Out Of This World (21 page)

“I’m sorry, Mom. Celeste was just a woman who came into town and we became friends. She’s a really nice person, but had to go back home. She had some stalker after her and he was telling a bunch of lies about her being in a mental hospital. That’s what you probably heard from Hollie. There was something really off about him and, if you ask me, he’s the one who probably escaped from the looney bin. Sydney met her and we all decided to go camping because she had never been and neither have I. It’s actually fun. I might consider doing it again sometime.” I grinned and thought back on our picnic in the woods and my first time making love.

“Yes, Harry, your boss, told us you were finally taking a vacation. We were surprised to hear that. I went by your place to see if Gizmo was being taken care of, but you must have taken her with you,” Mom answered.

Shit, that was a detail I hadn’t thought about. I would have to sort of tell the truth and hope I didn’t get too many questions.

“Um, I gave Gizmo to Celeste. They really bonded and she needed her more than I do. Celeste hasn’t had it easy and, even though I’ll miss Gizmo like crazy, I just knew it was the right thing to do.”

There were genuine tears in my eyes as I explained this to my parents.

“Oh honey, I know how much you loved that little cat. She was such a wonderful companion to you. I suppose now that you have Sydney, you won’t be so alone anymore. You are such a wonderful friend and if you gave this woman your cat, she must be special.” My dad was very understanding.

I swiped the tears from my face and smiled at my parents. “Celeste is special. Hey, can I call Sydney now? She’s probably wearing a groove in her cabin about now wondering how you’ll take this new revelation.”

“You tell Sydney that we expect to have dinner with both of you very soon. We want to hear all about how the two of you finally got together. I just love a good romance. It reminds me of how your father and I got together.” Mom likes to reminisce.

My dad turned to face my mom. “Honey, leave the poor girl alone and please don’t bore her with that old story.”

“I don’t mind. I love that old story.” Dad was such a romantic, just like Sydney.

†

I’d called Sydney to give her the good news and to tell her that I would drop by my place to gather up some things before coming back over. I mentioned that I’d bring a pizza from Village Pizza and she whooped in gratitude.

When I reached the cabin, Sydney was waiting for me outside.

“Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”

“What about all my stuff and the pizza?” I asked.

“We can get your things later. Here let me take the pizza and I’ll lead you inside,” she answered.

I handed her the pizza. “Okay.”

Sydney took my arm and led me inside. I stepped on her wood floor and heard a soft mewling. I felt soft fur brush against my ankle. My eyes popped open as a tiny ball of fluff circled my legs. I picked up the kitten who looked exactly like Gizmo when she was young. I held the kitten on my shoulder and she snuggled into my neck. The purring was instantaneous.

“Oh my God, she’s precious. It is a she, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yep, sure is and the best part about this is that I rescued her from the pound. My friend called when she heard I was looking for a kitten.”

“How did you possibly have time to arrange this?” I asked as I looked around and saw a mound of toys for the new kitten piled up next to the couch. Sydney had purchased toys, a bed, a deluxe scratching post, pet carrier, and several bags of kitten food—the good stuff.

“I have my connections. You mean the world to me, Mabs. I would do anything to see that lovely smile. Is this okay? It’s not too soon, is it? I wanted to make sure you had a friend to hang with when I have to do my two twenty-four hour shifts. I don’t want you to ever feel lonely again.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Well you have been gone for a while, so not for a few hours,” she answered.

“Well I love and adore you. You’re helping me raise this little ball of fur, so I’ll be sure to have you in my life for at least another fifteen to twenty years.”

“Oh, Mabs, if you’ll have me, I hope it’s a lot longer than that.”

Epilogue

It was exactly one month later from the fateful night when Celeste returned to her home. I was relaxing on the couch reading a book while Sydney played with our new kitten, Yazdi. She’d bought a laser light and was torturing poor Yazdi, who would chase the light to the point of exhaustion. Sydney would laugh hysterically as Yazdi ran in circles chasing the red light.

Sydney wanted to change the kitten’s name to Parrot because she had a habit of scaling up Sydney’s pants to perch on top of her shoulder. I didn’t think we should encourage that behavior because, when she got older it wouldn’t be so cute, but Sydney would just laugh and kiss her furry head. I had to admit that it was adorable.

Sydney’s cell phone startled me and I looked up to see her pull Yazdi into her lap at the same time she grabbed her phone to answer it.

“Hello,” Sydney answered. She caught my eye and I motioned for her to turn on the speaker. She nodded as she pulled the phone from her ear and pushed the button.

“This guy, Greg, insists that some alien was the cause of his nearly catatonic state,” the woman on the other end stated.

“Well that’s ironic,” Sydney responded.

“How so?” the woman asked.

“Well, when Greg came to town he claimed that the woman Mabel befriended was some nutcase who thought she was an alien, and had checked herself out of the mental health facility she was admitted to. Mabel kind of challenged him and started asking questions. He seemed to bristle at that. To be honest with you, I spent time with Celeste and she seemed perfectly sane to me.”

