My Otherworldly Prom Date

By Jude Willhoff

What if high school bullies taunt you for being an alien . . . and they might be right?

 

Gemma MacKade was found in the desert near an ancient meteorite crater when she was a baby, but no one knows anything about her mysterious origins. Now eighteen years old, she is annoyed when her peers taunt her about being part alien. Since she's always been strangely drawn to the stars and has strong psychic abilities, Gemma's beginning to wonder if they might be right. With her reputation for weirdness, will she be able to find a date for the prom?

When Ari Stith arrives on Earth and meets Gemma, he experiences strong feelings for her, emotions his people gave up long ago. But he can't act on them—he has been sent to Earth to retrieve Gemma—a long-lost Star Child—as well as powerful disks left by Star People who crashed on Earth long ago. First, though, he must work with Gemma to find out why her town is suddenly plagued by UFO sightings, cattle mutilations, abductions, and murder . . . and prove his people aren't to blame.

 

Note: This is the young adult version of the upcoming Starseed

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jude Willhoff Books
• Release date: Mar 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781941528334

Book preview

Prologue

A low humming sound caught thirteen-year-old Gemma MacKade’s attention, but it faded immediately. Maybe she had imagined it. Gemma shrugged and continued to watch as the sun melted, spilling colors of pink, red, and golden hues through the late afternoon clouds in the distance.

She leaned her bike against the ancient oak tree, content to watch the magic of the day’s end. A sort of thick funny buzzing sounded close by. This time, she knew she’d heard something. Pivoting, she faced a huge silver object about a hundred yards away, shimmering low above the treetops.

She could hear the buzzing sound, and at the same time she couldn’t, until all at once the noise surrounded her.

What was that? Shading her eyes, she squinted against the bright glare. Not an airplane. This must be one of those UFOs people had been talking about. Her heartbeat quickened and a sick feeling swamped her. Alarm tingling through her nerves, Gemma stepped back.

The oval cylinder shape with six rotating multicolored lights underneath reversed course and hovered directly over her. The odd hum resonated along her spine. The object’s strange blue glow surrounded her. Goose bumps prickled her skin. Shivering, she rubbed her arms. The sound increased in volume. A sharp stab of pain shot into her head. Cold, icy fingers of panic wrapped around her throat. Dad, she shouted and took off running toward home.

The craft’s vivid colors stopped whirling then blanked out altogether. Just as quickly, a warm pale blue light washed over her, stopping her in her tracks. Scared down to her bones, she couldn’t scream, couldn’t move. Her vision blurred and grew fuzzy until it seemed as if she were looking through a smokescreen. When she blinked, the haze lifted. She lay on a hard surface in a pure white room with bluish fluorescent lights.

Absently, she rubbed a hand across her forehead. Where am I?

Then she remembered. A . . . a UFO. Adrenaline pumped through her as she sat up. She had to get out of here. From the corner of her eye, she caught a movement. For some reason she couldn’t explain, her fear eased and was replaced by a numbness that wrapped her in a gentle cocoon. Sleepy, she was so very sleepy. Slowly, her eyelids slid shut. Just as she was drifting off, a cold grasp encircled her wrist.

Opening her eyes, Gemma observed two women with long snow-white hair, taller than any she’d ever seen, standing over her. Oh, crap. Gemma felt sick to her stomach. Large almond-shaped blue eyes in their long faces sparkled with keen intelligence as if they saw and knew all. One of the women picked up a sharp-looking instrument.

Don’t touch me, Gemma screamed with a touch of panic in her voice and tried to push away from her captors. She could hear and feel everything, but couldn’t move.

Fear grasped Gemma’s chest, but dissipated as a thought appeared in her head. "Don’t be frightened. We mean you no harm." The woman used the razor-thin laser beam coming from the instrument to make a small incision on the underside of Gemma’s wrist.

To Gemma’s relief, there was no pain or blood. There was just an annoying sensation that felt like something crawling down her arm. Whatever it was settled in the open cut like it belonged there. Creepy. The sensation tickled, but didn’t hurt. It should have, but it didn’t.

Suddenly, a type of veil shaded her face and she fell asleep.

Some time later, Gemma awoke on another hard white surface. Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she glanced around and remembered where she was. Surprised she was able to move, she touched her wrist. It looked normal except for a small fingernail-moon-shaped scratch. She was alone and surrounded by cages containing small animals, mostly rabbits and squirrels. She attempted to sit up.

