“Do you ever wonder why you do what you do?”
“Someone has to do it,” said Ace. “I’m good at it, I get to travel, the pay is great and occasionally, I get to pick up weird guys in empty bus stations, who could ask for more than that?”
“Did you call the number on the napkin?” he snickered, handing her the box she received from the Queen. “Why don’t you open this so I can see what’s in it?”
“I did call and I’m not ready to open the box just yet. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Who answered the phone and can I open it, if I don’t tell you what’s inside?”
“None of your business, on the phone guy, and no, you can’t open it.”
“Please.”
“No.”
“Pretty please?”
“Caw.”
“What?” asked Ace, staring at the bird.
“Caw?”
“I hate when this happens,” she sighed, staring at the bird. “If you want to communicate with me, speak clearly.”
“C A W.”
Tim started laughing. “He did what you told him to do. It’s not his fault you only speak one language and it’s not his.”
“NOT helpful,” said Ace.
“Meow.”
“WHEN DID MY LIFE BECOME SO COMPLICATED?” asked Ace loudly, closing her eyes.
“As soon as you started letting people and animals INTO it.”
“Cute.”
“It’s true, now open the box.”
“Fine,” said Ace taking off the lid.
“Looks like a plain old stone to me,” he said. “Are you afraid to touch it?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll do it,” he said, reaching for the box.
“Don’t even think about it. It’s a Memory Stone.”
“What’s that?”
“A record of something she wants me to see, or hear.”
“Maybe it’s important.”
“She wouldn’t have given it to me if it wasn’t.
“So?”
“If I end up unconscious, I’ll wake up again, so leave me alone and don’t worry.”
Having said that, she picked up the stone and hit the rug hard. Once the background name calling, cawing and meowing went away she was floating through the universe. She saw planets and ships, suns, moons and so many, many stars. She was relaxed and enjoying the view when screams of terror suddenly surrounded her. Horrible sounds of overwhelming fear. Feelings of loss, grief, desperation, depression and emptiness. And then someone whispered, “Help us.”
“ACE, ACE, ACE,” yelled Tim. “Wake up.”
“Why am I soaking wet?” she mumbled, staring at him.
“I threw water on you.”
“Why.”
“I thought that’s what a person was supposed to do when someone was unconscious.”
“I told you I might pass out.”
“Your T-shirt looks outstanding,” he chuckled, staring at her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes and no. Yes, I’m okay but no, I’m furious at the Off World slave trade that’s going on. I heard the sounds of those taken and of those left behind.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to stop them.”
“Caw?”
“It was a Intergalactic Message Stone.”
“Caw?”
“It’s up to you. You can help, or sit it out,” said Ace.
“You’re talking to the crow.”
“I can understand him now.”
“Meow?”
“Yes, you as well.”
“How cool is that?”
“Depends on how you look at it. Now I know he wants peanuts and she wants to hunt.
“I want to…”
“I KOW what you want to do,” she said.
🙂 silly woman…glad to help. AND this was a fascinating chapter.
Oh, yay. So glad you liked it. And really…thank you for always letting me know when I’ve fallen off the path…LOL Too busy looking around. 🙂