(21) Death at the Capital

The hours flew by faster than the insane speed of John's bike. Soon, three more days had passed us by as unremarkably as the foiliage, except it meant that the food supply at the capital was dwindling quickly. We never spoke of the mission or the plan of attack. When I had broached the subject, John had been unwilling to talk about it so I didn't push the issue. Mostly it felt as though he was savoring each moment with me. Unwilling to allow a moment to slip by without taking full advantage of it. We learned so much about each other in those few hours when our feet were on the ground between bike rides and much needed sleep.

Dawn of the fourth day, there was a change in John's expression. There was a hard line in place of his mouth and two ice chips where his eyes used to be. I felt his body stiffen as I held it in my arms on the bike. I knew--I could read him well at this point--that something was wrong, and I could infer that we must be nearing the capital. The high speed slowed and soon we reached a halt right behind a large tree. He parked it and dismounted before turning to face me. His eyes were hard and he looked at me with a calculating expression.

"I probably shouldn't have brought you along. This will be dangerous, and it was selfish of me to bring you out here so unprotected. But I need you, and more than that, more than needing help, I wanted to be with you. I can't stand it when we are apart."  

He needed me here. More that that, he wants to spend time with me. Little old nobody me. He made me feel special. I wanted to do my best to prove to him that i could be useful. He looked at me and pulled out a holographic map, with the touch of a button, a schematic of the capital popped up including the best intel on the Beasts' army.

"The bike can get us within 5 miles of the city, then it's foot work. We should reach the city by nightfall. Then, we just have to find a way through the army, over the 20' wall which the Beasts will be guarding, through the barricades and find our way through this maze of fallen debris to the capital and not die."

I blinked, "Sounds like a plan." I said, with a slight smile. John was a "think on your feet kind of guy"I respected his ability to do that, I was a planner, but he was the professional at this. I would defer to his plans or lack thereof.

We rode in just like he said, by nightfall, the outer camp of the Beasts was in sight. John backed up against a tree with his ray gun held up to his face at a vertical angle. He looked like a rouge hero. I liked that. We peaked around the tree and saw the eerie orange glow of the camp. I really hate orange. I looked up at the treetops and saw that they went right up to the wall. An idea took shape in my mind. I looked at John and relayed my thoughts. A devious smile broke his face and he said in a hushed tone,

"I knew I wouldn't regret bringing you along."
I scaled the tree and John followed me. When we reached the top John wrapped his arms around my waist and we leapt into the air, my ability to fly kept us in the air at that height long enough to get to the next tree. Silently we tree-hopped to the wall. As we floated down on the inside of the wall we kept our eyes open and sharp for any beast activity.

When our feet hit the ground our noses were overwhelmed with the rank smell of death and decomposing bodies.
A large mound of them rose up before us.
I buried my face in John's shoulder as memories of the tomb assaulted me.

(20) Breakfast at Dinnertime

The bike whooshed through the woods. John was skilled at avoiding every little tree and branch, even at such high velocities. As we were nearing a lake he punched a large button in the center of the handle bars and the wheels abruptly left the ground and we began to hoover over the ground just moments before it became water. Then John turned to the right and started going north, into the rising sun. I held onto John tightly. I never wanted to let him go. When mid-day hit, John slowed his bike and landed it on the soft turf. The sun was blazing so John found some shade under a large tree. I was so tired. I hadn't had a proper night's sleep in days and my body was protesting. I eased myself stiffly off the bike and lay down on the springy grass. I was asleep before John had dismounted his bike.
I didn't know how long I slept, but I awoke to a hand on my face, gently moving my hair aside and stroking my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw John's face looking down on me with an apologetic smile.
"Hey sweetheart", he said in a soft voice, "We have to get going; I'm so sorry to wake you."
I smiled at him and nodded as I slowly sat up. He helped me. His help was unnecessary, but I loved it when he touched me so I let him support me as I got to my feet. It was evening, just before twilight. My stomach grumbled loudly causing John to laugh. This sound was the most beautiful sound in the world, apart from his voice saying my name. He rifled through the rations and pulled the tab on a smallish one. Breakfast for two sprang into existence. We each grabbed a plate loaded with an omlet, bacon, sausage links, and pineberry fruit.
"So", I said slyly between bites. "All the ladies love the bike? How many ladies have you taken on this thing?"
John looked at me with a coy look on his face and started counting on his fingers and moving his lips as though he was counting outloud, though I couldn't distinguish his words. After a moment of this he looked at me and said, "Only one...you" Then his devastatingly handsome smile broke across his face and I blushed at the honor. When we had eaten our fill we wrapped it back up in the pouch it had sprung from. This shrunk it down to the size of a small orange.
Then John grabbed me and spun me around before placing me on top of his bike. He stepped back and looked at the picture that made with a grin on his face. Then he hopped onto the bike and we rode off into the fading light.

(19) Cherry Red and Turbo-Charged

I nodded. Somehow I knew that John was not going to let his parents die. His lips parted in a grave smile, then he looked down at his bag and tossed it at me. After pulling a matching black leather backpack out of his closet he started filling it with supplies. I looked at my empty satchel and wondered what on Terrafima I should pack. All my things had been back at the other base. I didn't even have a spare tunic or a cloak to keep me warm on the cold nights. John looked up when he had finished filling his pack with a few items of clothing, a communicator, and a couple of spare ray guns, and charge packs. He pulled his long blue coat on and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked a me. Then he took my hand and led me into the room where I had burned the dress. It's smouldering remains were lying there in the floor. John made his way to a crate and, after looking around for a moment, he pulled a large black cloak out. It was embroidered around the hem and collar like my tunic. I donned the cloak as he lead me down the winding passage ways to the armory. He pulled out his key card and scanned in. We were approved by the machine and allowed to enter.
The walls and floor were covered in the largest variety of weapons I had ever seen in my life. In a straw-filled crate John removed a belt of small explosives. These charges were only about the size of a walnut, but their blast would destroy a ten foot wall made of two feet of solid stone. Another communicator was found and placed in my hand. The small device fitted in my ear and enabled me to speak to anyone on my frequency. The small controller that came with it fit safely in a pocket in my bag. John pulled out a large gun, nearly as tall as me, and to my surprise, he set it aside to get at some rope and grappling hook shooters. He turned to me and said,

"We need to travel lightly and quickly, don't grab anything you can't use or run with." This made sense. We were a rescue mission after all. Two people confronting the army of the Beasts head on was suicide and didn't do anyone any good, except the Beasts. John led me to the kitchen where we grabbed ration packs for the journey.

Fully geared up for the rescue mission, John took me to the vehicle shed. The metal structure was full of everything from missiles to scooters. We ducked behind a large 5-wheeler as John devised a way to get around the guard. He seemed too immovable and alert to sneak past. Then an idea hit me. John handed me his backpack and pointed out his sleek and somewhat sexy land/air ship. I made my way over to the convertible which could roll on two wheels like a vintage earth motorcycle, or whose wheels could turn horizontal and cause the contraption to hoover a few feet above the ground. I snuck past the guard as John started chatting with him.

