Abduction: Zartoto

By Callie Woodridge

Warning: This book has more than one point of view. If you prefer to avoid multiple perspectives, this book may not be your cup of tea.

 

Join Tiffany as she's unexpectedly abducted to a post-apocalyptic planet by an otherworldly alien race. This new planet, Zartoto, pulses with the presence of energy vampires and is inhabited by the enigmatic blue aliens known as Zartotians, boasting four horns as their distinctive ears. Magic courses through the very essence of Zartoto, manifested through the intricate body language of its inhabitants, who wield spells with unprecedented flair.

 

As Tiffany navigates this new landscape, she unearths a revelation that shakes her to the core: humans harbour dormant magic, which flourishes only on planets such as Zartoto, which has been granted magic by Head Supernaturals. Amidst the awe-inspiring spectacle of shape-shifting wonders, including majestic bears and elusive wolves, danger looms, threatening to unravel the fragile peace of Zartoto. Undeterred, Tiffany emerges as a beacon of courage, rallying to shield the community she lives in from an unfathomable menace.

 

Join Tiffany on an extraordinary voyage fueled by magic, bravery, and the unbreakable bonds that unite them all. Against the backdrop of impending doom, she must summon every ounce of her strength to rescue Zartoto from the clutches of destruction. Prepare to be captivated by this spellbinding narrative, where every twist and turn will leave you breathless until the final page!

This series is officially complete!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Callie Woodridge
• Release date: Mar 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224949120

Book preview

Callie Woodridge

Abduction

Book one of the Zartoto Series

Copyright © 2022 by Callie Woodridge

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Callie Woodridge asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Callie Woodridge has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

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Contents

Note to Reader

Spoiler alert on the next page!

The origins of this story

Tiffany

Tiffany

Tiffany

Daniel

Daniel

Tiffany

Daniel

Tiffany

Daniel

Tiffany

Paul

Ethan

Tiffany

Daniel

Tiffany

Ethan

Ethan

Tiffany

Tiffany

Paul

Paul

Ethan

Tiffany

Tiffany

Tiffany

Epilogue

Thank you for reading!

About the Author

Note to Reader

Trigger warning: There is some emotional abuse from Tiffany’s ex-fiance, Alan.

Spoiler alert on the next page!

After getting asked this a few times, I decided to add a note to the front of this book in August 2023. It contains mild spoilers, so be warned if you’d rather just read the story without knowing all this beforehand. You can skip the next page, but while reading the book, if you ask yourself why this story involves magic-wielding aliens and other supernatural creatures, the explanation is on the page after this one.

The origins of this story

When I first wrote this series around 2018, it took place on Earth with blood vampires opposed to energy vampires. The blood vampires, unlike the energy vampires, had their minds.

They would take humans as their blood slaves because they had an affinity for their blood, which was only satisfied by drinking the humans’ blood for a while. It eventually wore off, and the human returned to live out their life while the vampire sought a new human, unless they changed them.

Tiffany was originally taken by a vampire named Daniel to be his blood slave because of Alan. She bonded with him and got close to a vampire named Paul, and decided to remain part of the coven.

She soon learned there were other supernaturals such as wolf shifters, bear shifters, witches, and warlocks, and eventually she became a witch herself for doing a favour for a witch named Valerie and her daughter, Lucy.

Eventually, the events in the next few books happened as they are written, though it was changed a bit to reflect a new planet, especially books one and two. Later on, the characters learn that there are more planets out there with magical beings much more powerful than them. There were also many non-magical planets too. Earth is just semi-magical.

They learn that this is all controlled by Head Supernaturals in charge of all magical folk. Eventually, they meet people from planet Zartoto, whose technology all runs on magic, and they want to learn how to do that too.

However, COVID happened while I was writing books two and three (originally books three and four, but I combined books one and two when I rewrote the series), plus parts of the later books, and since I live alone, I had a lot of time on my hands.

So when I wasn’t writing this series, I binged on Netflix and read books. I have a KU subscription and found a series about vampires that interested me, and I was surprised it was popular because I’d never heard of it before.

Once reading it, I realized it bore many similarities to my series. I worried if I published a series like that, it may look like I was taking ideas from that story.

It had vampires who took humans as their human slaves, and eventually, they find out there are many other supernatural creatures out there. The series has a lot of books introducing all these new supernatural creatures, other planets, and dimensions too. There were 98 books in the series I believe.

