Sunny threw off the bed, grasping the ceiling as the noise that came from her blew out one of the light bulbs on a dresser. Her anger. Her hate. All the rage and want of killing was revived. The tired was gone. The exhaustion exterminated. Sunny would once again scratch her itch.
She flew at the man, who pulled the trigger on his gun. But he was too late. Sunny shoved his arm aside and the bullets flew into the ceiling. Opening her mouth, Sunny bit down on the man’s neck. The woman was now choking in panic. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.
The woman watched, petrified, as Sunny bit into the man again and again. When he finally fell to the floor, Sunny looked at the woman who now stood in a corner of the room, gun in hand, ready to shoot.
“Please, please, I only wanted to help you…” She was pleading for her life. Sunny’s face was smeared with blood. She licked her lips. The blood was warm, soothing. Sunny staggered then and was suddenly dizzy. Her focus became unclear. Her eyelids were weighted. Sunny wanted to speak to the woman, ask her what this feeling was, but only the electric shriek came out of her mouth.
“If you move even an inch I will shoot you. I don’t want to, but I will.” The woman spoke through the tears that were running down her face and across her mouth. The gun in the woman’s hand trembled. Sunny could feel bubbles travel all over her skin. They tickled. She patted her arms and that is when the woman fired off two shots.
Now the woman screamed, screamed for mercy. She screamed because she could see Sunny turn from alien to human right before her eyes. She screamed because she thought she’d save the children locked up in this hell, not kill them.
Red was affecting Sunny. The woman’s shots had missed. Sunny should be angry, but she didn’t care, instead she felt calm. Peace crumbled itself into her head. The urge to kill faded. Her teeth were dull again.
The door swung open and suddenly the room was littered with humans, some crouched down with their hands on Sunny, others gathered around the woman. They were holding her, consoling her, Sunny thought.
The woman was gasping for air in between sobs. She pointed at Sunny. Pointed at the dead man. Sunny closed her eyes, feeling her body start to slide towards the floor. She was almost out when Sunny felt one of the humans pick her up, and with great care hold her against his chest.
She could hear them speaking. “Get the doc.” They touched her with care, with soft hands. Sunny would open her eyes and see human faces full of concern peering down at her. She didn’t understand. Why would they save her when she had killed one of their own?
“I’m just a kid,” is all Sunny could say before she allowed herself to fall into a Red-induced sleep. What Sunny didn’t see was the humans scream and scramble as the floor and walls began to quake.
Lisa
Running through the crowds of humans, Lisa made it to the cafeteria. It’s where the Women of the Grey tended to hang out. Lisa knew that if she could make it there, her plan might work. Rushing through the doors of the room, Lisa passed Israel, who followed, step by step, right behind her. Others noticing what was happening started to run forward as well, guns held high, ready for whatever battle Lisa was going to.
When Lisa entered the room, there was Women of the Grey everywhere. Most were high out of their minds on Red, but Lisa didn’t know this. Some looked up at her, eyes glazed. One lazily pointed up at a human, questioning. “Who the hell are you?”
Then there was a noise, the sound of a billion bees coming forward. Lisa felt slivers of dirt fall on her face, coating her skin and sinking into her hair. The ground underneath her feet was shaking so violently that Lisa fell to her knees trying her best to look through the dirt to the noise.
Rubbing her eyes Lisa felt desperately confused when she heard a pop, and a gleam of light hit her eyes. Blinded by dirt and now light Lisa could do nothing but blink to try to catch a glimpse of what was happening above her. She thought the roof was opening. Shaking her head Lisa pulled up her t-shirt, rubbed her eyes then looked again. The roof was opening, this was real. Lisa gawked mouth open eyes wide the mountain top was opening up like a blooming flower.
Then Lisa felt sunlight on her face, and she was in The Grey. Lisa touched her cheeks. The sunlight was warm. Lisa untied the bandana that Maria had put on her and dropped it to the floor. The room that was about to flood with chaos was silent as everyone watched the mountain open. Humans and Women of the Grey stood anticipating what this meant. It was as if the heavens opened up, but Lisa knew there would be no angels streaming down on them.
