Chapter 5 – Kerra
Iwas pretty sure Ihad to be in some kind of twisted and unending nightmare.
None of the last few minutes made sense.
My groggy mind had trouble discerning fact from fiction. I thought I heard voices speaking a strange dialect, but I couldn’t focus. Slipping in and out of consciousness, I wrestled with images of red scaly monsters and slimy tentacles wrapped around my body as I fought to break free.
My stomach ached and felt bruised as if I had been punched over and over repeatedly with something blunt but heavy. Was I sick? Injured? I wasn’t sure.
Slowly, awareness returned as my eyes fluttered and finally opened. The familiar walls of my bedroom appeared, and I sighed with relief. None of it was real. I must have fallen asleep after the gym.
Sitting up, I let my legs fall over the side of the bed. Kacie would be here soon. I needed to shower and start dinner. It wouldn’t take long –
My thoughts were interrupted by the hulking form of a man as he stepped forward from the shadows. I screamed and reached for my cell as he stepped into the light and snatched it quickly from my hand.
“My apologies but I don’t think it’s wise to use your phone.”
His presence brought the earlier attack forward in vivid detail and I shrank back from his touch.
In the soft lighting I could discern every detail of his tall and bulky frame clearly. The dark alley had disguised my rescuer but now my eyes roamed the broad expanse of his chest and the thick muscular arms that ended in clenched fists at his side. He wore cargo style jeans and heavy black combat boots, dark leather gloves, and a gray hoodie that completely hid his identity. Other than the physical feature of strength and build, I couldn’t say what his nationality or race would have been. As much as I wanted to push the hood back and see the man that had saved my life, I understood his need for privacy.
We lived in a dangerous world and not everyone enjoyed fame or discovery. More importantly, humans weren’t the only beings that existed or explored the galaxy. Was I still shocked to see the red scaly devils and the blue tentacles? Hell yes! Aliens first appeared over a hundred years ago and had returned several times since according to the public records in the city’s main library, but they hadn’t stayed. It wasn’t common to see any alien species walking the streets or working next to you in a cubicle. They didn’t flip burgers in the local fast food restaurant or handle money at the bank. Aliens were mysterious and more of a myth than anything else. It was no wonder that was the consensus.
We weren’t ready, according to the archives. Too primitive. Our technology too far behind.
Humans knew the existence of the Galactic Conclave, but it was dangled before our nose as a reminder that our race wasn’t good enough. We were frail, lacking in proper defensive weapons and so we were protected by something called the Cardinal Edict. Since that declaration, sightings were few and far between. It had been decades since any new footage.
Any interaction with alien species was plastered throughout social media to the point that it was saturated. I was disgusted by the lack of respect for dozens of alien cultures and societies far advanced above our own. Despite the bitterness of rejection, I was in awe of the vast unknown of the universe. The Interstellar Space Program was created to change all of that and provide answers to the questions that had plagued humanity for at least a century, if not longer.
Ever since I was a young girl, I wanted to travel among the stars. To learn about other planets and languages, food and entertainment. I owed much of that interest to my sister. We spent many nights huddling together as girls and dreaming of life far beyond the reach of Earth and human technology. She was an explorer and longed for the opportunity to leave this galaxy behind.
Maybe someday I would get my chance. Perhaps Kacie would take me with her next time. She’d offered more than once. I hope I didn’t lose my opportunity. Today’s attack was a wakeup call though. Not all aliens were friendly, even if the Cardinal Edict dictated protocol.
The shock of the last few minutes seemed to be wearing off as my thoughts jumbled together and raced through a dozen scenarios. Who was this man? Where did he come from?
A strange sense of calm washed over me, and I wasn’t afraid. Those red and blue aliens had been hostile, but they were defeated. The man in front of me saved my life. Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t harm me. What purpose would it serve after the fact?
When my rescuer spoke, I was startled by the deep, rich timbre of his voice. The tone was overwhelming and commanding in the small space of my apartment and I resisted the urge to shiver. I’d heard him speak – or ratherroar– in the alley earlier but it hadn’t seemed so intimidating or rough to me at the time. Perhaps that was because he’d directed his displeasure at my attackers. His focused gaze penetrated my body through the darkness of his hood, the weight of his stare pushing down on my shoulders with physical hands and I ended up shivering in response anyway.
“Show me all the entry points of this pod, err . . . dwelling.”
He didn’t ask. The strange man only demanded an answer with authority as if he was used to ordering others around and expecting those commands to be followed without question.
“This isn’t adwelling,” I huffed. “It’s myhome.”