So I decided to rethink my books. After thinking about it for a few days, I decided to rewrite it. Since Zartoto featured heavily in the fifth, sixth, and seventh books, I rewrote the whole series to take place on Zartoto, and instead of vampires kidnapping people, it was aliens kidnapping people.

Zartoto always had the energy vampires, and it was always post-apocalyptic because they were mindless beings who could turn Zartotians in a second, and I came up with the idea of having humans deflecting energy vampires because they don’t like humans after I moved the story to Zartoto.

For a while, I couldn’t come up with a reason for why these aliens abducted people (besides experiments) before returning them home eventually, especially when they were overrun, but that idea came to me after awhile.

There are different types of vampires in the universe, and blood and energy vampires are just two of them. It depends entirely on the planet, so Earth would still have blood vampires, and so did many others.

Most of the story line is the same except it takes place on another planet. The community introduced in this book was originally a community of hidden supernaturals on Earth, and they weren’t the only ones.

Book five was rewritten into what I originally planned for book six since book five introduced Zartoto, but books one to four and the last two books are basically the same, but just taking place on Zartoto instead, and the original book two was rewritten into book one. Book three was too long and was split into two books after that, so it became books two and three.

Originally this series was meant to be more than six, but I changed it to just six when I moved the location to Zartoto since the other books weren’t necessary anymore.

So for those who wonder why a sci-fi book is like this, it’s because it was a fantasy story at first. It only became sci-fi once I changed it to another planet, but in my mind, I see it more as fantasy than sci-fi. Magical planets (and non-magical planets) always existed in this series; I just decided to move locations.

I figured if Earth could be seen as magical in fiction, and humans could do magic, why not other planets if they have life on them, too?

This idea may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I hope if you chose to read this book that you will enjoy it. Thank you for choosing this book in the first place.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to contact me on Instagram or Facebook.

Also, this is a new edition. There were many complaints about one of the chapters when Daniel explains Zartoto to Tiffany, so I took that chapter out because I believe in listening to advice from others.

Someone scammed me out of $4000 last year when I was ready to send five of my books to an editor. The first four books in this series, and the first book in another series of mine. They told me they could edit all five for $4000. So I sent them they money and they ghosted me after, and I couldn’t get the money back. At the moment, I have people reading through them for free but because someone took most of my life savings, I am self-editing until I can save up for a real editor again. However, I am in the process of selling my house, so I am hoping to use that money to find a reputable editor.

Tiffany

Iwas startled when I heard a loud blasting sound. I hurried from the kitchen, dropping the knife I’d been using to slice the potatoes, to see what it was. It sounded eerily similar to gunshots ricocheting through the walls of my house, filling me with dread. My heart raced with anticipation as I made my way to the source of the commotion, heightened by the sound of my cats’ frenzied claws scrambling against the hardwood floor as they scurried for cover.

Alan! I shouted out to my fiance in alarm, feeling panicked now.

I arrived in the living room as he appeared.

Oh, sorry, Tiffany. Did I scare you? he inquired, his deep brown eyes widening with a hint of amusement as he gazed down at me, a smile gracing his features.

What are you doing? I demanded. It sounds like a gun.

Oh, relax. I was rigging up an alarm for the sword, Alan responded, running a hand through his tousled, dirty blond hair. "Your security system isn’t the best, and you refuse to get that window alarmed, so I’m taking matters into my own hands. But calling for someone is not exactly bright if you think someone has broken in with a gun."

Of course, it was about the sword. I’d told him more than once that when we got married in a month, he could set up his own alarm system once he moved in. I reminded him of this now.

That’s what I’m doing, he said, and beckoned for me to follow him.

I followed him with a frustrated sigh.

That sword was the source of many heated debates between us. He’d bought it on eBay a few years after we met. We’d lived together briefly, and he’d spent not only his own money, but also mine from our joint bank account. He paid fifteen hundred dollars for it. He’d used his credit card as a defence, but he’d paid it off with our money on something he hadn’t even discussed with me.

It was only a plastic sword that he insisted was special. It was realistic. I had to give him that, but that was it. I’d seen similar ones online go for less than a hundred bucks.

Right from the beginning, he had been fixated on it, claiming that it was no ordinary item. At first, I didn’t think much of it and let it slide. But as time passed, his obsession only intensified. He even started to argue with friends and family members over it, causing a rift between him and his mother - someone he was once very close to - for a few weeks.

