Hope

TWENTY-EIGHT: One of Many

Twisting my arm stuck between us, I manage to get my hand in a different position. With my fingers on the trigger of the spray bottle, I aim it up, squirting Avørek in the face as I tear myself away from him.

"Get off me!" I scream, shoving at the alien.

He hisses as some of the spray gets in his eyes, releasing me from his grip. Stumbling away, the alien snarls, his face screwing up into something ugly. Something demonic.

Lips snarl to reveal pointed teeth, its once smooth face contorting into something disgusting. Avørek's ears look to have grown, the tall points pinned back as he growls, eyes swirling into an inky black.

He rubs at his face, fingers having now turned into claws as his muscles bunch up looking ready to charge at me.

"How dare you!" the alien's voice is deep, echoing and splitting to sound as if multiple people are talking on top of each other.

I drop the spray bottle and duster now that I'm free, moving along the wall with my back still against it. I can taste the blood in my mouth where the alien's teeth scrapped against my lip. All I want to do is spit it out.

My brain is screaming at me to run away, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea.

"How dare you!" I scream right back, chest heaving.

I will not end up like all the other before me!

"You think you can attack me like that? I'm not a toy, Avørek! Back off!"

There's no way I can win a fight against that- that thing if it comes to it. Part of me wishes I kept the metal handed duster with me.

My eyes dart to the forgotten cleaning device, and in a surge of foolish bravery I dive for the duster. Avørek lunges after me, growling as he attempts to swipe me with his dangerously clawed hand.

I whip around, smacking his arm away with the duster that bends from the force.

Avørek hisses, charging again. In a panic, I throw it at his face. He yelps, stumbling back.

"I don't like you Avørek! I'm not some idiot either! If I say no, I mean no! I ain't afraid of you!" I am, I am afraid.

Even as I scream at him, my voice aching from the sheer volume, I can't help the shake in my limbs. I'm terrified.

"Avørek!"

Our heads whip to face the top of the stairs where Aliston stands. His face is pinched into a frown, dark eyes turning darker as he looks between the two of us.

I turn back to Avørek. He's turned feral. He looks like something out of a nightmare. His eyes are slitted, the inky black having taken up his entire eye instead of the whirling colours so similar to Lavere's. his pupils have completely disappeared; swallowed by the anger that has quite literally consumed him.

That thing, in front of me is not Avørek. It's a monster and definitely something that would kill me if given the chance.

Aliston says something in Alenorian, his voice loud and demanding. Avørek only hisses, snarling as he spins on the spot.

I wince, jumping as he practically sprints past me to his room where he slams the door shut with a resounding bang.

Immediately my body relaxes, my muscles unwinding as the threat disappears. Adrenalin still courses through my veins, my hands shaking and teeth almost chattering from the fear still tingling up and down my spine.

Aliston steps towards me and I can't help but take a step back. I don't want to be touched. Not by him, not by anything remotely related to that thing.

"I am...sorry, for what my son has done."

The silence consumes us as I look up at the taller alien, watching his unemotional face as he watches me. He looks as if he wants to reach out to me, but I don't see a hint of guilt or real concern.

"That thing was not your son."

He frowns, almost looking offended, but I'm not about to start apologising now.

"Do you- do you think that kind of thing is normal? He just tried to rip my face off and you're standing here like you're expecting forgiveness or somethin'? You didn't even do anything to stop him!"

Even with Aliston standing there, Avørek could have taken only one more step towards me and I would be dead!

This time Aliston does close the distance between us, his spindly hand coming to rest on my shoulder. I shrug him off, tripping over my own feet as I increase the space between us.

He opens his mouth, shuts it, and finally opens it again. "You took care of yourself. For that, I should congratulate you. Most would have fallen for his guise or would be lying on the floor."

He forgot to mention the part about me being dead.

Aliston's words obviously don't make me feel any better. If anything, it makes me feel worse. How can he stand there so calmly as if nothing happened? How can he say that to me with no emotion?

It was sheer damn luck I managed to get the alien off of me! What would have happened if Aliston hadn't have walked up those stairs at that moment? Is that what is was like for the other nannies? One moment they were fighting for their life and the next Avørek had his claws in their throats?

"I am impressed." Aliston's words snap me out of my thoughts.

My gaze fixes back on him, my look of horror no doubt still painted on my face.

"Impressed?" I whisper, astonished.

"Yes."

We stare at each other for a long moment and I realise this must be something more than just an attack. More than an angry alien's violent outburst against a human.

Aliston doesn't say anything else. He only smiles at me in an almost fond way before brushing past me to continue down the hall to his study.

I turn on the spot, my eyes falling to the duster and spray bottle lying discarded on the floor. A small wet puddle sits beneath the bottle, and the sight of the dented duster sends another spike of fear up my spine.

I almost died.

I almost died and my blood would have been sprayed across the walls. Aliston seemed to think this near-death experience was a miracle, or- or some sort of rite of passage, but it's not! This is something serious. This is real and violent, and scary.

Why would Avørek attack me? Why would he pin me to the wall and molest me? Why did he stop when Aliston told him to? Why am I even here? I'm a human! Not an alien, not some powerful creature from another planet that can throw its weight around. I don't belong here. Just like every other human that worked under the Mirker household; I'm expendable.

I feel like this was some sort of light bulb moment. Some sort of indicator that I shouldn't be in this house or in these creature's lives. I don't understand the world these Alenorians live in! I don't know the customs, traditions, or the social hierarchy. I'm human. And humans don't belong here anymore.

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