From beyond the bounds of time and space, my immortal
arrived. His warmth enveloped me, igniting my heart's embrace. Our lives
intertwined, a bond so profound, no other soul can match his grace.
An excerpt from A Time Traveler’s Companion
Book 3
Chapter 14: The Jungle & the Red Jewel
I had just finished my class on campus when I spotted Melanie
leaning against my car. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my tone laced with
suspicion, while glancing around to ensure Mr. Smith wouldn’t see us talking.
“Relax Birdie, I’m just
here to invite you on a trip to another planet,” she replied playfully. I
leaned back against my car, exhaling deeply.
“I’m not sure about this. I don’t want to deceive Mr. Smith; it
could really hurt him. If he finds out I’ve been spending time with you, I
can’t even imagine the fallout,” I admitted. She rolled her eyes, “True, he can
be intense, but we can keep it under wraps,” she said with a mischievous grin
and a wink. I couldn’t help but smirk, shaking my head as I sighed again.
“Okay, but just this once because I really need to concentrate on my studies.” We headed home, and mom was already there, but dad was still at work and my brother was hanging out with his friends. I told Melanie to quietly go upstairs and that I would join her in a bit. The door that goes out into the garage is located on the opposite side of the hallway and mom can’t see who walks upstairs so she didn’t see Melanie. “Is that you, honey?” mom called from the kitchen. I froze halfway up the stairs. “Uh, yeah, mom,” I replied.
“Can you come here for a sec? I need to have a word with you,” she sounded serious. She walked to the Livingroom, sat down, and I joined her.
“Sweetheart, you would let me know if you were having sex, wouldn’t you?” I was taken aback, my jaw dropped. “I realize you’re 18 and will turn 19 in just one month, but I was really hoping you’d tell me if you were…”
I interjected, “Mom, I’m not,” then I hesitated, I did not feel comfortable lying to her. She let out a sigh, “I guess you are having sex then,” she shook her head, and her brow furrowed in disapproval. She can tell when I'm not being honest. She didn't even need to ask; her suspicion was enough, and my hesitation just confirmed it. "How did you find out?" I asked, clearly irritated. She hesitated before responding, "I was bringing some clothes up to your room, and when I placed your shirts on the bed, I saw a notebook peeking out from beneath your pillow."
"Oh no, Mom, you
didn't." My forehead creased, and a look of discontent shadowed my face. I
sighed heavily, shaking my head in disbelief. Standing with my hands on my
hips, I glared down at her. “I regret having to say this, but I’m relieved I glanced
at your diary. You would have never mentioned about having sex at all to me,
but I was hoping you’d talk to me about it.” I interrupted, saying, “Mom, that
diary is personal; how could you invade my privacy?”
She replied, “To ease your mind, I only read the section about the Pill and how Leila’s sister provided it to you. You could have shared this with me, and I could have helped you with the prescription. You’re 18 and it’s really not a big deal.”
“Mom that’s not the
point, you looked in my Diary, it’s private,” I said, feeling very disheartened
with her at the moment. My cheeks burned with anger as I faced my mom, who had
also stood up, with her arms crossed.
"Alright, but I need to know who it
is," she pressed, eager for answers. If only she had flipped to the next
page, she would discover it was Mr. Smith, and the discussion would’ve taken a
different turn. I let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of my frustration.
"Mom, I really don’t want to talk about
this right now," I said, starting to walk up the stairs. But then I
paused, spun around, and added, "I’m not going to be like you; I won’t
make the same mistakes you did." The look on her face showed that she was
genuinely floored by my words.
“Wait a minute young lady, what do you mean?”
“What’s going on? I heard an argument,” said Melanie, standing by the window with her arms crossed. She glanced at me, her expression, curious. “It’s nothing,” I replied, and she raised an eyebrow. “Nothing? It didn’t sound like nothing, but I guess it’s not my place to pry.”
“Okay, I really hope Mr. Smith doesn’t catch wind of this because I have a feeling, he’d be pretty livid if he found out.” Melanie laughed, gave me an eye roll, and plopped down beside me on the bed. She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, making the moment feel a bit more relaxed. “Don’t worry little Birdie, we’ll be back before he comes to visit you again.” I scoffed and smiled, “Let me get my backpack and dress for the occasion.” I slipped on my olive-green button-up shirt, my jeans and packed some essentials into my backpack, including a flashlight and battery charger for my phone. I paused and realized that I had the phone that Mr. Smith gave Leila, and I put it into my backpack. I combed my hair up in a loose ponytail and looked at the time--it was 2:35pm and I exhaled. “Let’s go,” I told her. She secured the quantum time manipulator to my wrist and grasped my hand. As I opened my eyes, I witnessed us passing through the wormhole. We found ourselves aboard a sleek black starship, its metallic surface reminiscent of the monolith but it was an actual ship. A wave of nausea hit me, leaving me feeling disoriented.
