I held the rose in my hand and from time to time I sniffed its delicious scent. I realized that it was the only thing precious to me since it was the only thing that was a part of home for me. My mind travelled along the memories of my father. If it was true that all of those light years had passed then he was... and my brother too. I thought of Chandra and of Luke Stevens. He didn't seem like such a pain anymore. I realized that the famous expression that you could practically find on any hallmark card was right; "You don't know what have until it's gone." I never thought that this would happen to me. How could I have even conceived of such a thing? I could only say how sorry I was for all of the times I mistreated him and judged him without even giving him a chance. Maybe I was a selfish fool and I only thought about myself and my plans, my dreams and everything that surrounded me. Now he was... gone like everything and everybody else. I wanted to cry, but Rox placed his hand on my chest and interrupted my thoughts. I frowned.
"Wait here," He ordered. He pressed the wall in front of him and an intense light shone from the wall. I panicked and jerked back. I dropped the rose and stumbled backwards as I tried to run.
"Oh my God, they're going to kill me," I blurted.
"No. We are travelling to Sha," Rox said.
"But I thought we already landed on Sha?" I said.
"The ships don't land here they anchor here," Rox said. Was this a water world? The light began to fade and I got up. I saw the wall expand a bit and heard clunking noises. The ship shook in a rocking movement as I was on all fours on the floor.
"The ship has been successfully anchored. You can come out now," Rox said, but I shook my head.
"This atmosphere is alright. You can breathe in it. Now come," Rox said. I glanced at the rose, grabbed it and then I walked towards the opening where there was a world out there that I didn't know. Once I was out I saw a light purple sky greet me and what I saw later on was definitely unworldly. Many other ships were anchored with huge chains on enormous red swirled branches. The branches were so thick that they were used as bridges and I saw many blue aliens with black and blonde hair going up and down like ants. Some came up and down their ships unnaturally fast and others seemed to be walking on them very slowly. The sky in the planet had two moons, a visible nearby planet with rings and I could clearly see a galaxy nearby. The view was spectacular. The trees were as high and round as roller coasters. The planet was interconnected with floating islands and the branches seemed to link each and every one of them down towards a large mountainous space of land.
On the bottom of the land there was an infrastructure of dark towers, but there was an enormous dark and menacing building that seemed like a huge castle or cathedral and I wondered if it was Brok's castle. My jaw literally dropped.
"Anabella, if you do not wish to walk you can be sent down with a Jenku," Rox said.
"What's a Jenku?" I asked.
"Magnet travel. These trees have large amounts of magnets, so the Sha have come up with opposite Magnet shoe soles that react through digital movement. I simply inject your shoe with a Jenku shot and you will feel the pull. I will direct them to go all the way to the bottom of Kruk Sha, the capital of our world. It will save you a lot of time."
"No way Rox. I want to see all of this," I answered.
"As you wish," Rox answered. So I walked down the bridge and held on to the rope fencing because the steps were steep and very uncomfortable to walk on. However, I couldn't allow my discomfort to ruin my curiosity. I just had to see this world. It was too amazing.
As I paced down the branch I saw similar ships arriving and leaving the planet. Once I had travelled around two and a half miles I was able to see more of the vegetation of the place. Now I understood why Brok had found the thorns beautiful because the tops of the trees didn't have leaves, they had amazing yellow thorns zigzagging each other. A silver colored insect past by me and as I continued to walk further and further down. The insect was as big as a button though and I hoped it didn't like human flesh. Luckily, it ignored me completely.
As I trotted down the steps which seemed to have been man made or alien made I saw sphere shaped houses that looked like huge balls. They seemed to be made of some metal form and the doors were glass, but when the residents entered or came out of their sphered shaped homes a purple light shone and they seemed to disappear inside. I couldn't see anything on the inside and I wondered about them, but then I saw a huge orange bird fly through the sky. The bird didn't have feathers though, it seemed reptilian looking with a dinosaur face and huge claws. The spectacle was unbelievable. It cawed in the air, with its huge beak like mouth and it glided in the air like a feather. It dived into a purple ocean and it then it flew back up with something wiggling in its mouth. I smiled with awe. The birdlike creature went up into the sky and disappeared, but as I continued to walk further downwards I saw other creatures doing the same. They were all orange with black stripes and none of them had feathers. They cawed, but sometimes they also gurgled and it was difficult to understand why, but it was honestly an amazing event for me. However, the rest of the aliens all dressed in dark long jackets and boots, ignored what seemed to be a routine event, but for me it was just absolutely amazing. They stared at me instead.
"Why are they all looking at me?" I asked Rox and I tilted. Rox wasn't near me.
"Rox?"
"Yes Anabella?" I heard, but he was nowhere to be seen. I tilted my head left and right and frowned confused.
"What's going on and why aren't you with me?"
"I am in the capital," Rox answered.
"Already?"
"I used the Jenku. I am waiting for you here," Rox said.
"How can I hear you?" I wondered.
"I installed the Wave-"
"Never mind. Rox... the people here are all... staring at me. Why?" I asked.
"Because you are the first human they have ever seen. They will not disturb you," Rox said.
"Rox, I've been walking a lot, but I'm too tired, I've decided to use the Junk thing," I told him.
"It is Jenku, not Junk and I will arrange it quickly," Rox answered. I waited and waited. I tapped my foot and didn't feel a thing.
"Well, Rox, are you sure the Junk thing is working because-" Suddenly I felt a pull and shouted. Something strange was going on and then all of sudden I was gliding down the steps like on roller blades. I screamed, shouted and waved my hands up as I felt the immense pull. My heart beat faster and I could feel the trembling adrenaline all over my bones. Down and down I went and the wind brushed my face and totally smacked my hair and it ruffled in the purple. Then I reached land and I was standing on red ground. Before me was yellow grass and I felt my heart was going to pop out of my chest any second now.
"What was that?" I said stunned by shock. I had to breathe because of the intense experience. I had never really been much of a roller coaster rider, so this was new, exhilarating and delirious all at once. I wondered if I could even lift my foot, so I tried it very slowly in case I was still stuck to the ground, but it turned out I was okay.
I looked forward and saw Rox in front of me. His white robe ruffled with the wind and what seemed like small insects with red and blue bright lights hovered around the glass and some other colors floated around the robot. I smiled watching them buzz and fly away.
"I am most pleased that you have decided to use the Jenku because we have pressing matters to attend to. Master Brok has made contact with me and he has urged me to take you to the castle at once," Rox said. I nodded. Then Rox knelt down and touched a plant that was filled with thorns.
"Be careful. Those look sharp and they might cut," I said.
"They will do no such thing," Rox said and then I was quiet. I saw the same digital buttons suddenly appear and again Rox touched smoky buttons, although these were yellow and soon some sort of a cylinder-shaped object appeared in front of us and it hovered a few inches over the yellow grass.
"Come Anabella. We still have a bit more roads to cover. We cannot dare allow the Prince of Sha to wait for our arrival.
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Everlasting Beauty (Free Ebook)
Fantasy(Multiple View Points) A Beauty and the Beast Reimagining. She was Beauty. He was beast. Anabella was a cashier and a waitress after leaving college to pay her father's medical bills. Brok was the prince of Sha and his mission was to conquer worl...
