* * * * *
It was pitch black outside and I wondered how we were going to creep away through the forest without running into a tree or tumbling down a ravine. I strained my eyes in the darkness for a sign of anything unusual. I didn't know what Aric meant by 'them' and I was too worried about making a sound to ask him what we were supposed to be looking out for. He paused and seemed to be listening intently, then he pulled me alongside the front of the cabin to the side of the building, ready to make for the trees. We crept towards the tree line, and I tripped over the log I'd been sitting on the night before in front of the now-dead camp fire. Aric pulled me up before I hit the ground.
A flash of light transformed the darkness - as if a million florescent bulbs had all been switched on at once. We froze, and I turned my head slowly to see the stuff of nightmares.
Three naked gray figures stood in the clearing in front of the cabin. Only the blackened camp fire stood between us.
I stared at them in horror. The creatures were small - roughly three and a half feet tall, and could have been mistaken for malnourished children if seen from a distance. Their heads, an inverted pear shape, seemed too big for their spindly bodies. Their eyes were black and huge. From this distance I couldn't see whether they had a nose, and if they had mouths, they were very small. A sense of recognition came to me and my whirling brain tried to pin down where I'd seen them before. TV? Movies? This familiarity seemed so much deeper than a mere recollection of a typical gray alien television icon. The sight of them filled me with utter despair, as well as a gathering notion that I ought to be remembering something which was vital for my survival.
Aric stepped in front of me, and I peered, trembling like a leaf, around his shoulder at the creatures. He squeezed my hand.
Be brave Lucy...
He stood facing them, the three looking at him intently. Occasionally they would peer at me, and I'd dart back behind Aric's shoulder.
They stood facing each other silently for so long it eventually dawned on me they were having a telepathic conversation. The animals in the pen, just out of sight were going berserk. Aric's hand tightened around mine, and I could see the tension in his jaw as he continued to converse with the beings.
I wondered what they were saying. Would I be able to 'tune in' and listen? I tried to ignore my shaking body, and remember the instructions Aric had given me to allow me to get inside a mind.
I don't know how long it took, and I was shaking from effort as much as from fright, but eventually I started to hear the voices - or rather ideas - sentences without words. They were very feint, as though I was hearing them blown on the wind from down in the valley.
She is vital to our study.
There are others like her surely - take them, but leave her be. You can afford to give up just this one.
She is unique - even now she has managed to overcome our shield - she is listening. She shows great potential. The creature's large slanted eyes looked towards me, its expression unfathomable. I recoiled and hid behind Aric's shoulder again. My link to their conversation was gone.
Aric stood his ground, and I sensed the anger emanating from every part of his body.
The creatures started to move forward, their eyes focused on me. Aric pushed me further behind his back, and stood, his legs apart, his body straining with tension. The beings continued to move towards us.
"You will not have her!" Aric said out loud, through gritted teeth. He let go of my hand and nudged me away.
"Lucy - RUN!"
* * * * *
Chapter Four
I crashed through the forest undergrowth, tripping over tree roots, bashing my shins, and twisting my ankle. I ran on in the dark despite the pain. Low hanging tree branches whipped me across the face, but I ignored the scratches and continued charging through the darkness. I was crazed with fear; my heart hammered against my chest, my breath heaved in exhausted gasps. I don't know how long I ran - it seemed an interminably long time, but in the midst of terror a few minutes can seem like hours. Panic was overtaken by remorse - I'd left Aric to face the creatures alone. I slowed to a stop, and leaned against a tree to catch my breath. The sounds of rustling - something moving through the forest, could be heard over my rasping breath. I froze - was it Aric? What had happened back there - was he still alive? The thought of never seeing him again was overwhelming. I let out a quiet sob, and headed back the way I'd come. I needed to find him.
The forest at night was as black as soot. An occasional flash of brilliant white light flickered through the trees and allowed me to get my bearings. I pushed through the thick brush, making for the lights. I was more terrified of seeing Aric lying dead on the ground in the clearing, than seeing those awful creatures again. I ran into a branch and the bark bit sharply into my face. Quickening my pace, I ignored the cut on my forehead and blinked away the blood which oozed into my eye. I could have kicked myself for leaving Aric - I was a coward. My breathing was now a clamor of heaving gasps intermingled with breathless sobs. I ran on; I could see little figures moving about ahead.
Something grabbed my arm, and I was hoisted sideways, falling into a large thicket of prickly bushes. A hand quickly stifled the scream which exited my mouth.
Shhh... It's me. Don't make a sound.
I could have squealed in relief. I threw my arms around Aric's neck, and hugged him as hard as I could. The leaves around us crackled in a merciless echo around the forest.
And don't move - we can't make any noise.
I released my sumo wrestling hold on him so he could breathe.
Lucy, I have to concentrate - I need to shield us but it'll be harder because they're so near. Don't move, don't talk, don't think.
I gave a tiny nod, and pressed my face against his neck. His pulse was so strong I could feel it throbbing against my forehead.
The white flashes continued on, but there was no sound aside from the occasional branch crackle in the distance. They were obviously searching for us, but I hoped they were moving in the other direction. I began to relax, my breathing eased and I unhooked my fingers which had dug themselves into Aric's back.