The sound of helicopters filled the air. Lisa could now see them hovering in the sky above the opening. To Lisa’s amazement, troops began to descend into The Grey on ropes. They landed without effort in the center of the room. Cautiously holding up their guns, they stood ready, but said nothing.
Lisa fell into herself, wishing that everything she had ever known would disappear. She wanted to walk up to these men and plant her forehead against a gun barrel, but knowing Israel would see that spectacle stopped her. She didn’t want her death on his conscience. She loved him too much to leave such a stain.
Disappointment filled Lisa’s stomach. It twirled and rolled around, nudging her, being a nag. She didn’t Break the Grey. She didn’t Break the Grey. That was the one and only thing she had ever wanted of this, and it did not happen.
The man in the front tilted his head, bringing his mouth to his shoulder. He made a slight hand movement, and the shots began to ring out right into the crowd.
Lisa didn’t the hear gunshots. Her mind replaced them with church bells. Each bang from a gun was only a chime of a bell for Lisa. She stood her ground, not moving, simply waiting her turn. She wished there was a line. If there was she could count down her death.
Eyes closed and arms relaxed at her side. Lisa thought she could put on her real face and rush into the men. She might be able to kill several before the bullets took her down, but Lisa wanted to die a human. She did not want her death to leave behind an alien corpse.
Deep breath, church bells, and the thought of Israel’s hand in hers Lisa was ready then someone slammed into Lisa from behind, knocking her off her feet and to the ground. Her breath was knocked out of her. Disoriented Lisa kicked out. She was being dragged out on her belly and couldn’t see who had a hold of her.
“LET GO…MOTHERFUCKER.” She kicked harder, but it was no use. Lisa was being dragged on her stomach away from the gunfire, away from the church bells. Away from what she had planned for.
Watching the bodies hit the floor as she was harshly dragged away did nothing to Lisa. She felt no sadness for the death of the humans. They were being killed by their own kind. Lisa would not mourn for The Women of Grey. She didn’t know what they were on, but it seemed to her that they were already lost.
Now, in the garden, Lisa was grabbed from behind, quickly lifted to standing, and within half a second something was tightly clasped around her neck. The vice was tight, but allowed her to breathe, just barely.
Lisa yanked at the collar on her neck. Feeling it quickly frost over. She was going to turn and hurt, badly, severely, treacherously hurt whoever had put this thing on her. Lisa was pulled and turned by the collar on her neck. It was attached to a long stick that was held by one of the soldiers.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU LET ME DIE!” Lisa screamed this. She screamed this not only to the men, but to the universe. She wanted only one thing. Her death, the peace and solitude of death. Yet, it was yanked from her grasp. Anger spat from Lisa’s mouth. Her eyesight sharpened. The collar was now frozen. They should have killed her when they could.
“Because we know exactly who you are little lady…” A soldier responded then gave a small laugh. Noticing the ice vapor in the air. “Go ahead and try it, we’ve all dealt with your kind before. You can’t scare us.”
He then pulled Lisa viciously, deliberately making her stumble, hoping for her humiliation. This solider wanted Lisa dead, but had been ordered to bring her in. Lisa’s head swam with que
stions. How had they dealt with her kind before?
Five soldiers walked by as Lisa was held still by the collar on her neck. She was moved to face the kitchen doorway. The kitchen door opened, and three soldiers had Israel. Israel had the same look on his face that he did when he believed that Superior Mother was watching him. There was fright in his eyes. Lisa’s heart skipped then.
Shoving him down to his knees, the soldier pointed at Lisa causally. She and Israel locked eyes and Lisa wanted to say she was sorry. Sorry for ever crossing his path. Sorry for the days and nights that he ran scared from The Grey and she did nothing but follow him like a lost puppy. She should have walked away months ago. She should have never gotten involved with a human, any human. Craig, Izzy, Maggie were dead. Soon Israel would be too, all because she couldn’t keep to herself.
