your friends didn't ask many questions when they rushed sneakily ahead in to the city from behind you. even mr. sam wasn't limping as much as you... then again his leg didn't almost get blown off in a nasty explosion.
you didn't know what was behind you all or what that thing was but... you weren't ready to find out. you had to get out of there immediately. you didn't care if there was an alien in that damned spaceship or a small, innocent child... you had a feeling that whatever it was— it could kill. you weren't ready to die. neither were your friends.
the city usually wasn't that much of a wild distance away, but after the old car you all had had failed... well let's just say the city became a wild distance away. it didn't matter though, you'd all get out and you'd all be safe... right?
the dreadful sound of what could be comparable to an explosion made you and your friends all nearly drop to the ground, clutching one another.
this felt terribly familiar.
you had your little brother safe in your arms and had given him the bag of marshmallows to aid in keeping him distracted and silent.
although honestly you were weary about feeding him considering how ridiculously heavy he was in your grasp... yet that wasn't your focus, the loud bang sound was. the loud bang sound that was alluring your mind to a place it had been all day and didn't want to be anymore. no, not now. you couldn't afford to remember right now.
after everyone had come to their senses, you all began to rush forward again... all except for archie. you turned back around when you didn't see his jet black hair beside you and were grateful to see that he wasn't being sucked on like a lollipop by some alien.
no, instead he was just... standing there. "archie!" you hissed, "you can look up at the stars later dude, come on!" he looked down at your face and shushed you before continuing what he was doing again.
"this is ridiculous." you muttered as you marched towards him. "hey buddy, hate to break it to you but we are kind of in a life or death situ—" your lips melted in to a frustrated pout when he clamped his grossly damp palm right over them... shutting you up effectively. his eyes found yours after a moment and he pointed to his ear— mouthing, "listen."
you wanted to roll your eyes and tug him ahead to somewhere safe. somewhere where you could throw your little brother down and wipe the drool and marshmallow stickiness off of you... but archie's eyes were wide with concern— as if he wanted to ensure that he wasn't crazy.
so, you did as he asked you too... you listened. you simply heard complete silence at first. complete silence alongside familiar, fierce ringing in your ears. the wind and an owl's howl was all you distantly picked up... but just as you were about to tug archie away and keep on with your escape— you heard it.
the sound of heavy footsteps, synchronized footsteps all nearing towards you both from the woods you were just roasting marshmallows beside. "oh crap..." you whispered and archie only cautiously turned and squinted his eyes to see if he could make out anything in the distance.
when his stance tensed, you decided to take a look too. your vision was terrible but it didn't take golden, 20/20 sight to see the many black masses all marching closer. immediately, your head turned to archie in panic as esme and mr. sam caught up to you both from their place ahead.
"come on now, we're almost there. you can't get tired now." mr. sam spoke through sharp and labored breaths. "y'all are about to trigger my asthma." he complained, placing his hands on his knees as he worked to catch his breath again.
it took a minute for you to snap out of your trance of shock and look at them, but you eventually did. you eventually woke up enough to know that standing still like idiots was going to get you all murdered. you'd seen enough horror movies, you didn't want to be that girl.
"we need to go." archie simply said as he turned and ran full force ahead, esme followed suit and mr. sam... well... "oh lord jesus help me and my back." he prayed before running— er, prancing more so as fast as he could behind esme and archie. you followed, running as fast as you ever had in your entire life— even with one leg barely functioning.
it felt like hours were passing as you all ran, and the ache in your leg was not letting up. you wished so fiercely that you could melt in to the ground and just rest even for a moment, but that wasn't possible. you had to strain it if you wanted to survive.
"stop stop... over there." esme whispered loud as she could before pointing to a nearby tunnel under the hill, just before the city. it was dark and secluded, and not really a tunnel seeing as the exit was closed off. it was perfect for hiding but also would no doubt trap you all if running was needed.
