This time, Tess was more aware during the process of abduction—not overwhelmed by light, darkness, pain, numbness, heat, or cold.

It wasn't exactly painful. It felt like she'd been magnetized, and an unimaginably massive magnet was drawing her upward with a strange tugging force on her very atoms. All of her hair stood up as if it were being pulled. She was weightless.

There was heat, but it was almost pleasant, like the warmth of the summer sun on bare skin. The moisture and wind stung and beat at her face. This was the most painful part. Her body was stronger than it had been before.

Vaguely, she was aware of the ground disappearing from sight beneath her. She opened her eyes and spotted Kyle, a dot in the cold mist of clouds. She couldn't see Jade.

Once they ascended past the clouds, it was hard to keep her eyes open, for the sun was too bright and the wind too powerful. They were accelerating, she could feel it. Her blood was pooling at her feet.

Tess peeked her eyes open one last time. She caught a glimpse of a luminous chrome shape hovering high in the sky. There was a black void at its center. They were heading directly toward it, a wide mouth waiting to swallow them whole.

This was her kind, she reminded herself. She tried not to feel trepidation, only curiosity.

The brilliant light behind her eyelids disappeared; they were submerged in the blackness. The air here seemed to vibrate. This sensation grew until she could hear deep, throbbing sounds that were not English but were certainly a language, one never heard before on Earth. And somehow, Tess could make sense of it, sensing unseen beings assessing her and Kyle. They were noting their heartbeats and neural activity, prodding at their thoughts. For a human, it might have felt invasive or violating, but she knew this was their way—how they communicated. Their welcome was biological, making sure everything was running smoothly. And so, immersed in the inky pool, Tess felt warmth flood her leg where they began to stitch together her muscle, torn from the lone soldier's bullet. There was no pain, only rapid healing.

When they were finished, Tess was spat out of the darkness, landing on her hands and knees, gasping for breath. The alien voices went silent as if they had been conducted solely through the pool of blackness. There was clear fluid all over her, like water but more gelatinous. It was a little disgusting.

She stood and felt herself sink a few inches. The floor had give and warmth, as if she were walking on the flesh of something living. When she tried to lift her feet, they stuck slightly to this strange surface. Walking here would take some time to get used to. It felt almost like trudging through deep snow.

Every minute or so, the floor pulsed on its own like a slow, ancient heartbeat. Tess began to walk slowly, following the pulses. Deep in her heart, something felt wrong.

The vein-like corridors converged into a bigger chamber where she found Kyle, to great relief. Jade was still nowhere to be seen.

"That was intense," he said with an unnerved smile, eyes flitting around the space.

"Yeah." She suddenly felt very human and very out of place. "We're covered in this nasty slime..."

Kyle shook the substance from his hair like a wet dog, and Tess cracked a smile.

"I think they're watching us. Waiting for us," he whispered as they resumed walking, his fingers interlocking tightly with hers.

"A map and some directions would be nice," she muttered.

They wandered on through what felt like a maze of long vessels, trying to reach the heart of it. The corridors were getting wider, which felt like a good sign. Soon, they heard voices—human voices—and froze to listen.

"They are doing well, yes? They are obedient?"

There was a pause. "Sometimes the hosts' mentalities linger a bit too strongly for my liking." It was Jade speaking to a man, his voice rough with age.

"I expect that should improve as the specimen fully embed themselves into the nervous systems," he said. "It may take years to grow to their full capacity."

"But what if engaging with more of the human biology only makes them more human? The behaviors are so ingrained, especially regarding identity, relationships, and—"

"Shh. Do not fuss," the man said. "I feel them near." He called out, "Come here, my darlings, my children. We must speak."

Hesitantly, they continued side-by-side through the enlarging tunnel. When the man, grey-haired and wrinkly-faced, saw them, his smile faltered slightly. "Ah, yes. Quite a strong bond indeed." He turned and spoke to Jade as if they weren't there. "Sometimes it is beneficial, you know. People with something so precious to live for are often more careful. They keep each other safe—"

"At the expense of the mission. That's how we ended up here. Against orders, they refuse to leave each other's side."

The man nodded silently, eyes studying the pair. "Do as you see fit, then, madam. As I told you, they are your charges."

Jade was silent for a long while, back turned, facing the undulating walls. It was as if her brain was engaged elsewhere, communicating silently with something unseen.

Then she turned, wearing a bright smile. "Your leg is healed?"

Tess reached down and brushed her fingers over the smooth, unblemished skin. There was no scar, no pain. "Yes."

"Then they'll send us back to the surface of Earth now. Relax, don't fight against it."

There it was again, a familiar feeling of being an unwitting pawn in a game much bigger than herself. Tess had never had a choice. It was always a push and pull of forces bigger than herself, out of her reach. She was a cog in a machine with no free will. She clenched her fists, veins surging with a fierce urge to rebel.

But that's when she felt herself falling, a warm mist of tiredness enveloping her. There was nothing she could do.

___________

I always branded this story as action/sci-fi, but you might notice that book one leaned more into action, while this second one will delve a bit more into the science fiction side. Occasionally, it might get a little trippy and unconventional because that's what I like, but it will ultimately stay grounded to the story of Tess and Kyle you know (and love?)

Have a beautiful day!