Blackstone - The Green Sea of Darkness

Impending Doom

            There was a great flash of light that seemed to envelop and surround me. I blinked and found myself standing on the beach of Calypso. What was I doing here? I looked down at my attire. I was dressed for jogging in my usual black t shirt and shorts. I looked at the peaceful ocean. It was a beautiful afternoon and the sound of the waves was soothing. I remembered leaving the resort to go running and then something happened. It was at the very edge of my memory. I was supposed to do something. What was it?

I turned and ran back up the beach towards the resort. Exercise always helped me to think, and I couldn't help but shake the feeling that something wasn't right. There was a sense that I had forgotten something important.

I could see the buildings of the resort ahead, and I launched into an all out sprint, pushing myself to the brink of my endurance for the last few hundred yards.

I slowed down to a fast walk so I could cool down. I was just about to stop and stretch when I saw Prince Eric Val Tarran step out of the main building onto the beach.

My heart skipped a beat. The prince was dressed casually in swim trunks and flip flops. His skin was a perfect bronze and I couldn't help but run my eyes over his magnificent upper body – his toned arms and muscular chest. I thought back to our last meeting in Brooklyn just before David and I got whisked off to the Temple of Trials. I remembered kissing Eric in the back of his limo. The prince was a delicious kisser and a perfect gentlemen. Of course, this was right before someone tried to kill him.

Prince Val Tarran was flanked by an extensive entourage of fashion models, staff members, and security forces. Even though he was dressed for the beach, I watched him talking with a senior staff member who held a tablet computer. Apparently, business never stopped for Prince Val Tarran.

I knew that the prince didn't have time for me. I was just a lowly Earther and a commoner to boot. I was about to duck behind a nearby palm tree when Prince Val Tarran spotted me. His eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Eliza Grant. I didn't know you were going to be staying here at Calypso."

I smiled back and gave a little wave.

"Hello, Your Highness. It's good to see you again."

I could see the fashion models giving me the once over. Clearly, they were trying to figure out who I was and where I fit on the social ladder.

"Are you an actress?" a tall blonde said.

"No. Are you an astrophysicist," I said.

Prince Val Tarran chuckled. The tall blonde shot me an evil look that could have melted steel.

"I'm guessing that's a no," I said.

Prince Val Tarran's senior staff member motioned at the ocean. "Your highness, if I may politely interrupt, but it is time for your surfing lesson."

Prince Val Tarran clapped his hands together. "Yes. Of course. Eliza, would you like to join us and watch me, what it is called it again, Cedric?"

"Surfing, your highness," the senior staff member said.

"Surfing. Yes, such a delightful Earth sport. We have something similar on Orion. Well, Eliza what do you say?" Prince Val Tarran said.

Normally, I would have jumped at the chance to spend more time with Eric Val Tarran, but standing around trying to make conversation with a bunch of stuck up fashion models and Orion bureaucrats while watching the prince get a surfing lesson didn't really strike me as a fun day at the beach.