Setting Fire to the Stars (mxm)

Chapter 15: Abduction

**(note: this chapter contains themes unsuitable for some readers including references to underaged drinking, profanity, vomiting, and forced drug use.)**

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Lauren
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When I was a boy, I thought I knew what I wanted for my life. My plan was simple; graduate high school, go to a good college, and kiss my small town goodbye, even if that meant also having to leave my friends and family.

What I hadn't counted on was the planet being invaded by aliens or falling for the very bully I had been trying to get away from. Whatever I had imagined my future to look like, this had not been it.

Those thoughts spun through my mind as I awoke in darkness.

At first, all I could see were several dots of light hanging above my head. My head throbbed as I blinked the sleep from my eyes, my vision blurring as though I had just down a bottle of cheap wine.

Flexing my fingers, I found that I lay on a soft fur blanket draped over a comfortable mattress. A sharp sting of pain tore my attention from the ceiling, and I released a groan as I scrubbed a hand down my face. Stirring, I slowly forced myself to sit up, only to cry out as pain shot down my chest.

"Fucking hell, " I hissed, my fingers grazing the skin around my aching ribs. Though I couldn't see clearly in this dimly lit room, my intuition had me guessing that my ribs were worse off than they were before. The Hunters that captured me obviously had not been gentle.

Creepy psycho hunter aliens: Zero out of ten stars on Yelp.

Resolving myself to get a better look at my surroundings, I tilted back my head and lost my breath as I gazed up at the suspended spheres floating above my head. Their colors transitioned slowly between white, blue, and vibrant purples. The orbs of light danced, suspended in the air like celestial fireflies. I wasn't sure if they were somehow alive or just some weird alien tech thingy. Whatever they were, the view they created was simply breathtaking.

Yet in the face of all this beauty, I had never felt more alone in my entire life.

Glancing down, I frowned at my unusual appearance, finding my hair to be slightly damp, the scent of roses clinging to my body like a second layer. With mild horror, I discovered that someone had taken the liberty of bathing me and changing my clothes while I slept.

A white silk shirt now replaced the bloody sweater I'd worn earlier while a pair of high-waisted white pants donned my legs. I was barefoot, my sneakers nowhere in sight.

Plucking at the shimmering material of my shirt with my fingers, I marveled at the fabric's texture. It was very breathable and softer than anything I'd ever worn, the material clinging to my body like a second skin. My skin crawled at the idea of someone touching me while I was knocked out.

My eyes rose to observe the room I was in, my voice hoarse as I whispered to myself in the dark. "What the fuck is going on? Where am I?"

The walls of the room were a dusty rose, accentuated by the bright colors of the pink blankets and pillows around me. Large sheer magenta curtains cascaded down from the starry ceiling, the tapestry shimmering like they were embroidered with millions of tiny diamonds. In the soft glow of the floating orbs, I could make out a large circular room with one black door and no windows.