A Little Wish Upon a Star

by Breanna Hayse

  "Let's see if you like it first. I'll teach you how to color after we get some fish cooking."

  "How are we going to catch anything? It's shallow for miles!" She pointed at the Bombat that was eyeing them with suspicion.

  "No, only about a hundred Earth yards. And it doesn't matter, because we have a boat." He produced a banana-shaped object out of his pocket.

  Tabby blushed. "That's a boat? I thought it was a sex toy."

  "We are not doing that this trip, little girl. Do I need to remind you that you will only get Daddy while we are here?"

  "I'm sorry. It's hard for me to stay in this headspace. I'm not used to it."

  "Just relax. This is about you learning how to let go of your control and allowing yourself to just react."

  "What if I react wrong?" she asked plaintively.

  "I just want you to react. You will not get into trouble unless you risk your safety or get overtly rude. Step back."

  The boat reminded her of a large rubber raft with two simple paddles that unfolded and locked securely in place. He held her hand to assist her inside.

  "There you go, baby girl. Stay seated. Lotopians have never been much when it comes to water travel, so the boat might be a bit unsteady."

  "What if we fall in?"

  "It is safe, but very cold. Don't fall in."

  "I've never seen anyone with an aversion to cold like you guys. It's good you don't have snow here. You would become Lopopsicles and would never stop whining." She giggled.

  "We don't whine, we protest vehemently."

  "What are you doing now?" she asked, as he placed a line of brass-colored disks around the site.

  "This is a shield that will prevent any unwelcome visitors from entering our camp. Do not go outside these boundaries without me under any circumstances."

  "I won't. Is that a fishing pole?" She pointed to a wound piece of string in his hand. "Where is the hook?"

  "Hook? They are not required to catch fish. Edible fish have a portion of bone in the center of their heads that emit a strong electromagnetic pull. It helps them navigate the waters for migration and breeding. This is a magnet that will attach itself and hold on to that section."

  "Wow. No muss, no fuss, no coconuts."

  "What are you talking about?" He raised an eyebrow.

  "My own version of an old Earth expression meaning that this is easy to do. I thought you studied human culture?"

  "I've been obsessed with it for a lifetime, but remember, my training tools were limited to what I could get from the sister planets and the Archives. My education is sorely lacking in the areas that I believe are called 'pop culture.'"

  "No problem, so are mine. Daddy? Did you really read porn to learn how to be like this?"

  "If I understand correctly, what I read is called erotica, not porn. Pornography demeans and breaks down the human, while erotica builds her and the relationship," Seth told her.

  "Really? I didn't know there was a difference."

  "Apparently there is. There are numerous papers that have been presented on the subject and have been universally debated. The unanimous conclusion has been to follow the basic guidelines presented in the manuals written by the Earth author I told you about and we would have a happy human."

  "I've never heard of her. But truthfully, I've never read any books like that either," she admitted.

  "I have access to a good portion of her collective works and studies that you may read if you like."

  "Daddy, you do realize that these stories are probably fiction, right?"

  "We suspect that might be the case. However, there is a consistency throughout that we cannot argue against, which leads us to believe that there is a strong element of truth. She promotes kindness, encouragement, consistency and discipline. The love and caring towards the little human is the focus. No sentient being can debate the necessity for that," Seth said.

  "Well, I really am learning to like the love and care. I am not learning to like the discipline."

  "There is a solution to that, you know." He grinned.

  "Yeah, yeah, behave myself and I won't get spanked. Although, I seriously doubt that to be completely true."

  "You do?" he asked, unsuccessfully hiding a snicker.

  "I do. You like spanking me. Fess up."

  "I must admit it is rather invigorating. And the scent you give off is the most sensual aroma I have ever encountered."

  "You are such a horny toad," she muttered.

  "And you keep trying to slip into being an adult. Get sex off your mind and put your line in the water. Let's catch some lunch."

