Planet Urth Boxed Set

by Jennifer Martucci

  As he drew nearer, Melissa felt breathless. She felt the world spinning on its axis. She was lightheaded, giddy as he pressed his lips to hers chastely. His mouth was warm, his lips soft and supple. She delighted in their heat. Her heart continued to pound fervidly, threatened to escape the containment of her ribcage. She was completely unprepared for the euphoric sensation his lips inspired. She felt high in every sense of the word.

  Then, with an unceremonious trio of beeps emitted from Gabriel’s wristwatch, Melissa and Gabriel were brusquely reminded of the time.

  Their kiss ended. It was time for her to go home.

  Despondently, Melissa accepted that their evening was over as Gabriel turned on the headlamps of his Ford Explorer and began navigating the curved pathway out of the East Fallkill Recreation Center.

  The drive lasted less than ten minutes, ample time to deflate the emotions that surged and swelled moments ago. Gabriel turned onto Blackstone Drive before stopping at number fifty. He pulled into the driveway and switched off the headlights.

  Dreading the valedictory portion of their every encounter was something Melissa had become used to. This night was no exception. In fact, it proved more difficult than usual. They acknowledged their feelings for each other, and sealed them with a singular kiss.

  “I guess I have to go in,” Melissa said dejectedly.

  “I’ll miss you,” Gabriel affirmed.

  “I’ll miss you, too.”

  “I’ll call you in the morning. We can talk about our plans for tomorrow night. I was thinking maybe we could just hang out at my house. I can cook you dinner,” Gabriel offered.

  With spirits buoyed anew, Melissa smiled at his suggestion. “That sounds like a great idea. I can’t wait. I can make something if you’d like.”

  “That won’t be necessary. I’d love the opportunity to showcase my culinary skills…for my girlfriend.”

  Melissa took great pleasure in hearing Gabriel refer to her as his girlfriend.

  The outside light flickered. Her father was awake and summoning her.

  “Looks like I've got to go,” Melissa said as she gestured to the flickering fixture. “My dad is so subtle.”

  Gabriel climbed out of the driver’s seat and came around to open the passenger side door for Melissa.

  “He just cares about you. And I do too. What I mean to say is,” Gabriel stalled momentarily.

  “I love you, Melissa.”

  “I love you, too,” she replied suddenly electrified, enlivened.

  “Goodnight Melissa”

  “Goodnight,” Melissa said and gave Gabriel a peck on the cheek and dashed inside.

  Chapter 12

  Gabriel drove away from Melissa’s house on Blackstone Drive. His heart thumped wildly as he replayed the evening in his mind, how Melissa’s fingers interlaced with his, how her lips melded with his. His hand unconsciously touched his mouth as if searching for a sensation that lingered and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Her words resonated in his ears, three in particular. The expression she articulated, I love you, was indelibly imprinted in his core. He had never heard those words spoken together, for him. Melissa loved him. She had said so herself. She professed the most profound of feelings a human being could have for another, for him.

  Although that fact evoked an emotional and physical response more potent than any book or movie could convey, guilt circled Gabriel, stalked him as a ferocious beast shadows its prey.

  He turned down the long driveway leading to his house. As he pulled his Explorer in to one of three garage ports, self-reproach descended on him, tore at him with fanged teeth. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. Everything about him was a lie. His home and his relationship with Terzini, why he was in Harbingers Falls, his existence, were all carefully crafted lies. Shame overwhelmed him. Closing his eyes and depressing pressure points would not lessen his burden, though. He knew that such actions were irrelevant, ineffective. Hampered by despair, he reluctantly exited his SUV.

  His stomach rolled as he crossed the threshold of the beautiful house. It stood as a beacon, an elaborate reminder of his many falsehoods. The structure, bought not by his father as he had led Melissa Martin to believe, but by Dr. Franklin Terzini, enabled research and development; the same research and development that led to his creation.

