Fractal Read online

  FRACTAL

  By

  RACHEL MANNINO

  Copyright 2016 Rachel Mannino

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Artist: Suzannah Safi

  Suzannah Safi

  Graphic Designer

  http://www.suziedesigns.net/

  email: [email protected]

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any format or by any means without express written consent from the publisher. This book in electronic format may not be re-sold or re-distributed in any manner without express written permission from the publisher

  ISBN: 978-1-942391-35-7

  First Publication

  Published in the United States of America

  Published by: eTreasures Publishing, LLC

  4442 Lafayette St

  Marianna, FL 32446

  http://www.etreasurespublishing.com

  This eBook is entirely fiction and bears no resemblance to anyone alive or dead, in content or cover art. Any instances are purely coincidental. This eBook is based solely on the Author’s vivid imagination

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this eBook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this eBook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to the retailer or eTreasurespublishing.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this Author

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Dedication

  To all the women in my life who taught me leadership: my mom, my sister, my aunts, Linda Chrisman, Betty Gaisior, Naomi Duprat, Dusty McMillen, Erin Taylor, Lis Sacco, Emily Garr, Nicole Deveau, and Catherine Hershey.

  Chapter One

  Anna Cora sat in the wicker lounge chair on her porch, hands wrapped around a coffee cup. The skies were clear and crisp, curving over the treetops of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The stars pulsed while the moon formed a perfect waxing crescent in the sky. A faint, white glow outlined the mountain ridge, heralding the dawn.

  Anna’s fingertips brushed over the pendant she wore around her neck, a family heirloom. It was the last gift her mother gave her before she died, almost ten years ago. A single raindrop surrounded by an oval, pointed at the top and bottom. A stone of unknown origin sat in the raindrop. She wore it every day, and this morning, the stone had a particular glow about it. She smiled and clasped it against her heart.

  Even though the crisp October air had a strong bite to it, the coffee and her dark-blue fleece kept her warm enough to enjoy a morning outside. The breeze kicked up, tossing chestnut curls around her face. She took a deep breath of damp leaves and the pumpkin patch beside the porch.

  She needed these times of solitude. When everyone else in town bustled about, that’s when loneliness set in. They avoided her and her little brother like the plague, so Anna returned the favor by burying herself in her garden and her flower shop.

  The townsfolk didn’t like anything new, and to them, the sudden appearance of her family almost twenty-five years ago was still too unsettling. Of course, it didn’t help that her parents refused to socialize with anyone. They kept themselves and their family apart from the townsfolk as much as possible, and Anna never understood why. After twenty-five years, the separation seemed permanent.

  Each day, the light in her neighbor’s kitchen signaled the last seconds of Anna’s solitude. She would rise and amble through the house to the flower shop.

  A faint engine noise sounded in the distance. She jumped, spilling coffee all over her sweatshirt. She cursed under her breath and swiped at the hot liquid with her hand. In the tiny town of Sparta, she never saw anyone get up to greet the dawn. The noise became an insistent drone.

  She unfolded herself from the lounge chair like a cat unfurling. She stalked to the edge of the porch, careful not to wake her little brother who slept upstairs in the bedroom overlooking the porch. Planes rarely traced a path overhead. She searched the stars, looking for the intruder to her morning ritual. A set of lights hovered over the mountain ridge, five or six small ones arranged around a stronger central light.

  Her coffee cup dropped from her numb fingers, clunking its way to the deck and rolling away unnoticed. Anna clutched the jagged wood of the railing in amazement. The lights grew brighter, and they only moved in one direction: down toward her. Her heart thundered, and she wondered if she was awake or fumbling through a dream. She couldn’t be seeing what she was seeing. Impossible. Her brain went numb, and she squinted, trying to make the tiny dots change form into something known to her, something comforting.

  The droning grew louder and louder as the lights descended. The noise became a roar. She covered her ears. Yet, the ground didn’t shake or tremble. The trees didn’t bend. Everything was still, except for the fiery spheres bearing down on her.

  A buzzing at the back of Anna’s brain told her she should run; she should lock herself and Brendan inside the house and hide. She didn’t move. She couldn’t. She had to know what was happening. She had to see this wondrous, terrifying thing when it landed.

  A metal frame—scalloped in the shape of a daisy cookie cutter—around the lights appeared as they came closer. The small lights traced a circular path around the central light, until they spun so fast, it became a pure, white circle.

  Anna didn’t see the other people in town come out onto their porches, or down their steps into the street. Yet, as she glanced at the other homes, that’s where they all stood, watching the lights in the sky while wearing their robes and nightclothes.

  Dawn broke over the edge of the mountains. Anna squinted as the first fingers of sunlight warmed her cheeks. The sunrise glinted off the silver frame of the long, metal tube that extended into the sky. The gray tube had a thick bottom, but grew thinner until all the sides met at a slender tip. The rocket, or missile, hovered over the grassy field at the other end of town

  Hurried footsteps traveled from the house onto the porch, and her brother bounded up beside her. “What is that? What is it?” Brendan gawked in wonder.

