Beyond the Stars- Awakened

by Angela Morales

  “I’m sorry, Febus,” Ria said quietly as she was brought out of her thoughts. She tried to believe for just a moment that Febus had some good in his heart, but the thought quickly vanished.

  “Well, it’s over now. No need to cry over the past,” he said stonily. “We’ll help you. I want nothing more than to live freely; let’s do this.”

  Past: Chicago

  I t was the morning of January first in Chicago. The sun was peeking over the rooftops, poking its rays through the small cracks of the kitchen blinds. A combination of melancholy and joy had come over Marjorie Preston, as she sat in her room upstairs and rocked the mysterious baby girl to sleep. Again, she wondered, who would leave a newborn baby on a doorstep in the middle of a snow storm?

  Liam Preston paced angrily through the townhome’s small kitchen, trying to make sense of the situation. He argued with someone over the phone, and stopped for a moment as a dark cloud came over the sky dissipating the little light that was illuminating the small kitchen. It sent chills up his spine.

  “There must be some mistake – I didn’t sign up for this mission!” Liam yelled on the phone. He looked around to make sure Marjorie wouldn’t hear from upstairs. “I’m new to the agency, I haven’t been properly trained to do this sort of thing,” he whispered desperately into the phone.

  “Sir, our orders were to deliver the baby to your home. We received orders from the head of ENSA, and you were the one chosen for this job. Your mission is to protect her. If anything happens to the child...” there was a pause. “She’s in your hands now,” the person on the other line replied.

  “I can’t raise an alien. I’m sure there is someone else who would be willing to –” the line went dead. “Hello? Hello?! Damnit!”

  Liam angrily slammed the phone on the table. He had a mission to protect an alien child, but he had no idea who she truly was, and everything that was yet to come.

  Present: Inanna Dreams

  I nanna was in a pitch, black room. She was in some sort of trance – a world where she could only dream. Once again, she dreamt the dream she had dreamt so many times on Earth. The dream she could never make sense of.

  “Hello!” she yelled, but no one on the outside world could hear her.

  Suddenly she was dreaming again.

  She is beautiful. Her long black silk hair resting on her copper shoulders, as she washes some baby clothes in a bath of murky water. Her skin golden and her face perfect. Her flawless features wearing that constant worried look, as she glances at me and back at the door. She wears torn white rags that look more of a faded yellow in the dim candle lit cave. The walls bare cement, and a small wooden table with a few pieces of fruit, which are the only food for this humble family. A man standing guard by a cement door that looks more like a boulder.

  There are no fancy jewels or ornate accessories to adorn this woman’s shabby clothes, and although she is thin and looks no older than twenty, her bosoms are full. The man at the door looks like her husband. He is tall and handsome. He has pale skin that seems to glow in the dim light, and his jet black hair is messy and soaked in sweat. They don’t speak and it is obvious that silence is prudent. She is silent in voice, but her heart holds a secret. A secret so hidden not even her mind dares to think of it. But all that worry goes away, because she looks at me with her tender eyes…and her smile warms my heart. When her eyes meet mine, she tells me that she loves me. The weary eyes tell me she is sorry and she wishes she could keep me safe. We are startled by a sudden pounding at the door and fear strikes her eyes! She grabs the baby that’s swaddled in a cradle nearby, and then begins to run towards me. But the door bursts open and she screams, and I can no longer see anything except pitch black.

  Wait, there is a light! Someone is coming in through the door. I can hear another baby crying, but I can’t see it. The men barge in mercilessly. The woman begs for the men to spare our lives. They march in – the unknown creatures – saying something in a language I can’t understand. I’m scared – very scared.

  “Take me instead! Take my life!” the mother pleads in tears.

  One of the creatures slaps the woman unconscious. We are all now silent. None of us cry or plead. The vicious creature looks at the man with the jet-black hair, who is already restrained by two men with his mouth bound shut.

