Beyond the Stars- Awakened

by Angela Morales

  Zech’s physical body began to convulse and Meretseger was chanting over him while rubbing calming oils on his forehead. In Inanna’s cognizance, she began to tap into her powers again.

  “You’ve been here too long, Zech. You need to go back into your own consciousness, back to your body,” she said to him.

  Inanna closed her eyes, and when she suddenly opened them she was alone again.

  “Zech? Zech?!” She waited to see if she could hear him speak in the physical realm.

  She noticed she was in a different room. This sphere was green, not clear like the one she’d been in before. Suddenly, she realized she was no longer in her own mind. She had been transported into Zech’s mind.

  Zech opened his eyes, looking around, waiting for Ina to speak. But when he sat up, he realized he too was alone. He and Inanna were literally trapped in each other’s core memories. While trying to free Zech from her mind, Ina had only switched their consciousness, leaving them both confined to each other’s.

  Zech stood up.

  “Ina?” he yelled.

  Zech figured Inanna was okay. He would have heard Meretseger’s cries by now. Maybe she’d just gone to sleep again, making her disappear from his presence.

  Zech walked to the wall of the sphere and touched it, wondering what memories he could relive in here. He knew it was possible now to share memories, as he had shared the memory of Ria with Ina. And he had already read one of Ina’s thoughts, even if she hadn’t meant it to happen.

  Is this wrong? He thought.

  Zech was tempted. He knew this was different than sharing thoughts willingly. Obviously, earlier he had shared his memories with Ina, and he had nothing to hide. What if she had memories, she didn’t want him to know of. After all, a lot must have happened in the two years he was confined to Kah’s hell hole of a dungeon, while Ina and Keith made remembrances of their own.

  “No,” he scolded himself.

  Zech sat down in the center of the sphere, as if to wade away any temptation of tapping into Ina’s prohibited thoughts.

  Back in Zech’s mind, Ina too sat in the center of the green sphere.

  I wonder if Zech’s okay? Surely if something tragic had happened, I would have heard Meretseger cry or yell? If he was dead, his mind would be dead too, right? she thought.

  Temptation began to rise in her as well. She wondered what else could help her figure out Ria. Maybe something more had happened, a conversation, an experience that perhaps Zech had overlooked. She needed to tap into Zech’s memories.

  Is this wrong? she thought. He said he had nothing to hide?

  She wondered if Zech would ever tap into her thoughts without her consent if he were in her same predicament.

  He would never – how could you even think to not trust him?

  Wait, this wasn’t about trust, it was about knowing the truth for the greater good of the universe. Convinced, Inanna slowly walked to the wall of the sphere and touched it – hoping that would give her some clarity as to where to start. She closed her eyes and began swishing her hands through the walls of the sphere, which seemed to contain many emotions and memories.

  Zech was still sitting in the middle of the sphere where he was trapped. He opened his eyes.

  Okay, you need to know. The truth is she’ll never tell you, and you need to know. I’m going to find out, he said to himself. I let her see my memories – I have nothing to hide. So, it’s only fair? No, I can’t.

  Back in Zech’s sphere, Inanna had already decided she needed to know more. She was transported to a new memory…

  “Good night,” Zech told Ria as she slept peacefully.

  Ria was beautiful. She had been a sad, abused girl; Zech wished he could change that. He suddenly began to feel her pain as he watched her sleep. There was something about Ria that brought him comfort. After all, she had been the only friend ever had. And he too, was her only friend, other than his brother, Salixz. He covered her with a warm blanket, as she slept like an angel. Her skin glowed – she looked different than when he’d first met her. She had become happier and the joy resonated in her face. Her peaceful breathing, her perfect skin, and her pure heart. He bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead, and a smile made its way on her face, but she continued sleeping. Zech laid beside her and fell asleep too.