  “Get inside.”

  “What is it? Is it a UFO?”

  “Just get inside. I don’t know what it is.”

  “No way.” He ran down the stairs and out into the street below

  “Brendan!” Anna thundered down the steps after him, but he was fast. She chased him all the way up Main Street, vowing to punish him with every worst chore imaginable when she finally got her hands on him. He skidded to a halt fifty feet from the rocket. A dozen of their neighbors gathered there, mostly the young men in town.

  Anna grabbed Brendan from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. As she caught her breath, she peered up at the ship. The air smelled like soda, lots of sticky sweet soda. Stairs and ladders traced the entire length of the tube, spiraling down to the base. The lights were no longer visible, since they formed the base resting on the grass. Markings engraved the metal from base to tip. There were no flags, no words of any language she knew.

  “Wow,” exclaimed someone from behind her. It jarred her from staring at the rocket. The townspeople around her were pulling out their cell phones, taking pictures and recording videos.

  “C
ome on.” Anna twisted Brendan’s collar in her hands, and he looked her in the eye. “Let’s go.”

  He gestured to the ship. “No, but—”

  “Let’s go.”

  The corners of Brendan’s mouth and eyes turned down. Anna didn’t care; she had to get him away from whatever just landed in town. Brendan took one long look at the rocket. She took his hand and pulled him through the crowd. They strode about fifteen or twenty feet before the scraping of metal-on-metal screeched. They stumbled, covering their ears. Though she wanted to get Brendan a safe distance away, her curiosity overcame her, and they swerved around.

  A metal plank slid from the rocket toward the ground. Once it extended, a light flashed at the point where the plank met the rocket. Part of the wall disappeared, revealing a gaping, octagonal hole lined with neon-blue lights, giving her a glimpse inside a smooth metal hallway.

  Some of the crowd backed away, each of them stepping back up Main Street a few paces.

  “It’s a space ship.” Brendan cried out. “We’re going to meet aliens. Real aliens.”

  “Shut up. You’ll scare everyone. We have no idea…” Anna’s admonition died on her lips

  Men emerged from the doorway. Human men, or at least they looked like humans. Anna sucked in a breath as she gripped Brendan’s hand. The men paraded two by two in unison. They wore red shirts and pants, with gold breastplates that came down to their waists. Gold and silver, rectangular shields rested at their sides. The Roman legion was paying them a visit. She blinked but the odd vision stayed the same.

  This couldn’t be a hoax—it was far too elaborate—but she wouldn’t admit this was an alien spaceship, even to herself. She didn’t have a single logical, coherent explanation to grasp onto. Adrenaline sped through her veins, sending her into near panic. It didn’t matter what this was or wasn’t to her as long as she kept Brendan safe.

  “It’s an army.” Brendan clutched at her hand

  She pushed him behind her, ready to run at the first sign of trouble. Every muscle tensed, waiting.

  The two columns of soldiers stopped after about two dozen men exited the plank. All at once, the two lines shifted to face each other, forming a pathway lined with soldiers.

  At the top of the plank, a lone soldier appeared. He surveyed the town, squinting in the early light of dawn. Tall and muscular, he filled the doorway with his frame. His sandy-brown hair, cropped short, accentuated his square jaw. He wore the same body armor as the others, yet a red sash across his front extended into a short red cape behind him that snapped in the breeze. The man’s eyes settled on the crowd of onlookers before he walked down the metal plank.

  Anna couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene. Still, she pushed Brendan up the street toward the house. A streak of movement caught her attention, and she jumped. She almost yelped, but the blur that ran up to her came into focus

  “What’d I miss? What’s happening?” Hannah skidded to a halt beside them

  “Shhhhh,” Anna continued to push them all back.

  “They’re aliens,” Brendan whispered

  Anna squeezed his hand in warning. Hannah’s eyebrows lifted and light danced in her eyes. She swung toward the rocket and the strange soldiers. She bounced on the balls of her feet, as if Christmas had come early. It was the most exciting thing to happen in Sparta since the founding of the town.

  When the last solider reached the others, they raised their arms in a strange salute and he strutted straight through their ranks. He stood in front of the waiting crowd. He studied every face. The townsmen stared at him, stepping backward up the street again, away from the gleaming invaders

  “Greetings. My name is Varick. I am searching for the one you call Anna Cora.” He rested his hands on his hips

  Anna froze and then shook her head. She couldn’t have heard that right. Her heart tumbled over itself. She feared she would faint before she got Brendan into the house when the tingling at the top of her head blurred her vision.

  “Can you tell me where to find Anna Cora?” Varick asked the crowd

  Everyone in the town turned in her direction. Her breathing became heavy. His gaze followed their line of sight and met her eyes. She thrust Brendan’s hand toward Hannah. She didn’t know why this stranger was looking for her, but if she could distract him, it would buy Brendan and Hannah a few minutes to run. She stepped away from her brother and best friend, raised her chin, her eyes wide and unblinking.

