5. Roxanne

Chapter 5

Roxanne

Wandering

M y tears soak through the furs, leaving damp patches under my cheek. I cried and cried until no more tears would come, leaving my eyes swollen and red. Mercifully, sleep had finally taken me, so overcome with exhaustion, although it was a restless sleep full of strange dreams. When I finally open my eyes, I had almost forgotten where I am, until the memory of the previous day's events flooded back, hitting me like an icy dagger in my chest.

Abducted by an alien, all hope of rescue or return is non existent. Panic rises in my chest as I try to wrap my head around my situation. Krogoth, the Kidnapper, claimed he wanted to marry me. It is in the name of love that he has stolen me away from all that I know and love. What a cruel joke. The thought alone is enough to make my breath quicken and my heart race. Marriage to him probably means joining his pervy harem, great big brute that he is. My hands form into tight fists, imagining him traveling from planet to planet, stealing women for his collection. The fear that grips me is almost suffocating as I try to imagine what horrors he might force me to endure.

I curl up even tighter under the layers of soft fur that cover the massive bed. The wooden frame of the bed looks like it had grown out of some giant tree. It's as though I am a tiny creature hiding within its branches. The warmth of the darkness surrounding me feels comforting, and my frequent breaths create a steamy pressure cooker of sorts. As I try to calm my racing thoughts, I think, What if I just lie here, saying nothing and refuse to eat? What would Krogoth do then? Would he take me back to Earth? The idea is tempting. But I can't trust him to take me back unharmed.

I aggressively kick the blankets off myself, the heat suddenly becoming stifling. What kind of jerk would do something like this? The overgrown oaf could just take me back and put an end to this whole mess. Why does he want to marry me, anyway? There are billions of women on Earth, not to mention the entire universe, and he takes me! Why did these crazy odds never benefit me when I bought lottery tickets? There are plenty of more attractive women than I, that's for damn sure.

A sudden wave of relief washes over me. That's it! This must be a case of mistaken identity. If I can just explain I'm not the right gal for the job to him, we both can move on with our lives. Glancing around the room, I see a wooden desk and chair and other pieces of furniture. The walls are the same black marble material the rest of the ship has, which stands in stark contrast to the rustic feeling of the décor.

I don't have any idea what time it is, but I'm pretty sure I'm late for work; I was usually late for work. The strange thing is I don't care. The one positive of this whole misunderstanding is I might miss work today. I work as a quality assurance tester for a banking app developer. Gerard, our lead developer, is probably already writing good old trusty "Working as intended" all over my defects list right now. It's a shame no one ever thought to kidnap him!

It paid the bills. But I'd seen people come and go over my five years there and within a week of someone leaving, it was like they had never been there. Just a ghost in the machine, a forgotten logo on stories past. How long will it take them to notice I'm gone? Will they even file a missing person's report?

My good friends from college, Charlotte and Alice, are probably the only ones who would raise the alarm. But they are married now. Alice is expecting her third child in a few months. They seemed happy, and good for them.

I could be in another damn dimension by the time anyone notices. And what will they do if they even suspect a giant alien killing machine abducted me? Send the United States space force? My heart feels heavy as I wonder how it's gotten to this point, so alone. Barely anyone will know I even existed. I wish Mum and Dad were still alive . I struggle to hold back the tears that threaten to spill as my lips tremble.

Screw this. I refuse to wait here any longer. I'm going to escape and get the hell off this spaceship. Taking a deep breath, I feel resolved. As I hop off the bed, I nearly trip and fall, not prepared for such a height. I'll probably need a stool to climb back into bed again. In fact, everything in the room seems oversized… Krogoth sized .

The room is dark because of the walls being black with only a few dull warm purple lights emanating from the ceiling, similar to the shower and locker room. I inhale sharply as I notice a door to my right flanked by giant skulls of some unknown ferocious beast on either side. Dare I go into the room? What if a living one of whatever those things on the wall is in there?

