Page 12 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

“We will try. But,” I put my finger over my chest. “I do not want to be your first lover in a game.”

“I wouldn’t want you to be,” she replies too quickly for my liking.

8

Georgiana

We spend another hour going through our marriage story. “I think it’s as good as it’s going to get. If we make it any more complex, I’m not going to be able to remember everything.”

I know Axl doesn’t want to stop.

“Seriously,” I say. “Any more information is too risky.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He stands and begins collecting things and putting them all in order. “Follow me.” He says as he picks up the case with all the money and goes into the other room. He moves some floorboards and underneath is a perfectly hidden safe. Much more modern than anything I’ve ever seen, but I’ve never seen that much money either. He puts the case in the safe and then closes it. “Put your hand here.”

I put out my right hand and feel some warmth. Then nothing.

“The safe is genetically coded now and will only open for you or me, no one else.”

“If we win, we get the money, right?” I’m disappointed that I don’t get all the money myself, but I’d still be happy with half.

“You get all the money and I get to go home, remember?”

“We’ve got this,” I reply as he covers the safe again with the floorboards.

I get out my phone which I had forgotten I even had for a while. I drop a pin at this location. I think about letting my roommate know I might not be back on time, but then I think I have a few more weeks before I’m due to return to the US. There’s no reason to bother her and if these are evil billionaires I don’t want to get anyone else involved. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but sometimes there’s no other logic to explain some of the bizarre goings-on in the world. Like secret science fiction cosplay games with real cash prizes.

“Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Husband.”

Axl gives me a small smile. “Good. I’m going to call the Alliance Force now.”

“Okay.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Why are you hesitating? I said I was ready. We’ve practiced. I want to win. I’m not going to mess this up and neither are you.”

He hits a security icon on his phone.

We wait in silence. Then out of nowhere the little cabin shakes as if something big has landed outside. Fear spreads over me. What have I agreed to?

“Think about the money,” Axl reminds me.

“Yes, I want to win.”

He gives me a slight nod of encouragement.

Just then the front door opens and I hear heavy footsteps, but I don’t see anyone. I look up at Axl and his face is reassuring and full of confidence. Suddenly, out of nowhere, three men appear. They’re tall like Axl, but where he’s athletic, they’re like body-builders, gigantic in muscle width. And all grey-skinned with black hair. These billionaires have really gone all-Hollywood style with their attention to detail for their little game. But then again what else do billionaires have to do, but entertain themselves with peasants like me?

I’m relieved when the men begin speaking English and not German.

“Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl of Imperial House Zu why are you on Earth?”

“Why are you wasting our time?” another officer says before Axl can answer the first officer.

Axl straightens his shoulders. “I’ve come illegally to Earth to bring my wife back to the Empire. Unfortunately, I’ve lost my ship. We need transport back to the Capital Planet.”

---