Closer Than Earth

by LD Marr

  Most of the darkness that I experienced was alien to me. But some I recognized of it. I’d had some of those thoughts and feelings too--fear, resentment, selfishness, judging and blaming myself and others, and more.

  Whenever that happened, I looked down at my own feet and saw dirt they’d left on the floor too. I scrubbed at it and dipped the mop in the water. The painful darkness passed through me a second time, and then it was gone.

  And so it went on for what seemed like hours. I kept cleaning the floor and experiencing despair, pain, and horror with each dip of my mop. As soon as I’d cleaned a spot, more people would pass through and leave more dirt. But I didn’t stop cleaning. It was as if I couldn’t stop.

  Chapter 7

  It was a relief to wake up the next morning, but I woke up tired as if I’d hardly slept.

  And the same dark feelings I’d felt all night seemed to be washing through me in a painful, unclean wave. I opened my eyes and saw all of the inhabitants of this house standing nearby and looking down at me.

  “How are you doing this morning?” Ereen asked me.

  “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I’m afraid I didn’t sleep well,” I said. “I had a strange dream the entire night. And somehow, it still seems to be with me.”

  I sat up and looked around at the others.

  “I’ll bring breakfast,” said Muurg, and he walked away.

  “Can you tell us about it?” Ereen asked.

  “Yes, I’ll tell you,” I answered.

  Ereen sat next to me on the couch. The others pulled up chairs and sat nearby. I pushed down my feeling of regret that Vohn didn’t sit on the couch.

  Muurg returned with a tray of food and a beverage that he placed in front of me on the clear coffee table. I took a drink of the sparkling liquid and then told them about my nightmare.

  “Yes, that’s what we thought,” said Ereen when I stopped talking. “We sensed you having such a dream during the night, but we weren’t able to read it in your mind. Dreams are like that. They’re private.”

  I was glad to hear that something was private.

  Then Humm spoke up.

  “However, now that we’ve confirmed that she’s a portal, there’s a decision to be made. Should we stay close to Earth long enough for all to pass through, or should we leave the solar system today as we’d planned?”

  “That must be up to her,” Vohn spoke for the first time.

  “I can’t make that decision because I don’t know what you’re all talking about,” I said.

  Now, even though terrible feelings were passing through me, part of me was warmed just because he’d spoke to me.

  “We believe that you’re a portal for those who are dying on your planet,” he said. “Normally, the dying souls of those who accumulate karma can’t leave the planet of their origin. They must be born again and again until they finally cleanse themselves by experiencing the consequences of their actions. But if all humanity dies on your planet, billions of souls will remain there in bodiless form, waiting for life to evolve again--if it ever does.”

  “That’s terrible!” I said.

  “Yes,” said Vohn. “But there’s one other way these souls can leave. When all life on a planet is dying, a portal sometimes opens. It’s a gate that dying souls can pass through and be cleansed without having to live more lives on the planet. Then they can go on to wherever they need to go next. I don’t claim to know where that is, however.”

  “But what does that have to do with me?” I asked. “I’m not a portal. I’m not a gate. I’m just a person too.”

  Vohn leaned forward and looked into my eyes.

  “Yes. You are a portal,” he said. “You are Earth’s gate.”

  I felt stunned. I closed my eyes and leaned against the back of the huge couch. The now-familiar feeling of dark and evil passing through me was still there. Could what he said really be true?

  “I don’t know. I don’t know. Why me? If it’s true, why do I have to be the one?” I said.

  I turned my head back and forth in attempted denial.

  But as soon as I’d asked that question, I knew the answer. It was because I was the only person from Earth who was still alive.

  Ereen placed a long-fingered hand on my shoulder.

  “Even if you’re not sure that you’re the gate, a decision needs to be made,” she said. “Are you willing to stay here near Earth until all the souls who need to can pass through?”

  “Would that mean more nightmares like last night. And still feeling like I’m having the nightmare when I’m awake? How long would it take?” I asked.

  “It would take time enough for everyone who needs to pass through,” said Vohn. “We don’t know how long that would be, but you’d know when it was finished. If you don’t want to do it, we can leave this solar system today. As soon as we’re out of the system, those who haven’t passed through will stay here. And you won’t feel them inside you anymore or have these nightmares.”

  I know staying here and experiencing that would be painful and horrible, I thought. But does he really think I’m that selfish? I wondered. Yes, maybe he does. He thinks I’m a less evolved species.

  I sighed.

  “I don’t think you’re less evolved, and I’m sorry that I judged you wrongly before,” said Vohn. “You’re a difference species, that’s all. And I clearly have my own flaws.”

  Oh right. They can read my mind! I remembered.

  I rubbed my reddening face with my hands and groaned. This situation was so hard to deal with!

  “Yes. I’ll stay here. I don’t know whether or not what you say is true, but I’ll stay,” I said.

  I lifted my knees and curled up even more into the soft couch. The wave of dark feelings went on and on. I felt exhausted, even though I’d just awakened.

  “Perhaps you need some time alone now,” said Ereen. “To process all this new information.”

  She looked pointedly at the others, and they stood up.

