Alien Sleeping Beauty

by Zara Zenia

“Are you really here?” I whispered in his ear, hearing my own voice cracking with joy. “Is it really you?”

  “It’s really me,” he whispered back.

  I felt like I could never let him go for fear that I would never get him back, or he would just vaporize into thin air and cease to exist at all. “Where did all your soldiers go? I saw them, just before, but they’ve disappeared.”

  “Nora trapped them, but we’ll get them out soon,” he answered.

  “You are too good to be true.” I grazed my hands up and down his back as he placed a few scattering delicate kisses on my neck.

  “I’m the real thing,” he promised me, “but we can’t stay here. It isn’t safe. We are still in danger.”

  My heart leapt into my throat at his words, jolting me back to reality. Of course, I already knew that we couldn’t stay here but I desperately just wanted to melt into his arms as he stroked my hair and rubbed my back, hugging me tightly to himself.

  “How did you even get here?” I searched his eyes for depth and meaning.

  I hoped that now that he was with me, he could shed light on the situation and answer all of the probing questions racing through my mind.

  Jinurak gave me a reluctant pause and his eyes combed the area around us as if he was both skeptical and suspicious. “This place…it isn’t what it seems.”

  “Well that much is obvious.” I chuckled lightheartedly. “Where in the world are we that its summer time here? Where did all the snow go? It’s melted all away and there are dragons and trolls here. Are we on Trilyn?”

  “No.” Jinurak shook his head and met my gaze. “We are not on my home planet or any of the continents there.”

  My heart pounded expectantly. “Are we on some other planet?”

  Part of me was afraid to receive his response.

  He shook his head again and his eyelids briefly fluttered closed. “We are not on any… planet. Not really.”

  I pulled away from him. The levels of confusion began to spread over me, and it felt as if they were burying me under an enormous weight of pressure.

  “How can we not be on any planet?” The sound of my own voice sounded far away as if it was stretching across a tunnel.

  “We’re in a virtual world,” he explained.

  I would have laughed, but the somber tone in his voice and the grave expression flickering in his eyes let me know that this was no joke.

  “You aren’t kidding?” I asked, hoping that his lips would curl into a grin and he would say something like ‘gotcha!’

  Although, I didn’t really want that to happen either. I didn’t want this to be all some kind of sick, cruel prank that he had been a part of all along just like Nora had advised from the very beginning.

  “It’s not a joke,” Jinurak said. “This is no laughing matter, unfortunately. Nora has placed you in a virtual reality chamber. Your brain is hooked up to monitors. You have been asleep for a number of days now.”

  Jinurak gave me an empathetic and cautious look as if he hated to be the one to break this news to me but someone had to do it.

  “I’m…asleep right now?” I struggled to understand exactly what he was telling me.

  “That’s right.” He cast me a somber nod and stroked my cheek. “I need to wake you up to release you from this prison around you.”

  “Why aren’t you asleep?” I asked.

  “It’s…complicated,” he said.

  “So?” I shrugged. “Explain so I can see clearly what is going on here.”

  “Periodically, Nora will enter your chamber, where my body is currently now, and she will inject you with a sleeping medicine that goes into an IV hooked to your arm.”

  I gasped. It was too horrific to bear.

  “I’m sorry you have to hear this now, but she has morphed your subconscious. I need to tell you the truth to help you wake up.”

  “Why can’t you just disconnect me from the monitors?” I asked.

  Jinurak shook his head somberly. “Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that. If we do that, we risk damage to your brain, and it could affect your long-term memory.”

  He took a step closer to me and gently brushed his fingers against my cheek, sending a pleasure filled tingle sensation through me.

  “I would be devastated if you woke up and couldn’t remember me.”

  I met his gaze. His eyes were handsomely stunning. I never wanted to look away. He had me hooked, drawn in like a beam to his stellar warmth.

  “I would never want that to happen either.”

  I couldn’t imagine getting this far and having to start all over with him, or risk not getting the opportunity at all to blossom our relationship further.

  I was still a little shocked and trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

  “Did you really kill the dragon?” I reluctantly pointed at the beast laying on the ground. It wasn’t moving.

  It seemed dead but it was too good to be true. I was still wary of it, guarded that it might jump up at any moment and start breathing a row of its hot, green fire at us.

  “I killed it,” Jinurak said. “Even though it wasn’t real.”

  “I had a hard time understanding how a dragon would exist in the world,” I said. “I just couldn’t make sense of any of it. This village seemed a little…”

  “Unnatural?” Jinurak asked, breaking down my thoughts and finishing them for me.

  I smiled. “Exactly.”

  “The dragon was simply nothing more than a programable artificial intelligence created in the virtual world stemmed from Nora Morse’s engineering team,” Jinurak explained. “It wasn’t self-aware. I killed it’s programing, and the body was just a technicality physical existence planted in the virtual space.”

  I took a deep breath. It was all so complicated. I was reeling. My head was spinning as I attempted to process and digest all of this peculiar information. I needed to sit down. I walked over to the stone steps of the castle and plopped down with a hefty sigh. I felt like the weight of the world was resting on my shoulders.

