alien hybrid is indestructible, but it is not. There are many ways to die, some of which are listed below: -Lack of sufficient oxygen, water, or food, (though the requirement is vastly less than humans.) -Entering a black hole during spaceflight. -Crash landings -Extreme amounts of long term radiation exposure -Extreme temperatures without a space cloak. -Old age. Alien-hybrids live on average 150-200 years She flipped through the pages until another sentence caught her eye. Materil Materil was created by Anterian by the name of Kipket in the Urgonka region. It made specifically for hybrids. Materil is used as a means of traveling and experiencing other planets. It is a bacteria-filled capsule taken by mouth that can materialize and solidify the body into whatever species it is designed for. In Anterian-hybrids, it lowers the water percentage of the body (from 90 to 60 percent) and constricts the pupils for 3 to 5 hours, making an A-H appear more of whatever the original species was. Unfortunately, the side effects of materil include drowsiness, fatigue, and a general sense of distress and unease. It is hard on the body and recommended no more than two a day, no more than once a week. That¡¯s how Ralph looked so normal. Better than normal, really. She wondered where he went off to. And Pumpkin. Where was he? She shut the book, shaken and tired. She could feel that her brain had changed, lacking its usual circadian clock. She opened the book again to search for an answer. Turns out, Alien-hybrids have a very different ''regenerating'' schedule. They sleep in increments, depending on how their energy levels, illnesses, and long they''ve been up. With eyes that see well in the dark, it wasn''t surprising to find she was now nocturnal. Long naps in the sun are the preferred way to rest. In the back of the book, she found recipes for the terip. 1 3 second tap and 4 taps for materil. She then found a recipe for new clothing and for a small cap to cover the gem in her forehead. She figured Ralph must''ve used it since she didn''t see a gem in his forehead if he had one. The new clothes, a basic t-shirt, sweater, and pants, fit and the cap was easy to put on, but she hesitated on the materil. Maybe she''d need it later. The world was still dark and silent. No one will notice me. She grabbed a card key and went back to the rooftop. The shadow wind wasn''t so bad, or maybe she had just gotten used to it. She went back to where she first woke. The puddle was now gone, and tiny shards of her clothes scattered about along with tufts of orange fur. She called Pumpkin¡¯s name and looked around the dark cement ground, inside vents and crevices, and a million things he could hide behind, but he was nowhere to be found. Near the edge of the building was her old phone. The screen was cracked and crusted over with metallic slime, but it still worked.She texted her mom, Gwen, and Luca, telling them they''d never believe what''s going on. That she''d have to explain in person the next time she saw them. More importantly, she told them she was okay. She shut the phone, feeling tense. At least for now. Pumpkin was nowhere to be found. She went back to the hotel room as the sky revealed the break of dawn. Thankfully she hadn''t run into anyone. Even if she did, she bet she could pass for a crazy teenager coming back from a party. She knocked on the bathroom door. "Aip?" There was no response but could feel he was okay, just resting still. The gem, she later learned from the book, the harbor of telepathic abilities. She read more of the book until she turned off like a switch. It was so abrupt. When she woke, it was night again, like a bink. She felt energized even after sleeping on the floor. "Zoe." It was Aip. "Another elixir. Please." She made two again, one for him, one for herself. "Does this thing ever run out of ink?" "It runs on cosmic light, collecting microscopic traces to multiply and create. No, it does not." She smiled. "Cool." Aip was still hard to look at. But there was more of that metallic blue to him now. The body parts were less noticeable, and the blob that he had become as a whole had shrunk. "What exactly happened to you?" "I tried a spell to turn my body into a human, though the sorceress warned me against it. There is no known transformative spell that can successfully transform a hybrid. Or that boy, for that matter." "Ralph?" "He was very disturbed by the sight of me and refused to believe that he cannot live a normal human life. But he¡¯ll be back once all the materil wears off. Which reminds me, you should make one yourself. Get the hang of it. I see you already found the cap." She wondered how he could see at all. His eyes lost somewhere in the blob ¡°I can sense he may be in some trouble,¡± he said. ¡°Would you go look for him?