A feeling of being watched crept through her as she turned her head. A magnificent white wolf with beautiful blue eyes sat uncaged next to her. An odd soft yellow light surrounded it. Then something moved. A glowing golden being stepped from behind the wolf and stood up.

Startled, Gemma blinked. The light surrounding the being faded and she was able to see a cute guy. Like the wolf and the women, he had big blue eyes. With long dark hair, he looked older than Gemma by a couple of years. A black jumpsuit fit him like a second skin and a five-point blue star glimmered on his belt buckle. He dressed like someone out of the new Star Trek movie she’d recently watched with her dad.

Gemma’s body tingled, remembering before her mind did. Something about this boy was familiar, comfortable. Inhaling a gasp, she knew. They’d met before, in her dreams. She’d dreamed of him for years. She stared. He really existed? She sat on the edge of the bed, barely believing what she was seeing. Who are you?

"I’m your friend." He came to her and pointed toward a bench under a low round portal in the solid white wall.

She moved to the bench and sat. Brilliant streaks of white light flew by. Her eyes took it all in. Gemma swallowed. Her captors had taken her among the stars.

I . . . I’m dreaming . . . right?

The boy didn’t actually speak, still his thoughts telepathically merged with hers. No, you’re here with us. We’ll reach our destination soon. After you’re prepared for your future, we’ll return you to Earth.

The purring sound of engines shutting down reached her ears. Prepared for my future? What does that mean?

He just smiled. A ripple of dread ran through her body.

Within what seemed like only moments, they arrived at a new location. He mentally explained, Special medicinal plants are grown here for the Star Children. The plants can’t survive in space, so the Star Children have to be brought here for care.

What are Star Children? Does it hurt them?

There is no pain.

Yeah, riiiiight. That’s what they always say. She took a deep breath and glanced out the window at an unknown landscape. The terrain was occupied by a mixture of tall and short triangular-shaped buildings and some that reminded her of Seattle’s space needle. Looking around, she noticed the starship was inside some sort of huge dome.

Her guide continued, Our city is underground, and lit by an intense inner power source that helps grow the precious plant life.

The bright light hurt her eyes and she turned away.

"It is time." He held out his hand to her.

Time for what? she asked. His hand was warm against her chilled skin as she let him lead her back to the white table.

The women returned, carrying a covered container and murmuring in their strange language. Both women took Gemma by the wrist. Gemma’s breath caught in her throat. She sat on the edge of the table. With her heart pounding, she remained very still. Once again, the crawling yet pain-free sensation occurred.

Wha . . . what . . . are they doing? she asked the boy. He didn’t answer, and she braced herself for what was to come.

One removed some kind of green goo from the metal tray and placed it upon the tiny cut. The substance disappeared into her skin. It felt cool and the cut healed immediately.

Then, speaking inside her mind, the boy said, "We leave you better than we found you. You’re going home now." He gently tapped the back of Gemma’s head, and the tug of sleep overtook her.

Gasping, Gemma lurched forward. Propped in a sitting position against the familiar oak tree, she took in the clear night illuminated by a full harvest moon. An inky black sky littered with thousands of stars twinkled in the distance, outlining the mountain tops.

She yawned. A dream . . . ? Must’ve been a dream. She turned from the sky. Her head ached and her stomach quivered. Gemma rubbed her wrist. She was drawn to the tiny fingernail-moon-shaped scar. No. Not a dream. What did they do?

With her heart beating in overtime, she jumped on her bike. Flying down a long hill on the blacktop road, Gemma couldn’t make her blue ten-speed English racer go any faster, no matter how hard she pumped her gangly legs.

Wind rushed past her face and her long auburn hair flew in all directions. With her knees still scraped from the last time she’d wrecked, she clutched the handlebars in a death grip.

Her dad would never believe her. Heck, she hardly believed it herself. And the way he worried, she’d probably be grounded for the rest of her life for being so late getting home.

Yet, here she was racing home down the dark country road with only faulty streetlights to guide her. Somehow, she knew she was causing them to blink out as she passed underneath them.

Gripping the handlebars tighter, she shivered, wondering what else the star people had done to her.

Vague memories of the golden boy buzzed around in her brain. Breaking through her panicked thoughts, a voice invaded her mind.

"You are a descendant of the Star People.

Star Child, you are the Chosen One.

Afraid, Gemma pedaled faster, uncomfortable in her own skin. How could she be the Chosen One? And what was a Star Child?

