by NB Blackbell
As she entered the kitchen, Jake set down his mug and reached over to pour her a cup, "Morning, Jasper. There's some coffee whitener. Do you want some in your coffee?" Jasper nodded as she took a seat. "Faith wants to come with us today. I told her it was okay. She's pretty good at noticing things. She's the only other person who has noticed that it hasn't been sunny since the shooting… perhaps it's because the moon is so bright it lights up the sky. But the background of the moon is still black and filled with stars. It feels a little surreal to me." Jake headed over to the table and placed the coffee down.
Grabbing a seat, he turned and looked at her. "She came to me again last night. It was short, but she stood there, and she told me she missed us… that there's so much, we don't know. She also said that life is but an illusion and that we are not safe. She had a look of fear on her face and left. I felt so uneasy about it when I woke up. I need to find her." Jasper reached over and laid her hand on his, and consoling him said, "The more answers we get, the better off we are. I think she's alive, and somehow she's guiding us, or at least, I want to believe that." Jasper jumped up and put her cup in the sink. "Let's get ready to go. I need to know what's going on out there. I'm tired of being a sitting duck." The two gathered up the others, grabbed the supplies they needed, and got ready to head out.
Pulling up behind the grocery store, they parked the car. The four of them jumped out and leaned against the store. Jasper looked at Larzo. "Hopefully, they don't see the car. It should be safe here, right?" Larzo gave her thumbs-up and headed to the corner of the building to take a look. "Let me make sure we're safe to move." Within seconds, he motioned for them to join him. "We're all clear." They stood in front of the store. Jasper looked around. She felt her heart drop. There was no way this was home. "Did it look this way yesterday?" Larzo looked around. They still couldn't see very far, but from what they could see, something had changed. "No, this is not the same. The parking lot is gone. There's no cement; it's all gravel roads. Is that a horse trough?" Jasper continued to look around, "Sure looks like one, and it's filled with water." The four walked through the fog. On the left, there was an old saloon. Next to it stood a 50s ice-cream parlour. Jasper shook her head. "This is weird. It's a collage of decades. How's this possible?" Jake stood looking up. "I'm not sure, but I don't think any of this was here before. This is where my office was, but this doesn't look like my office." Jasper looked up. There stood a large statue. Faith leaned her head to the right to have a better look at it. "Nope, that doesn't look like an office building. Is that a dinosaur?" Just then, Jake realized she hadn't seen the creatures in their true form. He turned to her and said, "You need to be prepared when you see them. They are not human anymore. They're enormous and look like giant lizards." Faith took a deep breath. "John tried to fill me in. He warned me not to scream when I see them since that would break my cover. We're wearing red, so we should be safe. If we stay hidden and quiet, they won't notice us." Jake nodded. "As long as you are aware of that, then you shouldn't have any problems. Don't forget to keep your mask on no matter what." Jasper yelled for Jake, "Oh my God! You have to see this!" As they headed towards Jasper and Larzo, they both looked up. It was hard to see through all the green fog, but the Statue of Liberty still stood there. "What the hell? I know we're not in New York. It's like there is a bit of everything from different places or from different decades. How did this happen?" Jasper had a few ideas but thought it best to keep it to herself for a bit. "I'm not sure, but any thoughts can be discussed back at the hotel. Let's keep going forward and see what's going on and try not to trip." As they looked around, they noticed bodies were lying around. All of them looked like they experienced a horrific death. Faith stepped over the bodies but not without noticing that and asking, "Have you guys figured out why they all look so scared? It seems they were all killed in different ways. I don't understand this." Jasper grabbed Faith's sleeve and pulled her along. "It's not time to understand. We need to keep moving."
