Star Chasers

by Viola Grace

  Again... that whisper in her mind. Thinking she was really starting to hallucinate, she drifted off.

  Chapter Four

  Isabella woke to the suns blazing down. She quickly relieved herself, then went back to her tree to eat. There was a good amount of bread left and the meat and cheese. This time she decided to try the meat. The strips appeared fine. It smelled and tasted like it had been smoked. She bit into the bread. It wasn’t as fresh as the night before, but it still tasted fantastic. “Damn, I really need a knife,” she muttered.

  Now that her stomach was full, she unpacked the clothing she’d stolen. “A bath first. I’m glad I have at least myself to talk to.” Giggling at herself, she took the spacesuit off, then her bra and panties and headed for the stream.

  She carefully tested the water with her toes. Relieved to find it was quite tepid, she waded to the middle of the stream, then lay down and let the current flow over her body. It felt so good. Leaning back, she rinsed her hair. No shampoo, but at least it would feel a lot cleaner. She stayed in the water until her skin wrinkled and she began to turn into a prune.

  Wading back to the bank, she had no option but to dry herself in the warm rays of the suns. “I wish I had a book to read. Oh, I have my iPad. Stupid. No, if I use that, I’ll soon run out of battery life.”

  She basked in the suns until she felt dry. Raking her fingers through her hair, she stood and went to the tree to try on her new clothes. Clean underwear, her bra, then she tried on the blouse. It was fairly large on her, but she didn’t care. Next was the overdress, which actually didn’t fit too badly. The sandals fit perfectly. She tied the straps around her ankles. Wishing for a mirror, she twirled around. “Wait, the metal of the crate. I can see myself in it.”

  The metal wasn’t shiny enough. All she saw was a foggy reflection. Finger-combing her hair, she was glad her hair was curly. She’d always hated it, longed for straighter hair, but at least her unruly curls wouldn’t look that bad. She headed for the trail of twinkling flowers and back to the village. Dare she mingle and just walk around freely?

  Discovering the skirt had deep pockets, she stuck her hands in them and began to casually stroll across the road and the clearing until she came to the main street. No one took any notice of her.

  Could Hannah and the others be in this village? If so, where? She could hardly ask. Soon as she opened her mouth, she’d be pinpointed as a stranger, an alien. She stopped in front of the place that looked like a pub or inn. It reminded her of an old Western bar as depicted in movies. Did she dare look inside?

  Pushing against the swinging doors, she entered. The interior was dimly lit. Small tables stood scattered with people drinking or eating at them. There was a bar with stools that were all filled and behind it a bartender. The smell of the food caused her mouth to water, even though she wasn’t hungry, having filled up on bread and cheese before she headed out.

  Her foot hit something shiny on the floor. She looked down and saw it was a gold coin. Bending, she quickly snatched it up and stuck it in her pocket. She glanced around, but no one seemed to have noticed. There was no sign of Hannah or the crew. She sighed. She’d so hoped to see familiar faces. If they had survived, where could they be? Shaking the thoughts from her head, she fingered the coin in her pocket. What could a gold coin buy me? Is it real gold?

  A young, pretty, black-haired woman approached her. She was wearing an apron and said something. Maybe a waitress? Isabella just smiled and kept on walking toward the doors. Oh, she felt so lost. Close to the doors was a table just recently abandoned by some customers. She noticed leftover food on plates. Quite a lot of it. She could hardly put it in her pockets. Would anyone notice if she sat and ate some? Did she have the courage? Hell, why not? If they caught her, so be it.

  She wasn’t that hungry, but hell... it smelled so good. Whatever the food was, it tasted heavenly. She chose the plate with the most food on it, then gobbled it down as fast as she could. After she put the fork back on the plate and pushed it aside, she noticed something sticking out beneath it. Four gold coins. It had to be a tip. She left one coin and shoved the other three in her pocket.

  Glad she was so close to the doors, she got up and quickly left the pub, feeling guilty about stealing the waitress’ tip, then walked as fast as she could to the market.