Six 'beeps' broke the uneasy silence.
What was that?
I sat up straight.
"Oh god, it's my cell phone!" I whispered. Another six beeps rang out, and I rushed to get my phone out of my pocket. "I'll turn it off."
Two messages in a row from Uncle Tom. Of all the times for my stupid phone to decide to work!
Give it here - we should get rid of it all together.
He took the phone, pulled the battery out, and threw both the case and the battery as far as he could from our hiding place. For such a small object, it seemed to make an awful lot of noise when it hit the ground. We sat still and listened. The rustling sounds grew louder as they headed our way. The creatures had heard the phone.
I grabbed Aric's hands and held on tight. I couldn't see his face, but I could sense his quiet breathing - he was concentrating hard. I resolved to be quiet and let him do what he had to do. Taking his lead, I concentrated on my own breathing, willing my thudding heart to slow down and cease the drum roll I believed was loud enough to reveal our presence.
The crackling and rustling grew nearer, the white flashes brighter. Aric's thumb rubbed the back of my hand reassuringly. My fingers tightened around his.
The thicket we were hiding in was dense and provided good cover. The soft sound of footsteps stepping on pine needles grew close, probably only a few feet away. The noise stopped, and I held my breath. Another flash of white illuminated the creature, and I could see two, bare pinkish-gray feet through the undergrowth, close enough that if I reached out I could touch them. Aric's eyes were closed and his breathing slowed and virtually ceased; I began to feel the force of the shield he was placing around us - so strong it felt as if we were cocooned in a warm bubble. The wait before the creature moved on seemed endless.
We stayed under the bush, Aric's shield emanating around us, for
hours. My legs were numb but I ignored them as we listened to the sound of the rustling grow fainter as the search moved away from us. Gradually the bursts of light lit the forest less frequently, and I began to relax again. Aric stayed in his trance-like state, unmoving, until the sun began to rise. Finally, when the normal sounds of the forest returned, Aric took a deep breath and shuddered. His eyes focused on me for the first time in hours, and he brushed his fingers over my cheek.
"They're gone. Are you okay?"
I nodded, and shifted my numb feet from under my body. Pins and needles shot through my legs. The pain from my twisted ankle began to return.
"You're bleeding," he said
I felt the dried blood on my forehead. There was a crusty gash above my eyebrow.
"I ran into a branch."
"Here, let me."
He placed his palm over the cut, and I felt the warm buzzing euphoria emanate from his hand. I touched my forehead - the cut was gone; only the crusty blood remained on my skin.
"Where else are you hurt?"
"We'd be here all day if you tried to heal everything - I'm covered in cuts and bruises, but I did sprain my ankle."
He healed my ankle, and we crawled out from under the bush. The forest's silence was broken by an incredible screech overhead. I went to duck back under the bush, but Aric put out a hand to stop me.
"They're military fighter planes. They'll be investigating the lights."
A few minutes later the whirring of numerous helicopters could be heard overhead too. They were heading towards the valley.
"Come on, we need to get out of here." Aric grabbed my hand, and pulled me along.
"We should check on the animals. We can ride out of here."
"They'll be long gone - and we haven't got time anyway."
We pushed through the brush until we found the trail leading to Carson Creek.
"What were those... creatures? Are they, like... real aliens?" I asked, my breath already labored by the fast pace he set.
"They're called the Innaki. And yes, they're what you might term 'aliens'."
I pulled him to a stop.
"How do you know all this? How do you know them? What do they want with me?"
Aric urged me forward. "We haven't got time to stop."
I dug in my heels. "I'm not going another step until you tell me what's going on."
He sighed and turned around. He looked exhausted and I felt a twinge of guilt for causing him more trouble.
He put his hands on my shoulders.
"I don't know how much you can handle knowing right now Luce. You've been through a lot."
"Aric, I've just spent a night hiding under a bush from mind-reading monsters. Please don't treat me like a child. I think I deserve to know the truth. How do you know them?"
He sighed and rubbed a tired hand across his forehead. He peered up at the sky and then looked straight into my eyes.
"You're going to be... 'weirded-out'. Can you handle it?"
"I'm already 'weirded-out'."
His mouth twitched into a half smile, and he leaned his forehead on mine. He seemed to make a decision, and sighed resolutely.
"Have you been wondering why I can do this mind-reading stuff?"
"You said you were born knowing how to do it."
"Yeah, I know - but did you wonder why I was born being able to do it?"
"Well... kind of. I figured some people are born psychics, so mind-reading must be another weird 'talent' like that."
He gave a slight shrug. "Hmm... Okay. Well, there's a reason I can do it. Ugh, maybe you'd better sit down to hear this."
I shook my head and he sighed, exasperated.
"Okay. How old do you think I am?"
"Uncle Tom said you're twenty one."
"I look about that. But I'm not." He swallowed hard. "I'm actually eight hundred and ninety seven years old."
I took a step back, and laughed nervously. "Oh, come on. You are not!"
His expression was serious; he didn't answer me. He really believed he was nearly nine hundred years old.