  “Atum…you have betrayed your nation. Look what you've done.”

  This is the first time I have heard their names. Atum is my father. This woman is my mother.

  There is a vicious glow of red that is blinding me, and suddenly everything goes pitch black.

  Past: Akeena Gives Birth

  “A rgh!” Akeena moaned in agony.

  The contractions were getting worse as the pain increased, and she was losing a lot of blood. Her nails glowed purple, then silver, then red. It was common for atavan women’s nails to glow when they were pregnant, but never had Atum seen such a beautiful array of colors. Silver tears streamed down Akeena’s cheeks.

  Akeena was beginning to lose consciousness.

  “Stay with me,” Atum reassured her.

  Desperate, Atum went into the town for help. He knew it was a risky move. He had been hiding with Akeena for months, knowing Kah’s army had been searching for them. He had also been hiding from his own people, knowing the Euron nation would want to know he was alive and why he abandoned Cova.

  Atum had heard of a middle-aged midwife, who had assisted many women in the village. He went to her, and she was glad to help. When they arrived back at Atum’s hidden home in a cave, Akeena was barely awake.

  “If she doesn’t have this baby soon, we may lose her,” the old woman told Atum in the ancient Egyptian language.

  The woman encouraged Akeena to push. Although she had little energy left, Akeena gave it her all.

  Minutes later, a baby’s cry was heard.

  Elated with emotion, Atum held the baby girl, and held her up to Akeena. She admired her beautiful baby girl, whose eyes opened quickly to reveal her beautiful, glowing green eyes.

  “Inanna,” whispered Akeena.

  “Yes, she’s our Inanna,” said Atum as he laughed in joy.

  Akeena let out a sudden scream.

  “What’s wrong?” Atum asked the midwife.

  “It looks like you’re having twins,” she said with a smile.

  Atum smiled and blinked in disbelief. He placed Inanna in a basket and came back to Akeena’s side. For a moment, he forgot all about the dangers this could present. To Atum’s relief, Akeena’s nails had stopped glowing.

  Alas, a second baby’s cry was heard.

  “Another girl!” the woman announced joyfully.

  Akeena was overwhelmed with joy. The midwife brought Inanna to her. Tears and laughter took over her as Akeena held her babies in each of her arms. Despite her exhaustion, she could not contain her happiness.

  “You’re both lovely,” she said with a smile. “I love you so very much.”

  “This one is Nefertiti,” said Atum looking at the second child.

  “That’s perfect,” said Akeena, “Inanna, the goddess of love and war. You shall always protect your sister. Nefertiti, a soft spoken beautiful one, you have come to bring balance.”

  Atum kissed the baby girls on their foreheads, and then tenderly kissed Akeena’s lips.

  “These are our babies,” she said to Atum joyfully.

  “Yes, they are beautiful like their mother,” he responded with a loving smile.

  There was a moment of silence, and Atum wished he could pause time. The midwife looked on in admiration of the sight.

  “I love you, Akeena,” Atum said looking into Akeena’s eyes.

  “I love yo- -yuh - - ” Akeena tried to get the words out but suddenly began choking.

  The room suddenly became blurry and began spinning in Akeena’s head. Akeena was becoming dizzier by the second.

  “Akeena, what’s wrong?” Atum asked nervously.

  Akeena did not respond.

  “Akee
na!” he demanded.

  Akeena’s arms and body went limp. The old woman quickly took one of the babies, while Atum took the other. They placed the babies in a basket nearby and came back to Akeena’s bedside.

  “Akeena, answer me!” Atum demanded once more.

  “She’s lost too much blood,” the woman stated urgently.

