by Anna Lewis
“Sire, this is a foreign galaxy,” he informed his prince.
“I don’t care as long as we can make it in time,” Prince Tezod said.
“It will take too long to travel at normal speeds. We’ll have to hit a hole,” Fenneck advised.
“Whatever is faster, my friend,” the prince said.
“There’s only one problem, Sire,” Fenneck said.
“What is it, Fenneck?” the prince asked.
“She is located in a place that hasn’t yet been inhabited by our species. In fact, it seemed void of most life forms save for the Terra-forms,” Fenneck replied.
“What in the world is that?” Prince Tezod asked.
“Earthlings,” Fenneck replied. “They are called Earthlings.
“How odd,” Prince Tezod commented.
“There’s a black hole approaching, Sire,” Fenneck announced.
“Take it, Fenneck. And turn on the hyper-speed,” the prince commanded.
“Yes, Sire.”
The ship lurched forward as Fenneck pressed the button for hyper-speed, gripping the edge of his seat with a tentacle. Both the prince and his companion were pressed into their chairs as the ship sped faster than the speed of light through the black hole. A loud beeping erupted from the computer and Prince Tezod swatted it, yelling out in his native language.
“System overload,” announced an electronic voice. “Failure. Failure.”
“Hang on!” Fenneck cried.
He slapped another button with his tentacle, causing the ship to halt immediately. The squishy creature flew forward and landed eye-first into a metal door. He groaned.
“Fenneck!” the prince cried. “Are you alright?”
“I’m not sure yet, Sire. I can’t see anything,” Fenneck replied.
The prince pushed a black button on his control panel and leaned down towards the speaker.
“Medic!” he called.
He rushed immediately to Fenneck’s side and lifted him carefully, cradling him while waiting for help.
“Sire,” Fenneck croaked.
“Don’t speak, Fenneck. You might have broken something,” the prince said.
“That’s a laugh,” Fenneck said while wiggling his tentacles.
Prince Tezod chuckled lightly and then set his friend back on the ground, looking behind him when the metal doors slid open. A steel orb entered the room and hovered over the injured Fenneck. It beeped gently. From its belly came a red laser that washed over the tentacled creature a few times. Another beep erupted from the orb.
“Scan complete,” said the orb.
“Diagnosis?” Prince Tezod asked.
“Mild trauma to the frontal lobe. Mild trauma to the retina. Treatment: pain relief,” announced the orb.
The belly opened and dropped a vile on the ground which Fenneck lifted immediately. He guzzled the liquid down and sighed.
“Ah, just like mother used to make,” he commented.
“Treatment complete,” announced the orb.
It retreated back to the doors and disappeared to return to the infirmary. Fenneck carefully rolled on his side and shakily onto all eight tentacles.
“Are we there yet?” he asked.
“You tell me, Fenneck,” the prince replied while standing. “What am I even looking for?”
“A round blue planet with bits of brown that’s oxygen-rich,” Fenneck replied.
He rolled to his chair and climbed with effort, denying help when it was offered. He pulled a map up on the main glass looking out over the expanse of space and pointed with a long tentacle to a highlighted planet.
“There,” he said.
“It looks small,” the prince said. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Sire. I’m more than sure,” Fenneck replied.
“And how are we to find this princess? Do we have her exact coordinates?” the prince asked.
“Yes, Sire. I have her pinpointed in a place called New York,” Fenneck replied.
“New York,” Prince Tezod repeated. “Sounds strange.”
“The computer reports that it’s a thriving city with a large number of Earthlings packed into it. Almost too many,” Fenneck explained.
“How do they live in such a way?” Prince Tezod asked.
Fenneck raised his tentacles in the air, imitating a shrug.
“I could not say, Sire,” he replied.
“It sounds terrible,” the prince commented.
“Indeed, Sire,” Fenneck added.
“Lock on to her coordinates and let me know when we have a position. We have to be careful not to be seen,” the prince advised.
“Locking on to her coordinates now,” Fenneck announced.
The computer beeped a few times in succession and then released one long beep.
“We’ve got her,” he said.
“Turn on the cloaking device, Fenneck. We can’ be seen by the locals.”
****
Bass-heavy music vibrated through the room and echoed off the walls, causing Melody to cringe. She wiggled her nose at the speakers and followed her friends to the bar. There, she leaned up against the polished wood and ordered a martini, fixing the straps of her sparkling dress. A blinking green sign above the bar read, “The Green Saucer”.
She turned around the studied its inhabitants, grimacing at the choice of men in the room. It almost seemed useless to hit on any of them. They were likely much younger, more reckless, and less responsible than anyone she had ever dated. Her eyes turned up towards the ceiling where the lights were dancing over the mess of bodies occupying the dance floor.
At least it was a nice place.
While cradling her drink, Jana turned to her with a smirk and nodded towards the crowd.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” she shouted over the music.
Melody nodded with a polite smile and turned her gaze towards the stage. The DJ was bouncing with the music, his shades lit up with LED lights in the shape of hearts. She watched them blink to the beat of the bass and smiled as the song changed into a trance song that she enjoyed. She nodded her head to the music.
