Finding Joy: (Part I)

[rosetto 0]

Finding Joy

 

She came in through the bathroom window. In her hand was a silver spoon. This was a new experience for her. She'd never even been off-planet. Now, on a strange world several days travel from everything ever known, she stepped down and entered the room. The cold night air followed her in and was visibly curling in condensation. There was nothing left behind and this was where she felt she belonged. With her trailing hand she pulled the window closed and then listened for any recognizable sound from the other room. There was no sound.

 

It was that time of year again and won't they all be surprized. They probably wouldn't even noticed that there was an empty placemat and she didn't care if they did. She was convinced that no one was that really concerned about how she felt anyway. Her big brother was always winning a new trophy or passing yet another class at the academy; like THAT was so hard. And her little sister was worse. She never did anything right but always seemed to get exactly what she wanted when she wanted it.

 

In the dark she fumbled for the door at the opposite side of the room. She only had assumed that it would be there. Where else would it be? There was a smooth surface that she believed to be the shower stall and a light panel or what looked like one to her right. The door could only be forward. Stepping slowly with both hands waving she reached into the nothingness. Her left foot suddenly slipped and gravity brought her abruptly to the floor. The lights were certainly out now. After an unknown moment she was unconscious. This was not in the plan.

 

 

"Julia! Breakfast!" cried out Mrs. Bennett as she flipped the pancake over and sipped her morning tea. "Hurry up! Your brother Tom will be arriving soon."

 

Julia rolled over in her soft bed and struggled to open her eyes. She was caught between a dream and chilly sunrise that was peeking through her window. As her head emerged from beneath the bed spread Julia rubbed her eyes and opened them for the first time that day. It was definitely morning and she was excited. Her brother, whom she adored, would be home from the academy that morning. He be there for a whole two weeks over the Holiday. This was a special time of year. Everyone wore their best smiles and put on their prettiest clothes. But best of all was Christmas morning. Then there was the smell of fresh baked cookies throughout the house and the scent of the everygreen sprigs tht her mother had crefully placed on nearly every wall had time to settle into every piece of fabric.

 

But this wasn't Christmas. This was just a weekend morning for her. She had to get up and get dressed and get on her com to Kendra Lewis. Not that Kendra was her best friend or anything but she needed to find out what had happened yesterday after she had left school.

 

"Come on Julia! And find your sister. I haven't seen her all morning!"

 

Julia really wasn't putting her heart into it but she looked none the less. She looked in the bathroom and then quickly brushed her teeth and ran a brush through the mop on her head. Julia's hair was short, pixie style and she found it very easy to manage that way. Her sister's hair was long and always clogging up the plumbing. After a quick nod of approval to her mirror image, Julia was off to the den which was dark and quiet. She then made her way into the kitchen where her mother was busy setting the breakfast table. Her chair was near one end and she slipped into it with a smile on her face.

 

Her mother looked up as she entered, "Well?"

 

"What?"

 

"Where's your sister?"

 

"I don't know? I'm hungry. What's for breakfast?"

 

"Did you even look?"

 

"Yes, mom..... jeez.... I looked! She's not around... Maybe she went over to the park to sit alone by the tree like she always does. What's for breakfast? Kendra wants to meet me at the DAX in an hour..."

 

Mrs. Bennett placed a couple of pancakes on the plate in front of Julia. "Did you forget that your brother will be here anytime. I don't think it's a good idea for you to not be here when he arrives."

 

"Oh, yeah.... I forgot!"

 

Joy opened her eyes but it was still dark. She struggled to remember exactly where she was and then she did remember and got up on her feet rubbing her head. The door knob was right there in front of her and she turned it slowly and listened. There were voices in the other room but she couldn't make out what was being said.

 

"Trepan id mando shint necked soddong?"

 

"Killip woo daster jub onk fluter.."

 

"Ja, blamit vellum"

 

Joy cocked her head. She wasn't sure that she wanted to be here now but was realizing that it was a little too late. Creeping down the hallway which was dimly lit, she quietly hugged the walls and drew closer to the voices. What she would find wasn't really clear to her but what ever it was, she knew it wasn't home.

 

"Kypain und loop, Gil."

 

"Sook lin wheep sandal curic. Dangil unti sway lambit gronersum."

 

She poked her head around the corner and looked into the lighted room where she found two greyish aliens sitting on what appeared to be chairs of a sort. There was a warm glow beyond them nd they continued to chat in their language. Joy's presence was unknown to them, she thought and she dared to look longer and watch their actions.

 

They were not so alien that in their actions and it seemed to her that they were just two foreign people chatting and sharing a story. They looked harmless. Still, she was frightened and didn't want to be seen and so she remained cuddled closer to the wall near the floor in the dark hall.

 

One of them rose and walked into the other room as he spoke. She did not know the genders of these aliens but assumed that the one with the deeper voice was masculine. He spoke louder as he walked and when he returned he had two cups of warm liquid. He handed the other one, the woman, one cup and returned to his seat sipping his own. She sat hers down and said something quick to him. Now she went into the other room and a moment later she returned with another cup. She was heading right for Joy and Joy ducked behind the wall as not to be seen. The woman paused at the corner, bent down and set the cup on the floor. She then returned slowly to her seat, picked up her cup and took a long sip and then smelled the rich aroma.

 

"Lickle dom dinter annuze on i bloom!"

 

He chuckled at her comment, "Lickle dom!"

 

Joy could smell the aroma for the liquid and it smelled really good. She wanted to reach around and grab the cup but was still pretty frightened by her situation. Perhaps just a quick whiff she thought and she spun around the corner slowly and took a deep slow breath through her nose... She'd never smelt anything like it but it was very pleasant. She was kind of cold and she could feel its warmth on her chin. Looking up she noticed that the aliens were not paying her any attention at all. They were busy with their own strange conversation. Joy reached quickly and grabbed the cup, pulling it to her side of the wall. The aliens chuckled but made no motion to indicate that they knew she was there.

 

'They had to know', she thought. 'Why would she have put the cup there if she didn't know?'

 

Joy sipped the liquid. It was warm and creamy and she could feel it all the way through her as she sipped some more. It reminded her of hot cocoa though it tasted nothing like chocolate. It was lighter and creamier and had a lingering bite tht tickled as she drank it.

 

"Cull mider soffin, dingaloo..."

 

And then he repeated, "Cull mider soffin"

 

They both turned and looked directly at her as she hungrily drank the warm liquid. They both arose and slowly approached her. Joy froze in mid-sip and watched them cautiously. Their arms were open in a welcoming manner and they both had smiles on their faces. Slowly a smile came across Joy's face too and she continued to sip her creamy stuff.

 

"put e woon, dingaloo"

 

'dingaloo?' she thought. It was increasingly obvious THAT was her! She was a 'dingaloo!'

 

She squeak out, "Hi!" and then pointed to the cup, "This stuff is really good!"

 

"Lickle dom, dingaloo"

 

"Hinack eh Bratin." She motioned as if introducing him and continued, "Ink hinack eh Gleni."

 

"Do kontif e roonie, dingaloo?"

 

"uh, Joy... My name is Joy, Joy Bennett..."

 

"Puntin will sic trunnet, d'Joy..." she replied.

 

(to be continued...)

Edited December 26, 2010 by rosetto