Ethazol: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Warriors of Orba Book 5)

by Zara Zenia

  I needed to sober up and start thinking straight. It was always said that love is blind, but it's also crazy and neurotic too.

  Looking at the clock on the wall, I notice it was almost midnight. He'd been in there for almost twenty minutes and I couldn't stop the feeling that I missed him. How crazy is that? I missed him even when he went to the bathroom.

  Get a grip of yourself, Demi!

  This was all too much. I was spiraling into a never-ending abyss of lust and obsession and it was turning me into a person I didn't recognize. And what if it didn't work out and I discovered he was hiding some terrible secret? Or he suddenly decided he was bored with me? The thought made me feel as though I could collapse from a tidal wave of sadness.

  As I slipped off my stool and pulled on my jacket, a thought struck me. Leave him now, Demi. Leave him before you get hurt.

  I glanced back over at the gents’ toilet and saw there was still no sign of him. I could disappear into the night and never see him again. It would hurt unbearably but it would spare my heart in the long run. Taking a step toward the door, I thought about running. Save yourself, the voice at the back of my head was saying. Leave him now before you fall in deeper. I took another step toward the exit.

  The music grew louder. Someone at the back of the room whooped and jumped up on the bar as the bachelorette party began clapping and screaming.

  Save yourself...

  I took another step and bumped into something solid.

  "Where are you going?"

  Looking up, I saw Ethan with a concerned look on his face.

  "You weren't leaving, were you?"

  "Oh, erm no. I was just looking for you!" I lied and felt terrible.

  I flopped into his arms as the relief of seeing him washed over me.

  "You took ages!" I said and breathed in the musky scent of his neck.

  "Sorry. There was a queue," he explained. "You didn't miss me, did you?"

  I wanted to tell him everything I felt, wanted to explain how much turmoil my mind was in, but I didn't dare. Instead, I gave him a playful shove and raised two fingers at the barmaid who promptly slid over two beers.

  "Miss, you? I barely noticed you were gone," I lied.

  He gave me a wry smile and looked into my eyes as though he was reading my soul.

  "Sure," he said. "Of course, you didn't."

  "Are you absolutely positive you're okay going home alone?" he asked as we stood at the crossroads.

  "I'm sure. I need to get up early, so I better get my beauty sleep."

  "But the night bus?" he looked worried.

  "I'm fine!" I insisted. "I get it all the time. Now, are you going to be okay going back that hotel?"

  He laughed and ruffled my hair.

  "You really hate that place, don't you?"

  "Hate would be an understatement," I laughed as I caught sight of my reflection in a nearby car window. "Ugh, look what you did to my hair."

  I smoothed it down over my head and frowned.

  "We can hook up tomorrow, can't we?" I asked.

  "Sure. I mean. Say dinner at eight?"

  "I can't wait."

  Reaching up on tip toes, I kissed him hard as he wound his arms around my waist. For a moment, I felt as though I was drifting away to a place where the cold wind wasn't whipping at my hair and the light rain wasn't seeping into my jeans. When he pulled away it all came flooding back and I found myself being sucked back into reality.

  "I'll be thinking about you tonight," I said.

  He winked as he walked away.

  "I'll be thinking about you."

  I watched him leave, his towering figure disappearing into the crowd of late night revelers.

  "Bye!" I called after him but he didn't hear me.

  With a heavy heart, I turned around and made my way to the bus stop.

  The bus pulled up just as I arrived and as I took my usual seat at the back, I took note of all the peculiar people on board. Public transport was a freak show at the best of times but the night bus was like being transported to another dimension.

  Down at the front, an old woman with matted hair in a trench coat made for someone twice her size stood beside her shopping cart of junk. Her eyes were wide and furious as though she was daring each and every one of us to steal her trash. As her eyes reached me, I saw they were thick with cataracts and I glanced away.

  Behind me, a teenage girl argued on the phone. I could see her reflection in the darkness of the window and inwardly laughed at her sassy attitude. She popped gum as she spoke and clicked her fingers to emphasize her words every time she berated the poor person on the other end of the line.

  "Gareth! I told you. You need to commit to me. I can't have you out all hours of the night doing God knows what with your peeps."

  I leaned against the window and closed my eyes feeling grateful that teenage drama was a thing of the past.

  Meanwhile, the bus twisted and turned through the empty streets and one by one, people departed until there was only me left on board.

  Suddenly, alone, I felt cold and shivered as I pulled my coat tight around me.

  "Hey, driver! Mind if I close the window?"

  As always, a rogue window had fallen open and it was now blasting freezing air into my face. The driver didn't hear me so I stood up to slam it shut. Looking outside, I noticed we were only a few streets away from my house.

  As we turned the corner into my neighborhood, something dark caught my eye out the window, like a person running alongside the bus trying to get my attention but when I turned to look there was nothing there.

  Weird, I thought. I must be drunker than I realized.

  A moment later, the cold chill returned and, thinking the window had fallen open again, I stood up to shut it but as I did, I saw it was already closed. Still, it felt as though an icicle was running down my spine. Then it came, the frigid feeling of cold breath. The hairs on my neck stood up to attention and I spun around. There was no one there.