"are you fuckin' crazy? we go in there and we come out as alien lunch." archie hissed through clenched teeth at his older sister. esme only scanned the hill ahead before turning to archie with the shake of her head. "okay hotshot, you try climbing that steep hill to get away then. not only does one of us here have a minimally functioning leg, but another has asthma!" she scolded.
mr. sam nodded, "yeah exactly, son!" making archie tense his sharp jaw. "how the hell can we hide in there?" you let everyone somewhat bicker and plot as you took a step forward and squinted at the tunnel ahead. your eyes scanned the empty, abandoned passageway before landing on a pile of large crates... large enough to hide in.
you simply tugged on esme's shirt to get her attention as you stared ahead at the wooden crates, "i found our hiding spot.." you told them before pointing ahead to the last resort left. you knew the dark alien cult was getting closer, you could feel the vibration of their synchronized steps under your feet. there was no other escape that couldn't slow you down or get you all killed.
archie shook his head at the idea but one sharp pull of his ear from esme's hand had him following her like a shadow.
your group worked quick and together to pull the luckily empty crates in to a position that would be suitable for hiding. soon enough everyone was huddled together in the wooden boxes, legs entangled and absolutely no ounce of personal space unfortunately... but it had to do.
you glanced down at your little brother as he munched on the marhmallows, nearly at the end of the bag. your hand found his cheeks and you pinched them together so he'd listen to you clearly. his big brown eyes wandered up to yours in confusion. "we need to be quiet, okay? no noise or the bad guys are gonna get us... understand?" the young boy simply nodded once before turning away again and quietly chewing on more marshmallows.
as the seconds passed, you could feel them getting closer. the crates vibrated more and more each time their boots kissed the soil. now— you weren't the most religious person, it was kind of hard to be with the state of the world at the time but, in that moment you were asking whatever creature that was supposedly up in the heavens to keep you and your friends safe. begging. you couldn't lose another family... you couldn't.
your mind drifted to your mother. you only wondered what she'd be telling you in that moment. how she'd probably do her best to reassure, maybe make a stupid joke just to see you smile. yet she wasn't here to do that anymore. she'd never be. your haunted mind was torn from your sad thoughts when esme placed a tense hand on your upper arm and clutched it in fear, snapping you back in to reality.
"sir, are you sure about this?" "yes, it could be a trap sir!" two unidentifiable, robotic voices spoke. everyone in the crates all fell in to complete silence, even your little brother oddly enough, and your eyes wandered to that of every other person's gaze beside you.
"silence. i know what i am doing. you both will listen and follow my lead." this voice... this voice was far different. it was still robotic but— scarier. deeper. haunted. like a demon... a robot demon. it made you feel sick.
now the sound of distant, heavy footsteps was even closer... so close that even the echo of the steps was louder than the consistent ringing in your ears. esme clutched your arm even tighter when the dreadful steps halted right in front of you all. the black shadow of what you assumed was the demon robot alien was straight in front of the crate. you didn't breathe... you couldn't breathe. none of you could.
"somebody is in here, i can sense it. somebody foolish." the voice spoke.
if archie wasn't so terrified, he would've screamed "i told you so" in to the heavens... but he didn't want a quicker death wish. you all still had a chance, be it a tiny one or not, still a chance.
"uhh i don't see anyone, sir." the much lighter robotic voice said before once again, the demon responded. "quiet, i said." and it sounded as if his teeth were gritted together so damn tightly as he said this.
"uhh, okay. surrender now to the first order or there will be grave consequences to pay, resistance scum!" stated the lighter voice, making you furrow your brows. the first order? oh god... the government! it had to be! who else would be trying to steal innocent citizens? you could escape before but now... now they had a god damned spaceship!
archie shook his head and mr. sam's hands seemed to be shaking just a bit more than usual. the black mass stepped even closer to the crates, so close to all of you. you were freaking out... terrified of being caught and so close to it as well.
"it's a girl... i can smell her." your eyes widened and you looked down at yourself before glancing at esme. you both hadn't showered in days to be quite honest, simply because the car had broken down and you couldn't visit a gym or a clean enough lake. so it couldn't have been one of you... right? esme gently shook her head no at your internal questioning before carefully pointing to the marshmallows with her chin.
oh...
so the demon could smell the sickly sweet treats in the crate, it made you tense. that was why he was close, he must have been following the aroma.
"a sweet little girl, an idiotic little girl." he growled. only a mere second passed before the creature slammed his hand down on to the crate abruptly. everyone jumped, including your little brother who looked two seconds away from breaking out in to screeches and tears; that clearly could not be afforded. you slapped your hand over his mouth and shook your head no at him.
please no...
