The Unexpected

The Beginning

Eliza Makenzie Bonnet died in the fifth grade, and was replaced by me, Tania Al'Tamran, the soul survivor and only living heir of the Montelaen throne. My people were peaceful and happy, or so I was made to believe. This was thirteen years ago. At the time of the invasion, I fled on a ship that my parents forced me onto for what I thought was my own protection. I believed that they believed and trusted in me to protect the legacy and everything that my ancestors built to be put on my shoulders, under my protection, but now I know that it was not out of love for me that my parents took this course of action. It was instead an action of defiance towards the invaders.

There was no time for goodbye as the shuttle took off and led me away from my family and home. Once I had finally landed, the first thing I had seen was two people standing in front of a stone that was surrounded by many others; these people were crying, and so was the sky which was odd. Curiously, I got out of the pod and made my way towards them. The ground, it is so different; it is soft and green with I texture I couldn't seem to place. It was unlike the smooth grainy ground of my home, but I kept walking towards them and didn't stop until I could the front of the stone. It held a name- Eliza M. Bonnet-, a date- June 30, 2000 - September 4, 2010-, and a picture- that looked just like me.

"Hello? Why are you crying?" I was younger then, and the concept of death had no meaning to me; I had no sense of sadness. I had never felt pain: mental or physical; I had never known tears or hurt until I saw it on their faces on that day. Even with my family and everything I had ever known being seemingly gone, I had yet to actually shed a tear.

They swing around, beyond shocked that someone was there and interrupting their grieving. When our eyes first met their faces flooded with confusion; next came a look of pure horror mixed with joy that filled in their eyes. The kneeling woman got up and walked towards me while covering her mouth with one of her hands and reaching out to me with the other. The man, her other half I assumed, stayed close to her side with a seemingly tight grip on the woman's shoulder who had yet to reach me while confusion and horror stretched across his worn out face once again.

"Eliza?" I could hear it in her voice as it cracked at the name. I could tell that if she continued to talk, she would surely break down and begin to cry once again even if it seemed that she was trying her best to contain her tears and begin to compose herself. I believed that she could up until I opened my mouth.

"No, my name is Tania Al'Tamran. Who is this Eliza you speak of and why do we share a face despite my not knowing her?" I was confused, and once my head was tilted to the side, the woman broke down again. She covered her face with her now shaking hands and curled into the man as she wept and they fell to the ground with him holding her. The man shushed and rocked her as he held her close and lovingly in their embrace, and finally, he began to speak to me."

"Eliza was our daughter; we lost her just last week. She was just ten and you look just like her." Once he finished I walked around them and towards the stone where my doppelgänger now lied. As I looked at her picture, I could only just feel pity and anger. It could've been me to be at my grave right now so I knew the discomfort they were feeling since it felt like I was looking at my own grave. She had a bright smile, long brown hair, green eyes, and pale skin. Just like me.

While my emotions began to take over at the sight of this wretched stone, I began to feel the urge to talk to these people.

"I lost my parents. That is why I am here."

As I said this I heard the woman's breath hitch and their tears slow, and I turned around only to see that they turned towards me too.

"What?"

"I lost my parents. They sent me away as the murderous invaders entered the palace and I crash landed just over there. That's why I am here now." As I pointed in the distance the couple, puffy eyed and tear stained, followed my pointing with their gaze, and finally, the weeping came to a full halt.

They were shocked again, I could see it in the way their eyes widened and mouths opened slightly. They turned back and looked at me incredulously and asked, "Where are you from?"

"The desert planet of Montelae. It is in the forth solar system of the Mowatan galaxy, the Milky Way's neighbor." Although I thought it impossible, their faces became more shocked filled and confused. I assumed it was because they thought I had flew here which would've been preposterous since it would've taken forever to do so, so I elaborated. "I didn't fly; I was sucked through a wormhole obviously." Still they sat shocked and it only grew by the second as they stared at me. Soon after they had slightly calmed down, they released each other with the man standing and the woman still sitting on the now sloppy ground, and the man began to walk towards me and reached out his hand to me just as his other half had done before, just less stunned.

"You can come with us if you'd like. We can take care of you and keep you safe."

"I would love that more than anything," as I was alone now, it would be like getting a new father and mother, so I couldn't refuse and quickly grabbed his hand, "but first we have to get my ship." With that I began to tug him into the direction of my now pile of scrap metal.