Chapter 1

We Are Not Alone

Five Years Later

Gemma didn’t like driving across the desert at night, and gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, but it was worth it. Mission accomplished. It had taken them all day, but on their shopping spree in Flagstaff, Gemma and her best friend Lori had found the perfect dresses for prom. Not that she had anyone to impress, but she refused to stay home on her senior prom night. Gemma didn’t fit in with the jocks or preps, but wished she had a date for prom. She sighed. It would be okay. She, Lori, and a few others were going as a group of friends. It would be fun.

A blowing sandstorm came out of nowhere, tossing tumbleweeds in front of the car’s headlights and making Gemma nervous. We should’ve stopped at that last excuse for a town.

Nah, we want to get home and show off our new dresses to my mom. She didn’t think we’d find anything, Lori said and laughed. And besides, you’re doing a great job of driving.

Gemma slowed the car. If she wasn’t careful, they might crash, and then where would they be? And besides, Dad would be furious if she damaged the car.

Her body started to tingle and she drew in a shuddering breath. Not now! The familiar sensation came over her. Something had triggered her sixth sense.

Without warning, a huge bright light blazed through the blinding sand coming toward their windshield. Gemma slammed the brakes to the floor, but the car refused to obey and slid off the road, jerking her against the seatbelt. Crap, Gemma said and had to blink back tears. This was all she needed. It had taken her forever to talk her dad into letting her take the car to Flagstaff. She turned to Lori and squinted for a better view. Do you see that?

Yep, wha . . . what is it? Lori asked in a squeaky voice, her eyes round with fear. She held on to the dash with both hands.

Out of the darkness, the brilliant glare broke into three bright lights, looking like those of a freight train, and barreled toward them, growing larger by the second.

Lori stared through the swirling sand that pitted the windshield, and screamed, It’s gonna hit us.

Black fright swept through Gemma as she pressed her foot against the accelerator. The engine whined and tires dug deeper in the sand. They were stuck. Her breath caught in her throat, leaving her woozy. Forcing her mind to focus, she watched the lights rush toward them. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. Not real, not real. The strange lights engulfed the car. Gemma threw her arms in front of her face. Lori screamed.

Nothing hit them. Gemma watched the large black mass with pulsating lights stop before them in the dim glow of the headlights. It silently rose and hovered over the car, showering them with blinding white light. The radio died. The dash went dark. The engine ground to a halt and the headlights blinked out. Can’t be happening, Gemma whispered. Then a haunting childhood memory rushed in. She’d been through something similar before. Every fiber of her being told her to run—run far away. She gulped deep breaths and sat back, willing herself not to bawl like a baby.

The only sound was their labored breathing and the howling wind hammering sand against the car. Gemma’s chest pounded like a threshing machine stuck in high gear. A bad taste of rusty pennies trickled down her throat from where she’d bitten her lip when they hit the ditch.

The last time the Star People had visited, they had left her with the ability to foretell the future. She didn’t know how she did it. It just happened, and she couldn’t control it. Growing up, the other kids had treated her like a freak—and some of them still did. If they could just see this . . .

Fear, stark and vivid, glittered in Lori’s brown eyes as she leaned against the passenger side door. She pushed the straight blond hair away from her face and scooted across the seat to grab Gemma’s arm. What is it?

I dunno, Gemma whispered, glancing at her friend. Lori couldn’t handle the truth. They huddled together, holding each other for comfort. The silent, pulsating colors shone through the car’s glass sunroof as if looking for something . . . or someone.

Star Child. It is time.

They’re after me. She swallowed . . . hard . . . and shivered in anticipation of the worst. No! No! No! I won’t go. In self-defense, she locked the doors.

After what seemed like a thousand years, the blinding white light blinked out. They were alone. The thing moved slowly upward into the night sky, then veered to the right and disappeared as fast as it arrived. The sandstorm immediately lessened in intensity.

I . . . I think it’s gone, Lori squeaked in a tight voice.

Letting go of her friend, Gemma pushed back a shiver of panic, taking deep breaths to calm the rapid pounding in her chest. Y . . . yeah. They didn’t take me. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes for an instant, savoring the sweet taste of freedom. Her fear eased and she glanced back toward Lori. You okay?

I . . . I think so. That scared me so much, I almost peed my pants. Lori sat up, shivering, and peered out the window, searching for a sign of the mysterious object.

Panic still shook Gemma’s body. M . . . me, too.

Must’ve been some kind of airplane, Lori mumbled. She relaxed at the rational explanation.