"surrender to me, little girl. surrender to the first order or pay for your wrongful actions."
the air thinned. this was it, this had to be it. your eyes threatened to fill with tears of your own as you glanced at your terrified friends... even mr. sam couldn't reassure you in that moment. he always had before. now he just returned your nervous gaze with a frown on his face. you were terrified.
in a moment of sheer fear, you clasped your hands together quickly and begun mouthing every prayer in the book you had learned over your lifetime. every. single. one. if no person could save you then, maybe god would now.
and when the lighter voice of the demon robot alien cult member spoke, you actually believed your prayers had been answered. "sir, multiple unidentifiable ships have been spotted nearby. they seem to be headed our way."
the demonic creature's leather boot dragged against the jagged cement as he turned to the lighter voiced creature. "destroy them." he simply said, and that alone caused goosebumps to ravage your skin. how could he so easily command someone to literally murder people? it was vile. this creature was evil.
years ago you would've no doubt been utterly floored by the possibility of alien arrival on to earth but— with the madness of these past few years, a part of you was numb to this newfound situation.
"sir, it doesn't seem like that's gonna be easy... these ships have weaponry from what the general can see. weaponry that is foreign to us."
the large man huffed out a sharp, heavy breath before his steps began to finally float away in to the distance; and you finally began to breathe again. yet that relief only lasted for a mere, quick moment.
"achoo!"
oh you could've died then and there. you had moved your hand from your brother's face for one second, simply to place it over your heart just to make sure it was still beating, and now you were no doubt, utterly screwed.
everyone's eyes grew wider than the saucer that had landed, and your free hand immediately found your brother's mouth. it took all your willpower not to barf when your hand connected with the snot dripping from his nose, but in that moment you couldn't care— you didn't trust him enough to stay quiet. the footsteps walking away had halted completely.
oh come on god, that was cruel...
"sir?"
the silence lingered amongst the thin air for what seemed like hours after that last word spoken from the alien cult... but no one dared to do a thing. esme's hand relaxed its grip on you and your shoulders slumped... they had to have gone away.
your hand cautiously lifted from your brother's mouth and you put a finger to your lips to remind him to keep quiet, wiping your contaminated hand against your dirty jeans.
you all had survived.
no moves were made just yet, but before you dared to take a peak through the thin crack in the wooden crates, archie's hands flew up to his throat. all heads turned to him as he clutched at his jugular and seemed to be struggling to catch air. completely out of nowhere.
a single vein popped out of his forehead and his mouth formed an o shape as he struggled to stay quiet and also breathe. "archie?" mr. sam whispered, placing a hand on the young man's back in concern. it took a single beat... one single beat after mr. sam spoke for the crates to go flying against the tunnel walls, breaking in to pieces.
you gasped, knees feeling like they could buckle from under you at any second. as soon as your eyes adjusted, the sight you saw made you clutch on to your brother even tighter, scrambling to your feet alongside everyone else... except for archie.
the creatures.
they were far more terrifying than you had imagined. all of them were masked and armored, armed with what looked like advanced weaponry pointing at you and your friends. yet the creature in the middle... he was the monster that you feared to find under your beloved bed at night as a child.
darkness.
surrounding and suffocating his entire being. you didn't have to be psychic to pick that up. he too wore a mask, a terrifying mask that you would no doubt have nightmares about... well, if you even lived long enough after this situation to have them.
his stance was tense and he was a tower amongst tall men, arm outstretched and fist clenched. your eyes wandered from his leather gloved hand to archie whom was practically a ball suffocating on the floor. with each clench of the creature's fist, archie struggled to breathe even more, you observed.
holy shit... telekinesis.
your concern for your dear friend grew when you saw the blue color staining his forehead and the purple amongst his lips. but you couldn't speak... you felt completely frozen. the rest was a blur.
"you sick son of a bitch, let him go!" esme screamed as she took a step forward towards the creature with adrenaline and confidence, before ultimately getting blasted back against the wall opposite with a flick of the creature's wrist. you wanted to scream... but you couldn't. mr. sam didn't leave archie's side as he gasped for the precious air surrounding.
"take him." you simply heard before two of the men in white armor stepped forward and collected mr. sam, dragging him away. you opened your mouth to speak but... nothing. absolutely nothing came out.
what the fuck was wrong with you?
your eyes however, they told your darkest stories. they showed the masked creature how terrified you truly were when he lifted archie in to the air before you and forced him closer to your remaining friends, now prisoners it seemed.
your little brother was clutching on to your legs for dear life, sobbing in to them, and you could feel your heart ache for him. sure he was a pain at times but, for a young boy— he had no doubt seen too much. this, this was a perfect example.
"and the girl, sir?"
a moment passed.