  Suddenly Inanna was transported to another memory…

  Zech and Ria trailed along the forest together, as Ria touched dead flowers, bringing them to life and making them colorful. All that she touched was revived. Shortly after, she’d walk away, and the flowers would wither again. The planet was slowly dying – the Core Disease was just beginning. Zech tried to revive the plants with his fingertips, and Ria just giggled at his failed attempts. He laughed when he realized it was pointless to try. Ria was more experienced with her powers; it was obvious, and Zech’s powers were still weak because his heart had still not learned to love.

  Suddenly, Ria stared at Zech and looked deep into his eyes. She wasn’t willing him to read her mind, but she suddenly sensed something.

  “Zech, something is holding you back from using your powers. But I think I’m finally sensing them…”

  “What are they?” he became excited.

  “Speed. Agility. Water,” she said as she looked down.

  “Is that it?” he said disappointed.

  “You’re – you,” she hesitated, looking pensive.

  “What, Ria? Just say it. Is it something lame?” he inquired.

  “You’re some sort of protector,” she said.

  Zech waited for Ria to finish, but she continued to stall.

  “Your full powers will be awakened, when you fall in love,” she said.

  Ria felt hurt inside, for although she lived a sad life before she’d met Zech, she instantly felt love the day she met him. She thought once he loved her back, that it would be easy to read him. She was saddened to think that he had a long way to go. It made her pity him.

  “Well then I guess that’ll never happen,” he said looking away. “I don’t think love exists. Especially, the kind you’re describing.”

  “Sure, it does,” Ria said with hopeful eyes. “You just don’t know because you’ve never felt it before.”

  “It’s complicated. I was never given love, so I guess I just don’t know how to love. It’s a trait we never developed in my family. We only know how to fight, we’re soldiers – we’re survivors.”

  Ria said to Zech, hoping he’d understand, “I sensed your power; that means you’re capable of love. You must have felt something in order for me to sense your power.”

  “No. Impossible.”

  “How so? I have no family, yet I know how to love,” she said.

  “How do you know what love is?” Zech asked, obliviously. “You were raised by trolls for one – and –”

  Ria just looked away and interrupted him, “Never mind.”

  There was an awkward silence.

  “Sorry Ria, I did it again. I just…I don’t know what to say. I’m different, I guess.”

  “I understand,” she smiled with empathy.

  “Let’s race!” she hollered, trying to quickly change the conversation. “From here to the North edge of the mountain in less than fifteen seconds.”

  “That’s impossible; we can’t make it there that fast,” he said.

  “Is not; are you afraid of losing to a girl?” she mocked with a smile.

  “No,” he said defensively.

  “So, what are you waiting for? Let’s defy these powers of yours – find out what you’re really made of,” she challenged with a taunting smile.

  “Go!” Ria said as she ran off, leaving Zech in the dust.

  “Wait!” he called and began running.

  Zech ran as fast as he could, but he couldn’t reach Ria. He began panting, unable to catch up, when suddenly Ria came back.

  “Really? That’s all you’ve got? If you want to learn your true powers, you’re going to have to try a little harder,”
she scolded.

  Zech was hunched over, trying to catch his breath, as Ria fell to the ground laughing hysterically.

  “Wow! I really thought you had more in you,” she teased.

  Zech dropped to the ground beside Ria. Looking up at the sky, they both noticed the sun was setting. It was beautiful, with all of its colors reflecting off the mountains.

  “You’ll have to go soon. The sun is going down and you need to scan before someone comes out looking for you…they’ll know you’re with the orphan girl. Not a Kahnroch, nor a Euron,” she said. “You know you don’t have to risk coming back here every night.”

  Zech regained his composure. “I’ll be back tomorrow, same time.”

  Ria watched Zech, admiring him. She thought Zech was perfect. He smiled back at her, turned around, and ran back home. Ria began towards her small home – the root dome.

  As Zech was running back home, he took a wrong turn and noticed he was going in circles. In the distance, he saw a purple orb lighting up. Slowly, he approached the glowing sphere with curiosity – aching to know what it was. Something called to him, a burning desire to touch it. As Zech’s hand extended, it opened up and swallowed him whole, taking him into a dimension he’d never known.

