I steered the ship away from the course of Earth, and headed straight for Mars. "Are you sure about this? Marsmaticals are not the friendliest aliens to come in contact with" Adam said, as he looked over at me concerned. "What other choice do we have? if we got to Earth, they're gonna try and stop us. Plus, Iris said she had a friend who could help us" i asked, "if it gets us in danger, especially you-" he started, which made my heart swell. "We're gonna be okay, as long as we're together" i said, the ship started landing on Mars.
Once we land, my suit analyzes the planet and transitions my skin into a Marsmatical. "Get behind me" i said, as i opened the entrance door of the ship. "Why?" Adam asked, as we stepped out on to the boiling hot planet, and within an instant a fire breathing dragon was already blowing heat in our direction. I grab a shield and use it to protect myself from the fire, as Adam hides behind it with me. We then run past the dragon making it to the crowd of people, flooding the streets of Mars nearby. "It should be this way" Adam said, as he looked over at the address Iris had forwarded us through the ship. After several streets later, and a few neighborhoods past, we made it to the door of the Marsmatical who could potentially help us.
"Who goes there?" a voice asked, as he looked at us through the peephole of his door, "Iris from Venus, she told us you could help us" Adam said, as the Marsmatical squinted. His eyes were a scary dark red, as his skin was an even brighter red, he had a few freckles on his face, as he eyed us from the front door. Within a few seconds, he unlocks the door and ushers us inside. "Any friends of Iris, are definitely friends of mine" he said, as we made it into his two story town home. "There's something else too" i said, getting ready to reveal my true identity, before Adam stopped me. "How do we know he won't kill us?" Adam whispered, as i looked at him.
"If Iris can trust him, so can we" i said, and with that i tapped my suit, as my human form was revealed once more. The Marsmatical took a step back abruptly, and looked at us in awe. "Well i'll be damned, Iris was right. The prophecy is true!" he said, as i smiled, looking over at Adam. "Here, you must be tired! hungry! please.." he said, as he gestured us to the table and brought out some human food, like a loaf of bread and soup to eat. I started to feel jet lag bouncing from one planet to the next every chance we got, it was nice to stay put for a second.
While we ate, i was curious to know how the Marsmatical could withstand his urge to eat us. I wanted to put the rumors to the test. "May i ask? why does your kind feast upon human flesh?" i asked, as Adam nearly choked on his soup. The Marmatical laughed, as he leaned back in chair. "I actually consider myself a vegetarian, but it's because we believe eating the skin of the impure provides us with some kind of power. Just like how your ancestors ate animal meat, you guys are like our animal meat. Think of it like protein" he said, as i laughed. Adam didn't think it was funny. "I've always wanted to leave Mars, to get away from my people and flee to Jupiter or something. There's nothing for me here anyways" he said, as i frowned.
"No family? no friends?" i asked, as he shook his head, "not so much, no. My family died in a fire, and i was never the kind of person to make friends. Iris and i met online, it's kind of a long story." he said, as i smiled, remembering how kind Iris was. "Well, when you're finished here, i've got some clean clothes and a place for you to rest for the night." he said, getting up from the table. "Thank you so much, for all of this really" i said, as he smiled, giving me a nod. "It's my pleasure" he said, giving us a quick bow. "You don't have to do that" Adam said, as he shrugged. "I don't mind" he said, and walked off into the living room.
I took a quick shower before changing into the clothes that were left for me, and grabbing an oxygen pill to take. I realized this was my last one, as i took a breath, forcing myself not to panic. This was just a quick detour and then Adam and i were on our way to Earth. Those aliens couldn't block the Earth forever. "Everything okay?" Adam asked, as he came into the room drying his hair from the shower he took after me. "Yeah, everything's fine.." i said, hiding the last pill into the pack on my suit, as it dissolved into the back of the suit. I then sat on the edge of the bed, wearing only an oversized t shirt and undies, as Adam sat next to me.
"We're gonna make it... right?" i asked, as he put a strand of my hair behind my ear, caressing my chin to look at him. "We are gonna make it, it's our destiny. Even if we die trying.." he said, putting his hand on my thigh. I sighed before smiling softly and laying on his shoulder, "he's not gonna come in here, and eat us while were sleeping is he?" Adam asked, as he genuinely sounded scared, i couldn't help but laugh, as i fell back on the bed, now laying on my back.
"Eve, i'm serious!" he said, trying not to laugh as well, as he looked down at me on the bed. "I'll protect you" i whispered as i smiled at him, he scoffed before smiling too and leaning down to kiss me.