¡± "Sure. I just take one, right?" "With an elixir. You will be fine." "What about you?¡± ¡°All I need is one more day.¡± One more day? More like one more year. She turned back to the book and found the recipe for the materil. "Make sure the boy is up here before midnight." "Why midnight?" "Because that is when you meet the ruler of the world." She nearly dropped her elixir. Ruler of the world? ¡°What about the chip?¡± she asked. ¡°Can''t that bring him back here? Pumpkin too?¡± "There was only one device and he has it. He isn¡¯t far. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She took a materil in front of the mirror, waited until her reflection looked a little more normal, then left the room. The narrow hallways with patterns and designs were dizzying. Where do I go first? What would I even say to him? Her entire body always had a way of freezing up whenever he was around. The last time she felt that way was around her crush at school. Now she couldn¡¯t even remember his name or what he looked like. Not after meeting Ralph. The elevator doors opened. Hey, Ralph, she thought, rehearsing what she''d say to him in her head. Aip said we''re going to meet the ruler of the world. I bet you''d want to meet him. Maybe he''s looking for someone to take his place. Yeah. That would work. Had to. The doors opened to bright, marble floors that nearly blinded her at first. Live jazz played from the cafe. There were people everywhere she looked. She avoided all eye contact and walked at a steady pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Any minute she imaged the materil fading prematurely, exposing her big, dark alien eyes and the strange hue to her alien skin. Or worse, the cap would pop off and bright colors would shoot from the gem. A dark, empty corner looked all too tempting. She stood behind it, taking deep breaths. It was hard being alone in a big unfamiliar city, filled with strangers and people she didn''t know and a body she was still learning about. A thump came from the lobby as if something or someone had fallen. She peeked over the wall. It was Ralph! What a nightmare. He had fallen flat on his face, and a child was laughing at him. Zoe gathered what strength and wits she could and ran over to them. ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just forgot to take his insulin." The dad turned to his son. "Don''t laugh at people with diabetes.¡± The boy scratched his head. "What¡¯s dieabeads?" Zoe helped him up. He was all dead weight and could barely stand. She wasn¡¯t sure how she''d get him all the way to the elevator. The elixir. She still had some left in her sweater pocket. She pulled off the cork and brought it to his lips, nearly blue. His whole body had a purplish, bruised hinge. His eyes were bigger, the dark iris eating up the green. He looked like a corpse. "Hurry,¡± she whispered. "We need to get out of here!" After a few sips, he stood a little straighter and was able to stand on his own. There was no need to convince him to get back to the room. "How many materils did you take?" She asked. "Not enough.¡± He wiped his mouth and smirked. ¡°So you''re okay with this?¡± he said. ¡°This foreign, alien body? With being an outcast? What could she say? She was always an outcast. Alien or human. She wasn''t exactly conventionally smart or beautiful the way he was. Or conventional in any way for society really. People who passed them by were starting to give them strange looks. Just then, a bright orange cat appeared down the hall. "Pumpkin!" He was by a lit water fountain, pawing at the water. She figured he must''ve gotten in from the vents somehow. "You go get your cat,¡± Sorci said. ¡°I''ll be upstairs.¡± "We''re supposed to meet the ruler of the world at midnight,¡± she blurted. "Where? "I...I don''t know. Aip told me." A rush of people swarmed between them. Sorci lowered his head and stepped into the elevator. When she turned back to Pumpkin, he was gone. Not again. She looked all around the fountain, in Garbage cans and down other halls. One hall, in particular, was exceptionally fancy, with long, red Persian carpets and crystal chandeliers. In the search for Pumpkin, she was distracted by all the medieval, cryptic paintings. At the end of the was another lobby that led to an auditorium. There was a sign that read, Harpo eugenic group. She didn''t want to seem out of place. a young teenager in sweats among adults in