Extraterrestrial

Chapter 5: out of breath

Sweat is rolling off my body in waves. I keep panting but I can't seem to catch my breath. I'm running. Running in the deserted parking lot. It's no use, they're going to get me. I can't keep this up forever. I have nowhere no hide either. If I fight, I might be able to take them down. Maybe. I have to try.

So I stopped running. I turned to face them instead. The men dressed in dark suits and ties, leering at me with their evil expressions their guns withdrawn from their holsters. Ready to shoot. Oh no, I didn't think of that! Forget fighting, I'll die instantly. Turning around I started heading for the nearest shelter, away from the bullets that pelted the concrete. I feel tired. I'm sick and tired of running from them. Exhausted from the constant cat and mouse chase. I felt my blood boil. I knew getting pissed at armed men wasn't going to get me anywhere but I just couldn't stop the feeling from growing. It was overwhelming.

I picked up a steel pipe and hurled myself at them. Getting shot in the stomach in the process. The pain didn't even register in my mind as I bashed their skulls in. Dodging bullets and slamming them one by one until I finally ran out of breath. I was bleeding so much but that didn't stop me at all. I was on a rampage. I just wanted them to die. Like how my friends did. My friends...

No no, my friends didn't deserve to die like that. I should've died with them. Why am I the only one alive? I screamed at myself. At the agony of feeling. It hurt so much, my heart just throbs and sinks further every time I think about their bodies. Crushed and dead. I sobbed and sobbed.

Suddenly, I heard a voice. "Angie? Angelina, shhh shhh. Hey, hey, it's okay." Someone was patting my head. Their hands are warm against my forehead. The room feels so humid. Hazily, I opened my eyes to see that it was just a dream. "J- James?" I realized that I'm just sleeping in one of his rooms. Safe and sound. "I'm sorry. Was I too loud?" My head hurts and my throat was sore and scratchy. "Yes, I could hear you all the way from the second floor."

I was sweating all over. The loose shirt he gave me, clinging on to my skin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." It was dark without the lights on but I could see him clearly. He seems to be scrutinizing me, his eyes narrowed down with alertness I've never seen on him before. "Well, I'll bring you more clothes to change into. There are some painkillers in the upper kitchen cupboards. I trust you'll be able to get them yourself while I get the clothes?"

"Yyeah, I will." My voice was coming out shaky and weak. I was worse than I thought. I feel like I'm about to collapse. He helps me out of the bed and to the kitchen, "thank you", and he disappeared down the hallway to one of his rooms. I thought his closet was in his bedroom on the second floor? I thought as I fumbled for the pills and got a glass of water from the tap. The kitchen lights are unbearably bright for my groggy state. 

Despite that, I sat in silence as I waited for him. He couldn't have taken that long just to get a couple of t-shirts, would he? That's when I picked up faint voices from wherever James had gone. I could hear him talking. To someone on the phone. It was far enough that a normal person wouldn't be able to hear under normal circumstances so this situation was extremely perplexing for me not to notice. But at that moment, I was just dazed from my nightmarish sleep. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be forming coherent thoughts. That's why I should've avoided heading in the direction of his voice.

My ears pricked at the sound like a dog's would when he hears his owner's approach. "Yes, it started. As you've predicted. But it's different this time...yes...yes" "She's doing just fine..." I froze in the darkened hallway. Was he talking about me? At that moment, James' voice paused on the phone, "I'll talk to you tomorrow. I gotta deal with some stuff."

The phone call was abruptly cut off. I didn't even have time to react before he was coming out of the room. I dove out of the way and back into the kitchen, sitting back into the chair I was in before I wandered off. I decide to act oblivious, that wouldn't be too hard to do.

"Oh were you here just now? I'll go get your clothes now. Hang on..." he says, unconcerned. Unsuspecting like I'm not just another stranger he just picked up from the street this morning. "Sure..." I say, unsure of what to say as I just went with it. I have to constantly remind myself that I'm in a stranger's house. In spite of that, I should also appreciate his hospitality and kindness. I happened to be lucky today.

Under any other circumstances, I would have been in a tighter situation. Thrown into a jail cell. Or homeless on the street. I could've stayed somewhere with some old classmates or just gone back to my parents but after what I saw this morning. I'm sure they would be waiting at my doorstep if I went home. Though, if it were up to my parents, they would most definitely call the cops on me.

They already know too much about me, in such a short amount of time. Ordinary law enforcement officers don't work this quickly. Something's telling me that they are of a higher power and authority. A nobody at the bottom of the food chain like me would surely be crushed if I were to get in their way. Not to mention the people I have around me if I chose to reach out to them, that's why it's best if I don't show my face to anyone I know. Too dangerous. They'd also be at risk because of me.

That night as I closed my eyes to sleep once more. I thought of happier times. The times when Aaron, Jeff, Trish and Rina were still around. All those times we caused havoc around us. That one time we trashed the mall. Or skipped classes for a day just because we felt like it. So impulsive, quick to emotions. Yet deep down we had the same potential as any other young adult. The same emotional intelligence and analytical thinking skills.

Once a chaotic bunch, but now there was only one left. Me.