Bo and the Beast (Book #1) (Completed)

33. Dark Memories

Breathe in. Breathe out. Chest heavy and aching, heart sputtering behind her ribs. The sound of rain hissing in the darkness... no, not rain- it was blood moving sluggishly through her veins.

She forced her eyes open, groaning at the feeling of all her muscles collapsing inside of her. She saw next to nothing, just blurs and streaks across the sky. White smears against a velvet backdrop gave her the impression she was looking up at the sky, but then she saw a blue blur that seemed to always hover near her though she was somehow moving. Something gentle cradled her back, but even that soft touch was enough to send more pain racketing through her body. She stifled a groan and fought against the wave of darkness that threatened to wash over her.

She lasted a few more seconds before she could no longer hold onto the thread of consciousness.

She let go.

--

Bo woke up to the aliens chattering away in their language like she always did. Dust blew in through the slats that kept her in the small cage, and she pushed herself to a sitting position as she coughed.

"Not so loud, Bo," a voice whispered. She turned her head to see her mother, hunched over and staring at the nearest alien that stood a few feet away. Ever since they'd been put in the cage what seemed like decades ago, Bo couldn't remember her mother even for a second letting her guard down or closing her eyes. She always seemed to be vigilant, staring at the aliens and keeping a protective hand close to Bo in their cramped quarters.

"Sorry," Bo replied, keeping her voice low and sliding over to sit with her back against her mother. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Have they done anything new?"

"I don't know. A new one came into camp, but they're still just talking. I think he might have given them new orders, but I can't be sure."

Bo sighed. They had been stuffed into the tiny wooden cage forever, and her legs were aching to run again. Not to mention that every time she heard the harsh yelling of the aliens, she remembered the battlecries they'd screeched out as they had beaten her and her mother when they'd first found them alone in the scavenging fields. Two humans could do little against a skirmish of aliens.

A moment later, one of the aliens approached and shoved a strange looking vegetable through the slats in the cage. He snarled at them and barked something in his language. Mom picked it up and tossed it back out, which seemed to enrage the alien. He drew a gun and pointed it at the cage.

"Eat food. Or else I shoot," he managed to garble out in English. Bo shivered, but Mom stared in defiance.

"We don't want your food," she said, all calmness and confidence. Bo was actually starving, but she knew that her mother didn't trust the food to be safe. They'd managed to eat only earth vegetables up until this point, but the aliens must have run out.

The alien drew in a breath, and then wrenched the lock off the cage. He lifted the top with no effort, and reached in to grab Mom's collar. Bo screamed, and her mother clutched onto her as the alien began to haul her out. Bo's hand scrambled to clutch Mom's jacket sleeve, but the alien already had her half out of the cage.

"Leave her alone!" Bo shouted, leaping to her feet despite the pain of blood rushing back into her legs. She made wild attempts to snatch her mother back, but the alien merely turned and slammed the butt of his rifle against Bo's temple. She crumpled immediately as white exploded across her vision and nausea rocked through her body. For a moment she knew nothing else but pain, but then she heard the top slamming back on her cage and her mother's voice, screaming her name.

"Bo! Bo, my baby girl, don't ever let them win!" she yelled, her eyes frantic and wide as she reached for Bo even as the alien dragged her backward by her collar. "Don't let them kill you! Promise me that you'll stay safe! Promise me you'll never give up!"

"Mommy!" Bo shrieked, pain exploding in her temple as she sobbed and thrust her arms through the slots. Through the blur of tears, she saw her mother struggling to free herself as the alien dragged her along the orange dust and out of view behind one of their warships.

Bo screamed and screamed until her voice gave out. She called to any alien that passed by, begging them for her mother, but they didn't even acknowledge that she existed. So day slipped into night, and Bo sniffled on the floor of the cage, cold and shivering. Mom's arms no longer wrapped around her, letting her know everything was all right. Now she only saw the warships and heard the arguing of the aliens that guarded her. It was only a matter of time before they tired of keeping a human prisoner. Bo knew that.

But she had to keep her promise...

She couldn't give up.

She just needed to keep her promise...

--

Air flooded Bo's lungs as she lurched upward. Something restricted her legs and she kicked against it until she looked down and realized it was merely a white sheet. Taking a deep breath, she stared at the bedclothes that tangled around her, all slightly damp with sweat. She ran a hand over her forehead, feeling a lingering warmth there from some unremembered fever.

"You're awake."

Her eyes swiveled toward the voice, finding the Beast sitting in a corner of her room. He had meant to lurk in the shadows, but his glowing skin gave off enough light that she could see the way his eyes fixed on her face like a drowning man looking at the sky. She shifted uncomfortably, her gaze focusing on her ripped and ruined clothes.

"How long have I been out?" she asked.

"Just the day."

She sighed and lay back down, covering her face with her arm. An overwhelming sense of failure washed over her until her throat tightened and she had to force herself not to cry. She was right back where she started, and her father could be dead by now for all she knew. It was a crushing blow, and Bo struggled not to show the signs of her distress to the Beast.

From the darkness behind her arm, she heard the Beast get up and then felt his presence by her side. Though she couldn't see him, she knew he stood by her side. She didn't want to look, to acknowledge him in any way. He moved something in front of her face, and she felt the slight breeze of the movement.

"Look," he said.

She debated ignoring him, but her curiosity was too great.

Opening her eyes, she looked directly at a display screen in front of her face. It was not the old one she'd used to look at her family, but a new and bright one. The Beast held it gingerly, almost like it was poisoned or dead. He wiggled it in front of her, and she took it from him. The screen was blank, and she stared at her reflection in the black glass. She looked a total mess.

"What's this for?" she asked. He couldn't possibly be feeling bad about taking away the other screen, could he? Did aliens regret anything?

"It's to help you go home," he said.