Page 19 of Alien in the Attic

Arccoo closed one eye and saw the line. “Yes,” he told her.

“Now follow this,” Carmen instructed. “That fourth star is part of another four that form an oblong rectangle. See?”

Watching her movement made the image she was describing come into view. Arccoo smiled, realizing he could now clearly see what she was talking about. “It looks like a scoop of some kind,” he told her.

“Exactly!” she exclaimed. “Back in the day, like really far back before we had indoor plumbing, people used big spoons to scoop up water for drinking and cooking and stuff. Centuries ago, people looked up and saw those stars and named it the Big Dipper because it reminded them of the drinking spoons.”

“Marvelous,” Arccoo said. “You archive your history in the stars.” During his limited time here, he had assumed human beings were so concerned with moving forward that they left their traditions behind. Knowing that their history was just as much a part of their identity as it was for his people made him feel even closer to her.

Without thinking, he put his arm around her. She folded into the nook below his arm and placed a hand on his chest. They fit together like reunited pottery pieces.

“Do you have constellations?” Carmen asked.

“I believe so,” Arccoo answered. “We call them star idols. There is Tyrrup the serpent who was said to have carved all of the rivers and valleys of the universe by slithering across each planet with his mighty form.” He smirked at the memory of imagining that the story was a literal truth rather than myth.

“Then there’s Pa-Brell,” he said.

“What’s that?” Carmen asked, her voice low and peaceful.

“Pa-Brell was the mother and father of love in one entity—man, woman, and neither. It used to be believed that mated souls were woven from the tapestry of Pa-Brell’s robes. They wander life alone, seeking their other half. When they meet, their souls are stitched back together, making Pa-Brell smile.”

Carmen stroked the front of Arccoo’s costume with a slow, gentle motion. “That’s beautiful,” she said.

Words formed in the prince’s mouth. For the briefest of moments, he considered swallowing them for all time. Once spoken, they could not be taken back, and he risked damning them both to a life of loneliness.

“I think Pa-Brell is smiling on us now,” he said, his voice solemn. He had never confessed to loving someone before. Duty aside, he always assumed there would be one person in all the universe who would make him feel like romance was possible. Even if he would eventually marry for convenience, there had to be another soul out there who would make him whole. Until now, no one had lived up to that expectation.

But Carmen did.

He removed his arm and stepped away, his gaze on the ground. This wasn’t right. Admitting his love could only put his people in more danger. The idea of parting from Carmen was becoming more unfathomable with every breath. His heart was teetering on the edge of responsibility and free will. One trip in the wrong direction could result in the end of his species or his spiritual death.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t be saying these things to you.”

“Why?” Carmen asked. “I feel the same way.”

Arccoo sighed. “I know. If you didn’t, this might be easier. I feel as though I am being punished or tested for some long-forgotten crime.” He shook his head. “No. That’s not right.”

He took a breath. “I’m hurting you. An innocent woman who has done nothing but make a tired prince feel like he finally had his own identity.”

“Do you have any idea how special you make me feel?” Carmen asked. Her tone was consoling, not confrontational.

“After what I’ve been through, I thought the only person who could love me was me and my sisters. I hated the way I looked. I didn’t think I deserved to be desired. I was preparing to spend my life alone.”

He felt her hand fold into his.

“Then you looked at me,” she said. “Then you kissed me. I was yours from that very moment.”

She paused. They stood in silence.

“We both knew this couldn’t be forever,” Carmen continued. “It isn’t like you’re abandoning me in the middle of the night. Trust me, a lot of guys down here would have seen me as a quick lay and run for the hills before the sun came up. You stayed.”

“For now,” Arccoo countered. “When the sentry ship arrives, I have to leave. There’s no way around it. I wish it wasn’t so, but it is.”

“But it’s for an important cause,” Carmen reminded him. “It’s not like you’re leaving to avoid commitment. How could I expect you to stay here when the lives of so many are on the line. Do you think I’m that selfish?”

Arccoo turned on his heel. “No,” he said. He took her face in his hands. “I am not accusing you of anything. I blame myself for this. Hurting you will be my fault.”

“You haven’t hurt me yet,” Carmen said. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

---