"Are you pulling my leg?" I took a step closer. "Oh, come on Aric - you can't really expect me to believe that!"
He glanced at the ground, then back at me. "I told you you'd be weirded-out."
I folded my arms. "So... eight hundred years old? Are you like, a vampire or something? Are you immortal?"
He shook his head and laughed grimly. "No, not a vampire. And not immortal. I just age slowly, and live a long time."
"So what are you then?"
He took a deep breath. "Those creatures - the Innaki? They created me. I'm half human, half Innaki. A hybrid."
My mouth fell open in an "O" shape, I couldn't think of anything to say.
"They abducted my mother around the year 1112. I was the result of genetic engineering. The mind-reading is just one thing I can do... "
My legs felt weak. I wished I'd sat down as Aric had suggested.
"So you've seen these... Inny..."
"Innaki," he corrected.
"Innaki - you've dealt with them before?"
"Yes."
I looked up through the tree canopy. The sky was a brilliant blue. I couldn't see any clouds. It looked so 'normal'.
"They were after me. I heard you arguing with them. What do they want with me?"
Aric stepped forward and placed his hands on my shoulders again. I looked into his eyes. They were hooded, cloudy, and blue as a deep lagoon after a summer storm. I sensed he was reluctant to tell me, and I wondered whether it was wise to hear the truth. But I'd go crazy with all sorts of scenarios in my mind if I was left to imagine why I was being chased through a forest by alien creatures. I gave him an encouraging nod.
"They've been taking you since you were seven, Lucy. You don't remember because they initiate a kind of amnesia on you so you can't remember. They've been studying you."
My knees grew wobbly again, and I would have sunk to the ground if Aric hadn't caught me.
"Are you okay?" He helped me to sit on a nearby boulder. "We should just keep walking. You don't need to hear any more."
"There's more?" My voice was high pitched. Suddenly, the world around me didn't seem as solid as it used to be. "How did they know we were up on the ridge?"
"You have an implant. They keep track of you with it. I've spent the past few weeks blocking it - shielding you. But I can't keep the shield going when I'm asleep, or last night... when I was kissing you. I'm afraid it was impossible to think of anything else other than you. I let the shield down, and they found you. I'm sorry."
My eyes widened as I tried to take it all in. "So you've been shielding me ever since you came to Shadow Bend?"
He nodded.
"So why didn't they come at night while you were sleeping - why last night?"
"There's no rhyme or reason as to when they come for you. They just do. I was shielding you in case they came. I haven't slept since I met you. I don't need much sleep. "
I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He obviously needed at least a little sleep. "Were you planning on staying awake indefinitely? You need to sleep some time, and then they will come again."
"The plan is to teach you to shield until we can remove your implant. Then you'll be safer."
"But they know where I live anyway."
"You can't go back to Shadow Bend Lucy."
His words hit me like a punch in the stomach. "But... my uncle - he won't agree to me just taking off." He was telling me I had to leave the only real home I remembered. It had taken me so long to get there, and now I had to give it all up.
"You have no choice. You can't see him again. At least not here. It's not safe."
My head was swimming with confused thoughts and questions.
"Where will I go?"
"There are others like me. They don't agree with what the Innaki are doing either. We need to get to Newtown. They will help keep you safe."
The helicopters buzzed overhead, making a wid
e sweep of the ridge. We stuck to the cover of the trees, and stopped to wash the dried blood from our faces in the creek. Aric's skin was as smooth and unblemished as it had always been. He didn't just heal others - he could heal himself too. As I stumbled along after him down the mountain, I wondered what other amazing secrets he was keeping.
* * * * *
The helicopters were still buzzing behind us, making a meticulous surveillance sweep of the ridge as we reached the line of trees near the barn. We'd managed to stay out of sight by keeping just off the path, avoiding bushes and boulders but it made the going harder, and the descent to the valley was slower than Aric had hoped. Arriving in the valley well after noon, we crouched at the edge of the tree line, Aric's hand on my arm as though he thought I might break for the safety of my home any moment.
He had left his truck parked at the side of the house. From our vantage point amongst the trees behind the barn, we could see the driveway and part of the front porch. A long black car was parked in front of the house. Two men dressed in dark suits were talking to Uncle Tom and Aunt Janet, who were standing on the steps of the porch. Gus was walking two saddled horses towards the house. I could see my cousins, Luke and Michael standing on the rails of the fence pointing at the helicopters. A police car bumped along the drive from the direction of the road, heading for the house. Why were the police there?
"We won't be able to get my car," said Aric. I shuffled forward to get a better look.
"Who are those men? Detectives? Maybe they'll help us."
"Afraid not. We've got to get out of here now."
"Do you know them?"
Aric surveyed the scene in front of the house. "Sort of. I think they're hybrids too."
"Then shouldn't they help us?"
"Those are the bad guys. They're on the wrong team."
He crouched down as one of the suited men looked towards our hill.
"We really need to go. We'll head for the highway and hitch a ride. But we need to stay in the cover of the trees. If we head south, can we get to the highway along this hill?"
Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy Page 8