  “I am Anna Cora.” She sounded far bolder than she felt. A flash of pride tightened her chest

  Varick smiled at her. He motioned to the soldiers behind him, and they rotated in unison once again. He marched toward her, his soldiers in his wake. Anna willed herself to stand perfectly still, desperate not to shrink from this man. Stopping less than a foot from her, his smile broadened into a grin, and a small measure of her fear dissipated.

  “Your Majesty, I am your new Protector. I have come to take you home.” He knelt before her on both knees, his palms upturned and resting on his legs. The soldiers followed suit.

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or run, so she did neither. She eyed Hannah, who had pulled Brendan off to the side of the street. Hannah shrugged. Varick rose

  “Your Majesty, there is much to discuss, and as you can imagine, we are anxious to return home. We have prepared your rooms on board.” He gestured toward the looming rocket.

  Anna fought the urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all

  A flicker of concern strained Varick’s smile. “Your Majesty?” His eyebrows rose in question.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she blurted.

  His smile faded and he searched her gaze. “What do you mean? I am your Protector. We’ve come to take you home—back to your own planet.”

  He took a half step toward her. Anna stumbled, her hands raised to ward him off. He froze. His eyes widened as the color drained from his face.

  “I’m on my own planet. I was born here. I grew up here. I have no idea who you are, what you protect, or what any of this means.” She threw her arms out to the side in frustration.

  Varick cocked his head, confusion furrowing his brow. “You are Anna Cora, are you not?”

  “Yes.” She shivered, more from his closeness than the cold morning.

  He was an imposing figure up close, composed of hard lines and bunched muscles. His eyes were an impossible shade of intense green, and anxiety pooled in their depths.

  “You live in this…city?” He lifted his hands to indicate the town

  “Yes, I’ve lived here my whole life.” Anna put another step between them

  “Then you…you are Anna Cora, the Vadana of Dahrel. The homing beacon is here, centered in this place. You are the woman I seek.” He took another step toward her

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  Varick gentled his voice to a soothing tenor. “Your Majesty, please. Do not do this.” He bent over her. “Your people need you.”

  Anna straightened her spine, her fists clenching. Anger overrode her fear. She was tired of him badgering her while the entire town watched. “I don’t know who the hell you are. I am not going on that ship. My home is here. I was born here, I’ve lived my whole life here, and you are mistaken. So just get back in your rocket. Leave me in peace.” With that, she pivoted.

  She grabbed Brendan’s outstretched hand, and Hannah fell into step beside her as they headed toward her house.

  “Your Majesty. Please. You can’t do this.”

  Anna cringed as his footsteps crunched on the gravel behind her. “Go away.” She caught sight of another group of onlookers on her left.

  “I did not mean to offend you. We must return home. Your people need your help.” Varick caught her arm in a hard grip.

  She yanked her arm back with a growl of outrage. He flushed, his eyes blazing. His soldiers no longer marched in a procession; they were a small mob of clanging armor and heavy footfalls. Anna picked up her pace to a trot />
  “I don’t know who your people are, and you’re mistaken. Sorry to disappoint you.” She glanced at him over her shoulder. His long strides made it too easy for him to keep up with her.

  They climbed the stairs to her porch. Anna nudged Brendan inside the house, and Hannah slid in after him. She whirled in the doorway to face Varick, who looked ready to throttle her.

  He held up his hands. “Your Majesty, please—”

  “Stop calling me that. I’m not royalty.” She grasped the door knob.

  “Your parents…surely they told you. Where are they?” He craned his neck, trying to see in the house.

  She winced. “My parents died years ago, but that’s not any of your business.” She tried to close the door, but he caught it.

  “They didn’t tell you? They didn’t tell you about Dahrel? Your heritage?” Varick leaned into the door to keep it open. Anna gripped the doorknob like a lifeline

  “Look, they read me all types of fairytales. I don’t remember that one. Now I want you to go away and leave what’s left of my family in peace.” She slammed the door in his face, and for the first time in years, she locked it. She regarded Hannah and Brendan, who stared at her.

  “Let’s get breakfast, and whatever we do today, we are not going to talk about what just happened.” Anna dismissed it all with a wave of her hand.

  ~ * ~

  Varick glared at the primitive barrier before him. He touched the center, but it didn’t open. Pushing with both hands, it still didn’t budge. Searching for some way to activate it, he grasped the metal knob that protruded. He twisted it for several minutes. It did nothing. He stared at the door again.

  “Shall we break it down?” asked one of his men

  He ran his hands along the splintered doorframe. The temptation almost overpowered him. “No. If the Vadana wishes privacy, we give her privacy.” He stepped away.

  Except every fiber of his being demanded he break down the damn barrier and carry her to the ship. He pivoted and stormed past his troops. The Vadana had just humiliated him in front of his men, he failed at his most important task, and he managed to insult the Vadana in the process. By the time he made it to the ship, his mood was as black as a starless night.