Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology (22 page)

"
You all right, babe?" Bobby asked, looking concerned. I'm sure the only thing on his mind was that he hoped it wasn't something that would ruin our evening plans.

"
I'm fine. Just have to pee," I answered, pulling Tara by the hand.

We walked out into the main concourse of the convention center, finding a bathroom not too far from Hall F, where the food court was located. The concourse was just as crowded with people walking in and out of smaller rooms that held different panels and other events. Go figure the line for the ladies
' restroom was about ten people deep. Tara and I decided to wait, figuring any other restroom would likely be just as packed. Tara claimed she didn't need to go, but changed her mind by the time we made it to the front of the line. She took the stall I finished with as I washed my hands.

"
Hey, I'm going to wait outside the restroom, okay?" I said.

"
Okay, don't rush me. I'll be right out," she answered.

After washing my hands, I stepped outside the restroom and pulled out my phone to check Facebook. I was in the middle of reading a post on my timeline when someone approached me from behind.

I turned around to find the stranger who had been stalking me on the main convention floor. Panic gripped me. My arms and legs refused to move, and I couldn
't scream.

"
Do not be alarmed. You are in danger, but not from me. You are unable to move because I have taken control of your muscular system and your nervous system. We will be returning to the table where your friends are sitting." At his words, the stranger and I began walking forward. The sensation was like nothing I had ever felt. I could see and hear like normal, but the movements of my body were not my own. It was as if I was being strung along like a puppet. We got to the table as Bobby and James were in the middle of a conversation. When they looked up, they were taken aback by the stranger who stood next to me.

"
Who's this?" James asked. "And where's Tara?" he added, looking around me.

"
This is Joe." My mouth moved, but the words were not mine.

"
Okay—Joe? Can we help you with something?" Bobby asked, reaching for my hand. When we touched, he jerked his hand away as if he had been shocked.

"
Damn, that's some serious static electricity," James commented. "So, what's going on here? Do you know this guy or something?" he asked, looking at me for confirmation.

"
Yes, we are old friends," my voice answered again. Bobby sat staring at the stranger as if he wasn't sure what to do. The tension on his face was evident. Suddenly, the stranger began speaking directly to Bobby in a dialect that was completely foreign. It sounded unlike any language I had ever heard. It was as if he wasn't speaking words, but rather odd sounds that could not be pronounced. Even more shocking was when Bobby answered in the same sounds.

"
Dude, what movie is that from? I don't remember hearing it before," James asked Bobby, who ignored him as he continued to stare at the stranger in some sort of standoff.

"
Hey, why did you run off? I've been looking everywhere for you," Tara said, walking up from behind us.

At that moment, Bobby jumped from his chair with his hands in front of him. His eyes glowed just like the stranger
's had. The table rose into the air in front of us and flew forward, crashing into the stranger and sending Tara and me flying backward. The crowd of people in the food court erupted into screams as everyone began scattering. I felt the control of my body return instantly. I looked up to see James reaching for Bobby, only to jerk his hand away. Bobby stood for an instant, watching me before barreling through the emergency exit door as the stranger once again rose to his feet. He rushed after Bobby while Tara, James and I jumped up and followed the surge of people now pouring out of the convention hall.

"
Tara, are you okay?" I asked as we hurried along.

"
I think so. My leg kinda hurts. What the hell was all that?" she asked.

"
Yeah, what the eff was with Bobby? I think I shit myself," James piped in.

"
I don't know. This is freaking insane," I said, shaking. We made it outside and ran as fast as we could to James's truck in the parking lot. There was already a long line of cars honking and inching forward to leave.

"
Get in," James said, unlocking the doors.

"
Are we just going to leave Bobby here?" Tara asked, looking at me.

"
Screw him. Whatever the hell that was in there, he can walk his ass home," James answered.

"
Tara's right. We can't just leave without him," I insisted, although I wasn't completely convinced myself.

"
You said in there that guy was an old friend. Is he a cop or something? Why did Bobby run? Is he in some kind of trouble he didn't tell us about?" James asked, rambling on.

"
I honestly don't know. I'm in the dark as much as you are," I answered. I was still confused over having my body controlled by some creepy stranger.

"
What are we going to do?" Tara asked. She looked like she wanted answers from me that I didn't have. All I could think about was Bobby's eyes, glowing in the same manner as the stranger who started all the commotion. Neither Tara nor James mentioned seeing them, so I kept my mouth shut, because it couldn't be real. There had to be an explanation. I felt like we were living in some science fiction movie that was the reason for this whole stupid convention. I began to feel nauseous and cranked down the window for some air.

"
Look. We're getting the hell out of here. If Bobby is in some kind of trouble with the police, he's going to have to call his parents. It's as simple as that," James proclaimed as he started the ignition of his truck. He backed out of the parking space and forced his way into the line of vehicles waiting to exit the lot. It took twenty minutes to make it out of the parking lot and another fifteen minutes to get to the highway. None of us said another word during the drive home. I think we were all in shock.

James pulled up in front of my driveway an hour later. I opened the door to his truck, eager to get into my house. As I slid from the bench seat, Tara squeezed my hand and asked me to text her if I heard anything from Bobby. I nodded in agreement and shut the door behind me.

