Love From A Star: A BWWM Alien Romance Read online

  Jalicia’s heart rate increased as she squinted in the dark, hoping to get a better look at what might be out there. She couldn’t see anything. “Oh well,” she thought as she walked back up the steps, but something kept pulling her attention to the light in the distance. She heaved an exasperated sigh and went inside for a flashlight. And the baseball bat. “Not like anything ever happens here,” she said under her breath as she agreed with Ned’s earlier words.

  She opened the door once more and stepped out into the night. With cautious steps, bated breath and a steadily increasing heart rate, she drifted into the night towards the light. It seemed to have a hypnotic hold on her as she forgot all else and maintained eye contact with it. The closer she got, the more she was able to see that it was a vehicle of some sort. Instantly, she thought someone might be injured, and that there had been an accident. She started running now. She had had only one year left in medical school; she had passed all the basics of CPR and checking and sustaining vitals. She dropped the bat, danger all but forgotten, as the only thought that possessed her mind was of someone lying in the wreck.

  Her feet slowed the closer she got to the crash site. It was too far into the clearing for it to be a truck. What would anyone be doing so far out? She looked back now to where she had let the bat fall, and contemplated going back for it.

  Help,” she heard someone say from the site.

  Someone was there. And alive too. Jalicia charged forward once more, not stopping to notice the make and model of the vehicle that was obviously strange in appearance.

  “Where are you?” she asked as she knelt and peered under the wreck. She didn’t hear anything else, other than a crackling sound and some static, like it was coming from some sort of radio. “Hello?” she called once more, but there was nothing.

  She got on her stomach and began to squeeze under the mess, until she found some room to stretch out more. She looked around her frantically for the voice that had called to her before. “Hello?” she called once more as she looked around. And then she started, when she saw him in the corner. But even as she did, she was rooted to the spot. Even more alarming than the red liquid running down his forehead, was the fact that he wasn’t human at all. He couldn’t be.

  Chapter 3

  Jalicia took one unsure step after another until she was standing over what might be another life form. He looked human, except that he was green, and had webbed feet that sort of looked human too. And then there was his skin that glowed in the flickering light. She knelt there, unable to move for a few seconds as fear and panicked gripped her. The doctor in her wanted to help, but she wasn’t sure what it was, or if her own life would be in danger if she did. So she remained there, staring, until it opened its piercing black eyes, and then shrunk back.

  He looked wildly about him, as if she appeared strange to him too, and it was in his fear that Jalicia knew she would not be harmed. “It’s okay,” she said as she moved closer. “Let’s get you out of this thing.”

  Antash looked at the strange creature that hovered over him. She had a strange but beautiful face, and the light coming from behind her gave her an even more heavenly glow. Her smooth dark skin felt soft next to his as she touched him, bidding him to get up. He was hypnotized by her, and the pain he was feeling a few seconds ago was replaced by confusion. And something else. He blinked at her, and she smiled as she tried to get him to move.

  “Come on,” Jalicia said. “You are bleeding, and I can help you.”

  Reluctantly he moved, still unfamiliar with what was happening or where he was. “Where am I?” he began and then the coughing started.

  “It seems you are more injured than I thought. So, let’s make a deal; I will get you out of here, and then we can talk.”

  Antash gave into her then, and allowed her to take his hand as he tried to lift himself off the ground. He could see she was struggling with his weight, and Jalicia couldn’t believe how much heavier he looked. The crackling sound had stopped, but she saw him pause to retrieve a device, perhaps the same one the sound was coming from, before limping outside with her. The door of the glider all but fell off as he pushed against it, and he tumbled outside. Both of them fell against the grassy surface, entangled in each other, before jumping up to separate.

  Jalicia brushed off her dress and stood upright. He wasn’t bleeding as badly as she had initially thought, and she now surveyed the creature that stood before her. “What are you?” she asked.

  “I am Antash,” he replied.

  “Is that your name or where you are from?” she asked, her eyes bulging with curiosity.

  Antash laughed, and the sound of his voice echoed in Jalicia’s head and permeated her entire system. It was deep, and hollow, and sounded like a bass drum, yet she wasn’t frightened of it. Rather, she was intrigued and fascinated. As was he with the curly haired woman who had come to rescue him as strange as he may appear to her. The more he observed her, the more he realized where he was. “No, that is my name. I am from Solaris,” he told her as he tried to stand up, but his legs gave way and he collapsed onto the ground once more. “I reckon this is earth.”

  “It is,” Jalicia said as she tried to help him up. “Can you walk?” she asked him. “My house is just...” she began, and then she remembered her father who would probably have kittens if he saw Antash. “Maybe the barn,” she said more to herself than to him.

  “I don’t want to be any trouble,” Antash said as he sensed her anxiety.

  “Nonsense. Where else will you go? Furthermore, you are injured and I can help; probably the only way I will get to doctor anyone,” she mused.

  “In that case,” he said as he slowly got up again. His face contorted with pain as he moved, and Jalicia had to place her left arm around his waist as he rested heavily on her shoulders. He was at least six feet tall, and average built, but he was ridiculously heavy. Then, to Jalicia, he seemed to weigh a ton as he threw his weight on her, and as she looked back at the house, she wondered how long it would take them to get there.

