Everlasting Beauty (Free Ebook)

Chapter Forty-Seven

Boom!

I opened my eyes and jerked in the bed immediately. The room was dark. I uncovered myself and I had been changed into cleaner clothes. I tried to open the window. I couldn't. I headed straight for the door and a rush of light streamed down on me. I was at my father's house. Confused and bewildered I headed to the front door. Police sirens swarmed the area of the forest. Large clouds of smoke puffed in the air, the smell was intoxicating, but apparently, I hadn't realized it in my sleep. I was a bit dizzy, a bit tired and my legs wobbled.

"What's going on?" I asked to myself. Not far away from me was Randolph. His heavy figure coming towards me. His clear blue eyes peering at me with a big frightened stare.

"Randolph?" I asked. I hadn't seen him for a while. I was so relieved to do so, although I was also very confused. He carried a shotgun in his hand which was so uncharacteristic of him. He was usually an odd, but nonviolent man, so it totally caught me off guard.

"Hi Anabella," he said. His voice cracking a bit as he heaved to get to me. I walked halfway towards him to help him.

"What's going on?" I asked. A helicopter flew right above us and headed towards the smoke and craziness.

"Your dad hijacked a cop," Randolph said.

"He what?" I panicked.

"He did it because they didn't want to believe him. He forced the cops to follow him."

"Oh my God, is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's alright."

"What in God's name happened?" I asked. Randolph hesitated a bit and then answered. He seemed tired, his eyes travelled around with weariness, his shoulders were hunched, even his fists seemed weak.

"Well... after the cops arrived another ship appeared five minutes later."

"Brok!" I uttered.

"What does broccoli have to do with all of this? Oh, I see you must be starving. I didn't even know that you were a vegetarian," Randolph said running his mouth.

"No Randolph, it's Brok! The alien, the prince of Sha," I replied.

"Wait!" I said and ran back into the house.

"Best thing you've done! Just stay in there and don't go wandering," I heard him say, but my intention wasn't to hide inside. I was looking for the CamVisor. I trotted towards my father's room and almost tripped in its darkness. I rapidly switched the light on and scanned for it. It wasn't too difficult to find. Since it seemed like a little mirror my father must have completely disregarded it as something alien and might have thought that it was just a girl thing. I grabbed it from the bedside table and darted out into the light of day again.

"Anabella, you can put your makeup on inside," Randolph said.

"This isn't... never mind. Show me Brok!" I said. Brok's image appeared to me in the mirror. It was incredible because it was like if I was almost seeing a film. Randolph sighed with surprise when he saw him. His eyes widened with fear, but I ignored him and continued to watch.

Brok carried himself with pride although there was something strange in his stare. He seemed different, maybe just humiliated because his plans didn't come out as he thought he would. However, Brok was not alone. With him were a group of other Sha people, all wearing some sort of dark body armor. They carried weapons with them. Certainly, they didn't come here to chit chat with us. Brok seemed to have finally revealed himself. However, I still felt something coming off him, something I couldn't quite grasp. I was surprised to see Krimla by his side. She was wearing that enchanting dress of hers before I had left. Strangely, after they chatted a bit she kissed him on the cheek. I was in disbelief. Was she his new girlfriend now or had they both been tricking me all of this time? My heart stung again and there was a strong lump in my throat. How much more could I take?

Brok nodded and waved her away. He didn't seem to satisfied with her kiss. Maybe she wasn't his girlfriend after all, but she was certainly working her way to do so. Then something happened that I did not expect. Now Brok was alone and his eyes still seemed to puzzle me. Something was not right. He looked totally and utterly broken. The sadness swept his entire gaze, lips, cheeks and nostrils. He stood so straight, yet it seemed to me that somehow, he was only pretending. Could I be seeing him right or was I still being naïve? Of course, I was being naïve, stupid and foolish. Brok was sincerely a monster, a beast, a terrible creature that loved conquest. It wasn't enough to conquer many planets. He was so evil that he had to conquer my heart and yet even after I have seen everything I have seen, after I've witnessed his entire monstrosity out there in the open I still felt... something. I still loved him, but I knew I could not. I would be crazy to continue to love him. Was I feeling pity for him? Maybe. Then, why did his expression of sadness destroy me more than the eradication of Earth itself? Maybe I was losing my mind.

I was about to close the CamVisor when I saw someone I recognized behind him. It was my father.

"Father!" I yelled, but he could not listen to me. Brok turned around and faced him. They were exchanging words with each other, but what were those words, I had no idea. I became desperate.

"Take me to them," I ordered the CamVisor.

"Are you crazy?" Randolph said.

"It's my father. Brok is going to kill him Randolph. I can't let that happen," I said desperate. I glanced back at the CamVisor. The images of them disappeared.

"What are you doing? I said..." I stopped. An image of a map appeared.

"I'm going with you," Randolph said. He suddenly raised his shotgun like if it was some protective shield. Like if that gun would really do anything to Brok. I guessed it was better than nothing.

"Okay," I said and together we followed the trail.