The Raspite Prince

I'm doing everything I can to keep from staring directly at Patrick. I can't help catching myself taking in his good looks.

"You are truly wonderful," he says, although I'm not sure where it comes from.

"What do you mean?" I ask after swallowing and taking another sip to wash any small pieces out of my mouth.

"You, um, you just are, you're, I, um..." He takes a drink to swallow his fear. "I just, I like the way you seem to handle all of this with such grace."

"I don't really have much of a choice. Either I keep myself calm or..." I don't finish.

One set of waiters takes our salad plates away and another set brings out the second entrée. By this time, I've finished my first glass, and Patrick pours another. I'm not sure what kind of meat is being served with potatoes and asparagus. We continue to chat over nothing important, just getting to know each other. Favorite foods, colors, music, differences from his culture and mine. It's a wonderful experience for me. It's more fun than I've ever had.

They bring out desert. I've drunk five glasses of wine. I think, maybe more than that. Patrick isn't much help with this. He continues to pour glasses. The meal was delicious, and the atmosphere is light and romantic. I feel fuzzy as some other couples move to the dance floor. Patrick must have noticed me staring at them as the music plays softly.

"Would you like to dance?' Patrick stands and holds out his hand.

I must admit I'm caught completely off guard. "I'm not very good at it."

"Just one dance. I'm wearing steal-toe boots, so it won't matter if you step on my toes."

I glance down, and sure enough, he's wearing his work boots. I've been so distracted that I haven't noticed until now. I laugh as I raise my eyes up to his face. His gaze causes my heart to skip a beat.

"I guess I could give it a try." As I stand, I almost lose my footing. All the alcohol has rushed to my head. I guess too much alcohol really isn't a good thing.

"Are you okay?" Patrick asks as he pulls me to himself.

I'm pressed against him. Everything seems a bit hazy except for those eyes. "I'm not sure; I think the wine has gotten the best of me."

"Just hold on to me. I'll make sure you don't stumble." With that, he takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor. As we dance, I watch our feet, trying to learn.

Patrick places his hand on my chin and guides my eyes to his. "Keep your eyes up here, and I promise your feet will follow."

With one hand around my waist and the other holding my left hand, we move slowly at first around the floor. I use my right hand to hold up the bottom of my dress. We speed up slightly as I get the hang of it.

I'm captivated by Lieutenant Wolf. "I, uh, feel so strange." I'm a little lightheaded, I think, because of the wine, or maybe it's all the dancing. Apparently, the music has stopped, and we're still dancing. I look into Patrick's eyes, and without thinking, I lean in and our lips meet.

We're kissing. A rush comes over me, a glow from inside me. I step back from him, raising my hands to my line of sight. I'm radiating a soft blue light. I don't know what's happening. Am I about to lose control? I'm fearful of what is happening or what will happen; my powers have never reacted this way before.

"What is that?" I hear him ask. I hear people gasping in the background and whispering to each other. I'm so focused on my hands and trying to clear the cloud from my brain. The alcohol is inhibiting my ability to pull the light in. It must be the wine.

"I, I, uh, I need to go. I don't need to be here. I need to go." I run from the room, toward the elevator, without looking back. I don't wish to see anyone's fearful glare. I can find my way back to the room. I just have to get there. As the elevator doors close, the lieutenant's running after me, but the doors shut before he catches up.

"Oh no, no, no. What is this? What's happening to me?" Tears fall as I ride the elevator up, and all I can think is, not this ship too.

I race off the elevator and into my room. The guards aren't there. They must've taken a break. I go into the bedroom part and close the door behind me. I sit down at the dresser and investigate myself in the mirror above it. By now the glow is gone, and there's no damage to the dress or to anything else. This reaction is new to me. I keep telling myself, it must have been the wine. It had to have been the wine.

I am more than a little confused. I hear the outside door open.

"Laoonica, are you in here?" It's Lieutenant Wolf, err, Patrick. I don't know what I should do. I feel so uneasy with him in the living quarters. I want to scream, and cry, and laugh, and run to him, and and and... What is this?

