Alone

Chapter 9

I don’t have time to think about what I want my last words to be, my last thoughts. When I turn toward the control room, it’s there – the alien boss. It sits at the control chair, clicking buttons that flash in colors like green, red, and yellow.

         I realize this is my only chance. Get it now, while it isn’t on guard. Of course it must know that I broke out of my capsule with Jenna’s family, but does it think I’d come here first?

         The two remaining knives in my boot feel very heavy. I decide I don’t have the time to think too hard about this. I just need to act before I decide this is a bad idea.

         A very, very bad idea.

         I press my back against my hiding place, sliding my head silently around the corner. All clear. Silent as night, I slip over to another hiding place – another stack of boxes. It occurs to me that I don’t know what’s in them. Again – don’t have that kind of time.

         I remove a knife from my boot as quietly as possible. I don’t know how well these aliens can hear, but I would imagine they can hear almost better than I can. The alien might even be able to hear me right now, just faking it.

         My grip tightens around the hilt of the knife, turning my knuckles white.

         I need something to fight for, I tell myself.

         It isn’t like I’m not angry at these freaks. They abducted me from my home. They locked me up in a small glass capsule. They want to take over my planet.

         They never let Jenna see the lights of the sun.

         That does it. Every muscle within me tenses, and I know I’m ready. I lightly sprint to another stack of crates, wondering for the first time how I’m planning to do this. What, do I throw the knife? That would be a stupid mistake that would cost me my life. If I miss, it’d get the knife and I’d be one short. Plus, one knife probably won’t kill that thing.

         Because there are no other aliens in the room besides the boss – probably looking around for me somewhere else, those other aliens are – I decide to take a more direct route.

         The alien doesn’t notice when I advance, adrenaline surging through my veins. My heartbeat rings in my ears and I wonder how the alien can’t hear it.

         I raise the knife into the air when I’m right behind it, hoping it can’t see me through a reflection of some sort. If it does, it doesn’t move.

         I bring my weapon down in a swift motion, but just then the alien stretches for a button that was previously out of reach. My blade misses the alien’s head by an inch, and that one inch of space is enough to convince me of one thing.

         The alien heard my swipe.

         Immediately it stands. When it sees me, it seems surprised, but in a way, eager at the same time, as if it feels lucky that of all the aliens on the ship, it gets to be the one to obliterate me.

         It makes an odd hollow sound, deep enough for me to assume it isn’t a lady alien. With his shoulders shaking, I’m pretty sure this sound is laughter.

         But still, he doesn’t seem completely on top of things. His eyes wander around the room nervously before they rest on a shelf full of the weapons he had presented to me during the interrogation. Instantly, I know what he’s after. He wants a weapon.

         I run over, positioning myself in between the alien and the shelf of weapons. The alien flinches away a little, surprised by my bold move before he takes a swipe with one of his clawed hands – a swipe that should have taken my head off. Luckily, I duck just in time, the slimy hand making a whoosh sound above me.