  Atum knew that by saving Akeena, he would be risking his own life, revealing himself to a human, risking the lives of his daughters as well. Atum was one of the few atavans who possessed healing power. He remembered how he was unable to cure his mother, and how trying to do so had almost killed him. Because of the curse Meretseger had placed, the Blue Lotus on Earth was the only hope for his mother’s cure, and it never made it back to Cova in time. Now, knowing that saving Akeena could ultimately kill him, he wondered who would protect Akeena and their daughters if he died. He felt he had failed his mother, even though it wasn’t his fault. He felt he would fail Akeena and his daughters as well if he didn’t at least try to save Akeena.

  Atum pushed his feelings aside and suddenly began glowing blue. He pressed his fingertips to Akeena’s chest, and dug them deeper and deeper until he could feel her heartbeat. The old woman’s jaw dropped as she watched Atum’s glowing blue blood flowing through every vessel in his body. His spinal cord shined bright blue through his clothing, eyes flickering blue and green as he tried to remain strong, suddenly dropping to his knees in pain, as Akeena’s heart gained strength again. Blue fingerprints were left imprinted above her breasts.

  “What – amazing,” the woman whispered in bewilderment.

  Atum remained on the floor, knees wobbling, and his arms shaky. After using all of his strength to save Akeena, it had taken a toll on his body. He wasn’t sure if he would make it through this.

  Finally, Akeena gasped for air and opened her eyes wide!

  “She’s alive!” the woman yelled. “You must be a god!”

  Atum breathed a sigh of relief, before suddenly losing consciousness and passing out on the floor. The old woman, not sure of what to do, carefully rolled him over to check that he was still breathing. He was still alive, but unconscious.

  It wasn’t long before Akeena finally opened her eyes and asked for her baby girls. The old woman brought her each child for her to breastfeed.

  Atum was still on the floor, too heavy for the old woman to move him, but he was alive and breathing fine.

  “He’s going to be okay,” she reassured Akeena when she asked. “Perhaps his nerves.”

  The woman didn’t know for sure, but she knew that any man who could cure a person by glowing blue, could surely recover from whatever episode or nervous breakdown she thought he had. Legends all over Egypt told of the gods from the sky; perhaps this man was one of them. She decided it was safe to leave and come back later to check on the couple and babies. The lifeless baby left behind in her home crossed through her mind and she contemplated bringing it back. No, it would be too difficult to bear. She would give it a proper burial on her own - allow the new parents to enjoy their two healthy baby girls. It was unnecessary heartache.

  It was only a matter of time before Atum awoke. He was still dizzy from using so much power and was still barely able to walk. Atum felt quick relief when he saw Akeena and the twin girls were sleeping peacefully. They were all alive and well, and the color had returned to Akeena’s cheeks. They surely were precious, and he admired them as they slept. In the midst of watching them and relishing in the moment, Atum suddenly became uneasy. He wasn’t sure why, and after using so much of his power to save Akeena, he wouldn’t be able to use more anytime soon. He tried brushing it off as paranoia and attempted to enjoy the moment. But there was definitely something in the air that lingered – a pessimism he couldn’t shake off. Something in the basket caught his eye.

  Atum walked over to the baby basket. The baby girls’ spines did not have the same glowing frets as other atavans were born with. Instead, there was one small birthstone in the center of each of their backs that was glowing brightly. Slowly, both stones shed free and came loose. A small birthmark remained where the stones had been.

  “Incredible,” Atum whispered as he held the stones in his hands.

  Atum suddenly had a vision of Cova’s people dying from the Core Disease. He could see Inanna all grown up and holding her stone high in the air. It shined brightly with luminescent colors unknown to humans.

  “The prophecy,” Atum whispered to himself.

  The vision suddenly turned dark. He could see Inanna wearing a white gown, laying on a pale, cold stone floor, bleeding from her mouth.

  “What is it, Atum?” Akeena asked, as she began to wake up.

  Atum was stunned and his face went white.

  “Nothing my dear, keep resting,” he said gently.