"leave her to me."
then... then you snapped out of it. even more so when he began to step forward, closer to you and your brother who you would die to protect.
you were trapped, you were completely at his mercy.
your leg, god how it was aching. it didn't feel right. it felt worse than usual rather, as if it was ready to just fall off completely. still, that didn't stop you from stumbling back away from the demon before you— your brother had no choice but to follow.
his steps were strong and powerful, terribly long legs aiding him forward. closer, stalking, assessing you. you couldn't even bring yourself to glance at your friends as your eyes blurred with tears. you were terrified.
you had felt this fear before... utter fear when you'd lost your parents. you hadn't known what was next, how would you function. surely you learned but... that feeling, it still lingered. always. now, it was back and far fiercer than ever. complete anxiety pooling in the pits of your stomach, radiating off you in heavy waves.
your brother clutched your legs even tighter when your backs hit the wall behind you both. your mind had been so lost, you hadn't noticed that the creature now had you in the perfect position to pounce.
fuck.
what could you do? how could you escape this? your eyes darted wildly all over the tunnel for a solution but you couldn't find one. one thing you knew for sure was that you wouldn't let them take your baby brother, you wouldn't lose him. you promised your mother.
your shaky hands moved him behind you as the creature stopped in his deadly tracks, the echo of his steps fading in to nothingness. now, all you could hear was that dreadful ringing and his calm breaths through that awful mask.
"y/n..." your brother whimpered from behind, and you only moved a hand back to place on his head so to soothe him. "it's okay... everything's okay." you managed to whisper, lying straight through your jittering teeth.
the creature just stared at you, analyzing you it seemed. you could only blink away at your tears which were falling fiercely down your cheeks. the mask tilted at you, in the eeriest of manors before once again, he spoke.
"ah yes... the little girl i sensed. the sweet little idiot— and her foolish friends..."
you remained quiet. once again losing your voice in the ocean of fear pooled inside your throat. god, you felt like you could just barf.
the mask, it tilted downward to your brother hiding behind you, hugging your legs and shaking like a little leaf.
"brat..."
the demon growled, and oddly enough that set you off. "fuck you!" you cried out at him, the sound of your strong voice echoing throughout the tunnel and surprising you. oh... if you didn't have a death wish before, you sure did now.
he took a step forward once more, practically crushing you and your little brother against the wall.
"take the boy." he commanded. and in a split second, two men in white armor stepped towards you once again. your pretty eyes widened and you shook your head at them, "no!" you cried, struggling against their forceful movements to get you out of the way and reach your brother.
yet they were stronger, and it didn't take long for them to push you harshly to your knees and out of the way. they collected your screaming, thrashing brother from behind you with pure ease. you tried to focus on getting up again with all your might but— your leg. god, your leg. the sharpest of pains shot up from your right ankle and settled at your knee, effectively causing it to buckle and bring you completely to the ground with a whimper.
"she's hurt!" you heard mr. sam's voice faintly cry out from the distance. "shut up." a voice immediately responded to him. you felt sick, absolutely sick as you watched them take your brother away through blurry eyes, as your knee throbbed in complete pain spreading throughout each and every bone nearby it.
"oh my god..." you muttered as you caught a quick glance at the damage. your kneecap wasn't supposed to be split in two underneath your skin. that much was obvious. the sight, the quick glance made your toes curl. all because of the men in white masks manhandling you to steal an innocent child.
yet they were the least of your concern in that moment. the demon who had just taken another step forward, completely towering above you was the root of your deepest fears then. you were laid out like a lamb for slaughter by his feet, at the level of his heavy boots. you were nothing before him, absolutely nothing.
your mind, your body, it was all woozy. you felt just about ready to pass out as your body grew limp against the concrete. "please..." you managed to whisper as the demon sunk down to your level, mask coming in to vision with a simple glance up— two of his masks to be exact as your vision began to double. and your knee, well it felt... wet. wet with what you could faintly assume was your own blood.
"what's your name, little girl?" you heard him ask, but you were far too dizzy and dazed to answer. maybe it was a panic attack, maybe it was your injury. you couldn't be sure. your breaths were labored and heavy, mouth slack as your eyes began to droop.
you were so... sleepy.
"answer me..." he growled, your chin being pinched between a gloved hand as your eyes involuntarily began to roll back. you remained silent. you could've swore you saw your mother in the distance, worry in her eyes; in a pretty white dress with the softest wings.
an angel.
"sir, the ships have arrived. you're losing her."
the final thing you heard was a frustrated huff before two large arms collected you in to them, and the feeling of those heavy steps carrying your entire being away to a place you didn't recognize. carrying you in to the stars it felt like.
then, darkness... peace.
sleep.