In Alien Hands: Crashed

Crashed - Part 13

The third morning was identical to the first two. I woke up having no idea what time it was, wanting to go back to sleep so my dreams could at least entertain me. They walked in when I got up to get some water, they had three things this time. The first two were what I expected, food and a puzzle ball, this one was different than the last, seeming a bit more complex. The third item was a plastic box on a tripod, which led me to believe it was a camera.

I watched as they filled my puzzle with the day's food, then set up the camera, pointing it at me. There was no way to hide from the camera, so I chose to ignore it. I wasn't as hungry as I had been the first day, but I was still hungry enough to immediately start work on this new puzzle. I was wrong when I said it was a bit more complex, it was far more complex.

It felt like an hour had passed before I got a single pellet out. I was extremely frustrated, this puzzle was far too difficult. I'd starve before I got a meals worth of food. I decided not to even eat the one pellet, its bland taste would only make my appetite stronger. I put the puzzle back into the transfer box and climbed back into the bed.

I had managed to get to sleep when I heard the door to the room open. I immediately snapped to wakefulness, looking over my shoulder to see the two assistants watching me. I rolled back over and pulled the covers past my head, willing them to go away.

No dice. The doctor came in a minute later, saying something to the others. The puzzle was removed from my cage. I heard the rattle of the thing being weighed and dumped out. I was confused, it couldn't be nighttime already, I'd definitely be hungrier.

I heard the pellets being dumped into another ball, which got my attention. The new ball was placed in the transfer box for me, I immediately took it. It wasn't identical to my first ball, but it appeared to be the same difficulty level. It only took me a few attempts to get a pellet out, I hungrily ate it and the one I had saved from earlier. The aliens seemed pleased, leaving me be.

I was progressing much faster with this one, soon I was getting a pellet out what felt like every ten minutes. The edge was taken off my hunger after the first six pellets, and it was satiated after a dozen. I decided to start working on my next meal so that it would be ready to eat as soon as I was hungry. By that time, I had practically mastered the contraption, and was just starting on the next meal.

I didn't get a chance to eat all my pellets when my day was cut short. I wasn't expecting to be checked in on for a while, so I jumped when the door swung open. I didn't jump when I saw who was at the door. It was Merle, grinning madly, followed by the doctor, also smiling. I'd have been smiling too, it it weren't for the needle in the doc's hand. Instead, I immediately dashed as far as possible away from the thing.

Merle readily approached the cage, kneeling down in front of the bars. He beckoned, I shook my head and shrunk further. He called my name, I shook my head again. An assistant muttered something to my dog-man, he glared at the alien and shook his head.

He turned back to me and started speaking again. He used my name several times, as well as the words for doctor, travel, sleep, home, and family. I brightened at the possible meaning of this, could I be going home? I trusted Merle, but he had juped me the other day at the camp ground. I decided to risk it.

I approached him, his face lit up when I got close. The doc came closer with the needle, I flinched but stayed close. He asked for my arm, I obliged. I closed my eyes tight while I was injected, Merle praising me strongly for my cooperation. My eyes immediately grew heavy, but I didnt fall asleep. I felt Merle twist me around just before I relaxed and fell back, onto the bars.

I heard a loud creak as the door to my cage was opened. I managed to lift my eyes in time to see Merle stride across the space to kneel next to me. He immediately tucked his arms under me and lifted me off the floor.
I leaned my head against his chest while he carried me out. I hated being sedated, but I would've asked for a needle everyday if it had meant he would hold me.

I drifted in and out of consciousness while he carried me out of the room, the building, into the back of a car, then back out again. I barely felt him affix a strap to my wrist, didn't even flinch when I felt another needle prick my arm.

Published 11/3/18