Night 25

Jessica and Shane stood in the street outside Shane’s father’s house. They looked at each other and back at Shane’s father’s house. Jessica started laughing and crying.

“I am back. I am home!”

Shane ran to the door and went in. His parents were sitting at the dinner table.

“Mom, dad, I am so happy to see you.” He hugged them both.

His mother Margret started crying.

Jessica ran to her home which was not far only two streets down.

She ran in. But no one was home.

“Mom! Dad!” she called.

She took her car keys and went to the police station.

Her father was in his office, special agents were sitting there with him.

“What’s going on?” Jessica asked Timothy at the desk.

Timothy almost fell off his chair. He went and knocked on Tom’s door. He stuck his head in and said.

“Jessica is here asking for you.”

Tom jumped up and the two special agents watched.

“Jessica!” he hugged her.

“What happened to you?” he asked.

“I went to another world and now I am home. Shane West was with me.” Jessica said “He was a real friend to me.”

“The special agents are here because two people from one small town are missing. We couldn’t find any clues. I called in help but so far, they were unsuccessful in discovering what happened to you.” He informed.

“Come meat the special agents.” He said.

Normally Jessica would have loved to meat special agents. But that night she was not feeling it. But she went anyways.

“Hi I am Jessica Wildness.” She introduced extending her hand.

“The missing Jessica Wildness?” the one asked shaking her hand.

“Yes, that one.” She answered.

“I am agents Dane Smith and this is agent Heather Carter. We will need to speak with you.” He said.

They all looked at her dirty torn clothes and she was still missing a shoe.

“I went to the house but not one was there?” Jessica said.

“It’s Lizzy’s engagement party. She and Lance are getting married. You have been gone a while. Almost a month, it really hit the family hard. Lizzy was engaged before you went missing but she didn’t tell anyone. It’s a small party at Lance’s parent’s home.” Tom said.

“Alright, shall we get the interviews over with so I can go home, shower and maybe catch some of the party?” Jessica asked.

Dane decided that Tom’s office would be suitable to conduct the interview. Tom was allowed to sit in on it.

“What happened to you?” Dane asked.

“You won’t believe me but here goes. I went to a world called Chayim. I was not the only person from earth there. Shane was there with me. He really is decent; I think we should look at what doesn’t add up about his father killing that man.” Jessica digressed.

The agents looked at each other, then at Tom.

“I am a detective. I have my license.” Jessica said seeing their exchanged looks.

“Mr West has been cleared of all charges. The guilty part has been found and already appeared before a judge.” Tom told Jessica.

“Okay, that settles that. I guess I have been gone awhile. So back to my story. Shane was able to communicate with them as they spoke a Latin derivative. He really was a blessing to me. It a pity his girlfriend Pragyaparamita was killed. Sorry!” she said,

“I will try to focus and talk in order. We arrived in Chayim and the dragon riders picked us up. It was scary, dragons are real. A man named Magofilies protected us for some time and Shane got to work as a physician. There were a lot of sick people there, they had a plague and I was pretending to be his sister as this kept me safe until General Spade decided that he was going to marry me. He tried to have Shane killed by feeding him to rats while he was still alive. But Magofilies invited to price to the wedding knowing that only the price could stop it. General Spade was a powerful man and an old man. Pragya was meant to teach us the language. She was a sex slave to General Spade. She was passed around to please his guests. Anyways, getting back to track. The prince came just before I was married to the general and he had a Viden named Yair, who kissed people and then knew everything about them. He told the price who I was, that I was from earth and that the general was forcing me to marry him. Forced marriages are a serious no, no for them. But general Spade felt if he married me, he could become king. That would make him more powerful that his prince. You see in Chayim only the royal family has red hair. They also have blue blood. It’s a different place.” Jessica said.

She was using hand gestures and really telling she story.

“I was given a dragon, but I guess Drake has it now. He gave me the earing I am wearing. Oh, sorry! Drake is the prince of the dragon riders. He then took Shane and I to the palace. After stopping the forced marriage. Shane asked to have Pragya and they gave her to him. He them set her free. She died a free woman not a sex slave. So, we went to the palace with the prince and there I tried to run away. After the forced marriage I wanted nothing to do with them. But after I crashed my dragon in a snow storm, Drake came and found me. He kept coming for me even when I was kidnapped from the castle and given to Black Beard.” Jessica smiled.

Tom and the agents looked at Jessica. She was talking like a crazy person and even more than that she believed it. She was logical and emotional about her story.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“But back to the palace of the dragon rider royalty. We were Drake’s guests but his parents didn’t like me so they tried to have me killed or made to disappear. They were afraid I would be bad for their son. They liked Shane though. I made friends with Drake’s sister Tanith. She would let me wear her princess dresses, which I never thought I would like. Turns out if the situation is right, I do like it. Because Drake’s parents were anti me, I wanted to go to the castle and come home, I insisted. So, we went. Drake was invited to a peace conference in the castle. The land was in a big war when we arrived. I went with Drake to the castle I begged Shane to come. So, he and Pragya came. People saw the peace talks as weakness and attacked the castle twice wanting to kill the queen. During the attacks Pragya was killed so was Natrica. There were so many dead, men, women, children, they killed everyone they took. When they took me out of the castle while kidnapping me, we went over the dead. The floor was soaked in blood. I don’t know how they got the blood off the floors and walls. But after Autumn some strange shape shifter found me and brought me back to the castle the floors and walls were clean.” Jessica paused.