Our relationship had been so tumultuous that he ended up renting his own apartment. The first time I discovered he was cheating on me, I promptly ended things with him. Yet, inexplicably, I kept taking him back. It was difficult to explain my reasoning, even to myself.

I knew it was foolish to take him back the first time and every time after that, but I always did. Perhaps it was because other men never noticed me.

I knew I’d tell anyone else not to stay with a cheater. I’d advised a few friends not to, but I never took my own advice. Alan promised after we’d gotten engaged that he wouldn’t anymore. He’d said he always regretted doing it. Deep down, I knew he wasn’t being honest, but I ignored that voice, telling me to leave him every time.

For the past month or so, I’d been wondering if he was again. Generally, if he was cheating, he got all snappish with me until I confronted him about it, and he would then admit to it. These days he said it was stress from the upcoming wedding, and that was it.

I would never do that again to you, he’d said a week ago when I brought it up.

In spite of everything, I found myself wanting to believe him, perhaps because I was feeling overwhelmed myself. As the wedding drew closer, I began to experience bouts of panic that would wake me up in the middle of the night. Some of my colleagues expressed concern about this, while others insisted that it was simply pre-wedding jitters and nothing to worry about. Of course, none of them were aware of his infidelity - that was something I had kept to myself and hadn’t shared with anyone at work. They only knew that our relationship was tumultuous and unstable.

It was hard not to worry, especially for moments like this. Alan led me into the computer room where we kept his sword hung up, to show me he’d rigged my blender up right beside the window. It had some nuts and bolts in it and the case had a long frack at the front.

What the hell? I asked.

If someone breaks in when you have the window open, they’ll step on the buttons and set it off, he responded.

I stared at him in disbelief, hardly believing he felt this was a good idea. How did he even know if they would step on it?

Alan, you broke my blender to do that. You realize this plan likely won’t work? I said.

Well, you’re the one who leaves all the windows open at night instead of running the air conditioner. Someone could slash the screens and your security system won’t help you or me. It’s for a month, and then I’ll buy a better security system for it, Alan said.

I clenched my teeth together and let out a breath of air through my nose.

"You broke my blender to protect a plastic sword! Don’t you understand why I’m annoyed right now? Alan, if someone breaks in, they will not steal it! They’re going to steal my laptop or your tablet. They’ll steal things that are worth something! I retorted. You broke my blender for protection for something that doesn’t need it!"

Alan, who was composed until that moment, glared at me.

"It does need protection! It’s important to keep it safe. I don’t want to lose it! He shouted. Look, I’ll buy you a new blender. You don’t use it much, anyway. I think Morgan has an extra from his wedding anyway- or hey we could ask for one as a wedding gift. Either way, you’ll get a new one. You never use it though, so I don’t get the anger."

I use it for protein drinks, I responded, folding my arms. And to make juice smoothies.

He snorted. Right, other than the last few weekends, I am usually here. I haven’t seen you use it once.

I- well, I plan to. Besides, that’s not the point. And you know I’d go to your place too. You know last week was the first time I’ve been there in seven months?

Well, I’m moving in here soon anyway, so what is the point? You don’t need to go over there ever again, he shrugged.

Then why can’t you keep the sword at your place until then? I asked, already knowing what he’d say.

You know I’m on the ground floor. What if someone breaks in and steals it? I live in a poor neighbourhood. Look, I’ll buy you a new blender soon, okay? Let’s go finish making dinner, he said. Come on, I’ll make it up to you right now. I’ll dice the onions.

I had a hard time relaxing, though. For the rest of the night, I felt tense. I couldn’t even get into the finale of our favourite show. After that night, I spent many sleepless nights worrying about what I was getting myself into.

As the days went by, he got more agitated about the sword, but he was spending less and less time at my place. When he came over, I would try to bring up the wedding, but he would refuse to talk about it. He would either close up or change the subject. He would act like making love was an enormous chore for him, so I stopped initiating it.

Other times he would be his normal relaxed and kind self around me, but I always believed something distracted him. Sometimes I would see him look in a different direction, as if listening to someone, and then he would walk off into another room. He would come back to apologize and then suggest we go out on a date.

Maybe we should give ourselves another year before we get married, I said to Alan a few weeks after he’d broken the blender. I didn’t think we were in a good place to be getting married, and I was sure he was thinking the same thing. We were both so tense and agitated all the time.

