I wanted to write a story that mostly focused on Judy. A chance to explore her without her parents, siblings, or even Don. I wanted to give her a chance to show her resourcefulness without being overshadowed.
Somewhere in the depth of her unconsciousness, Judy could hear an alarm blaring. The buzzing noise was like a drill boring through her head. She didn't want to wake up. She was so sick of everything. She just wanted to sleep forever.
"Penny, turn that off," she ordered with a groan, turning over so she could bury her face in the pillow, hoping to drown out the sound.
She received no answer from her sister and the alarm continued. Groaning again, Judy reached in the direction of where the sound as coming from, and hit the snooze button. She sighed in relief and started to drift back to sleep.
Wait. Since we do we have an alarm clock? Judy's eyes flew open, and her head shot up from the pillow. She took in her surroundings, she realized she was not in her room on the Jupiter.
The bed was a queen-sized bed with a heart-shaped headboard like she had always fantasized about having. The wallpaper was blue with a flower pattern. In the corner was a bookcase that was lined with books. There was a mahogany desk nearby with a small looking computer lying on top of it. Above it was a corkboard filled with newspaper clippings.
Judy climbed out of the bed, rubbing her eyes as she comprehended what she was seeing. "Am I dreaming?" she asked out loud. Something fell with a loud thump. She glanced down to see a book on the ground. Curious she picked it up, flicking through the pages. To her surprise it wasn't a romance novel; instead, it was all about surviving in space.
Before Judy had time to ponder why she would be reading this as a bedtime story, the door to her bedroom opened and a blond-haired girl came in.
"Are you okay? What was that bang?"
Judy glanced up, a grin almost splitting her face. She tossed the book on the bed and ran to her and hugged her. "Oh Joan! Is that really you? I've missed you so much!"
Her cousin blinked in surprise and patted her on the back awkwardly. "Did you hit your head or something? I never left."
"No, nothing like that," Judy laughed, still deliriously happy. Then the reality of the situation dawned on her. How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was doing laundry on some distant planet. She heard music and then…nothing.
Why can't I remember what happened next? Judy wondered, her mind racing as she tried to understand what was happening. How did I get to Earth? Maybe I am dreaming.
She pinched her herself in hopes of waking up. However, nothing changed other than her arm being sore and her cousin looking like she was worrying over her mental health.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Joan asked, scrutinizing her appearance with concern.
"I'm fine." The other girl doubted she could explain everything without sounding like a nut. She was sure there was a reasonable explanation for everything. Maybe she had somehow crossed into an alternate universe. Stranger things had happened.
Joan seemed to accept her answer albeit reluctantly. "Good because your first show is in three days, and I would hate to think you are having a break down before your big break."
"My big break," Judy repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Seriously? Did you hit your head?" Joan questioned, feeling the back of her head for a bump. "I mean you must have to forget you are going to be on Broadway."
Judy's eyes widened and she felt like she was going to swoon. She couldn't believe it. If this was a dream, she hoped to never wake up.
"I'm sorry. I guess I still can't believe I'm starring in a real Broadway show," she gushed, deciding she didn't care how she had gotten here. This was too good to be true.
"That reminds me. We have to pick up Mom and Dad from the airport at three," Joan reminded her, still frowning at her with concerned eyes.
Judy nodded, overflowing with excitement. "When are my parents getting here?" Her delight puttered like a dying flame out when she saw confusion and sorrow flicker on her cousin's face.
"Judy, Uncle John and Aunt Maureen aren't coming," she said softly. She grabbed her hand and maneuvered her to the bed so they could sit down. "Neither are Will or Penny."
"What? Why not?" Judy's heart clenched with ice cold dread. She suspected she knew the answer, but she prayed she was wrong.
"They have been missing in space for five years."
This isn't a dream. This is a nightmare! Judy thought as her eyes rolled back into her head and she was falling in the darkness, a whisper resounding in her ears.
"Your wish is my command."
When she regained consciousness and saw that she was still not in the Jupiter, Judy's first instinct was to begin weeping. However, she refused to give in to her emotions. Not this time.
My dad wouldn't cry, she insisted, swallowing thickly. He would access the situation and figure what was going on.
"Joan, would you mind giving me a minute to get dressed," Judy requested, trying to keep herself composed.
"Are you sure you're good?" Joan asked, clearly reluctant to leave.
"I am," Judy confirmed, trying to sound confident. When her cousin still looked unconvinced. "We'll talk about it once I'm showered and dressed."
Joan heaved a sigh but acquiesced, getting up off the bed and walking out of the bedroom. Once she had closed the door, Judy scanned the room again, trying to find something that indicated how she had gotten here.
Is it some sort of simulation? Judy wondered as she opened her drawers and searched her bed. She went over to her desk and switched the computer on. The password was the same as she always used: Katherine Hepburn.
She immediately went through the files on her computer. She was growing discouraged when she hit the Internet Explorer icon. It immediately opened on a webpage and Judy's heart sank.
The picture was of her parents, Will, Penny, and Don, all dressed in their space suits. There were hundreds of messages. Some expressed their condolences, others posted conspiracy theories.
Judy scrolled through all of them, noticing that she had responded to each one. This wasn't a dream or a simulation. It was too detailed, too real. That left alternate universe, only she had no idea how she had gotten here and how she would be able to get back.
"You do realize how insane this all sounds," Joan remarked. True to her word, once Judy was finished getting ready, she joined her cousin in the kitchen where they sat to eat breakfast. Judy had just finished telling Joan about Dr. Smith and his identical stranger Zemo.
"I do." Judy took a bite of her pancakes, savoring the taste of real butter.
"Maybe you were just dreaming," Joan suggested. "Those weird adventures could just be your subconscious missing your folks and your siblings."
Judy took a long swig of her orange juice, wiping her mouth with her sleeve before responding. "Why would I have dreams of my siblings going off on this fantastical adventures while I'm darning socks?!"
"I recognize that is a bit odd," agreed Joan as she bit her lip. "But still you gotta admit that everything you've told me so far is quite bizarre.
I haven't even gotten to the talking carrot, Judy mused before an idea occurred to her. "I think I know how I can prove that all of this really happened." After all, there had been some visits to Earth. And one in particular had happened recently enough that she just needed to contact them. First she would prove to Joan (and herself) that her time with her family had not been a dream. Then she would figure out what to do next.
For this story, I realized I gave too much away the first time around. I want some mystery.