“Do you want to hear about the little people and their spider problem?” She asked.

“Is it relevant?” Dane asked.

“Not really.” Jessica answered.

“Ok, to summarizer more, Kerri found in a book where the crystals were that would get us home. So once the crystals were retrieved by the teams the queen sent out. A new queen was crowned named Ginger and I left without saying a proper goodbye to Drake because…” Jessica stopped.

“I should have said goodbye properly. The gateway is closed. I cannot get back. Plus, I gave my blue diamonds to Drake.” She sat trying not to feel her flood of emotions. Relief of being home was covered by sadness.

“I think you need to go to the hospital. Get checked out.” Dane said.

So, Jessica was taken to the hospital. She walked in, dirty and missing a shoe. People moved away from her. Not wanting this dirty woman near them.

Jessica was examined and they took blood to do tests. While she was there Shane was taken to the station for his statement.

After the hospital Jessica went home where she showered and dressed in her own clothes. She still had the coat given to her and the stones from the other world. Her camera was fill of pictures. She hid her other world things and went to meet her sister.

Elizabeth was delighted to see her. Stefan her brother was also excited. Lance hugged her and everyone was rejoicing at her return. Laura her mother embraced her crying and sobbing.

“I am ok. I am home.” She explained.

That night Tom and Laura discussed Jessica’s mental health. Over the next few days, the blood tests showed Jessica did not have drugs in her system. But there where enzymes that they did not know and foreign proteins in her blood.

Jessica was asked lots of questions and Dane Smith was a weekly visitor. He believed that there was intelligent life out there. So even though Jessica was thought to have hallucinated most of her story. He believed it, he wanted to make sure they were not a threat to earth.

Jessica continued as a detective but she was not so fixed on always telling the truth no matter the consequences. Truth needed to be told at the right time. However, telling the truth meant she and Shane were subjected to mental health tests every six months.

She often wore her dragon earrings given to her by Drake. But she found she didn’t miss him like she thought she would. She left the world behind and returned to her world which didn’t have space for him.

However, she did take up self-defence and started taking martial arts classes. She and Shane remained close and talked about their time in Chayim. It had been a different life but since she kept her pictures and the stones and coat. She had something to hold on to. It was good to be home with her family. In a world that she knew how to live in.

* * *

Shane was sitting, eating with his family when the police knocked on the door. Shane’s dad opened the door to see the police. He thought he was being arrested.

“Is Shane home? We need to speak with him at the station.” They said.

Shane got up.

“What is this about officer?” he asked.

“When a missing person is found they need to notify the police. Why have you not notified us that your son is home?” they asked.

“Don’t worry mom, dad, I will go with them and give my statement. Officer, I have been home for half an hour and I was hungry and in desperate need of a shower.” They looked at his scratches and bruises.

Shane went to the police station and his parents followed in their car.

When he got there a man came over.

“He is not a suspect. But a witness, boys what’s with the treatment? Sorry I am Dane Smith. I wanted to see if you could verify Jessica’s story.” He said.

“Make some coffee for this man and his scared parents.” Dane told the officers who brought him in.

“Thank you, Agent Smith.” Shane responded.

“I am guessing Jessica told you the truth in her usual all out way. I wasn’t planning on sounding crazy so I planned on lying about what happen because the truth is unbelievable. So here goes. Jessica broke into my house as she believes my father is guilty of murder. She was planting bugs, I had just woken up. I was sleeping after my flight. We bumped into each other as I was coming out of my room looking for the light switch. Then we were in a field and there was this girl all in black with glowing blue earrings. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but as it turned out her blue diamond earrings were glowing and not diamonds at all but a magical crystal from Chayim that opens instant travel between worlds.” Shane paused and looked at the agent.

“I sound crazy. I know, but I am sure you have heard most of the rest from Jessica.” He said.

“Jessica never mentioned breaking into your home?” Dane said.

Shane started laughing. “Of cause not.” He said shaking his head.

“Well, we were picked up by dragon riders. Taken to a barracks where we were fed and I was asked to help with the sick. Which I did, there biggest problem was hygiene. There was none in that place, it was so dirty I don’t know how I didn’t catch something.” He said.

Agent Dane kept writing in his pad.