"Hey Claude, how's the shift going? I haven't seen you much since your reassignment. I heard you're going to make Alyssia very happy. You sly dog! Yeah, the news of your engagement spread like gossip in a small town." Claude mumbled something about being on-duty, but he was not a very bold man. As I crept back to the door we had come through I saw John clap Claude on the shoulder and say, "Oh, there's nothing happening right now! I don't even think the Beasts are awake outside this base. Their sleeping...or dead." A dark chuckle ripped through John's throat as he said that. A weaker one escape Claude's lips. "Oh", said John, "I'm taking my lady out for a ride on my bike over there. We'll just take a turn around the base. All the ladies love the bike." He drawled. I could almost hear him wink. Rolling my eyes I came around the corner of a large truck so that it looked like I had just come through the door. Claude looked at me with wide blue eyes. His mop of blonde hair and round face made him look like a child. How was he old enough to be engaged? Much less in the military? I flashed my best attempt at a dazzling smile and wrapped my arm around John's muscular one. He looked down on me with a twinkle in his eye and said,

"Hey baby, you ready to go on a "magic carpet ride"? He winked at me and I giggled at the old Disney movie reference. Thousands of years after the film had been made, it was still preserved and watched by each generation. He quickly stepped around Claude, pulling me along. Claude opened his mouth to object but John turned his head and cut him off saying, "Just a quick trip Claude, ol' buddy. Please don't tell the big boys? I just want a bit of freedom from this cursed metal prison." I turned and looked at Claude with my best pouty face. I saw Claude swallow and nod carefully before turning his back on us.

John hopped on the back of the cherry-red "bike" that was clearly his baby and fired her up. I ran over the the large metal door and swiped his key card through it so that the door raised up about 6 feet off the ground. John nudged his bike along till he was out of the hanger. I closed the door and slipped under it and into the moonlight. It must be nearing dawn, for light was just starting to appear over the northern horizon through the trees. I sighed in the cool air before I was suddenly pulled up onto the bike by John. He had pulled me into his lap and there was a sly smile on his face.

"Good job Elaine." He whispered in my ear. He smelled so good when he was this close. Like mountains and sunshine with just a hint of leather. It was a very manly smell. He kissed my forehead and then lifted me up to place behind him on the bike. I hugged his waist and leaned my head against his back. "Hold on" he called with a laugh in his voice as he kick-started the bike into 18th gear and started the hydrolic turbo thrusters. He turned the bike sharply and we sped off to the west, the wind blowing my hair behind me in a mass of red.

(18) The Message

The capital had been attacked? I thought incredulously. That is where the governors live: John's parents. I looked up at his hardened face and squeezed his hand comfortingly. He didn't look down. He didn't react. He stared at the soldier and gave a curt nod before leaving the storage room with me in tow. After passing through a series of winding tunnels lit only by green, electromagnetic pulsing lights we reached the "war room" as it were. The officers were gathered around a table fitted with a holographic map. They all looked quite intimidating standing around the table which cast a blue light up at them. A general with a large, bushy grey mustache looked at me with a furrowed brow. His eyes flicked up to John's. A short nod of the general's head told me that John's powerful position made it okay for him to bring me here without much of a power struggle. John brought me right up to the table and drew up a chair for me beside his, but he didn't sit down.

"What happened?" He demanded in a tone I was unaccustomed to. I had never been privy to see him working as a leader in the rebel forces. He was so...cold and professional. The John I knew was playful and warm. John looked down at the hologram and saw that a small blue light was blinking in front of him. He stretched out a firm hand and, after a moment's hesitation, he drew up a holographic projection of his father, Governor Richardson. I looked at the image in great anxiety as the video playback of the Governor revealed that the city had been taken except for the capital building, but they only had enough supplies to stay alive for a week with the few refugees who had escaped the annihilation of the city.

John's features were hard as stone through the whole recording. When it ended, the image of his father collapsed back into the table. John looked up at the officers in the room and asked, "What should our response be?" I was puzzled, it seemed that getting to help those trapped in the capitol building should be the response. I held my tongue. I was allowed in here to be near John, that was my only capacity. I was not a military general. I was merely the orphaned daughter of two rebel spies. My parents ran covert operations within the government and protected the governor and the cabinet till they were killed in action at the start of this bloody war. That was where I first met John. We had played together as kids, I had been sent away to school, and when I came back to work as a secretary one holiday John and I had reconnected and fallen in love. My parents had always approved of John and were pleased to see us together. He was there for me when they died and he's been there for me ever since.

The general with the grey mustache spoke up after an uncomfortable silence. "The capital is as good as lost. There is no way we can mobilize a force large enough to break the Beasts' perimeter before the survivors die."

I let out a small gasp that was ignored. That man had just condemned John's parents and the rest of the people in the capital to death. I looked at John's face, tears welling up in my eyes and was shocked. "You're right." John said, with no hint of emotion in his voice. "But let's not tell them that. They don't need to know they are condemned. Let them hope. It will be all they have, in the end."

The officers were grave. Their faces betrayed some hints of pity on John. I was angry, I wanted to scream at the men. How could they be so heartless! I would have spoken my mind, but for the fact that John had agreed with them. If he was on their side, who was I to speak against them?

John's voice broke the silence. "Do you need anything else from me? I've given you my most recent attack plan and the new intel we've gathered on the Beasts' movements." The men all shook their heads and John bowed slightly before taking my hand and leading me out of the room. John led me through more winding tunnels until we reached a locked door. John took a small, brass key out of his pocket and let us into the room. It was his quarters. He sat my down in his chair and locked the door. I stood up and wrapped him in my arms.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered with a tremble in my voice. John held me tightly and I felt his lips bury through my hair and find my neck. He kissed it and after a long moment he pulled out of my curly locks and looked in my eyes. He gave me an odd smile, then he went over to his closet and pulled out a black, leather bag with a long strap meant to go across one's body. He turned back to me and said,

"I'm not going to let anything happen to my parents. I'm going to rescue them, and I need your help."

(17) A Gun

John pulled me through a hidden door and into a small storage room. He lit a lamp and looked at me. I was shaking on the ground, holding the weapon with which I had taken a life. John looked at me closely, he pulled at my hair, rubbing it’s blonde strands between his fingers.

“What happened to you?” He asked. Tears welled up in my eyes and poured down my face. I could not speak. John looked at me with great concern and took the ray gun gently from my shaking hand. He stowed it in its holder and stood up, casting his eyes around. He found a trunk and dug through it until he found a leaf green tunic with draped sleeves that hung down, rippling to one’s elbows. The ornate gold encircling designs on the wide neck tunic were quite pretty. A matching black belt, black boots and bronze-colored tights were found. John presented these to me and left the room. I ripped the orange monstrosity off my body and dressed in the soft, cotton clothes John had selected for me. But, as I looked in a tarnished silver plate at my reflection, I sighed over my hair. I missed my old tresses. I pulled the glass top off the lamp and used the flame to set fire to that horrible orange dress. A soft knock came at the door.

“Come in.” I said in a small voice. John poked his head in through the door, he was carrying a tray full of breads and cold meats and some odd herbs. He looked at the burning dress, but didn’t say anything. I took a piece of bread from the tray, tore off bit-sized chunks, and popped them into my mouth. As I chewed John began mixing herbs together and grinding them with a mortar and pedestal. I was silent, and so was he. After he finished with the concoction, he took the dark red powder and dumped it on my head. With a large pouf sound I felt my hair spring back into it’s normal curly state. I snatched at a curl and saw that it was its normal fiery red. John was watching me. I looked up into his kind eyes and threw my arms around him. He held me close with arms that comforted, not restricted. I was safe again. We pulled apart after a long moment.