  “We’ll leave you alone now, but let us know if you need anything,” said Humm. “And don’t forget to eat your breakfast. You’ll need your strength.”

  Then they all began to walk away.

  I watched Vohn leave, and I didn’t say or think anything, but a feeling passed through me. A feeling of sadness that he was going. Of longing for him to stay.

  As if he’d read my feeling, Vohn turned around and came back toward me. And as if he’d read my earlier wish, he sat down on the other side of the couch.

  Neither of us said anything, and I concentrated on controlling my thoughts while I ate my breakfast.

  Chapter 8

  Days passed. Many days and many nights. I spent the days working with the others on the farm. Gathering fruit, vegetables, and grain. Sharing the chores of cooking and cleaning. Taking long walks through the large chunk of land that was their spaceship.

  Keeping active made it easier to bear the sadness, pain, and pure evil that coursed through me at all times.

  Vohn was often with me too. After a few days, he asked if we could start speaking to each other in our minds. It was more natural for him and easier. I tried it, and after a while, it felt natural to me too.

  He asked me many questions about life on Earth.

  “I want to know what your people are like. What are romantic relationships are like on Earth? It must be very different than it is for my species,” he said.

  “There’s marriage,” I said.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  I didn’t think I was an expert, but I explained it the best I could.

  “Well, there’s a ceremony with a white dress, flowers, and a cake. Friends and relatives attend. And two people make vows to stay together for their entire lives and to remain faithful to each other. But often, that wasn’t what happened, of course,” I said.

  “Always?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “I know that some couples stayed together for their entire lives, and I’m sure so
me were faithful. I just never met anyone like that, so I never got married. Because I knew what would happen, and I didn’t want to live a lie.”

  “Yes. You knew,” said Vohn. “You’re like my species in that way. We know too.”

  After that, it seemed like he’d learned all he needed to know about romance on Earth. He asked me more about life on Earth, but he didn’t ask me about marriage again.

  I moved into the room that was mine and slept there each night, repeating the same endless nightmare--cleaning endless dirt and experiencing the terrible emotions, thoughts, and acts much clearer than in my waking hours.

  Vohn stayed with me through those nights. Again, I felt a longing for him, but he never tried to touch me. He sat in a large chair near my bed and waited for me to fall asleep. In the morning, I’d often find him asleep in the chair.

  I didn’t try to keep track of how many days and weeks passed. But finally one night, something was different. As usual, people came into my dream house, but this time, only a few dozen came in. When the last ones went through, there was no one else behind them. I cleaned everything up spotless. Then I waited for more, but none came.

  Is it over? I wondered just as the dream ended, and I woke up.

  Now, for the first time since I’d left Earth and seen it destroyed, all of my pain and sadness was gone. It too had been washed away during all the long days and nights. I knew that those who’d passed through weren’t on Earth anymore. They’d gone on to wherever they belonged.

  The pink light of the early dawn that was engineered by the aliens’ technology glimmered through my window. I didn’t mean to wake Vohn, but he stirred in the chair next to my bed.

  “Is it over?” he asked me mentally.

  “Yes!” I nearly shouted into his mind.

  He smiled back at me.

  “That’s wonderful,” he said. “There’s something I’ve been waiting to ask you.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Claire, I love you. Will you marry me? Will you have an Earth kind of wedding with me?” Vohn asked.

  “Don’t you already know the answer from reading my mind all the time?” I asked him mentally.

  He laughed.

  “Yes. But I’m doing the proper thing, so you’ll be comfortable. You told me this is what your species does when two people become life partners.”

  “Yes, I love you too, and I want to marry you. But I don’t have to have an Earth-type wedding. It might be difficult to arrange that here. We can just do what your species does if you want to,” I said.

  “Ah. Well, we already did what my species does,” said Vohn.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  How could I have missed that? I wondered.

  “Yes. At the very moment we met, our souls recognized each other. They reached out to each other and joined forever. A bond that cannot be broken. I knew at once what had happened, and so did everyone else,” he said.

  “Except me,” I said.

  Vohn chuckled.

  “Yes, except you. I was quite confused when you refused my affection, but now I understand why. I understand more about your species.”

  There was a knock on my bedroom door.

  “Come in,” I sent the mental message to the people outside it.

  The door opened, and all the others crowded into my room. Ereen carried a long white dress draped over one arm.

  “We heard you say, ‘yes,’” Dorg said in my mind. “And we’ve got cake and flowers ready on a table outside.”

  I felt a bit stunned. I’d given up on expecting marriage. Then this morning, I’d been proposed to. And I’d found out that I’d already bonded with a life partner without even realizing it.

  It was a lot to take in, but I didn’t hesitate.

  “Just give me a few minutes to change, and I’ll be right out,” I said.

  End Earth Gate

  Have Teeth, Will Bite

  (Prologue)

  by LD Marr,

  a pen name for Trisha McNary

  Copyright © 2019 Trisha McNary

  Published by Trisha McNary

  All Rights Reserved

  Prologue

  London at midnight, 1886.

