Different Similarities

A new place

The human had been asleep for two moon rises. The nest I had placed her in became damp with her sweat. Her tan face now a rosy pink, and though she seemed to be overheating she would shiver occasionally throughout the day. No amount of physical stimulation would wake her. As I raised water to her strange mouth she would only take small sips half asleep; the rest poured at the sides of her fleshy lips. The food I left her while I secured the corridor remained untouched. It was on the third sunrise that she started stirring and mumbling in her slumber. I had moved her closer to my nest and continued to place fresh food and water near her. I had even begun to surround her sleeping form with her items she stored in her back satchel. Hoping that in my absence she would awaken and would take relief in her items.

It was only after another sundown when I returned to see her water cup now empty and soft foods half eaten. Still she rested deeply in her cocoon made of linen and clothing. Now that I had found various technological gadgets in the adjacent wing I began busing myself by scavenging. With her now tossing and turning occasionally I was able to focus on fixing my gauntlet.

Darkness greeted me once more. This time there was no unbearable heat but a shuddering coldness. I could feel chilling air blowing towards me from the above making me curle into myself more. Knees pushed against my chest as shudders ranked through me. My body was more than sore, my skin stings every time I brush against it. Much like the area surrounding my healing bed sore. The stomachache I awoke to was a nice change compared to the nauseating dizziness I've had since I've awoken from Cryosleep. I know I passed out when I saw the pale alien, and I saw more than felt the red alien steady me. Every time I breathed in I could taste sickness, mucus going to the back of my throat as I inhaled for fresh air.

Eyes sealed closed by hardened crust, rubbing them till dark eyes released from their self made prison. Luna squinted into the brightly lit room. She half remembered reaching out in between dreams for water and goopy substance. Empty cans replaced with opened wrappers, brown bars peeking from the colorful packaging. Soft clicking brought a sense of comfort and familiarity. A hulking form she vaguely remembered from a comforting dream sat on a thin mattress to her right.

"Cheetah?" She croaked, her voice hush and deep from her long slumber. She saw his strange mouth appendages twitch and flex before relaxing. His head turned sharply like an ancient animal from earth she remembered watching in videotapes. Round unblinking eyes stared at her. He clicked at her, head tilting in question. Gently he placed his contraption down before sliding towards her.

A lopsided smile graced her flushed face. Crouching together with the silent deliberate movement and unblinking gaze further linked the aliens' correlation with the feline predator from Earth. She remembered the old pictures in her bedroom wall, a large cat-like animal prowling through the tall grass. Through the haze Luna knew that he was not waiting to pounce but moving slowly and carefully so as to not startle her.

"Are we safe?" The human whispered once he got close enough, his knuckles skimming her cheek. He was surprisingly cold, his touch hurt at first but as the seconds tick by she felt him almost absorb her access heat. His answer was the same as before: a strange shushing hissed from him. The gesture from before was still wrong. Her hand reached between the spaces. Pulling at his index finger until the pad touched her chapped lips.

"Like this. Shhh" he mimicked her voice not pulling back even as she pushed his finger towards his own mouth. "Shh..." he repeated with his own voice this time.

"I'm guessing we are not safe." She straightened herself up; her vision titled and hazed at the movement. She placed her hand over her forehead taking in her high temperature. Her face was soaked in sweat making her greasy hair stick to her face. She could tell past her stuffy nose she smelled horrible again. The alien pushed a water cup towards her as well as the nutrition bar. She gulped the water down in one go but left the food untouch.