by Settle Myer
“Absolutely not,” my mother says.
“No, mom, it’s okay. I want to talk now before I forget everything.”
I can see her inner battle. No, I experience it with her. Every part of her wants to make the police and doctors go away so she can take me home. Her love and concern assault me head-on. It’s exhausting. What is going on? Am I having some sort of hallucination? My mother's worrying becomes unbearable, and I need her to leave the room.
“Mom, Dad, I can do this on my own. I’m eighteen now, so I legally don’t need you here.” Honestly, I don’t want either of them to hear the details of how I fought off the mugger. If it scares me, they would be absolutely horrified.
I ignore the hurt plastered across my parents’ faces. They consider each other for a few seconds as if having a silent conversation. They eventually nod, giving me kisses on my forehead before leaving the room. Two officers step in, a young man and woman both appearing to be in their late twenties if I were to guess. Officer Martinez, a tiny woman with her dark-black hair slicked back into a bun. She may be petite, but her muscular arms fight with the fabric of her police uniform. Next to her, Officer Lions, clearly a model in disguise with his perfectly smooth, peach skin and eyes as blue as the sky. I was waiting for him to pull out a boombox and start stripping, revealing a fit body underneath that uniform. It is my birthday. A girl can only hope for a striptease as a present. Ok, maybe not every girl.
“Trinity,” Officer Martinez begins. “You’ve had quite an eventful night.”
She smiles at me. And, unlike my mother, her smile is not fearful. No. Instead, pride radiates off of this woman.
“I still can’t believe I fought back like that.”
“Tell us about what happened,” Officer Lions chimes in. He, too, smiles. From him, I sense respect.
Their mere presence instantly relaxes me. It’s as if I’ve known them my entire life. Like I could be best friends with them. I’d never felt like this before. Who are these two officers?
I push my apprehension and curiosity away and reach back into my recent memories to recall the night. “I remember seeing the man walking towards me. But, for some reason, I didn’t run away. I wasn't afraid of him. Something came over me at that moment. I can’t explain it.”
“Try,” says Officer Lions.
I look up at the ceiling for answers. “I guess it was like a wave of energy jolting throughout my body, starting at my toes. I could feel it in my blood. But it didn’t hurt. It was invigorating. Like I had been living my entire life gasping for air, and suddenly, I could breathe again.” I open up my hands and stare at my palms. I remember the unfettering power releasing from them and into the man’s chest. “Was it adrenaline?” I whisper, still not understanding what happened.
The officers glance at each other, silently sharing a moment.
“Adrenaline. Most likely,” Officer Martinez says. But I don’t believe her. She didn’t believe herself, either. Their deception is palpable.
“Why do I sense you two are not telling me the truth?”
“Show her, Chad,” says the flawless Officer Martinez. Her partner’s eyes widen. “She’s going to find out anyways. The sooner she knows, the faster she can begin accepting it.”
“Accepting what?” I squeal, my voice overtaken with anxiety.
Officer Lions pulls out his cell phone. He taps away for a few seconds before holding it out to me. “It’s surveillance video from outside the building where the man attempted to rob you.”
I stare at it, debating if I want to watch myself clearly losing my mind. Or getting possessed by that crime-fighting demon. Those are the only explanations for a tiny and weak chick standing up to an armed mugger.
“We know this all sounds crazy, but you need to watch it so we can explain what’s happening to you. Just don’t freak out, okay?” Officer Martinez urges.
“You saying don’t freak out is freaking me out.”
I shakily take the phone and push play. It's cued to the moment the mugger points the gun at me. I gasp when I see a person who looks like me twist the man’s wrist. I cover my mouth when that strange young woman catapults him ten feet away. I can’t finish. I give the phone back to Officer Lions.
“I can’t,” I mutter.