  Jinurak must have picked up on my unrest. He wandered closer to me and sat down next to me. He touched my shoulders and cupped his hands over them, giving them a tender rub.

  “I know that this is a lot to take in,” he whispered consolingly. It was so soothing the way he rubbed my shoulders. I never wanted him to stop.

  I chuckled ironically. “I feel a little over stimulated right now.”

  “You are allowed to be. You’ve been through a lot.” His eyes flickered with empathy.

  “Where is Nora?” I asked.

  Jinurak’s expression flooded with remorse and grief. “There’s a slight… problem with that.”

  My heart dropped into my stomach. Suddenly I felt nauseated. “A problem?” I shook my head. What could that possibly mean? More importantly, did I even want to find out?

  “We can’t seem to find her. She has apparently… fled the virtual world but she’s also missing in reality too.”

  I couldn’t breathe. I was crushed. I lifted my chin and forced myself to look at Jinurak. “Is she going to get away with kidnapping and trying to brainwash me?”

  He tenderly placed his hand on my knee and stroked it. I was flooded with a rushing sense of euphoria, briefly forgetting all about the woes concerning Nora’s disappearance.

  Jinurak had a remarkable quality about him, an ability to take me away from my suffering and problems. He made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. I embraced the sparkling magic and chemistry that sizzled around us.

  “Not if I have anything to do with it.” Jinurak visibly set his jaw and his eyes glazed over with perseverance. “But right now, the biggest goal we need to focus on is getting you out of this virtual world.”

  I nodded. “I want that too. I just don’t really… know where start.”

  I felt helpless but hopeful. Now that Jinurak had found me, my chances of escape had significantly improved.

  I
glanced out at the hedge, knowing that we still had some obstacles to face before we got out of this mess.

  “Where are Aine, Rose, and Sage?” I asked in pondering, standing up and peering around the area in an effort to scope them out.

  “Who are they?” A frown wrinkled on Jinurak’s forehead and he appeared confused.

  “My fairy friends,” I said.

  “Oh, the ones that just attacked the trolls and made them wander off?”

  “Those are the ones.” I nodded.

  “Are they also the ones that sent our messages back and forth?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I nodded and smiled. “They have been incredible through this entire ordeal. They are so helpful and kind.”

  “And brave,” Jinurak mentioned and stood up too. “To take down those trolls like that.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. I couldn’t see the barn and the horse stables from here.

  “They are exponentially brave,” I said. “They are afraid of the trolls.”

  “More so than the dragon?” Jinurak sounded surprised.

  “Funnily enough, yes.” I chuckled at the irony. “I don’t know why. They seemed to enjoy scamming the dragon and I knew it was a thrill for them to get past it.”

  “They just couldn’t get you past it,” Jinurak said.

  I glanced at the grass. “No.”

  “I assume they are probably self-aware then,” Jinurak stated confidently. “We may still need them.”

  “They will probably reappear soon,” I said. “They will want to say goodbye.”

  Suddenly I felt a little melancholy. I didn’t realize how much I would miss my trio of fluttering friends, glowing brightly and shining with hope and optimism.

  Jinurak seemed to be able to measure my thoughts. He took my hand and cupped it in his giant one. He felt warm and safe.

  “I know you will miss them,” he said as if he was plucking my thoughts straight from my brain. “But we can’t stay in here forever.”

  “No, we can’t.” I pursed my lips. “Because we need to find Nora Morse and bring her to justice.”

  Jinurak’ eyes shimmered with mischief. “That’s my girl.”

  I was determined to make sure that people who wronged me didn’t get away with it, and Nora was at the top of my list.

  I looked at Jinurak. “Where do we have to begin to get out of here?”

  Jinurak inhaled deeply as if he knew it was going to be a long road ahead and was gearing himself up for the trouble. I was going to have to think of this as an extended adventure in order to keep my head clear and stay rooted to the goal of getting out of here.

  He gave me a sympathetic look. “You are going to have to wake up first.”

  “Are you awake?” I asked.

  I didn’t understand how he could be hooked up to the monitors, lying beside me in the virtual reality chamber without losing a part of his consciousness too.

  “My mind has not been compromised by Nora,” he said. “I am just in the virtual chamber beside you, but there’s not a medicine drip to cause me to fall asleep and be brainwashed. It’s safe for me to exit, but you need to convince your subconscious that this is all a dream and that you can wake yourself up before going back to reality.”

  My heart raced. I felt a woozy, tingly sensation ripple through me, and my stomach churned nervously. My eyes stung with hot tears. “I don’t know how.”

  “I will help you,” he whispered delicately.

  “Thank you.” I nodded in acknowledgement, keeping my gaze on him because I was afraid that if I broke it, he might disappear. “You are so wonderful for doing everything you could to try and find me.”

  I found myself getting emotional. I couldn’t hold back the tears, but I did my best to choke them back because I didn’t want him to think that I wasn’t worthy of receiving his love or being strong enough to overcome obstacles. If he really was a prince, then I needed to behave like his princess. I needed to prove to him that I was noble enough for the challenge.

  I suddenly realized that I needed to know if that aspect about him was accurate.

