I tried to straighten my shoulders, but they wouldn’t cooperate. “I need to leave,” I said as firmly as I could manage, though it came out hesitant. “Please,” I added in case the woman understood me. It never hurt to be polite, especially if they weren’t going to eat me. If they were, I guessed I would be polite food.
She didn’t even acknowledge my words. She picked up a long object with a flat tip about the diameter of a baseball, and I scuttled back on the bed.
Where the fuck did she think she was putting that?
Once again, she didn’t acknowledge my movement and waved the instrument over me. It released a long beep, and she peered at the monitor before saying something. The snake-woman pressed on a panel, and it popped open. She thrusted some clothes into my arms, then pointed at them before stabbing her long finger at me.
“You want me to get dressed?” I asked.
She didn’t speak or turn around.
“Can I get some privacy?”
Her tail flicked, but she gave no other sign she’d even heard me. I twirled my finger to indicate she should turn around, but she didn’t. Seriously? I was going to have to show her my junk. Then again, maybe she wanted to see all of me. I blanched at the thought. Ihadbeen naked when I woke up, so she’d probably already seen my dick.
I tried again, but she kept watching me.
Grinding my teeth, I pulled on a pair of black pants and a loose tunic-style shirt with a stiff collar that brushed my chin. The pants clung to my legs, tapering at the ankle, and the blue tunic hung to my thighs, clinging to my paunch, sleeves ending right at my wrists. Finally, I tugged on a pair of socks and boots that went to mid-calf.
While the clothes were not uncomfortable, they didn’t feel right because they weren’t mine. I wanted my hoodie. Everything would be more manageable if I had the familiar bulk hugging me.
She motioned to the door.
My hands curled into fists, but I complied. So far, these aliens had done nothing more than take me. A physical confrontation didn’t seem worth it, not yet at least. Besides, I’d never fought back in my life. Every time, I froze or cowered. No matter how much someone hurt me, my body refused to respond.
The crowd was nowhere to be seen, but two people in black garments with leather body armor and long batons on their hips stood in front of the door. One, of what I was pretty damn sure were guards, was bright pink in color and had short neon green hair. The other was dark purple with black hair falling to their waist. Like the woman, they had elf ears, cat eyes, tails, and scales. Both were taller than me, well into the six-foot range.
They inclined their heads to the side, and one gestured to the hallway.
I sighed. I was apparently going for a walk. To where? I had no idea. For what purpose? Also, a mystery. Wasn’t life as an abductee fun?
The gray walls on either side of me had a wooden texture, and the blue floor had a slight give under my feet like carpet, but it was squishier. Interwoven vines, dense with flowers, covered the ceilings, filling the enclosed space with a light floral fragrance.
If these aliens got seasonal allergies, they were seriously screwed. Plants were everywhere from potted trees to hanging plants on the walls.
Doors lined the corridor, all labeled with strange glowing symbols. We passed by several monitors, all unreadable, but I didn’t spy a single window. I had no idea if I was on Earth or in space.
Space. How crazy had my life become that space was a possibility?
Eventually, we came to a door that opened to reveal a round room. She pointed, and I crept inside. Was she releasing me into the void of space? Was that even a thing? Why hadn’t I forced myself to watch or read more sci-fi?
A moment later, she came inside with the two guards. The door swished closed, and the floor shifted. I jolted, hitting the wall with a thud. She spoke in a soft voice that sounded aggressive to my ears. We moved upward.
It was an elevator. Just an elevator.
The only thing to break the silence was the sound of breathing—mine harsher than theirs. The ride seemed to last forever, and my heart thundered in my ears as electricity danced under my skin.
With a rush of air, the door opened to reveal a short hallway. This one was different, more regal. A gold rug ran the length of the hall abutting the two wood doors the color of whiskey.
The woman nudged my back with her tail, and I lurched forward. Two scaled people opened the doors, and my eyes traveled down the aisle to the person directly at the other end.
He was tall with silvery-blue hair that reached his trim waist and steel-blue scales. His eyes were purple with slits like a cat's. He had wide features, a straight nose, and a strong jaw. His broad shoulders filled out a shirt similar to mine, but it was sleeveless, showing off his muscular arms. Silver cuffs and studswith gems lined his tapered ears, and he wore several necklaces and bracelets.
The strange man did not hold my attention for long. I was drawn to the windows covering the round walls and the ceiling.
I was in space—like actual space.
Earth floated some distance away. Clouds covered the surface, making Earth look like a marble. We weren’t in orbit since I could see the entire planet. But it was there. Untouchable. Out of reach.