The soldier pointed his gun at Israel’s head, smiled at Lisa, and pulled the trigger. A noise came from Lisa that made all the soldiers squirm. Lisa’s eyes darted, and she felt claws grow forward from her nails, ran her tongue over teeth that were now razor sharp. Through the cold, passed the sharp claws and teeth Lisa felt her heart hit the ground, shatter, and was now being stepped on by these solders.
“SILENCE HER. SHE’LL KILL US ALL.”
Lisa felt ripped in two. Israel was all that she ever wanted.
She would tear the soldiers apart, shred them. They killed him…they killed the only thing she had ever loved. There were three soldiers holding the pole that controlled her collar now. She’d soon be free and she would kill them all.
The one that had killed Israel nodded at her reaction. “Yea, she’s the one. Put her out.” Lisa screamed again, a sound that cut the air and left an electrical ting. Lisa was in anguish. The plan was for her to die. Her death. Not him. Not Israel. Not the one thing in this world she loved.
Lisa felt a sharp jab in back of her head.
“I WILL KILL YOU…” is what Lisa wanted to say, but nothing came out except for that electric noise in gurgles as she fell to the floor.
“In a cage, sir?” A young soldier looked at his chief. He had gone through a lot to join this special troop of soldiers. This soldier would do anything asked of him.
“Yep.” said the Chief looking around rolling his eyes. “When will they learn?” He leaned into his com speaking with calm authority. “Body count, then get ready to light this place up.”
The chief scratched his head and sat on a stump of a tree, looking around the garden. It was pretty, in a very messed up way.
June
Reaching the doorway to the outside, June told herself not to look back. She willed her feet forward, one hand clutching the little girl’s hand. She didn’t know what was going on. There was gunfire, the freaking mountain had opened up. With her last look, she saw helicopters and soldiers.
It was too much. Too much to process. Too much to think about. Too much to handle. What June wanted above anything was her freedom. If she went back for answers now they’d shoot her dead, that was for sure. Why would she risk that? Why would she risk getting the girl hurt? Hadn’t she been hurt enough?
After crawling through a tunnel, climbing some stairs and walking through another tunnel, June had reached the door that led to the outside of The Grey. It was now nighttime. When she started, the sun was high in the sky. June was glad for that. There were helicopters buzzing around. If one saw them, then someone, who she did not know but someone, would come after them.
Pulling the little girl out of the trap door and into the open, June heard the child exhale loudly. She’d never been outside before. Never seen the night sky or the daytime sky. June shook her head. She hoped Superior Mother and her evil minions lay dead in there.
Motioning for the girl to crawl along some shrubs with her, June was amazed that she didn’t make a sound. She hadn’t spoken, and maybe couldn’t as far as June knew. Each of the naughty girls were different. June had concluded that they were hidden for being deformed, or for something as simple as having brown hair.
Anger rose in June again, but she told herself to let it go. It would do her no good. What she had to figure out was how to get herself and the girl to the abandoned building where she kept her car without being noticed.
After they got the car, June would drive far away. She had planned to board a plane, but could she do that with the girl? June didn’t know. Mexico wasn’t far from where they were. Maybe they could drive there. Maybe she could clean this girl up and cross the border with her.
A helicopter started to head in their direction. Grabbing the child’s hand, June shoved both of them into a prickly shrub. The thorns on the branches hurt. Both June and the girl winced in pain, but the alternative was worse.
June watched the girl’s face as she watched the helicopter fly over, her eyes searching for answers as to what that was. How long had she been locked up, June wondered? When did her mother turn her in? Did her mother know that her baby’s brown hair meant she’d be taken, hidden, treated and fed like some neglected beast? Spew rose in June’s throat. She couldn’t stomach the idea of it.
Really, June couldn’t stomach the idea of herself. She had gone out on a breeding mission and returned, handing her daughter over to the mothers as was expected. “Then what,” June thought. “What did I do?”
