Bite, Blaze, and Enchantment - Zara Zenia Page 0,2

you to go with your cousin, please."

"Katie doesn't want to take me anywhere," I say sadly. Looking at my cousin, I can tell my words have made her feel guilty.

Mom looks like she's just about to start crying, she's so desperate. This is seriously starting to worry me. Then she walks forward, like taking one large lunge. I almost shudder visibly, not that she would ever raise a hand to me. It's just that my nerves are completely destroyed with this all-encompassing depression that's come over me. I feel like the last months of my life have been a dream. A bad dream at that.

Then Mom puts Katie's hand in mind. "Please," Mom says. "Take her, Katie. She’s your cousin. You know this will help her to get her life back. To bring back the sweet, vibrant young woman we know and love."

Katie seems to be struggling with what to do. I can see an inner turmoil in her expression as she almost visibly thinks about her next action. "Well, I guess we could go, for a little while at least. You are both my family and I love you." Katie takes a determined breath and moves closer to the door, leading me behind her. "Well, little cousin, you heard your mother. I can't really say no to family, can I? Not after a heart-felt request like that. Let’s go pack your bag."

Chapter Two

Stephanie

As we head out the door a little bit later, I am still in a kind of shock. I don't really know where we're going. I assume we're just going to go for a drive or something, because how the hell would we be going to an alien planet!

Mom calls out as we head out the door, "Oh, one more thing, Katie."

"Yes, Aunt?" my cousin responds from the door, with me behind her.

"Don't let anything bad happen to my daughter, please? I trust you. Bye, sweetheart, I’ll miss you both. Love you."

"I promise I won't let anything bad happen to her, love you too!" Katie replies.

Mom rushes over and gives me a kiss on my cheek then we're out the door.

"Are you ready to go to Etwan?" Katie asks me as we head to her car.

We sit there and I notice Mom watching from the still open doorway. I don't believe any of this is real. Part of me thinks I might still be alone in my bedroom. Sleeping during the day as usual, not going out or seeing friends. Not bothering to do anything with my life. I kind of start to wish this car really was a spaceship.

"Isn’t that some made up place?" I ask. I remember how she used to have a really wild imagination. It was one thing that made playtime so much fun when we would play together as kids. "You know I'm too old to buy that kind of thing now, right? I'm nineteen, not five."

"Oh, I know. We're both fully grown women now. I wouldn't try to pull one over on you," Katie tells me.

She seems earnest enough, and I don't see why she would be trying to trick me. That's why I can't figure out what is going on. If it's a prank or something, then my own mother has to be in on it too. Maybe they've been planning some kind of surprise party for me. My birthday was months ago though.

"Hmm, should I take her to Etwan, though? We could head to Desergan, but what would we do then?" she says to herself.

It's like I'm not even there. That's when I start to worry that Katie might actually have lost her grip.

"Well, where are we really going?" I finally say. "Are we going for a drive at least? Or did you just bring me out here to show me your car? I've seen cars before, you know?" I know I'm being a little rude, but I don't mean to offend her. I just don't have a lot of patience right now for this kind of messing around. My anxiety is working overtime and I'm paranoid about being the butt of some stupid joke.

"Buckle up and you'll find out," my cousin replies with a sly smirk on her face. "I know you don't believe anything about other planets. I don't blame you. I wouldn't expect you to believe it. Not without seeing them for yourself."

Then she reaches beneath the console of her car—a simple red hatch that is most certainly nothing like a spaceship—and presses a hidden button.