The Evil Eyes of The Cosmos

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say…

She can..she can hear the sounds, the screams, the voices that rippled inside her head. A young woman who sat on the edge of her bed crisscrossed. Her hair out in dark brunette waves as they reach past her shoulder resting along her back. Her brown eyes looked toward the window facing her bed in her little cabin on the spacecraft she was assigned. Her eyes watched as the stars twinkled, the sun close enough but far enough that the big ball of gas wasn't damaging to the eyes. Planets here and there were scattered around each a different color. She had no lights in her room, only the glow from the outside illuminated the area. She stared into the deep space, sounds of screams echoing through her ears changing into shrieks. Something was calling to her, the screams were normally soft, gentle, as time progressed the screams became aggressive and loud. They demanded something of her. It called to her in ways that were not easily put into words.

Anxiety filled her chest, a twisting pain, her hands shaking becoming clammy. As the spacecraft moved the sun's beautiful glow struck her window, brightening the room. The sun's beam bounced off of her brown skin comforting her as if it were a warm blanket wrapping around her. The comfort only lasted a few moments before the environs gave back to its icy coldness. She stayed where she was for what felt as though she were forever frozen. The screams are too much to bear this time around. A knock at the door pulls her from her thoughts momentarily. Not having the motivation to answer it, it opens, revealing a human-like robot. The AI had walked in introducing itself as Neo, the life size version of her tablet she once used back on her home planet before her life spiraled out of control. The AI took note of her silence while she gazed out the window, the light from the hall cascaded partially through the room. Neo takes a step forward and the door slides shut. The glimmer of the planets faintly lights the room, still darkness floated around her. “ Ms?” Neo calls out. No response, only silence, the room's aura becomes an eerie, fearful emanation. Neo however can tell by her emotional moods that she was in a high stress state. The inferred scanner only appears when they notice a disturbance in their creator's body language.

Neo walked closer to the young woman as her energy changed with each step the robot took. Tears spilled out rolling down her cheek. She reached up, placing her hands on her ears, covering them. She rocked back and forth. It was a sleepless night already, and the hours slowed down to minutes, those minutes turned to seconds. Neo speaks her name as it searches through its programming attempting to find ways to bring her back to reality. Even with its vast knowledge there was nothing but useless information. She was folding in on herself, her mind scattered everywhere. What possibly could an AI do for her that she couldn’t do for herself? Removing her hands from her ears her head shifted to face the robot. Her eyes darkened, her eyebrows scrunching, angry tears continued to flow, staring at the bot, it crushes into itself falling limp on the floor. The mangled AI sparked as its wires pointed upwards. Realizing what she had done, her eyes widened, fear and anguish filled her thoughts. How could she have done that? All the AI wanted was to help her. It was its job. It was her fault. How could she have let this happen? She wanted the pain to go away. Standing up from her bed she walked toward the robot bending down barely touching the tarnished metal. The screams and shrieks played on a loop in her mind. Panicked she gathers what she could looking for a place to hide it, no one can know of what happened. Too many questions, only for her to say what? She has destroyed a robot with a mere look. She can hardly believe it herself. Unfortunately for her the voices that called upon her were exactly the amount to prove she had done it.

“ No one can know,” She whispers repeatedly to herself. “ No one can know”

She wipes the tears now, her face drying, there was nothing left to cry. How has it gotten to this point? She is consumed by her own darkness, her own monsters. So much so that she finds herself in a situation unexplainable. A voice and a knock tears her away from her work. “ Hey, are you okay?”. She wants to believe that it was the screams in her head that chose to speak with her. No that was not the case, instead it was a voice she recognized someone she had known. She froze again. What is she to do? What is she to say? She had shoved the now scrap metal into her closet, shutting the door, placing her hand on the door of it, holding herself there. Again another knock was placed against her cabin door, the same voice calling out to her. She looks from her closet to the front door of her cabin, she removes her hand from the closet. Should she or should she not answer the door, she debated. What can she do? No one could make the choice but her. Her reality setting is even more so, she is dangerous. Taking a single step forward, she decided that it was best to play the part even with her falling apart. She checked the floor, wiping her eyes, cleaning her face, anything that would give away her unstable appearance. Composing herself as if she were her normal self she opened the door.