He placed his hand on my cheek and said, “Oh my dear Elaine. I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”

I was confused. “What are you apologizing for?” I asked incredulously.

“For dropping you into that cursed pool!” He cried.

“That was not your fault!” I protested. “I will not forgive you for a crime that you did not commit. But how did you find me?”

John looked at me and said, “I ran off because I heard the beasts near the clearing. I was lucky you stayed there at the pool because they saw you and realized what had happened. They must be in contact with that world because they knew what it was called. One of the leaders mentioned the name of the planet and galaxy so I was able to get a fix. I was fortunate that I landed right where you were. It took me a while to get a hold of a pair of teleport devices, but it looked like I was not a moment too late. Were you…it doesn’t matter.” He mumbled the last part.

I looked puzzled at him, “Was I what…?”

He looked at me and then cast his eyes down as he said, “Were you getting married?”

I looked at him and carefully chose my words. “Yes, I was being forced to marry a man who looked like you, but was not like you at all. I don’t know how he was able to know me and look like you, but it must have been to get at me. Can I have a ray gun?” The sudden question startled him. “I would have been forced to live as his wife if you hadn’t shown up when you did, I don’t mean that I doubt your ability to protect me, I just think that I have such a great propensity for getting into these scrapes that I want a way to defend myself.”

John studied me for a long moment then asked. “What did you mean when you shouted at that King about a kiss?”

I sighed. “He…”, I looked at my hands, “I was forced to kiss him. He kissed me but I didn’t kiss him back.” I glance up at John, his face was one of barely contained rage.

“That son of a….” he looked at me and stopped short. He got up and paced about stopping suddenly and spitting, “I swear Elaine, if you hadn’t shot him already I would go back there and finish the job myself!”

“So can I have a ray gun? I asked.

“Yes! Though I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight for as long as I live, I’ll give you one.” He opened another crate and found a ray gun identical to his and fitted a leather holster on my belt. A knock came on the door. John called them in, holding tightly to my hand as though to make good on his promise to keep me with him at all times.

A soldier’s head stretched around the door and said, “John, we need you, there’s been another attack. It’s the capitol.”

John’s face hardened and he squeezed my hand tighter.

(16) An Unexpected Wedding

The crowd cheered at the prospect of the sudden ceremony and formed two groups leaving an aisle between them. I was given an orange veil and a matching bouquet as my groom jogged to the end of the makeshift aisle. The music played what must have been a wedding march. I was forced to walk, slowly passing row after row of people. Each step was closer to my death than before. I was still five rows away when a loud sound of particles materializing distracted everyone’s attention. All eyes turned and looked behind me, my controller must have been taken by surprise because I was able to move on my own. I turned around slowly and ripped the veil out of my eyes.

“John!” I cried with my high, breathless voice. It was my John. Flying cool blue coat and all. He looked a little lost and started when I called his name. But as he looked at me he reached up and rubbed his earring.

“Elaine!!” he called. He sprinted to my side pulling me into his arms.

“Put me down!” I called in a panic. My controller was gaining her wits and forced my hands to grab John’s neck in a vice grip. The surprise on his eyes was like a knife in my heart. I was going to strangle him in a matter of moments. No, I loved him too much. I focused my thoughts on doing the one thing she didn’t have control of, flying. My body rose in the air, but I could not pull John up with me so my hands let go. 

“Her box John!’ I called as I floated in the air. He looked where I pointed. His ray gun flipped out of its holster quick as a flash and blasted a hole in the device. I was free. My corset released and my dress split both side seams. The shoes were the first thing I cast down on the fleeing crowd. I threw the gloves down too and landed beside John. He grabbed me and held me close. 

“NOOO!!” cried the imposter King as John strapped a teleport device on my wrist. He lunged at John in a rage. As John was programing my teleporter I grabbed his ray gun from his holster and shot the King in the heart. 

“That’s for stealing my first kiss!” I screamed, my freedom was giving me vent to my rage at being imprisoned. John looked at me stunned then pressed the buttons that sent our particles flying through time and space. We landed on Terrafima. The ground had never seemed so sweet as I collapsed on it. We were just outside one of the human bases. We were safe.

(15) Controlled

A knock came at the door. John burst through without waiting for me to answer and clutched at the doorframe as he stared at me. “You look gorgeous!” He said, my controller moved me over to him with a little skip and a twirl bringing my hand up to his face and rumpling his blonde locks. He grabbed my hand and kissed it with a smirk on his face. I saw his eyes flit for a moment to the woman in the corner of the room and wink at her before turning to me again. I was forced to twirl in a slow circle for the King, who was wearing blue outfit that looked very heavy with all the gold that encrusted it. He took my arm and led me out of the room and down the hallways. I was a prisoner in my own body, and I was too out of breath even to speak. Each breath was a painful affair as my body protested to being mangled in this way, I was afraid that my ribs were cracking under the extreme pressure. As we came through the 11 foot high, gilded double doors I was met with an incredible and terrifying sight. I was at the court, and it looked like a large party. The women were all moving around the room in large gowns making them look as colorful and bright as wrapped candies, the men twirled the women around or stood by the punch table drinking a green liquid that smoked faintly. As we descended the stairs the woman came up behind me and whispered in my ear with a venomous voice,

“If you don’t smile and appear to be madly in love with the King I will make you do things that you would shudder to even think about doing. And the next time you will be fitted with something that will give me ultimate control over you.”

I froze, the King John turned and smiled encouragingly at me, but I was paralyzed with fear. He leaned in close and pinched my backside sharply with a laugh. This unexpected action kick started my senses again.

I slapped him right across the face.

The sound echoed throughout the hall and hundreds of eyes looked up at me.

Dead silence.

I looked aghast as the King John’s eyes glowered at me. My body moved to the King, my arms wrapped around him, and my neck stretched up to his shocked face. I tried to resist, but I was unable to. The King looked at my controller and a fire lit in his eyes. His lips crushed against mine, hungry and violent. My hands wound their way through his hair and pulled him closer to myself. My mind was screaming. I wanted out. I was barely able to breath. His arms were tight as iron and kept me crushed up against him. The people in the hall burst into cheers and applause. When we pulled away, I thought I was going to pass out from the prolonged lack of oxygen. Black spots burst before my eyes and I gasped for air, my face flushed with red blood. The King lifted his hand in the air and said, a little breathless himself,

“My fiancé is a little too anxious for the honeymoon.” Laughter rippled through the room. “We shall have to content ourselves with a kiss and a night of drinking and dancing!” The crowd cheered and an upbeat song played throughout the room.  The King pulled me on the dance floor and began to twirl me through a series of complicated steps including a lot of dips and lifts of my body into the air. I kept a smile on my face to avoid any other kisses, but I wondered what would happen if my smile faltered a little. I was too scared to try. I felt dead inside. When I was given a break from dancing to eat some food I saw that my controller was being distracted by a strapping man. I took my chance, grabbed a knife and turned to plunge it into the heart of John, but I was halted. The knife was turned and suddenly pointed at my chest by my own hand. The King John looked at me and at the other woman. He laughed with a slightly nervous laugh and announced,

“My bride to be feels that she would rather die than remain unmarried to me another moment. How do you all feel about having the wedding right now?”

