A Little Wish Upon a Star Read online

  The light of a purple star appeared before her and memories replayed in her mind.

  "Star light, star bright, purple star I see tonight," she whispered out loud. "I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight…"

  What would she wish if, indeed, that wish could come true? Her mind grew fuzzy as she pondered these thoughts. Her wish would be that she was whole, alive, and with someone who loved and wanted her. How different that wish was to her reality, where she had spent her life simply surviving, and achieving nothing other than living one lonely day after another.

  Her thoughts drifted to past relationships. Could she call them that? No, they had simply been acquaintances. She'd never taken the time to build a real relationship, not even with Buzz.

  A twinge of remorse struck her heart as she reflected on how she had sabotaged possible associations—with either her defensive bitchiness, or instant boredom due to a lack of adventure or imagination. Hindsight is always 20/20, and looking back at her mistakes brought her instant sorrow. There was much she could not have changed in her life, but there was also much that she could have made better. She could have chosen to live with the hope of happiness, but instead, she'd given way to fear. She had given it permission to rule her life. Fear had ordered her to spend every moment hiding the truth of her heart from those around her. Fear had stolen the joy and comfort that could have been hers, and robbed her from ever feeling the love and warmth of another human being. Fear of being alone had, indeed, left her alone—and there was no one to blame but herself.

  The moisture inside her helmet grew more pronounced, and it felt as though breathing was taking more effort. "Sorry about the wine, Buzz. I think I miscalculated my oxygen level. How many lectures did you give me about the importance of proper gauge calculations? I should have listened," she murmured, gasping for air. The teddy bear had not left the crook of her arm for the entire time she had been floating there, and she pulled it closer to her body. "I'm going to go to sleep now. I won't be waking up, but I wanted to thank you for being with me. I'm scared, Buzz," she said to the toy. "I'm sorry that it took a toy to make me really appreciate having someone by my side when I'm so afraid. I only wish that you could hold me back…"

  The dreams that followed were wonderful and filled with gentle motion, like the rocking of a sailboat on a quiet lake. There were scents, too, each delicious and warm, inviting her to pull closer to their origin. And sounds… a low, soft rumbling that almost sounded like the deep voice of a man. Tabitha had never believed in a god or heaven, but she would welcome being embraced by a deity if it brought her this much comfort. There was no pain, no fear, and no questions as the sense of being held surrounded her. Was that the vacuum of space closing in? It was so warm…

  ***

  Tabitha opened her eyes, and immediately lapsed into pure panic as a mask was held snugly over her entire face. She screamed, kicked and flailed her hands to free herself.

  "Shhh, you're safe," the holder of the mask said, gently pulling her hands away. "It's just oxygen. Breathe slowly. Don't fight me. I am helping you."

  His voice instantly calmed her, like a gentle stream running through a mossy mountain path. And his scent… was that sandalwood and musk? He held her on his lap, his huge arms cradling her in a warm, secure embrace. She felt so tiny in those arms. The most incredible golden eyes looked down at her, filled with concern. His long eyelashes fluttered as he offered her a gentle smile.

  "My name is Mesethius. My friends call me Seth." His accent was unusual, not quite British, but certainly the most amazingly sexy thing she had ever heard. "Everything is going to be fine. Don't try to talk. I'm here to take care of you."

  Slowly, Tabitha placed her hand upon his, momentarily stunned by the difference in size. "Where am I?" she gasped hoarsely, glancing around the tiny, white cabin.

  "No talking until we get you fixed up, okay? Good girl," Seth said as she nodded. "This is my father, His Majesty General Kalavan, King of Lotopia. You are on a ship back to our home. We almost lost you, baby girl."

  Baby girl? From this man's mouth, those words were soothing and natural, but who and what was he? She had never before seen anyone so large, or so graced with such a strong, masculine beauty that was reminiscent of the Greek Gods.

  "Ship? Where?" she croaked.

  The other man said something in a language she did not recognize. Seth shook his head. "My father is able to understand, but cannot speak English as of yet. He is amused, and commented that humans don't follow instructions very well. I agreed with him. I promise to explain everything to you as soon as we land."