  Ina snapped back into her reality, still trapped in Zech’s mind.

  “What the…” she whispered.

  Past: Kindergarten

  I nanna was in kindergarten and it was time for recess. The worst part of the day for Ina. It was easier when the teacher was watching, easier when the teacher was teaching, easier whenever Ina did not have to talk or interact with other children. She knew she was different. She knew she didn’t have real friends.

  She hated that no one understood her.

  “Hey, look! Ina is glowing!” two kids yelled and pointed at her.

  “I knew you were weird!” a chubby girl yelled to her.

  “Freak!” another yelled.

  Ina was unaware that she was glowing, but her anger had made her turn a purple hue. She looked down at her trembling hands, and felt electric shocks prickling the palms of her hands and feet. Tears filled her eyes and she looked to the corner of the field. There was a young girl, about her same age. She smiled at her gently, knowingly, and it comforted her. Although Inanna didn’t recognize her face, she knew she looked familiar. The girl ran to her, grabbed Inanna’s hands, and she immediately stopped glowing.

  “Don’t worry about them,” the girl reassured Ina.

  “Who are you?” Inanna asked.

  “You’ll know one day,” she smiled kindly.

  “Inanna?” the teacher began approaching, when she realized Ina was interacting with a strange girl who did not belong on the school campus.

  “I’m sorry, Inanna. I have no choice.” The girl said as a tear strolled down her cheek.

  Inanna did not understand, but she knew whatever was going to happen would be for her own good.

  With a swipe of her hand, the little girl paused time into what looked like a green sphere. In an instant, time resumed and the girl vanished.

  Inanna was puzzled for a moment, unaware of what had happened. She was unaware that she had ever been different or that she ever had alien powers or premonitions. She was as human as she could get. Whatever she had encountered, had erased all of her negative memories of society, and she became the most human version of herself. Inanna had lost her powers. The children on the playground had no recollection of her glowing body, or any of her prior awkwardness.

  In fact, they all wanted to play with her now.

  “Hi, I’m Jenna. Wanna play princesses?” she asked cheerfully.

  Ina felt comfort. She felt normal. This was the beginning of Ina’s friendship with Jenna Stettner. This was the beginning of Ina’s new life, as she would know it for the next decade or so.

  Present: Zech in Ina’s Memories

  Z ech sat, still trapped in Ina’s mind. He had decided he wasn’t going to infringe on Ina’s trust, when suddenly he began hearing voices. They were the voices from Ina’s memories and past.

  He grabbed his head and was suddenly transported to the moment Ria tossed Ina into the ocean. Anger filled his veins.

  “Stop!” he yelled.

  Zech was not trying to tap into the memories; they were just coming to him a mile a minute. He saw her childhood – the moments he hadn’t known. So much goodness in Inanna’s heart, and so much ignorance to her own grandeur. Suddenly, Zech tapped into a memory he wished had never come.

  “Will you marry me?” Keith said, bent down on one knee.

  Zech shook his head, trying to think of nothing. Trying to rid himself of the memories in Inanna’s brain.

  Suddenly, Inanna and Keith were on the couch kissing passionately. It was just them, a perfect moment for something intimate Zech did not want to see.

  Zech opened his eyes and watched his trembling hands. He wasn’t a jealous man, but the sight of Keith’s hands all over Inanna made him want to ring Keith out like a wet rag. He closed his eyes, hoping he’d wake up out of the horrible memory, but he continued reliving it.

  “Ina, it’s the perfect time; your mom is gone. It’s been over a year, don’t you think we should, you know?” Keith tried coaxing.

  “What?!” Zech stood up, snapping out of the memory for an instant. He paced as he brushed his hair back and forth with his hands in frustration. “Oh no…no Ina. Tell him no!”

  Suddenly he was back in the vision. Zech obviously knew he couldn’t control the past – he was reliving a memory he just couldn’t help himself. He wanted to grab Keith and toss him.

  “I just don’t think we should, Keith,” Ina said, as she adjusted her shirt and sat up. “I kinda wanna wait, you know…for marriage.”