  The tavern door blew open, letting in chill wind and an even colder customer. Natasha, a voluptuous blonde spilling out of a lightweight black cloak, stepped in. The door slammed shut.

  The bartender looked up and frowned. He met Natasha’s gaze across the smoky, dim-lit distance. Then he turned away fast and began furiously wiping the rough wood bar.

  Natasha sniffed the air, and her red lips curled up. She wove toward the bar through mostly empty tables with a strange sinuous grace for a woman so large.

  When she reached one end of the bar, Natasha began to walk along its length. One by one, she scanned the occupants of each stool. In turn, they met her eyes, and she moved on, leaving the mark of varying degrees of nervousness or fear on their faces.

  Finally, Natasha found an appealing target. She stopped at the side of a young pale-haired man. A roughly dressed workingman—big-boned, baby-faced, and reeking of innocence and purity. Natasha glanced once at the older man on the next stool, and he silently vacated it.

  She sat down and tossed off her cape, drawing the young workman’s eyes to flowing blonde curls that brushed overflowing cleavage. Her impossibly tight girdle created an hourglass figure with a tiny waist. Not having to breathe had its benefits.

  Natasha stared into the young man’s eyes. He seemed nervous, but he couldn’t break away from her gaze.

  His pale skin became paler and somewhat clammy. She heard his heart rate speed up, and his breathing become fast and shallow.

  “I am Natasha,” she purred. “And you are?”

  “I am Sam,” he answered in the toneless voice of a person under compulsion.

  “Come along, Sam.”

  Natasha rose from her stool in one smooth motion and glided out of the bar. She didn’t stop to pick up her cloak from the floor. It was just a bothersome disguise anyway. Natasha didn’t feel the cold, but her husband, Dr. Vandergreest, insisted she wear it. Why go to so much trouble anyway? It wasn’t as if these people had the power to do anything to her even if they suspected what she really was.

  Her husband’s tiresome rules were hard to live with—or be undead with—so much of the time. Was it any wonder that she needed a little fun in the evenings?

  A black carriage waited in front of the tavern. The black-cloaked coachman and two enormous black horses blended into the night’s dark shadows.

  On Natasha’s approach, the coachman climbed down from his seat and opened the carriage door. Sam had followed her out as commanded. Natasha turned to him. Sweat dripped down his face in the icy-cold London night. She lifted a pale, shapely arm and gestured toward the complete blackness within the open carriage.

  “Get inside. I hunger!” she ordered.

  Now Sam began to moan, but his feet took slow, shaking steps forward as if against his will.

  Natasha sighed her irritation. Her victims didn’t usually resist her supernatural charms.

  “Can you speed it up? I haven’t got all night,” she said. “Or you don’t anyway.”

  Finally, after a most annoying delay, he climbed the steps to the carriage and got in. Natasha flowed up after him, and the coachman shut the door behind her.

  

  Later that evening.

  In comfortable chair by the fire, Dr. Vandergreest waited with tireless patience for his wife’s return. Just after 3:00 a.m., he heard her enter the door to their townhouse, two floors below. When he heard the sound of her attempting to creep past his sitting room, he called out to her.

  “Ah, my dear, you have returned. I have not seen you these long hours. Please join me for a few minutes before you retire.”

  A pause in which he knew she was trying to think of some excuse. The ever-so-light sound of wiping. Then the door opened, and her beautiful blonde head peeked through.


  “Come in, come in. I would see your lovely face this night,” the doctor insisted.

  Natasha approached slowly, her face stained with guilt and microscopic blood cells.

  “Tut, tut. There is blood on your face again, my dear! And it is the blood of the innocent!”

  He sighed a huge sigh.

  “I thought we had reached an agreement about the need to control your cravings. That you understood that preying on the pure of heart draws attention—negative attention that might be hard to deal with. But it appears that you have turned a deaf ear to reason.”

  Another sigh.

  “I have grown sick of your rules!” Natasha answered with spunk and defiance. “I am a powerful being, and I will take what I want. And what I do not want is the foul-tasting nasty blood of evildoers and criminals. I hunger for sweet delicious blood! Why should I starve myself because you are a coward?”

  “But my dear,” answered the doctor, “you are certainly not starving. You are consuming much more blood than you need.”

  “Huh! How dare you!” Natasha sputtered and fumed.

  “Hark!” said Dr. Vandergreest. “I hear the shuffle of many feet approaching, the sound of shouts, the crackle and smell of burning torches!”

  The base of a felled tree boomed against the downstairs door.

  “Protect me!” cried Natasha.

  “Au revoir, my darling,” said Dr. Vandergreest.

  Then he lightly kissed her lips and disappeared.

  Get Have Teeth, Will Bite on Amazon: US UK CA AU

  Alien Pets - Life gets weird when you’re adopted by an alien. One million years in the future, young human Antaska and her psychic cat are adopted as pets by a gigantic alien. Traveling in outer space, she becomes telepathic in a world where that’s dangerous. Then she gets into a love triangle that’s even more dangerous. Her cat tries to tell Antaska what she’s doing wrong, but will she listen? An all-new ending has been added to this version (10/2018).