On Stranger Tides - Part 2

Posted on Thursday February 21st, 2019 @ 11:31 hours by Colt McCormick & Ares Onasis
Edited on on Thursday February 21st, 2019 @ 11:34 hours

Mission: Pixie Dust
Location: Deck 2 - Mess Hall
Timeline: MD-02, 0425 Hours
2138 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Ares was inside her parents’ restaurant back in Greece, the one her parents owned and operated up until their untimely deaths seven years before. Her mouth completely dried up and a lump suddenly grew in her throat making it difficult for her to take in a full breath. She felt her hands shaking as they touched the hostess stand at the entrance to the Mess Hall, or what should have been the Mess Hall.

It was real. She was back home.

She had completely forgotten about the girl as her mind tried to process her new environment. Did she step into some sort of portal? Or was her mind playing tricks on her? But the smell and the decor… it felt real… it smelled real. She continued slowly into the restaurant as her head became fuzzy and unable to process what truly was going on. She couldn’t even grasp one of the trillion thoughts buzzing around in her head. She kept looking all around and checking her vision. She would squeeze her eyes together then open them up quickly but the restaurant remained as it was.

There was a sudden clank of pots and pans coming from the open restaurant kitchen followed by the laughter from the girl. It wasn’t any girl’s laughter; it was hers. She felt the sour bile rub against the back of her throat. This was it. She had officially gone insane. Her eyes moved to the white and blue counter that separate the kitchen from the restaurant. The blue stools were lined up just as they always had been. Everything was pristine. It was almost angelic. There was a slight haze around everything.

“Paidí mou!” The boisterous voice called out to Ares from behind the banging. It was warm and hearty and caused Ares’s eyes to begin watering. “When is that boy of yours going to show up? He cannot run away from us forever!”

Ares opened her mouth slightly to speak but nothing came out. That joyful spirited booming voice belonged to her father. And there he was, cooking up a storm like he always did. His white shirt and slacks were doust in grease and remnants of old food stains from his grueling hours cooking for the loyal customers. He was of average height with a large but pleasant belly, a head of thinning salt and pepper hair and a heavy black mustache. Her father’s greatest joy was cooking for his family and friends and treasured every item that he created inside of that room.

“Oh stop it, Nikos!” A female - her mother, Adriana - replied. “You are such a chazoviólis!” Her mom looked at Ares with that same warm and loving wide smile on her face. She was a petite woman with a strong jaw and dark thick and wavy brown hair. She was wearing a flowing lavender and light green flowing dress with a white apron over it. “Don’t listen to your crazy father! He’s just jealous that a man is finally stealing his only child away from him.” Her voice was soft and light. Her father replied not with a jest but with a playful smack on her bottom.

Always the fun and playful couple. Ares could feel the love still electrified between them. Nothing had changed.

After giving Nikos a kiss on his cheek, Adriana turned back to Ares and gestured for her to sit down at the counter. It was her usual spot whenever she spent time at the restaurant. But Ares wasn’t a child and her parents knew this too. Her parents died before Ares even met Adam. How did they know about him?

“Come! Take a seat. You look as nervous as a sinner in church!” Adriana began filling up a plate with the still steaming food: turmeric jasmine rice, grape leaf wraps, chicken kebabs, falafel, and roasted vegetables with a side of pitas. There was enough food to feed a large family. “He called, told us he was running a bit late. Such a gentleman, he is. He hasn’t even met us but still put for the effort to call us personally.”

Just like Adam…

Ares, still hesitant to the environment and the situation that was unfolding right in front of her, slowly took her seat on the barstool. She ran her fingers along the counter. It felt real underneath her touch. “My God,” she whispered under her breath. She finally locked eyes with her mom as the tears finally overflowed and dripped down her cheeks. She was back at home. With her parents. And Adam. Did the ship get shaken into some sort of alternate reality?

Adriana noticed the glisten of Ares’s cheeks and her smile immediately waned. “Oh, sweetheart, what’s the matter! You know better than to listen to your father…”

Ares had unknowingly begun sobbing, overwhelmed by the fact that her parents were back with her. She wasn’t lost and alone anymore. “I just…” She tried to speak in between her shallow breaths. Wiping her cheeks wasn’t doing her any good either. The tears just kept coming.

“Ares? Hello?” And there it was. His voice.

Adam.

Ares turned around to the entrance and jumped out of her seat. There, looking proud in his crisp black Federation Police Uniform, was Adam Weber. His intentionally messy short brown hair was parted to the side, his youthful face clean shaven, and his big blue eyes sparkled under the Greek sun. His smile was relaxed and wide, making him appear far younger than his actual age of 34. His arms were wide, ready to catch the running Ares and wrap his arms tightly around her.

Yes, it was Adam! Wrapping her arms and legs around his torso, Ares buried her face into his neck as her cries of excitement and inundation gushed out, her chest heaving in an effort to catch her breath.