  She strolled casually, inspecting the wares on each stall table and watching how people paid and the change they were given, if any. Some people traded goods, she noticed. Well, she had nothing to trade. All she had was the treasure in her pocket. At a vegetable and fruit stall, she noticed a woman paying with a gold coin. The woman’s basket was filled with strange-looking fruit. The farmer handed her change—a handful of silver coins.

  Happily, she chose some fruit that resembled peaches and some kind of berries. Pretending to be mute, she pointed to what she wanted and filled her pockets. She gave him a gold coin and received a lot of silver change.

  To her delight, she found a table with scissors, knives, swords, and other hardware. She chose a dagger, then with gestures, and holding out a gold coin, looked questioningly at the trader. He took the coin but gave her no change. So now she had two gold coins left and a bunch of small change. A blanket. What if it got cold? No. Her stomach was more important at the moment, and it was quite warm at night. She’d deal with blankets and warmer clothing later. Judging by how hot it got during the day, it had to be summer right now.

  The fresh bread made her stop. She still had bread left from the night before, but this smelled freshly baked. She bought another loaf of bread and some cheese. That took care of most of the silver change. At another stall, she bought a basket like the women carried. Quickly, she loaded her purchases into it.

  She came close to the stall from where she’d stolen her clothing. Afraid the woman behind the table would recognize her blouse and dress, she swiveled and walked back.

  When she got to the road, she had to wait for some wagons. Following them were three men on horseback. They appeared to be soldiers, judging by their weapons and manner of clothing.

  After they had all entered the village, she hurried across the road, the clearing, and running through the forest, made for her safe tree.

  Once inside, she fished her loot out of the basket and happily bit into the peach-like fruit, moaning in delight. It was fresh and sweet. She had never had anything like it on Earth, had only seen pictures of many of Earth’s fruits. The only fruit she had ever tasted was freeze-dried or canned when their parents could afford it. Quite proud of herself, she decided to explore the other side of the forest. Tomorrow she’d go to the market to look for a brush or comb, soap, and a few other necessities.

  The snow had finally melted, and the rays from the suns became a lot warmer. It had been a cold winter, but she had survived it. Isabella had no idea how long she’d been there. According to the scratches on the inside of the tree, she’d lived in her tree for months. And every night before she fell asleep, she heard the whisper. He is coming soon.

  She blamed it on her isolation and imagination. Each day she went to the village and the market. The villagers were starting to recognize her face and often greeted her. She’d learned the words of their greeting and responded. She had also learned some of the names of the fruit and vegetables, the bread, and the cheese. And she stole like crazy and hadn’t been caught yet by the farmers and traders.

  The waitress in the pub had caught on to her. But all she did was send Isabella pitying glances and let her eat leftover food customers had abandoned. It was as if the young woman knew Isabella was homeless. The waitress often would come to clear the table, wipe it, and only take half the coins left for her tip. Isabella knew she did it on purpose and hoped one day she could repay the waitress for her kindness. The waitress quite often brought her a glass of juice, too, and occasionally, a glass of milk.

  Isabella spent a lot of time inside the pub, just sitting there observing people and listening to the customers. Especially during the col
d winter months. She had yet to find anything that looked like matches, so she couldn’t light a fire. Though she’d rubbed sticks together, stones, she’d not been able to get a spark. At least she’d been able to buy two warm blankets and some winter clothing.

  Heading back on the familiar trail, that she could almost walk blindfolded now, she hummed a tune. That was something she missed. Music.

  When she was close to her tree, a sound startled her. It was too loud to be made by one of the little furry creatures she so often saw darting around among the flowers. She stopped. Her heart sped up. She’d seen no other human in the forest since she’d lived there. Not once. The sound came from the direction of the crate.

  Standing very still, she held her breath and waited. A crack, then another. Suddenly a huge lion faced her. She dropped her basket, her purchases spilling to the forest floor, screamed, and ran to the nearest tree.

  She peeked at the lion from behind the trunk and started hitching up her skirts to tie them in a knot above her knees. “Go away, kitty!”

