Sorcha The Alien Book One

Chapter Ten

I awaken slumped against Cantral, with her arm wrapped around me. And strangely enough this isn't an awful way to start the day. I yawn lazily, as colourful birds hop from tree to tree, chirping aggressively.

Prominent shadows linger; sunlight hasn't painted the full picture for me yet. But from my perch, I see a canopy of vermillion leaves drip like blood from dark, burgundy branches. Heavy and glistening from the morning dew. Below, burgundy trunks twist and climb, some smooth as skin, others notched and gnarled. Sunlight begins to penetrate weakly through the upper canopy and casts a bloody glow.

I don't want to move; I don't want the day to start just yet. Here and now, with Cantral's arm wrapped around me and my cheek pressed against her shoulder, I feel safe. She cared enough to protect me, all night. I shift position ever so slightly, but my leg slips, and I grab Cantral for fear of falling. But I needn't have bothered, her arm tightens around me.

"Hello." She laughs, and I relax my hold whilst blushing deeply. "It appears I managed to resist killing you," her voice has a thread of humour that was lacking the evening before. What's invited the better mood?

I flash a grin, a little embarrassed by my words yesterday, and my actions only moments ago. "Yeah, thanks for that ... so, can we get out of the tree now?"

Cantral lowers herself first and I try to mirror her fluid movements. Branches jut from the tree at odd angles and I struggle to find the notches Cantral discovered so easily. As my foot touches the lowest branch, I lose my footing and fall from the tree. My hands grapple at thin air and I crash into Cantral on the ground.

For a moment neither of us speak. Birds compose a melodic backdrop and somewhere out of sight something scuffles through the undergrowth. I stare at the deep gouges in the trunk. Battle wounds from the beasts last night. I shudder as I imagine claws in my flesh.

"Are you okay?" Cantral asks, eventually.

I stare up at the tree I just fell from. "Yeah."

"Then why are you still lay on top of me?"

"Oh!" I roll off Cantral and rise to my feet. "Sorry." I bite my lip, but it's a pointless gesture and I burst out laughing at her just lay on the ground. "Sorry," I repeat and quell my laughter.

Cantral frowns as she stands, she checks the map on her computer and sets off on a brisk walk.

"Hey Cantral." I jog to catch up and slip my helmet off. A wall of heavy humid air hits my face, and a myriad of smells infiltrate my nostrils. "What are we going to do about food and water?"

Cantral stops, she taps a button on my sleeve. A tube slips out from the neck of my suit and forces itself into my mouth. Water gushes and I swallow eagerly.

"Refreshing," and I take another drink.

"It's recycled moisture from your body—"

Water sprays out of my mouth and splatters against Cantral. "Uh, gross!"

She stares at me a moment and then at the water dripping from her suit. "It's surprising what a person will stoop to when met with their mortality."

She snatches a bulbous grub from the trunk of a tree and pushes it in her mouth. A crunch comes from Cantral as her teeth break through the tough outer layer, and then a pop as the grub bursts open. My nose scrunches, Cantral's face contorts. She spits the bug from her mouth alongside green goo and turns to vomit.

I laugh as she finishes retching. "Yeah, I don't think I'm going to eat random bugs and then vomit all over the jungle, but hey, you do you."

"It wasn't a random bug." Cantral straightens a few shades paler, and she leans against a smooth burgundy trunk. "I read a complete guide of this region whilst you slept, those bugs are packed full of nutrients."