“Are you alright,
Birdie?” I nodded and flashed her a ‘thumbs up’ as I collected myself and let
out a sigh.
She chuckled, saying,
“You’ll get the hang of it.”
As she slid into the
pilot's seat, she made herself right at home. The ship isn’t particularly
large; it features a control room packed with all the navigational gear needed
for a smooth journey, and a cozy mid-section that boasts a small table
alongside a booth that’s reminiscent of those found in RVs and trailers. Curiosity
piqued, and I asked, “So, is this your ship?”
She grinned back at me and clarified, “It actually belongs to a friend of mine.” A man stepped out from the rear of the ship; his collar casually flipped up. He sported a dark navy-blue coat that reached his knees, which was left unbuttoned at the front, revealing an ivory cotton shirt underneath. The coat featured medium-sized gold buttons that added a touch of elegance to his look. There was a holster strapped around his waist, but the gun was noticeably absent from its place. His captivating blue eyes locked onto mine, pulling me closer. With his short, light brown hair slicked back, he exuded a charming yet mischievous aura that suggested he might be a heartbreaker.
Curiosity piqued, I found myself asking,
"Who are you?"
“I am Jack, milady,” he replied, taking my hand and planting a kiss on it. I couldn't help but giggle, glancing at Melanie, who rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“She’s with me,
Jack,” she interjected. Jack shot her a playful smirk, raising an eyebrow and
said, “I thought I was your only companion?” he chuckled lightly. He settled
into the passenger seat beside Melanie, leaving me to occupy the third seat in
the back. His American accent mirrored that of Melanie's. I have no doubt that
she will share more details about him one of these days. I asked Melanie,
“Since you have access to this ship, why not return home?" It was a valid
question, yet she merely cast a fleeting glance my way. "Birdie, I want to
go back, but it's not that simple."
“Oh, I see,” I responded, feeling that there’s something else she hasn’t told me. “Buckle in,” she said. Jack let out a “Woohoo,” as we lifted off. Jack tapped a few buttons on the control panel, and in an instant, we shot into light-speed, plunging through a mesmerizing wormhole. It was amazing! I was completely in awe. We arrived on a planet covered in a dense jungle. “The ship will be hidden, and I’ll input the coordinates into our quantum time manipulators to return us to the ship or as close to it,” Melanie stated with assurance. Jack asked her, “So, you won’t need my help on this mission?”
Melanie shook her
head, saying, “We’ll manage, Jack. I know the location of the temple, and
I’ll call for you, if
necessary,” she comforted him and placed her hand on his shoulder, he then
kissed it.
I couldn't help but
think, "What a flirt."
He pressed Melanie once more, asking if she was certain she didn't want his assistance, but she firmly maintained that everything would be fine. Jack and I shared a worried look, our concern unmistakable. As Melanie and I disembarked from the ship, I noticed the weapon holster she had slung around her waist. She adjusted her brown leather messenger bag, which she wore diagonally across her chest, and retrieved a scanner from within it, meticulously surveying our surroundings. "Everything seems fine," she remarked, tucking the scanner back into her bag with a satisfied nod.
"Let's move,” she
grabbed my hand, and we began to walk toward it. The jungle was thick with
an array of foliage all around. The environment felt ominously threatening,
however there’s a certain peace and tranquility about this place. I took a deep
breath. The aroma of exotic flowers and plants lingered in the air. It’s safe
to assume that there are Alien beings on this planet too. Approaching the
building, the stunning gold edifice towered in front of us. Its architecture seemed
otherworldly, reminiscent of a scene from a science fiction film. The structure
featured several balconies, and the windows were tinted. "Melanie, what's
the real reason we're here?" I questioned her. "I'm on a quest for
something,” she paused and added, “I figured you'd be thrilled to join me.”