  “Nora…told me that you were a Trilyn Prince?”

  Jinurak nodded. “I am. But I don’t want that to hinder your view of me or change anything between us. I’m still the same person that you have gotten to know over the past several months. Nothing changes that.”

  His intentions were pure. I knew it because of the genuine way his eyes flickered with admiration every time he looked at me. I didn’t have to struggle if I reminded myself that Jinurak wanted the best for me, the best for us and for us to have an esteemed, bright future together.

  “I won’t let it bother me,” I said. “I hope you also understand that I never knew you were a prince until Nora told me. My intentions with you were earnest from the start. I had no idea about your titles and your royal status, but I promise that I won’t use it to my advantage. I just want to be with you because I appreciate your warmth and humor and I think you are pure hearted soul.”

  Jinurak beamed. He was practically glowing at my compliment. His lips stretched out into a wonderous grin of approval. I could see the elation of my words sparkling through the reflection of his eyes.

  “Thank you, love,” he said. “I also think that you are pure at heart and that is why I wanted to bring you to Baltimore to meet me in person. I wanted to take it to the next level, and now that you are physically here with me in person, I’m so glad I made that choice.”

  I smiled. “That makes me feel so good.” I glanced at our surroundings. “Although I’m willing to bet that we are nowhere near Baltimore now.”

  Jinurak chuckled at the lighthearted direction that the conversation was shifting. “You would be absolutely correct on that assumption.” He nodded. “We are actually on a remote, private island.”

  “We are?” I was curious.

  I wanted to know more. Perhaps it would help me wake up. I knew that every little bit would help me break away from the deep sleep that Nora had me buried under.

  “Yes,” Jinurak said. “I went to the Intergalactic Space Station to gather soldiers to help me find you. We have recruits there waiting on standby in case they are needed for something. I picked an army to join forces with me, soldiers who were willing to put themselves at risk for the cause. We got on an airplane along with Special Agent David Yadav from the UEG.”

  “Wow.” I couldn’t believe he had done all that for me without ever meeting me in advance first.

  I stared at him in utter awe. It was beautiful, the way he cared for me with no strings attached.

  “It’s incredible that you would go to these lengths to rescue me from this trap.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t.” He gently took a strand of my hair and tucked it delicately behind my ear with a fiery light of passion shimmering in his eyes.

  “Well I certainly am glad you were able to have the resources at your disposal to get to me,” I said.

  “There are traps laid out everywhere on the outside,” Jinurak explained. “Nora was impressive. She went to great lengths herself to hinder our ability to easily access you. Most of my unit teams are still out there.”

  “Oh no.” I felt a wave of responsibility and blame for myself splash briefly through my mind. “They are getting hurt on account of me?”

  He clamped his hands over mine again. “I told you that they were willing to take the risk for the cause, but do not worry, we will help them.”

  “I guess…” I still harbored lingering guilt, feeling like I was at fault somehow. It was probably just the effects of Nora’s power still somewhat gripped over me.

  I shuddered and shook my head as if I could make her brainwashing fall out of my mind.

  “David Yadav of the UEG, the crimes expert I mentioned a few minutes ago?” Jinurak eyed me.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “He told me something on the plane ride over that stuck with me, and I think it’s going to help us re
move you from this deep and powerful sleep.”

  I squared my shoulders and gave Jinurak my full attention. “Okay, what did he say?”

  “He is remarkable brilliant,” Jinurak began. “I trust him with everything, even my life and yours.”

  “Wonderful,” I nodded and waited for him to continue.

  “David informed me on the plane that I can use my strong, compelling emotions for you to help aid you in regaining your consciousness.”

  Jinurak looked at me with such a forcefully amazing sense of yearning and desire that I felt the aura send a jolt of euphoria through my body. I was hooked on endorphins. Adrenaline pumped aggressively through my veins.

  I was ready for actions, and I was ready to succumb to the passion brewing in between us. I craved his attention and the attraction we felt for each other exploding in the atmosphere around us.

  “I’m willing to do my part,” I said and fluttered my eyelids closed. I took a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm and center myself in the moment.

  “Good.” I heard the familiar and soothing voice of Jinurak beside me. I knew that he would never leave my side now that he had found me.

  It should have been enough assurance to help me wake up, but it wasn’t working. I felt a gnawing buzz of frustration begin to spread through me and I didn’t welcome or appreciate the feeling.

  “What’s the matter?” Jinurak stroked my hair, making me feel a little better.

  “I can’t seem to break out of the spell on my own,” I said.

  “You don’t have to,” he reminded me. “I am here for you. I am here to remove all the factors in this virtual world that might prevent you from effectively being able to wake up and leave with me in the safest way possible.”

  “What about the fairies?” My eyes filled with tears again and I found myself festering that same emotional drain as before.

  “The fairies aren’t going to come back to you,” Jinurak finally admitted.

  “Why not?” I felt my heart breaking.

  “Because they know that you won’t be able to leave without them.” The truth in his words was painful.

  “But I didn’t even get to say goodbye. I thought you said we would need them to get out?”

  “We might.” He shrugged. “We need to see if we can do it on our own first.”