Jana took her arm and yanked her out to the dance floor, causing her to spill some of her martini on her dress. Huffing, she wiped away the liquid and stood next to her friends while moving carelessly to the beat. It was definitely something she needed. Work had been hell all week and that dream had proved to become a nightly problem instead of monthly.
The lights surrounding the dance floor reminded her of the ones in her dream, causing a brief panic that made her redirect her eyes to the floor. She gripped the edge of her dress and willed herself to remain in the present. After another sip of her martini, she raised her free hand above her head and swayed with the beat. The haze of bodies around her bounced and she watched the colors swirl together, admiring the way they all blended like a painting.
Suddenly, she was in her dream. The whirling sound came from above and invaded her ears, causing her to cringe and drop down to the ground. She dropped her martini glass and squealed as it broke. The sound was growing louder. She covered her ears and ducked, tucking her head between her knees while willing it to pass.
This had never happened before. She had never experienced the dream outside of the sleeping world and she worried that she might have finally lost it. Was this even the real world? Had she really gone out with Jana and Lauren, or was she stuck in her head?
While trying to regain her composure, a hand wrapped around her upper arm and gently pulled her into an upright position. The flashing lights went back to their normal frequency and the music switched to a slower beat, causing the loud whirling to subside. It retreated into the background, masked by the sound of the persistent bass. She blinked hard.
Standing in front of her was a well-dressed man in a white shirt, his broad shoulders filling it out completely. Her eyes washed over the muscles of his arms and trailed down to the strong hands that were holding hers. She shivered. Something about him was utterly familiar, his skin s
eeming to shimmer under the lights of the dance floor.
When she raised her eyes again, he was looking directly at her. A smile crossed his lips and his eyes twinkled. They were bright green. Even in the dim lighting of the club, she could see them shining brightly. It seemed like they were only focused on her. Her surroundings didn’t exist. They quickly became a blur of color that swirled around and around without any indication of stopping.
A hand appeared and cupped her face, her skin tingling where his fingers brushed against her cheek. His eyes were hypnotizing. The color seemed to beam like a beacon, pulling her in immediately while causing her to feel faint.
“Finally,” she whispered.
“I found you,” he said.
In an instant, the world around her melted away. The colors blended together and became a tornado, the sound fading almost immediately while she felt the familiar weightless feeling carry her up over the crowd. A medley of sounds reached her ears. She could hear Jana and Lauren calling out for her, but they were nowhere to be found. The music shifted. It faded into the background and was replaced by a mechanical hum. A surge of energy rippled through her body as she placed her hands on the man’s shoulders, leaning against him for stability.
And then the whirling began.
Melody squeezed her eyes shut, reaching up to her ears to make it stop. It felt like her head was spinning uncontrollably, her stomach growing weaker in the midst of nausea. There was nowhere to hide. The hum persisted and grew even louder, her hands doing nothing to mask the sound. She grimaced and squeaked. She couldn’t even hear her own voice.
The hand remained fixed to her face, the thumb moving gently over her skin to comfort her. She was reeling. Her stomach couldn’t handle much more spinning now that she was up in the air. Flashes of light beamed through her eyelids. She couldn’t hide from them. Everything became a white wash of light and she screamed as their bodies stopped spinning.
A piercing silence replaced everything. The man was still standing before her with his hand on her face and she studied the green eyes watching her. They were still bright. The light around them dimmed further, revealing a large room with blinking lights and beeping sounds. It almost sounded like the steady beep of a heart monitor.
“Am I dead?” she asked.
The sound of her voice breaking the silence was startling and she stumbled back, stepping on something squishy.
“Pardon you,” croaked a voice from below.
Melody looked down to find an amorphous creature with tentacles for arms and legs. She squealed and stumbled away from it. She hit a wall and shuddered while watching the creature, raising her hands to her lips to stifle the scream that was bound to resurface. With wide eyes, she peered around the room.
In it stood several strange looking creatures. They were all blue-skinned with antennae, some of them sporting tentacles like the creature on the floor. She gasped at each one and teetered on two feet, her eyes fluttering as she braced herself against the wall.
“What kind of joke is this?” she asked.
“Joke?” asked the man.
He implored her with green eyes.
“I mean, is this a trick? How did I get here?” she asked.
The man stared blankly at her.
“These are friends of mine. I assure you there is no joke,” the man replied.
“I don’t understand,” she said.
She leaned harder against the wall, her fingers growing numb and tingling as she watched the man step forward.
“My dear princess, we have been looking for you,” he said.
“Princess?” she blurted.
“Yes, Princess. You are who we’ve been searching for. My Eflorian crew has been working night and day for the past year in search of you,” he replied.
“And you are?” she asked.
“Prince Tezod of the planet Efloe. Our galaxy is quite far from this one. We’re still trying to figure out how you made it all the way out here,” he replied.
Melody stared blankly at the man standing before her. He seemed so normal. How was he a prince of a distant planet if he looked so normal?
