(This is an excerpt from Chapter 12: Traveling with Melanie)
It was September, and I was sitting in my room, completely absorbed
in my laptop and the class assignments I had to finish. Out of nowhere, a
portal popped up right where the monolith usually sits, catching me completely
off guard. To my astonishment, Melanie stepped out of it. My heart raced, and I
could hardly believe my eyes.
"What are you doing here? My parents are
downstairs, and as for my brother—well, forget him; he’s not around," I
exclaimed, a hint of irritation creeping into my voice as I pondered his
mysterious whereabouts. It was puzzling how he had spent nearly the entire
summer out with friends, while I had been preoccupied with Mr. Smith and now
this surprise visit from Melanie. It seems we both have secrets.
“Have you thought about my offer?” I shut my
laptop and pivoted my chair to face her, contemplating the proposal she had
just laid out. With my arms crossed, I responded, “Alright, I’ll join you this
one time, but I can’t shake the feeling that Mr. Smith might catch wind of
this,” casting her a concerned glance. “You
don’t need to fret about that,” she replied with a casual shrug. “Now, come
here, little Bird, and take my hand.” She had a medium brown leather messenger
bag slung across her chest, and from it, she retrieved another quantum time
manipulator.
With a swift motion,
she slapped it onto my wrist and secured it tightly. “So, how does this thing
work?” I asked as I rose to my feet, curiosity piqued.
“You just have to hold my hand while we
travel,” she explained, her tone both reassuring and excited. “And where
exactly are we headed?” I pressed, eager to know what awaits me on this
unexpected journey.
"How about we take a trip to the
1920s?" she suggested, her finger dancing over the button of her quantum
time manipulator. In an instant, we found ourselves standing in a vast,
desolate field.
"What just happened? Where are we?"
I stammered, a wave of nausea washing over me as I fought the urge to be sick.
"Welcome to April 1926," she replied
with a grin. As I looked around, a wave of confusion washed over me; this was
supposed to be my hometown, but it felt completely foreign, stripped of the
familiar homes and buildings that wouldn’t be built for another seventy-five
years.
“So, there’s absolutely nothing—where do we
even go from here?” She pressed another button on the
quantum time manipulator and grabbed my hand, and suddenly we found ourselves
standing right in front of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Once a posh
spot, it fell from grace during the Great Depression and turned into a rundown
hotel notorious for all sorts of shady dealings. The hotel boasts seven hundred
rooms and three hundred and one suites, a massive space that holds a lot of
stories from its colorful past.
“Wow, I can’t believe we’re in the 1920’s,” I
paused and added, “But our clothes?” I asked, looking at my modern attire.
“Yeah, they do stand out,” she said and added, “We will go to the nearest
boutique clothing shop and buy clothes that fit this era. She waved down a
taxi. The man driving the taxi looked at us skeptically. “Take us downtown,”
Melanie said and gave him extra fare.
"How did you
manage to get that cash?" I asked, settling into the seat beside her in
the taxi. With a playful wink, she replied, "Zyrius always said to be
ready for anything," and she squeezed my hand gently.
“I took some of the
money from every era that he had stashed hidden in one of his drawers.”
I glanced over at her
and couldn’t help but think, “Hmm, perhaps that’s why he’s so mad at her,
aside from the fact that she managed to slip away from him.” When the taxi
pulled up in downtown Los Angeles, Melanie and I stepped out and began to
wander the streets in search of a boutique. After a short stroll, we discovered
one that caught our eye and decided to enter. As we walked in, the woman at the
cash register looked us over with a puzzled expression and asked, "Can I
assist you with something?"
“Yes, we need clothes
to wear can we browse to see what there is?” Melanie asked. The woman who was
dressed in 1920’s clothes gave us a nod and smiled.
The boutique seemed
very elegant. I mentioned to Melanie, "Mr. Smith typically keeps clothes
in the monolith, all set for wearing."
Melanie replied with
a hint of sarcasm, "Yes, Zyrius is always ready, isn't he?" Her eye
roll suggested a complicated past between them, possibly one tinged with
resentment. We selected several outfits from the racks and headed to the
dressing room to try them on. Most of the clothes suited me well, and Melanie
looked stunning. “Can we wear what we got on?” She asked the clerk. “Sure, as
long as you pay.” Melanie pulled out money from her messenger bag, it was
1920’s money. The woman’s eyes widened; she is overwhelmed by the amount of
money Melanie is carrying. “Um, I am an explorer;
archeologist, and this is my assistant,” Melanie told the cashier. The woman
breathed a sigh of relief.
