Page 7 of Pandora: Alien Games

After screaming for several seconds like a crazy person, logic took over. If he wanted to kill me, he had all the time in the world. As I saw the situation this guy… or was it a girl… had saved me.

“Hi,” I said softly.

He said something. It was clear he used words, but they didn’t make any sense to me. I tried to shrug and calm my heartbeats, but that move made my shoulder hurt.

This guy was huge. He had to be at least seven feet tall. A series of turquoise-colored tattoos covered his muscular chest and he wore a loin cloth around his waist. The tattoos swirled around the green crystal embedded in his chest. He was so good looking. Thank Gods for small mercies. I’m going to be killed and eaten by a good-looking hot alien guy. Just my damn luck.

He kept talking. His voice felt warm and, even though I had no idea what he was saying, I found myself enthralled by the deep, full sound of it.

“I am thirsty. Can I have some water?” I asked. Just as the words left my mouth, I realized how stupid that was. Then I made the gesture of drinking from a glass. He smiled. Well, I think it was a smile. It looked more as if he flashed his fangs toward me. He stood, filling the small space with his presence.

He offered me a large skin filled with liquid. I took the skin, uncorked it, and sniffed. My Wolf Man, which is what I named him in my head, made an encouraging sign to drink. I did. The cool, wet liquid coated my mouth and throat. This was the best thing I had ever tried. It tasted like bliss. I drank and drank, gulping down water, even allowing some to run down on the corner of my mouth. Wolf Man touched the skin and pushed it gently down. Maybe this was his water ration that was meant to last a long time.

He pointed toward my belly and said something, then rummaged through a backpack and opened a wooden box. He offered it to me. Inside was something I couldn’t describe. It looked like round, brown beads. Wolf Man signaled me to eat. I didn’t dare, so he took one and popped it into his mouth.

“Here goes nothing,” I said with what I hoped passed as a smile.

It was some type of fruit, but it tasted sweet and a bit like meat. Doesn’t matter because as I started to eat, I noticed how ravenous I was. My stomach was growling. I kept eating more and emptied half a box in no time.

The guy looked at me as if I were the most fascinating thing ever. He pointed at himself and said, “Ahn-noo-beez.”

It sounded a bit like a growl, but his voice was deep and had a soft, sensual quality to it.

“Did you just say Anubis?” I asked, unable to believe I found myself in the same space with a God.

“Ahn-noo-beez.” He said again. He pointed toward his chest. “Ee-dh–oo.”

“Lemme see if I understand. Your name is Edoo and you’re an Anubis?”

Things started to make sense in my mind. I landed somewhere on an alien planet. Maybe some of his people landed on Earth the same way and became gods based on the way they looked.

He pointed to me and said something that sounded weird. I assumed he asked for my name.

“Pandora Sky, but you can call me Sky if you like. All my friends do.”

“Paan-doh–rah Sk-yyy?”

“Yes, Pandora Sky.”

“Pandora Sky.”

This time he spoke it correctly. “I’m human.” I had no idea if he knew what I was but, for what it was worth, he saved my life and I was in his debt.

A bone chilling howl filled the small cave. My new friend Edoo made a sign to be calm. Everything about him was hot and fascinating. This new world made my heart beat faster and gave me a thrill I couldn’t explain. Edoo was exotic, different, handsome and, up to this moment, he had been kind and sweet to me. His mouth looked different and words left it even though it didn’t look as if he could speak. The fangs gave me a thrill. How would they feel on my skin? Would they hurt or would it be a pleasant, scrapping feeling?

I think he asked where I was from and I said space, but he shrugged.

“So, shrugging is universal.” I smiled. “This food is good. Thank you.”

Edoo looked at me. His eyes changed color and it was fascinating. They had golden irises now, the purple changing to a soft brown color with a golden center.

I searched for a stick but gave up. Instead, I sat next to the fire and started drawing in the dirt with my finger. Edoo watched every move as I tried to explain to him that I used to live out there, in space on a space station, and that I left with a shuttle and crashed on his planet. I did leave out some of the details because it was none of his business and he wouldn’t understand me either way. He and seemed intelligent, but I’m sure it didn’t make sense to him.

Another sound, half a moan and half a cry, sacred me. I jumped up and released a small yelp of distress.

“What the holy space rat is that?”

Edoo laughed, a full musical laugh, He pointed toward the entrance and said, “Banoo.”

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