The energy in the room unexpectedly becomes unbearable. My arms fill with goosebumps, and the hairs stand on end. At the door is a young man, tall with shaggy, blonde hair. He wears black jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a black featherweight jacket. An army green satchel lays across his mouth-watering buff chest. He appears to be my age with the sharpest cheekbones I'd ever seen. And he’s sexy in a bad boy, I-am-going-to-ruin-your-life kind of way.
“Trinity Parks? My name is Julian Cole. I’m here to protect you,” he says, walking towards my bed.
I exchange frantic and confused glances between the officers and the flawless stranger. “I don’t understand. Am I in trouble? I know you said don’t freak out, but I’m officially freaking out. You can’t just walk into a room and say stuff like that and expect me to be like, ‘Oh, cool, good to know!’”
The corner of Julian’s mouth curves up, but he is fast to flip back into serious mode.
“We believe you are the lost daughter of Angor, a world in which your father rules,” he explains. “You are the next in line to the throne. Because of this, you are in danger.”
“Um... what?”
Chapter 2
Julian cannot seem to grasp the concept of me not understanding a word he is saying. I mean, who would? He sounds like a mad man, walking into my room telling me I’m the lost daughter of some Royal family that rules an unknown world, and I’m destined to reign the land.
I seek out Officer Lions and Martinez for help.
“Do you know this man?” Obviously, they do. Otherwise, they’d be arresting him or looking at him like an escaped mental patient as I probably am at that moment.
Officer Martinez puts a hand on my shoulder. “Your Grace, he is a Royal Guardian. He’s part of our team to protect you from the rebels of Angor.”
“Rebels? Royal Guardians? I have no clue what you are talking about.”
I start pinching myself.
“What are you doing?” Julian asks uneasily.
I continue to pinch myself. “Obviously this is a dream. I’m just trying to wake up.”
Julian walks to the side of my hospital bed. “This is real, Trinity. You are the lost daughter.”
“How do you know? Because of the video? The things I did in it? It could just be adrenaline. Or maybe you guys doctored it, and this is some cruel prank show.”
“That’s ridiculous, Trinity.” Julian hunches down, so he is eye level with me. His baby blues reach into my soul. “I’ll show you. You see, in our world, everyone is gifted with a virtue: strength, mind control, mind reading, elemental manipulation.”
He snatches my hand, and I gasp. I'm overpowered with visions and emotions. Sincerity, trust, courage, and desire course through my body, all coming from Julian. I see a part of this world he insists I am from. It was just a flash, yet, from what I could make of it, the lands are nearly identical to Earth, but with grass the greenest I'd ever seen. Flowers in shades of the rainbow I never knew existed. And air crisp and clean with no pollution in sight. A city rises from the distance with skyscrapers reaching for the stars. The buildings are occupied by beings with unique powers using advanced technologies well beyond this nerdy girl’s ability to understand. Perhaps they were aliens. Am I an alien?
Julian lets go and faulters back. His breathing is labored, and the color has drained from his beautiful tanned face. My head throbs, and I grab it, dizzy with the knowledge unloaded upon me. Not to mention that undeniable attracting force between us. Did he mean to show me that? I can’t lie. Ever since that man walked through my hospital room door, my heart has been beating like it’s trying to flee my body. Like he is the ocean, and I am the moon’s gravitational pull.
“Did my emotions overwhe
lm you?” Julian says between breaths.
I nod numbly.
“That’s called affinity, being able to sense another person’s emotions. And because you are of royal blood, I bet you have other virtues, like the inundated strength when that man tried to rob you. That was not adrenaline. That was the power within you. Did you see our world as well?”
"Yes.”
“That is mind-melding. And you will soon likely be able to read minds and control them as well.”
Julian puts his hand back over mine. But, this time, I do not see the images or experience his emotions. Instead, my body lights with fire, responding in ways it shouldn’t to a stranger’s touch. He feels it too, and pulls away.
I ignore the longing left in place of his palm.
“Ok, but why now?” I plead. “Why am I just now getting these super powers?”
“Today is your eighteenth birthday, correct?” Officer Lions asks.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Oh, hey! Today is also-” Officer Martinez begins, but Julian cuts her off.