"Yes, I'm already in bed though," I say as I turn my back against the door, hoping he'll buy it. I just need time to figure out what the glow is.

"Okay, um, is everything alright?" He's so sweet, and I can tell he's also very close to the door when he speaks. His voice is soft, but I still make out what he's saying clearly.

"I'm tired. I should go to sleep now." I place my hands on my face. I'm being torn apart from the inside. These emotions are too much for my mind to handle at the moment.

"Just let me know if there's anything you need. Or if I can help in any way," he says.

I face the door and press my forehead and my hands against it. For some reason I imagine he's doing the same thing. "No, I'm fine I just need to rest. I'll feel better in the morning. Good night, Patrick." I hear him step back from the door, and I know that he was right against it.

"Good night, Laoonica." I'm so worried that he'll be afraid of me. I lie down after changing into a nightgown I'd made earlier. The bed is comfortable, but I'm restless. Faces run through my mind. It makes me wonder if the entire ship will be afraid to come near me. I toss and turn for a while, but I can't fall asleep.

I open the door, peeking into the other room. Patrick's asleep on the couch bed. I wait a minute in silence, looking at him, and the strange feeling comes over me again. I go into the bathroom and glance in the mirror. I'm glowing from head to toe, but it doesn't feel warm or cold. When I touch the sink, it doesn't melt or turn to ash. What's this strange new power? It isn't causing any harm to any of my surroundings.

I focus on my reflection. The glow starts to go away, and then I hear the lieutenant shuffle under his blankets, and my thoughts shift to him. The glow becomes brighter and brighter the more I think of him holding me and kissing me. Is this what happens when I have feelings for someone?

I sneak back to the room.

My thoughts are as hard to grasp as the wind on a warm spring day. I'm confused and scared. I wonder if my father would approve of Patrick. My thoughts drift again, and I wonder if my mother's okay, if they've found out anything. I think of my home planet, of the flowers. I love being in the garden. I miss everything about home. Including all the guards that kept a watchful eye on me.

When I finally fall asleep, my dreams are different. I dream that I'm sitting on my mother's throne and Patrick's sitting on my father's, but the people in front of me are dressed so differently than that of my home planet. The dream changes to my mother sitting alone in the throne room, weeping at the news of my father's death.

I wake up, but it's not quite morning. I carefully move the sewing machine and materials into the bedroom and get to work. I might have woken Patrick, but he doesn't say anything. He just rolls over. I guess it's a good thing that the Raspites haven't figured out where I am. If he sleeps so soundly, he won't be able to protect me.

A loud buzzing goes off in the other room, and I pause while working on my dress when I hear Patrick stirring.

"Laoonica, are you awake?" He's standing outside the door.

"I'm awake," I say loudly since I'm not so close to the door this time.

"I'll have breakfast brought to you, or if you would like, you could join me." There's a hint of question in his voice as he waits for me to answer. I don't respond right away because I'm thinking of the faces of the crew when I started glowing last night.

"It'll be better brought to me, especially after last night. I don't wish to cause any discomfort for your crew." I walk closer to the door. I want to see Patrick, but I'm anxious of his true reaction to me. Even though he seems not to be afraid.

"I'll have it brought to you then. I... I do wish you'd come out of there."

I take a deep breath and look down. "I'm not dressed. Perhaps you'd like to come back for lunch, and we could eat here." I bite my lower lip, waiting for him to say no.

"Of course, it'd be my pleasure. If you insist on staying in here, then I'll go and take care of some other things." His voice seems sad. He really isn't afraid of me or, so it seems.

"Lunch, then?" I ask.

"Yes, I'll see you at lunch."

I hear the door slide open and shut. I'm glad that he still wants to be around me. I open the door to the bedroom. He's gone. I feel relief and sadness at the same time. I wish I had been born normal. I would have been in an arranged marriage with some lord or prince for political reasons. Then again, if I had, I wouldn't have met Patrick, nor would I be in love with him at this moment. Wait what did I just think?

"Did I say love?" I ask out loud. How life seems to be enjoying itself at my expense.