  “I’m sorry,” he told her. “But you insisted.”

  “Sorry for what? You needed my help,” Jalicia grunted as she shifted under his weight.

  “Sorry for being an actual burden now. Usually I am more skillful at walking,” he said and she looked up at him to see the smile she heard in his voice. His face, framed with the stars above, gave him a surreal look, and Jalicia felt as if she was in a dream she was about to wake up from any minute. After all, there were no other beings in the galaxy, and all the movies about E.T. and Star Wars and Star Trek were just figments of imagination. Creative genius. Or so she thought before now. Here she had her own E.T. and she was frightened of it. He seemed friendly, but she knew nothing about him. But she was going to find out. Her main problem now was keeping him a secret.

  She smiled back at him as they both limped to the fence separating her farm from the field. The lights were off in her father’s room, so she figured he must be asleep. Good. She glanced both ways before moving more swiftly to deposit him in the barn; her very own secret alien. Or was she the alien?

  She found a spot next to the last stable in the back where some hay was stacked. The animal, sensing the presence of something unfamiliar, began kicking against the wooden partition. Antash jumped back, his pain temporarily forgotten, as Jalicia pressed him back and went to open the door. “Nellie, he is a friend,” she said as she smoothed the animal’s velvety exterior. She signaled to Antash to come forward so she could introduce them.

  “What is that?” he asked as his brows pulled together.

  “This is a horse, and her name is Nellie,” she told him. “If she doesn’t get used to you she will keep doing that. Here,” she told him. She held his trembling hand and used it to touch the animal. Nellie whinnied and startled him, but Jalicia held his hand firmly as Nellie calmed down and snorted. And then she was quiet.

  “That really worked?” he asked in surprise as he moved back to his cot.

&nb
sp; “Yeah, they like to be smothered,” she smiled. “Now, let’s look at that wound,” she told him as she knelt beside him. “What happened to you, and how did you get here?”

  “I was being chased, and I crashed,” he said and winced as Jalicia’s hand found its mark. “Right there,” he told her. Jalicia looked and saw that there was a puncture, and the spot was swollen and inflamed. He had a small cut over his brow as well, but the blood had already coagulated.

  “I need to go to the house for some supplies,” she told him. “I will be right back.” She had only gone ten paces when she halted. “Are you hungry?” she asked him.

  “A little. I’ve been in the glider for an awfully long time,” he told her as he gripped the spot where the pain was localized. She could see the pain etched on his features, and she now noticed he wore no clothes at all. His skin was of a nature where he didn’t seem to need it. Still, he might be cold, she told herself, as she left to procure all she needed for her guest in the barn.

  Her hands were trembling with nervousness and excitement as she rummaged in the bathroom cupboard for alcohol, needles, clean cloths, gauze, surgical tape, and everything else she would need as she performed her mini-operation. She was excited at the prospect, never having doctored anyone before. She was to go on internship in her last year, but never did get to have the practice that would complete her program.

  She found a bag and tucked the medical supplies inside before going to the kitchen to heat up some more of the meatloaf and vegetables she had had for dinner earlier.

  “What’s going on in here?” Samuel asked from behind.

  Jalicia jumped in shock as her hand flew across her bosom. “Dad, you startled me,” she said as she could hear the enormous drum pounding within her.

  “Still hungry, I see,” he said.

  “Yes,” she lied. “What I had before seemed to disappear the minute I went into my room, so I came back for more,” she told him as she tried to conceal the bag in the corner.

  “Well I am only here for water,” he said as he took up a glass and moved to the refrigerator. “Are you sure you are alright? You are acting weird,” he said as he closed the door behind him.

  “I am fine Dad,” she said. “Just go back to bed. I will be up shortly,” she said.

  He looked at her suspiciously and then walked off with his glass of water. Jalicia followed him and waited until she heard his door click before darting back into the kitchen to retrieve her stash. She was passing the wash room when she spotted overalls her father hardly used anymore. “Perhaps this will work,” she whispered as she tossed it over her shoulder and headed for the barn once more.

  When she got to him, she froze. No longer was he the green and scaly man she had left before. Now he had dark skin, like hers, and looked completely normal. And he was either sleeping or passed out. “Antash,” she said as she knelt before him, constantly amazed by this creature that had crashed into her world and rearranged everything she had previously believed. “Antash,” she said again when there was no response. “An..” she began again and fell to her feet when he pounced on her, his eyes wild and his grip deadly.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as the pain hit him once more and he fell against the hay. “I thought you were them.”

  Jalicia thought she would wait until later to find out who ‘them’ referred to. Right now, he needed to eat and she needed to stitch him up. “It’s okay,” she said. “Here, have this,” she told him. “It may be a bit different from what you are accustomed to, but it will have to do for now.”

  Antash nodded and took the container she offered him. “What is it?” he asked as he brought the meal to his nose. He sniffed it.

  Jalicia laughed when she saw him do this. “I don’t blame you. It’s meatloaf.”

