CNN - Breaking News
"It's now been almost thirty minutes since the crash. Earlier tonight reports flooded in from eyewitnesses who saw the object plummet through the atmosphere and crashed in this vineyard outside of LA."
"Witnesses who were first on the scene also report that they saw a young woman at the site, clearly injured. Before they could investigate the girl took off into the heavily wooded area nearby."
"Now, both first responders and civilian volunteers are searching the area to recover the missing girl."
• • • • •
An unmarked, all black SUV pulled to the side of the road, carrying a team of four. One man stepped out of the driver side door and looked around at the semi-controlled chaos before him. "What a mess..." He muttered. The middle aged man wore a black suit jacket over a white dress shirt and black dress pants.
He led his team across the grassy field, passing a group of firefighters as they heaved their heavy water hose from firetrucks and towards the still flaming site. "Sergeant Goldstein." The man said, stopping in front of an LAPD police sergeant. "I'm Agent Band from the CIA. We're here to inspect the site."
The Sergeant nodded and escorted them over the yellow, reflective police tape. "The fire crews were able to cool the metal but the flames are still catching onto the plants."
Agent Band hummed thoughtfully. "What about the girl? Any luck on finding her?"
"The search party reported that they picked up her trail a few minutes ago."
They reached the metal ship-like object and stopped. Band gestured for two of his team members and they ventured inside the ship, inspecting it very closely.
"Keep me posted on the girl's whereabouts, Sergeant." Band said, running his hand over the warm metal.
• • • • •
"She went this way." A woman said, kneeling at a few broken tree branches, pointing deeper into the forest.
"Why does she keep moving like this? She's hurt." A man said in exasperation. They'd been searching for a little over thirty minutes, catching no sight of the girl but it was clear they were on the right path.
"She's obviously scared."
• • • • •
Breathing heavily, the mysterious girl pushed through the seemingly endless branches, startling animals who, in turn, startled her.
Her legs felt as if they'd give out from the pain but she kept moving. She could hear them. They were looking for her.
Don't let them catch you! A voice screamed at her.
A particularly sharp twig caught her left arm, slashing into her orange skin deeply. She yelp in pain, stumbling back only to loose her footing, tripping over a tree's roots. The girl fell backwards, tumbling down a steep slope on the edge of the woods.
After what felt like an eternity, her descent was halted as she slammed hard into the ground, eliciting a gasp of new pain from her. She rolled over with some difficulty onto her stomach, feeling the hard asphalt beneath her.
If this torture wasn't enough, her heart sunk as a pair of bright lights slowly came into view over a hilltop.
• • • • •
A husband and wife, along with their three daughters in the back, drove along the street in their silver van. "We'll be back in the city in another half-hour." The husband said.
His wife, however, was looking through the windshield. "Is that--Is that a woman there? On the street."
The man looked over. "I think so. She must be hurt."
The girl was scrambling to her feet as they drew closer. Before he could stop, however, her hands began to glow a bright red. "What the--"
He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as the girl's hands moved as if she was throwing a baseball, the red bolt of energy leaving her hand and streaking towards his vehicle. He was already instinctively moving, taking a sudden turn to try and avoid the projectile.
The bolt hit just below the car, causing a small explosive burst that tossed them up, flipping the van onto it's side multiple times. The man's wife and daughters screamed in panic and fright as they slid back a few feet before the momentum was lost.
• • • • •
Satisfied that the strange vehicle was down, the girl continued down the dark road as fast as she could on wobbly legs.
She could hear what sounded like sirens in the distance and tried to move faster. I need to find somewhere to hide. She thought, reaching a cornfield on the side of the street and proceeded to move through them.
Above, the sun could be seen peeking over the horizon in it's slow ascent. It would be morning soon.
--------
The next chapters will most likely be much longer than this one, just a heads up.
YOU ARE READING
Arrival
Science Fiction"It's been over 15 hours since the crash." "Something came crashing through the sky." "Still no sign of survivors." "It's aliens!" "No one knows who or what was in the craft." "Witnesses are flooding into the local police station." "It seems like so...