She couldn’t remember her thoughts at the time. Did she mourn? Did she cry? What was it? The memory was dull now, swiped clean. Did she do that? Purposely wipe her memory clean of her daughter. It could be that she did.
Her daughter would be three now. Three years old. June pulled herself and then the girl out of the bush. This girl was not hers. June knew it, convincing herself that it was too late for her daughter. There would be no way to go back into The Grey. No way of finding her. June wished her well.
Walking alongside shrubs, crouching down at every noise, June and the little girl made their way across the desert. With every step June felt lighter. When she had miles between herself and this wretched jail house, she might get so light she’d float.
Almost to the car, June felt the girl tug at her. She crouched down, hiding herself behind some tumble weeds, pulling June with her. Down next to the girl June could smell the filth on her. She smelled of rot. The smell of desert sand, night air, and rot reached June’s nose. Instead of repulsion, she felt sorry.
Sorry for the girl who was treated like a thing. The girl pointed and when June followed her finger, she saw what the girl had seen. A coyote. June took out her large knife, preparing herself to protect the child. Where there was one there was many.
“We need to hurry.” The girl stood and June followed. She wasn’t going to be taken out by a group of coyotes when she was almost free. That wasn’t going to happen. She’d bite them back while stabbing them if she had to.
What must this girl think of what she had just seen? Notions swam around June’s head. If someone is completely ignorant of the outside world and sees an animal, what do they perceive? Does she think it was a monster, although she doesn’t know the concept of monsters? Nobody has ever taught her about monsters, and from what June had seen, the girl was kept with the monsters of the Grey.
There were so many questions for June, but those would have to wait. There would be a day, a quiet sunny day in Mexico when she and this child would sit on the beach, sticking their feet in the waves. The girl would be clean then, tanned from living in her bathing suit. June would then ask her what they did to her and what she believed. She’d only ask once, then never again. June wanted the child to erase The Grey from her thoughts.
She was young. There was still time for June to give her another life, raise her in a world of humans, where she could easily blend in and build memories of laughter, sandy beaches, and June. She’d be a mother after all. June squeezed the girl’s hand when they reached the building. Opening the door, June peeked in, relieved to see her car sitting there and no one else in sight.
Stepping in June closed the door behind them; then she heard it. A roar of tru
cks coming their way. The trucks were near — they’d be here any minute. Panic slapped June across the face. Fear tore into her. She was almost out of here. Just about safe. The beach in Mexico. The sand between her toes. This little girl splashing in the waves. It could all go away too quickly.
June heard crying, looking down, the child was balled up at her feet, softly sniffling. She was trying to cry quietly, and that broke June into a million pieces. The little girl had learned to hide her pain, fear, sorrow. The Grey had taught her those things and conditioned her to do it privately.
June opened the trunk of her car, climbed in and helped the girl do so as well. She then closed the trunk almost all the way down, leaving just a slit to look through. The lights from the truck headlights flooded the windows. “Be as quiet as you can.” June whispered to the girl then June squeezed her hand and let go. The sound of car doors slamming shut, footsteps, soldiers joking with one another could be heard. June could hear footsteps outside the building.
The door to the building opened, and June pulled the trunk down all the way but didn’t shut it. She felt the girl curl herself up into a ball and then shove herself into June’s side. Neither spoke or breathed. June could see the light from a flashlight swing back and forth as the soldiers looked at the empty space filled with old cars. A female voice rang out. “All Clear, nothing but old cars. Probably abandoned here.”
The door shut but June didn’t move. Instead she put a hand on the girl’s head and slowly rubbed it. Her hair was cruddy with a grimy feel, but June didn’t care. She’d fix that.
“I’ll fix you,” June whispered. She didn’t think the little girl would understand that, but June said it anyway. She said it mostly to herself. June would fix herself and this girl as well.
Women of the Grey- The Complete Trilogy Page 60
