Nobody's Girl

The NOBODY Series

Book II: Nobody’s Girl

by

Juliet Pierce

Copyright Juliet Pierce 2014

Published by Catch Cloud Creative Publishing at Smashwords

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are

the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

or actual events is unintentional and purely coincidental.

For my mother,

who encountered many adventures

of her own through books

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 1

I had entered into a great mystery. I was a prisoner on some sort of space ship. I sat very still with my hands tied behind my back to assess my situation. From the tiny window in the small room where I was being held captive, I could see space expanded before me. The space craft’s lights illuminated the dark universe as it moved through the blackness. The craft shook and vibrated as if pushing against a force not willing to allow entry easily.

I leaned over to the small window to have a closer look when I caught my reflection in the glass. What I saw made me gasp out loud. My appearance had been altered with this transportation. My hair had grown longer and now fell over my shoulders. My face had matured somewhat, as though the process had aged me by a year or so. I was relieved to see my same familiar eyes staring back at me.

My nose itched but I dared not try to adjust my face to find relief. The breathing device that had been slipped on my head when I transported onto the space ship did not fit snugly, so I worried it may slip off--unnoticed. I was alone in the small room and estimated I had been there for several hours with no one to check on me. With the lack of attention, I was sure I would meet my death if the breathing device shifted on my head.

I could feel perspiration gather at my hairline. I thought the fairy would have transported with me, but I had seen no sign of the small creature since my arrival on the space ship. I refused to allow myself to get angry. The situation didn’t look good, but I knew it was imperative I keep my cool.

My eyelids drooped and my head nodded as I fought back sleep. The adrenaline I had been functioning on was gone. How long could a person function properly without sleep, I wondered. If someone didn’t come soon, I knew my chances of survival were slim.

Just then the door slid open. A woman stood before me in what appeared to be a sort of white rubber bodysuit, snug against her form. The same breathing device was strapped to her head, but hers appeared to at least fit her head. A long, gnarly scar ran the length of one cheek.

She stared at me in silence for a long moment before she approached me and made an adjustment to the breathing device. It actually looked like a gas mask I had seen in pictures in history books.

How did you get on the ship? she asked quietly.

I didn’t know if I was in enemy territory, but decided I would just tell the truth. I was transported here, I replied.

Transported? What is that?

You know, moving from one dimension to another, I murmured.

Her dark eyes flashed at me, disbelieving. That is not possible.

I looked away from her heavy gaze. I didn’t know how to explain to her the process of transporting without evidence of the fairy. I wished now I had stayed silent. In an act of submission, I lowered my gaze to the ground to show I meant no threat.

Stand up, she ordered sharply.

I obeyed silently and shook my legs to get the blood moving in them. At the prodding of her hand on my back, I moved forward. The door slid open when I got close to it. It must be controlled by motion, I thought fleetingly.

I walked down a narrow hallway, swaying side to side with the movement of the ship. With my hands tied behind my back, I found it difficult to keep my balance. I was almost knocked into a man and woman in the hall, wearing the same masks. They turned to look at me curiously when we walked by.

A hand on my elbow guided me into a room toward the end of the hall. It appeared to be some sort of shower as long hoses were rolled up along white tile-covered walls and floor Everything was a sterile white.

Take off your clothes, the woman ordered as she untied my hands.

Why? I asked uncertainly.

I need to decontaminate you.

I rubbed my hands, hesitating. I felt an object pushed against the back of my head. I could only assume it was a gun. Slowly, I pulled off my prized possession--my father’s bomber jacket. I tossed it on the ground. My tank top and jeans soon followed. I hesitated with removing my underwear, but the pressure of the gun warned me to remove those, as well. So, I stood before the woman with nothing on--except the gas mask.

The woman grasped a long hose from the wall and turned a faucet. A blue liquid mist came from the hose. She grabbed a long brush and began spraying the liquid on my body, scrubbing me down. I could smell some sort of chemical in the mist and tried to calm the anxiety that filled my mind.