  Dr. Franklin Terzini was responsible for his existence, had created him, but not as other men claimed responsibility for their offspring’s actuality. Gabriel’s maker had hand-selected and altered each strand of his DNA. Terzini was singly accountable for his being, had offered little more than his genius to achieve it.

  Gabriel knew Dr. Terzini had acquired the genetic material of others, how he had preyed on those who sought the help of fertility specialists to enhance their chances of conception, and had exploited them. Utilizing several pseudonyms and the anonymity proffered by the World Wide Web, his maker had relieved countless fertility candidates of their samples but never united them as they had hoped. Instead, he engineered their matter to suit his scientific pursuits. He used it to create Gabriel.

  Yet Gabriel did not view himself as an innovation, an idea realized. Nor did he regard himself as a product of corrupt activity. Rather, he considered himself as human as anyone he encountered thus far–more so in some cases. He wondered if presented with the truth, Melissa would deem him a monster. After all, she had not been given the opportunity to know what he really was. Melissa was not privy to the secrets of Gabriel’s formation.

  Remorse slashed at Gabriel, threatened to consume him. He had lied to the one person he cared about, the one person on Earth who cared for him in return.

  It became painfully clear that he needed to tell her the truth. He attempted rationalization, telling himself that if she loved him as she said she did, surely she would understand. But the reality of the situation was that he would not know until he told her.

  Gabriel retired to his room and undressed. He desperately needed rest, a reprieve from the unrelenting reflections that raided his psyche. But sleep eluded him. Torment supplanted slumber. He tossed and turned before surrendering his battle with insomnia and conceding defeat.

  Instead of repose, he sought solace in his favorite volumes of literature. He took his sketch pad from beneath his bed but could not draw save for the exquisite lines of Melissa’s face. Every attempt at comfort failed. So he lay awake in his bed as the night progressed slowly, torturously until daybreak finally arrived.

  He watched from his window as dawn crept at an equally cruel pace and the sun began its indolent ascent from the horizon line. Reluctant rays lazily stretched and strained against the indigo heavens. A new day slowly emerged.

  The rising sun signified a reckoning; it was the day Gabriel would confide in Melissa his deepest and darkest secret. He would tell her of his origins.

  Motivated by an intense desire to please and impress Melissa, Gabriel began preparing and planning for his evening with her. He showered and shaved then brushed his teeth before making breakfast for himself. After assessing the state of his house, he decided he would need to clean each room. He also planned to cook a romantic dinner for Melissa. But before doing so, he consulted an Italian cookbook and chose a recipe he considered both palatable and appropriate for the occasion. After deciding on a salad appetizer, a linguine and shrimp main course and a decadent dessert, he formulated a shopping list and went shopping.

  Busied by various chores, the day passed quickly; more quickly than Gabriel had expected. Shopping, cleaning and cooking had taken several hours. But he performed such tasks with relative ease. As part of his multifaceted learning program, domestic maintenance had an integral role.

  His education embraced every nuance of etiquette. As a result, Gabriel had arranged a table setting that would have impressed Martha Stewart. Satisfied with his tableware arrangement complete with fresh flowers and candles, he double-checked that his shrimp linguine dish, perfected with fresh Portobello mushrooms a
nd freshly made linguine he had prepared after his grocery excursion, was simmering not burning.

  Another phase of his comprehensive education included the acquisition of culinary skills. Gabriel had cooking competences comparable to world-renowned chefs. His maker valued the concept of a Renaissance man and held that his gift to the world should not merely have generous genetic endowments, but also be highly skilled in multiple fields and multiple disciplines and should have a broad base of knowledge.

  In Gabriel’s accelerated learning curricula, exposure to numerous focuses was compulsory. Consequently, he was fluent in seven languages, had unsurpassed spatial awareness that gave him generous artistic ability and was proficient in cuisine creation, philosophy, astronomy, religious studies and literary techniques and analysis.

  Cooking was one of Gabriel’s many learned skills that he found enjoyable, especially under the current circumstances. The speed with which he comprehended and executed each subtlety of the craft was courtesy of his superior genes. The pleasure he felt while preparing such fare on this night was credited singularly to Melissa Martin. The thought of her delighting in delicacies prepared by his hands excited Gabriel, filled him with a sense of contentment.

