Chapter 2
I sensed their presence long before my brain could comprehend the predicament at hand.
The sound of shoes shuffling and squeaking against tile echoed throughout the space too quickly for me to distinguish the location of my abductors.
Part of me longed to open my eyes and confront the presumed beasts, while another part wished to squeeze them shut forever, paralyzed by the agonizing terror prickling my every nerve.
However, before I even had the chance to decide for myself, a harsh blinding light blared down on me from above.
I flinched as the searing brightness hit me like a train, struggling to squint my eyes open. As the disorienting fuzziness in my sight gradually faded, it became clear that I was lying beneath a large, dome-shaped lamp hanging from the ceiling.
Wincing from the vigorous strain, my eyes shut as tightly as they could.
I feared that if I kept them open any longer, I might accidentally go blind.
Though, the moment I cringed, the hustling of feet came to an abrupt halt, only to resume with a frantic scurry as if I had triggered a panic.
Suddenly, the brazen glare overhead switched off.
A brief relief flooded through me, and I relaxed my eyelids, finally able to open them completely once again.
However, it became clear that I had been strapped to a rigid metal board with my wrists tightly bound in metallic shackles.
Panic tore through my veins from the tips of my fingers to the depths of my chest. The confusion and alarm caused my breath to quicken into an unintentional hyperventilation.
I frantically took in my surroundings and found myself strewn in an impeccably pristine white room.
Along the left-hand wall, solid marble counters lined the space, their surfaces etched with deep grooves as if designed to open like drawers.
Upon these counters sat an array of shiny beakers, each one filled with a glowing blue substance I had never encountered during any science class.
The marvellous liquid appeared almost alive, dancing within its glass confines.
My gaze darted to my right, and that’s when I saw them. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought they were as frightened and surprised as I was. The two figures exchanged distressed glances.
If I had to guess, I would have said that they were around eleven or twelve years old.
However, their skin shone a sickly shade of white, and their colourless hair blended seamlessly against it.
They wore long white robes that billowed to the floor, and despite their almost identical features, one appeared male while the other female.
The children could easily pass as human, were it not for their eyes.
Staring back at me were enormous, inky, almond-shaped orbs devoid of any white or iris—a jarring contrast to the pearlescent sheen of their skin. Though their faces were lacking any warmth or emotion, their eyes radiated a disturbing aura.
I should have screamed for help. I should have tried…
anything, for that matter, but my voice felt locked away by the fright and anguish that suffocated me like a pillow over the face.
I tried to speak, but only a single tear escaped down my cheek as I pinched my eyes shut. My entire body shook uncontrollably.
What were these monsters about to do to me?
The female entity sensed my alarm and slowly stepped closer.
The corners of her thin grey lips turned downward in an empathetic frown as she lifted her hands, palms outward.
But this attempt to calm me visibly angered the male; his crossed arms and flared nostrils suggested that whatever was unfolding before me was against protocol.
Do not be afraid, I heard a meek inhuman voice within my own thoughts. We do not wish to hurt you.
My mouth fell open, stunned with disbelief, though I finally found my voice again. “Wha… You… How are you doing that?” I stuttered, my eyes darting back and forth between the strange beings before me.
The “little girl” responded to my desperation with a kind smile that did not reach her eyes, as if she were merely mimicking human emotion. Her timid voice reverberated inside my head once more.
My brother and I are members of a species that uses telepathy to communicate. Long ago, we evolved past using our voices. I apologize if this startled you.
There was no possible way that what I was experiencing was reality. Even though my eyes were petrified open, refusing to let me break loose of this inescapable nightmare, I had to be dreaming.
“Where am I? What is this?” The words gushed from my mouth, even though part of me didn’t want to know the answer.
Without ever moving or blinking, she explained, This is one of the many Celestial Voyagers, a travelling vessel owned by the royal guard of Ornath.
“I don’t understand,” I incoherently squealed through sobs, the prickle of horror and confusion triggering me to tug at the handcuffs binding my limbs.
I know that, and I am deeply sorry. The female promptly turned to her brother and sheepishly questioned, Do you believe we may unshackle the human? It appears incredibly alarmed. I would not want it to perish of fright before we complete our journey.
A voice, much less soft than the female’s, materialized in my mind. Are you deranged, sister? We have obligations to obey! Remaculus will have your head!