  Tabby's line jerked spastically about fifteen minutes later. "I think I got something! Daddy! I think I caught a fish!" she squealed excitedly.

  "Calm down," he said, laughing. "Reel it in very slowly. Remember to watch out for the teeth. Good girl."

  He reached for the line, carefully pulled the thrashing fish from the water, and placed it in the center of the boat. Immediately, he used his foot to prevent it from flopping and then pressed an item to the top of its head, making it go immediately still.

  "What is that? It looks like a tire pressure gauge."

  "It neutralizes electrical activity in the brain."

  "Is it dead then?" Tabby asked curiously.

  "Yes. Take a look at it. I suspect it is a little different from the fish you are accustomed to."

  Indeed. Like Earth fish, it had fins, a tail and scales; but that was where the resemblance ended. Two reptilian-like eyes rested on either side of a wide, spoon shaped mouth that was studded with long, needle shaped teeth. A third round eye was centered in the middle of the snout and held two gold-colored pupils. The long, thick body was armored with thick silvery blue scales, and two orange sacks dangled from underneath.

  "That is one of the ugliest creatures I have ever seen. Next to your mother, of course. What are those?" Tabby asked, poking at the creature.

  "Lungs. Please, I find it very insulting when you insult a native creature."

  "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to."

  "I was talking about the fish. Surface fish in The Tears do not have the same breathing apparatus as the Cuprum-water. They come in handy, though. A Bombat will do anything for these scraps. We will use them to lure it away from the nest and grab a couple of eggs."

  "You wanna take away her babies?" she asked incredulously.

  "They are unfertilized. The feather of a Bombat who has fertilized eggs temporarily changes to red and gold. We don't touch an active nest."

  Three more fish were caught before they returned to shore. Seth wrinkled his nose as he cleaned the fish and set them to smoke slowly over the fire.

  "Let's get a couple of eggs," he suggested. "I'm going to lure the Bombat away. See that tall mound? That's the nest. Find the brightest red ones you can—those are the freshest and also the largest, so you won't be able to carry more than two. Once you have them, start directly back to camp, but stay by the water's edge. A Perskat would love to get its teeth into one of those eggs or, even better, you."

  In no time, Tabby was balancing two basketball-sized eggs in her arms and hurrying back to camp with Seth on her heels. He placed one of them directly on the fire and put the other in his backpack, which he hung up in a tree.

  "Smells pretty good, doesn't it?" he asked, catching her sniffing the cooking food.

  "It does. I'm hungry, too."

  "It will take a little while. Both the egg and the fish will turn white once they are cooked. Let's get some more wood, and I'll show you the edible plants."

  Chapter Sixteen

  Time in the academy and training as a test pilot had given Tabby a lot of experience in wilderness survival, but nothing could have prepared her for the alien forest. Three times she had her foot grabbed and held by an aggressive patch of blue moss which required Seth's assistance to escape. She then had to slap away curious vines that were attracted to her body heat, but which cringed if smacked.

  "Do these pl
ants have the ability to think?" she asked, pinching a vine that began to wrap around her waist.

  "No, it is all chemical and sensory attraction. Grab those berries. Don't worry, that bush is not aggressive."

  She plucked several large bunches of transparent, grape-shaped fruit from a blue-foliaged bush and handed them to Seth to place in his bag. He had pulled four round bulbs from a tall tree, and a mushroom-like growth from under a clinging vine, and then plucked a clump of seed pods which he handed to Tabby.

  "Here's a souvenir. They will last forever if you keep them hanging in the air. Listen." He gently shook the cluster near her head, at which they produced a gentle ringing sound.

  "It looks like mistletoe. On Earth, we have a tradition of kissing someone we catch standing under it." She held the pod over her head and puckered her lips.

  Seth raised an eyebrow and quickly kissed her forehead. "Let's get some food into you."

  "I want kisses."

  "I'll give you kisses after lunch," he promised, taking her hand and leading her back to camp. "No pouting or you will be put down for a nap."