  Antash tasted a little bit and swished it around in his mouth. “Not bad,” he said as he began to eat more quickly this time. In no time he was done, and Jalicia handed him the bottled water which he downed in a blink.

  “Wow, you were hungrier than I thought,” she said.

  “Is there any more?” he asked, his eyes wide and expectant like a child.

  “Not tonight,” she told him. “Right now I need to get you cleaned and dressed.” She took out her supplies and got ready to clean his wound. “This might sting a bit,” she said. He winced as she spoke.

  “Yeah, a bit,” he grimaced.

  “I think I need to stitch you up. This wound is gaping and you could get an infection if I don’t. God knows how long you will be here before you are found,” she said.

  “What’s stitch?” he asked curiously.

  “This,” she said as she showed him the needle. She threaded it and used her thumb and forefinger to lift his skin as she pierced it with the needle three times. Antash gritted his teeth and dug his hands into the hay as more pain rocked him to the core. But in a flash it was over, and when he looked down he saw that his wound was closed.

  “So that’s stitch,” he said as he groaned.

  “Yes,” she told him as she cleaned the remainder of the wound and bandaged it. “There, all done. You will be fine in no time.”

  He held her hand and looked deep into her eyes when he had her attention. “Thank you for helping me,” he told her. “But I need to go.” He tried to get up, but he fell back against the hay bed.

  “No you aren’t,” she said authoritatively. “You are still wounded, the ship is broken and you have no way of contacting your people. For now, this is where you stay.”

  “If I could only get this fixed,” he said as he toyed with the device in his hand, and for a second Jalicia forgot he was naked, until he stood.

  “Oh, put this on,” she told him as she blushed. He had been attractive as an alien, even though his appearance was different. As a human, he was even more so. He let her slip the overalls on, and he looked down on himself when she was done. “This is strange cloth.”

  Jalicia laughed almost every time something so simple for her, fascinated him. He seemed to come from a more technical or advanced world, for there was nothing simple about him. “You need to get some rest. We can talk about that in the morning. If you don’t rest you will take longer to heal.”

  And as if on cue, Antash collapsed onto the hay, and in less time than it took Jalicia to walk back over to him, he was sound asleep. “Hmm,” she mused. “I wish I could fall asleep that easily.” She stood there watching him for sometime before acknowledging she needed to sleep too. She was about to walk away when she glanced back at him. This world was strange for him, and she didn’t want him wandering off into the night where he could be found. She thought she would go get some blankets and stay the night with him in the barn.

  When she returned, Antash was still fast asleep. He must have incredible tolerance to pain, for she hadn’t even remembered to give him any medication to ease it. Some doctor she would have been. She sighed and spread the blanket across him and lay down. She looked at him as he slept, and slowly she began to see parts of him turn green again. Her eyes bulged as his colors flitted from green to black, and she lay there amazed at the show he was putting on without knowledge of it. He perhaps felt more comfortable in his natural state, but she didn’t know how long he would be there before he was rescued. Maybe it would be better if he stayed ‘human’ for a while. She was aware of how unfriendly her people could be to other beings. She had watched enough television to know that he would not be welcome and would be a forever specimen in some secret underground government facility.

  Jalicia wasn’t sure when she fell asleep, but when she opened her eyes again, Antash was standing over her. And it was morning. She sprung from her hay bed, still feeling disoriented, and staggered as she tried to maintain her balance. Antash reached out and grabbed her to keep her steady, and she blushed when she felt his cool touch on her inflamed skin. He was black again, and smiling at her as if he belonged to the barn, and earth.

  “Are you alright?” he asked her.

  “We nee
d to get you out of here,” she told him. “My father will be here any second now,” she told him as she grabbed his hand and led him to the back of the barn just as her father emerged at the entrance of the barn. She pulled Antash down as he went to the stables to change the water for the horses and fill their cots with hay. She saw when he looked over at the blanket she had forgotten to hide, scratch his head and then walk over to it. He surveyed the barn as he took it up, and Jalicia held her breath as he looked in her direction. Then he went out.

  “Whew,” she sighed as he did.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Too many questions,” she told him. “I need to get back to the house; he will be looking for me soon.”

  “I need to get back home,” Antash said as he stood. He was about to walk out when Jalicia grabbed his arm.

  “No,” she whispered. “You can’t go out there. You might be seen.”

  “I need to fix my communicator. I need to go,” he said as a serious expression crept over his features.

  “I know, but if you go out there and someone sees you, you might not go home at all. Just wait until nightfall and then we'll go,” she suggested.

  He looked at her, and he could tell she was sincere. He sat on a stack of hay and sighed. “I am worried about my sister. I told her I was making a quick run and I would be back soon,” he sighed. “Then I ran into trouble and landed here. She will be worried, and she is on her own.” He was twiddling his thumbs and staring at the ground as he spoke. “I need to get back.”

  “You will get back to her. How old is she?” Jalicia wanted to know.

  “She is twenty-five,” he said. “Just a little girl.”

  Jalicia was confused after his response. “Twenty five isn’t such a bad age. She will be fine until you get back, and we will get you back.”

  “No, she is too young to be alone,” he said louder this time.