(14) An Excess of Orange

The walls were stuffed full of sumptuous gowns, the bright colors reminded me of wrapped sweets in a shop. I looked down at my stained tunic in it’s dull forest green and felt simultaneous excitement at trying on the gowns and apprehension about fitting in with this land full of its tall, slender, blonde women. I was short and my face had been gaunt from stress, but I was nonetheless more curvy than the women I had seen thus far. I pulled a bright green dress out and the servant lady made a small cough noise. I turned to her and she looked up saying,

“If it pleases you madam, the King favors orange.” Then she bowed her head and fell silent, her message delivered. She must have been referring to John. I looked around the closet, picking at the bright dresses until I found one that was entirely orange. But it looked too small for me. I had more stomach than this dress was made for. When I heard a rustle behind me I saw the servant holding up a strange device that looked like a corset of old with new nobs and buttons attached. She held her hand out for the orange dress and took it and the corset into the bedroom. I started pulling my clothes off and I tucked them under the bed in case she wanted to dispose of them. She fitted the corset around me, pulling the strings in quick motions that caused me to gasp. Then she started pushing buttons and turning nobs on the small box attached to it. The sound of a small airlock whooshed and I felt my waist shrink impossibly small. Something inside of me seemed to shrink as well. I opened my mouth but was unable to speak because of how tight my midsection was being squeezed. She unhooked the control box and I heard a lock click, letting me know that I was going to be unable to get out of this corset. I was only able to move around the room very slowly. I looked in the long oval mirror and saw that I cut quite a figure before my vision was overtaken with layers of orange fabric as the dress was thrown over my head. The dress looked stunning on me, but it clashed violently with my red hair. The full skirt puffed out at my hip and flowed several feet behind me, it was a rich taffeta fabric with large puffed sleeves that ended at my elbows and dripped in a long point to the ground. My bare neck was fitted with a large jeweled necklace and my hair was grabbed with the hands of the woman. My mobility was severely restricted so I was unable to do anything but try to reason with her verbally. My voice was high, as though I had jumped several octaves up. 

“Please”, I said breathlessly, “don’t touch my hair.” She didn’t listen to me, but grabbed a brush and started pulling it through my hair with quick, jerking motions. Tears of pain and sorrow dripped down my face as I sat helplessly. After two hours of this a great amount of hair was on the floor at my feet, having been rent most unkindly from my aching scalp. My hair was frizzy to the extreme, but mostly straight now. She took a large vat of a hot blue liquid and jerking my head back, poured it all down my hair. When I was allowed to sit back up I saw in the mirror that my hair was now waist-length, silvery blonde, and stick straight. She then started pulling it up and piling it onto my head. She stuck it full of orange feathers and jewels. Thick make up was caked on my face and my lips were painted orange. A pair of orange gloves and shoes completed the outfit. The shoes had a platform on their base that was 3 inches high, which just helped the 8 inch stiletto heals bring me up to her height. I tried to take a step forward, but I wobbled and collapsed in a chair, breathless sobs threatening to make me pass out. The woman then pushed a few buttons on that small control box and my feet worked of their own accord. I stood up and pranced around the room as though I were a ballerina. My hands and arms moved with a motion that seemed like a professional dancer. I was being controlled. This woman had fitted me with clothes that contained some controlling devices.

(13) The Palace

How had John found me? He looked odd. His hair was blonde instead of black. His features were all there but the expression they made was foreign to me. There was a haughty look in his eyes that I had never seen before. I was going to spring out of the water at him, but then I realized that I was in my underwear. I sank lower into the water and pulled my long, waist length hair around me to cover myself. He laughed an unusually cold laugh. I wondered how long he had been standing there. I was so embarrassed and cursed my own carelessness, but wait. Why was he watching me? Didn’t he have more honor than that?

“Turn around” I called with an angry tone in my voice. He looked at me incredulously and said,

“Why would I do that?” His leering expression appalled me and I felt sick. Could this be the John I knew? When I saw that he had no intention of looking away I swam to the edge of the water where my clothes were and pulled them into the water. He shook his head, laughing that cold laugh as I struggled to dress under the water. When I had managed it I stood up snatched my boots off the grass and marched away from John, angry tears streaming hotly down my face. He caught up with me in a moment and grabbed my arm.

“Where do you think you are going, I’ve spent years looking for you.” I looked into this now-blonde John’s face and thought about what he had said.

“What do you mean, years?” I asked slowly. He looked at me with a smirk and said,

“I’ve jumped through time and space looking for you, I found this planet, but I was 10 years too early. I’ve made a home here while I waited for you to arrive. I still love you and I’m dying to get married to you.” He knelt down on one knee and offered me a ring with a diamond the size of a large pea. I was flabbergasted. I knew I had wanted to marry John, but this John was different. What had happened to the John I knew?

“I…I need some time before I give you an answer.” I stammered. “I need to adjust to my new surroundings.” John rolled his eyes and snapped the ring box shut. He took my arm and led me firmly over to the hilltop where the waterfall fell from. He gestured grandly to the palace in the distance,

“This is my kingdom Elaine, you should think about what you will miss out on if you refuse me. I’ll give you till sundown tomorrow to give me an answer.” I looked at him with wonder at what could have turned him this way. He dragged me over to his large white, winged horse and placed me upon her back before climbing up himself and sending her into the air.I hugged his waist from behind and leaned my head on his back. He seemed to like this. His pegasus flew to the orange palace and landed on a large spire with a circular top. John dismounted and pulled me off. He held out his arm to me, I took it. There was no spark when we touched, no magical moment. Perhaps it would take time for me to understand this new John. Maybe I would learn to love him too. I walked with him, still damp, past servant after servant who stared at me, some dropped what they were holding. I wondered what made me so odd, before I realized that all these people had straight blonde hair and bright orange lips. Their garments were long and flowing layers of thin materials. We reached a door that John opened for me. I stepped inside and found a gorgeous room of blue...everything. A blue floor, blue walls, a blue crystal chandelier, blue tables, blue soft chairs, and a large blue canopy bed with blue sheer drapes. I turned to face him and saw him looking at me with a calculated look on his face. He took my hand and kissed it. I blushed a bit. 
“I’m sorry for my rudeness, he said, “I have been under a lot of pain without you here. I’m afraid that my hunger for you has made me temporarily forget myself. I shall leave you to get changed and freshen up. I shall return in a few hours to present you to the court.” Then he winked at me, turned on his heal, and was out the door. I stood there for a moment before I heard a rustling sound behind me. I spun around and saw a woman were standing there, in a white dress with long, fine flaxen hair. She looked at me and stepped forward to tug on my red curls. I must be an oddity here because of my hair.
“Have you never seen red curls before?” I questioned. The woman shook her head and said in a high voice,
“Everyone here has hair like mine. I shall have to do something about yours.” I clutched at my hair.
“You will not changed my hair, I like it this way!” The woman looked taken aback, as though I was mad. She shook her head and stepped back. Bowing slightly she receded and opened a large closet and stood aside so I could examine it’s contents.

(12) A New World

“John!!” I called out, but it was no use. He was gone. I looked longingly into the pool, tears rolling down my face and sobs wracking my body until I was reminded of the ancient earth tale of Narcissus who stared into a pool so long he was turned into a flower. Granted, he was in love with his own reflection, but I realized that I was no use to John just staring at what I had lost. I had to move on. I stood up straight and pulled away from the glassy surface of that cursed pool, the moment I did it vanished. I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands as I cried. No. I had to get a hold of myself. For John. That was enough. My determination enabled me to dry my eyes and calm my hysteria.

