When Darkeness Breathes...

XXV. Vengeance

They made themselves known. Coming in the night, right before the break of dawn. The sounds were deafening,the ground and buildings shaking, the glass in some windowsshattering and only adding to the chaos all around. There wereflashes of gold, like the tails of comets, that followed in theirwake as they entered the atmosphere. Some small, some large, all ofthe ships a threat to our survival.

The largest of cities went first, theyattacked without mercy, fire fights as they rained down uponbuildings and homes alike. The air force came in fast, you could seethe fire fights in the sky, watch as alien ships and fighter planesalike fell down onto the earth in crashing fiery blazes. The militaryrolled in, tanks firing missiles, the gang style fighting in thestreets. People were everywhere. Running, screaming, praying forhelp. They searched and ran, any direction, any place they couldtrying to escape the devastation.

Next came the outskirts of the cities.The radius' of thirty miles or so. The cities fell and the alienscontinued outward. Searching for people to kill. The foot soldierscame next. The yellow Beings. They searched out for any sign ofsurvivors and quickly decimated the populations in the areas thatremained. By now, most of us humans were heading into the deeperregions of the rural environments. It only took a matter of severalweeks and humanity was on the run. Our government was in shambles,but there were pockets of Resistance everywhere. We were not goingout without a fight! This was pure vengeance, they felt that they hadwhat they were after, that they had gotten as much as they could fromthe human race, and now they were out to exterminate us, to get rideof anyone that could stand in their way, even if we were not thereyet, in warfare or evolution. And so, they released the Breeds, theirultimate weapons...

This was it, everything they hadstruggled to create for the last 60 years. Thousands of missing andmurdered humans later, this was the advantage that the Grey's hadsought to create. They moved in a kind of uniformed manner, as ifthey could communicate among themselves, but when necessary, theywere able to veer off and complete any mission they deemed necessaryfor their survival. They were strong, vicious and intelligent. Theyhad the ability to think like a human, anticipate like a human, andcalculate like a Grey. Deadly!

We were hole up in a barn, out in themiddle of nowhere when they came for us, what was left of my family. The barn was old, but it had been well taken care of. There was ahigh loft, full of supplies for the coming winter. The main floorheld animals as well as a office with sleeping quarters. But the realadvantage came from a level that sat below the ground. The barnitself was flush to the ground, so the basement was completely hiddenand undetectable. There was a trap door, one that swung outwards thatallowed entrance into the earthen rooms. They held a musty odor, butit was not overwhelming, and after a short time, one adjusted to it.I knew that we would be safe here. So much had been taken from us. Somuch loss of life and hope. I would not let them take anything more.

There was eight of us. Three childrenand five adults. The adults took shifts. Guarding the upper levelsand acting as sentries. We situated the children into the earthenrooms. Providing sleeping quarters, nourishment and toiletry needswere met. There was no way to find them at least. We managed toremain hidden for several weeks before the Breeds discovered thebarn. They came in the daylight. They seemed to have no fear, no needto be subtle or secretive. And I understood why, I had seen some ofthem in action. They were deadly in a way that most humans couldnever understand. Just life gone in the blink of an eye.

The warning came and we waited. It wasall or nothing now. They spread out coming in force. My mother had ashotgun, which she unloaded quickly. My father refilling the bullets2 at a time. My husband, he had picked up a semi-automatic somewherealong the way and he let the bullets fly. His aim true, yet theystill came at us. I had no gun, just a large, sharp piece of metal,some farm tool. One of the Breeds went down, 2 bullets straight toits head, while another jumped, entering the barn from the top level.My parents went after this one, while my husband moved around back totry to take care of the one creeping steadily along the ground. Theremovements themselves were distorted and terrifying. I heard moreshots from above and the sounds of a struggle. I knew there was onemore Breed here somewhere and I searched quietly.

The rows of farm equipment offeredcover, but it also made movement nearly impossible. I crawled overand under large steel machines. Blades sharp and stinging when I gotto close. I could feel blood seeping along my leg from one encounterthat was to close. Suddenly I sensed the movement from above, dodgingquickly, I managed to role under some type of harvester. The armedthat reached out was pure muscle and I slashed at it with my blade asI dove down. I felt the gush, felt the ding that was bone coming incontact with metal. I wanted to retch, as I smelt the fluid thatrushed out of the wound I had inflicted. Felt as the warmth of it randown my arm. I rolled quickly and manged to get under the metal.There was a small thud next to were I had been, and I watched as asevered hand fell. The fingers continued to move in a neuralresponse. I swallowed the vomit again.

Looking silently around me, I moved toinch out at the base of the vehicle. I knew I was going in thedirection the alien had been, but I hoped that it was continuingforward, expecting that move from me instead. It worked. As I slowlyrose, I could see the Breed standing above the vehicle, preparing topounce. Quickly, I moved back in the other direction, searching forsome place that I rest and recoup myself. And as I listened, Irealized that the noise had stopped around me. I felt fear, there wasonly 2 reasons for it to be so quiet. Either we were winning, or wewere already lost. I knew the tears were close, but I held them in. Iwould not show weakness. No more.

I made nearly to the other side of thebarn, when the Breed with the missing arm jumped at me from behind. Ifelt the total weight of the creature as it prepared to compress meinto the ground and immobilize me. As my head face left, I could seethe leg of my husband, lying prone on the ground, there was a thickliquid surrounding his body and I knew that his battle had been lost.Despair filled me.

I would not give up! As we went toland, I rolled as much as I could, and it was enough to catch theBreed of guard. I was able to push, and with leverage I rammed themetal blade up and between up! If it could show astonishment, I thinkit would have...but instead, I watched as any light that it had inits eyes died. I finished shoving it off me, were the badge of itsblood all over my skin. I only got several feet, before I heard thenoise behind me. The silent hum of air, as one moved so quickly, thatonly the barest of wind was shifted. I turned, holding the blade outin front of me...

...she moved as a blur, so close thatwe could have touched...and she stopped. She was a Breed. You couldfeel the power that emanated from her. But she was different. Therewas this aura, this energy that said that she was more. I waited forthe blow. Waited for death. But she just stood there, staring. Iwondered what to do, when she leaned in and sniffed at my hair. Iwatched as her eyes changed, as this light entered them that had notbeen there before. She changed, so quickly, when she reached out andran her fingers through my hair. After a moment, she moved and shetook my hand in her own. And I felt it. Felt the power that I hadonly know once in this lifetime. My daughter. My lost one...

She looked up and spoke... "Mother."

I felt a million things shatter. Feltemotions that I did not know existed. And I smiled. Folding my handinto hers. Facing truth. And the bitter plunge did not faze me, asthe metal rod was viciously plunged through my chest by another Breed. It was cold, as much as it was warm. And Ifelt no pain. This was the end. Finally, it had come and there wouldbe no pain. She attacked the other Breed. Fighting with a passionthat clearly marked the humanity that was apart of her DNA. As hefell, she returned to me, there were tears running down her cheeks,her eyelids fluttering from the flow. She pulled me up and held me.The child comforting the parent. The end so near.

And an explosion took place. The earthshook, the sounds of trumpets rocketing through the air, and a light,a brilliant light that blocked out all else raced through theworld...and she held me, and never let go...

©2016 Aelfwynn MacGregor, AMB