"We are fine, he’d responded in the crisp voice he seemed to use often lately. I’m not living without that sword for much longer. I’ll relax when I can have it full time because I know it will be safe."

But you haven’t even given notice to your landlord yet, I said. Or found someone to sublet your apartment. You said you’d get someone to sublet it.

People up and leave that place all the time. I’m picking up and leaving, Alan responded. You know, if you’d install a better security system, I wouldn’t be so paranoid about it.

"You’re getting worse about this. You’ve always been somewhat obsessed with the damn thing, but in the last seven or eight months, you’ve gotten beyond obsessed! You yelled at your mother about it! These last few weeks you’ve gotten ridiculous about it! I retorted. I keep the windows closed at night now and I use the central air instead. We will hear someone break in."

Someone can break in while we are at work! He snapped.

I was about to point out that wasn’t likely, but I gave up. It was pointless because I knew he would disagree. I was sick of fighting about it almost every day.

For the rest of the week, we fought to where I could see in his eyes that he was fed up, too. One of us needed to pull the plug. That Saturday morning, he called me and asked me to go over in an emotionless voice. I knew by the sound of his voice that he was ending it. He’d used that voice with me before. I debated on whether I should go. Breaking up was something I secretly wanted to do, so I wasn’t sure what my hesitation was, except I didn’t want to go over there.

I made a quick pros and cons list in the journal on my phone. I figured if I didn’t go over, Alan would come here and he could take his sword. That would be easier on me, as I didn’t want to carry it over there. I didn’t own a car since I either walked everywhere or took public transit. I set my phone on the end of my bed and then left the room to go to the computer room to look at it.

The thing was so big that it was nearly as tall as me, almost reaching my height of five foot four. Its black hilt and silver blade made it impossible to ignore, drawing unwanted attention my way. If he was truly intent on ending things between us, I didn’t see the necessity of walking over to his place just to be dumped. He could have easily done it over the phone or come to my place instead. As I glared at the plastic monstrosity, I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of disdain. The day I would finally be rid of it couldn’t come soon enough. In wasn’t special or impressive at all. The fake, worn-out appearance did little to salvage its already questionable worth.

I went back into my room to grab my phone to tell him to come over instead, but I couldn’t find it. I was sure I’d set it on the bed after making the pros and cons list, or so I’d thought. I was known to misplace things, only to realize I’d set them down somewhere else. I went back into the computer room, but it wasn’t there either. I didn’t feel like looking for it, so I was going to have to go over there.

Sighing, I gave my cats a few pets before bidding them goodbye, and then grabbed my purse and headed out the door. It was best to rip the band-aid off, and I didn’t feel like having him come over and yell at me for not answering his calls or texts when I didn’t show up. He was often brutal with his word choice if he was going to dump me.

For most of the walk to his place, I tried rehearsing what I’d say to him. I was hoping we could end things in a way where he wouldn’t have time to be a jerk. He often enjoyed being rude during a breakup. According to Morgan, he did it to other women, too.

Before I could utter a single word, he appeared on his patio, causing me to suspect that he had been watching for me. His apartment, situated on the ground floor, was partially concealed by some bushes and cement slabs adjacent to the glass doors leading into his unit. Typically, during the day, he kept a small table and a few chairs set up on the patio for lounging. However, on this hot August day, they were conspicuously absent.

Look, we are over. I’ve already sent your things ahead with Morgan, so you don’t have to carry them home. He has my key. I’m keeping it for now so I can get my stuff. I’ll be by either later or sometime within the next few days to get my stuff, he said coldly. You can go now.

You made me walk over here to tell me? Couldn’t you have said that on the phone, or come over and do it while you get your stuff? Is that what Morgan is doing right now? I asked.

No, he’s dropping your stuff off. I need that stuff there, for now, especially the sword. It’s safest in your place, Alan responded. I can’t leave my apartment today. I need to be here. Besides, I know you. You knew why I wanted you to come here. You knew I was going to end things. I bet you even made one of your pros and cons list to come or not to come.

He snorted at the last bit. He’d always found my tendency to overthink things to be amusing. When we were on good terms, he would leave humorous comments on some of my lists.

What if I want it out now? I demanded, pretending not to hear the rest of what he said. I have no obligation to keep it safe. I’m not looking out for it anymore. I have in the past when we’ve been broken up, but I’m not anymore. I want it gone by garbage day, or it’s going in the trash. You know, you never replaced the blender either.

