The First

Chapter 47

Alexa stayed as still as one of Teagan's garden gnomes. She didn't know if movement would antagonize the creatures or not.

"What's it doing?" she whispered to Teagan.

"It's a she."

"Whisper."

"Fine," Teagan whispered. "She's a girl. About my age and really pretty."

"It must be the Staten tri-allele. But you didn't answer my question." Alexa gritted her teeth together, not wanting to make too much head movement.

"She was standing above the dead one. Now she's on her knees. I think she's crying."

A muffled sniff came from behind.

So, they're creatures who mourn their dead? Much like a monkey or elephant. Alexa could think about animals who mourned their dead all day. But did they mourn like humans and in what way?

"Mom. Get your head in the game."

"What?"

Teagan's eyes doubled in size.

"She's coming this way."

With a glance over her left shoulder, Alexa saw what looked like an attractive young woman. If she remembered correctly, which she usually did, the tri-allele has a name.

Savannah. Savannah Staten.

Savannah strolled towards them like one might approach a neighbor for a chat. One thing Alexa hadn't counted on, the tri-allele had clothes on. This one act filled Alexa's head with new and important information. They obviously had the capacity to learn, to feel, and if so, it also meant they might listen to reason.

Alexa turned back to Teagan.

"I couldn't see her facial expression; does she look angry?"

"From here she looks kinda...well...sad."

That's odd. If they have the same gambit of emotions as humans, then the Trills will be going through Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief.

"Mom! She's on all fours and is crawling toward us."

Guess she hit the anger stage.

Alexa had to see for herself. Her heart raced as she turned around. Should she stand and confront the creature stalking them? This lioness, ready to pounce, which she may or may not be able to reason with? Maybe they didn't know the concept of revenge? She still felt sorry for the creature. A new species tossed into an unknown world. This female's only connection to her kind had been killed in front of her.

A tear dripped from Savannah's nose onto the street. Her eyes blackened like charcoal in a rainstorm. The corner of her lip curled, revealing an elongated, jagged, incisor. Savannah's focus fell upon Teagan.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Alexa scowled.

Confrontation it is.

Savannah snarled. One moment she crawled toward them from thirty feet away, the next, a hand crushed Alexa's shoulder and launched her into the air. Pavement ground her back and cracked against her skull as she hit and slid. A cloud of darkness and flickers of light obscured her vision. When she came to a halt, she reached back and felt her blood-matted hair.

Teagan screamed.

Alexa rolled over, dreading the thought of having to watch her daughter's heart being ripped from her chest. Teagan curled into a fetal position. The female Trill loomed over her.

Please don't kill her.

Alexa's head throbbed from the base of her neck forward. The vision of Teagan and the creature swam in a dismal haze. Yes. Even though it had a name. Savannah was still a creature. Now it had pitted its anger against Teagan. She struggled to keep her eyes open.

I must stay awake. Save Teagan.

The thoughts faded as she lost consciousness.

Okay, folks. Please comment and vote.

Let's see how Teagan and Savannah get along, shall we?