“A man named Magofilies told us to pretend to be brother and sister to protect Jessica. As a woman that is unmarried, she has no rights and can be married off if her father is not alive. Also only married women wear earrings, so we lied and said she was my widowed sister who is returning to our father’s house. We said her husband died of illness and she is childless. They send a Viden Carsta girl to teach us their Latin variation called the queen’s vernacular. Pragya was a slave to General Spade. He saw Jessica snooping about and got ideas of grandeur. He thought she was the lost heir to the throne and if he could bond with her then he could become king. King of everyone, not just a prince in his tribe. When I returned to find that General Spade had Jessica, I was angry and blamed Magofilies, he took it well enough. He rescued me from the dungeon where General Spade put me to be eaten by their giant rats. Mogofilies also sent an invite to the dragon rider prince who sent his oldest son Drake who is also a prince to see who the general was bonding with. When he arrived and saw Jessica fighting him off and how the general had hit her. He had his Viden Yair find out the truth by kissing everyone. Viden’s have the ability to know everything you know by a kiss on the lips. So, once he knew all about Jessica, he told Drake and Drake then ordered that all high ranked officials get kissed so the truth could be known.” Shane sighed,

“Jessica would have made a good dragon rider princess. But once Drake took us to the palace Jessica got in his parent’s faces about how their people are suffering while they hide in the palace eating well. They never liked her after that. Then Drake’s youngest brother tried to have Drake discredited using his affection for Jessica against him. Drake’s affection for Jessica is what saved us. Her red hair however, caused a lot of trouble as everyone thought she was the lost heir to the throne of the world. I was allowed to take Pragya with me to the palace and I got to train with other physicians and mystic healers. Now before you think a mystic healer is a spiritual healer or that kind of thing, it’s not, it’s a tribe that can heal the soul and therefore the body.”

Shane checked how they were taking it. Agent Heather Carter had a blank face, but Dane Smith looked like he was listening.

“Shall I speed this up?” Shane asked.

“By all means.” Carter said.

“Go on.” Smith said.

“The queen invited all the royals to a peace talk. Jessica persuaded Drake to take us with him. We went to the castle and discovered there were more earthlings. They had already met and were trying to get home. However, the queen was not popular and there were two severe attacks on the castle in one of them Pragya was killed and Jessica was kidnapped. The second attack was the morning after the first. The leaders at the peace talks planned a coo and so more blood was shed. It took days to clean it up and count the dead. The whole place smelt like blood. Quite nauseating. They were unsuccessful in killing Tẽra. She has loyal friends who protected her and killed for her. Our attackers even killed the wounded in the sick bay. The ones that they didn’t get out in time died in their beds. It was a horrible few days but I shouldn’t dwell on it. The queen sent teams to retrieve the crystals and after the crowning of the lost heir we headed for Mount Jeku. But the new queen’s people pursued Tẽra and so we had to climb the mountain on the bad side. We got caught in thorn bushes and fell. Tt was not fun. Jessica lost a shoe, we even had to cut Joe’s hair to free her from the thorns. It left its mark on all of us. But the Viden protectors of the crystals found us and we are now home. Back on earth. We arrived outside my home.” Shane looked at them.

“Do you have any more questions?” Shane asked.

“You will need to go to the hospital and get checked out.” Heather said.

Shane went to the hospital and got checked out. They took blood and did a few tests. He was then allowed to return home. Over the days that followed he was told he had to go for counselling before returning to work. To ensure he was mentally stable.

Shane came from his counselling appointment when he saw Viola.

“Hi.” He said, “What are you doing here?”

“I was identifying a relative that passed. What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I work here. I am a doctor. But I am in counselling to ensure I am mentally stable before I am allowed to return to work. I understand it’s protocol. Can’t have doctor’s breaking down during an emergency.”

Shane looked her up and down.

“I am sorry about your relative. You have already been through so much, now a death in the family.” He hugged her.

“Would you like to have coffee with me. The cafeteria has nice coffee and food. It’s a requirement we believe people need good food, especially during hard times.” Shane said.

“I would like coffee but not here. Can we go elsewhere?” Viola asked.

Shane and Viola had coffee and lunch. They talked about the stories they told about their absents and how their family was handling it. They talked about a lot of things including Chayim and the people they left behind.

Viola’s flight back to Germany crashed in the ocean. Her star necklace was lost. No one died nor was there any serious injuries. But the loss of her necklace was very upsetting for her.

A few days later Shane emailed Viola. Saying he saw there was a crash and asking if she was alright. They started chatting and then when she was in Canada, she would meet up with him. As the months went by, she took more and more assignment that gave her a chance to go to Canada. Viola finally told her father Victor about Shane and Shane went to Germany to meet Viola’s dad. The two that would never have meet on earth became a very happy couple.

Viola would sometimes tease him about his alien girlfriend but all in good nature. She just couldn’t wrap her mind around inter species breeding or being together. No matter how nice they were it was just not meant to be. Stick with your own kind.

Jessica and Shane stayed friends and Jessica would use him to help her solve mysteries. Free medical advice about stuff. Shane would get even by making Jessica cook for him and Viola once in a while, when he would visit his parents.