Beyond Midnight

|02|

Fray

The forest seems to be empty of all human life. I scour around every tree and hill, narrowing my eyes at any motion or sound that could be a sign of a female.

There's absolutely nothing, and I'm starting to lose hope. It's the 2nd day we've spent on Earth, and we still can't find any humans. Where are they all hiding? Did they know we were coming? I think back to all the males that Torint claimed to have killed. Did they spread the news and flee this land?

I consider many things as I stomp through the dark green foliage, swatting at little bugs that fly around my face. I watch cautiously as one lands on me, sticking it's face on my skin.

Is it...drinking my blood? I slap the bug off. What a strange planet. Blood sucking creatures? I've never heard of such a thing.

I push myself further, dreaming of feminine curves and soft skin. Could I even convince a female to take me as I mate? I run a hand over my sweaty hair, thinking of what I would do if I met a mate-less female. What would she think of me?

Shaking my head, I keep walking. If I get distracted, then I may never exit this place with any females on my ship. Sometimes I get lost in my own mind.

It seems like I've been wandering these woods forever. It doesn't make any sense. There's supposed to be many females on this planet. We landed right next to a spot that was teeming with life, judging by our scanners.

Maybe it was a mix up? Maybe they short wired and took us to the middle of nowhere? Maybe the computers thought it would be fun to torture us by sending us to this hot place?

Something crunches under my foot, and I glance down at the odd noise. I lift my boot, taking a look down at what I've stepped on.

It's a little wooden structure, crouched by my heavy foot. I lower myself onto my haunches, lifting the thing with interest in front of my face.

It slowly dawns on me that it's a trap, a small thing meant to catch pray, likely for food. I've known similar traps to be built on my own planet. Rytarians use much bigger traps in our forests to catch large beasts. But not humans, no, apparently they have their eyes on much tinier game.

As amusing as it may be, it's also a miracle. A trap. A human built trap. This means that they're here, they're close. I have succeeded.

Glancing around carefully, I see that there is no sign of life anywhere around, but I know that they have not abandoned this trap. The wood is new, freshly cut and layed out.

So, I sit down, waiting for someone to show up and check their little trap. Maybe then I will be lucky enough to find the females we so desperately.

Soleil

I shovel another sloppy mouthful of grits into my mouth, tasting heaven and being thankful for the delicious goodness that is the southern cooking we enjoy here at the compound cafeteria. Our compound is actually an old middle school, so it already had a large kitchen and cafeteria already. It works out well.

Elodie sips on her water, clearly looking around nervously. The cafeteria is basically the definition of a giant clique. The men have their own tables, separate from their wives and daughters and mothers. It's another reminder that they're above us I suppose, that we're separate.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

"You sure you don't want any?" I offer, showing my lunch tray to my best friend. She shakes her head, barely looking at me.