Morgan is dropping it off. I told you he had an extra one, Alan responded coldly. Look, I don’t want to go to your place anymore, trust me. I’m relieved I never have to talk to you again. Believe me when I say that this is the last time we will date. I wasted the last ten years of my life on you. It’s ridiculous to think about. I doubt you’ll ever find someone else, which is why you always came back. Now get lost. When I get the sword in a few days, you can ignore me then, too. I’ve already blocked your number, so don’t bother calling or texting me again.

I wouldn’t, anyway. I was coming to tell you the same, I said.

Yeah right. One of these days, you’re going to come after me and beg me to take you back, but you won’t find me, Alan responded. I’ll be moving to a much better neighbourhood now.

It was highly unlikely that he would move. One of the reasons he was drawn to me was because I made more money than him. He struggled to make ends meet and often relied on an allowance from his mother just to get by. Despite his lackluster work ethic, he should have received a raise by now, according to one of his coworkers, Mildred, who confided in me at a Christmas party. She was surprised that he hadn’t been fired yet, but it was clear that he should have been earning significantly more than he was.

That’s fine, I responded and turned and walked off. I didn’t look back, but I knew he was watching me, likely with relief. I was feeling the same way as I turned my back on him for good.

As I did, I heard my phone go off. Had I put it in my purse after all? I felt so confused as I reached into my purse and pulled it out to see that it was a text from a friend of mine, asking me how the wedding plans were going. I was about to explain, but stopped. I decided it would be better to tell her when I got home. I didn’t feel like explaining to everyone at that moment, especially in public. I needed to clear my head first.

I decided to take a shortcut through a nearby field to get home quickly. It was a route I often took to get to Alan’s place, but this time, I was eager to get back home. The field was surrounded by other apartment buildings, and a concrete walking path ran through it. In the center of the field, there was a sizable playground, usually busy with kids running around, and people playing sports or socializing. As I made my way through the field, I noticed two men playing Frisbee ahead of me.

I kept my head down, trying not to cry. It wasn’t the breakup that bothered me. I felt relieved, and I was even thinking I’d message my brother, Jason, when I got home, to see if I could move in with him for a bit until I found something. We hadn’t talked since I’d told him I was marrying Alan and he had agreed to walk me down the aisle. If he was willing to let me move there, I knew a change of scenery would help.

I looked up, startled by a sudden burst of bright light in front of me. My eyes struggled to adjust as I saw what looked like a person emerging from a large, clear, circular object. My heart raced with fear as I stepped back, almost losing my balance. Strangely, no one else seemed to have noticed the bizarre sight, but I could feel their curious gazes on me. A tall man with dark hair rushed towards me, his expression filled with concern, but before he could reach me, everything went dark.

Tiffany

Irubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess, but the surreal sight remained unchanged. Was I really hurtling through space in a glass sphere? It seemed unbelievable, yet the vast expanse of stars and galaxies surrounding me couldn’t be denied. Passing by a massive star, I felt both awe and insignificance. It was a humbling experience.

The interior of the sphere was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Clear glass walls provided a 360-degree view of the universe. The temperature inside was just right, and I felt weightless, as if floating. It was exhilarating and terrifying simultaneously.

As I tried to process what was happening, doubts about it being a dream crept in. The vividness of the experience made me question its reality. How did I end up here, and what would happen next? Questions raced through my mind, but for now, I could only observe the wonders of the universe.

Beside me sat a man with light skin, black hair, and bright dark blue eyes. He wore oversized blue jeans and a green hoodie with rolled-up sleeves.

I’m dreaming, I muttered, hoping for confirmation.

Nope, he instantly responded with a grin, his captivating blue eyes meeting mine.

Attractive as he was, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was a figment of my imagination. In my dreams, I usually encountered people I knew. I couldn’t recall ever seeing him before.

Alan often frequented my dreams, and I assumed this was another manifestation. After all, he had broken off our engagement. It made sense that I would dream of an attractive stranger driving me through space. Forgetting to put my phone in my purse was one thing, so why not forget going to bed?

The man laughed and assured me once again that it wasn’t a dream.

Frowning, I asked if he could read my mind.

No, but most humans react the same way. You don’t want to believe you’re being abducted and will invent any scenario to deny reality. I understand, but I assure you, we are fully protected, and our world is much older than Earth, he explained. This is not a dream or any other fantasy. You, my friend, will be staying on my planet for a while.