  Land? Was her psychosis still so deep that the hallucinations had become tangible?

  "I need…" she began.

  "What you need right now is to follow my directions, young lady," Seth said firmly. "If you don't, you are going to injure yourself further, and neither of us wants that. Here. I think this is yours."

  Tabitha's eyes widened as he produced her teddy bear. She snatched it from his arms and clutched it tightly to her chest, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.

  "Are you in pain?" the man asked, wrinkling his brow.

  She nodded, suddenly bursting out in uncontrollable sobs. She had never been a crier, and had always been able to stoically control her emotions, but she had reached her limit.

  Seth pulled her up to a sitting position and leaned her against his chest, rocking her while stroking her shoulder-length blonde hair. "Where does it hurt?"

  "M-my heart. Too much to handle," she sobbed pathetically. "I'm sorry. Psychoses. Stress…"

  "Why do you apologize? I do not understand."

  The older man grunted and kneeled next to them, then placed his hand around Tabitha's jaw, compelling her to look at him. He locked eyes with her, forcing her to lose herself in the depths of his equally magnificent golden orbs.

  Calmness settled over her body and her crying ceased. The man uttered something, gently patted her cheek, and then returned to the wide chair at the front of the craft.

  She felt as though she had been drugged, and slumped in Seth's firm hold. Had he just whispered, "Tabby-Cat," in her ear? How would he have known her nickname? She yawned and pulled her knees to her chest, a feat that was difficult in the bulky space suit that covered her body. She smiled, feeling him tuck his arm around her knees as he held her in the little ball, and then drifted to sleep against a broad chest whose heartbeat tinkled like a wind chime.

  These thoughts, feelings, scents… she knew that everything she was experiencing was definitely part of a terminal psychosis. A piece of her heart ached, knowing that none of this could ever be real. Too bad, she thought. That big boy in my mind was a major hottie…

  Time eluded her once again. There was no concept of minutes, hours or days as her mind drifted in and out of the peaceful fog. She struggled to open her eyes in response to a shift in her physical presence, as though she were heavier. Was that gravity? Did the space station manage to retrieve her and place her in suspended animation after all? Had twenty years passed, and she was now being brought back to Earth to be revived and healed?

  Of course! That would explain the foreigners and the strange surroundings! A lot of political changes could have occurred in the twenty years that she'd been gone, and hopefully the important things would be covered in her debriefing. After that, it was a simple matter of adaptation. Tabitha was a survivor, and confidently knew that she could take anything that was thrown at her.

  Her body was lifted and then carried through a breezy corridor. The large oxygen mask held over her face was wet with condensation from her breath, making it impossible to see where she was being taken. She listened for familiar sounds to help determine her whereabouts, but only the sounds of hard-soled shoes clipping against the floor, and slight whistling from the wind high above her head came to her ears.

  A man then issued a command which was followed by the sound of scurrying feet. She was placed carefully on a soft surface and the m
ask removed.

  "Inhale slowly. Give your lungs a chance to adjust to the air. It's probably a little thinner than you are used to."

  She was uncomfortably warm in the heavy suit, which made it more difficult to breathe. "I'm too hot," Tabitha whispered, struggling with her words. "Need to cool down. Take off suit and shower."

  "Let's do that, then," Seth said. "Let me know if I'm hurting you."

  His touch was so gentle and caring that she barely felt each piece of the outer equipment being meticulously removed from her body. Once she was down to the spandex undersuit, Seth paused to study the garment.

  "Can this be removed as well?" he asked cautiously. "What are those tubes?"

  Her speech was breathy. "This whole get-up must look so archaic to you. Those pump water continuously next to our skin, to cool us while we're in the suit. Please, take it all off and let me bathe."

  "You aren't strong enough to bathe yourself. I will do it all for you."

  Tabitha's modesty issues had ceased years ago, when she'd been the subject of constant probing and poking following the meteor drop—however, she suddenly felt very naked and vulnerable as the strange man cut the undersuit from her body. "I'm sorry. I know I must be a bit ripe," she muttered.