  He smiled as he checked the strawberry tiramisu he had constructed. Melissa had a sweet tooth. Because of her fondness for sweets, he believed a store-bought version of this dessert would not be sufficient. He considered every strawberry he hulled, cleaned and quartered them, contemplated the brand of rum used and brooded over the quality of the mascarpone cheese selection at the grocery store. He deliberated over every detail.

  After a quick check of the time, Gabriel went upstairs to his bedroom and dressed. He selected a royal blue button-down shirt and khaki chinos.

  At 5:15 p.m. Gabriel went to the garage and started his SUV. He pulled out and drove the length of his winding driveway and drove to Melissa’s house.

  As he traveled the now familiar route, a pang of sadness struck him. He wondered if he would be driving this route with happiness and exhilaration ever again. After hearing the news that she was about to receive, Melissa may never want to see him again.

  Panic seized Gabriel as he entertained the very real possibility of her rejection. His heart pounded. His palms slickened with sweat. His breathing became shallow. He fought the urge to pull his car off the road and vomit. Instead, he settled on opening the windows. The fresh air helped, but did not fully calm his fears.

  After a brief blast of chilly air, he felt slightly better. He put his windows up and turned on the heating system as he turned on to Blackstone Drive. He did so for Melissa; she was always cold and would appreciate the warmth. He left the ignition on as he went to the front door to get her.

  Melissa appeared seconds after he sounded the doorbell. Gabriel smiled when she opened the door.

  “You look breathtaking,” he admired.

  “Thanks,” Melissa said blushing slightly. “I went shopping this morning. Alexandra helped me pick out this outfit.”

  Melissa looked sleek and sexy in dark-wash, fitted skinny jeans and black leather riding boots that rose to mid-calf. Her top was feminine and befitting her personality. Ensconced in pale pink, Melissa donned a camisole topped with a cropped cotton cardigan that fell to her hips.

  Her emerald-green eyes, lined with charcoal liner and mascara, smoldered. Melissa looked stunning. Gabriel fumbled as he reached for her coat.

  Her long, light-brown hair cascaded down to her elbows. Several curls tumbled over one shoulder. As Gabriel helped Melissa with her coat, she lifted her hair from beneath the woolen material. He detected a warm vanilla scent with caramel and coconut undertones, Melissa’s signature fragrance. Each time he inhaled it, he was intoxicated anew.

  She looked up at him, caught him grinning as he relished in her fragrance.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “Yep. Let’s go.”

  “Bye Dad!” Melissa called out to her father.

  “Remember, midnight, Gabriel. Not a moment later,” he called back.

  “Yes sir,” Gabriel replied.

  Gabriel opened the passenger side door for Melissa before climbing back into the driver’s seat of his Ford Explorer and pulling out of Melissa’s driveway.

  Smiling and holding hands, Gabriel and Melissa drove in comfortable silence.

  As they turned on to the private road that doubled as his driveway, his impressive home came into sight.

  “Gabriel! Your house is…spectacular!” Melissa marveled. “I mean, you didn’t tell me you were rich!”

  “Well, technically, I’m not,” he offered only half-joking.

  “This house is amazing. It should be on the cover of Architectural Digest or something.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  “No, seriously, Gabriel, it’s a compliment. Wow. Now I’m sorry I let you see my house,” she kidded.

  “What do you mean? I love your house.”

  “You live here. You cannot possibly love my house,” Melissa countered sarcastically.

  “Yours is a home. Mine is just a house.”

  “Is there a difference?” Melissa inquired.

  “A house is where you sleep, eat and shower, where you exist. A home is where you live, where you make happy memories and, I don’t know, grow as a person.”

  “Huh,” she said and looked as though she were considering his words. “That’s really deep. I mean, you’re pretty much saying that you’re not happy here, with your dad. Is that right?”

  Cringing at the word “dad” but weighing the sincerity of each word as he spoke them, Gabriel proposed, “Not before tonight.”