When his lips met mine, i wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him on top of me, as he placed his hands around my torso and kissed me more. If we die before we get to Earth, i want Adam to know how much i'm in love with him. How much i would surrender everything, just to make sure no one hurts a hair on his head.
Memories of when we were first met started resurfacing in my mind, with every kiss and every touch, from the moment i was browsing the web and found an open chat to other kids my age, to finding his username which read: "earthlover". Before i knew it we were talking to each other for hours and fantasizing over what it would be like to eventually go there together. I couldn't eat, sleep, or breathe without talking to him. Texting them went to calling, as calling became face-timing. And just like that, i was in love.
Earth wasn't my destiny, it wasn't ours, no, i knew now our destiny was each other.
Early the next morning, The Marsmatical shook us awake as the guardians were pounding down the door of his town home. "Quickly! they've found us! follow me!" he whispered, as i untangled myself from Adam and put on my suit before escaping with Adam out the back door way. "Go!" The Marsmatical yelled, as we did so, running down the streets and trying to stay hidden. But before we could make it back to the ship, the guardians catch us. "Where are you going?" one of them asked, as he held my wrists and brought my body towards him. "Let me go!" i screamed, as i looked over at Adam who was struggling in the grasp of a guardian too.
"The king will love this!" another guardian said, as they brought us to an open area filled with other Marsmaticals, as two people with crowns stood before everyone. Everyone around us were clapping and cheering, getting rowdy as the guardians brought us into the crowd. Adam and i were then tied up, wrists and ankles to mound of sticks, across from each other, as i realized they were gonna set us on fire. In front of everyone. The Marsmatical started chanting, in Marsmatical as i stared at them in horror and defeat. The king walked in between a crowd of them, as he held a scepter with a human skull on top of it.
My heart was racing, as i struggled to break free.
"Bring the Marsmatical forward!" the king declared, as the guardians of Mars threw the Marsmatical that gave us shelter in front of everyone. "How dare you harbor humans! on my planet! against my will!" he yelled, as the people watching yelled too. Before he killed him in front of everyone watching. "NO!" i screamed, hating that he died because of us. I tried to fight tears of all the innocent blood that's spilled because of me. "Now who here wants to see me skin them alive! i will rip off there skin, as i feed into there flesh! for the sake of our ancestors!" the king yells, as everyone roars in excitement. I looked over at Adam, as i mouth "i love you".
The king of Mars then lights a torch on fire, as he brings it close to the bottom of my feet, i shut my eyes in terror as i looked away from my fate. "Halt" a women's voice said, as the king groans. My eyes slowly open, as i look over at the Queen walking towards us, "ugh, not now my Queen" the king says, as she raises a finger. "Since these humans are alive, the prophecy is true, and must be fulfilled, we shouldn't kill them because our ancestors did so before us. We should be different my love, set a good example for our people." she said, as i was stunned.
"But i want to kill them" he said, "don't just think about what you want, think about what's best for our people. If you kill them it's only gonna bring havoc on this planet. And i don't want that for our people." she said, as Marsmaticals around her were listening and beginning to agree. The king groaned in anger, before speaking to the guards in Marsmatical to let us be free.
Adam and i fall to our feet in front of the royals, as the queen turns to face everyone, "if any alien is to put a hand on these humans, they shall be put to death" she said loud and crystal clear. I hugged Adam in utter relief, as he embraced me tightly, i cried into his shoulder, as the guardians ushered us into a cell.
A few moments later the queen arrived to see us, as the guardians told us to bow before her, we did so. "Have you ever intentionally brought harm to an alien?" she asked, as i shook my head, "no" i said, as she looked at Adam. "No, mam" he said, as she sighed.
She then looked over at the guardians, as they nodded and walked down the hall, she then held the cell door open as she looked over at us. "You may go" she said, as i looked over at Adam, shocked this was happening. As we walked past her, "you may take my ship, it's just beyond those stairs" she said, as i smiled. "Thank you" Adam said, as she nodded. "Why are you helping us?" i asked, "i've always believed in the prophecy and protecting my planet, as well as my people." she said, as i nod towards her, before leaving with Adam down the stairs.
We find her ship at the bottom of the stairs, as i stare up at it in amazement, "wow, now this is no shuttle" Adam said, as i giggled and ran towards it to get inside. As Adam rose the ship, the Marsmaticals fled to the scene underneath us, as the queen stared up at us, wishing us farewell. The king glared at her, but i could tell he understood, she was doing the right thing.
Next stop, Earth.