  "Ripe?" Seth asked, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her into another room.

  "I stink."

  "We are not able to detect odor. As one of our primary senses, our olfactory nodes are only designed for pleasure. I'm setting you down. Be careful, it's a bit slippery."

  Tabitha stared at the bathing area in wonder. Everything glistened and glittered, as though she was looking through multiple facets of clear quartz. The tub was made of the same substance as the walls, and slowly filled with an aromatic liquid that reminded her of apple pie with cinnamon.

  "This is divine," she moaned, as the warm, teal colored liquid surround her body and caressed her flesh. "It's tingly."

  "This is straight from Lotopian springs located four hundred feet below the surface. They are called The Tears. I'll take you to see them when you are strong enough. Is it safe to leave you for a moment while I get you some food?"

  "Please. Something to drink, too." Tabitha purred, feeling renewed as the fluid swirled around every crevice of her body as though it had life of its own. It massaged and caressed her, yet not one bubble or jet was visible. How does it do that?

  Seth returned with a tray of blue cheese, red crackers and the synthetic wine. He set it on the edge of the tub and poured her a glass. "I'm not certain these will be palatable for you. I don't have any human references."

  "That is the second time you've made a comment about humans. Is that what your country calls those from the outside?" she asked, accepting the goblet from him. "This glass work is amazing, by the way."

  "It is not glass. It is made from a diamond."

  "That's impossible. Diamonds don't get to be this large." She lifted the cup to the light, blinking at the incredible refracted rainbows.

  "Of course they do. Much larger. This room is made of a white diamond from the platinum mines."

  "Don't yank my chain. I'm not an idiot. Mmm, this is pretty good. It almost tastes like a late harvest Riesling."

  "What is that?" Seth asked.

  "My favorite wine. I had a box in my capsule. How did you get me? I was out of orbit and beyond reach of the space station."

  "We were able to intercept you and extract you from your vessel without difficulty. Here, allow me to do that," Seth said, wetting her hair.

  "Oh, my!" She jumped as tiny fingers massaged her scalp.

  "Do you like that?" he asked as a smile lit up her face.

  "It tickles!"

  He chuckled, and spilled more fluid over her head before adding a drop of a creamy compound. The scent of vanilla touched with cinnamon filled the air.

  "Mmm, now it smells like hot apple cinnamon pie with vanilla ice-cream," she purred.

  "May I?" he asked politely, producing a piece of spongy cloth and proceeding to wash her. He paused and tapped her right shoulder blade. "I like this," he said. "A star?"

  "Huh? Oh, my tattoo. Yeah… it's a shooting star."

  He traced it gently with a fingertip. "It's permanent?"

  Tabitha silently nodded, her head feeling light and unusually happy. "What the hell is the alcohol content in that wine of yours? I've had like three sips, and am already feeling tipsy."

  "Alcohol?"

  "Yeah. The stuff in the wine that makes you feel relaxed."

  "There is nothing like that in the wine at all. It's the water," Seth said.

  "You're shitting me."

  He wrinkled his forehead and lifted an eyebrow.

  "That means I'm surprised. Is all your water like this?" Tabitha blinked with confusion.

  "It is." Seth offered her another glass with water from an ice pitcher that he'd ordered. "Try this. Just a little sip at first."

  She sniffed it and glanced at him. He seemed eager, almost excited, as she experienced this unusual environment. The water touched her lips, bathed her mouth, and then she swallowed. Her eyes widened as her mouth came alive with a tingling sensation, as though she had sucked on a peppermint. The sensation traveled down her throat and sent delightful shivers through her body. It left her feeling alert and rejuvenated. She downed the glass quickly and held it out for more. After two more glasses, she felt strong enough to run a marathon.

  "I will never touch another Red Bull again. This stuff should be bottled," she said.

  "We have no red bulls here. Bovine cannot survive on our vegetation. There is also no need to bottle this water. Every home has it readily available from the spring. How are you feeling? Any stronger?"

