A Human Friend (Sequel to A Pet Squishy)

Family Ties

Two days later outside Central City...

It was a dangerous situation. Heather Bertram knew the risks involved the moment she sped off in her car toward Central City. None of the risks mattered at that point. Finding her daughter and bringing her safely home was the only priority she had now. Nothing would stop her from searching; not bombs, not destruction, nor murderous giant robots.

Lana should have made it home nearly four days ago but she never arrived. No calls, no texts, nothing to indicate she was still alive. She had repeatedly called her but all phone lines were filled with static and no signals; TV or otherwise; were being received. It was as if all media equipment had been silenced, leaving an impenetrable silent void between mother and daughter. A squirming ball of worry had formed immediately and had developed into a sickness that all but consumed her. Heather couldn't bear the thought of losing her daughter again. After her disappearance for several months, Heather swore she would never take a single moment with her daughter for granted. Now she was bound and determined never to live that loss again.

Lana's father was already on his way home from a business venture two states away; taking the back country roads and avoiding the cities at all costs. But Heather wouldn't wait for him to return. She needed to dive straight into the burning core of the devastation and find her daughter.

The fifty-one year old woman gripped her steering wheel with sweaty palms, drawing in on her fifth cigarette since getting in the car. Before all of this insanity Heather had kicked the habit for ten years, but Lana's disappearance had rekindled the desire for nicotine to soothe her nerves. She was a heavier set woman than her daughter; curse of a slowing metabolism; but bore the same auburn hair of her daughter plus silver. Her eyes were faded blue and she had a very pretty face for a woman of her age. But her age did show as was evident in lined facial features.

A green sign flashed by: Central City 24 miles.

Good. She was close.

She pitched her unfinished cigarette out the window, trying to promise herself not to grab another from the pack in the side compartment. As she drew closer the fear began to fester inside her. She wasn't ignorant to the news reports that had broadcast only days before the media blackout. The mere thought of seeing one of those giant metal invaders made the retired secretary grow sick in her stomach with dread. It had been awhile since she'd seen any cars on the normally well-traveled road and that made her even more nervous.

Had Central City been attacked like New York? Was Lana ok? Would she even be able to find her? How would she deal with Lana's loss if she was...?

Her thoughts became so incessant that she didn't notice the dark dot growing larger on the horizon. The older woman squinted but she couldn't distinguish what the dot was. She kept driving and noticed the dot was flying several hundred feet from the ground.

A plane? A helicopter?

She couldn't quite tell but kept her eye on it. The dot suddenly became larger as it sped closer, closing the gap in mere seconds. Heather only caught a brief glimpse of the dark blue jet as it screamed over the road and over her car. She jumped visibly, feeling the steering wheel vibrate under her hands.

Heather kept driving not giving the fly over any further thought. A white Suburban was coming into view less than a mile away in the opposite lane when suddenly the dark underside of the jet passed mere feet above the roof of her car and blazed down the highway straight in front of her. She screamed, slamming on the brakes.

"YOU MANIAC!"

The white Suburban threw smoke on the highway as it squealed to a stop too. It was then the jet slowed down, pointed its nose cone skyward, and sprouted legs. Heather's eyes went wide as dinner plates when the jet instantly transformed between her and the other vehicle and they stopped at the feet of a huge, dark blue robot. Heather was frozen with terror as her car shook with each foot step the machine took. Before she could jam her car into reverse the entire top half of her car peeled back and she was bodily ripped from her seatbelt and hoisted twenty feet into the air. A high pitched ringing met her ears and for some reason Heather became paralyzed with fear as her vision filled with the dark blue and black metal. She wanted to fight and escape, but her fear was so intense all she could do was scream.