As they walked through the green fog, little things would catch their eyes from time to time, like the occasional person looking out their window and ducking when they spotted them. Jake stopped for a second and sat on a bench. "Do you think these folks have any idea what's going on? Should we be helping them?" Jasper stopped and looked back. "It would be nice if we could, but think about it, we can't trust to take anyone back to our base. We don't know if they are human or alien anymore. It's not like they can't shape shift." Jake frowned, "Yeah. I guess so. I just feel bad. Guess it's in my nature to want to help." Jake got up and continued walking. They could hear the hovercrafts getting closer to them. "Those things are loud. It's hard enough to adjust to them when they are farther away; not hard to miss when they are close." The four took cover behind some garbage cans. Moments later, a craft flew by but not without slowing down and checking out the area. They held their breath, trying to be as quiet as they could. A guy came running out from behind a building. His screams were shattering. Jake wanted to jump out and help him, but the craft hovered above this man as if to watch. He screamed, "Oh my God! He has a chainsaw, someone help me! That clown has a chainsaw!" The guy thrashed around, and a look of pure fear hit his face. The group looked around but did not see anyone else there with him. As they watched, the guy was slowly killed before their eyes. He was sliced into two as if someone had a chainsaw, but in reality, there was no one there. The body lay in its own blood, and the craft zoomed off in a new direction. Jake looked around to make sure they were alone, then ran over to check out the body. The guy lay there with the same look on his face as the other bodies had. His death seemed to result from what he was yelling about, yet the group had witnessed no such thing. "Perhaps the killer was invisible. I know that sounds stupid, but we all saw this guy die," suggested Jake. Faith leaned against the building behind the garbage cans, her eyes filled with tears. "We're all going to die, and we won't even see it coming." Her mouth fell to the floor. "The guy I saw with the knife outside the hotel, you couldn't see him, but I did. Could he have really killed me the same way?" Jasper looked at her. "I don't know, but I suppose so. We really need to be careful from now on. No more taking chances."
The group had been walking for a bit. They noticed a lot more changes that were not there before and more people within their homes. They were getting closer to the outskirts of the city and had noticed the hovercrafts flying around more often. Their deep hum got louder and louder. Larzo ran ahead a bit to see what was there, then quickly returned with answers. "We're getting really close to the action, guys. From this moment on, we must use hand signals only." The four made their way through the fog until they came to an old corner store. Across from it stood a tall temple-like building. It looked like it was made of stone, sort of like a building the Mayans would have constructed. "Wow!" exclaimed Jasper. That is beautiful! I definitely don't remember seeing that before." They all ducked behind a large garbage bin in the ally next to the store. Larzo motioned for them to be quiet as he peeked around the corner. They could hear the stomping of the aliens' feet as they walked with the sound of their overly broad tails dragging behind them. They definitely were not hard to miss. Jasper glanced over at Faith and said, "I don't know about you, but it's tough to get the image of that guy out of my head. This has become much more real, but I know I have to hold it together. Nothing good comes from falling apart. I've had this nagging feeling of being watched. I keep looking around, but I don't see anyone." Faith looked around. "I don't see anyone. Maybe it's because we're out in the middle of nowhere, wearing a bright colour. In any other situation, where you feel a need to hide, you would never consider wearing red." Jasper nodded. "Very true."
From their hiding spot, they could see the creatures. The four watched as the creatures' overly large bodies moved in and out of the green fog. Jake whispered, "They must be able to see through this fog, or they wouldn't have surrounded us with it." Jasper looked around. Nothing felt familiar at all. The tall stone temples stood where office buildings
used to stand. 'What has happened to our city?' she thought. "Are those people over there?" Larzo and Jake tried to get a better look. "I'm not sure," said Larzo. "They might be. It looks like people, but we can never be sure anymore. We should get back to the hotel. It will take a bit to make our way back." Slowly, the group made their way back through the fog. They came upon a building that looked like an old telegraph building. Larzo spotted an unlocked door. "We can rest there." Inside was grimy and covered in cobwebs. It looked as if no one had entered for years. Jasper ran her finger over the shelves as she walked through. "Why do you think they have all these old buildings here? They look super old, like they're not even from this century." Faith stood, looking around. "I don't know. I find it peculiar that suddenly our buildings are gone. How did they do it?" Jasper headed over to the window. She had heard something and was unsure of what it was. Larzo looked up. "Make sure you stay out of sight. We don't want to be spotted."
