Starhoppers

12 - A Third Party

Ellie's cries of terror coursed through my ears and into my brain, the sight of Isaac's mangled body turning my legs to jelly beneath me.

"Holy shit..." Ezra gagged, pressing his arm to his nose as he stared down at the disfigured captain.

"What the fuck did they do to him?" Ralph shouted, turning to Caesar's wife. "What is going on here?"

The alien watched, her eyes narrowed curiously as she held her spear steady against the doctor's throat. A series of hoots passed through her beak as she gestured towards the door.

"We - don't - know - what - you're - saying," Ralph spat the words, turning to face me. "Zach, where's the damn translator?"

"I think the message is clear enough," Ezra croaked, struggling to compose himself as he placed his hand behind Isaac's shoulder. "Ralph, help me out here."

"Zach!" Ralph shouted, pointing at Ellie as he moved to help Ezra. "Quiet her down!"

I turned finally to Ellie, tears in the girl's eyes as she held tightly onto her father's only hand. "Ellie," I choked out her name, reaching for her.

"Don't fucking touch me," she snapped, sobbing harder.

I flinched at the girl's explosive reaction, my nerves shot. The scarce contents of my stomach fought to enter my mouth as I stared at Isaac's mutilated torso. The stench of blood in the air reminded me of my father's farm, but the juxtaposition of those memories with the motionless body of my captain - my friend - made me sick.

Ralph groaned. "Come on, Ellie. He's coming with us. Just give us some space!"

Ellie hesitated for a moment longer before pulling away, burying her face into my shoulder as Ralph took her place. "I'm so sorry, Zach," she sobbed.

"It's okay..." I nearly whispered the words as the men lifted Isaac into the air. A sickening squelch followed as the captain was peeled from the congealed pool of blood on the table.

Caesar's wife howled one final time at the doctor before shimmying towards the back door of the cabin, pressing her hairy palm against the wood. With the alien's gaze locked on my own, I pulled Ellie gently towards her, lifting the translator.

"We must leave," she spoke. "Too much time has been wasted already."

"What's the plan?" I asked, glancing back at the others. Ralph had since shooed Ezra away, the burly man carrying Isaac firmly against his shoulder.

"Whatever plan I might have had must now be altered," the alien replied, pushing quickly out the door and into the forest beyond the village as the translator continued to speak. "My people will have heard the commotion."

"Yeah, well, she never mentioned any plans to begin with," Ezra scoffed, shaking his head as we followed the alien into the woods. "And what about our bags? What about Serena?"

"We can't worry about that right now, Ezra," I said. "We can come back for her later, or..."

My words trailed off as a haunting howl sounded from somewhere deep in the village behind us, the warning cry echoing loudly through the trees. "Ah, Jesus..." Ralph groaned, readjusting Isaac on his shoulder.

"Where are we going?" I asked the alien, my heart thumping painfully in my chest as more howls filled the air around us.

"Albright," she replied, slowing for only long enough to hoot the name into the translator.

"She hasn't seen him in months, right?" Ezra asked between breaths. "How does she expect to find him now?"

"We just have to trust her, Ezra," I replied. "Where else are we going to go?"