Stardust

"Jack on the rock's." I pause "Hell, make it a double." The bartender raises an eyebrow 

"You trying to get something off your mind?" he questions

"Something like that."

"Well, ma'am," he looks around at the nearly desserted bar "Its only noon and I got time, shoot." 

"Haha, right. You won't believe me." 

"Trust me, I've heard some crazy things workin' here."

"Fine, but I warned you." I down the whiskey and take a deep breathe "I found out my husband is an alien from another planet who wants to kidnap me." The bartender stares in shock for a moment, then burst out laughing. He stops when he sees my bitter look. 

"Wait, you seriously think you're married to an alien, as in an estraterrestrial being?" His eyes are wide, like I'm some new brand of crazy. 

"I knew you'd think I was crazy." I grumble. "Now, get me another drink." 

"Okay, okay. You don't seem like the insane type, so let's hear the story."

"Well, it's not like I have anything to loose." I sigh and fiddle with my cup. "It all started two weeks ago..."

***

"Honey, I got off early." my voice echo's through the house as I walk through the door Friday afternoon. I hang up my keys and walk towards the kitchen looking for Kevin. I hear static and the faint mumer of voices comeing from the bedroom. "Kevin?" I push the door upon and find him staring at the flickering T.V. screen, whispering intently. It looks like there's something on his head and I vaguely see a face in the static. The floor creaks and his head snaps up and I catch a catch a flash of movement. 

"Evelyn! What are you doing home at this hour?" His eyes have this glassy, far away look that in our two years off marriage, I have never seen before. Alarm bells go off in my mind for some reason and I instinctively take a step back. 

"Oh, um, we wrapped up the project early and don't have anything else lined up until Monday." I glance at the T.V, it's black, but I never saw Kevin turn it off. 

"I'm sure I must have looked crazy." He laughs nervously. "I was just so focused on the game, I didn't even hear you come in."

"The game?"

"Yeah, the baseball game." He clickes on the T.V. to show me then smiles and walks towards me. "But, I'm glad you're home." He hugs me and it takes every bit of willpower I have not flee the room.

"I'm glad. too" I say uneasely. 

"Hard day at work?" Kevin looks at me tenderly as if the glassiness earlier had just been in my imagination. Had it been? Other than messy hair, he looks completely normal.

Over the next week little things that seem out of place start to catch my attention, things that I've never noticed before. For example, Kevin will go out of his way to touch tin foil as little as possible. I wrapped corn and cooked it on the grill and rather than just unwrap it with his hands, he took an extra ten minutes to carefully remove it with a fork. I mean, I get the corn was hot to touch, but really? And when we are in the car and the radio starts to static, he will hesitate, as if listening, before he changes the station. I guess maybe he could be waiting to see if the current station is going to come back in, however something doesn't seem right. Plus he works at a broadcasting station, it's the perfect place to contact another planet.

"Hey, Cam, I'm not feeling well. Do you think there's anyway I could head home early?" It's friday again and I'm trying to catch Kevin in the act.

"You do look quite pale and tire." Cam looks me over. "I think we can spare you for a few hours. Rest up over the weekend and I'll see you Monday." I thank her and hurry home. 

I slip in the door as quietly as possible and tiptoe towards the bedroom. Something is off, I don't hear any static of voices. I quickly check the bedroom, only to find it empty. I look all around the house and Kevin is nowhere to be found. 

Just then, I hear the key in the lock and my husband comes in carrying a bag of groceries. His eyes light up when he sees me, like he's a completely normal human, but I know it's an act. 

"Is this going to become a regular thing? Getting off early on Fridays? If I didn't know better I would think you were slacking off." He teases, then frowns a little when he sees my annoyed expression. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just don't feel well. It's nothing. I'm going to lay down." I add hastily before he can say anything. 

As I stare at the ceiling I think back. We usually don't grocery shop until saturday, why did he go today? Unless he knew I would try to spy on him. No, thats ridiculous, he couldn't have known... could he? I suppose he could have need something and just decided to do the shopping while out. I need to think of a way to find out if what I saw last week was real, and obviously I can't keep coming home early.

An hour passes and my phone buzzes. It's one of those stupid chain videos.

"Thats it!" I'm so excited I shout outloud. 

"What's that?" Kevin pokes his head in. 

"Oh nothing, I'm just sick of those chain things."

"Ah, yes, those are quite annoying. Are you feeling any better?" 

"Yes, much." I smile to myself and receive a funny look. 

Over the weekend I sneak out of town to go "shopping" and buy the most high tech, small, spy camera I can find. I use cash of course, I don't need Kevin getting wind of my purchase. Monday, while Kevin is at work I set the camera up inside the vent, yes I know thats one of the first places any person who's seen a spy movie would look. I'm banking on the fact Kevin does't realize I'm on to him. I've connected the feed to my work computer so now all I have to do is wait. 

Four days pass and nothing happens. I'm beginning to doubt myself, beginning to think I really am crazy. I plan to take the camera down next Monday, but it's still only Friday. 

"Miss Evelyn, your husband is calling on line two." The receptionist says cheerily. 

"Really? I've only been at work an hour." I pick up the phone. "Hello, dear. Is everything okay?" 

"Oh, yes. I was just thinking we should take a trip this weekend, spur of the moment. What do you say?"

"Where exactly would we go?" We have never, and I mean never, done anything spur of the moment. "And why now?"

"I was just thinking we never really took that vacation to the beach we wanted, wouldn't that be fun?" He sounds eager, too eager

"Why yes, it would." I play along "When would we leave?"

"As soon as you get off work. I don't suppose you could come home a few hours early?"

"No, sorry, Kevin. We are swamped, and I already cut a day short last week." 

"We will just have to hed out when you get home and pack. I'll have everything else ready." It iss the breatheless excitement in his voice that has me turning on the camera feed. 

"That sounds wonderful. I'll see you then. I have to go, Love you." I hang up before  he can reply and sure enough he walks into the bedroom. I watch him turn on the T.V and the next thing I see freaks me out so much I scream. 

"Evelyn, what is it?" One of my coworkers runs in. 

"N-Nothing, I just thought I saw a spider." They shake their head and leave, informing the others what my malfunction was about. 

I look back at the compute screen and see a long green antena sticking out of Kevin's head. He his talking a mile a minute to the T.V. and it dawns on me to turn on the audio. 

"Yes, Yes, she bought it. She thinks we are going on a trip to the beach. No, she's clueless, has no idea what I am." The is incoherant chatter from the T.V. "I know, Mom, but Evelyne was acting strange, I didn't want to risk contacting you last week. Yes, Mom, I should have brought her home a long time ago, but don't worry, we will be there shortly." I stare at the screen. Kevin told me his parents were dead. And what is this talk of taking me "home". More chatter. "She will be freaked out at first, or course, but I believe she grow to love planet Stardust as if it has always been her home."

Planet Stardust? Planet? He is planning on taking me to another freaking planet? Oh, Hell no. Without thinking, I grab my keys and run out of my office and don't stop. I have the same mentality when I get in the car.

***

"It was only the need for fuel that prompted me to stop, thus how I ended up here." I look at the bartender, who is speechless. "So how about it, can I have another double?"

"Yeah." He fumbles with the glass and keeps staring. After a long moment he finally speaks. 

"Lady, you are a serious nut case." My heart sinks, of course he thinks I'm crazy. "But what does that say about me?" I look at him, confused. "I actually believe you." He pours himself a shot and shakes his head.