Deep Space

Part 1

Keith's POV

Every day where I live is boring and uneventful. It is the same routine every single day. All I had ever dreamed of was having a friend or family to keep me company. I hate being by myself all of the time. It is all my fault that I am alone though.

Years ago when I was young my mother lived with me. Her name was Krolia and she was my world, my everything. I practically worshiped her. She was beautiful, vibrant, and creative. And the most important thing, she was loving.

We lived on this little planet. It did not have a real name but we called it home. No one else lived on it except for us. It had its own atmosphere so it was inhabitable. There were trees and other plant life everywhere. There was also a small stream where fish swam and large birds and other animals would pray on them.

I grew up watching the predators catch their prey. Krolia taught me that it was the same with us. We all had to survive and there was just a certain way the universe must be. All humans and aliens were prey to us. We were a little on the odd side of the alien spectrum and were very well known as a species. Krolia and I were sirens.

We had a song that would lure ships full of humans or aliens to us. A siren's diet consists mainly of meat but we could live off plants if we had to. I preferred to eat plants and the occasional animal from the little planet we inhabited but Krolia taught me how to sing and get "fresh meat" to come to us. She liked the taste of human the best but I thought it was cruel. Those people had friends and families back home and they needed to go back. For them.

Krolia lived together in peace until one horrible day. She was out among the stars singing and waiting for a ship to come to her. One did come eventually and she knew they were easy prey.

"Only humans," she had scoffed. "Would come this far out into space and be stupid enough not to be prepared for us."

I had believed that humans were easy prey and I did not need to stick around to help her secure a meal. I usually stayed with Krolia to assure that she stayed safe unless she was after humans. They really were stupid and never were prepared for her. But this time... this time was different.

The ship of humans came drifting right up to her. She quickly charmed the humans to come out into her "loving embrace" with her song. When they did, they appeared to be completely under her spell. I was on the planet and she was only a thousand feet away so I could see what was happening perfectly well.

Krolia let the humans get close enough to touch her before she stopped singing and darted her hands out to grab their throats to kill them. The two men, however, had other plans. One pulled out a gun from a holster at his side. I was trying desperately to get to her before anything could happen.

A was three-quarters of the way there when he pulled the trigger and captured Krolia in a large net. The other man jabbed a needle into her side and pushed a blue colored liquid into her body. She froze for a second and they started to pull her onto the ship. Before the drug took full effect, Krolia screamed for me to run. Run away and hide.

It was then the men noticed me but seeing that I was no threat they returned to taking her body onto the ship. I was in full retreat when she was taken aboard. Never to return.

I realized looking back at that moment that I could have fought them. Could have saved her. Could have saved my mother, my friend. Could have tried to help.

Could have but didn't.