My Xenomorph

CH 16: Memories

He didn't see it coming.

A blur reached through the doorway from his left moving between him and Porter, reaching for flesh. Only a split second to react Vance opened fire, too close. Acid bathed Porter's side and back as he fell over screaming in agony, the splash spraying across Vances weapon and arms.

"Vance! I'm comin!" Stephen howled, tearing ahead of us on full auto and making a break for the APC. Roman let go of me and awkwardly raised his rifle, shouting after him "Stephen! Wait!" We stopped short as he fired at shapes closing in around us.

Stephen ran recklessly toward the APC, wildly shooting at any bugs in his path. One emerged on his side and rammed the back of his leg, flipping him over and landing hard on his back. He didn't have time to get up as they flowed over him kicking and screaming.

I stood transfixed at Stephen's rending flesh, Roman's voice a distant echo over his rifle, "Kat! Kat we've got to get out of here!" He looked around frantically for a direction to go, but there was only the suffocating embrace of the night concealing the creatures within.

I heard Sasha yelling off in the distance, viciously holding her ground, blood pouring from open wounds. Hordes of the creatures were illuminated by the faint flicker of gunfire bursting out of the APC's doorway as they undulated through the camp.

Fear drenched my veins as Roman shakily shot at them as they approached, the muzzle flash reflecting the ruby stained grass. There were too many, Roman cried in surprise as something slammed us apart to the ground. I lifted myself on my hands and hysterically looked for Roman through a haze of hair, he yelled as they descended upon him, "Kat! KAT!"

That's when I saw one of them had faint teal markings. "Xaez... Xaez no! NO!" I clenched my hands over my eye's, my shriek mixing with Roman's as they tore into his flesh. His screams piercing me with the crunch of bone and sinew, but none as deep as the sudden silence. I looked up and Xaez was there, viscera and vile spittle dripping from his maw, silhouetted by the endless void.

He turned towards me with feral hunger and threw himself towards me with horrifying speed, jaws reaching for a fatal embrace "Xaez, what're you doing?! No! NOO!" My lungs evoked a guttural shriek as I fell, frantically kicking and knocking over a cot. His shape swept over me, adrenaline fueling me as I thrashed. He shook me fiercely, voices shouting in the distance.

He slammed me into the ground and I laid shaking violently and disoriented, my chest heaving as everything faded back into focus.

I stared perplexed up at Vance kneeling over me.

I looked around and found myself in my tent, the light creeping through the gently waving flaps. Stephen was standing in the opening, Vances voice grabbing my attention, "Hey, hey are you alright? Its okay now, it was just a dream, you're okay now." He got up as Roman rushed in, blurting out questions as he rushed over and wrapped his armed around me.

I clung to him and sobbed uncontrollably into his shirt. I realized that I was soaked in sweat. My heart still thrashing. 'It.. It was just a dream.. Its not real.. Its not real..' Roman held tightly and didn't let go as we rocked gently, the black abyss drifting from memory.

"Guess she just had a bad dream." I heard Vance sigh.

"Ya, good thin' it was jus' a dream." Stephen said from just outside, "Ya might wanna check 'er out though, make sure she's a'right."

"She's fine." Roman said flatly, reaching over to help wipe my tears. I let out a shaky sigh, Roman looked at me and helped me to my feet. "You okay?" He asked.

I slowly nodded, still trembling somewhat.

"You gave us quite the scare." Vance said and turned to the tent flaps, "We better go see how things are going out there."