22. Abbey

22

ABBEY

After breakfast—or First Meal as the Monstrum, called it—Abbey got dressed in her clothes, which were now clean and dry—and they went out for a tour of the ship.

Of course, she couldn't see anything except colorful blurs but Solon was excellent at describing all the details of the ship. They rode the tram system, which was almost like a roller coaster and was pulled by huge creatures called "woles" who ran rapidly on many segmented legs when food was dangled in front of them.

They visited the jungle-like Sacred Grove in the center of the Monstrum ship and Abbey got to touch all the alien plants and smell the flowers. They went to a restaurant for lunch and had Monstrum cuisine which was strange but delicious and they even met Solon's boss, Commander Rarev, who was the leader of the Monstrum, who happened to be eating at the same restaurant.

"Commander Solon, my congratulations on finding your bride." His deep, purring voice sounded to Abbey like a big cat.

"Thank you—this is Abbey Lennox. And Abbey, this is my Commanding Officer, Commander Rarev," Solon introduced her. "Er, he's holding out a hand to you to greet you with a handshake, the way you humans do," he added.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you." Abbey put out her hand and felt a large, firm hand enclose her own.

"Abbey has a rare form of optic neuropathy which has taken her fine vision," Solon explained, probably because his CO was looking at her with uncertainty, she thought. "She is what the humans call ‘legally blind.'"

"How fascinating," Rarev murmured in his purring voice. "And how are you finding the Monstrum Mother Ship, Ms. Lennox?"

"It's wonderful," Abbey said enthusiastically. "I love all the flowers and plants you have everywhere. I work in my aunt's florist shop back home, so I'm always interested in new plant life," she added.

"In that case, the Monstrum Mother Ship is definitely the place for you," Commander Rarev remarked. "And if you'd like to take flowers from any of our plants back home, please let Solon know. I'm sure your relative would be interested to see them."

"Really? You'd let me have some to take home?" Abbey asked excitedly. The thought had definitely crossed her mind, but she didn't want to ask for fear that it would be disrespectful.

"Certainly," Commander Rarev purred. "Please help yourself. Though of course, only to the plants which are non-poisonous and innocuous to humans."

"I'm keeping her clear of the dangerous ones," Solon assured his boss.

"Thank you so much," Abbey said to him.

"It is my pleasure. Please enjoy your stay on our ship." Commander Rarev left after squeezing her hand gently.

Abbey turned towards Solon.

"If you really don't mind, I'd love to send some flowers to my Aunt Rose today," she told him. "I know she'd be thrilled to get them."

"We can pick some and take them to her this afternoon if you like," he offered. "That way we can get your mobility aides and some more clothing for you to wear."

Abbey frowned.

"Am I allowed to go back to Earth during our Claiming Period?"

"As long as I'm with you, it doesn't violate the terms and conditions." He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. "Come on—let's go find some flowers for your Aunt. I want to bring her an especially beautiful bouquet so she won't be angry with me for stealing you away."

"Oh my! These are just beautiful!" Aunt Rose exclaimed, as Abbey pressed the huge bouquet of colorful alien flowers into her arms. "Oh, sweetheart, I was so worried about you!" she added, and Abbey heard tears in her voice.

"I'm just fine, Aunt Rose." She leaned forward and put an arm around the older woman and hugged her, despite the huge bouquet between them.

"I'm so glad you came back to tell me you're all right. All I got was a phone call from some Kindred warrior saying you'd been taken and you wouldn't be back for a whole month!" Aunt Rose said.

"I really must speak to the Draft Agents—they need to use more tact when taking a bride and speaking to her relatives." The frown in Solon's voice was evident. "I'm very sorry that you were worried about your kin," he added, speaking to Aunt Rose. "But I give you my word as a Monstrum that I will care for her and keep her safe."

"I'm sure you will," Aunt Rose said to him. "But honey, did you come back just to give me these?" she asked Abbey

"I needed to get my cane and my phone too," Abbey explained. "And my MyEye in case I need to read anything."

"Of course. You got some mail while you were gone, too—a special invitation to your high school reunion. I left it on your bed," Aunt Rose said.

"My reunion?" Abbey said blankly. Honestly, she'd forgotten all about that.

"What's a high school reunion?" Solon wanted to know.

"Oh, it's a kind of get-together—you get to see all your old friends from school and show them how successful you are now," Abbey explained. She sighed. "I didn't really want to go—I mean, I'm blind and single and still staying at home—I'm not exactly living my best life."