“Royals do not get their virtues until eighteen years of age,” Julian says, hovered against a wall, as far away from me as possible.
“That explains the video and why you passed out after fighting off the mugger. You just happened to get yours at that moment. It can be overwhelming,” Officer Lions offers.
“The mugger. What happened to him anyway? I didn’t kill him, did I?” Horror settles in the pit of my stomach.
“He’s okay. He has a black eye and a bruised chest, but, other than that, he’s fine. He’s recovering here in the hospital, and in the morning, he’ll be booked on attempted robbery charges,” Officer Martinez explains.
“There’s something else you should know,” Officer Lions says, cautiously. My heart lurches, bracing for more bad news. “Unfortunately, the man who owns the building with the surveillance video posted it on the internet before handing it over to the NYPD. It’s gone viral. That’s what led us to you. And if we found you this easily, then the rebels aren’t far behind.”
“Perfect. I find out I’m a Royal heir from some strange universe with a bounty on my head, and I’m now an internet celebrity? Does this mean I’m doing Ellen tomorrow?”
Officer Lions and Martinez chuckle.
Julian’s eyebrows furrow. “I don’t understand what you mean by that.”
He’s moved closer, now standing at the foot of my bed, his arms hugging his body like my touch early had violated him.
“Ellen. The famous talk show host and comedian? Is this guy for real?” I ask the officers. They try and fail to contain their amusement.
I scowl at Julian, and he clears his throat, bravely taking a step to the side of my bed.
“Careful, your Grace,” he says, calmly. “Your virtues are still unraveling, and I wouldn’t be surprised if telekinesis was one of them. That death look you just gave me could eventually become reality. You’ve heard that phrase, ‘If looks could kill?’”
“Well, you better stop calling me ‘your Grace’ then. I don’t like it,” I sigh, and my stomach makes the most horrific sound of a dying whale. My eyes widen, and I frantically look at everyone to see if they heard. Of course they did. Shoulders shake, and hands cover mouths to hide laughter.
“I will mentally stab all of you. You’re just lucky I don’t know how to do that. Look, I’m obviously hungry. I haven’t eaten since my dinner break last night. I’m tired and emotionally drained, and I’m still not one-hundred percent convinced any of this is real. So, what’s next? And does it involve food?”
“We need to take you into hiding,” Julian says, then starts barking off commands. “Lions, handle the doctor and staff, and take care of Trinity’s parents. Martinez, get the rest of the team together and head to the first safe house.” The officers leave. Julian walks over to my bedside and starts unhooking all the medical wires.
My eyes widen like saucers, and I grab his wrist to stop him. My breath hitches, and Julian instantly stills.
“What do you mean, ‘take care of’ my parents?”
He relaxes slightly, his jaw clenched and mouth in a fine line. “We are going to wipe you from their memories and give them new identities. We’ll send them off to another city far from here. It’s to protect them from the rebels. If found, The Parks could be used as leverage to bring you out of hiding.”
“What?” My throat tightens. “No. They’re my parents. Can’t they come with us?”
“It would be too dangerous. Besides, they’re not even your real parents. And in about five minutes, they won’t even know who you are.”
Julian’s words rip a hole in my heart. ‘Not my real parents.’ I repeat the words silently a million times as if etching them into my brain. Technically, he is right. I am adopted. Eighteen years ago, I was left at a fire station. The one my father worked at. The Parks had been trying to have a baby for years. Turns out, Angela Parks was infertile. The doctor giving them the horrible news just a day before John Parks arrived to work and stumbled upon a closed basket with a sleeping baby inside. My only belonging, the necklace I always wear and my favorite book, A Little Princess. I was their little miracle. The Parks are the only family I've ever known, and now these strangers want me to escape to a mysterious world where people want me dead?