suits and dresses. It looked like a meeting they were gathering for. Just as she turned her back, she noticed a familiar face. No, she thought. Couldn¡¯t be. 7. Strange Meeting Zoe: Mom. U won¡¯t believe who I just saw She stared at her phone, waiting for a reply, feeling bad for saying anything at all. She knew how hurt Kristy still was over Ellis, but she''d want to know. Mom: Who? Zoe: Dad She bit her lip, waiting impatiently for a reply. Mom: Ur kidding me Zoe: No. Mom: What''s he there 4? Zoe: HARPO eugenics. That''s what the sign says Mom: Weird. He with anyone? Zoe looked over at the young woman beside him -Tall, beautiful, brunette. Zoe: Yeah Mom: Who? Zoe hesitated. Mom: Is she pretty? No, Zoe wanted to say. She''s not even there. Even after all the years, Kristy had not let Ellis go. He had devoured her soul like a wasting disease. Losing him took her job, her joy, her spark. It took everything. A life ravaged by one man and his lust for money and younger women. Zoe: She looks like the picture The halls were starting to empty. Eugenics? Wasn''t that something Hitler was into? She wondered if she could sneak in without being noticed. Maybe under some table where drinks were served or something. No, too risky The building¡¯s heat system started to kick on. The vents!If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Mraow.¡± It was Pumpkin, pawing at her leg. She followed him to a cracked open storage room. There were two vents, one small enough for him to fit through, and one big enough for her near the ceiling. She noticed the smaller one was barely attached. It must¡¯ve been exactly where Pumpkin had come through. She looked back up at the ceiling vent. ¡°Thanks, Pumpkin,¡± she said. ¡°This just might work.¡± She locked the door behind her, rummaged around the room for a Phillips screwdriver and set up a big later against the wall. She climbed up, unscrewed the vent and climbed in. The vents were dark and filled with cobwebs. She crawled through, trying not to make too much noise and went back toward the light. Judging from the distance and the soft echo of shuffling feet and the hum of a crowd, she had to be just over the conference room. She looked down into the vent at the chairs around done-up tables below. Once the heat shut off, she could hear more clearly. It felt ridiculous, really, being a fly on the wall. What was the point of all this? Was it really something she needed to know? Her heart nearly stopped when she saw her Ellis. It was only for a second. The young woman held his hand as they walked to a table too far for her to see. A pain rose in her chest. Hey dad! Remember me? Your old daughter, Zoe? He was the only thing close to a father she ever had and God did she miss him sometimes.He might¡¯ve been a bad husband, but he was a good father. There was no shortage of piggyback rides, ice-cream trips, and peaceful walks in woods to cool off the fights at home. She tried to wipe out the pain and memories and listen, aghast at the words she was hearing. Something about the lower class of society and how they were turning against not only the wealthy but the planet and themselves. ¡°It is unfortunate to say that the lower half also happen to be some of the more wasteful, unhealthy, unattractive, unintelligent, and by far the most vast,¡± said a deep voice. "But even more unfortunate is that the winds are now pointing in their very direction. It is both a privilege and a duty to be entrusted to withhold the unseen energies being released to them." Zoe couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. In fact, she barely heard it, the words nothing but a mumbled mess. She started to feel claustrophobic, stuck in the small confines of the dark vent. Who was saying this? She couldn¡¯t see. She only knew of the name, and that her father was attending. But why? It wasn''t like he was super-rich...or was he? ¡°Ask yourselves," said the voice. "What will be most beneficial for society?" Something horrible clicked. Wasteful, unhealthy, unattractive, unintelligent¡­ It occurred to her that maybe through her father''s eyes, she and Kristy were apart of the problem. They had both spent a lot of time battling mental health, weren''t the sharpest tacks, and they certainly weren¡¯t made out of money. But what were they going to do about the problem? That¡¯s what they weren¡¯t saying, but what she feared the most. ¡°I¡¯d like to stop here and introduce our finest harvester, Ellis Banks.