I try to suppress my shaking as I tiptoe towards the door. The door suddenly whizzes open. My heart stops for a moment. I don't hear any giant beasties in there . Peeking my head around the edge of the door, I breathe a sigh of relief to see it is just a bathroom with a shower, smaller but like the first room they put me in. I shake my head to see the toilet is a hole in the floor with what looks akin to a bidet beside it. Typical! I end up in a futuristic spaceship that has a hole in the floor for a toilet.

My pulse quickens as something catches my eye from the other side of the room. I hurry over to inspect a giant suit of armor. It's a Krogoth sized mannequin, a Krogothquinn? with silver-colored metallic scaled armor with solid plating for the chest, shoulders and legs draped over it. The mask he wore the time he rescued and kidnapped me is on top. It looks as intimidating as I remember. A sleek design which encompasses the front, top and sides of the head, with narrow eye slits angled sharply, giving it a menacing appearance.

At each wrist, there is a device of some sort. It has some of the same symbols I've seen before on the ship. My heart races as I push some of them. Nothing happens. I sigh. If only I could wear it. Maybe it would give me super strength so I could beat up Krogoth and make him take me back to Earth. I reach up, trying to pick up the mask straining on my tiptoes. I can't even reach it because of the height difference. It is a silly idea, anyway.

Wonder where the big guy is? This must be his room. Seeing how basic it is makes me chuckle. At least there is no harem here. He is handsome, to be sure, an exotic force of pure masculine energy. But we can barely even communicate properly. Does he expect me to live in this room for the rest of my life, waiting for him to show up and fuck me over the bed every night? My cheeks blush at the thought. This is crazy thinking. No hooking up . I need to get off this damn ship and back onto Earth as soon as possible.

I walk over to a desk and mirror against one wall, close to the armor. It has a holographic computer on it and a couple of items. It is hard to make out being so high up. I step onto the chair, which is little more than grooves cut into a tree stump. There is a large wooden mug and a square of what looks like green jelly. I try interacting with the console, but like with the wrist armor, it doesn't respond. I sigh loudly. If only I could get access to their controls.

I then drag the massive mug towards the edge of the table at my end. It contains some thick white liquid that must have over two liters in the mug. My stomach rumbles loudly, announcing itself. I haven't eaten anything since my date with Robert yesterday.

I slowly dip my index finger into the liquid and bring it to my face.

Sniff.

Sniff.

Doesn't smell awful. It didn't have much of an aroma at all. I take a deep breath and lick the liquid off my finger…"Hmm." It instantly reminds me of milk but creamier. I quickly snatch the mug with two hands and start greedily gulping the milk. The creamy smooth texture fills my mouth with its rich, refreshing flavor. Delicious!

I put the mug back on the table in between trying to catch my breath. Next, I pick up the weird green jelly bar, wiggling it around. It's pretty soft as it flops in my hand. What the hell is this? I bring it to my nose and inhale deeply. Hmm, doesn't smell like anything at all. I take a tiny nibble at the corner. I chew… and chew and chew. It has a sweet taste, reminds me of eating Jell-O premade out of the box as a kid. I take a bigger bite, trying to separate the thing apart with my teeth. My neck strains as I pull away with my head while simultaneously pulling the opposite direction with my hands. Finally, it rips, and I can start chewing it. Nearly lost a few teeth there !

Krogoth must have left these for me last night. Either that or I've just stolen his breakfast. He might be a thoughtful giant alien murder machine, the least he can do if he's stealing me away! I look in the mirror and see I'm still wearing the same sliced up brown robe from yesterday. My heart sinks when I notice I have the worst case of bed head ever witnessed. My hair appears as if electricity zapped it, then was tossed into a clothes dryer on the highest spin cycle.

Right, this isn't the time for vanity. It's time to get out of here and get some answers. I approach the entrance door, still chewing the damn jelly. Some of these doors open automatically and others need some control panel access I recall from the shower rooms. This one does not open when I approach, causing my stomach to sink. He's locked me in here! Wait until I get my hands on that big oaf. There must be a way out of here . I examine the room again, taking a deep breath.

An idea strikes me, and I quickly position myself behind the suit of armor, preparing to move it. With a deep breath, I charge forward and collide with the sturdy mannequin, letting out a grunt as the impact takes the wind out of me. "Oof!" I gasp, rubbing my sore shoulder. Despite the pain, I notice that I've managed to budge the armor a foot closer to the entrance. A minor victory, but it feels satisfying nonetheless.