  She hoisted herself onto a branch and started climbing. When she was halfway up the tree, she dared to look down. She couldn’t remember. Did lions climb?

  “Nice kitty, kitty, kitty.” She climbed a couple more limbs but dared not go any higher. The branches were starting to get thin and might break beneath her weight. She leaned forward and peered down at the lion.

  “Holy shit! You are one big cat!”

  He was the biggest lion she’d ever seen. Their parents had taken them to a zoo when she and Hannah were still little. The lions had awed her and had seemed gigantic. But this one was huge. Of course, he had to be. It was an alien lion.

  What in the hell was she going to do? Was it hungry? Was it looking at her for its next meal? She grabbed the piece of smoked meat she had in her pocket, pulled a chunk off it with her teeth and held her hand out. “Look, kitty. Mmm, it’s good, see?”

  She threw the piece of meat. It landed on the ground a distance from the tree. “Go get it, boy!”

  The lion just stood looking up at her. He did not attempt to climb or approach the tree... nor did he go after the food. To her consternation, he suddenly growled. Then it appeared as if his bones were popping through his skin.

  “Oh, fuck, no!”

  It freaked her the hell out. It reminded her of the movie Thing. In the movie, an alien made itself look like a dog, but when it showed its true form, it was a grotesque monster.

  She couldn’t take her eyes away. It was all so crazy. It wasn’t a hideous creature he was mutating into. When the transformation was complete, he had become the most gorgeous hunk of male flesh she’d ever seen. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Was she going insane? Okay... I’m dreaming. There is no way this is real. She pinched herself. Wake up, Izzy.

  The man said something in the same foreign language she heard every day in the village.

  “Oh no, no!” She shook her head wildly. “That is how the aliens lure you in. They turn into a sexy guy, play all nice with you, then boom! Invasion of the body snatchers! Go away!” she hissed.

  But he didn’t go away. Instead, he stepped forward and held his hand out. He was offering to help her down. She gazed at him. He had earnest blue eyes, long, wavy, brown hair, a perfect nose, the cutest dimple in his chin, and was dressed in a tunic, pants, and high boots. He motioned for her to climb down from the tree.

  Had she merely imagined the lion? Was the shock of meeting a handsome hunk in the forest playing games with her brain? She shook her head to clear it. This guy could have stepped straight out of the movies. And she had to find him in a forest on an alien planet? Suddenly that whisper in her mind. It is he. Trust him.

  Now she was going totally schizo. She’d wake up inside her tree shortly and discover it was all some weird nightmare.

  Several golden star-shaped flowers began to grow on the ground near his feet. Those wonderful flowers that had given her a lifeline to survival her first days on the planet and had sprung up from the snow during the coldest days of winter, giving her solace when she felt so alone.

  She cautiously lowered herself to the bottom branch, her dagger in one hand, while she accepted his hand to jump to the ground. She looked up at him. He towered over her. He had broad shoulders, and the muscles of his arms strained his shirt sleeves. And he wasn’t just downright hot; he had a kind face and a brilliant smile. “Who are you?” she whispered in a shaky voice.

  He shook his head, indicating he didn’t understand her. He pointed at his chest. “Tanoth.”

  “I gather that’s your name? Tanoth?” She pointed at herself. “Isabella.”

  He began to talk, but it was all gibberish to her. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like an iPad. He swiped his fingers across the screen and pulled up a picture.

  She almost jumped out of her skin. Was that Erica Martinez? She looked closer at the picture. It was Erica but with shorter hair, and she was standing beside a handsome man at what looked like a wedding. “Oh my God! It’s Erica! Erica is my friend. Do you know Hannah? Travis? What about Laura?”

  He nodded. “Laura, Erica.”

  Wow. Laura and Erica were here somewhere? But where? “Take me to them? Please?”

  Okay. Sign language. She thought for a moment. She pointed at him, then at herself and, bending down, made a walking movement with two fingers. She stood, pointed at him again and herself, then pointed at Erica’s image. “Take me to Erica? Laura?”