Meanwhile, a nagging worry lingered in my mind that Mr. Smith
could find out about our little escapade, and anxiety started to set in. As we
made our way down a faintly marked trail, Melanie activated her
scanner, which led her forward. Suddenly, a clicking noise echoed behind us,
and I turned to see a massive insect that looked like a bizarre hybrid
of a praying mantis or something else, staring at us. Stunned,
I stumbled back, unable to move. "Melanie!" I yelled, and she quickly grabbed her
pistol, firing at the creature, it collapsed. My heart raced.
"I really don't think bug spray would have done the
trick," I thought, exhaling in relief.
"Looks like I need
to teach you how to handle a weapon," she said, pausing for a moment,
"Or maybe Mr. Smith should teach you."
She rolled her eyes, adding, "You can't always be a damsel in distress." I nodded in agreement, and we pressed on with our mission. I paused to grab my water bottle while Melanie pulled out a canteen from her bag. We took a rest for a minute or two, then we walked onward.
“We’re getting close to the building now so, take my hand, Birdie." In no time, we were inside, much to my dismay. I can't shake off my negative feelings about this journey; it feels risky and uncertain. I have the phone Mr. Smith gave me, and if necessary, I’ll reach out to him, but I know there will be consequences for being here with her. My eyes flicked nervously from side to side as we cautiously navigated the hallway. Suddenly, we caught sight of an alien that looked like a Grey, but it was taller— perhaps around five foot ten. I let out a quiet gasp, “Melanie, look,” and I pointed. We quickly ducked behind a corner, managing to avoid detection as the alien walked by, seemingly preoccupied with a device in hand, speaking into. Once he was gone, we reached the room, and we came across a locked door.
“What should we do now?” I asked. Melanie retrieved a scanner like the one Mr. Smith possesses and then she positioned it near the lock, allowing the device to search for the code to open the door. The door clicked and slid open at last. We stepped inside, and the dim room lit up, showcasing various artifacts, each protected by a forcefield. Melanie had her sights set on one specific item: a medium-sized red crystal.
As we got closer, I couldn't help but be captivated by its beauty. "Is this the one you're after?" I asked her. "Absolutely," she replied. "Just give me a moment to remove the forcefield, and then we can have a closer look." She pulled out another gadget and switched off the forcefield. "You need to pay attention," she said, with urgency in her voice. “The moment I remove the crystal, the alarm will sound, and we must act quickly, or we'll be trapped inside the building.”
I stared at her in shock and exclaimed, “Wait, what!” Instantly, as the shield dropped, and she raised the crystal, the alarms erupted. Melanie quickly snatched it and shoved it into a durable black storage bag, that she had pulled from her messenger bag and then tossed it back inside. Without wasting a moment, she took my hand, and we bolted out of the room, only to find ourselves face-to-face with two Greys.
Melanie fired her pistol, managing to stun one of them, but the other was hot on our heels as we sprinted down the corridor. “Jack, locate our quantum time manipulators and guide us out of here, like, right now!” she yelled. Just as Jack activated the transport, we vanished just in time. The building-initiated lockdown procedures. If he had hesitated for even a minute longer, we would have been stuck inside, and who knows what kind of trouble we could have found ourselves in. “I don’t think we should’ve done that,” I mentioned with a worried look on my face as we trekked back to the ship. I asked her, “I thought the quantum time manipulators would transport us into the ship?” She did not respond. We were close enough to spot the ship in the distance. I spotted Jack dashing down the ramp, quickly making his way toward us. Melanie turned her head and caught sight of the Greys materializing just a few feet away. We dashed toward the ship while Jack drew their attention by shooting at them. As we raced forward, I felt a sharp pain as something struck me, causing me to fall. With a swift tug, Melanie yanked me up by the arm, her fingers dancing over the controls of the quantum time manipulator, and in an instant, we found ourselves aboard the ship. Jack sprinted back to the ship and wasted no time, inputting coordinates and steering us back to Earth. As we touched down in a deserted lot, he activated the cloaking mechanism, but I remained paralyzed, I softly said, “help me.” There was something wrong with my body, I couldn’t move. Melanie looked at me with concern, assuring me, "Trust me, I’ll make this right,” she said with urgency in her voice. I was taken aback when she unexpectedly reached for my phone and called Mr. Smith. His voice boomed through the receiver, filled with anger. "Don't waste your breath telling me your location, I can track you down," he snapped. Melanie sighed heavily. Her frustration evident, "Birdie, I’m truly sorry," she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
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