Panic surged within me as I looked around. This couldn’t be real. Flying through space, hurtling towards another planet—these things only happened in movies or books. I was certain I was in a dream, and nothing the man conjured by my imagination said could convince me otherwise.

I attempted to wake myself up, even whispering to myself aloud. Beside me, the man laughed, sending smirks my way. I had experienced dreams where I couldn’t wake up before. Whenever I tried to scream, I couldn’t find my voice, so I decided to give it a try.

What the hell? The man shouted, covering his ears as I let out a high-pitched scream. Why do you humans do that? Don’t make me silence you with a spell.

I explained that in my dreams, my screams were futile.

You’re not dreaming, he said, removing his hands from his ears. The sooner you accept reality, Tiffany, the easier this will be. I’m not taking you away to harm you. You’ll return home once I’m finished with you. Look at the back of your left hand, he added.

I glanced at my hand to find a square formation of black dots and lines.

All I need to do is activate that and put you to sleep. You’ll be back on Earth, the fast way. Or I can take you back the scenic way, if you prefer, he suggested.

Still disbelieving, I asked him the purpose of all this. How could it be real? He explained that it was their preferred method due to its speed.

This isn’t real, I repeated, shaking my head.

Then an idea struck me.

You’re speaking English. If you’re an alien from another planet, you’d be speaking your own language. I barely know French, let alone any other languages. So this must be my subconscious-

The man emitted a high-pitched squeak, piercing my ears. I quickly covered them, shouting in protest. He then explained to me there were language spells, but those wore off, so they would learn how to speak the languages of those they abducted.

He continued on explaining how he knew I’d been unsure of marrying Alan, and he knew it was a relief for me that we weren’t getting married now. Annoyance coursed through me as he continued, telling me how ridiculous it was for me to agree to marry someone just because I didn’t think I could do better.

Who in their right mind sticks with someone who continues to cheat on them? Don’t you have any self-respect? He asked, his voice filled with disgust.

How much had he spied on me? I hadn’t shared those thoughts with anyone, at least not explicitly, though I had written about them in my journal on my phone. Was that how he knew?

When we encounter humans, we gather information about them through our higher-ups, he explained when I inquired my thoughts aloud. I can’t explain how it works since I’ve never met them myself. We can only contact them long enough to get information on people we want to abduct. Only a few of our kind have. But they possess great power and can grant abilities to individuals. My planet is one of the few that hosts all supernatural species, and we have the strongest connections to them. They’ve been active on Earth as well, but you’re still too new for their influence to make a difference. Any powers humans acquire are usually weak. The purpose is to gather a better understanding of individuals we abduct, Daniel said. They provided me with extensive information about your past and brought it up to the moment I first saw you.

That’s even worse, I said. They shouldn’t have the right to do that. It’s an invasion of privacy.

I know, but as I mentioned, I’m still abducting you, Daniel said.

Just because you’re abducting me anyway, it doesn’t make it okay, I retorted. I don’t appreciate the fact that you were following me and gathering information without my consent. I don’t like the idea that these higher beings can obtain such personal details about anyone. But you still haven’t explained why you want me.

I never claimed it was okay. We all know it’s not. But you possess strong energy, Daniel replied. On your planet, you have what you call vampires. However, those are creations of the higher-ups I mentioned earlier. They’re much worse than what your Earth’s movies depict, but they were present for a time. The key difference is that your vampires feed on blood, and eventually, they were eliminated, or so we were told. If they still exist, they must be well-hidden-

He let out a high-pitched sound, and the shuttle abruptly ascended. I instinctively covered my ears.

On our planet, he continued, once the noise subsided, we have energy vampires. They have become a significant problem. Our only hope lies with humans. If these energy vampires drain us completely, we turn into them. It’s one of the worst fates imaginable. The higher-ups possess incredible power, but they haven’t found a way to reverse the transformation while allowing the person to retain their identity. The result is that they have to be killed, just like on Earth. Once someone becomes an energy vampire, there seems to be no redemption, and they crave energy… although the Dixons think they may be able to find a cure. I have my doubts if the higher-ups haven’t-

Wait, are you telling me you’re abducting me so that energy vampires can feed on my energy? I demanded. Won’t I become one of them then?