“Oh, of course that is why you both were
wearing those other outfits.” She smiled and accepted the money. We walked out
wearing fine 1920’s attire. Melanie waved down a taxi and we went back to the
Cecil Hotel. “We’ll get a room here,” Melanie said. We walked into the
lobby; it was very distinguished and classy. Melanie paid for one guest room;
one bed and we went upstairs. "What are your thoughts on this place?"
she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. I found myself captivated by the
vintage charm that surrounded us, despite everything being brand new.
"This is really impressive," I responded, my voice filled with
enthusiasm. “But in my time, the Cecil Hotel is rather rundown and has a
dark history,” I added. As I approached the ornate mirror, I realized my
hairstyle clashed with the historical ambiance, prompting me to quickly roll my
hair up and secure it with pins to achieve a more fitting look. Turning back to
her, I nodded appreciatively and said, "It's truly lovely. I really enjoy
it." A broad smile spread across my face, and Melanie's eyes lit up with
delight at my reaction. She let out
a playful scoff, her own smile mirroring my excitement. "I think I know
why Zyrius, or rather Mr. Smith, finds you so captivating."
I looked at her and
asked, "Why do you say that?" I sat beside her on the bed.
"It's because you perceive the world with
such innocent and refreshing eyes," she replied, a hint of admiration in
her voice. A gentle smile crept across my face as my brown eyes locked onto
hers, filled with curiosity.
"I hope it's not too forward to ask, but
what happened between you and Mr. Smith? What led you to part ways with him and
how did you acquire the body?" She took a deep breath, her expression
turning serious as her brow furrowed.
"Are you certain you want to hear
this?" I affirmed with a nod. She gulped, “As you already know, I was with
him from the start. When he took on a physical form in the 1500s, his desire
was to find me a vessel of my own. Unlike him, I was not inclined to inhabit a
body, yet he was insistent on the matter. Our journey through the ages brought
us to the late 1800s, where we found ourselves on a sprawling farmland
in the United States, in Montana. Melanie, the person whose body I now share,
used to call that place home. It was in that very spot that we first crossed
paths. At just 23 years old, she was on her way back home from a day in town,
strolling along a dusty road.
She was balancing a canvas bag filled with
groceries, her long blonde hair dancing in the warm summer breeze, while her
ankle-length dress flowed gracefully around her. Her feet were clad in
well-worn black shoes, a testament to her humble lifestyle. The young woman was
minding her own business, probably thinking about her husband or someone that she loves,
then suddenly the monolith appeared a few yards away from her,” Melanie paused
as her mind remembered that faithful day.
“It horrified the
poor woman, the sound that the monolith made was otherworldly; she turned to
run but suddenly Zyrius touched a crystal on the matrix table and the woman
froze, she couldn’t move. Suddenly, she collapsed to the ground, as if an
invisible force was pulling her legs down, making it impossible for her to stay
upright. On our previous journey to Tarislee, Zyrius had completely transformed
his appearance; he wasn't in those old 1500s clothes anymore. He picked out a
whole new wardrobe, got rid of his beard, and even had a fresh haircut. The
change was striking; he looked nothing like the disheveled peasant he used to
be.”
“I imagined he had treated himself at the day
spa, where he was groomed and pampered,” I said. Melanie gave me a nod, “You’re
right,” she said and
continued her story,
“He emerged from the monolith and approached the terrified woman. Tears
streamed down her cheeks; she pleaded for mercy.
“Hello, I’m Mr.
Smith,” he said, pausing to kneel beside her. “Are you interested in joining me
on an adventure through time and space?” His gaze lingered on her, thoughtfully
assessing her, while his fingers gently caressed her flowing, curly locks.
I was observing from
within the monolith on the screen, noting how his eyes glowed with a predatory
allure, suggesting a desire that was far from innocent. Paralyzed with fear,
she could only stare at him in
confusion, yet her
hands remained free to resist as Zyrius seized her by the hair, forcefully
pulling her into the depths of the monolith,” Melanie recounted. Thinking about
what Mr. Smith told the woman before he took her, I remember that he had said
the same thing to me when we first met. It makes me wonder, if I had turned him
down and not gone with him, would he have taken me anyway? Melanie released a
deep, weary sigh, and an uncomfortable silence enveloped us. The cheerful sounds
of a party floated up from the room next to the lobby. I think in later years,
they ended up getting rid of that party room. I’m not sure if it was a private
event going on downstairs, but I had a feeling Melanie would be interested in
joining the fun. To fill the void, I asked, "What happened after he took
her inside?" She let out another heavy sigh before replying, "After
he brought her inside, the AI recommended that he examine her body. He gently stroked
the woman’s cheek, then hoisted her over his shoulder, carrying her into his
room while she screamed in protest. The AI revealed the horrifying details of
his actions to me by showing me on the holographic screen," she paused,
taking a
moment to collect
herself, a pained expression crossing her features, a blend of grief and
distress. "He raped that poor woman." My jaw dropped in disbelief; I
was stunned that he could commit such an atrocity. “After he was done with her,
he turned to the screen on the wall and asked me, "So, what do you think,
Ona? She has a body that’s just perfect," he said, his eyes glued to
her while a chilling smirk
played on his lips. “Ona,
come to my room,” he demanded. I found myself standing in his room, revealing
my true form to the poor woman. He forced the woman to look upon me,"
Melanie hesitated, shifting uneasily on
the bed. A knot formed in my throat as I asked, "What happened?" I
took her hand in mine. Deep down, I was reluctant to hear her response, leaving
the air thick with unspoken tension. “The moment her eyes fell upon my true
form, she was struck blind, a piercing scream escaped her lips. The AI embedded
within the monolith revealed to Zyrius the course of action he needed to take,
and I doubt I need to elaborate further; the outcome is already clear to you.”