The woman paused at my ankle. What is that?

I looked down at the tattoo to which she was pointing. It was a Hebraic word I had found on the internet last year, spelling the word peace.

It’s a tattoo, I said shortly.

What does it mean?

It’s an ancient word that spells out peace.

I thought I heard the woman gasp, but I couldn’t be sure. She made sure to stay behind me, so I couldn’t see her expressions or read any ill intent she may have toward me.

I was thankful the decontamination process lasted only a few minutes as the liquid was extremely cold. The woman threw the same type of rubber suit to me. With slightly shaking hands, I pulled the suit over my chilled skin. The rubber suit looked very small, but amazingly, the material stretched out to amply cover my thin frame.

Put your hands behind you, the woman said quietly.

I complied silently. The cord was wrapped again around my wrists. I wanted to tell her that I had no intention of trying to escape. Where would I go? I couldn’t possibly fly the space craft even if I was successful in making it to the controls.

I was prodded back in to the hall, so I started moving, still barefoot. The craft was fairly large with dim lighting. The stark white color of the walls reminded me of the space ships I had seen in several movies back home. This one, however, seemed to be more crude. There seemed to be a danger to the exposed wires on the walls. I was sure they had some function, but it was odd to see them dangling out and small sparks emanating from many of them.

The woman seemed unaware of, or perhaps accustomed to, the potential threat of the sparks. Her intent was to direct me down several hallways, leading to other short halls. Soon, we arrived at a door where I was told to stop. This door had a limited access entry. The woman punched in several numbers and held her eye to the machine for a scan. The door successfully opened.

We walked into another hallway and I waited while she pushed a button to close the door behind us. At the end of the hall was another door. She performed the same steps to enter that door, as well.

Most of the room was occupied by a very long conference table, surrounded by chairs. At the head of the table sat a man with a long, scraggly beard, silently eating what appeared to be soup. He wore the same white rubber suit, but obviously no gas mask. He didn’t raise his eyes upon our entry; he merely continued eating with a slow, almost methodical, slurping of the food from a spoon. I watched as the liquid spilled onto his scraggly beard, catching in the tangles of his whiskers.

The woman didn’t interrupt. Quietly, she waited for acknowledgement of her presence. She had lowered the gun. Apparently, I posed no physical threat to one as important as the man before us. I could hear her remove her mask, but she kept mine on my head.

The man finished his soup and wiped the corners of his mouth with a red napkin. Even with the long beard, I could tell he was handsome for a middle-aged man. His dark hair was sprinkled with gray. Despite the hard expression on his face, his laugh lines made me wonder if he really did smile often.

He snapped his fingers and a strange creature appeared from a door behind him. It was tall and lanky with three fingers on each hand. Its white eyes seemed to glow against the very pale gray skin of its face. A dark robe clothed its frame from view, but I sensed it was probably a male.

The creature looked at me and cocked its head to one side. I had become accustomed to the sight of various creatures from the dimension I had just left, so the sight of this one was not disturbing to me. I met its bright gaze and felt a sudden chill run up my spine. I had an eerie feeling the creature wanted to communicate with me. The creature, however, lowered its gaze and proceeded to clear the bowl and other items from the man. It disappeared through the door from which it had arrived.

The man turned his attention upon me for the first time. His eyes probed mine as if seeking hidden answers beneath the surface. I had no answers to give him though. My mind was full of questions that somehow didn’t seem appropriate to ask right now.

After several minutes of silence, the man looked at the woman behind me. She cleared her throat slightly, betraying her nervousness.

The man strummed his fingers on the table and asked, Adele, what is the nature of your interruption?

She has the ancients’ language inscribed upon her ankle, Adele told him. Her voice echoed in the very quiet room.

A small gleam of interest entered his eyes. You know the language?

I shook my head no. I just got the word off the internet.

Where is this internet?

I had no idea how to explain the concept of the internet to him. As we were in a space ship, surely they had some form of it themselves.

