Samie Sands - Through Space and Time

“Are you okay?” Miguel touched her shoulder softly. “You’re very quiet.”

“Fine,” she replied with a clear warning to her voice.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Raegan stepped away from him, trying to create a chasm of distance. The last thing she wanted was to make this awkward for the rest of the journey, so the best thing she could do was keep this to herself.

Then again, she was upset and that was difficult to disguise.

“Hali, could you give us a moment please?”

“Why?” Hali asked Miguel, sounding innocent enough, but her question set Raegan’s intuition alight. She was overcome by the terrible sensation that Hali wasn’t quite what she first appeared to be, that maybe she wanted to cause trouble here.

“We just need a moment, that’s all. Just to talk.”

Miguel’s cheeks reddened. It seemed like he was finally realizing what a tricky situation he found himself in.

“I’m not stopping you.” Hali shrugged and smiled. “You can talk with him here.”

Miguel’s face glazed over, his eyes turned a funny pale shade. He looked like he was under a trance, and he sounded that way when he spoke as well.

“Yes, that sounds fair. You stay here while we talk.”

“No. No way,” Raegan snapped. “Whatever you’re doing, Hali, stop it. That’s not cool. Me and Miguel clearly need a moment to talk alone and you should let us have that.”

“Why?” Hali cocked her head and smirked. “For what reason?”

“Just go for a walk. Leave us be.”

“But… I want him.”

Raegan was blown away; she couldn’t believe those words had just come from Hali’s mouth. It seemed that at least she could trust her own intuition which was good… she thought.

“You… you want him?”

“I do, and it’s best for you to know that I always get what I want.”

Hali clicked her fingers, releasing Miguel from her spell, and she span on her heels to stalk off, smug in the knowledge that she had floored Raegan.

“What’s going on?” Raegan demanded, her arms folding protectively across her chest. “With you and Hali?”

“Hali?” Miguel glanced behind him. “Nothing. What do you mean? I’ve only known her for about five minutes.”

“Well, it seems like something is happening, there are feeling between you, and I think you owe it to me, to be honest. If I have to witness you and her falling in love, then… well, I would rather know in advance, if that’s okay with you?”

“I would never…” He moved closer to Raegan, grabbing her hands in his. The warmth of his touch shot all the anger out of her body. Instead, she was left feeling a little lost. “I like you. Only you. In fact, I really like you. Too much.” He smiled. Mostly to himself. “That one kiss back on the zombie-infested version of Earth was enough to have me convinced that we are perfect together.”

Wow… this was insane. Raegan certainly wasn’t expecting all of that.

“So why…?”

“Why did I hold back? I guess for the same reason you did… because it’s a bit wild to fall for someone when all of this is going on.” They both looked around them, considering the madness they were in. “Plus, I was afraid. I know your dad. I know he won’t ever think I’m good enough for you. He idolizes you and he will want someone so much better, stronger, braver than I could ever be. I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”

“So, this is about my dad? There isn’t any choice when it comes to what I want?”

Miguel smiled again. “Are you trying to say that you think I’m good enough?”

Raegan shrugged, suddenly too shy to say those words aloud.

“Well, if you think it’s right, and I still keep wanting you no matter how much I don’t think it’s a good idea, then why should we keep fighting it? Maybe we were meant to meet. This was destiny.”

He leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. The iciness that had consumed her before, melted away. Hali couldn’t break this bond, no matter what she did. This was so much deeper.

“She’s putting you under a spell,” Raegan warned. “I saw it. Plus, she told me that she wants you.”

“Hali?” he asked, stunned. “Really? I can’t see it.”

“I saw it, Miguel. She’s more dangerous than she seems. We need to be careful; we need to get rid…”

“She saved us.” He stepped back, moving his body away from her. “She’s been good to us. Please tell me this isn’t jealousy, because I just told you that I want you…”

“No!” Raegan shouted, anger boiling away in her stomach, returning with a vengeance. How dare he think that he was so perfect she had a reason to be jealous? She had saved him too, or had he just forgotten that?

“Okay, look…”

“Hey, guys!” Hali burst back through the scenery and over to them. Almost as if she knew it was the worst possible moment for her presence. “I think I’ve found the exit hole.”

“Why do you care? Why don’t you just stay here?” Raegan snapped, speaking out of rage.

“On this planet? Where there’s nothing? I don’t think so!” Her voice was sing-song like she was mocking Raegan. “Come on, let’s just go!”

They followed Hali to where she thought she’d seen the exit hole. Raegan felt like they were walking into a trap, but she couldn’t be sure. She wanted to check out this exit hole, just in case, she could escape this nightmare.

“Did you actually see one, or is this just some stupid game?” She finally caved and snapped.

“Game?” Hali faced her love rival. “What do you mean by that?”

Hali knew that Miguel hadn’t heard her thinly-veiled threat. She knew she could make Raegan look crazy if she tried hard enough. The witches might’ve done things differently to humans, but the manipulation rules still worked the same. And Hali was one of the best. The real reason she’d wanted to move on from her planet was because she wanted somewhere of her own to rule, and she saw these two as the perfect way to follow through with that.

This was it, Hali’s chance to get the life she wanted at last!

It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that Miguel was the weak one of the pair, Raegan was another tough female rival, just like the ruler of her own home planet, but she had a weakness in her feelings. All Hali had to do was divide and conquer. It may be taking longer than she’d originally planned, but she’d get there. No doubt about that.

Then Miguel would help her until he was no longer useful. Then she’d kill him. Once she had her own world, he would go. Until then, she had to act like she was attracted to him, just to get him onside. Just to trick him into following her every whim.

“Look, here it is.” She smiled sweetly. “The exit hole.”

Then she shoved Raegan down.

Everything burned as Raegan tore through the exit hole. She attempted to grasp something to stop the inevitable from happening, but of course, there wasn’t. Hali shoved her to separate her from Miguel and she’d succeeded.

She did warn me, Raegan thought sadly. She said she always gets what she wants.

She just assumed that meant magic rather than manipulation, and she’d been naïve to believe that what they shared could overpower that.

I’m without him now. How am I supposed to survive without him?

Every time she was led to believe that Miguel was her destiny, that she was supposed to meet him, he tore from her life once more. Only this time it may be for good…