  "Ha ha with the cow joke. I'm surprised at how quickly I'm recovering. That cheese is a bit funky, though. What type is it, and why the hell did you dye it blue?"

  "Isn't Blue Cheese blue?" Seth wrinkled his handsome brow again in confusion.

  "It's white with blue marbling. I hate blue cheese, by the way. I'm not a big fan of red pepper crackers either, but these aren't too bad." She patted the edge of the tub and began to stand. "I need to get out before I take up residence in this bath."

  "Don't stand by yourself. You will fall," Seth said, grabbing her arm as she slipped a bit.

  "You really should put some adhesive ducks on the bottom of this tub. It's an accident waiting to happen," Tabitha growled, catching his rock-like arm to steady herself. "Oh, my! This boy knows how to work out. Nice guns."

  He said nothing but lifted her out, wrapped a towel around her body, and attempted to dry her.

  "Watch the hands, mister. I don't care if you look, but no touching."

  "Are all humans like you?" he asked.

  "Sorry, but they broke the mold when they made me. Why do you keep using the reference of 'human'? Has there been an alien invasion of Earth since I left?"

  "When did you leave?"

  "I'm guessing like twenty years ago. That's how long I was supposed to stay in suspended animation for before being brought back and revived," she said.

  "I know nothing about any alien invasions, either on Earth or here."

  "Say what? What do you mean by that? Where is here?"

  "Lotopia," Seth said.

  "Let me rephrase this. On what continent do you reside?"

  "Lotopia."

  She frowned and leaned forward to look into his face. "Let me guess. You call the planet 'Lotopia' too, don't you?"

  He nodded.

  Tabitha shook her head, adjusted the towel, and walked into the main room on wobbly legs. "You must think I'm an idiot. Diamonds bigger than houses, spring water that makes you feel drunk by bathing in it, a palace in the middle of—"

  The view of the coast at the dawn of the orange sun stopped her dead in her tracks. The towel fell to the floor as she pressed her hands against the sparkling window and stared in wonderment and awe. The auroras swirled and bounced in brilliant colors, playing tag with one column af
ter another. Occasionally, two of the long bars collided and intertwined in a vertical spiral towards the dark purple sky. She stared in dead silence, taking in the unfathomable beauty before her.

  "Seth?" She felt him moving behind her and glanced up at his reflection. "Where is this place?"

  "Lotopia."

  "We aren't on Earth, are we?"

  "No." He picked up the towel and wrapped it back around her naked body, then turned her to face him.

  "You aren't human either, are you?" she asked.

  "No. Sit down and I'll answer you anything you ask."

  Her legs trembled as she approached a chair and then climbed up into it. It would take a while to get used to supporting her weight again, but she doubted that the quivering was entirely related to gravity. "Is all your furniture so ridiculously high?"

  "I'll get you some Helminth pieces tomorrow."

  "Helminth?"

  "They are another race that lives in Hitopia. They are vertically challenged," he explained.

  "Helminth? I've heard that term before, in biology. It's an intestinal worm that sucks the nourishment and life out of a living host."

  "I would say that is an appropriate description of that race. Are you cold?"

  "I don't think getting cold is possible here. It's nearly tropical. Okay, tell me. Who are you, what are you, and how did you find me?" Tabitha asked.

  Seth handed her another glass of the fruity, non-alcoholic wine, then pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. "I have a little obsession with your planet. When I was a boy, I had heard a story by the name of Caroos Robins, where a human landed on an island and learned how to survive using nothing but his own imagination."

  "I think you're talking about Robinson Crusoe. It involved cannibals, slavery, religion and pirates, right?"

  "I truly don't remember much of the story, except that it told of the incredible ingenuity associated with your species. From that day forward, Earth became my passion. For the last seventy-two seasons, I have studied every possible thing I can about your planet and your people. Except the real thing."

  "So you are ninety-two years old?" she choked out.

  "If you measure by Earth time, yes. The developmental level is equivalent to being about thirty-two in your years."