Chapter Two
The Save Jr. Heaven Squad
Ryan stared down at the table. “I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my girlfriend is an alien.”
I reached out and took his hand. Thankfully he didn’t pull it away this time. “I remember you always said one of the things you liked about me the most was how I’m a bit different from the other girls you’ve met.”
He let out a sigh. “I had no idea how different.”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m still the same person you fell in love with.”
The waiter appeared with a whiskey shot. “Sir, I believe you ordered this.”
Normally I’d be amused by the way the waiter knew exactly what Ryan wanted. But the whiskey order told me Ryan had a hard time accepting my alien blood.
Ryan downed the shot and placed the glass on the table. “Just give me a minute to process the news, okay?”
I nodded as I pushed my cannelloni around on my plate. My appetite had vanished. Ryan and I had never had a fight before. I stood up. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
In Heaven there was no need for restrooms other than a place to check to make sure your make-up still looked good. I moved past Ryan but he grabbed my arm. “Stay.”
“I’m sorry, Ryan.” I sat back down next to him. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”
He stroked my hand. “I know. The news had to be even more shocking for you.”
I leaned against his strong shoulder. “You have no idea. I keep wondering what else I’ll find out about myself.”
A weak smile crossed his face. “At least you don’t have antennae.”
I laughed. “That’s exactly what I said to my dad.”
“I don’t care who your father is.” He gently kissed my lips. “I love you, no matter what.”
***
A cool breeze blew through my hair causing goosebumps to form on my arms. It felt strange to be back at my grandparents’ lake house. I’d been so busy trying to win the Cloud Nine Contest, my weekly visits had stopped. This time my grandmother wasn’t going to be here to greet me. She and my grandfather were trying to patch up their marriage in Senior Heaven. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that my grandfather had an affair, and in Heaven of all places. I pushed the thought away.
Celery looped her arm around mine. “I can see why you like the place. It’s a little slice of Heaven.”
Just like her to make a bad joke. I pointed to the front of the Victorian cottage. “Yes, except the gingerbread on the porch is falling off.”
Celery gave me a weak smile. “But we’re going to fix that.”
I stopped by the hammock my Gramps had strung up between two huge maple trees with a view of the lake. “Mind if I take a break?”
She nodded. “Sure. As long as I can join you.”
I pulled out the knotted rope netting so we both could fit. Kicking off the grass with one foot, the hammock swung gently back and forth. “Thanks for coming here with me. It’s my favorite place to clear my head.”
Celery watched the gentle breeze move through the trees. “You always talked so much about your grandmother’s lake house, I’m glad I could finally see it.”
“It doesn’t make you homesick for Earth? Cel, are you sure you don’t mind staying in JH a bit longer?”
She played with the fringe on the edge of the hammock. “To tell you the truth, I was kind of dreading going back to my old life. My parents won’t know I ever died, so they will treat me like an afterthought just like before.”
Tears formed in her eyes. I took her hand. “You have me now. We’re family, remember?”
She brushed a tear off her cheek. “Right. The pledge we made back in Hollywood.”
I squeezed her hand. “I meant it. You’ll never be alone again.”
Celery sat up. “Awesome! I’d love to learn more about your family. Why don’t you show me your grandparents’ place?”
Reluctantly, I got up from my favorite spot. “Sure.”
I led Celery down the stepping-stones to the house. It was sad to see the scrollwork barely hanging onto the roof gable. The steel blue paint peeled off the clapboards like layers of an onionskin. Holding open the door, Celery entered the cozy parlor filled with Gram’s favorite antiques.
I spread my arms out like a game show hostess. “This is my second home. I’ll give you the five cent tour.”
She looped her arm through mine. “Awesome. And when you’re done I have a little surprise for you.”
“Great. I could use one.” I led Celery to the middle of the worn Chinese carpet that covered the living room floor. “Here’s where we play cards and hang out.”
Celery scanned the small but quaint room. “Normally I’m totally not into granny furniture, but here it looks really cozy.” She plopped down on the Rocco loveseat and bounced up and down. “I always thought antique furniture was super uncomfortable, but I could hang here for awhile.”
I sat down in Gramps’ old recliner. “I’ve had some really good times in this room.”
A noise came from the back of the house. ”What the heck is that?”
Celery shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing. Just the wind.”
She jumped up from the loveseat and pointed to the pictures hanging in the hallway. “Those look really cool, can you tell me about them?”
I pushed the footrest back and got back into tour guide mode. “Okay, a quick look then I’ll show you the bedrooms.”
Celery got up and followed me down the hall. She stood mesmerized by the antique photos. “You don't have to say anything.” I tugged at her arm when she continued to gaze at the photos. “I know they look at bit like the Addams Family.”
She stood in front of the tintype of my great, great, great grandparents taken in Europe. “I knew you said your mother’s family was from Germany, but they look like they belong dancing on the top of a cuckoo clock.”
Ugh. That’s exactly what I thought when I first saw the picture. I tugged on her arm again. “This is my grandparents’ bedroom. My great grandmother made the quilt on the bed. Isn’t it pretty?”
