Chapter 9: The Midnight Excursion

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by Mel_Ami

by Mel_Ami

The night was very long. I hardly slept and kept tossing and turning until finally Colin put a hand on my one of my shoulders, politely signaling me to quit it.

I then remembered that a day on Neptune is sixteen hours, and on Pluto, it's one hundred fifty-three hours. That's a one hundred thirty-seven hour difference. I winced and put my hands to my head. Is too much sleep unhealthy? I hoped not, because this sudden difference was throwing off my body.

At last, I couldn't stand laying in bed, staring at nothing and listening to Colin snore and Bill kick and wiggle. I got up and tip-toed around the dark tunnels, dragging my hands on the familiar smooth walls. A lot had been done since I had left. It seemed only like days ago I was digging rocky dirt tunnels 153/7.

Around the corner, I saw a flash of orange light. Curious, I ventured over and found it to be a lantern with a low flickering light. I took it off its hook and continued to explore the seemingly neverending tunnels.

Eventually, after hours of endless wandering, a very faint light began to pour through the entrance holes and shine onto the paths.

Everything was completely silent until I heard a faint pounding. I froze. It came again. Far away thudding, from ahead of me and below me.

Worried that a hole may have caved in, I raced down the long dirt tunnel. At last, I came to a deep hole I had never seen before.

Cautiously, I began to slide inside, lantern in hand.

I was suddenly grabbed from behind. I gasped. Two surprisingly strong hands had grabbed me by my shoulders and dragged me out of the hole.

I spun around and realized that my captor was a human.

I stepped back, suprised. I had only ever seen a human in books and looking through a telescope. This one was the most gorgeous human woman I had ever seen.

She had long luscious black hair that flowed down to her knees. Her eyes were wide and light purple. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips glistenedred. High on her head was a golden crown.

She looked frantic and worried.

"Excuse me? Wh-who are you?"

She shut her eyes and slightly shook her head. "Oh. My apologies. I am Princess Eliana."

"Eli? Why are you in human form?"

Eliana looked down at herself. "Just trying something new." She looked me right in the eyes. "But that doesn't matter right now."

"Well, what matters then? Oh, and what's down there?" I turned my head and strained to look down the dark hole. The pounding was fainter now.

She took two of my hands. "Well, things have changed around here. That is our prison."

"Prison!?" I nearly yelled. "What for? Who for? We have always been peaceful!"

She sighed, slightly lowering my hands. "Things have changed, Paithenia darling. It has gotten so out of hand that we've had to contain several Plutonians."

"Who's down there? Maybe I know them." I tried to wriggle out of her iron grip.

"No. You mustn't. You cannot," she ordered me. "And if you do, you would be breaking our delicate law." She smiled sweetly, linked arms with me, and practically dragged me along with her.

"So, I take it you're Queen now?"

She glanced up at her glittering crown. "Oh! Yes. As of recently, actually. Why aren't you in bed, Paith? It's quite the unusual time to be up."

"Funny. I was going to ask you the same question."

She spun and kissed my forehead. "I'm so glad you're back. I absolutely dread saying this, but you're disturbing the peace by walking around so late. Please head home for now," she said--or rather commanded--clearly avoiding my question.

And with that, she turned and left, her long lace robes trailing behind her.

"That was odd," I mumbled to myself as I headed into our hole. "But I suppose the queen has many places to be and secrets to keep."

"Huh?" Colin woke up with a snort. "Nothing, dear," I sighed.

The rest of the night was long and boring. I tried counting Shishin and before I knew it, I was awake.

This section was written by Amity