  Little by little, Tabby fell into the release of childlike behavior and reacted to Seth's actions in a natural manner. She wrinkled her nose and protested against helping clean the dishes after they had eaten, demanded piggy-back rides every time he squatted near the ground, and squealed with happiness when he brought out the sketch pad and colored pencils.

  "If you can sit still for a few moments, I will teach you a Lotopian art style."

  "Can I confess something, Daddy?" she asked, sitting down on his offered lap.

  "Of course, sweetheart."

  "I've never colored before."

  Seth looked at her with a frown. "Never? Not even as a child?"

  "If I did, it was before the accident and I don't remember it. Art and music were not a necessity at the compound. Since they thought I would eventually die, they only provided me with practical information. Remember when I told you about Buzz? He was the one who sent me aerospace magazines and engineering books. He knew I liked that stuff."

  "He never sent you anything that was age-appropriate?"

  "If he did, it was filtered. The compound did not believe in giving someone like me false hope, and kept everything as clinical as possible," she explained.

  "That helps me understand why it is so difficult for you to just let go and play. You have noticed that I am trying to keep you centered in your little girl, haven't you?"

  "Yeah. And thanks for not throwing your attractants at me. I want to do this… this little girl thing so badly. It's in me, but I just keep slipping."

  "It will take time and practice. And much trust. Maybe even more than you are ready to give at this time. Don't be concerned. It will happen when it happens," Seth said reassuringly.

  "You really think so?"

  "It's my job as your daddy to know these things. Let's color a bit. These pencils are activated in an orange sun."

  "But the blue sun is out."

  "You can still color with them. We will put the picture out tomorrow and you can see what happens. Can you draw?"

  "A stick figure," she said with a smile.

  "How about if I draw you a picture of the lake? Here is the water's edge…"

  She watched in fascination as he quickly sketched a perfect likeness of their surroundings. "Wow! You're good!"

  "Thank you. Now pick the color you want and press it to the paper."

  "Cool! It flows like paint, but stays within the lines. This is like Coloring for Dummies," she said and giggled.

  "Use as many colors as you like. They will blend on the edges to form a new color."

  "Except green. How come the only green on this planet is that glass bottle I launched into space?"

  "That color spectrum just does not exist here in a natural form. I think we are able to see it because that bottle is made of such a rare material. Silica reflects light differently, you know."

  She contemplated his words as she continued to color, trying her best to 'force' the color green to show in the blending of red and yellow. "This isn't working," she complained. "Make it work, Daddy!"

  "I can't make that happen, baby girl. That is very pretty, though. Even without green."

  "Can I go swimming? I'm all sweaty." She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "I don't know how you stand this miserable heat."

  "How about you take a little nap first? You're getting a bit cranky."

  "I hate naps."

  "Allow me to rephrase this. It is time for a nap. When you wake up, you may go swimming," he said.

  "But I don't want to take a nap. And it's too hot out."

  "The tent is shielded from the suns and will be much more comfortable. I will lie down with you, okay?"

  Tabby stared through the iridescent roof of the tent and listened to Seth's gentle snores beside her. She crept outside and towards the lake, careful not to make any sound that would alert him to her actions. After kicking around the water's edge for a few minutes, she grew bored. Bypassing the parameters of the barrier, she walked barefoot along the waterline and followed about thirty feet off the edge of the lake. For all intents and purposes, she remained 'within sight' of the large, overprotective alien, but still crossed her fingers that she could take a little stroll without his waking up and noticing her absence. She reenacted the argument regarding the barrier in her mind, certain that she had found a loophole that would save her bottom from a paddling.

  Her eyes were glued to the water as she picked her way carefully over the slippery, smooth surface under her feet—completely unaware of either how far she had walked, or the sound of purring that rumbled behind the tree line to her left.

  "Tabitha!" she heard Seth shout from across the lake. "Tabitha! Where are you?"