Adam couldn’t help but laugh at the woman who was acting like she hadn’t seen him in a year. “Ares! It’s only been a couple of days since I saw you…”

Ares shook her head quickly, keeping her face against his warm soft neck. She missed this neck. She missed this body. She missed this face. She pulled her face up to look at his once again, noticing every fine line and minor detail as it looked back at her. She ran her fingers gently across his jaw, then planted a firm passionate kiss on his waiting lips. She missed those lips. “Oh, Adam, I’ve missed you so much…” Ares whispered to him.

“Adam?!”

Colt’s eyes jolted open as he looked at the crying Ares still holding herself tight around him. After being woken by the ship’s jolt and not hearing any updates, he had gone looking around for answers and had hoped to run into Ares. While passing the Mess Hall he had heard the crying and wondered if there was somebody hurt and unaccounted for. Turns out the crying had been coming Ares who had come speeding towards him like a train, nearly knocking him back and onto the ground. The kiss was an added surprise, though not entirely unwarranted. But then she called him Adam.

Who the hell was Adam?!

Ares shook her head. “It’s been…” She stopped herself, realizing if she was in another reality she needed to not confuse Adam and her parents. She then took in another shallow breath to calm herself down so she could form a complete sentence. “I just missed you, that’s all.” She gave him an innocent smile as she was placed back down on her feet.

Colt’s eyebrows raised as he finally got a good look at Ares. He immediately noticed the dry blood on her cheek and the fact that she was only wearing a black sports bra and short shorts. The bruises on her body were beginning to form on her body. She was acting incredibly odd. Maybe she had gotten bumped around a bit too much during the turbulence, he thought. He placed a hand on her jaw and turned her head so he could get a better look at the damage. “You’re bleeding, or were bleeding.” He wiped the dried blood off with his thumb and tried to dry her cheeks. Ares eyes were red and slightly swollen. His chest tightened slightly at the thought of her being in distress. “Are you alright? You hurt anywhere else?”

Ares didn’t reply, only smiled at him. In fact, she didn’t even hear it because Colt wasn’t there. Only Adam. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the counter. “Mom, Dad… this is Adam,” she looked back up at Adam, who was actually a very confused and concerned Colt, and gave him another kiss on the cheek.

“Adam!” Nikos draped the towel he used to dry his hands with over his shoulder and enthusiastically stuck it out towards Adam, who took it firmly with his.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” It was obvious Adam was genuinely pleased to meet his future in-laws.

Colt looked at the empty Mess Hall kitchen then back down at Ares. Her eyes were unfocused and dazed, and her lips were formed into a goofy grin. She was completely out of it. “Ares…” he tried snapping his finger in front of her face to bring her back from wherever she was at. “Sweetheart, talk to me…” He continued snapping, then resorted to grabbing onto her shoulders to give them a good shake. Still nothing from her.

Adam then grabbed Adriana’s outstretched hand and gave the top of it a polite kiss. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Onasis.”

Adriana blushed as she waved him off with her free hand. “See,” she looked over at Ares, “such a gentleman. Your father has much to learn from him.”

Ares let out a chuckle as she wrapped her arm proudly around Adam’s waist. Now that she had him back she never wanted to let him go.

Colt stiffened at her grasp around him. It wasn’t out of disgust or displeasure. He was still concerned about Ares and what was going on. She was talking to no one. She had been all alone when he walked into the Mess Hall. From the looks and sounds of it she was talking to her parents whom he thought had been dead for quite some time. And this Adam guy she keeps calling him… “Ares,” he grabbed her arm and pulled himself away to face her. He grabbed her jaw with both hands this time and looked her square in the eyes. “Ares, there is no one else here! Who are you talking to?!” His voice was a bit more forceful than he wanted it to be but he was so frustrated and worried about her state of mind. He knew there was something dark and disturbing lurking underneath the beautiful woman, but he didn’t realize how bad it really was.

Still no response from Ares. She just kept looking at Colt. But she wasn’t looking at him. She was looking through him. He looked all around again, hoping to hear or see someone pass by to help her. “What am I going to do with you, sweetheart?” His voice had dropped into a rhetorical plea. He had no idea what to do. After a brief moment of panic he grabbed onto Ares’s waist and held her tight against his side. “I’m taking you to medical, alright? You may have a concussion or some sort of head injury that’s messing you up.” But he couldn’t just take her without warning someone. It may have not been the best choice but she was the only person he could think of.

Ares had talked about the Captain. Colt would tell her. She would want to know if something happened to her crew. Practically dragging her with him, Colt went to the nearest comm panel and pressed random buttons, hoping to reach wherever Mayterial was at. "Captain, this is Colt, Ares’s friend. I’m taking Ares to Medical. Something’s wrong with her. She may have a concussion.” And that was it. He needed to get her there ASAP. He left the comm open and moved her as quickly as he could while she began mumbling about Adam and her parents and… a wedding? He looked down at her hand and saw it: the silver engagement band around her left ring finger.

Colt was definitely getting way more than he had paid for on this journey.