Anguish and pity pour off Julian. He swallows hard as he unhooks the last medical wire. Here’s my chance. I fly out of bed, beelining it to the door, not even caring I'm half-naked underneath a hospital gown. But my attempt to escape and find The Parks is squashed by Julian. He scoops me up, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. I twist and squirm, attempting to utilize my newfound super strength, but my bare feet have little to no traction, and I fail to slip from his grip. Julian turns me around and pulls me against his body, my arms trapped between our chests.
“Trinity, please. This is the only way. It's to protect the Parks,” he says through clenched teeth.
I tilt my head until my eyes meet his. They're full of worry, of desperation. My never-ending supply of tears slowly starts pouring down my cheek despite me willing them not to.
“I don’t understand why this is happening to me. I didn’t ask for any of this.”
I’ve finally reached my breaking point. I’m two seconds from going into shutdown mode until a wave of tranquility washes over me as if cleansing the panic from my nerves. The unease of letting Julian and the officers take me away from the Parks diminishes and is replaced with reassurance. I bury my head into Julian’s chest. He finally loosens his hold on me to rub my back and rock me where we stand.
“The Parks’ - they will have a good life from here on out. They’ll be in witness protection with one of our Angorians watching over them. Once this is all over, we can always replenish their memories, and you can reunite with them.”
He pulls me away at arm's length.
“Please, I am asking you to trust me. I know that’s a big ask because I am just a stranger. But I promise you, this new world you belong to will all begin making sense. Because it’s where you belong.”
I nod and wipe my face. He raises a hand like he’s about to cup my cheek or help me dry the tears that can’t seem to stop falling down my face. But he balls up his fist, his mouth forming a fine line before he releases me.
A fog of defeat wraps around me as I grab the bag with my clean clothes that my father left in the chair. My father. My mother. Now, just strangers. I care ever so deeply for them, I do. They kept a roof over my head, my stomach full of food, and clothes on my back. Then why am I relieved to be leaving them? It’s as if some spell has been cast on me to stop me. Instead of worrying about losing the two people who raised me and protected me all these years, all I want to do is run off with this man claiming to be my Royal Protector. He’s asking me to trust him, and he says this is the only way to protect the Parks. Should I believe him? I’m torn, but if leaving with Julian means saving their lives, I guess it's a chance I have to take. Besides, he d
id say I could reunite with the Parks at some point.
I lean my back against the cool metal door of the bathroom and close my eyes, hoping that, upon opening them, this had all been nothing but a bad dream. But, instead, I see a pale and frightened young woman in the mirror across from me. Who am I? I have so many questions about my new life. My new world. My biological parents. Fueled by the hope of getting answers, I quickly put on my clothes. Julian is going to explain everything, or I swear I’ll mentally and physically kick his ass.
I wash my face and put my hair up in a ponytail using a rubber band I found in my jean pocket. With one more glance in the mirror, I exit the bathroom. Julian patiently waits. He leans on the end of the bed, legs out in front of him and arms crossed like a badass ready to hunt down rebels.
“Let’s do this,” I say, cracking my knuckles.
Julian stands and grins like the Cheshire cat.
“What? Come on, I’m ready to kill some rebels.”
He points at my t-shirt. “What kind of monster is that?” he says.
I look down and see a rotting corpse from my favorite TV show about the living dead. “A zombie. You don’t have zombies on Angor? The living dead? There are a ton of movies and TV shows here on Earth.”
“Yes, on Angor, we have similar entertainment. However, I am a member of the Royal Guard. And, before that, my focus was on my studies. So, forgive me if I don’t understand all of your silly references,” Julian lifts his head up high like he’s something special all because he’s a boring soldier who doesn’t like to enjoy the little things in life.
“Whatever, dude. What’s next?” I jump up and down, throwing around some air punches, hyped and ready for battle.
Julian shakes his head and starts walking out of the hospital room. “Firstly, you are not going to be fighting rebels. I’m not either. We leave that to the soldiers. They have special virtues for that.”
I rush to keep up with my long-legged and moody guardian. “So, what are we going to do?”