“Forgive me, Princess. I must change,” he said.
“What?” she asked.
Before he could respond, he pressed a button on his belt and his skin shimmered. It shifted to an ocean blue, practically glowing as it changed. Antennae appeared on his forehead. They wiggled as he stretched, smiling wide with his eyes closed.
“That is much better,” he said.
Melody raised her eyebrows and chuckled lightly, staring in awe at the prince. She raised her finger to say something, her knees buckled, and black dots danced across her vision. She tried to catch herself on a nearby table, but promptly hit the ground instead. Her limbs went limp and the world went completely dark.
****
“Is she dead?”
Confused, the prince stood over the limp body of the lost princess. She seemed to be breathing. Fenneck rolled over to her body and poked her with a curious tentacle, squinting at the hair covering her face.
“Why isn’t she blue?” Fenneck asked. “Is she ill?”
“I don’t believe that really matters at the moment, Fenneck,” Prince Tezod replied.
“Did she hit the ground out of joy?” Fenneck asked.
“I’m not sure,” Prince Tezod replied. “Perhaps we should call the medic again.”
“That wouldn’t be a terrible idea,” Fenneck said.
The prince walked over to his intercom and called for the medic, turning to study the woman who had fallen to the ground. He could see her chest rise and fall steadily. At least she was still breathing. When the medic arrived, it floated over her unconscious body and ran a diagnostic.
“Scan complete,” it said. “Diagnosis: loss of consciousness. Treatment: hydration.”
The belly of the orb opened and dropped a vile on the ground which clinked against the metal. Prince Tezod opened the vile and pressed it to Melody’s lips, pouring it carefully down her throat. She choked and coughed, sitting up immediately.
“Treatment complete,” announced the orb.
“What is that?” Melody asked while scurrying away from the orb.
“It’s a medical ball. Our species advanced quickly and created these mechanical doctors who accompany us on lengthy trips,” Prince Tezod explained.
“And what is that?” she asked while pointing at Fenneck.
“That is my trusted friend and adviser, Fenneck,” he replied.
The tentacled creature slurped in response.
“It looks weird,” she commented.
“He does a great job regardless,” he said.
The orb left the room and the prince looked around at his troops.
“Dismissed,” he announced.
The Eflorians left without question, leaving the prince with Fenneck and Melody. She was still staring at the prince with wide eyes, her hair falling in her face. He brushed a lock behind her ear and she recoiled. He retracted his hand immediately.
“My apologies, Princess. I hadn’t meant to frighten you,” he said.
“You’ve done more than that,” she spat.
“It was not my intention. Would you like to sit in my chair? It would be more comfortable than the floor,” he offered.
Melody looked around at the steel floor and then stood, pulling herself away from the prince who was trying to guide her to the chair. Respecting her space, he motioned to the main chair in the room and she sat down, folding her hands in her lap.
“What is this?” she asked while looking at the control panel.
“This is my ship. We’re transporting you back to my home planet,” the prince replied.
“Home planet?” she repeated. “This is weird. This is so weird. This dream has gotten even worse, I see.”
“Dream?” Prince Tezod asked.
“Well, certainly this must be my dream. How else would I be on an alien space ship?” she asked rhetorically.
&nb
sp; “You’ve had dreams about my ship?” Prince Tezod asked.
“Not exactly. I’ve had the same dream since I was twelve. It’s usually only during my sleep when I have it, but now it seems to come when I’m awake,” Melody replied. “This is definitely a first. I must be going crazy.”
“I can assure you, Princess, that you are not going crazy,” the prince said. “In fact, you’re fulfilling your destiny.”
Melody burst into laughter.
“You’re kidding,” she said between giggles. “This is just an elaborate dream. There’s no such thing as destiny. Not for me.”
“And how can you think such a thing? Your beauty is beyond comparison to anyone else on that dreadful planet,” Prince Tezod said.
She giggled again.
“You’re very flattering for a dream,” she said.
“I am not a dream,” the prince insisted. “I am very real.”
“Prove it,” she dared. “Prove to me you aren’t a dream. I bet you can’t even do that much.”
The prince looked puzzled, his eyes washing over the room while trying to think of something to prove his existence to her. There was nothing he could do.
“Did the water not taste real?” he asked.
“It did, but that doesn’t prove anything,” she replied.
The prince approached Melody and took her face between his hands, leaning down incredibly close to her lips. He could feel her breathing become labored.
“And what of this?” he asked.
Without hesitation, he kissed her. Their lips danced together in unison, his tongue poking between hers in order to explore the texture of her mouth. She sighed, succumbing immediately. It felt like he had been waiting for this moment for centuries when in reality, it had only been months. There was no more satisfying a feeling than being pressed against her, his hand gliding down her shoulder and massaging the muscles hiding beneath her skin.
When he pulled away, her eyes were still closed and her lips still pursed. Her eyelids fluttered. They opened and revealed green eyes that drank in his image. She had to know his touch by now. He had been projecting to her for the past six months.
“What…?” she could barely speak.