My parents sat on the couch in our living room watching TV when I opened the front door. "Hey, sweetheart. How was the convention?" my mom asked.

"
Fine," I answered shortly without stopping as I took the stairs to my room two at a time. That was probably a mistake. I could already picture Mom rising from the couch and on her way to my room. I flopped backward onto my bed, and could hear her coming up the stairs. "Is everything okay?" she asked, standing in the doorway.

"
It's fine, Mom. I'm just tired," I said, hoping she would accept my answer and move on.

"
Honey, I'm your mother. You know I can always tell when something is wrong." She stood waiting for an answer for a moment before sitting down on the bed next to me when I didn't provide one. "Did something happen between you and Bobby?" she asked.

"
You could say that," I said, not offering any more explanation.

"
Well, just give it a little time. I'm sure things will be better tomorrow," she said, rubbing my head.

"
Yeah," I answered.

"
You want something to eat?" she asked.

"
No thanks. I think I'm just going to take a shower and go to bed."

"
Okay, honey. Let me know if you need anything." She walked out of my room, closing the door behind her. I grabbed my favorite pair of Victoria's Secret pajamas and headed to the bathroom. I cranked on the water to heat up while I got undressed. Standing in front of the mirror, I found the reason why the back of my arm felt sore, noticing the unattractive dark purple bruise just above my elbow that must have happened when I was thrown backward.

I climbed into the shower, letting the warm water cascade down my body as I contemplated the day
's events over and over again. No matter how many times I played it out in my head, nothing made sense. I remember reading in a book one time at school that said when you eliminate the impossible, what remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. This was the problem with trying to rationalize what happened today. Breaking each individual moment apart to try to justify them into logical explanations wouldn't work because it is simply not what happened. The stranger did control my bodily functions, and Bobby didn't pick up the table with his hands. It rose into the air on its own and rocketed toward us like it had been shot from a gun.

After drying off and slipping into my pajamas, I climbed into bed, no closer to any reasonable explanation other than accepting the fact that something freaky was going on. I clicked on my TV with the remote, hoping to find some kind of distraction, if that was even possible. The last thing I remember before drifting asleep was an episode of Pretty Little Liars.

I was startled awake in a pitch-black room with a feeling of unease. Sitting up, I clutched one of my throw pillows to my chest and glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It was one thirty in the morning. The room was as silent as it was dark, but I could sense some type of movement in the corner near my window. My immediate reaction was to scream, but no words escaped my mouth. Suddenly, I was pushed back against my will into a flat position on the bed. The stranger stepped forward as his eyes began to glow, illuminating my room in a soft hue.

I realize once again that this will come as a complete shock, but you must remain calm. Do not fear that I have control of your mind. I mean you no harm. My name is Kawise. Your thoughts are correct. I am not from your planet.

"What do you mean, my thoughts are correct? You can read my mind?"

"
That is correct. We are speaking telepathically."

"
What do you want?"

"
Your mate has been taken as a host for Rakar, a dangerous criminal from our home planet of Xorpeen. Rakar is a fugitive who is being hunted for developing a type of biological weapon capable of destroying all life on any planet where it is introduced. I have been tracking him for quite some time, and found him here on Earth."

"
Wait. Are you saying that Bobby is now some alien species?"

"
No. We exist as a form of living energy. We are able to live within a host species, if we choose, by attaching ourselves to your central nervous system. Your mate is simply being controlled by Rakar."

"
But we were going to—oh god, I almost did it with an alien?"

"
Intercourse would have remained possible, if that was your intention."

"
Don't say it like that. Just let me go and get out! I don't understand what any of this has to do with me."

"
As I stated, my intention is not to harm you. This course of action is for your protection. I am afraid there are complications that you are not aware of that place you firmly in this equation."

"
What does that even mean? You're not going to tell me I'm a host too?"

"
Not in the sense that your mate is being inhabited. The weapon that Rakar developed is a mutated virus of our own species. He has placed it inside you in order to keep it stable."

"
I have a freaking alien virus in me? What does that mean? Am I going to die? GAAAAH! I hope that scream sounds the same as it would if my vocal cords worked because I am freaking out right now!"

"
Please remain calm."

"
Remain calm? Are you out of your mind or whatever you have? How did this happen? When did it happen?"

"
At some point Rakar took control of your bodily functions, just as I have, and placed the virus into your system. You would not have been aware of when it happened."

"
No shit, Sherlock. How do we get it out before it kills me?"

"
The virus remains stable as long as it is attached to a host nervous system. That is how Rakar keeps it hidden. The reason I found him on Earth is because my tracking devices are set to locate the virus. When he placed it into your body, my tracking system recorded a faint signal. The closer I get to the virus, the stronger the signal, even when hidden inside a host. It wasn't until I tracked you today that I was certain of what Rakar had done. He is the only one who can remove the virus here."

"
So, let's go then. I assume you caught him today, right?"

"
I am afraid not. He has escaped for now, but he will not leave Earth without the virus. His plan was quite clever actually. We could remove the virus on my home planet, but you would not survive the trip. If you die, the virus will become unstable. Rakar knows I cannot allow this to happen."