  Why did he sound so scared? Startled, she glanced up to see an enormous Perskat stalking her along the shore line. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the animal in terror.

  "Daddy! What should I do?" she shouted across the water, scrutinizing the four rows of serrated teeth in the unhinged jaw in horror.

  "Stay right there," he shouted back. "I'm coming to get you."

  "But what if it follows us?" she cried out, trembling as the animal sharpened twelve talons on the diamond rocks. It shrilled like nails down a blackboard.

  "Just stay put!"

  "You said they wouldn't go in the water!" she yelled, backing in until she was waist-deep. The Perskat hissed, walking slowly into the shallow portion of the lake. Drool dripped from its mouth and another purr rumbled from its throat.

  "They can't swim. Go deeper if you have to," Seth shouted, rowing quickly in her direction.

  "I'm out of here," she spoke to herself, diving towards the center of the lake and swimming as quickly as she could into the deeper water. The beast released a roar and pounced upon where she had been standing, then released an angry yowl as it watched its prey plunge out of reach.

  "Are you all right?" Seth asked, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her into the boat.

  "Just cold. That thing scared the shit out of me. Why are we going this way?"

  "We need to distract it from our camp." His voice was clipped.

  "Are you mad at me, Daddy?" she asked, after the animal had ceased trotting along the shore to follow the boat and disappeared back into the forest.

  "I am furious. I told you not to leave my sight."

  "Technically, I stayed right in sight. I also walked in the water because you said they wouldn't get wet."

  "I said that they do not care for water and that they cannot swim. Why is it that you cannot follow my rules, Tabitha? I told you not to go outside the barrier."

  "I misunderstood about the water, that's all." She hoped he would not hear the fear in her voice, and gulped. His Ability would discern the truth immediately. "I thought that if I stayed in the water I would be safe."

  "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you truly do not believe that
you went against my instructions?"

  She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

  "I am, too. You know what this means, don't you?"

  "Yes, sir," she whispered.

  "When we return to the camp, you are to dry off, and then you and I are going to take a little walk."

  "To where?" she asked tentatively.

  "To find a proper switch."

  Tabby's mouth went dry. She did not like the sound of that at all. "Can't you just use your hand?"

  "If I do, then I will place current through it. Would you prefer that?"

  "No, sir," she murmured.

  He paused his rowing to regard her with skepticism. "Is this sudden display of respect genuine, or is it an attempt to reduce your sentence?"

  "I feel bad that I ruined your camping trip with me."

  "You did not ruin anything. Except, of course, your ability to sit comfortably for a few rotations. You also know that once you have paid the price, there is forgiveness, and we go forward as though nothing had occurred."

  "You get to go forward. I get to cry." She pouted.

  "I cry on the inside, love."

  "Like hell you do," she mumbled under her breath.

  Once on shore, and without a reminder, she went immediately into the tent to get changed. When she reemerged, her eyes fell on Seth, who stood like a stern giant with his arms crossed and a frown on his incredibly handsome face. Her lip quivered as she approached him, craning her neck to see his face. She had never felt so tiny or young before—no more than a naughty little girl about to be chastised by a loving daddy.

  "Tabitha, I have spoken with you several times regarding your obedience, and each time you have tried to reason your way out of it. I believe I have made myself very clear regarding my expectations, have I not?"

  "Yes, sir, Daddy."

  "Did you really think that my instruction to not to go beyond this barrier was exempt if you remained in the water?"

  "No, sir," she muttered.

  "Come." He took her wrist in his hand and began walking. Her bare feet padded quickly behind him as he gently tugged her in the direction of a cluster of trees that held long, pale blue stems that rose straight in the air. He halted in front of one of the trees and snapped off a narrow branch that was approximately a yard in length. He scraped off the leaves with his hand, whipped it through the air with a resounding swoosh, and handed the stick to her. "This is the tree that produces the sap that makes our tent. Bend it."