  You're just imagining things. You'll be home any second now.

  Jumping off the bus, I could see my house in the distance. I should have felt relieved but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was behind me. I looked over my shoulder every few steps, certain that I could hear footsteps or the sound of someone breathing but each time, there was nothing but the wind howling through the bushes.

  I quickened my pace. My house was now only a hundred yards away and I reached into my pocket to feel for my keys.

  Behind me, the wind picked up and blew through my hair, along with it, a voice drifted over me. There were words I couldn't decipher like someone was talking to me from somewhere underwater.

  Then the footsteps returned.

  I stopped dead in my tracks.

  You're imagining it. You must be.

  But as I stood still and held my breath, I had never been more certain of anything in my life. There was someone approaching, someone invisible. I tried to breathe but my chest felt as though it was locked in a vice grip.

  "Hello?" I whispered.

  There was no reply, just the constant tapping of a pair of unseen feet approaching through the darkness.

  "Hello?" I asked again, my fingers tightening around my keys.

  No words were spoken, but beside me, a bush rustled as though someone was inside ready to burst out at any moment. Across the road, a car alarm was triggered and I jumped as the siren came to life.

  I took off, running for my life. Behind me, the footsteps were keeping up with me but I didn't dare turn around to see.

  I leaped up the steps two at a time and hurled myself at the front door, gasping and crying as I fell into the hallway. Slamming the door shut, I double checked the locks and finally let out a deep breath.

  Tentatively, I pressed my face up to the peephole. I so desperately hoped I wouldn't see anyone but I needed to know if I'd been followed.

  Looking out onto the porch, I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw there was no one in sight. B
ut then just as I was about to leave, something moved. A dark figure slinked into view and turned toward me. Then it simply bowed and walked away.

  Chapter 9

  Ethazol

  The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up but I didn't know why. Looking outside, there was the usual assortment of dubious characters but nothing out of the ordinary.

  Pulling the curtains shut and lying on my bed, I closed my eyes hoping an afternoon nap would distract me from my thoughts. But as I rolled over to face the wall, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced over my shoulder at the window. There was nothing but a soft breeze rolling through the curtains.

  Jumping up and walking back over, I looked back outside and scrutinized every person I saw walk by. There was no one I hadn't seen before, so why did I feel as though there was someone down there who shouldn't be?

  Closing the window and turning around, I could feel a burning sensation on the back of my head like someone was staring at me. I spun round again but like before there was no one.

  What the fuck? I'm getting outta here.

  Pulling on my coat and reaching for the bundle of money in the top drawer, I pushed it into my shoe and felt how small it was. Taking Demi out over these last few weeks had really started eating into my meager savings. Not that I was complaining, I loved taking her out.

  As I locked the door and made for the stairs, something scuffled behind me like an animal moving through the undergrowth. I stopped and slowly turned my head. Something rustled. There was the sound of slow, padded footsteps. The hairs on my neck prickled against the inside of my coat and I held my breath. As I turned around, I didn't know what to expect but there was a feeling in my gut that whoever it was had been watching me all day.

  "Gerald!"

  "Spare some change?"

  The old man was hunched over with his cap outstretched. I dropped some loose change into it and he nodded gratefully.

  "God bless you, sir."

  "Gerald. Eugene's going to have a fit if he sees you in here. You know he doesn't like you begging inside."

  His eyes bore into mine as he slapped his toothless gums together. His face was etched with the map of his life, deep lines that ran like crevasses through his leathery skin.

  "God bless you," he repeated and walked away, his wrecked shoes dragging along the threadbare carpet.

  Once outside, I took a deep breath and felt relieved to be out of that room. With a rare day off, I wanted to relax and catch up on some rest and Demi didn't finish work until the evening. I looked down at my watch and saw I had a few hours to kill. With limited funds and not many options, I decided to head to the nearest coffee shop and catch up on some reading.

  Taking a seat by the window, I let the sun stream through the glass onto my face as the smell of the Americano wafted over me. I took a deep breath and smiled to myself. It was going to be a good day. It wouldn't be long until I was seeing my girl and the weather seemed to be turning. Although as I pressed into my shoe, I felt the small lump of money that was normally twice the size.

  I pushed the thought to the back of my mind and flipped open my book. My eyes had only reached the third line when the feeling returned, the burning sensation that someone was watching me. Glancing around the almost empty room, there was only me, an old lady and her dog in the corner and a young mom at the table beside me. Our eyes met and she smiled as she held her baby in her arms. I waited for her to glance away but she didn't and for a long while she held my gaze.

  "Your baby is beautiful," I said, feeling pressured into saying something.

  "You think so?" she smiled. "People say she looks like me."

  I could see what she was getting at and, although it was a nice little ego boost, I wasn't interested.

  "You're very beautiful too," I said, knowing what she wanted to hear.

  Her smile widened and she began singing softly to the baby, lulling her to sleep as she rocked her gently. When the lullaby finished and the baby's eyes were firmly closed, the woman looked up and bit her lip.

  "I'm Karen," she said.