  He smiled and nodded. Oh my God. That smile turned her legs to jelly.

  “Erica, Laura, Bernie, Julia,” he said and nodded again.

  “Well, dammit, don’t just stand there. Take me to them,” she almost shouted, happiness flooding her heart that other members of the relocation teams were on the planet. It had to be Thauro. The reports that it was an uninhabited planet, had been wrong. And the pictures she’d seen, must have been taken at another location on the planet.

  She allowed him to take her hand and lead her to the crate. Beside it stood a horse. He pointed at the crate, then to her, and said something.

  Isabella nodded. “Yes, that’s my coffin.” That was how she’d come to regard the stasis unit. The ship had crashed, and she’d been dumped into some department of Heaven along with a bunch of foreigners.

  Next to the crate stood a small toolkit. He closed it and put it in his saddlebags. After strapping on a sword, he mounted the horse. She was about to yell at him for abandoning her, when he held out his hand and in one swoop lifted her onto the horse to sit in front of him. Her skin prickled with awareness and all she wanted was to lean back against his strong chest. She took a deep breath. It had been so long since she had been this close to anyone, and Tanoth was hot. All right, hormones. Calm the hell down.

  He began to ride out of the forest and onto the road she’d crossed every day since her arrival. “How far is it?” she asked. But he didn’t understand her of course. He spurred the horse into a gallop.

  They’d traveled for quite a while when he veered off the road and into a veld of tall grasses. In the distance, she could see a mountain range. He slowed the horse to a trot until they came to a clearing. She gasped. A sleek, smallish spaceship was parked there.

  He stopped, then dismounted and held out his hand to help her off the horse. She watched as he led the horse to the ship. A large rear door opened, and he guided the horse into it. Then he motioned her to join him.

  Isabella entered the craft, sat in a seat, and strapped herself in. A stern-faced man was stationed at the controls. Tanoth said something that sounded like a command, and the craft took off.

  He touched a couple of buttons on one of the consoles, then began speaking. She thought she heard her name. It had to be a radio or communication device because a woman’s voice replied. When he had turned off the instrument, he claimed the empty seat beside her.

  “All my things. They’re in the tree,” she told him. “We need to go back to get them.”

>   His face was one question mark, and he held up his hands, then shook his head. He didn’t understand. When he patted her on the leg, a surge of electrical impulses shot upward, to her belly, her stomach, her heart. God, what was wrong with her? Get yourself under control. Remember, he’s also a lion, Izzy.

  He pointed at the small window. She looked out and down. Below she saw a city unlike any city she’d ever heard of or seen in fantasy movies. It looked magnificent and nothing like the medieval village she’d been raiding all this time.

  The ship surged and began to descend. Still peering through the window, she could see a sprawling manor on a large property. The gardens were gorgeous with so many flowers and tall trees. She braced herself as the ship touched down in what looked like a courtyard. Tanoth took her hand, and just like before, his touch sent bolts of electricity pulsing up her arm, through her veins, causing her stomach to flutter. Okay, Izzy. You’re not going to fall for the first hunk that crosses your path. Especially not one that can turn into a lion and will have you for dinner.

  When the door slid open, the first thing she saw was Erica standing on the landing pad, a man next to her. Isabella almost fell down the steps in her hurry to get to a familiar face. “Erica! Oh my God! I can’t believe it. Are we all dead?” she shouted, then fell sobbing into Erica’s waiting arms.

  Erica’s eyes were filled with disbelief. “No, you’re not dead, Izzy. But how in the hell did you end up on this planet? You weren’t part of the program.”

  Isabella chewed on her lip, then took a deep breath. No one could get in trouble for it now. “I was a stowaway on the Initiation Two.”

  Erica brushed her fingers through her curly hair and shook her head. “How is that even possible?”

  Isabella hugged Erica again. Was she truly real? “Oh, I can’t believe I’m actually talking to someone and a person who can understand me. I’ll explain everything. Where is Hannah?”