Juliet's Tryst

Chapter 36: Honey, Where is My Super Suit?

The Kulon slid towards Juliet. It spread into a thin layer, coating her skin.

"Where's my super suit?" Juliet quoted, weakly.

You've been poisoned. 

"Oh shit- then that must be the blood? That's why there's blood. Blood everywhere. I'm going to die here, really. I will. Jesus Christ. What did I do to deserve this? I was gonna save the fuckers- somehow- but all they wanted was my dead body?" 

No one needs protection. Natural process, Earth asked. You asked.

"I did no such-" Black dots danced in Juliet's vision. The urge to cough violently rose.

The instruments of darkness tell us truth. 

"Macbeth," she whispered. Her hand could no longer press down on the gash on her arm. When she let go, her arm rose on its own accord. The Kulon was stretching and compressing, slowly calibrating itself to command her body. 

I would not wish any companion in the world but you.

"The Tempest, why...are you quoting Shakespeare to me now," Juliet's neck could no longer hold her head. The coughs were low rumbles from deep within her lungs. 

My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart concealing it will break.

"The Taming of the Shrew," she conceded. 

Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.

"Macbeth, again." Her left leg twitched without a signal from her brain. Then her right followed suit. 

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.

"Romeo and Juliet, c'mon, these are easy." 

Presume not that I am the thing I was

"Henry IV, the second part I think."

In a robotic motion, her torso heaved forward. Her neck lifted her head. Her vision was now clouded with a light from an unknown source. 

In time we hate that which we often fear.

"Anthony and Cleopatra." 

Suddenly, she was standing. 

I must be cruel only to be kind.

"Hamlet. Kyria, are you telling me.... the story of why you came here?" 

You must keep breathing Juliet. I will aid you. But you must not forget to breathe. 

Her body took a step. She was fully blind now, only seeing white as she opened her eyes. In, and out. Her lungs had holes in them, she was sure. 

Where's Dee?

Searching. 

She was aware that she was running. There were noises. Gunshots. Yelling. Screaming. Sometimes, there were other movements. Crouching. Striking. Her head whipped from side to side, the Kulon using her eyes as efficiently as possible. Juliet could only focus on her breath, her lungs sometimes burned but this sensation was quickly smoothed over. Finally, there was the sound of a bursting open door. The whiteness gave way to a beach. 

There was a clink, as the necklace fastened around her neck. 

I am so sorry, little one. 

What for? 

Pain.

The world came into sharp focus, and Juliet could do nothing but scream. Her lungs were suffocating. Her joints were all swollen, making her body completely rigid. She fell to her knees.

In my loneliness, I was blinded. Searching for a willing companion, for eternity. 

From her knees, onto her side. She retched, wishing to pass out, wishing for a break. Then, the coughing began again. It was wet, full of blood. Something was keeping her from dying- yet her body was reaching towards death. It wished for the natural release. 

I abandoned my search. Abandoned the peoples I had created. When I heard a voice- someone calling me from over a great distance.

Her body was seizing, shaking. Her synapses were firing over and over, in confusion. 

You. Your planet called me here, through you. It offered you to Dinairessin. She offered herself to me.

Her body stilled. Juliet did not know why she was still conscious. There was no more reason to fight, no more reason to breathe. It felt natural, that she should just close her eyes- and be no more. 

Eternity, Juliet.This is why you cannot close your eyes. I offered eternity in return for you. This is not a bargain I take lightly, though your mortal body does not understand. 

"JULIET!" 

The sun felt warm against her skin. Nothing hurt anymore. The sand under her hummed with the happiness of the morning. 

"Juliet, open your eyes right now," Dee's voice was both a panicked scream and queenly command. In response, she managed to pry her eyes open. Dark hair came around in a ring, and the most jarring kaleidoscopic eyes came into focus. They didn't know what color they wanted to be, and Juliet thought that this fact alone was more beautiful than the sun.  Your eyes are the most beautiful things I have ever seen, she wanted to say. 

Instead, she coughed up a huge blood clot right onto Dee's nose. 

-

She awoke to a gentle breeze. Her legs were perfectly coddled in a light blanket. She rubbed her legs together like a satisfied cricket. 

"Juliet." A prayer into the void. The relief of a lover who thought everything lost. The hope of a planet resting on the shoulders of one individual. She only responded by turning into Dee and wrapping herself around her, wishing that she could be closer than flesh, closer than blood. An understanding passed between them, and Dee's arms wrapped around her. Gingerly at first, and then they slowly got tighter and tighter, until there was only enough space for a shallow breath. 

"No more. Do not hide anything from me, we do it all together- do you understand?" 

Juliet nodded, nuzzling the Kyrion's shoulder. The relief and relaxation was so immense. She felt like she was floating. 

"I need you say it to me. Tell me you understand." 

"I understand." 

"I don't know how the hell you got out of there, or how you even endured what they did to you- but I am so happy you came home to me." 

"The Kulon- inside the necklace... it saved me. Kyria- saved me." 

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UP TO CHAPTER 3 re-edited! If you are a longtime reader of Juliet's Tryst, I invite you to slowly re-read JT as I edit it. I hope to one day publish this as a kindle book (no worries, it will always stay up here for free as well). Why should you re-read? Well- I will be adding in details, changings vibes slightlys. My goal is to make the writing clearer, cleaner and more...smexy? idk.I hope you join me and say hi- tell me what you think of the edits!Thank you for being on this JT journey with me.