An uneasy quietness enveloped us, and I could sense the discomfort she felt as
the memories of that incident resurfaced.
“The experience of
merging into her body was excruciating, a sensation that pierced through me
like a thousand needles. Though her physical form lay lifeless, I could feel a
surge of my own energy intertwining into her body, as if I were trying to
breathe life back into a shell that had long since departed. The struggle was
palpable, a haunting reminder of the thin
veil between existence and oblivion, as I fought to connect with something that
was no longer there yet still resonated within the depths of my being.”
I
interrupted, “I hate to bring this up, but when you took her body, did you find
it difficult to adapt?" Melanie let out a soft scoff, a subtle smile
gracing her lips. "It was tough, but Zyrius was there to help; he had more
experience in his body," she said, her eyes wandering as she reminisced
about their cherished moments together.
“How did you manage to restore the woman’s
sight?” I asked her.
“The AI handled that in the infirmary,” she
replied. A sigh escaped me, a blend of understanding and frustration rising
within. "Ah, I understand," I said quietly. “Zyrius confided in me
that he prefers to identify as male, even though my species doesn’t have a
specific gender. In our culture, when two people marry, they merge their
essences to create a new life, a tradition deeply embedded in our customs. However,
as I journeyed alongside him, I found immense pleasure in the new forms we took
on together. The myriads of sensations that accompanied these bodies were
utterly captivating, almost addictive. Having sex was interesting.” I listened
to her with rapt attention, contemplating her words.
“That make sense.
When Mr. Smith and I share those intimate
moments, it feels as if he’s attempting to completely envelop me, almost
like he wants to pull me into his very being.” I mused thoughtfully.
She continued, “The
desire to return home lingered in the back of my mind, yet as I spent more
moments with him, delving into the mysteries of space and time, I found myself
embracing this new way of life. The thrill of adventure ignited a yearning for
independence within me. It was during one of our excursions to a clandestine
black market nestled within our star system,
I made a pivotal decision; I acquired a quantum time manipulator, a
device that came in handy when it was time for me to escape. Earth was the
ideal place for me to hide out and quantum jump. Zyrius can be very forceful
and possessive,” she paused and added, “I believe you know what I mean.”
I nodded and then asked, “So, you never told
me how you knew about my unfortunate luck on that planet I visited with Mr.
Smith?” She hesitated then revealed, “Zyrius managed to locate me and pulled a
fast one on me while I was off on another planet hunting for treasures,” she
explained, letting out a deep sigh. "He’s got this ability to track me
using the AI. When I was with him in that monolith, the AI slipped a tracker
into me," she said, tapping her head to show where the implant is located.
“What Zyrius didn’t know was that I wasn’t alone. I met a man named Jack from
the year, 2315 and I explained everything to him about my conundrum.” She let
out a soft smile. “When Zyrius caught me, and took me onboard the monolith, I
realized I was trapped by a set of restraint rings that dance around me like hula
hoops, making it impossible to get away. To make matters worse, if I
tried to escape, I risked a painful electric shock. Meanwhile, Jack, equipped
with a quantum time manipulator, same as mine, managed to activate his
device just in time, allowing him to slip into the monolith before it vanished
from the area. I shouted to Jack to take one of the crystals from the matrix
table and throw it. As he did, the rings descended, and in that moment,
Jack seized my hand, allowing us to be transported from the monolith directly
into his ship. That’s how I escaped, but just before Jack came to my aid,
Zyrius shared the story of your ordeal on that
planet.”
“What did he say? I asked
her.
“Well, I asked him
about you, and how you were doing. He mentioned that you were okay, but you
both had an encounter with a bounty hunter. When he asked why I was interested,
I explained that I had heard about a bounty hunter who nearly
caught him but ended up meeting a fatal end.”
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