Enceladus

I woke up, suddenly, sensing my siblings. But that didn’t make sense. They were on Enceladus and I was on Earth.

It was 8:30 a.m. I had to work at ten. Lainie was still sleeping next to me.

I got up and made some tea. Coffee was too strong for my sensitive Enceladian taste buds. We didn’t have anything nearly as strong as coffee beans. The closest we got to that level of richness was our version wine.

I heard Lainie stir with my superhuman ears. Enceladians had superior senses and better physique. We were also better looking, nearly flawless.

But I wasn’t bragging.

I heard the water running in the bathroom and then Lainie emerged. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, love. How’d you sleep?”

“Amazingly,” she said. I handed her a cup of tea.

“Sugar?”

She nodded.

“So, I have to go to work soon. Um, you can stay here if you’d like, while I go,” I offered.

“Oh, no. I have to shower and pick up some groceries. Thanks, though.” She smiled.

After I showered, I went to my room in a towel. Lainie was there sitting on my bed.

“I wanted-” She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes wandered my body then rested on my face. There was a hunger in her sweet eyes. A hunger that spread tingles throughout my whole body.

She stood up and walked closer to me. I took in her beautiful face and enticing hair. She had the most perfect frame. She slowly brought her hands to my face and kissed me. My hands found her hips and pulled her as close as possible. Her lips tasted like mint lip gloss.

She sat me on the bed. I laid down and she came with me. We kissed and kissed some more. I rolled on top of her and my towel came off. I tried to grab it but she took my hand.

“Ever since I met, I’ve wished for more hours in a day,” I said.

Lainie’s grin was wide. “You’re too sweet. How do you come up with things like that?”

“I’ll never reveal my secrets.” I smiled wickedly. I glanced at my bedside clock. It was 9:42. “I’m going to be late for work because of you,” I teased.

“Oh! Sorry. I’ll get going. I’ll see you tomorrow, babe.” She pecked me on the mouth and skipped out of my apartment.

I leaned against my dresser, heart happy. Then I realized I was late. I scrambled to get dressed and dry my coal hair. I took out my contacts to give my eyes some rest. They irritated me a majority of the time. I curled my hair, grabbed my keys and ran out the door.

I walked inside and John smiled at me. We always worked every shift together for some reason.

As I was saying hello, his eyes widened. “Amelia, your eyes . . .”

I didn’t have to look in a mirrior to realize I had forgotten my blue contacts. But that wasn’t quite what shocked me the most. John had called me Amelia. On Earth, I went by Amy Thorne. I had never once said my real first name to anyone. I didn’t know how to respond to him.

“You . . . called me Amelia?”

John stuttered. “I just thought that-that Amy was short for Amelia.”

I noticed I was in the way of a customer. I beckoned John to the back room with me. Once we were there, I backed him up against a locker.

“Who are you?”

“You know me. I’m John. John Reed. We’ve been working together for two years,” he stuttered again. He seemed terrified but I didn’t think he really was.

“How did you know my real name?” I growled. I closed in on him.

He raised his hands in surrender. “I-” He stopped at the sight of another employee walking in the break room. I backed up and glared at him, practically saying “this isn’t over”.

I put on my uniform and sulked out. The rest of the work day I told customers I was wearing contacts.

That night I took Lainie to a place called The Melting Pot. She kept telling me that we didn’t need to go out tonight because of her birthday dinner but I insisted. I liked to spoil her.

I picked her up on campus. “Hey babe.” She kissed me as she got in.

“You look amazing,” I said. Which earned me another kiss.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” I grinned. My eyes suddenly blurred.

“You can’t wear that,” said Lynx. There was another ball. I didn’t know why we insisted on throwing numerous balls a month. The only people that could come were my family, the kingdom’s many guards and the family’s of the leaders of each division. That was it.

I was fifty-three and Lynx was 245.

Lynx was referring to the pants and tank top I was wearing. “Sure I can.”

Lynx glared at me. He knew if mother saw me in this, I’d be torn through. He was just looking out for me. I should’ve listened to him every time.