I really looked around my new environment for the first time. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. The colors were so lush and bright that they didn’t seem real. The sky was a bright robin’s egg blue, the grass a lush, bright green. There were two suns in the sky, so I must be in a different solar system from my home world of Terrafima. It was the second colony earth made, but the planet had been invaded by the beasts and the war had ruined a lot of the planet’s beauty. This place, was so different. The trees snaked up in spiraling pink curves and had plump, colorful fruits hanging off them. Crystal clear water rushed over a riverbed made entirely of clear quarts stones ranging in size from pebbles to boulders. Large clear bubbles rose from the river instead of foam wherever the liquid hit a large rock. There was a path near the grassy patch I was standing on that was cobblestoned with rose quartz. Butterflies flitted to and fro and small birds with colorful plumage darted around overhead. I was on a plain and saw that the stone path stretched far into the distance where a building rose up against the blue sky. It’s tall, orange spires stretched high, and I felt, perhaps instinctively, that I should go there. In a way, I felt it calling me there. I inhaled deeply of the sweet smell of this strange place, it smelled of peppermint, fresh peaches, sugar crystals, and sunshine. Then, simply placing one foot in front of the other I started down the rose quartz path my eyes trained on the orange palace before me.

After walking for several hours I grew hungry. The succulent-looking fruits hanging heavy on the trees I passed called out to me and soon I could think of nothing else. I stopped and plucked a large, ripe purple fruit that hung in an upside down pear shape. I studied it closely, sniffing it. The sweet smell was so inviting and the smooth skin was so think, but a veneer—the only think separating me and it’s juices. My teeth broke the skin and the sweet juice flooded my mouth and dripped down my chin. It was delicious. The taste awakening a ravenous hunger I gulped it down in a second. In a frenzy I snatched and devoured a dozen of the fruits before I stopped. I could not find the words to describe the flavors of these fruits. Their colors were so bright and their tastes so unique. The blue ones were tart, the purple were quite sweet, there was an unusual tanginess in the yellow one and the red one, it was the best: a mixture of sweetness and tartness that balanced perfectly. 

I looked down at my hands and saw that they were dripping with a rainbow of colorful juices. My tunic was splattered and stained with the same nectar. I felt the stickiness dried on my face all around my chin. Laughing a bit I made my way to the river and found a small puddle near it which proved a fine mirror for me to see my comical appearance. Giggled bubbled out of my mouth uncontrollably. I managed to clean a good bit of my arms with the clear water, but I was so sticky and hot from the twin suns I decided to take a bath. 

I looked for a good spot and saw that a small waterfall was nearby surrounded with bright blue bushes bearing yellow berries and small white flowers. Looking around I saw no sign of any life form for as far as my eyes could see. I began to undress by the bank of the waterfall. I stepped into the water and felt a chill run up my spine. The water was quite cold, but it felt so good, so I plunged under the surface. Part of me hoped I would appear back in my world, but I knew that what had transported me here was more magical than this simple waterfall. My red curls swirled around me and the fruit juices, after much scrubbing, left my skin and ran off my body in little colored rivlettes. 

As I swam about, enjoying the water, I forgot to keep an eye out for anything approaching my pool. I looked up after I had burst upward through the water, flinging my hair behind me in a long, wet mass, and I saw him. He was standing there watching me with an amused expression on his face.

John!

(11) The Pool

The moment was magical. I wanted it to last forever, but nothing on this earth lasts forever, not even joy. The two of us could not stop looking at each other, drinking in each other’s presence. Every second was more magical and precious than the last. John put his shirt back on, eventually. He looked so strapping in his white tunic with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. His black belt was made of a tough leather covered with gold studs creating a planetary pattern that drew the eye to his ornate holster where his ray gun was snuggly stowed. His fitted pants were tucked into his worn, black leather boots covered in a similarly planetary golden pattern. His long, deep blue coat, which was made of a thick material, looked, well, cool. That was the fact of John. He exuded coolness. With a casual flick of his hand he rumpled his black hair so it was momentarily lifted off his forehead. A green jewel I hadn’t noticed before, caught my eye as he did this. I reached up and pushed his hair back to see the small, teardrop-shaped, smooth gem dangling from his ear. It was attached to a gold chain that snaked up the outer edge of his ear and wove through it in several more places. “When did you get this?” I asked. He reached up as though he had forgotten and then looked at me with a gleam in his eye.

“I got this the day we said goodbye. I never wanted to forget the way I felt you had been woven into my life and the shade of your eyes.” I blushed. He was so sweet. I looked down at my long, forest green tunic outfit, completed with brown tights and worn leather boots. I hadn’t realized how simply dressed I was. I tugged at a stray thread on my hemline and looked back up. John was still smiling at me.

“Come on”, he crooned, “I want to show you something.” He held out his hand, and I took it. This was the first time we had held hands. It was as though a spark started where our hands connected and flowed through the rest of my body like an electric current. He took me through the trees and I felt as though I wanted it to be like this forever. Walking hand-in-hand with John. Eventually we reached a clearing that took my breath away.

It was secluded, surrounded almost completely by trees. As we entered, the sunlight dancing through the leaves and floating pollen illuminated a small pool, clear as glass and smooth as stone. The grass was springy here and the air smelled sweet with the hundreds of wildflowers blooming all over the small clearing. It was like something out of a fairytale. John turned to see my reaction; it must have been good because he let out another dazzling smile. I walked slowly over to the pool, but John was feeling playful, probably because of his satisfaction at my reaction. He fairly skipped beside me, casting his coat behind him, where it landed perfectly on a tree branch. How did he do things like that? Was this boy even real? He reached out to grab me, but I decided to play too so I danced out of reach. He loved it. He cocked an eyebrow and got ready to pounce as I sprinted through the flowers. He lept toward me, his hair flying behind him, and I sprang just out of reach. His smile was so devastating, how did I not just give in? Oh, but I loved to tease him. As he lunged forward I jumped straight in the air and hovered above him.

“Not fair!” he shouted, looking put out, but with a sparkle of fun in his eye. “You are so much like a fairy, I don’t believe you aren’t descended from them.” He called playfully. “I don’t have wings”, I protested. My ability to fly was one born of me naturally. I was simply able to fly, to bend gravity to my will, but I couldn’t go very high. I danced through the air while he followed beneath me. Suddenly he found a rock and lept high enough to catch hold of my foot. His unexpected weight pulled us both to the ground where we landed in a tangle of limbs and a shout of laughter. I jumped to my feet, but he grabbed my waist and began tickling me. I detested it when anyone else did this to me, but I loved it when he tickled me. I was giggling uncontrollably when I stepped backward and fell into the pool. The cold water engulfed me and I sank straight to the bottom; the laugh still suspended on my lips.