The internet transmits data through computers, I said hesitantly. You know, through space.

His brows creased as he tried to make sense of my explanation. I do not understand.

Do you have computers? I asked, hoping to help him understand through one of those.

I have never heard this thing--computers. Is this part of your language?

I licked my dry lips. A glass of water would be very welcome about now. Somehow, I didn’t think they would consider my dry mouth was important.

The man stood up from the table. I noticed he had several silver bars attached to the waist of his suit. I assumed that meant he was the commander of the ship, or some type of officer. He crossed to me and grabbed my chin in his hand, turning my face back and forth as if trying to see something under the mask.

She doesn’t have their markings, the woman said quietly behind me.

How did you get on my ship? the man asked in a low voice.

I swallowed my nervousness. I was transported here--from another dimension.

The man seemed as confused as the woman. He pulled the mask from my head and stared directly into my eyes. His jaw had tightened and I could see a vein pulsing at his temple.

Help me understand how you got on my ship, he ordered.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I’ll try, I said quietly.

I proceeded to quietly relay the story of leaving my dimension and transporting to the fairy’s domain. I tried to explain what that dimension was like, but the more I talked, the deeper his brow creased. I hurriedly ended the explanation with my transportation upon his ship.

Did you see her come onto the ship? the man asked Adele.

No. We turned around and she was just there on the floor, struggling to breathe. She didn’t have a breather so Joel put one on her. I decontaminated her, sir, before I brought her in here.

What is your name?

I’m Riley--Riley--Nobody.

A sudden shaking of the space ship sent me forcefully reeling into the man. He struggled to hold the weight of me and keep himself from falling. When the ship became steady again, I pulled quickly away from the man, a bit embarrassed.

I’ll check on the status of the ship, the woman offered. She pulled the mask back over her head and quickly made her exit.

I was left alone with the man, but I didn’t think I had to worry about him harming me. His thoughts were focused on something else. He turned away from me and headed to the other end of the room.

Is something wrong with your ship? I asked.

He paused mid-stride and turned toward me. My ship was hit by something several days ago and has become compromised. A crack has formed in the shell and is growing wider. We cannot control it. It is imperative we get to Morak soon.

What is Morak?

His eyes narrowed. Are you a spy?

No, I replied. I don’t even know who you are.

I do not fool so easy, Riley Nobody. You can stay in this room. You will be safe here--for a while.

I didn’t like the sound of that, but who was I to argue? He was already letting himself out the door to leave me alone in the room. I moved to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. The cords were so tight upon my wrists that I could feel them biting into my skin, and as far as I could see, the room was void of anything that might help me cut them.

Another jolt of the ship tossed me into the edge of the table. No sooner had I straightened up than the ship started rocking violently. I fell out of the chair onto the floor, narrowly escaping hitting my head on the table. I maneuvered my body under the table when pieces of the ship started flying about. I didn’t have my mask on, so if the seal of the room became broken, I would be unable to breathe.

The room continued to literally come apart at the seams. The rocking of the ship was starting to make me feel nauseous. I was pretty much hating the sense of helplessness when I felt someone behind me cutting the cords from around my wrists. I turned to meet the eyes of the creature from earlier.

Thank you, I muttered.

I scrambled from under the safety of the table to retrieve my breathing mask. I couldn’t see it anywhere in the room. I turned back to the creature who was holding it out to me. Gratefully, I took the mask and slipped it over my head.

Where’s your mask? I asked.

I don’t need a breathing mask, the creature responded in a whisper of a voice. I am able to inhale all atmospheres.

The creature turned and headed to the other end of the room, pausing to motion for me to follow. I dodged the flying objects and made my way to the creature. It went through the door and weaved gracefully down the maze of halls.

I tried to keep up with the creature. My vision was limited from the mask, so I was challenged in trying to avoid various objects flying through the halls and keeping up with the creature.

I looked up ahead and saw the creature holding a door open for me. One of the exposed wires dropped in front of me just then,