My adrenaline rises as I reposition myself for what I hope is the last charge. This better work. Charging into the mannequin leading with my shoulder, screaming my best battle cry, "Ahh!" I hear an almighty clang and crash. Pain shoots up my shoulders, vision spinning as I tumble to the ground, covering my head with my arms. I'm rewarded with the glorious sound of the entrance door whizzing open. I hop back onto my feet, running towards the door before it can close again.

If my job has taught me anything, it is how to think outside the box to break stuff. I can hardly believe it actually worked . Breaking out seemed like a great idea, but what do I do now? I rub my shoulder. It's throbbing and won't be long before I'm bruised like an old banana. I crouch down, making myself smaller, and tiptoe in a random direction along the black marble corridor.

It's hard to control my breathing and my mouth feels like I've eaten a box of dry crackers. Nice and slow, easy does it. I press my face to a window up ahead, my eyes drinking in the endless expanse of space. Streaks of vibrant colors stream by, the twisting ribbons of light an indication of the incredible speed at which the ship is traveling. Not good, terrible in fact. I urgently need to stop this ship if I'm ever going to make it back to Earth.

"Pebbles!" a familiar voice booms.

Startled, I nearly jump out of my skin. "I… I was. Ah. The armor fell over. An… and the door just opened on its own." Is it too late to run?

Krogoth comes thundering over and hauls me over his shoulder as easily as I would a pillow. "You sneak like wild borack!" he grunts, carrying me back into the room.

Recovering from my initial shock, I find my words. "Put me down, you overgrown oaf. You locked me in this room, what if a fire… AH!" He throws me onto the bed, cutting me off mid-sentence. Then sets down a pile of brown robes and my old clothes beside me.

I grind my teeth together. "Are you even listening? These giant cult uniforms are not happening." I throw them in his direction. I'll keep my clothes, though.

He casually dodges, smirking. Frustration bubbles up inside me. He picks up his fallen armor and quickly places both wrist plates on. They come to life and project the now familiar blue holographic display.

"Say something," he says, staring at me.

"As I was saying, what would have hap–"

"Say something else," he laughs. "Astraxius is a genius. We can communicate now." He holds up his wrist to show the console.

"That's great news, Krogoth. Now, can you take me back to Earth?" I hold my hands to hide their shaking.

There is a slight pause as Krogoth reads the translation on his console. "No. You're mine." He stares unblinkingly.

I feel like I've just been gut punched. "What are you going to do? Keep me here forever locked in this damn room?" I frantically point to the floor.

He walks over and gently strokes my cheek with his finger. "I promise I will not lock you in this room if you promise not to try to escape again."

I instinctively look down, unable to meet his eyes. "How would I escape, anyway? Not like I know how to fly this thing."

"I wouldn't risk it. That trick with my armor was clever." He gently uses his fingers under my chin to raise my head, forcing me to look up into his intense purple eyes. "I will not hurt you. This I swear on my ancestors."

A thrill courses through my veins, electrifying my senses. I wish he wouldn't look at me like this. No! I ruthlessly suppress the growing feeling of butterflies in my stomach. I can't trust him. They always lie . I'd seen it all before. Probably wants a quick fling, then he'll dump me off on a random moon somewhere.

"I… don't believe you." The words stumble out.

He removes his hand sharply from my chin. "You dare question my honor, female?" He turns, thundering towards the entrance. "Come."

He's genuinely upset with me . I half jog to keep up with his long strides as I follow him out the door.

I continue to hurry after him down the black marble corridors, noticing statues, skulls of wild, dangerous-looking beasts, exotic-looking weapons and other rustic chic line the walls. Again, I'm struck by the contrasting of styles on the ship. The décor of the ship and the ship itself feel like they are from two different places in time or from two different cultures.

Another alien, like Krogoth but smaller, walks in the opposite direction. There are more of them here then. He clinks softly in his armor, brown hair much shorter than Krogoth's long raven black hair. He stops as he's about to pass, then raises his right fist to his chest. "Rexus," he says, bowing. Krogoth nods in return, continuing to walk.