“The psychiatrist mentioned he’d never seen anything like it before. He’d heard about a kind of mass hysteria, but never experienced more than one person having the exact same delusion. Apparently, their stories are eerily similar. They claim to be able to prove it. Greg insists that there is a melted gun on the floor of your guest bedroom.”

Sydney started laughing.

Fortunately, Sydney is an incredibly handy-fix it person and had managed to rip up the old wood with the melted metal, replacing it with extra pieces from when she originally put in the floor. It was impossible to detect the difference between the original and the new section.

“That’s pretty funny. Anytime someone wants to check out our floor is fine with me. I put the floor in myself and I’m very proud of my craftsmanship, but I certainly don’t have any extra art welded to the floor. He did come by about a month ago, and I told him to get the hell off my property or I’d call the police for trespassing.” Sydney winked at me as I held my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

“Hey, don’t worry, Syd, the doc didn’t believe him, especially when they called the number of the guy he claimed was his boss. They insisted this phantom person could verify their credentials. Doc called the number given to him and it was a disconnected number. I just thought I would tell you about it. Greg was pretty pissed and after his angry reaction, the hospital decided to keep them all for an indeterminate time. Doc doesn’t believe it would be safe to release them as a result of the threats they were making. I just wanted to warn you that this guy, Greg, has a real sick obsession with you and Mabel. Watch your back.”

“Thanks for the heads up, Janie. Let me know when you’re out our way and we’ll have you over for dinner. I can’t cook worth a damn, but Mabel is an artist in the kitchen.”

“You got yourself a deal. Later, dude.”

Sydney pushed the button to end the call.

I didn’t like what I’d just heard, but Sydney didn’t seem too fazed by it.

“It sounds like we have an enemy,” I said.

Sydney waved her hand at me. “Don’t worry, Mabs. I have friends at that hospital, on the police force, and with the forest service. The minute they discharge those bozos, if they actually end up ever discharging them, I’ll hear about it. My buddies in the police will watch out for us. If Greg so much as puts one foot in Roslyn or Cle Elum he’ll find a big blue wall. Police and fire always have each other’s backs.” She shot me her confident cocky grin I loved so much.

Sydney was always so confident about everything. I had to admit that things were working out very nicely for us. I thought back to the day after Celeste left.

When we unpacked the bags after the camping trip, we found Celeste’s huge wad of cash and it amounted to a little over one hundred thousand dollars.

With everything that had happened after we returned to Sydney’s cabin, we’d forgotten all about unpacking our bags. I found Celeste’s backpack and could finally satisfy my curiosity.

“God, I’ve been dying to find out what Celeste hid in this pack. Hey, maybe she left us some cool alien technology. Although, I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to use it.” I unzipped the mysterious bag.

“Okay, so what’s in the bag?” Sydney asked.

I peeked inside. “Holy shit.” I started pulling out bundle after bundle of rolled up balls of cash. I dug a little deeper and found several hunks of gold nuggets. There was some kind of odd electronic device that I had no idea about, but I tossed it back in the bag satisfied that it would be one mystery I might never figure out.

“There must be thousands of dollars here,” Sydney exclaimed.

I laughed when I found a treasure trove of gaudy touristy trinkets and several bars of lemongrass soap. “She must have found this stuff in one of the stores.”

“You know, Mabs, with the diamonds she made for us, those gold nuggets, and the cash, we can have first class rings made and throw the biggest party this side of the Mississippi, after we get married of course. I hope you want a big wedding.”

It was still a little too soon for me, because I still wasn’t sure about our future. I needed to do a little work on myself to truly believe I was worthy of Sydney’s promise of forever.

“Um, I would love to marry you, Sydney, but I want to make sure this is more than just a little shy librarian fantasy for you. I just told my parents, so I’d like to give them just a bit more time before I spring a wedding on them.”

Sydney grinned. “Well you definitely have fulfilled my shy, sexy, librarian fantasy, but I hope you know my feelings go much deeper than that. I’ll give you all the time you need, but you have to admit that’s a boatload of cash and it would be a hell of a party. Just saying.”

Even though I knew Sydney was joking around, I also knew this was her way of feeling me out. I was pretty sure that when she sensed I was ready, she would find a way to ask me properly.

Yazdi started to squirm in Sydney’s lap, letting her know it was time to return to their former game of catch the red light before the phone call so rudely interrupted them. Eventually, Yazdi must have decided she’d had enough, because she ran to Sydney’s leg and clawed her way up to her favorite perch on Sydney’s shoulder.

I shook my head and plucked Yazdi off her shoulder. I thought of how she was so much like Gizmo, playful and friendly. It reminded me of Gizmo in outer space. I began to wonder how Celeste was faring with her new companion. I was startled when I heard Celeste’s soothing voice in my head:
Gizmo and her four beautiful kittens are charming everyone on Sisterna. Everyone wants a kitten now.