Jasper crouched as she watched. She saw a man running in their direction. "Someone is coming," she whispered. "He's running from something." She looked closely as he got closer. "He looks human." Jake scurried over to the window to have a look. "He doesn't look like he's freaking out, so he's not running from illusions." Jake looked around to make sure the man was alone, that there weren't any hovercrafts pursuing him. After being assured it was safe, Jake headed out the door and towards the man. "Hey! Are you all right?" The man gazed up, shocked to see Jake. "You're human, and you're not affected by the gas." Jake grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the building where the rest waited. "Come on. Let's get out of sight." The two made it in. Jake peered out the window to make sure they hadn't been spotted. "What are you doing out there among them?" The guy looked at the four of them. "Attempting to survive. I assume the four of you are trying to do the same. I'm Nick." Jasper stepped forward, "Hi, Nick. I'm Jasper. Have you been out there long? Do you know what's going on?" Nick sat down on the floor. "It's been a few days, I think. I'm losing track fast. One night I'm going for a walk, then suddenly, I'm not there anymore. I tried to go home, but my place isn't there anymore. How's that possible? It just vanished! I know these creatures are everywhere, so I hid and watched. People are dying by a gas released in the air, although it doesn't affect those creatures at all. Do you know they have slaves locked up? I can't get close enough to get a good look, but I saw a few of them." Jasper wrinkled up her face. "What do they do with those slaves?" Nick shook his head. "I'm not sure yet." Larzo looked at Jasper.
"We can't take him with us. We don't know if he's trustworthy. What if he's one of them?" Jasper gave Larzo a funny look. "He can see us in red, silly. He also looks human and isn't affected by this green fog. Why aren't you affected by it?" Nick ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sure yet, but I'm glad I'm not. Have you seen what happens to the folks who are?" Larzo shook his head. "Okay, we'll take him with us. But you get to explain to John why we brought home a stray, all right."
The five of them left the safety of the building and headed towards the grocery store. A woman ran past them and kept going as if she never saw them. A stream of webs dragged behind her as she ran. She was screaming that giant spiders were coming, that everyone should hide. They looked just to make sure it wasn't real, but then realized she was affected by the gas. One can never be too careful. After making it back to the car, the group stood there for a bit. It was a safe place to stop and catch their breath. Jasper leaned against the car. Looking up, she noticed how bright the moon was. It was more vivid than she had ever seen before. It was as if it was running off the heat of the sun. Around fifteen minutes later, they hopped into the car and headed back to the hotel. Nick laid his head back against the seat. Jasper glanced over at him and asked, "You all right?" He glanced over at her. "Yes, it's just nice to be able to rest my head, even if it's just for a few minutes." They drove for about thirty minutes till they reached the hotel.
The five stood there while Larzo rang the bell to get in. It took a few minutes, but John came running to the door. "Great, you're back!" He yelled, opening the door, he noticed Nick. Immediately, he asked, "Why would you bring someone back with you?" Jasper pushed past John. "I'll explain later, don't worry. He's safe, I can feel it." Locking up the hotel, John turned to Nick. "If she says you're safe, then I believe her. Welcome, my friend. I'm John." He reached his hand out. Nick shook it. "I'm Nick, and I'm glad to be here." Jasper took a deep breath. She was glad to be back too. "He's been out there by himself, John. He's seen a lot and can be extremely helpful. Plus, he's not affected by the toxic fog."
John glanced at Jasper and started to speak, but her voice faded as she heard the voice inside her head: Stupid humans want to interfere with my plan. John reached up and tapped her on the shoulder. "Did you hear me, Jasper?" Giving herself a slight shake, she looked up at John and replied, "No, sorry. I heard something. That voice I heard at the café. I heard him again." She turned to Jake. "It said, Stupid humans, want to interfere with my plan. I think it's them, and they're angry. I could hear it in his voice." Nick interrupted, "You can hear them?"
Jasper nodded, "Only sometimes." John motioned to Jake. "Find him a room, will you? Nick, you get settled in your room, and I'll come up and speak to you in a bit." Nick nodded. "So, I can relax here? I haven't been able to get sleep in days. I'm so exhausted." Jake patted him on the back. "You can definitely get some sleep. Everyone here has everyone's back." The two-headed up to the second floor, to Room 211, next to Jake's room. Nick gazed around the room. "This is nice. I never thought I'd get to sleep in a bed again. I never thought I'd see people again that's not affected by the gas." Jake grabbed a seat at his table. "Not everyone here is immune to it, but there are a couple of us. How have you not been noticed by them?" Nick flopped down onto the bed. "Oh, I've been noticed a few times. I booted it and hid. Those buggers are not overly fast, but are extremely strong, and have a real hate on for people." Jake peered over at Nick. "Do you know much about them?" Nick shook his head. "Not really, only what I've seen."