"What does Rexus mean?" I say between trying to catch my breath.

Krogoth glances over his shoulder. "It means chieftain," he grumbles.

"So, you are like some big hotshot?" I ask, wishing he would slow down.

"Hot… shot?" He taps at his wrist console, frustration creasing his brow. "Stupid thing. No, Pebbles, I'm not hot and clearly not shot."

I can't help but stifle a laugh at his confusion. I need to be careful with my idioms .

"My name is Roxy, RAHk-see." I enunciate each syllable slowly and deliberately, hoping he'll finally get it right. "You must have misheard earlier in the shower," I add.

He turns his head to look at me, flashing a mischievous smile. "No, I did not mishear," he says slyly, crushing my fleeting hope.

"But my name isn't Rocks or Pebbles. It's Roxy!" I say, unable to contain my annoyance any longer.

"Pebbles suits you better. You are like tiny pebbles, strong but small." His deep voice reverberates through the ship's corridor.

Before I can object further, I notice another Krogothian coming towards us. This one has long moss colored green hair and a fur cloak draped over his right shoulder.

"Alto Rexus," the newcomer says, saluting like the previous alien. Krogoth nods back. As the green-haired one is about to pass, his eyes dart in my direction. He halts in his track as if he walked into an invisible wall, his widening yellow eyes gawking at me. He briskly turns the other direction and jogs off back to the direction he had just come from.

Krogoth erupts into laughter, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. I look down, checking if one of my boobs is showing.

"Something I said?" I enquire.

"You never spoke, silly Pebbles," Krogoth says between laughing, "I forbid Xandor from being near you. Now he runs away." Speaking of it reignites his laughter all over again. "Gods, I must lift this demand before he challenges me for his honor's sake."

"Oh." I scratch my head, not fully understanding the context. "What does Alto Rexus mean? Something chieftain or chieftain something?" I gasp, nearly walking into his back as he abruptly stops.

"It is a relic from the past. It means nothing." Krogoth stares off into the distance, voice lowered.

"You're very strange, " I say before taking a deep breath. "Krogoth, I was thinking. It's obvious I'm not the right woman for your… um, marriage. I mean, you're obviously a very important alien man, Mr. Alto Rexus and all, and I'm just a girl who enjoys a good book with a glass of wine curled up on the sofa. You need someone more… exotic. Someone who can match your status and lifestyle," I blurt out. My heart is pounding in my chest, all my hopes of freedom condensed into a single torrent of mostly babble.

He looks at his console with his brows furrowed before raising one eyebrow, looking at me. I can barely wait for his response. The anticipation is overwhelming. "No, you are my perfect female." I feel like I've been gut punched. As my breath escapes my mouth in shock, my flicker of hope is extinguished. This does not make any sense!

I feel seething anger boiling within me at this obvious injustice. "I can't be the perfect female for you! You don't know anything about me, you savage, freaking giant kidnapper!" I shout, my words ringing through the corridor. The time for niceness is over!

Krogoth stands motionless, his eyes wide, taken aback by my outburst. Good! "Your words pain me, Pebbles," he says, his voice calm but tinged with sadness. "What can I do to prove to you my honorable intentions?" he says, pleading with his hands outstretched towards me.

I feel a slight twinge of regret at his earnest words . I need to remember that Mr. Honorable Intentions kidnapped me! "Weapons… yeah, access to the ship's weapon systems!" I exclaim loudly. There's no way he'll give me access, thus proving his words hollow like the rest of this whole charade.

I watch as Krogoth rubs his chin with his fingers, deep in thought. "If that's what it takes to earn your trust, then so be it." He tinkers with his wrist console. "Done."

"Ha, I knew…" I begin before fully realizing what he has said. There's no way he's actually given me access! "Prove it," I demand.

Krogoth interrupts me with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Wait." He looks quickly at his flashing wrist console. "We must hurry. The Scythians have found us," he growls. Everything around me spins as he sweeps me up over his shoulder.

I scream in shock. "Put me down! What the hell are the Scythians?" I feebly thump his back with my fists.

He leaps down the corridor with a speed that dazzles my eyes.