Mm-hmm, Gemma lied, licking her injured lip. Probably something from the airport in Flagstaff.

Lori looked at Gemma, then back to the night sky. Maybe, but that doesn’t make sense. Why would they be out in a sandstorm? I mean what about the runway? They couldn’t see it.

Gemma squeezed the steering wheel with both hands as the tension built in Lori’s voice. Maybe it caused the sandstorm?

You . . . you always know when stuff’s going to happen, Lori snapped and tugged Gemma on the arm. You’ve saved us hundreds of times. You know things. Words tumbled from her lips and her voice rose as she lashed out. Why didn’t you warn me? A tear trickled down Lori’s cheek, her eyes wide.

I . . . didn’t know—you know I can’t control it. And right now, we need to stay calm. Gemma spoke in a soft voice and reached out to her friend. I’m scared too. She rubbed Lori’s arm and glanced out the window. Let’s figure out how we’re going to get out of this ditch.

Riiiiight. Lori wiped a tear from her eye with the back of her hand. Yeah, sorry. . . . I’m cold.

Me, too, Gemma said, and choose her words carefully. Whatever it was, is gone. Long gone. Maybe in another state. Or on another planet.

Ya . . . you know, the ranchers are always saying weird things about stuff happening to their livestock. Lori dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. I bet it was a UFO.

Gemma swallowed. She’d experienced many of those events up close and personal through her visions. She had to keep Lori calm. Hysterics wouldn’t help either of them. I’ve heard those stories, too. But UFOs don’t exist. Some people say Area 51 has moved closer to the high plains of Winslow, Lori continued.

That’s silly. Anyway, it’s over now and we’re fine, Gemma said. Or we will be soon as we get out of here. She jerked the key in the ignition. It didn’t turn over. Nothing. Not even a groan. She sighed. Perfect. Even if I could start the car, it’d be hard to get it out of the ditch.

Now what? Lori shuddered as if a chill ran through her body.

We call my dad. Gemma reached for her cell phone. The face plate had turned black. No signal. Nothing. It’s dead. She rubbed her fingers across the numbers. You got yours?

Lori pulled her phone from her purse and flipped it open. Mine’s dead, too. She swore. I told Mom I’d text her to let her know we were on the way home. I forgot. She’s gonna kill me. She held out her shaking arm and pointed toward the sky. Wha . . . what if that thing comes back?

I sent Dad a text just before we left Denver. He knows we’re on the way. Lori looked as though she was going to lose it. When he doesn’t hear from me, he’ll come looking for us. We’re gonna be okay, Gemma said, and took her friend by the hand. Look at me.

Lori glared at her.

It’s gone, Gemma continued. It’s not coming back. We’re okay.

Maybe, but I can’t believe this. We’re actually stranded out here in the middle of the desert with a freaking UFO scaring us half to death. How did people live without cell phones in the old days? Lori sighed heavily. As quickly as the storm had surrounded them, the wind ceased blowing. Bright stars and a full moon hung in the night sky. Then the dashboard lit up and a Taylor Swift song jarred the silence, causing them both to jump.

Gemma turned off the radio. Giving her friend time to compose herself, she said, Lori, we can’t tell anyone what we saw. Not a word.

Are you kidding me? I know that. If we say anything, the other kids will start treating us like Crazy Larry. Lori winced. Sorry. I hate how they call him that.

Yeah, poor Larry. He’s a little nerdy, but he’s okay. The way the jocks pick on him in class and make fun of him on Facebook makes me sick. She turned the key and listened to the engine grind. Switching it off, she slapped the dash in frustration. She checked her phone, only to see the no service message. Well, crap, looks like we’re on our own.

They climbed out of the car, thankful to find the ditch they were lodged in wasn’t too deep. In the glare of the full moon and the headlights, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a lone white wolf sitting on a nearby hill watching. Great, just great. They couldn’t walk to town with wild animals lurking about. She’d never seen a wolf in this area, especially a white one. That was a rare sight, but she didn’t care for it to take a bite out of her. She beeped the horn and the wolf ran away. Just then, lights from a car appeared on the roadway. A nervous twitch ran through her. They were vulnerable, out here alone on the dark deserted highway. If her dad knew, he’d have a cow.

Lori let out a squeal of relief. Thank goodness! Someone’s found us.

The black Jeep pulled off the road behind them. Gemma could see a guy in the glare of the lights.

He spoke from his open window. You need some help?

Yeah, Gemma said. My car is stuck.

He stepped out of the auto