¡± She crawled back through the vent, the clamorous echo of hands clapping in her ears. She could¡¯ve stayed and listened to why it was him out of a million people in the world that was here in this hotel, being called the finest harvester, but she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Besides, it was almost midnight. Pumpkin''s eyes shined from the end of the vent. ¡°Mrewow.¡± ¡°Come on, Pumpkin,¡± she said. ¡°Almost time to meet the ruler of the world.¡± 8. Ruler of the World Every new moon he comes, the essence of powerful dark energy on Earth. A wretched man in spirit, the residue of centuries of hatred. He has no name, no real beginning or end and he has only grown stronger. This information had been coming to Zoe waves. Aip had transmitted the thoughts to her head as a sick feeling overtook her. The walls of the hotel twisted, the floors bent with every faltering step. Shadow wind filled the halls like smoke. She couldn''t even begin to describe the color of it or the feeling of evil among it. Pumpkin, walking along beside her, mewed as a beam of healing light emitted from his forehead. The room stopped spinning. The sickness began to dissolve. "Thanks, Pumpkin." She picked him up and made it back to the room to see Aip no longer a blob, but in a body of his own. He was small, no taller than 4 feet, bulgy, and blue. His eyes were green and very large. On his forehead was a glistening white gem. ¡°About time you got here,¡± Sorci said. He stood by the window, looking out at the city lights as if he owned them. ¡°I see you¡¯re feeling better.¡± She kneeled to Aip and tried not to squeal at his pretty adorable alien face. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Better,¡± Aip said. ¡°And you?¡± Zoe gave a heavy sigh. ¡°Fine, I guess.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let it trouble you, Zoe.¡± Aip¡¯s words were enough to let her know he knew exactly what she was thinking. ¡°There¡¯s a reason this night was chosen.¡± Sorci stepped away from the window. ¡°So? Are we going to meet this ruler or not?¡± ¡°He cannot see me this weak,¡± Aip said. ¡°You both must go and give him a message for me.¡± ¡°What message?¡± Zoe asked. ¡°Tell him to prepare," Aip said. "We will fight when the sun is farthest from the Earth.¡±
Zoe stood close to Sorci as they walked down the secret top floor of the building. Pumpkin followed not far behind them, stopping to sniff around at his own pace. At the end of the hall was a spacious, empty room with a panoramic view of the city. He was there, exactly like Aip said, sitting on his throne, a chair made of what looked like elephant tusks. He was ghost-like with slitted eyes like that of a snake. When he smiled at them, his teeth were sharp. Shadow wind lingered from his breath. He could change forms in the blink of an eye. So fast, you couldn¡¯t see what it was he had momentarily turned into. His voice alone froze the room. It was thick and heavy, iced over with hate. ¡°Aha!¡± he said. ¡°You know the secret of me!¡± Sorci laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think any preparation is necessary,¡± he said, rolling back his shoulders as he neared the ruler. Zoe shook her head. ¡°Ralph, don¡¯t.¡± The ruler¡¯s eyes changed color and shape until they became a replica of Sorci¡¯s. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Nice trick.¡± Sorci¡¯s hands went for the ruler¡¯s neck but were pulled back by an invisible force. ¡°Ack!¡± The ruler laughed, his sharp teeth turning black as smoke blew from Sorci¡¯s nose, eyes, and mouth as he fell to the floor, all life fading from him. "Stop!" Zoe yelled. The ruler turned to her. For a moment, his eyes turned white before becoming her own. ¡°Come closer,¡± he cackled. ¡°Only if you stop.¡± ¡°But I have.¡± Zoe looked down at Sorci, sprawled on the floor, quiet and stiff. She could tell he would be okay as long as the ruler left him alone. So she did as he said and took a step closer. The ruler''s suit and tie turned into a familiar hospital gown. Bruises ran along the veins in his bare arm. ¡°It was Aip, who brought you?¡± He said. ¡°Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, horrified by his face, now a mixture of hers and his. ¡°Why?¡± The ruler suddenly shrieked. ¡°Why do I have to be messed up like you?!¡± A memory flashed through her head, the first time she was admitted to a mental hospital. Kristy was standing over her, crying. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Zoe said. ¡°I was just a kid!" The ruler gave a crooked smile. ¡°I hate you! I hate you!¡± Blood boiled under her new skin. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, or what you are, but when the sun is farthest from the Earth, we will fight you!" Sorci flinched from where he lay. Slowly he lifted himself up, limp and listless as a zombie. He looked around as if he¡¯d forgotten where they were. "Then it must be," the ruler said as he turned his back to them. "Meet me on the red planet, if you so wish for a fight." Dust fragmenting from the corners of the room devoured the ruler until he was gone. Sorci stumbled back, eyes wide with fear. "That''s not right...What the hell was he?" "What do you mean?" "When you''re a ghost for a hundred years, you see things, but nothing like that." "Aip told us he was powerful. Maybe you should believe him." "Fine. If I can''t take him out with my own hands, I''ll do whatever to take his place." "I don''t think that''s what Aip brought us here to do," Zoe said. "Defeat him, yeah, but take his place?" "I''d be better than that wretched thing, that''s for sure." "Maybe no one should be ruling the world." "What do you know about order and power? You know nothing. You''re just a girl. And not a particularly bright one." Zoe glared at him. "Just shut up, okay? I''m not listening to some power freak who can barely stand straight." Sorci winced in pain. "Fine," he said. "I need to get back to the terip." Zoe reluctantly helped him walk down rows of stairs back to their room. "And don''t tell Aip what I told you," Sorci whispered before she unlocked the door. "I won''t," she said. He probably already knows. They walked in to see Aip, a small shadow blob, gently pulling out a long, dark fabric printing from the terip with his tiny figures. Zoe was mesmerized by the fabric. It looked black from far away, but up close it was aglow with the night sky."These are the cloaks," she said. "The ones that protect you in space." "Very good," Sorci mocked. "Surprised you figured that out." Zoe kneeled beside Aip and shrugged. "Sorry," she said. "He''s bummed out that some old guy beat the living daylights out of him." "I take it it didn''t go very well," Aip said, a somberness to his voice. "He said he''d fight on the red planet." "July 4th," Sorci said. "That''s when the sun''s furthest from the Earth." "We have time then to prepare, I guess," Zoe said. "I don''t understand. He seemed so powerful." "He is part shapeshifter," Aip said. "He has no real identity, but he likes to take on others." "Guess so," said Sorci. The first cloak was finally freed from the terip. "Here," Aip said, handing it to Zoe. "It''s yours." "Thank you, Aip." She stood up and put it on. The thin, silk-like fabric draped down to her ankles and a large, pointed hood hung at the shoulders. It changed colors in some spots like a mood ring. The moon moved around, changing phases until it stopped at a shining crescent in the middle of her back. Aip began to print out Sorci''s, though Zoe could feel his hesitation. It was no surprise to anyone anymore that Sorci was a lost cause, only trying to fight for his own gains. "You will help us," Aip said. "Will you?" "I said I would," Sorci said. "Didn''t I?" 9. Spacecraft Aip brought them back to the top of the building with what appeared to be a small, round stone. With one press, three small, round spacecrafts appeared. ¡°Wait,¡± Zoe said, stopping in her tracks. ¡°There¡¯s three.¡± Sorci rolled his eyes. She couldn''t stop shaking, and it wasn¡¯t from the cold. The cloak had a way of adjusting it¡¯s temperature. It was incredible, really, but not enough to distract her from the fear of flight. Sure, she had flown a lot, but mostly when she was a clueless kid, and even then she didn¡¯t like flying and swore she would never get on another plane in her life. ¡°They aren¡¯t like human planes,¡± Aip said. ¡°They are much harder to crash.¡± ¡°So you tell me. I can barely drive my mom¡¯s car to the store without getting in a ditch.¡± ¡°How often do you drive?¡± Aip inquired. ¡°Not much. It¡¯s not like I have my license. I¡¯m only 14.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many requirements to fly this craft. Even the blind can fly them with enough practice. It is because of its anti-gravity properties. You could fly all around this city and not crash into one building.¡± ¡°What does it run on?¡± Sorci asked. "A type of kinetic energy, antigravity, and special elements from my home planet. It runs entirely on its own.¡± ¡°Huh. I¡¯ll be sure not to tell the gas companies.¡± They approached the small saucers, a sleek metallic black all of the same size, the interior about as roomy as a small camper rv. There wasn''t much in there but some windows and their own terips. Aip told them to situate it as they liked, it would be better they did for the flights the spacecraft was capable of were of light-year distances. He tapped the saucers twice, opening the doors. ¡°I will be instructing you both with a mirror mind device inside. All you have to do is sit in the cockpit and wait for your orders.