  Never had Atum known of an atavan being born with such stones. The question was, what mission laid ahead for these princesses? Atum had a feeling the universe had a plan for his daughters. One thing was for certain, the eldest child usually always possessed the most power. If his sudden visions were true, Inanna had just inherited a powerful responsibility. One of the greatest responsibilities in the universe – one that could be dangerous and also, virtuous in the end. Selfishly, he wanted to keep them away until the time was right - surely destiny would bring them back to Cova when needed. If Atum’s full vision came to pass, Inanna was in great danger. He closed his eyes and willed the creator to help Inanna be successful in her life’s purpose. He wondered what Nefertiti’s role would be in all of this.

  The stone began to shine vividly once again, and Inanna opened her green eyes and looked deep into her father’s eyes.

  I will be okay, she told him by simply looking into his eyes.

  A tear strolled down Atum’s cheek as he smiled and lovingly took her small hand. Her small fingers wrapped around his pinky finger and she smiled.

  Present: Butterflies of Hope

  W here am I? Help me! I’m trapped somewhere. I cannot see. I cannot speak. I do not understand what is happening around me. Something is confining me in a dark place. All I can do is dream and think, and dream and think. It’s a torturous repetition of thoughts. This is worse than a nightmare! From a nightmare you can wake from – for now I am only able to think and never wake – never able to see or hear anything around me. This is torture! Have I gone insane?! All I can do is talk to myself in my head. Where am I?

  Where am I? I suppose I’m sleeping. Or maybe I’m in the process of dying? I can’t be sure. Now I feel pain. All the heartache and pain of the world is in my heart. It’s too much to bear. How horrible to feel such agony? It’s a whole new meaning to wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders - I can feel everything in the universe around me.

  Ria did this to me. I saw good in her for a moment; I was deceived. She lied. Why would she do this to me? My own thoughts have betrayed me.

  I can’t take this pain any longer! I can’t fathom all the greed and pain in the universe. I rather die than stay confined to this darkness. Let me die! Does anyone hear me!? Let me die!

  I can see myself. I’m watching myself wither away as if looking through a telescope. I’m in a white dress. I’m losing my breath. I’m choking. There’s blood. There is blood everywhere. What happened? Everything is dark again.

  Suddenly, a thousand butterflies illuminated the darkness. Glowing all shades of colors, the butterflies cascaded into the dark place, twirling and swirling trails of glowing light. A symphony of sounds filled the emptiness, matching the intricate choreography of the dancing butterflies. Then, Ina heard the soothing and very familiar voice.

  “Don’t give up my child,” Pipa whispered gently.

  Pipa! Pipa, are you there?! Let me see you! I want to so badly hold you! Where are you, Pipa?!

  There was no response. Just the butterflies that filled the empty darkness.

  “Pipa, are you there!?” Ina finally said out loud.

  I can speak?! Pipa! Can you hear me?!
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  This time Ina could not make her words audible. The butterflies flew away in an instant, leaving only one stray butterfly behind. It perched itself on the canvas of darkness, perfectly still in the middle of nothingness. It glowed all of its glorious colors for Ina to see. It gave her hope. Maybe she wasn’t dying after all.

  I will not give up Pipa, she thought.

  Past: A Mysterious Boy

  T he boy fell to the ground with a thump.

  He glowed green in fear, as he tried to control his adrenaline.

  No one had noticed him in the big vast ranch. He would continue to visit this place for many years, but he tried to remain unnoticed. He couldn’t help but watch the beautiful girl he felt he needed to protect.

  He would always protect her.

  Present: Ina is Missing

  “I na…please…I’ve left a million messages and texts. Please call me. Whatever you’re doing, just call me please. Keith and I are worried sick.” There was a long pause as she held onto the phone before the machine cut her off.

  “I’ll text her again.” Keith said.

  “Who else can we call? What about that girl from nursing school…what’s her name?” Marjorie paced the living room. “Jesus! I’m losing my mind!”

  “Calm down, we’ll find her.” Keith reassured Margie.