Deadly Passion, an Epiphany (14 page)

“So the two of you came from the mine, the mine caved in and you woke up here,” Jason said. “What about you, Dennis?”

“The last I remember was that I stood trial for a crime I committed, a bad crime. I raped a young girl. Something I’ll regret to my dying day and wish I could undo. I don’t remember the sentencing. It’s like there’s a gap in my memory from the trial to waking up in the coal mine. Today, there was a thundering noise and lightning. It felt like something picked me up and I passed out to wake up in a grass field. That’s where Harry and Beth found me.”

“The lightning! That’s what burned the two guys to a crisp and then they disappeared!” Russell yelled.

“Okay, so there’s a pattern emerging. I don’t know what games these aliens are playing, but games they are, and I don’t like it,” Cassie said.

“It seems they’re transporting people from one place to another using different methods. Marlene disappeared into thin air. Georgia is suddenly gone and some others have vanished. Dennis experienced the lightning and thunder, Harry and Beth were buried in the mine cave in, several others were burned to a crisp with the lightning, their charred bodies disappearing, yet some of you have appeared again in a different place. So maybe the ones that have suddenly vanished haven’t gone at all. Perhaps they’re somewhere else on this godforsaken planet,” Jonas concluded.

“I saw a red mist before I passed out,” Azim joined the conversation.

“And what happened just before you saw the red mist, Azim?” Cassie asked.

“It’s not something I really want to talk about. I’d rather forget what happened before.”

“But those of you that landed in a different place first, before ending up here with us, if you can all recall what you were doing just before were transported here, what you were thinking, talking about, maybe we can figure out how these aliens are getting their jollies.”

“Cassie, that’s a bit farfetched,” Jonas said.

“I don’t mind talking about it,” Dennis said. “For years, every day and night, I could think of nothing else but what I’d done to Harry’s daughter. The longer I was there, the more I realized what kind of a heel I was to my wife, my children, because one crazy evening when I was pissed out of my mind, I raped a young girl, Harry’s daughter. Drunkenness is no excuse. There is absolutely no justification for what I did and it’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.”

Jonas nodded thoughtfully. “So you had an epiphany.”

“I guess you could call it that.”

“What about the rest of you? Anything you want to share?” Jonas asked.

Harry shifted awkwardly, then started to talk. “I killed three men, the bastards that raped my daughter. Dennis was one of them. She was only thirteen at the time and my rage knew no boundary. I buried them and no one ever knew. They were listed as missing. I’ve lived with it for six years and tried to justify it in my mind, telling myself they deserved it, but I know I did wrong. I started to regret shooting them and it burned a hole in my soul. I should have let justice deal with them. I was telling Beth about it when the mine caved in. What I don’t understand is how Dennis lived.”

“So another epiphany. Do you all see a pattern here?” Jonas looked at Beth. “Anything you want to share, Beth?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not ready for that,” she said softly. “But you might say I had an epiphany as well.”

“So they can hear us, read our minds maybe,” Cassie said.

Jonas looked at Azim. “What about you?”

“Yeah, I guess so, but I don’t want to talk about it,” Azim said.

“We’ll talk more tomorrow. Why don’t you three go and get cleaned up. The water is quite warm. When you’re done, some of us will help you set up a little campsite for each of you. It’s getting close to dinner. Azim, we caught a lot of fish. Can you help clean them and distribute them?”

Azim’s dilemna
…

Azim left the group and wandered to the fish-filled nets. While he was gutting and cleaning the fish, his mind focused on what he’d just heard. How could he ever share what he’d done? How could he share what had happened just before he’d landed here? Most of these people had been in the club. How they could all be here and in one piece, how he himself could be in one piece, was still a mystery because he’d had so many explosives strapped around his body, there shouldn’t have been anything left of him. Unless the common conclusion that aliens were behind it all was true and they’d snatched everyone just in time? But that didn’t make sense either because many of the people talked about the explosion, the horror and panic, the fire.

I can’t tell them I was the bomber. They’ll kill me. Except for the two new people, every single person was in the nightclub that night.