¡± Zoe felt as if she were going to be sick. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to do this whole alien thing anymore. I...I¡¯m terrified of heights, and to be honest, I never really liked traveling either.¡± ¡°It will do you no good to walk away from something so simple out of fear.¡± ¡°Simple? Flying around a giant city? The universe? That¡¯s simple? I have every right to be afraid.¡± Sorci was already in his saucer. It lifted without sound from the roof top and hovered there for a while before going invisible and taking off into the air. Zoe couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. It did look easy, and the invisibility thing brought some relief. No way would they get away with flying around without causing a scene if the color option or lack thereof, wasn¡¯t available. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Pumpkin nudged against her left and curiously walked into the ship. ¡°We¡¯re not going, Pump,¡± Zoe said, turning away from Aip and the craft. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± But like most cats, he didn¡¯t listen. Her racing heart made it hard to breathe. There was no walking away from this. I have to go, don''t I? An alien isn¡¯t an alien without it¡¯s flying saucer. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, turning back to the ship. ¡°I¡¯ll fly.¡± ¡°I thought you would,¡± said Aip. She crawled inside the dark spacecraft. Pumpkin was already at the controls. "You can travel anywhere, go anywhere. But you must not go near stars, fast moving asteroids, strong blasts or black holes. The craft will know when that it and automatically keep you from it, unless you turn autoflight off." "I''ll make sure to duct tape that on." The control panel was all etched inside what looked like a crystal screen. There were no letters or different colors, only feelings attached to each symbolic key. If only it was that easy to learn everything. She imagined this is what it might feel like to have a sky high IQ. "This is amazing," she said, glancing at the ascend button once. The panel dimmed as the saucer slowly lifted. She could feel the weightless air beneath her as the saucer moved farther and farther from the rooftop. Pumpkin tapped his nose against the glass window. "Mrewow!" "Where should we go, Pump?" The panel brightened again as her eyes moved to the tour button. Next thing she knew, the craft picked up speed, swerving around buildings at a terrifying pace, but never once did the saucer get close to hitting one. She had gotten used to it, learning to trust Aip''s word until it spun out over the ocean. Her stomach dropped as she stared down at the miles of black water. The panel brightened again, and just as her eyes moved to the return button, the glow of the statue of liberty appeared. "Wow." She could see every detail, every chip and shade of green. A line of giant yachts surfed the seas to the nearby docks. It was hard to imagine no one could see her. She looked to the return button and in a matter of minutes was brought back to the rooftop. Sorci had already landed and was waiting for her with Aip. "There she is," said Sorci. "About damn time." "Now," Aip said. "You both must test yourselves. You both must travel the same path to another planet in this solar system and return back here safely. Use your time in flight to think about battling the ruler and return with a decision." Sorci glanced at Zoe. "Race me to the red planet," he said, halfway back in his saucer. "I want to see the rulers grave." Zoe nodded and got back into her saucer. She went to the control panel and took a deep breath. "Mew." The doors closed. "Hold on Pumpkin." There was no way Aip would let her do this if he knew something would go wrong, at least she hoped. He wanted warriors of their kind, he wouldn''t let them down. She didn''t want the paranoia to set in. The what ifs. The sinking feeling of being used. She wasn''t used, she was needed, a big difference. She pressed the ascend button as they shot straight up, further and further, past clouds, past the atmosphere. Pumpkin sat in her lap curled up on her cloak, warm from the sudden cool temperature and safe from heavy radiation. Further they went until the lights of the earth clustered around entire coast lines. Until the Northern lights blew across the arctic. Until the size of earth could fit in the palm of her hand.