The girl turned back toward me, her shoulders slumping slightly as her nose twitched with disappointment. I apologize. It would be best if you remained in this condition despite its inconvenience.
“No!” I screamed, thrashing violently against the shackles. I desperately tried to pull my hands through the narrow slits as small lesions ripped through my skin, but my efforts were futile. I’m sure it must have felt excruciating, but my brain had nearly dissociated completely.
“Please,” I begged. “J-just let me go. I won’t tell anyone. I swear it. They would all think I’m crazy anyways. I-I just want to go home.”
I am sorry, but we cannot, she asserted. We have strict orders to obtain your vitals and prepare you for your imminent arrival on Ornath.
At this point, my demeanour shifted from fear, shock, and denial to straight insanity.
I nonsensically reminded myself that I was only dreaming, that this was all just a figment of my ever-creative imagination.
And so, hysterical laughter erupted from my chest as I shook my head side to side, desperate to wake myself up.
The male grabbed his sister by the bicep, pulling her back a step as he scolded her, You have said too much, Deadre. You have put me in the crosshairs of your lunacy.
It is fearful, Deanik! Indeed, we cannot deliver the Earthling in a state of duress! she retorted, her gaze never departing from my flailing figure.
She, he hissed, was not supposed to wake at all! How did the Earthling rise from the light-induced sleep?
Deadre studied me, her head tilted to the side in curiosity. I am unsure. Perhaps it is far more powerful than it appears.
Though, at that moment, I did not feel powerful at all. In fact, I felt like a rat in a lab, a caged animal waiting to be experimented on—unable to move, unable to understand my reality, unable to anticipate my own death.
I had survived many hardships in my short life, but this moment was undoubtedly the most terrifying.
More so than being “released” from foster care two years before.
More than when that ninth grader beat my face black and blue in eighth grade.
More than when I had to use a broken beer bottle on the side of the street to scare off a meth addict who tried to mug me when I was ten.
My existence had always been packed with scary situations. That was what happened when you had no one to protect you, no loved ones at all. But I had never felt so utterly alone as I did at this very moment.
Jane? I was startled by the sound of my own name echoing in my mind. My chin turned to see Deadre regarding me almost lovingly. It is all going to be alright, Jane.
She glided away from the platform I laid on and walked toward the left-hand wall, where the vials of the glowing blue substance waited. Meanwhile, Deanik remained in place, arms still folded across his chest, skeptically assessing me as if I might break free from my impenetrable chains.
Well, we must complete our duties now, he declared as he inspected his sister’s movements.
Yes, Deanik, Deadre replied, lifting one of the glowing blue bottles above her head to examine.
As she scrutinized the vial, I turned to Deanik and made one last plea. Please. Just take me home.
He exhaled a deep sigh, as if he were about to verbally speak. However, his brash thoughts only uttered, I am afraid we cannot take you home. It is strictly against our orders. Besides, we are much too far from the Milky Way Galaxy now.
Deanik stalked toward his sister to assist her. That was when I noticed it. A wide oval window encompassing the entire right wall behind him. In my distress, I had missed it.
A vast black and purple void filled with trillions of crystal stars gleaming brilliantly, stretched out.
Deep violets, yellows, and blues swirled and danced in the space, embracing the dark matter like a masterpiece.
It might have been the most beautiful sight I had ever seen—a view unlike anything on Earth.
Though, I realized why: I was no longer on Earth.
Deadre and Deanik left the counter’s edge and approached me once more, this time the former holding one of the mysterious clear bottles filled with the questionable blue substance. Deadre attempted a smile, while Deanik maintained his stoic demeanour.
The “little girl” shifted closer and opened the glass jar with her tiny hands. The contents resembled a coloured flame, flowing tranquilly. She reached into the vial, retrieving a fistful of the gleaming matter that seemed harmless to her skin.
This will not hurt, I promise, she assured me as she brought the luminous ball toward my face.
I pressed the back of my head into the metal board as far as I could, but it was of no use.
Deadre held the floating orb in the palm of her flat hand, just inches from my mouth, and blew toward my airways.
For a moment, I felt the energy fill my lungs and surge through my bloodstream like a pure shot of adrenaline.
Then, everything faded to black.