Lynx brought out the brand new, custom made, flowing red gown. “Perfect.” He even did my hair that night. “I want you to look your best tonight. I’m introducing you to someone.”

“Who?” I asked as he yanked and curled my black mane.

“Well, it is a girl.” Lynx knew how I felt. He felt the same way. Well, the opposite obviously. “It’s a surprise.”

Lynx introduced me to my first girlfriend that night, much to our parents’ dismay. He also had a man on his arm. Winners of our fathers love and affection, I’d say.

“Amy, hun. We don’t have to go if you don’t feel good,” Lainie said, back in the present.

“No, love. I’m okay, really. I was just thinking how happy you make me.”

She leaned over and kissed me deeply. “Now, let’s go. I’m starving!”

I drove us to the Melting Pot and Lainie squealed when we pulled in the parking lot. “How’d you know I love this place?” she gushed. I loved seeing that expression on her face.

We went inside and checked in our reservations.

“I love fondue,” Lainie said with her mouth full of a strawberry. She literally could not be cuter.

Suddenly I felt this shooting pain through my skull and I had to grab my head. It was vision blurring.

“Amy?” Lainie put her hand on my arm. “What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t respond. It felt like someone was shoving a knife through my ears. I heard Lainie shuffling around and suddenly she was pulling me out of the booth and outside. I couldn’t quite open my eyes but I trusted that she wouldn't lead me into a tree.

Enceladians were highly tolerable to pain so this was a shock. What was happening?

My whole body was starting to hurt. My eyes, my arms, my legs. I briefly opened my eyes and the bright parking lot lights assaulted my senses. I clamped my eyes shut but not before I saw and felt Lainie putting me into my car.

I heard the car start. I still couldn’t speak. My lips parted but no sound came out. My head was splitting apart.

“It’s just a bad migraine, Amy. I’ll get you home. Don’t worry, hun.”

I screamed. Lainie gasped and swerved the car. The pain was getting worse. Enceladians didn’t get sick, let alone have migraines. I wasn’t even sure what migraines were. I felt tears slipping out of my eyes and then Lainie’s hand.

“The hospital then.” Lainie swore.

I somehow found my words. “No! No hospital. I’m f-f-fine.”

“You don’t sound or look fine.”

“Home. Pl-pleeease.”

I assumed she nodded but my eyes were still closed. If she took me to the hospital, they’d run tests on me and find out that I wasn’t human.

All of a sudden, I heard Cassiopeia’s voice in my mind. She simply said, zë tô ënôw.

Then she was gone but unfortunately the pain wasn’t. I felt the car slowing. Turning off. Car door shutting.

Lainie took me out of the car and up the stairs to my apartment. The pain was lessening slightly. We got inside and I was able to open my eyes because of the dark.

“Should I leave the lights off?” she asked.

I nodded slowly, taking in my surroundings. Lainie led me to my room and sat me on my bed.

“What happened? You were crying the pain was so intense.” She wiped my tears. Then ran and got me water.

I drank greedily. “I don’t know,” I managed.

“Are you like sick or something? My mom got headaches like that before she was diagnosed.” Lainie’s voice was small.

“I’m not sick. I think I just have a migraine syndrome.”

Lainie stared at me like I said something wrong. “You scared me.” She hugged me tightly.

“I’m sorry that I ruined our dinner,” I said, rubbing my temples. The pain was almost gone.

“No, it’s okay. We were done anyways.” She ran her hands up and down my goosebump filled arms. I wasn’t cold. I didn’t get cold on Earth. Ohio’s cold temperatures were nothing compared to Enceladus.

I was so filled with affection for Lainie, I grabbed her face and kissed her passionately.

“Is your head okay enough?” she asked.

I responded by kissing her again. I pushed her down onto my bed. Her hands roamed my body. She held me tightly and I felt safe in her thin human arms. I kissed her deeper and she replied by getting on top of me and pinning me down. She kissed my neck then abruptly sat up and took off her dress.

“I liked that dress.”

All she did was giggle. Bæt.