Chapter Three

AFTER THE AUCTION

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Eden stirred, blindly batting at the dripping liquid. The leaky roof was on her to-do list to repair, but she had not gotten around to it yet. Groggily, she lifted her aching arms to wipe the rain water from her cheeks.

As her fingertips touched the cold, slimy liquid, her face scrunched up like she had accidentally tasted a sour lemon. She wiped away the slobber with her sleeves and slowly sat up. As soon as her eyes snapped open, a scream erupted out of her dry throat.

"Oh my goodness," Eden choked, scurrying backward and bracing herself against a wall.

A creature the size of a miniature horse stood in front of her. It wasn't an animal you could find at a zoo, and it certainly wasn't one you wanted making its nest in your closet. The horrifying hybrid had eight amber eyes set around giant, beetle-like pincers, with eight hairy legs to match. Its claws clicked noisily in excitement as it crawled forward, tilting its head as if it was sizing her up. She poked at her face and ears with slippery hands, crying out in pain. The pink pinch marks from the animal hurt when she touched them.

Eden covered her face, hoping her hands would provide sufficient protection against impending doom. "No! Please go away!" Eden gasped, kicking her legs randomly as she peeked through the gaps in her fingers. "I know we've got sewer rats the size of dogs in New York, but this is ridiculous. Leave me alone! Help! Janine?"

"Hercules, heel!"

The Arachtera backed off and sat on the ground using its opposable legs. A tall man stepped forward, his face obscured by a thick hood draped over his head. He wore a leather-brown outfit. In the haunting green lights of the room, his silhouette was bathed in a seductive glow. Eden's grip loosened around the tangle of hair she held in a death grip.

She stared in awe at the figure's one-piece suit. It was certainly handmade and fitted with multiple pockets, trinkets, and small gadgets she'd never come across before. She was hopeless with technology but liked watching other people use it.

"Thanks for that. I didn't know what I was going to do," said Eden. She dusted herself off as she rose to her feet. She froze as she got a better look at her surroundings. Her knees wobbled beneath her and threatened to dump her on the ground again. "Wait a second. Where am I?"

"What's your name?"

The deep, beautiful tone of his voice rattled her, but she wouldn't give up. "Don't answer my question with another question. I'm serious!"

"What's your name?"

"I...Eden. Look, sir, whatever this is, I need to get back home."

"Don't call me sir," the man interjected firmly. "My name is Thiago Arris."

"Okay, Mr. Arris. Did you make that name up yourself? Or is it Greek or something?" said Eden. She nodded to herself slowly, crossing her arms as if she'd figured everything out.

"I'm not really in the mood for any of this. I just had a hell of a dream. Janine put you up to it, didn't she? This elaborate prank is exactly the kind of joke my sister enjoys. It's just like her to try and hit me months before April, too, so she can catch me off-guard."

"I do not know who Janine is."

"Yeah, okay," Eden sang, fixing her arms on her hips mockingly. "Let me guess, it's Jeffrey under the hood using a voice modulator."

She strode towards Hercules, slanting her head to the side to study the creature. She was impressed. Her bottom lip stuck out as she remarked, "And that, of course, would be Caleb. Where did you guys get this suit? These costumes must have cost you all a fortune. I have got to hand it to you, though. It is extremely lifelike. You almost got me. Almost. Hey, Caleb, think fast!"

Eden reached into the pocket of her parka, fishing for a brown, half-eaten apple in a clear bag. She hurled it at the creature, expecting it to bounce off its head. Instead of watching an annoyed teenager burst out of a costume, Hercules leaped in mid-air and caught the apple with its pincers. An unmistakably real mouth opened to reveal circular rows of yellow teeth gobbling up the juicy fruit.

She leaped back once again and screeched. She wasn't going to be unarmed this time. Eden snatched a thick, glassy rod from the table next to her and wielded it like a sword.

"Unless you intend on performing Herc's annual health exam, you should put it down. You're holding his rectal thermometer."

Eden dropped the thermometer immediately. Mortified, she began rubbing her hands raw against her jeans. The air filled with rapid-fire cursing.

"Calm down," said Thiago, laughing. "He's more afraid of you than you are of him."

"That sounds nice, but I don't think that applies to Satan's spawn."

Eden looked around for a place to wash her hands. A living room, kitchen, and a workshop area were all crowded onto the first floor of the loft-like space. A short, spiraling staircase led up to a dark room littered with clothing and an unmade mattress. Sunlight streamed into the first floor through multiple windows. She ground her teeth together and braced herself as she dashed towards the closed circular windows embedded in the dense, pale walls. Inserting her finger into an opening at the center, she began to pry it open with all her strength.

"Hey, what are you doing? You don't want to open those!"

"Why don't you have regular windows like a normal person?" Eden angrily muttered as she pulled back in a huff. "What do you do for air around here?" She ran her fingers through her hair and over her neck, accidentally brushing the small puncture wound.

"Ow! No way. This can't be happening, can it? Did those people at TerraMates drug me? I knew Ms. Daley was a little odd. I haven't said goodbye to my family, I haven't packed...none of this makes sense. Is this legal? Is this kidnapping!" She rambled on, answering her questions as a nonplussed Thiago stared blankly at her.

Behind Thiago, Hercules whimpered sympathetically. The creature attempted to approach her but retreated into position with one reproachful look from his master. As Thiago stared at Eden, whose frantic speech was rising in pitch every second, he wasn't sure what his next move should be. His knowledge of proper Earth etiquette was a little rusty. The last time he'd interacted with one was over a decade ago.

Clearing his throat, he lifted his arm to signal it was now his turn to speak, but his motion only aggravated her.

"Don't you dare point your finger at me. I demand you tell me where we are, right now!"

"We're on planet HT-007. Please, if you could keep your voice down and your emotions in check, it would make everything a lot easier to explain."

"Excuse me? Planet what, now?" Eden asked incredulously. She buried her head in her arms in confusion. "I can't even see you. Would you please take that damn hood off? Look, I'm sorry, Mr. Arris...."

"My name is Thiago."

"Thiago," Eden repeated through clenched teeth. "There's been a misunderstanding. I need you to hand over my purse so I can call and arrange for some way out of here. Are we still in North America? Central America, maybe? China?"

"You arrived with no possessions. I could check, but I don't think you can call home. It's a long way away," Thiago stonily replied as he leaned back against the wall.

"Now you're on a budget? I'll reimburse you for the long distance fees. Give me my things or I'm going to be forced to call the cops on you."

"The what?"

"The cops! The po-po? The fuzz?" said Eden loudly as she tried to latch her zipper onto the other end of her parka. "The guys that are going to come and handcuff your sorry ass, charging you and everyone else at TerraMates with twenty to life for kidnapping. Oh, forget it."

Eden was flustered and dropped her head into her hands. She wandered aimlessly around Thiago's spaceship. Eden wasn't sure what she wanted to find. One thing was certain – she wouldn't be going anywhere with him. She stomped down on a glowing green pedal on the floor of the wall adjacent to her. The wall split open, granting her access to the cockpit.

"Hey, wait a minute! Don't go anywhere!"

Eden had time for one brief glance at the controls before a wayward breeze brushed her cheek. She realized the door to the cockpit was slightly cracked open. Eden jumped on the opportunity and forcefully opened the door. Casting one final glimpse at Thiago behind her, she slipped out the door and sprinted into the darkness. The sound of his voice faded behind her.