  Melissa did not respond verbally. Instead, parked in the garage of his house, she leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips.

  “Let’s go inside. Dinner is ready and waiting for us,” Gabriel declared, still reeling slightly from the spontaneous kiss.

  Melissa let herself out of the Explorer before he could get to the passenger side door.

  “Hey, what was that about?” he asked jokingly.

  “Gabriel, you don’t have to do that whole door-opening thing for me. I mean, it’s so sweet and gentlemanly of you to even want to, but really, it’s not necessary,” Melissa said.

  “It’s not a chore. I like to. Besides, it’s part of who I am, how I was taught.”

  “Then I stand corrected,” Melissa smiled. “By all means, open as many doors for me as you like. Knock yourself out,” she kidded.

  As if on cue, Gabriel opened the door of the laundry room for Melissa and grandly stated, “After you!”

  Laughing, Melissa crossed the threshold and ascended the flight of stairs with Gabriel in tow.

  At the top of the staircase, Gabriel opened another door for Melissa and used the same exaggerated statement.

  Melissa and Gabriel, both giggling, stepped into the hallway of his house.

  He watched as her eyes widened upon seeing the gleaming hardwood flooring that extended the length of the hallway into the formal living room and dining room.

  “This place is amazing,” Melissa commented as she surveyed the living space.

  Gabriel knew of his creator’s eye for decorative design. Though Terzini was continuously distracted by improving on his many achievements and chose to live primarily in a bunker, he did have an eye for beauty. Every piece of furniture in the Gothic Victorian exuded refined taste and high quality. Impressive but not ostentatious, leather sofas were positioned around a grand fireplace and resembled furnishings befitting an exclusive hunt club. With cigar-hued distressed leather finish and fabric upholstery, the appointments were equal parts intimidating and inviting.

  In the center of the arrangement of sofas, a hand-crafted mahogany coffee table rested atop an intricately designed area rug that incorporated the rooms earth-toned color scheme. On the exquisite coffee table was a hand-painted rectangular black and bronze planter with an intricate fruit design painted on it. Artificial cream colored flowers and seve
ral pieces of wax fruit filled the planter. On the mantle of the massive, antique eggshell marble fireplace, an array of cream colored vases adorned with delicate brown flowers sat. Two of the walls were lined with mahogany bookcases filled with books and extended from floor to ceiling. The remaining two walls were painted a light brown and trimmed with off-white crown moldings,

  “Gabriel, I don’t even know what to say. This place is…wow. I mean where do I begin?”

  Embarrassed, Gabriel did not acknowledge Melissa’s awe.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” he faltered.

  “I’m starving,” she replied as her eyes roamed the room. “But seriously, this place is a palace. I mean, I thought the outside was spectacular! You are so never allowed in my house again,” she teased.

  Then, wrapping her arms around his waist Melissa added, “Hey, you okay? I’m sorry if I’m acting like, I don’t know, I’ve never worn shoes before or something.”

  Gabriel looked at her, puzzled.

  “What does that even mean?” he asked.

  “Honestly, I have no idea,” Melissa laughed.

  Melissa’s arms encircling him and her melodious laughter relaxed him marginally. Tension still remained as the most daunting task was still before him. He had yet to share his secret with Melissa.

  She released her grip on Gabriel and he reluctantly freed her from his reciprocal embrace. He led her to the dining room.

  As they entered, Gabriel watched Melissa. Her mouth fell open at the layout before her, the oversized cherry wood table flanked by upholstered cushioned chairs in a rich garnet shade, how the colors of the fabric were all in the same color scheme as the walls and drapery and contrasted the cream colored crown molding.

  The room was illuminated by an ornate crystal chandelier and tapered cranberry candles arranged in a sterling silver candelabra. Every article in the space was lustrous, radiant. The chandelier sparkled, reflecting and refracting light. The silver of the candleholder glistened with the reflective properties of a mirror. Polished and perfect, every appointment resembled that of a royal chamber.