No, Daniel snapped. Energy vampires avoid human energy. They prefer other beings, but humans have the strongest energy. It takes almost a year for any significant difference to be noticed. Zartotians, however, feel the effects immediately. If they’re trapped, it only takes a few hours for them to turn into energy vampires. Instantly, if there are many energy vampires around. As long as humans are here, energy vampires stay away. We’re trying to reduce their numbers or eliminate them completely, but we haven’t succeeded yet. Humans are our protection. Just one surviving energy vampire can undo all our efforts.

I told him if he had asked, I might have agreed. However, I still felt uneasy about this alien from another planet who had been observing me and knew everything about me. He could have approached me directly, and I might have considered helping. There was no need for him to gather information from his higher-ups or stalk me. A simple conversation would have sufficed.

That used to be our approach, but too many humans got scared, and the number of energy vampires kept growing. It’s the worst outbreak in over a thousand years, Daniel explained, cutting me off. Our magic has its limits. Once they drain our energy, it’s harder for us to use magic. As compensation, I’ll teach you some spells during your stay. You don’t have to be one of us to use them, but their power won’t be as strong. When you go back to Earth, you’ll still be able to use some spells, but they’ll be much weaker. They can offer protection and act as an advanced security system, not just a blender.

I muttered in frustration, Too bad I can’t use them against someone like you, annoyed by his seemingly endless knowledge about my life.

Perhaps not against me, but the stronger a human’s magic is on my planet, the more powerful they become. Most of us would defeat you in an instant, but there are some who are less magically inclined and might lose to you. They’re far removed from their more magically gifted ancestors, Daniel chuckled in response.

What’s the point, then? I questioned. I already have a proper security system. Alan just didn’t think it was enough for his precious sword. He’s always been excessive about that stupid thing, but it’s gotten worse lately. Even his family finds it abnormal because it’s a plastic sword.

You never know when you might need self-defence skills, Daniel replied in a soothing tone. Look, I understand this isn’t an ideal situation, and you see me as a monster. I’ve encountered similar reactions before. I rarely keep humans for longer than six months in your time because at some point, the energy vampires can affect you too. Not in the same way as us, but you’ll constantly feel drained, and nothing will help. I know you’re not happy about this, but until we can get the situation under control, we’ll continue abducting humans for our protection. As I mentioned, you’ll be back in that field as if nothing had happened.

I still don’t understand how it works. Did you freeze time on Earth? I asked Daniel.

No, it’s not about freezing time, Daniel explained. Think of it as being transported to another timeline. The spell on your hand takes you to a timeline where you never left Earth.

So, it’s like time travel? I queried even more confused than before.

Not exactly. Time manipulation like you imagine isn’t possible. This spell transports you to a different reality, not necessarily forward or backward in time, Daniel clarified. Have you heard of alternate realities and parallel universes?

I nodded, and Daniel traced the markings on my hand.

When we activate the spell, even if years have passed, you’ll return to the exact moment before I took you. However, your lifespan will be slightly shortened by about six months to a year due to this journey.

What happens if I die? I inquired, my voice filled with concern.

In that case, the spell won’t be activated, and you won’t come back. Death is final, regardless of the timeline or planet, Daniel replied.

But aren’t there timelines where people are alive in some and dead in others? I pressed further. Daniel chuckled, his eyes filled with amusement. I don’t have all the answers about timelines. I can only send you back to one, but I don’t possess extensive knowledge beyond that.

What about the people you’ve flown back? I asked.

We activate the spell for them as well. We bring them back and send them off, then continue to search for other humans, Daniel explained.

But doesn’t that disrupt the timelines? It seems off, I remarked. If you abducted me six months ago and send me back to that timeline, even if you flew me back, wouldn’t I still be six months behind?

No, once I send you back, you’ll catch up to Earth’s time instantly, Daniel clarified. So if I send you back six months from now, in that reality, it will be six months later for you. I’ve encountered individuals whom I erased memories from right after sending them off, and they were none the wiser. As far as they knew, they had spent the last six months on Earth, doing whatever they did after I sent them back. I checked up on a human I sent back before I found you, and she was living her life again, engaged, unaware that she had actually spent nearly a year on my planet. Now, please remain quiet for the rest of the journey. We’re nearly there, and once we enter the Ronlanian galaxy, I’ll need to concentrate on piloting the ship. There are strong gravitational pulls and stars that can easily disrupt control. Last week, Stephen lost control.

As I settled back, observing the Ronlanian galaxy drawing closer, confusion swirled in my mind. Did this disrupt other communities or cities? And what about time zones? What did he mean by weeks? Did they measure time the same way we did? I still