  “Ina, no offense but, it’s the twenty-first century!” Keith laughed in surprise.

  Zech yelled in the empty sphere. “Oh, this is…” Zech cursed something in Covian.

  The scene continued, as Zech watched the memory, and spoke out loud to himself. Ina stood up and walked to the bathroom, giving herself a long hard look in the mirror.

  “Why are you doing this, Inanna Ruthe Preston? You don’t even love him,” she said to herself. “Plus, you’re dreaming about some random guy. Who are you, and why are you haunting my sleep, Zech, whoever the hell you are? Pull yourself together, Ina!”

  Zech stood still watching the vision.

  Ina washed her face with cold water, took a deep breath, adjusted her blouse, and walked out to the living room.

  “Keith, I think you should go,” she said.

  “What? Why?” He was dumbfounded.

  “Because Keith – it’s the twenty first-century, right? Maybe I just wanna watch a twenty-first century movie – or I dunno, be independent! The twenty-first century kind of way, seeing as how I’m feeling so very detached from the twenty-first century.”

  Keith chuckled in embarrassment. “Yeah, I got it. Twenty-first century.”

  “And P.S., my twenty-first century vagina,” she said as she awkwardly pointed to her crotch, “isn’t going to be available until I say it is. Got it?”

  “Whoa! Got it! Sorry if I struck a nerve? I –”

  Ina interrupted, “Well you’ve been really pushy lately. And I just want to be alone, so please.”

  “All right. Have a good night,” Keith said as he grabbed his things and left abruptly.

  Zech stood with his mouth open, then raised his eyebrows in approval and admiration for the way Ina handled herself. Nodding his head more viciously now, he began jumping up and down, throwing fist pumps in the air. When he was done with his moment of glory, he laid flat on his back, closed his eyes, and smiled a smile of great victory.

  Past: Fourth Grade

  I na and Jenna were in fourth grade.

  “Okay children, it’s recess time,” the teacher called out.

  The children ran outside in a frenzy of happiness.

  “Hopscotch?” Jenna asked.

  “How abo
ut jump rope?” Ina asked, giggling.

  The girls began jumping the ropes.

  “There’s that strange girl again,” a teacher said, pointing to a girl in the distance. She just stood around, with no real urgency to do anything other than loiter outside the school.

  “I’ve already told the front office staff to report it. Those parents just let her wander around alone. Why homeschool a child if you can’t even watch them?” another teacher asked.

  “Shouldn’t you be in school, young lady? You need to stop coming around here during the school day,” hollered one of the teachers.

  The girl just stood there, looking at Inanna and Jenna.

  Inanna stopped jumping rope. She recognized this girl. She came around every now and then during recess.

  “There’s that girl again. She’s always coming around here,” Jenna said.

  “You better go I said! This will be the last time I say it!” The teacher raised her voice.

  The girl exchanged an angry scorn, sending chills up the teacher’s spine.

  “What are you going to do about it?” the girl asked defiantly.

  Before the teacher could answer, the girl had already jumped the fence and come face to face with her.

  “Call the office,” the teacher commanded to her colleagues, but the other teachers had already begun calling all their students inside.

  The girl smiled in amusement.

  “Boo,” the girl said as she launched herself exaggeratedly towards the teacher, but not actually touching her.

  The teacher screamed and flinched back, as the girl began laughing.

  Ina and Jenna watched attentively from where they were standing, both holding hands and suddenly afraid of this young stranger.

  “You humans are pathetic, you know,” the girl said shaking her head, climbing the fence, and running off quickly.

  Ina and Jenna just looked at each other and giggled, then followed everyone inside, unsure of what they just witnessed.

  Present: Ina in Zech’s Memories

  I na was back to reliving Zech’s memory. Zech had been sucked in by the purple orb he found in the woods. She had never seen Zech scared like this; he was screaming. The young boy, about twelve years old, was riding in a very familiar aircraft that looked exactly like the one that brought Ina to Cova. He was then quickly spit out onto the Earthen ground.