"Yes, you are!" Aunt Rose exclaimed. "Look at you, Abbey—you have a big, handsome, Monstrum warrior and you're not living at home—you're living on the Monstrum Mother Ship. At least for now," she added.

"Well…" Abbey still wasn't sure. "Let me make a few phone calls and I'll decide, okay?"

"I would be pleased to go with you if you want to attend," Solon rumbled. "I can wear my dress uniform if you think that would be more impressive."

Abbey laughed.

"Well, maybe. Though I don't know how much more impressive you can get when you're already a seven-foot tall, muscular alien warrior! Let me get the invitation and read it."

She led Solon to her room and he sat on her bed while Abbey got her clothing and aides together. Aunt Rose had already put her phone and cane on the bed. Abbey just needed to gather her charger and the MyEye device, which clipped onto a pair of glasses and was able to read written documents to her.

Luckily, the invitation was printed—the MyEye had difficulty with script and handwriting.

"You are invited to our Ten Year Reunion," it read to Abbey in its soft, mechanical voice. "Be sure to bring a date or a spouse and get ready for a night of retro fun as we relive our high school glory days!"

There were a few more details—the reunion was in a month and it would be held in the high school gymnasium. The invitation finished with "Go Lions!" which confused Solon.

"Who are they asking to go and where?" he wanted to know.

"Oh, that's a reference to our mascot—the lion," Abbey explained. And then she had to further explain the idea of mascots.

"So…humans like to make an animal the symbol of their sports teams?" Solon asked.

"Yes. Actually, you ought to fit right in if we go—you look kind of like a lion, don't you?" Abbey asked.

"So I've been told. Though I also have horns, which I believe lions do not have."

"No, but that's okay." Abbey reached for him and he leaned down to her. She ran her hand through his golden mane and then up the twisted spiral of one horn. "I like your horns," she told him.

"Mmm, and I like it when you stroke them," he rumbled. "But you should know that my horns are an erogenous area for me."

"What?" Abbey exclaimed, yanking her hand away. "Do you mean that me touching your horns is like I'm touching your, uh…you know."

"My shaft, you mean? Yes, it's exactly like that." But there was a rumble of amusement in his deep voice that made Abbey laugh.

"Oh—you're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Solon admitted, laughing too. He had a deep, rumbling laugh that Abbey liked at once. "I just wanted to see what you'd do if you thought it was true. I do find your hands on my horns pleasurable, but not to that extent," he added.

"Well, it's good to know I'm not going to make you come in your pants if I touch your horns," Abbey remarked and laughed again.

She was feeling more and more relaxed with the big Monstrum. And the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of attending the reunion with him on her arm. She had mostly happy memories of high school—she'd had her sight back then and she'd had a group of girl friends she loved hanging out with. There was only one thing she needed to be sure about—one person she didn't want to run into…

"Chris Brander, the quarterback of the football team?" Maria's voice sounded skeptical over the phone. "No, I heard he moved away to the UK. Something to do with his job in finance. I don't think he's going to be at the reunion."

"You're sure?" Abbey pressed her. She had asked Solon for privacy to make the phone call so he was in the other room, talking with Aunt Rose. "Because I don't want to ever be near him again. You know why."

Maria had been one of the few people she'd confided in after the attack back in high school. The two women were still good friends, though they had grown apart after Maria got married and had three kids she was always very busy with.

"I know why," she said to Abbey. "And I don't blame you. I still say you should have reported him to the police!"

"You know they wouldn't have listened—his Dad is so important!" Abbey protested. "Besides, it's water under the bridge now—I don't let it bother me anymore. I just don't want to see him again."

"You won't," Maria promised. "Please come—I know Janelle and Krista are going to be looking for you!"

"Well…I do have a new guy I'd like to show off," Abbey confessed.

"You do?" Maria's voice went high with excitement. "Girl, you should have led with that! Tell me all about him!"

They spent a few more minutes catching up and then Abbey heard a voice say,

"Mommy, I need help with this!"

Maria sighed.

"Well, duty calls. I have to go— but promise you'll come—the reunion won't be the same without you!"

"I'll think about it," Abbey told her. "I have to find something to wear."

"That sounds like a ‘yes,'" Maria remarked and Abbey could tell her old friend was smiling. "I'll see you at the reunion!"

Abbey hung up but she was already thinking that if things went well with Solon, she would definitely take him to the reunion with her at the end of the month.