He thought about Izzy. Could she be alive somewhere on this planet? She was so naïve, such a good woman, she wouldn’t have ended up in mines or dungeons, surely. Hope flared in his heart
. If she’s alive I’ll find her
. No one ever talked about leaving the lake.
Tomorrow I’ll bring up the subject of building a raft. If we can get to the distant mountains, who knows what lies on the other side of them. If this is an alien world, then surely the aliens must have cities…

Building of transition
…

“Dinner is served now in hall ten. Please follow the blue line,” a soft melodious voice echoed through the room.

Georgia looked up at the ceiling, the walls, but saw no speakers. She stood, wondering how to exit, when a door slid open to reveal a brightly lit hallway. The white floor had lines on it in different colors. Blue, red, yellow, green, orange and pink. She followed the blue line. Other people, women wearing gowns like her own in different pastel shades, and men wearing pants and a tunic, also in pastel colors followed their color line. Eventually, there was one line left, the blue one. She noticed all the people walking down the hallway with her wore blue.

The line led into a large room that resembled a restaurant. She stopped for a moment to gaze at it. Large round white tables suspended from the ceiling were set with beautiful crystal dinnerware and silver cutlery. She counted twelve chairs around each table. Foreign looking plants decorated the room, and marble statues and beautiful pastel paintings decorated the ceiling and walls. Crystal chandeliers sent a soft glow throughout. When she entered, a woman in a white gown approached her.

“Georgia Leigh?”

“Yes.”

“You’re at table number four. Let me show you the way,” the woman said.

“Thank you.” Georgia was too overwhelmed to say anything else or to ask questions. The splendor was almost overpowering, the jump from a beach with no clothes, no bed, no food except fish, fruit and nuts, to this, was unimaginable.

“This is your chair,” the woman said. “Please introduce yourself.”

Georgia sat on the white chair that had no legs. She was beyond wondering how it could just stay put, but it did. She gazed at the other people at the table. Five men and six women. They introduced themselves. They were of various ages. The last one to introduce herself seemed quite young and she sat next to Georgia.

“My name is Izzy.”

“Hi, everyone. I’m Georgia Leigh.”

Soft conversation started and following their example, Georgia unfolded her napkin and put it on her lap. “Izzy, you look familiar,” she said to the pretty girl who almost resembled a Grecian goddess with her long black hair and ivory skin.

“I’ve never met you, Georgia. At least I don’t think I have. I lived in New York before I came here.”

“Do you remember how you got here, Izzy?” Georgia asked softly so the others wouldn’t hear.

“No. I was at a nightclub with my boyfriend, Azim. We were dancing, then suddenly I woke up here. It’s very strange, and I don’t know where Azim is. I miss him so much.”

“You were at Crimson Lights?”

“Yes. How do you know—“

“I was there, too, with my husband, my daughter, her fiancé and their friends. There was an explosion, fire, and I woke up in a field of grass. I don’t know where my husband and daughter are, or most of their friends, and now I don’t know how I got here. I was sitting on a rock near a stream and now I’m here. Jonas thinks we’re on an alien planet.”

“Who is Jonas?”

“He was one of the people celebrating my daughter’s birthday. The people chose him as their leader.”

“That’s strange. I have thought the same thing. We were abducted by aliens. But now you tell me there was an explosion?”

“Yes. It was horrible.”

“But I was in the nightclub and I didn’t see any explosion or fire. I don’t know anything except that I was in Azim’s arms.”

“How old are you, Izzy? Is that your full name?”

“No, it’s Isabella. I’m twenty-two. Azim is twenty-five. Here is the first course. The food here is heavenly.”

“Well, I’ll call you Isabella from now on. It’s such a lovely name.”

Georgia looked at the steaming bowl placed before her. It looked like a creamed soup and its aroma teased her nostrils even if she didn’t feel hungry. Picking up the soupspoon, she tasted it and realized she suddenly had an appetite. Having lived on fish, fruit and nuts for so long, she found the soup was the best she’d ever had in her life.

Isabella hadn’t been kidding when she’d said the food was heavenly. Georgia ate everything and after dessert, she thought for sure she’d burst. Thinking about the group she’d left behind she almost felt like wrapping up some scraps left on plates. She felt guilty at enjoying a feast while her friends only had fish, fruit and nuts.