“ Where were you? You slept through dinner, it's 12am. You haven’t left the room yet?” he asked her, his hazel green eyes watching her. Everything they went through back on her home planet he knew she must’ve needed a friend. Her demeanor said otherwise. She looked fine, her smile stayed soft, tiredness etched across her face. He was beginning to think it was a mistake with confusion only replacing it. Maybe she was just that, tired. Yet she sounds as though she had been awake for hours.

Lie, Tell a Lie. Her mind warns her. “I was sleeping. I needed some rest. I hadn't realized I’d slept so long. Well I guess now would be the time to get a snack. I was just on my way out” She gave another reassuring smile. He returned the gesture and her facade seemed to have worked. At least that is what she assumed, No hoped for. She stepped out of her room, the door sliding closed behind her. Whatever she held within her stayed trapped in that room though the screams carried on behind her following her every step. The two walked in silence, her friend towered over her in height, the hall lights hitting his ivory skin. Stared at him for a moment as they walked with one another. The screams occupied every corner of her thoughts invading her sacred place. Being with her friend however the frenzy of shrieks lowered to a hum for now. She can’t trust it, how can she when she knows at any given moment the screams will erupt with roar. She wanted nothing more to confess to him about what was transpiring but she fought it. If anyone were to know the truth, the chaos it would bring, it would destroy what little family she had left. It was a risk she was more than willing to take. Who wouldn’t be when everything they loved was taken from them.

In the same second he had caught her looking at him, he smirked only for it to vanish from his face. His eyes took in her state, her skin paled by the second, her eyes had dark bags under them. She genuinely looked sick, he was worried for her, it flashed in his eyes. He watched her with wary eyes, he reached for her pulling her in a hug, crushing her against his chest, her face tucked into her hands. He held her there, wrong choice, the voices screeched at the highest level if not higher forcing her to cover her ears. Her friend looked down at her calling her name repeatedly. She whined in pain her eyebrows scrunched together without realizing the power she held in her she pushed her friend. He flew back falling on the floor sliding across the hall floor. He was too far from her when he had finally stopped sliding. He witnessed her falling to the floor on her knees bending forward hands on her head. The lights began to flicker around them, he slowly pushed himself off the ground, fear shoved to the back of his mind. His only goal was to get to his friend who needed his help. He could hear her cries of pain as he walked toward her in a cautious manner. He wanted to avoid frightening her more than what he felt he already had done. He slid down to the floor in front of her attempting to touch her hands covering her ears.

“ No stay away!” She yells

“ Let me help you” He whispers softly, gently prying her hands away, taking them in his own. The screams fought their way into her own space of refuge infecting every inch of her mind, body and soul. She shook her head whimpering, moving herself away from his grasp, he followed blindly.

“ No!” She backs away again “-I’m- I’m not safe”

“ Listen to me, I need you to let me help you, take my hand you won’t hurt me” He pleads as he extends his hand out towards her. Her violent sobs turned quiet, her body becoming still, he waited for her as she lifted her hand up. Without a chance to process the movement, her hand gripped his throat. Hiding behind her hair before, her head shifts to the side slightly revealing some of her face. Her eyes held not only the colors of the cosmos, but the universe itself. Little vein-like cracks formed under her eyes she held him close as she tightened her hold.

“ I. Said. No.” Standing from her position with her grip of ten thousand men or more she forced her friend to stand with her.

“ E-Ez-Ezrine don’t do this-T-This isn’t you-” He chokes out his breath cut short by her hand.

She glares at him “ This isn’t me?” She pulls him closer till he is face to face with her. She whispers to him “ It is me, it’s always been me” with an effortless ease she lets go of him dropping him to the floor. She lifts a hand with one fluid motion he slides and hits the wall behind him. She turns away from him walking down the hallway

“ Andhera is mine!”

“ I will stop you!” Her friend yells as he doubles over in pain. He watched his friend stop in her tracks, she barely looked over her shoulder.

“ I know you will. I count on it”