The Hero Effect

(2) In Which Kaya is Very Thankful to Meet a Short Girl

Had not we always assumed Earth was a friendly planet? Perhaps it was foolish of us to continue in that assumption after losing contact with Cassia, but we had. Now I was paying the price for our foolishness, and the worst part was the knowing that no one back home knew I was in need of assistance. I struggled against the odd straps holding my wrists at my sides, thinking of my family and wondering if this was what had happened to Cassie...

I have forgotten the introduction of myself! I am Kaya. My home is the planet Jove, which Earthlings call Jupiter. I had been sent to Earth in order locate Cassie, only to find myself captured by humans.

I was lying on a cold, hard metal table, and I had lost track of how many days I had been there. I remember I had not eaten in a very long time, but I do not remember being hungry.

A door behind me opened, casting bright light at the wall I was facing. Soon, the light was obscured by the shadow of a man. The man's shadow entered the room and shut the door behind it. I squirmed a little. This was not a kind man; I did not want him to touch me again.

"Good evening, my dear," he said, standing over me.

I did not speak back to him.

He looked at the straps on my wristed and shook his head.

"You've got to stop that," he told me, "You're bleeding again. We can't have that, you know. Your blood is much too valuable to waist."

After that, he pulled the needle out of his white coat and set it on a little rolling table strewn with other such instruments. He then got out a strip of something stretchy and tied it around my arm. It was very tight, and soon I was unable to move my fingers. I barely felt the needle enter my arm. I watched, biting my lip, as the man used his needle to suck my blood and deposit it into a long tube. When the tube was full of the golden liquid, the man removed the needle and untied my arm. I suddenly felt my hand tingle.

"Now, you'd better get some rest, Princess, and I'll see you again tomorrow."

I saw the man smile. It was not a good smile.

He walked passed me and the door opened again. Then the shadow man left and the door closed and everything was very dark. I felt very tired and my head was light. Soon I was dreaming strange things.

There was a boy– human, but not. His eyes were like blood. He was strong, but his hands were tied behind his back. I could see the shape of his heart glowing underneath the skin on his bare chest. He visited me sometimes in my dreams. I liked the way that his voice sifted through the things running through my mind and made me feel better.  He was speaking to me and I was crying.

"Don't let him make you cry," he said.

"Who?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "Don't let him."

"But I am very afraid."

"No, you're not. You're very brave."

Then I remembered that he was right, "No, I am not afraid. I am very brave."

"You're going to be fine."

"I am going to be fine."

He smiled, but I could not see his glowing heart anymore. I wondered what had happened to it...

"...Um ...Hello??? ... Are you awake?"

I blinked several times. There was a round, wide-eyed face looking at me very close. Our noses were almost touching.

"Hello? Oh, gosh! you are awake," said the face.

"Yes, I am," I said feeling surprised, "Who are you, Face?"