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Chapter 1 - Alone

Astrid's p.o.v

I broke out in cold sweat again, blinking the remnants of my nightmares away. "Another bad dream?" Celeste said, looking at me with pity in her eyes, but I did not say anything. I could not.

It was not like there was anything more to say. She already knew the pattern.

I have an awful dream.

I wake up startled and then she comforts me, or at least tries to.

Finally I can barely remember anything from the dream.

Today was no different.

"It's going to be fine," she smiled. I did not believe her. I mean, how could I when I had heard the same thing over and over for the past eighteen years?

Not when we were living in a building that barely had a roof to cover our heads.

"I got a job, so I should be able to get some scraps. What do you want for dinner?" she said, smiling at me.

"Nothing, let's just save up to get a better—" A scream was heard from a distance, cutting me off.

I took a step back.

I felt my body vibrate, I already knew what this was.

"Astrid," Celeste called, I could already hear the panic in her voice even though she was trying to put on a brave front. "I need you to run."

I shook my head even though she could not see me as her back was to me. "There is no way I am leaving you to fight them all alone!"

"Please!" She cried looking at me with tears in her eyes. "It's better they take one of us and the other survives. I promise to find you when I get out." She smiled at me.

That was a lie.

We both knew that once the Aliens took a human that was it...

"GO!!!" On command, my legs started to move on their own as I tried to get out of there as fast as I could.

I felt the tears fall from my eyes freely. Just like that, I left my only family member in the hands of those beasts.

I choked back the sobs that threatened to escape.

I needed to be quiet enough or they would hear me.

They would find me. And my abandoning my sister would be for nothing.

At that thought, I felt my heart slam against my ribcage. Realization hit me, making the guilt creep in.

I left her, I abandoned her. I stopped running, looking back.

I should not have left her even though she said so, I should have stayed.

We live together

Stay together

And die together.

That has always been our motto.

I choked back the sob, looking at the empty road.

Not a single human was here. All had either died or were taken as slaves.

**

I sighed, looking at the sky. It was dark now, most likely hours since they invaded our place. I could feel my body vibrate with fear.

What if they were still there? What if they were waiting for me? As I approached the now quiet building, I prayed to the heavens, if there was really anyone there, that I did not find my sister's body there. At least that would mean that she was alive and captured.

I could still find her again if that was the case.

The smell of blood greeted me before the sight. I opened the door halfway, looking at the dismembered body of my sister. I took a step back, biting my lips as I fought back the tears.

'Leave,' the betraying thought seeped into my mind as I took the duffel bag lying at the side of the room and shoved in all the clothes my hands could take.

I rushed out, willing myself not to break down, till I reached a safe distance and then it hit me.

I fell to my knees at a safe spot and cried.

flashback

"Celeste, when would mommy come back?" Seven-year-old me asked, feeling lost.

"It's just you and me against the world," she said smiling at me with tears in her eyes.

I sighed, wiping the tear that had found its way down my cheek.

"I told you it was alive!" A female voice called too close to me which caused my soul to leave my body from fear.

I felt my body begin to vibrate. This was the first time I had seen an Alien up close, they were two which did not help the anxiety I felt at the moment but at the same time, I could not help but notice that they looked.....

"Beautiful," I said under my breath. One had a slender yet athletic build. His skin was a pale, almost translucent blue, with intricate patterns of gold markings that swirled across his arms, chest, and face. He had high cheekbones and a pointed chin. His eyes were large and almond-shaped, with vertical pupils that seemed to gleam when they looked at me. On the other hand, the woman had long and flowing hair made up of fine, silvery strands that seemed to ripple like the surface of water. The strands were adorned with delicate gold filaments, which caught the light and shimmered like tiny stars.

I held my breath. How could something so beautiful be so... evil?

"She doesn't seem to speak," the man said in a gruff voice, causing me to take a step back, but I was stopped by a wall.

"Even better," the woman said with a glint in her eyes.


"Bitch!" The frying pan hit my back before I could do anything about it. "I told you to clean this damned place before we opened up!" Another pan came flying my way, knocking the side of my head.

I stood, taking the hits as they came.

The few weeks I spent here taught me that trying to avoid hits was just me begging to be hit further.

"Fucking. Say. Something," she said in between hits, but I could not bring myself to say anything.

Ever since Celeste died, I could not bring myself to say a word to anyone. It felt wrong that she did not get to hear my voice anymore but others did.

She sighed when she realized that I was again not going to say anything to her. "Get to your room!!" She shrieked, throwing me a nasty look.

I made my way to my shoe box of a room, sighing as I closed the door.

I wiped my tears aggressively, thankful that she did not see my tears.

This was it. This was how I was going to live my life, forever as a slave to the beasts that enslaved my kind, took my family and left me all alone.

I gave up on wiping the tears from my eyes, drifting off to sleep,

Or at least tried to until I found myself being tied up and blindfolded.

I did not fight it, there was no point in doing that when there was nothing left to fight for.

So I let them, welcoming the peaceful slumber that welcomed me....

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