She took in the alternating squares of blue and red pinwheels. “It’s actually really cool. It makes kind of an optical illusion when I look at it to long.”
I laughed. “Tell me about it. Used to make my stomach turn when I jumped up and down on the bed when I was kid.”
Celery moved to the bedroom next door. “Is this where you sleep?”
I ran my hand over the simple brass bed covered with a white and blue chenille bedspread. “Yep. My home away from home.” The pleasant fragrance of roses drifted through the room. “I love the way the room smells like a flower garden.”
Celery laughed. “Or a very potent air freshener.”
I help up a pretty cut glass bowl filled to the brim with dried rose petals. “Nature’s own air freshener.”
She smiled. “You love flowers like your grandmother.”
“Yes, I do.” I placed the bowl back on the dresser. “So you’ve seen my secret place. What are we going to do about making sure it doesn’t fall down along with the rest of JH?”
Celery ran her hand along the brass bed. “We need to get more help. Blaine and Palmer are going to keep Ryan and me way too busy.”
I let out a sigh. “That’s not going to be easy. There isn’t anyone else we can trust.”
The aroma of baking cookies drifted down the hallway. “That’s weird. How could the place still smell of chocolate? Grandma hasn’t lived here in over a week.”
A devilish smile crossed Celery’s face. “Maybe it’s a cookie air freshener?”
“What’s going on? You’re acting like you’re hiding something.”
She took my hand and led me out of the bedroom and down the hall toward the kitchen. “Might have something to do with your surprise.”
I raced to the kitchen and burst through the swinging door. My grandmother stood next to the oven with a pan of fresh
ly baked chocolate chip cookies. She held one out for me. “Pumpkin, you look hungry.”
I took the cookie from her hand. The warm chocolate oozed between my fingers. “I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”
My grandfather poked his head from behind the kitchen door. “Hi, Red.”
“Gramps? What’s going on? I thought you guys were working things out in Senior Heaven.”
“T, don’t get ticked at your grandparents. I asked them to come.“ Celery went over to the stove and hugged my grandmother. “You wanted people you trust to help. Here they are.”
***
With Celery and Ryan on board, I led them into a vast room with wrought iron pillars covered in wisteria vines for our meeting with Father. Lavender blooms hung down in huge clusters. A monumental glass-domed ceiling hovered over our heads like a gigantic hat. I breathed in the familiar pungent fragrance of the blooms.Celery’s and Ryan’s mouths hung open as we entered the One and Only-aka-my dad’s main residence. The entryway rivaled any celebrity’s mansion I’d ever seen. The ceiling stood thirty feet tall. I led them past an enormous tapestry of cupids and angels flying through Heaven. Three purple velvet throne chairs sat proudly next to the amazing scene. My father expected us.
It felt strange to enter the palace without Father’s right hand man, Mr. X, escorting me in. “Guys, let’s sit down. My father is probably meditating. He’ll join us as soon as he’s done.”
Ryan and Celery craned their necks to get a better view of the vast glass-domed room. They didn't even hear me. Celery rubbed her shoulders. “Did you say something about meditating?”
I pointed to the throne chairs. “Let’s sit over here.” We sat down in the straight back chairs and waited. I felt like I was in the principal’s office just like the first time I had come to the palace. My father strolled in wearing his purple hoodie and matching yoga pants. As always, he acted like he either smoked a ton of weed or meditated twenty-four hours a day.
Ryan stood up and stared wide-eyed at my father—the alien. My father pushed back his hoodie revealing his striking auburn hair that matched mine. He held out his hand. “Glad to meet you, finally. Nice work winning the Cloud Nine Contest.”
I bit my lip. Could Ryan work with my father after he changed Ryan’s face against his will? After Ryan learned who Father truly was?
My answer came quickly when he just shook my father’s hand and nodded.
Celery, sensing an awkward moment, stood up and held out her hand. “Awesome to meet you, sir.” She couldn’t help gawking at my father’s less-than-impressive outfit. “Had no idea aliens were into yoga.”
My father laughed and released Celery’s hand. “I’m so glad you offered to come to the aid of my daughter.”
“No problem.” Celery draped her arm over my shoulder. “Anything for my bestie.”
My father smiled. “I am glad my daughter has such a loyal friend.” He turned to look at me. “Do you have anyone else who will join the cause?”
“Yes, my grandparents are happy to help. They just had to run back to Senior Heaven to pick up a few things.”
Father gave me a smile. “Perfect. We will need more people that are trustworthy.”
Ryan’s shoulders relaxed. He was starting to forgive my father. “I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
My father nodded. “Good. I have a theory about what will permanently reverse the course of Heaven’s destruction, but I need to get control of Palmer first. The more people we have the better our chances of success.”
Celery’s hands balled into fists. “I’ll be happy to get rid of Palmer and his lap dog, Blaine.”
“I like your enthusiasm. I’m afraid Palmer has a few more people helping him besides the traitor Skater Boy. He managed to turn at least seventy of my men against me.”
I had to give Father credit. He handled his men’s betrayal with far more class than I would have. “They will wish they had never heard the name Palmer by the time we get through with them.”
Celery pumped her fist in the air. “Right on, sister!”
