Carmen
The sun is setting over the Rocky Mountains, and I watch them through the makeshift window that slants slightly to the left. The glass is foggy and cracked, but it does a good job of keeping the chill out. The many peaks and valleys of the mountains are lit up orange and pink from the echoes of sunlight. It's brilliant colors make me sigh dreamily.
I love this planet, even if it is half dead at this point.
I smile, folding my laundry neatly, transporting it into a small box that is a pathetic excuse for a dresser. I don't need much, so you won't hear any complaints from me. I put my hands on my hips, appreciating my work and wondering how much daylight I have left for an afternoon walk.
Slipping out of my room, I cross one of the many suspension bridges hanging in the trees to connect the countless tree houses. The rickety boards sway beneath my feet. I pass a few girls along my way, smiling and saying hi as everyone goes about their business, trekking across the pathways built from solid wood.
Lots of girls in the colony stick together in little clumps. It's not necessarily a clique thing, we have just learned that it's safer to be in numbers in this world.
I'm not sure if Earth has ever been safe, but it had to be safer at some point. Before the government fell, before men were nearly wiped out of existence, there must've been more security. Of course, it was men's fault in the first place. Who do you think started the wars? They brought on their own extinction.
I roll my eyes, smiling to myself as I remember how lucky I am to have been brought into a community of women trying to salvage what's left of this planet. There's not a single man in our clan. We're safer because of it.
I glance around, seeing if I can spot Aria amongst the many girls coming and going. I wave at a group as I pass, continuing to look around for our trusted leader. Aria is tall, taller than any other girl here. That's not easy to do, there's almost two hundred of us.
As I climb down a fraying rope ladder, I land on my feet and lift my hand to block out the rays from the sun that cut into my eyes like knives. I'm ready to walk off when I hear my name being called.
Claire comes running up to me, her face wild with pure panic. Knowing Claire to be the calmer one on the council, I can assume it's serious to have her this worried. Although she's taller than me, she's younger and still naive. I put my hands on her shoulders, pulling her close.
She's trembling like a leaf as her black hair goes flying around her crazed face.
"What happened?" I demand, and she shakes her head, her skin paler than usual. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I may have." She murmurs.
I gawk at her. "What?"
"You won't believe it if I told you. You need to see it for yourself. You'll have to follow me."
My mouth drops open, and I glance around to make sure that no one is eavesdropping. It seems like no one is the wiser as not a single person is looking in our direction. It could be since everyone is excited about dinner.
My heart pangs, thinking about the food shortage. Meal portions were getting smaller as we ration what we have left. Everyone is getting hungrier.
"Does Aria know about this?"
She nods in a quick jerk, gesturing over her shoulder.
"She's the one that sent me to get you."
I follow swiftly behind Claire, trying to put on a brave face so no one sees my dismay.
The younger girl holds my hand, guiding me through the crowds. She taking me down the trees towards the dirt, a place we don't go often unless we're in big groups. I slow my pace, pulling back from her grip.
"Are you sure?"
She nods.
"Come on, Aria is down here."
I agree, following until my feet hit dirt. I try to relish the feeling of being grounded. It's been too long since I've left the safety of the trees. There's not much time to dissect the feeling, I'm being yanked towards the mountains.
At this point, the sun is almost gone. Everything is colored pink by the last bits of sunlight cascading across the land. I have to squint to see as we leave the cover of the trees, entering the open valley.
I halt, staring at the perplexing sight sitting before me.
There's a giant.. ship. It looks like a sleek, metal ship. It doesn't look real. It might not be real. I rub my eyes, blinking and focusing on it once more. It's still there. I guess I'm not dreaming then.
"What is..?" I start, but I'm quickly cut off.
"It's a spaceship. Come on, they're waiting for us."
Them?
A few figures come into view as we get closer, and I can't hide my gasp. They're giants, huge, towering giants. Three of them. They tower over the women present, and I can't help but stare. My stomach drops. Not only are they enormous, but they're eyes almost... glow.
But I can't stop walking even if I wanted to as Claire pulls me so hard that I feel as though my shoulder is going to pop out of the socket.
We near the group way too quickly, and they all turn to watch us arrive in the circle. The towering men keep a safe distance, their backs facing the massive spaceship behind them. I wonder numbly if they arrived here in the odd aircraft. I didn't think that earth had ever had such modern technology, even cars don't work anymore now, how did they get this thing here? There's no fuel left to scavenge.
I notice a girl I've never seen before standing with these strange men. She's smiling at me shyly, hope shimmering on her features.
Nearing Aria, I flick my gaze to her for a moment. She has her gaze fixed on me intently. A few of her friends are flocked around her. I was never a big fan of Aria's other friends. Maybe because they seem like competition to me.
I've had a crush on Aria for as long as I've known her. Although I'm her second in command, she never seems to truly see me.
"Carmen, these are... well... they're..."
Aria starts the sentence, Mel finishes it.
"Aliens." She finishes, not looking at me as her focus remains locked on the strangers.
I don't say anything, feeling a glare fix itself on my face.
Aliens? Aliens aren't real, not to my knowledge.
But as I stare at these men, these monsterous giants with glowing gazes, I know deep down that this isn't a lie. It's not exactly something you can fake. I try to put a clamp on my mind as it tries to sift through all the new possibilities with this discovery.
"It's nice to meet you, Carmen, we've heard a lot about you." The girl that's obviously with the aliens says, taking a step towards me with an outstretched hand.
I look at her hand with little trust, carefully putting my hand in hers. Her grip is warm and string, her hands larger than mine, but slim and feminine.
"My name is Ellie, and this is my mate, Sandsin." She motions behind her to one of the giants, aliens, and he nods at me.
I gulp, taking an involuntary step backwards as his muscular arms bulge across his chest.
"Mate?"
He nods again, this time sharper as his jaw clenches.
"Like a husband, but more intense I would say. Rytarians are very serious about their mates."
"Rytarians?"
She nods, and I realize I'm being rude with the one word questions, but I can't seem to stop.
"Aliens?"
"Frashlee ten relinkas." One of the other men says, his voice raspy. All of us jump back, aside from the other girl, Ellie.
She giggles.
"Yeah, she is small. Humans come in all different sizes." She explains.
I finally let myself get closer to them, growing braver as this odd situation seems to sink in more and more.
"You can understand them?" I ask Ellie, glancing nervously at the men. They look back at me with amazement in their eyes. They're staring at all of us with amazement.
"Yes. I have a lot to explain, but I think you'll want to hear it." She hedges.
Aria crawls up to my side, putting a hand on my elbow and turning me towards her.
"I need your opinion, Car, you're the smartest person I know."
I'm flattered by the compliment, but I shrug. Inside I'm smiling and giddy. She waited on me to make this decision. That must count for something.
"We need them, and they need us."
"We don't need..."
"We're running out of rations, and you know it. We can't make it much longer."
I turn my head down. I do know it, but I was hoping we'd have the issue fixed soon. We send out scouts often, and we've been planting crops. Although I was hopeful all the while, I knew we were he4aded for an ugly place when the food supply ran dry.
I was hoping for a miracle, and maybe this chance is it.
"Let's just hear them out, okay?"
I narrow my eyes at her. Aria nervously tucks her short, blonde hair behind her ears.
"What do they want with us?"
"Just, just listen to what she has to say."
Ellie smiles at me, but I feel my gut sink. Whatever this is, whatever is happening here, I have a feeling that everything is about to change.