Then I fell sideways. It was the strangest sensation. I broke through the surface of the water and landed on the soft ground, but in a completely different place. It looked like a completely different planet. I stood up and looked at the pool, it shimmered to my left, suspended in the air, floating perpendicular to the spongy earth. What kind of pool does that? I peered around the edge of it and saw that it was as thin as paper and the only thing on the other side was more of this strange world. I looked through the pool and saw the glen I had just been in. John was looking in the water frantically trying to find me, suddenly he caught sight of me and reached out trying to grab me. I put my hand in the pool, but was unable to. My hand just made ripples on the surface. I pressed my face against the strange pool and looked longingly at John, panic now filling my stomach, where only mirth had been before. He couldn’t seem to penetrate his side of the pool any more than I could. He seemed to be talking to me, but I couldn’t distinguish any words. He jerked his head back as though someone was coming behind him. He shouted at me and I heard his muffled voice say, “Don’t worry Elaine, I’ll find you. I love you!” before he snatched his coat off the tree and ran out of my line of sight.

I was trapped in another world, without John.

(10) Declaration

Suddenly I felt a bit nervous. Was he going to tell me he didn't love me anymore? He had saved my life, but that didn't mean he still loved me in that way. All my fears and insecurities leapt to the forefront of my mind. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry and said, "Okay, what do we need to talk about?"
He studied me for a moment then responded, "I can't go on like this, I can't eat, I can't sleep, the only things I can do are fight and," a light flush crept up into his cheeks, "think about you, Elaine."

My brain froze. How could I have been so wrong. He wasn't going to leave me, he still loved me, more than I could have possibly imagined. I felt as though I had swallowed the sun. Warmth started to radiate from my stomach and throughout my whole body. He still loved me. I felt a smile break across my face for the first time in ages. My cheeks became flushed and I slowly sat up.
He was watching me still, I wondered why he was not smiling too. I looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong John?" He looked like a shy school boy again as he plucked a blade of grass and questioned, "I guess I wonder if you feel the same way." Those eyes looked up at me with a melting expression. I sat there for a moment, stunned that he didn't know. But then I had been careful. I had wanted him to make the first moves. I had held a lot of my feelings inside. I looked straight into those deep blue eyes and declared,
"John, I love you, with all my heart. I don't ever want to be separated from you again."
His most dazzling grin broke across his face from ear to ear. Simultaneously, without any verbal communication between us, we both stood up and threw our arms around each other. He lifted me off my feet and began twirling me around the clearing, my toes skimming the dew-covered grass. We were young and in love.
Anyone who happened upon that clearing could see it, clear as day: we were in love. They would see two young adults in their mid-twenties spinning through the glen in the sunlight. The young man standing a few inches under six feet with a mop of unruly black hair holding a young woman with fair skin and a head of long, wild red curls that bounced everywhere. Her green eyes danced and sparkled with the inner glow of a woman in love.
They enjoyed this moment, savoring each sensation.

For this was the day everything turned upside down.

(9) Rescue

"I was so worried about you Elaine." John whispered in my ear as he held me close and buried his face in my hair. I clung to him with what strength I had left. Here was my pillar. I didn't have to fight on my own anymore. He pulled back after a long moment and stared into my eyes. The depth of those blue pools always astounded me. A wrinkle popped up between his brows as he knit them together in concern. "Are you alright?!" He asked, a hint of panic edging his usually calm voice. I shook my head slowly, it was growing more difficult to think. His eyes hardened with determination as he announced, "You don't have to worry Elaine, you're safe now. I'm going to take care of you." I nodded and he scooped me into his arms and carried me out of the room of the dead. Vague glimpses of a winding staircase, a long dark tunnel, and a green woodland trail were all I could see in my delirious state. Finally, we stopped and I felt John lay me down on the ground. I sensed him rummage at my side before I fell into an exhausted sleep.
When I awoke, the colors seemed too bright and the sounds too clear for reality. I rubbed my eyes and laid my hands on either side of my head. They felt cloth and cool, damp grass. I seemed to be in the middle of a secluded glen. I could hear a brook somewhere close by. The sunlight filtering through the trees made the dew still clingling to the leaves sparkle like a thousand diamonds. I stretched and turned my head to the side. My eyes found a pair of blue ones staring into them. John was sitting, sprawled on the dew-laden grass a few feet away watching me. He wasn't wearing a shirt. I felt color return to my face as my eyes took in his toned, bare chest. He was not exceptionally broad, but he was not out of shape either. A few raised scars cut across the smooth skin, along with a few grazed spots from ray gun fire. He had been in the fighting, and some of the cuts looked rather recent. It was then that my brain realized that I was laying on his shirt.
"How do you feel, Elaine?" came my love's voice. I was momentarily distracted from answering because it was such a beautiful sound, John saying my name. Dozens upon dozens of people had said those syllables in my lifetime, but none of them had made my name sound as special and sweet as John. "Elaine?" there it was again. He made it sound musical. But the tone of concern in his voice made me stop enjoying the sounds comming out of his mouth and start answering his question. "I feel...fine?" I answered haltingly. I was confused. Why did I feel so good? I should feel terrible after such a long time without basic necessities and bodily comforts. He smiled a sparkling smile at me in the morning light and motioned to a near-by rock laden with herbs and some thick paste that looked like the remains of a flattened slug. I smiled at him as I propped myself up on my elbows. Of course he would have mixed me up a potion. He had a way with that. He had a way with everything. And as I looked back at him, sitting there in the grass, ray gun strapped to his side, I knew that I was even more in love with him than I thought. He was watching me carefully, with a measured look on his face. After a moment of silence he said,

"Elaine, we need to talk."

(8) A Familiar Voice

Since I was surrounded by hundreds of animated corpses, I was terrified. I stood there, panting as the sweat rolled down from my temples to my neck. I wondered if they were sentient beings or merely animated corpses. My body had about reached all it could take. I needed to get out of there fast. I cleared my throat which had become bone dry and in the loudest voice I could manage, I asked the nearest body, “what do you want?” No response. I waited. Nothing. So they were probably just…my mind searched for an explanation and came up short. I had to move or I was going to die, and I had to save John. John. He had been driven from my mind in the impending doom of corpses chasing me. He would know how to get me out. What would he do? I stood there for a moment thinking. Why hadn’t he come to get me already? Had the beasts found him yet? No. That could not be the case. He always came for me. What was delaying him in finding me? I hadn’t realized until this moment how much I trusted in his constant presence. It was his absence for longer than I though necessary that brought this truth so close to the front of my mind. Where was that mad man? Suddenly, as though an answer to my thoughts, I heard a familiar voice echo across the cavern. 
“Elaine, are you in there?!”
It was him. John had come. I was saved. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. He was here. I looked around wildly for him. I pushed the corpses aside in my haste to see the one I love, and they fell away before me. One corner of my mind—the only part not consumed with thoughts of John—remembered what the old scientist had said in his message, “Try to stay calm, they're not going to hurt you." My fear had been irrational. I was afraid of the unknown.
“Hold on Elaine!! I’m coming, just stand back from the door!” I scanned the room for this door and finally found it in the far corner. I started sprinting there. Right before I reached the door I heard the sound of his ray gun charging. I dived out of the way as he blasted the door open. Wooden splinters flew everywhere and through the smoking doorway burst John. His eyes searched for something, but when they found mine they lit up. Their search was over. His mop of jet black hair was looking as casually tousled as ever and the smile that broke across his face was enough to make me fall to my knees, even if I wasn't weak already. Here was the man I loved. He covered the space between us in a matter of seconds and pulled me into his arms. His scent filled my senses and his strong arms encircled me.

I was safe, for the moment.