  "Ethan," I replied but wished I hadn't.

  I didn't want to lead her on and make her think I was interested so I changed the line of conversation.

  "I'm just here waiting for my girlfriend to finish work," I said and raised the book to show her I was busy.

  "Oh," she uttered as her face dropped.

  Before she could say anything else, a waitress dropped a cup sending it smashing across the counter. The baby woke up and began crying with its tiny, pink face twisting up in a temper as it was roused from its nap.

  "Well I better get this one home," she said as she placed the baby back in the buggy. "You have a good day."

  She left, expression set in stone and I waited for her to pass the window before I resumed reading.

  Rereading the third line again, I relaxed into the book only for something to catch my attention out the corner of my eye. Thinking someone was standing beside me at the window, I looked up but saw nothing.

  Turning back to the book, I had now memorized the third line and began the fourth. Again, something fluttered out the corner of my eye. Glancing back up, I saw a hint of something black moving away and it felt like ice was gliding down my neck. I was being watched. I was certain of it.

  Jumping up and hurrying outside, I looked up and down the street but saw no one. Returning to my table, I sat on the edge of the seat and picked up my book.

  "Everything okay?" the waitress asked as she topped up my cup.

  "Yeah. Sorry, I just thought I saw a friend."

  Now with the first paragraph embedded in my memory, I flung the book down and realized I was destined not to read it. I let my mind wander as I sipped my coffee. The world moved by outside and I ran my eyes over every human who walked by. There was so much to learn about them and no two were the same.

  A teenager with green hair walked past with his hands thrust into his pockets and a look of sheer misery plastered on his face. I wondered how he could look so unhappy on such a beautiful day. Not that I was exactly ecstatic. There was a constant bubble of anxiety lurking in the pit of my stomach and any day now it would burst. It wasn't long until the crew's plan was going to come to fruition and Palzu would be here on Earth.

  I felt a wave of fear travel through me as I thought about the consequences. Only two things would happen, we would defeat Palzu, he would die, and Orba would be saved from his tyrannical rule or he would defeat us. There was a chance very soon that I and my friends could die and the idea made me feel as though I would vomit. My hand began to tremble around my cup and I breathed deeply as I tried to steady myself. There was no point letting my fear control me. It wouldn't be of benefit to me. Instead, I pulled out a pen and decided to strategize.

  On a nearby napkin, I began scribbling wildly, writing down every idea that came to mind about the great battle that was about to take place. I had to be certain about everything, had to know exactly what my role entailed. I wrote down everything I would have to do then read it repeatedly until there was nothing in my mind but the desired outcome. We had to win. There were no other options.

  Scrunching my eyes shut, I envisaged the day when we'd have to fight. I thought over every possible scenario until there weren't anymore. I had to have all angles covered and there could be no surprises. As my heart raced and my palms grew sweaty, I thought about the very real possibility that I might not survive the fight and there was no possible way to explain to Demi what was really happening.

  It hurt to think I could disappear and she'd have no idea what happened to me. Maybe today was the day I'd come clean about everything. But what if she thought I was crazy? What if I scared her away?

  I opened my eyes and picked up the book again hoping I could lose myself in the story for a few hours. I needed to calm down, needed to rest to make sure I was prepared for the big day. It was fast approaching, and so was the encroaching feeling that I was being surrounde
d by something invisible.

  The air crackled around me, filled with a tension I couldn't understand. The burning sensation returned and I looked all around me, certain that I would find someone watching me but like before, there was no one. The woman with her dog noticed my worried look and she gave me a polite smile.

  "Lovely afternoon, dear," she said and raised her teacup, but I wasn't feeling lovely at all.

  I paid my bill and took off, eager to get away from the sensation that there were eyes on me.

  But as I walked out onto the street, the sun disappeared behind a cloud and the temperature dropped. The usually busy street was now empty, too and as I reached the corner, I noticed I was the only one out. Behind me, footsteps sounded. Looking in the reflection of the nearby shop window, I saw there was no one following me.

  "It's just in your head," I told myself. "You're imagining it because you're stressed about Palzu."

  But deep down I knew I was being followed.

  The hotel loomed up in front of me and the people I normally spent most of the day ignoring now brought me a sense of comfort.

  Gerald was sat on the steps with his cap at his feet. It looked like nobody had given him any more money after I had, so I dug into my pocket and added another few measly cents before scurrying inside and dashing up the stairs.

  I slammed the door shut behind me and pulled up the chair to jam it under the door knob. Why couldn't I shake the feeling someone was watching?

  If there was someone following me they were good, really good and knew how to stay hidden and keep quiet. They must have been trained like Draygus was. He was the best tracker I knew but this person was at least on a par with him. If there was anyone at all…

  Or maybe it was just my mind.

  I'd been sucked into a whirlwind of love and terror over the last few weeks and I wasn't thinking straight. I sat on my bed and rubbed at my temples. A tension headache was spreading and I had the strongest need to sleep but I knew if I lay my head down I wouldn't be able to.

  It was then I noticed the slight draught tickling the side of my leg. I looked up and saw the curtains billowing slightly in the wind.