John knocked and entered the room. "How's everything?" Nick smiled. "Well, I can finally shut my eyes and not worry about those creatures grabbing me. "John walked over and sat next to Jake. "I'm going to brief my people later about what they saw, but I'm sure you being out there, that you have seen quite a lot going on." Nick leaned up against the wall. "I saw so many people die. That gas makes them see things that don't exist, and they actually die from it. I think they're using the humans that survive as slaves. I can't be sure of that because I couldn't get close enough to see it. Do you know how nice it is to be away from the constant hum of their hovercrafts? They're so loud. You have to keep your eyes open all the time, as you're never sure where they are. Here, at least, you could hear them coming. That alone is something to be thankful for."
John leaned forward, and placing his elbows on his knees, asked, "Have you noticed any weaknesses or anything that can benefit the human race?" Nick thought for a moment, "Other than being faster than them, not really. I think they communicate inside their heads. I've only heard grunts and screeches come out of their mouths." Jake's eyebrow raised as he thought of the conversations, he, Jasper, and Billy had inside their heads. Nick continued. "They seem to be quite intelligent, and I see some of them doing stuff like lifting with their minds. I once saw one of them lift a big rock without touching it. It was kind of cool, but scary at the same time."
Jasper stood by the window in her room. It had been a long emotional day. As she looked up at the moon, her eyes filled with tears. "Where are you, Isabel?" She thought about the people she saw today influenced by the gas and how one man was murdered right in front of her. Tears fell from her eyes as she turned and flopped down onto the bed. She had held a lot in since all of this started. For the first time, she felt as if things were hopeless. She lay there and cried for the longest time.
Nick sat up with a strange expression on his face. Jake listened as he realized he could hear Jasper crying in his head. H
e saw Nick's reaction and thought to himself, can you hear her too? Nick peered over at him and nodded. Jake's eyes grew wide, Nick was like them. "John, I'm going to check on Jasper. It's been a tough day, and I need to make sure she's all right" As he headed out the door, he glanced back at Nick. He seemed as puzzled as Jake felt. "I'll talk to you later, Nick. Have a good sleep." John got up too, "Yes. I'll let you sleep. We'll speak more tomorrow." Outside the room, John looked at Jake. "He seems okay. Can you keep an eye on him, though?" Jake nodded and headed towards Jasper's room.
He knocked and headed in. "Jasper, are you all right? It's Jake." Jasper glanced up, and tears flowed from her eyes as she replied, "Yes." She wiped her eyes. "Why are you here? What's wrong?" Jake sat on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to check on you. I heard in my head that you were very upset." Sitting up, she peered at Jake and responded, "It's just been an emotional day. That poor guy who was murdered, he never stood a chance." Jake shook his head. "Yeah, that was pretty hard to watch. I spoke to Nick. He seems all right. Funny thing, I think he heard you crying too. The look on his face told me so." Jasper felt puzzled. "Could he be like us? Whatever 'us' means. Perhaps he knows why we are how we are." Jake pushed her over and lay beside her. I don't know, but he's about to get some sleep. I think he heard me inside my head." Jake glanced at the ceiling. Can you hear me, Nick? He thought to himself. Jasper giggled. "Are you trying to speak to him?" Jake looked over at her. "Yeah, you try too. See if he answers." Both sat there, trying to talk to Nick in their heads. Within seconds, they heard, I can hear you; I'm not sure why, though. Jasper gasped and sat straight up. So you are like us? Do you know why we can do this? Nick rolled over on his side and took a deep breath. No, when I heard Jake earlier, it was the first time this happened to me. It's never happened before, but there have been lots of weird stuff happening to me lately. Jake jumped into the conversation. We should let you sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow. Keep this between us, though. This is no time to freak anyone out regards what we can do. They think it's freaky enough that we are not affected by the gas. Nick sighed. Yeah, I'm heading to bed, I could use some sleep. Don't worry, this is between us, goodnight. Jasper smiled, Night, Nick.
