Page 42 of The Space Traveller's Lover
PREMONITION
Once it gets hold of you, it never lets go.
The fine wet sand sticks to Shaillah’s face as she wakes up and turns over on her private lake’s shore.
She lays on her back beside a seemingly dormant Rothwen.
As she attempts to wipe her mouth, Rothwen holds her hand and avidly licks on her lips.
Her giggles mix with the splattering thud of their bodies hitting the slushy silt as they rustle and roll.
They move further into the water, their half-submerged bodies, covered in frothy bubbles, sparkle under the evening’s suns.
As they gradually sink, the undulating surface fizzles and splatters all around them.
Under the water, they feel free. Inside their oxygenated orb, they can forget about everything and everyone.
They surrender to their addictive passion, hardly noticing the playful lyshars and colourful luminescent creatures swimming nearby.
As they make love, the entire submarine world disappears from their senses.
Time passes by, but for Shaillah, it feels like a fleeting moment.
She runs her long tender kisses up and down Rothwen’s naked chest as he lies motionless on her lap, his eyes closed.
He wishes she would never stop. It’s such an uplifting sensation, the kind he had never experienced.
It makes him feel different, elated, desired.
This drug might not be a bad thing, after all , he thinks.
“It’s not a drug, Rothwen,” she says as she continues kissing him up and down his gleaming chest.
“What is it then? It makes me want it, but at the same it makes me try to escape from it.”
“It’s called love, Rothwen, falling in love …” she gently replies while he caresses her hair.
“Space travellers don’t fall in love, Shaillah.” Rothwen sits up and holds her cheeks with both hands. Looking deeply into her eyes, his lips part as if he is about to say something. But instead, he pulls her towards him and into a long, breathless kiss, as if this would be his very last one.
“Love … How long does it last? Does it go away as quickly as it turns up?” he asks.
“Once it gets hold of you, it never lets go,” she whispers, rubbing her face against his.
Their pupils clash in a fulgurant spark, full of unrestrained desire.
But then his face hardens. A chilling glare stifles the passion from his eyes. He swallows hard while gently pulling away from her.
“I must get things ready,” he states. “Our departure is imminent. This is our last sunset here.”
She sighs. “The last sunset ...”
“Don’t be so gloomy, Shaillah. Wait until you discover our beautiful universe. You will never miss your Earth again.”
“As long as I know the humans are doing all right, I’ll be fine. Yesterday, everybody was so happy at the summit. They seemed to have accepted the robots, their new cities,” Shaillah enthuses.
But Rothwen hardly reacts, gazing into the distance with a blank eerie expression.
“What’s troubling you? Is there something you need to tell me?”
“Humans have to learn to live with the robots, without attacking them. Otherwise, an even bigger catastrophe awaits them. It’s as simple as that,” Rothwen bluntly warns.
“They have learned their lesson. I’m sure they have. They have come to recognize and respect our power,” Shaillah replies in a heartening tone.
“Might as well,” Rothwen sneers, maintaining a harsh unyielding gaze.
“So … are the destroyer-crafts staying behind? For how long?” she prompts him .
“Shaillah … I can’t tell you what I’m going to do. It all depends on how everything goes.”
“But I see you are troubled—”
“You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll take care of it, as usual,” he cuts her off, his impassive face plainly showing he’s not prepared to tell her anything about what he’s thinking.
“I’m nervous about the departure”. Shaillah changes the subject as she tries to soothe his mood. “First time for me, travelling at such high speeds.”
“You’ll be fine, Shaillah,” Rothwen reassures her, his face softening at last with a subtle smile while stroking her shoulders. “I’ll make sure your trip goes smoothly.”
“So … nothing to worry about?”
“Nothing! I’ll see you at sunrise tomorrow,” he declares before swimming away.
She wraps her arms around his neck and rests her head on his shoulders as he carries her upwards, breaking through the thin membrane of their protective orb. With broad, swift strokes, he rushes towards the shore. Soon they’re back at the rear entrance of her smartroom under her balcony.
They slip into their drying bathrobes, and before she can even say a word, he has disappeared up the spiralled staircase. All she can hear is his hurried fading steps.
As she stares at the darkening horizon, a web of doomful thoughts envelops her mind, warning her of an impending disaster, making her feel deeply distressed. A haunting chilling premonition she cannot yet see but can detect with her sixth sense takes hold of her.
Then she remembers that she has a few hours left to say her final goodbye to Sam.