(7) The Tomb of the Dead

I'm not a person who would count herself as having a weak stomach, but the combination of extreme dehydration, being left unconscious twice, and waking up in a room full of hundreds of rotting corpses pushed me over the edge. My vision blacked out, there was a ringing in my ears, and I collapsed on the stone ground. I pulled my matted hair behind my head just before I wretched.  The only thing that came up was stomach bile and the last remains of that potion which burned my throat. Dry heaves followed and I had to lay there for a long while before I felt well enough to sit up again. Sweat was trickling down my face and neck and tears had leaked out of my eyes. My body was feeling rough. I needed to get out of there or I was going to die from dehydration. I clutched the stone table I had lain on for support as I raised myself into a standing position. The smell of death and rotting flesh filled the room, it was strong enough to overpower the smell of my own vomit. I stared around for a way out. In the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a body sit up under its sheet. I snapped my head around, stifling a small gasp, but nothing seemed changed. All of the bodies in my field of vision were laying down, no doubt decomposing into the stone. My mind must be playing tricks on me. I continued to scan the room, but there was another movement in the corner of my eye. Once I had a good look: nothing. I was allowing myself to get creeped out. I had to stay strong. I was only afraid of the unknown. I couldn't let fear rule my life. I paused for a moment, and closed my eyes.
I carried my fears to their logical conclusion:  
What if the bodies, the half-decomposed corpses, were moving. So what? What was I afraid they would do? The worst they could do would be to kill me. Well, I had already faced death once, besides, I wasn't afraid of death at all. When my time came, be in now or years later, I would welcome it.
My eyes opened with a sigh of relief. This time, they did not hesitate in finding the only opening leading out of this tomb. I started walking that way, knowing I needed to find water before I joined the corpses from natural causes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a great deal of movement. I kept my eyes forward. Just because I was no longer afraid of the ultimate consequences of my fear, didn't mean that corpses stalking me wasn't affecting me at all. When I walking as fast as I possibly could manage in my condition the movement behind me reached a very noticeable level; I jerked around. Over half of the bodies in the room were following me. Their sheets were still over their ruined bodies, making them appear like one imagines ghosts. They all stopped moving the instant I turned around. Only the folds of the fabric settling into new positions showed how quickly they had been following me. I didn't know what to do. I tried backing up, but I stepped on someone's foot, and it wasn't alive.

They had me surrounded.

(6) A Message Beyond the Grave

I was swimming. My body was floating up through the levels of cool water that got colder with each successive level. The surface was in sight, but the light above was darker and more like torch light than sunlight. I became more aware of my senses as I reached the surface of the water. I opened my mouth to gulp air the moment I reached the surface, but I gagged on cloth instead.
I opened my eyes as I pulled the thin, white cloth out of my mouth. The cloth seemed to cover my whole body. I stared through it at the stone ceiling above me. I seemed to be in an old cavern. A torch nearby provided light for me to see. I laid there for a moment, wondering what was going on, then a voice started talking to me...from inside my head...and it wasn't mine.

It sounded familiar, but I could not quite place the man's tired voice at first, "Hello, you are hearing me now because of a potion I gave you between the extraction of your memories and your death. Contrary to what the Beasts and even you believed, I was not planning on killing you. I merely made you appear as one who was dead. Your thoughts were conveyed to the Beasts. I hope that you told them only what you wanted them to know. I gave them whatever you thought about. I have been forced into doing the Beast's dirty work for years, but I'm sick of it. I'm going to be long gone by the time you wake up. I'm only glad that I was able to save your life. I'd do anything for John, and I know he'd want you to be protected. This message is almost over. You're on your own now. I won't be able to help you anymore. Just one last thing before I go. Try to stay calm, they're not going to hurt you."

I laid there, staring up at the stones thinking about what this man left in my head. He had saved my life, and I didn't even know his name. He was safer that way, but how did he know about John? I puzzled over that for a moment before I was overwhelmed with thirst. The potion had dried my body out and the cloth had left a musty taste on my parched tongue. I sat up quickly and got dizzy from dehydration. My vision went black for a moment as the cloth slid off my face. As my eyes adjusted back I saw that I was indeed in a torch-lit cavern. I was on a stone table. There seemed to be a lot of other similar stone tables covered in sheets like mine. I swung my legs over the side of the table and looked more closely at the one next to mine. I saw the shape of a body under the sheet. I lifted the cloth, wondering how many sleeping people were down here.
I had to shove my fist in my mouth to keep from screaming.
The body under the cloth was half-rotted and crawling with maggots. The skin was mostly off the skull. It stared ever upward with empty sockets.

I was in a room full of hundreds of corpses.

(5) Prepared for Death

The man looked into my eyes with an unfathomable expression. I opened my mouth to tell him what I thought about the Beast's plan, what he could do with his potion, and most of all...that there was no way in a thousand years that I would give the Beasts any information. Before I had more than one angry syllable out of my mouth he poured the orange liquid down my throat. I spluttered angrily and would have cursed at him if he hadn't shaken his head sadly at me and held a finger to his lips. I didn't really need the gesture, the potion had a debilitating effect on my ability to speak.
I was spinning into a world of orange oblivion. Blue and green stars burst before my eyes and I lost all connection with my physical body. My thoughts automatically jumped to the thing that brought them the most comfort: John. The Beast's must have known this would happen, but they underestimated a young woman's love and what that could enable her to do. In my spinning delirium I snapped my mind away from all truth relating to John and fell back to old stories, hear-say, and general myth. I wove a tale so brilliant that I defied even the Beasts to discover it's falsehood before I was dead and the secret dead with me. Locked inside my head forever.
I only hoped John would escape from the Beasts forever. This was all I could do. This was all I could give. I would protect him in the only way that I could. I felt the delirium lessen. Blackness was creeping in around the edges of my mind. I was fading. Where was that light at the end of the tunnel people always spoke of? I guess it was just a story to help the weak face death with more courage. I was prepared to die. I was more than willing to die for the one I loved. The blackness was almost completely enclosing me now. "Goodbye John" I thought. "I will..."
Silence in her mind. She thought no more.

(4) Death in a Bottle

I couldn't let anything happen to John. I would protect him in any way that I could, if it was the last thing I did. The raging flames of passion burned inside me as I tried to think of a way to keep him safe. My body trembled from the crash and new adrenaline rush. I felt as though my body was trying to shake itself apart from the inside out. It was a very unpleasant feeling. My body was no doubt also protesting the lack of food and drink. I thought about asking for some, before realizing that my impending death made life-sustaining things like that obsolete. I thought for a long while on that table. Finally, my voice, trembling like my body, broke the silence.
"How are you going to take my memories?" I tried to make my voice as innocent as possible with the right amount of curiosity present to seem real. I was not surprised by the silence that followed. This man was not very verbose. I tried pleading with him, yelling at him, trying to break my restraints: no reaction. Nothing. Not even an acknowledgment of my presence. Eventually I started to cry. The tears slid down my face and into my ears. This was quite uncomfortable. I wanted to sit up, but I was trapped lying down on this sterile table covered with an old sheet. I laid there, pouring over the memories I had of John. When I compared them to my other memories, the ones without him, I noticed that the memories he was in were brighter. They were more wonderful. Everything seemed better when I was with him. Even other happy times before we met were dim when held up against the glowing light that radiated from every stolen moment with him, every little look and touch. I would not lose these memories and give him up to the Beasts.
The hours dragged on. I was unable to sleep, but I was also unable to do anything else, so I thought about John. Finally, after what seemed like an age. The man in the white coat came over to my table holding a flask of an orange liquid in it. He looked me in the eyes and said, "This potion will reveal what you are thinking about as it enters your mind. I want you to think about everything the Beasts want to know about John. His physical appearance, place of residence, and other such details would be appreciated. When the extraction is complete I will administer another potion which will kill you"