“I’m so worried where Azim might be,” Isabella said. “I don’t understand why I’m here and he’s not.”

“Maybe the aliens didn’t want him?”

“I guess that’s possible. But I don’t want to live without him. We want to get married, you know. His mother doesn’t like me. His whole family is against us getting married. We’ve talked about running away.”

“Different religions?”

“Yes, and different cultures. But we don’t care. We’re in love and we’re meant to be together.”

“What does your Azim do for a living?”

“He’s a computer programmer. I’m a nurse.”

“And what is your ethnic background?”

“My parents are Italian. Azim’s parents are from Afghanistan, but his father died when he was very young.”

“Ah, I see. I suppose you both consider yourself Americans?”

“Yes, of course.”

Georgia thoughtfully stirred her tea. A bomb, a young man from Afghanistan, a troubled family, and she wondered. “Did Azim have many friends from his country?”

“Yes, he did. He and his cousins all belonged to a club. He went there once a week.”

“Really? And you didn’t go with him?”

“No. Azim said I’d feel out of place.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Trying to piece together the fragments of information stored in her mind, Georgia wondered if Azim could have had anything to do with the bomb. If he did, Isabella knew nothing. She was sure of it. And if this was all a big setup by aliens, obviously the explosion never happened. It was just an illusion created by them before they were transported to this world.

“Would you like to go to the concert with me?” Isabella asked.

“Concert?”

“Yes. There is a concert tonight. It’ll be wonderful.”

“Sure. Isabella, how long have you been here?”

“I’m not sure. It seems like a long time.”

“What kind of concert is it?”

“They never tell us. It’ll be a surprise, but it’s always good.”

Georgia allowed Isabella to take her arm and lead her to the concert hall. Like the dining room, it was magnificent. It glittered and shone with marble, crystal chandeliers, and like everything else, all white.

They sat high above the podium. Long white drapes flowed gracefully down to it. Soft, mesmerizing music played a haunting melody, one she didn’t recognize. The murmur of the crowd silenced as the curtains slowly rose. A white piano stood in the center of the stage, with a woman dressed in white behind it. She started to play. A man dressed in white walked onto the stage, microphone in his hand. He bowed and started to sing.

“I’m going crazy. I’d swear that’s Mario Lanza,” she whispered softly to Isabella.

“Maybe someone who looks like him.”

“And sounds like him? I guess next we’ll see Elvis.”

“Elvis Presley? That’d be so cool. There are many good Elvis impersonators. I kind of like him. Last night there was a country and western singer.”

After the concert was over, Isabella walked back with her. Georgia didn’t have a clue where her room was, but Isabella pointed out to follow the blue line, and sure enough, when they got to her room, the blue line suddenly crept to her door. It was impossible to get lost in this place.

“Georgia, I’m so glad you ended up in the blue section. I feel like I have a friend now. I’ve felt so lost,” Isabella said while hugging her.

“I’m glad, too, honey. Sleep tight.”

Georgia walked back into her room and the door slid shut behind her. The evening had been quite an experience, but strangely enough, she missed the beach and her friends. She wondered if she’d ever see them again. If only the aliens would stop playing with them, using them as toys. “If you can hear me, send me back to the beach? At least I’d be with people I know. This is all very beautiful, the food’s great, the music lovely, but I want to be with my family and friends. I don’t want to be here,” she said aloud, hoping the aliens would listen to her. “And if you can transport us so easily, for God’s sake, send me to my Harry and my Megan?”

New arrivals…

Harry stood in the tepid lake water. Though he went through the mechanics of washing himself as best he could without soap, his mind felt numbed. Here he was finally out of the hellhole mines, how it happened he couldn’t figure out, and he’d ended up in an unknown place. He was on an alien planet, according to the people here. Except for Dennis, the bastard, he didn’t know these people. He’d barely met Megan’s new friends, just vaguely remembered them. And Georgia had been here all this time? And now she was gone?
If this is really another planet and we were abducted by aliens, why the fuck are they toying with our lives?
I don’t get it.
And how could Dennis be here? Dennis, who he’d killed and buried? Hell, sure he regretted what he’d done, wished he could undo it, but to share such close space with one of the rapists now? The man had said how sorry he was, but could he ever find it within himself to forgive him?