Father beamed. “Your passion is admirable, my daughter. But first things first. We need to determine what Palmer’s plan is before we can implement our own.”
If only I knew what the creep had in mind. “Do you have a spy?”
“I have the next best thing.” Father walked over to a small box resting on the console table. He slid open the top and pulled out a small object the size of a hearing aid. Father placed the device in the palm of my hand. “This will enable you to hear all of Palmer’s conversations.”
Celery raced to my side. “Put it on. I want to know what that creep is saying.”
Ryan gave me an encouraging smile. “Go ahead. We need to know what the enemy is planning.”
I wedged the small flesh colored device in my left ear. At first I heard the sound of garbled static, but then I concentrated on Palmer’s face. His voice echoed in my ear. “We will implement the plan immediately. Taylor is the key.”
Chapter Three
The Stage is Set
So I was the key to everything. But why didn’t I see what I needed to do as clearly as everyone else? Once again, I’d become the team leader just like during the Cloud Nine contest. The responsibility of winning the fight with Palmer weighed me down like an elephant on my shoulders. I tapped down the volume of the earpiece. While Palmer busily shuffled through papers, I needed time to think.
So my father seemed convinced I held the key to solving Heavens destruction and Palmer felt the same way. I represented both worlds—human and the Katran. How could I use that to my advantage? The Katrans’ arrival had triggered the collapse of Heaven’s atmosphere but how could I reverse the effects? Only one person always knew the answers—Mr. X.
The Temple of Truth still looked exactly like a copy of the Khufu Pyramid in Egypt, but it had taken a beating since the last time I was here. The bronze sign above the enormous entrance doors declared “Templ of Trut.” The end letters had corroded away. A bald man the size of a WWF champion wrestler stood by a large Sphinx statue in the same exact spot as the first time I’d come to the Temple. But his golden robe covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics no longer sparkled in the sun. He spotted me and waved. “Please come in.”
This time I knew there was a doorway hidden amid the scenes of royal pharaoh life depicted on the walls. I smiled as I passed a mural filled with whimsical animals. Their eyes followed me as I walked by.
I opened the concealed door with a simple flick of my wrist. Inside the gilded walls still glowed, illuminated by two brass chandeliers each the size of a Smart Car. The space still looked like an old-fashioned movie theater, just like the first time I’d arrived. A lone chair stood in the center of the room. The red velvet chair had large gold sphinxes carved on the arms. I sat down, sinking deep into the plush cushion. The room’s walls were filled with impressive hieroglyphic panels depicting an ancient river. The familiar sound of rushing water echoed all around me. Strange that such a beautiful place had brought me nothing but dread.
Trumpets drowned out the peaceful rushing water. A man as tall as a basketball player, wearing a loose gold robe, materialized out of thin air—Mr. X. He drifted closer to me. His limbs, as pale as onionskin, were so translucent, the map-like network of blood veins running across his arms showed through. He floated down until his sandal-clad feet touched the stone floor. “Taylor, welcome back to the Temple of Truth. How may I help you?”
It felt reassuring to see Mr. X without his scary glowing silver orb. His ever-present earpiece was absent too. That meant my father couldn’t hear our conversation. Good.
I sucked in a breath. “You seem to have an answer for everything. Maybe you can help me figure out how being part alien can help fix Heaven.”
Another Sphinx chair materialized out of thin air and drifted down right next to me. Mr. X floated over and sat down. “If you recall, I do not provide solutions to your queries. I merely facilitate access to
the answers inside your brain.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “Would you like me to start the process?”
I knew from experience that the process involved a laser light pulsing out of the ceiling aimed straight for my head. “Ah no. Can’t you just ask me questions like a normal person?”
A high-pitched sound came out of his mouth. “You are amusing, Taylor. I think you would have deduced by now I am not from your world.”
His features were so different from the Katrans. “You’re not like my father. Where are you from?”
His lips curled into a strange horseshoe shape. “So, you are the facilitator now?”
This conversation got me nowhere. Better change the subject. “I wanted to thank you for the earpiece. It’s provided me with some very valuable information.”
He laced his fingers together. “I am pleased.”
“I’ve learned that there is a small army of men helping Palmer. I need a way to capture them so we can lock them up.”
“You need a device to immobilize them?”
“Yes. There aren’t any weapons in Heaven. So we are at a huge disadvantage.”
A sly grin crossed Mr. X’s angular face. “And you thought I might possess such a device?”
It wasn’t a long shot. Anyone who had a torture device, a glowing orb that could transport people to unknown destinations, and earpiece that could read people’s thoughts probably had other inventions up his sleeve. “Yes.”
He floated up from the chair and glided to the far side of the room. “I will return in a moment.”
It still felt strange to have Mr. X as an ally. But I respected my father’s choice as his right-hand man.
Mr. X floated back into the room with something in his hand. He knelt down in front of me. “You must take great caution in using this device.”
I laughed when he placed the space-age silver object in my hand. “It’s a toy ray gun just like the ones I saw in Mr. Pollor’s Out of this World Emporium.”
“It is not a toy any longer. I have made a few modifications.” He pointed to a blue switch on the right side of the gun.
Heavenly Returns Page 2