(3) Not Him

Ice blue eyes pierced through mine with an intensity I was unaccustomed to. He had a gaunt face, with pronounced cheek bones and a long chin ending in a somewhat haphazard-looking white beard to match his long white eyebrows and equally white and haphazard hair which reached his collar. He stared at me for a long while, the reached a long finger up to scratch his nose. He sighed. His eyes closed and I felt as though a spotlight had been turned off my face. He turned back to his concoction and added a vial of a purple liquid to the mixture that was smoking faintly. I was still rooted to the spot. Why didn't he say anything? Why had he turned back to his work? Who was he? How did he and I relate to each other in the Beasts' schemes?
"Sir", I ventured, "where am I?" I decided that my location was the most pressing mystery at the moment. He didn't answer. I tried again, louder this time and still he didn't respond. I reached a trembling arm out to tap his shoulder and I repeated the question. He brushed my arm away as though it were a pesky fly. I tried grasping his shoulder firmly, but he shook me off. I shouted as loud as I could, and still he refused to acknowledge me. I plopped down on the sheet-covered table and rethought my strategy. I attempted to be more aggressive and turn him to face me by force, but he was too strong. That failing, my frustration reached its boiling point. I turned to the wall of flasks and selected a medium-sized one full of a pond-green liquid with a dead fish suspended in it. I threw it will all my might in his direction screaming "TELL ME!!" It smashed just a few inches from his left hand. The contents splashed all over his arm and dribbled down the counter and his left trouser leg.
He stopped his work. Slowly, he turned to face me, his eyes full of, was it pity? Then they turned to ice blocks and he took two quick strides toward me. Before I had time to react he was in my face grabbing my wrist in an uncomfortably tight grip.
"You were sent to me so I could extract some memories from your mind before I kill you. You will only be let out of this room when they are sure you are dead. Now that you know, I am going to have to restrain you." He said this with a tired lilt to his voice. As though he had been doing this sort of thing for years, but was wearied by it. He was going to kill me, after taking my memories? How was he going to accomplish this? I thought about struggling against his grip, but I realized that there was no use. I had lost everything, and now my life was going to be removed from my body along with the only thing I had that brought me any joy: my memories.
His eyes looked sad when the man saw I had lost all the fight in me. He led me silently over to the table and laid me on it. He raised straps up from the sides of it and used them to tightly bind my hands and feet. I allowed my body to go limp. There was nothing left for me to do. It was over. I was as good as dead now. But one thing puzzled me. I turned to him as he tightened my last restraint.
"What memories do they want?' I asked in a hollow voice. He stared at me for a long moment, as though he were trying to ascertain my ability to handle the answer. He must have seen something which showed him the affirmative because he said: "The memories relating to a man named John."
The fire which had died within me flared up so strong and fierce I thought I would burst into flames. Suddenly nothing else mattered. I had to escape. I had to. I couldn't let them get to him. Not him. Oh why did they want him? I could have died quietly in this cell if I knew he was safe. Not him. Not John.

(2) The Impossible Room

My eyes slowly slid into focus. Directly in front of me was a pair of shoes attached to a pair of legs in dark trousers. The owner of the legs was standing with his back to me, giving me a fine view of his long, white coat. I tilted my head back ever so slightly so I could see the man in the white coat better. He was busy fiddling with something on a long counter. He reached above him to pull a flask full of a blue liquid off the shelf overhead and placed it gingerly on the counter beside him. My senses were heightened. I slowly pulled myself into a sitting position and sat there, still as a mouse for a moment. Then, I turned my head to look around. There was a single table covered with a white sheet to my right, and to my left there was a large facet and a small metal drain. The walls were stone, like the floor, and they were covered in strange instruments, shelves filled with jars containing strange substances, and diagrams showing chemical compounds and...human internal structures. I was in a laboratory.
Why had the beasts brought me here? What could this man do to me? What were his orders? Why was I left unchained on the ground? I turned my attention back to the man in the coat, but he was still busy at his chemicals. I got slowly to my feet, my eyes scanning for a way out. I turned in a circle three times, there was no door, nor any windows. How had I gotten in here? I searched the floor and saw no sign of a trapdoor in the small, square room. I looked up at the ceiling and still could find no exit. There had to be one! I hadn't been walled in here had I? I was just bringing my eyes back to the man in the coat when I froze. He was staring right at me.

(1) Moonlit Flight

I was running, faster than I've ever run before. My heart was racing and I thought the blood pumping through my temples was going to split the thin veneer of skin separating it from the air whipping past my sweat-soaked face. I was being chased. I could not stop. One misstep equaled death. Trees were snatching at my arms and brambles were tearing deep gashes in my legs but I could not stop. The gasps escaping my lips were not those of pain, I was beyond that, they were the only means air could find its way into my desperate lungs. My chest was heaving and my sides aching, but I could not stop. They were coming for me.
How had they found me? What could I have done to give myself away? What would happen if they caught up to me? My mind was rolling these thoughts in a tumbling cyclic vortex when I rounded that corner. My body was falling, but only for a moment. I slammed into the ground and thought "This is it, I'm dead." I was lying there in the mud and my own blood when the footfalls behind me were suddenly above me. A strong, rough hand reached down and dragged me up by my tangled locks. It held me, suspended a foot above the ground so that my face was level with the beast's own. In the moonlight it started into my eyes with it's coal black ones. They flickered when they recognized me as the beast's prey. My hair was pulling on my scalp as it held the entire weight of my body. Tears slid silently down my face and mingled with the sweat dripping down my cheeks and sliding down my neck. The creature turned to it's companion and nodded before I felt my body fall again to the ground. My eyes caught the raised hand of the creature before it fell upon me and I dropped into the spiraling darkness.
The swirling blackness was all I knew. Sensations came, but they were disjointed at best. Cold, smooth stone; drip, drip, drip...water dripping on....something; a terrible pain in my head. This sensation took over from all the others. As the pain grew, it was all I could think of. It was all I knew. Slowly the reality of the pain brought me back to consciousness. When I was finally fully conscious, I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to face whatever waited my sight. I don't know how long I laid there, just waiting. Waiting for a reason to open my eyes, to see the horror that surely awaited me.
Eventually, I don't know how long it was, human instincts took over and my body demanded food and water. Before I had been hunted down I had gone several hours without food. The energy expended in my flight had used up all my energy stores and I had no idea how long I had been under the tide of consciousness. I held my eyes closed for one more moment, one shining moment, while I assessed my body and its condition. I had not moved a centimeter since I had woken, but I seemed to be in one piece, lying on my side, my legs curled and my arms bent so that my hands were toward my face. My hair tickled at my face and down my back and kept my right cheek off the cold stone that the rest of my body felt beneath it.  I inhaled the damp air through my nose as I prepared to part my eyelashes. As I exhaled I slid my eyes open...