Memories Faded

Chapter 2: Meeting a Monster

You felt your heart flutter as you toppled backwards. Your hair came up to tickle at your cheeks almost kissing you goodbye as you felt the weight of your body begin to descend into the darkness below.

Your free fall lasted all of a moment. Jerked to a halt as a strong hand clasped itself around your ankle leaving you dangling in the open air. Staring into the black abyss below, you are unsure which of these two fates will be worse.

You didn't bother to struggle as you were hoisted upwards by your ankle. Tucking your head to your chest, you got a good look at the creature bristling before you. It was clearly upset by the way its shoulders heaved and its dreadlock like hair seemed to raise in irritation.

Though this anger seemed to slip from the alien quickly as they set you on the ground planting a knee in the middle of your chest. You wiggled under them attempting to push them off as it felt as if they were crushing you.

Their hands reached up with slow and deliberate movements allowing their dark mask to slip from their face revealing their features. Sharp tusked mandibles took the form of their mouth as they pulled back to reveal a smaller set of fangs. The alien rumbled deep in their chest as they leaned down, their face centimeters from your own.

Their tusks brushed against your cheek as his hot breath made the hairs on the back of your neck raise. Shuddering under them, the alien gave a chirp of approval before brushing at the watery tracks on your face left from your panicked tears.

So, distracted by their soft touches, you didn't notice their other hand pulling something from their waist band until a cloth was forced over your mouth.

Crying, you screamed pitifully as the alien shushed you brushing the hair from your face as you thrashed about fearfully. For a moment you thought that it had all been some sick game for you to let your guard down. Just so it could take the pleasure of killing you when you least expected it. Though as you felt your eye lids grow heavy and your mind fog, you understood things would not be that easy.

You could recall brief flickers of what happened next. Not entirely unconscious but unable to move. The alien pressed their forehead to yours almost apologetically as they gathered you into their arms cradling you close to their chest.

They carried you for some time, your head often slipping from their shoulder as you nodded in and out of consciousness. A strong hand adjusted you ever so slightly each time making sure not to let you slip from their arms as the once dark forest slowly gave way into the morning.

The alien still held you in their arms as they approached what you could only assume was their camp. The small fire burning in the center of the clearing was the largest give away, but the scattering of items and what appeared to be bedding only cemented your theory.

The sun sat heavy on the horizon casting everything in a honey dew glow which was only accentuated by the flicker of the flames.

You were carefully laid on a cot of soft fabrics and furs. The linens smelled sweet like wild flowers and honey as you were half tucked into them.

Mind still dazed you barely registered that you were lifting your hand until you felt it taken into the aliens own. Their hands easily encased your own as he gently squeezed it brushing his thumb over your knuckles almost tenderly.

One of their clawed hands rose to your face brushing at your cheek before placing your hand at your side and standing, leaving you to recover from your sedative.

You would be lying if you said you weren't scared of what was to come. Or what had happened to you to make you so out of it as you were now.

Having no other choice, You curled into the soft bedding and close your eyes letting yourself fall asleep embraced by the soothing scent of lilac and cedarwood.

You slept softly waking up every thirty minutes or so almost as If to check if you were truly still there at that camp or if it had all been a bad dream after all.

Despite the passing of what must have been hours, you found yourself to be sluggish and stiff feeling borderline lethargic.

Foolishly, you had attempted to sit up only to be struck by a dizzy spell that left you feeling ill.

You felt yourself wobble as if you were about to topple over off the small cot when a strong hand planted itself on your shoulder pressing you back into the bed.

"Yeah they've got a rough greeting but I promise it's much better than what they normal do." A voice said jokingly beside you.

Blinking away your swirling vision you could make out a man kneeled at your side smiling at you. He wore dirty clothes and held a ruffled completion but, at least he was human.

"Names Edwin what's yours?" He said still smiling seeming much too cheery for this situation, unsettling you greatly.

Before you could even utter out a response the air grew tense as his eyes went from looking at you to something behind you.

Cowering in fear he jumped back from you just as something lurched over you snarling like an enraged dog. You went stiff as the alien lowered to your side making it clear he wanted no one near you.

This was only further enforced when he stepped forward drawing a literal line in the sand between you and Edwin.

You stared at Edwin who said something too quiet for you to hear still cowering before the massive creature looming over him. The alien huffed before letting out another snap sending Edwin to the other side of the camp.

Pleased with the distance created between the two of you. The large alien returned to your side kneeling so closely to you often brushed sides and hands as he looked you over carefully, delicately lifting each of your arms before finally tipping up your chin and examining your face.

This alien was a bit more frightening than the last. Large tusks jutted from his mask making you feel uneasy. You were so close to him that had he turned his head a bit too quickly he would have easily taken your eye clean out.

Though no harm came to you as the alien was seemingly pleased to find you free of any major injuries. Though his touch had wavered over the deeper scratches from your sprint in the jungle.

He rose to his full height a low whistle emanating from him as he vanished, seeming to dissolve right before you into thin air, just as a weird dog creature came bounding towards you excitedly laying down at your side. Bones protruded from its back making you grimace as it stared at you with glazed over eyes. Though as a moment passed you couldn't help but notice its barely contained wiggling as they seemed very excited to see you.

Looking to Edwin he stared back at you frowning before sighing. Cautiously he stepped closer to you noting the dog now at your side. Stepping right up to the edge of the line you watched the dog seem to switch growling at Edwin warningly before he took the executive decision of stepping back a bit.

With a heavy sigh Edwin looked back to you shaking his head.

"That's how things seem to go around here. One minute your alone and the next your on their shit list." His tone was harsh as he seemed to now hold some resentment towards you. A bit irritated by his tone you didn't even bother to grace him with a response as you simply glared at him.

Edwin scoffed tightening the straps on his backpack before beginning to walk away.

"Don't run off now. Not that you have a choice." Edwin snickered rudely leaving you alone with your new dog and a hundred questions.

One thing you knew for sure though. Is that Edwin sure had it coming to him.