“Celeste,” I whispered.

Sydney turned her head in my direction, “Did you say something, babe?”

I thought of all the times Celeste left me with a warm feeling and how sometimes even after she’d left, I’d still felt that connection. Now I knew she was still with me. Maybe it was the weird item she left in her pack that kept us bonded, or maybe it was something else that created the link. Now I had confirmation that energy was able to traverse across millions of miles. Anything was possible.

“I don’t know how this is possible, but Celeste is talking to me,” I answered.

Sydney smiled at me and kissed my cheek. “I think I’ll just go into the bedroom and let you catch up, but I’ll want to hear all about it later.” She gathered my little ball of fur, Yazdi, and headed for our bedroom.

I wasn’t sure if I could just think the words, so I spoke into the empty room like a total nerd, “Can you hear me, Celeste? Sydney wants an update too, but she just left the room to give us some privacy.”

My sweet Bella, I did not wish to frighten you, but I will always have a connection to you.

“Oh, Celeste, it is so good to hear your voice. I miss you and Gizmo. Are you safe now?”

The invaders are limiting their aggression to the southern hemisphere and I have been teaching our people love and passion. We will be ready to defend when the time comes.

“Tell me about the return trip.”

The return trip was uneventful and Gizmo is such a good little mama kitty. I accelerated the growth of her offspring because I wanted to maintain a safe, controlled environment for her to give birth. The caretakers approved another trip to planet Earth to obtain more cats so that we may breed them on Sisterna. They bring a certain amount of calming energy to those who are privileged enough to stroke them.

“Celeste, that is such wonderful news. When will you make the journey again?”

I still have more teaching to do on Sisterna. Perhaps we will be able to make the trip in another Earth year or two.

“We?”

I could almost hear the smile in her voice when she answered me.

You were right, Bella, I met someone and she is energy compatible. She would like to meet you. I hope you will not be disturbed by her appearance.

“Why on Earth would I be disturbed by her appearance?”

She is beautiful like you; she could easily pass for your twin.

“My twin?”

Yes, and when I described this concept of love, she understood immediately. I believe we are in love.

“Oh, Celeste, I am so happy for you,” I gushed. “Hey, by the way, we found your little stash in the backpack, but couldn’t quite figure out the electrical device you left behind. Is that the way you’ve been able to stay connected to me?”

I could hear her giggle in my head. I keep learning about Earth slang and your technology from the Kindle device you gave me. The device is what we call a communicator, but would more aptly be described as a videographer in Earth terms. I used this device to remain connected to my home planet and provide frequent updates on my learnings. I broke the rules when I left this technology, but it was worth the risk. I confessed this to the caretakers who have given me permission to utilize the device to remain connected. They believe you have more to teach us.

“So how does it work? Would I be able to use this device to send video messages?”

Yes, but there is a considerable delay in the transmission.

“Can you teach me how to use the device and then we can have another means of communication.”

Of course, Bella, but I will always remain connected to you and anytime you wish to communicate with me, all you need to do is send a mind message. Emotion generates a greater amount of energy ensuring receipt of the message. When you wondered about how Gizmo and I were faring, your emotion must have been great because the message was the clearest one since my departure.

“Good to know. I miss you, Celeste.”

I miss you too.

†

Sydney was tending to her garden and I walked out into the sunshine feeling the warmth of Mother Nature’s rays caress my skin. It was late August and just sharing the same space with Sydney brought me incredible joy. I wasn’t much of a gardener, but I would help Sydney harvest the fruits of her labor.

Sydney had an incredible green thumb, and it seemed like whatever she touched grew into luscious multicolored fruits and vegetables. August was prime time for picking blueberries, strawberries, and some of the early harvest tomatoes.

We’d evolved into a comfortable domesticity as we each gravitated to our natural talents. While Sydney pulled the weeds surrounding her prized tomato plants, I began harvesting the fruit. As I lifted my face to the sun, I thought of Celeste.

My Bella. It must be a glorious day there. I can almost feel the warmth of your Earth’s sun.

“Oh, Celeste, it is so good to hear from you again. It has been too long.”

Sydney turned to me and smiled. “Shall I give you some privacy?”

I shook my head.

“Celeste, Sydney is right here with me. Do you think you could talk us through how to use the videographer?”

Oh yes I can, but you must remember that the messages will be delayed. Between each communication, you can expect forty to sixty of your earth minutes to pass before receiving a response from Sisterna. Will this frustrate you?

I laughed. “It won’t frustrate me, but I can’t speak for Sydney. Hey babe, Celeste said she can teach us how to use the device but the messages are so delayed it will take an hour before we can expect to receive a response. I would love to see her and meet her new energy partner. We can just continue to work in the garden between messages. Okay?”

“Sounds good to me. As long as I can continue to dig in the dirt while we wait. Do you want me to get the device?”

“No, I’ll go get it. Hang on Celeste. I’m going to get your fancy contraption and then we can give it a whirl.”