Alien Abduction

.:6:.

I missed my pills. The broth gave me energy, but it also hurt my stomach. For the first time since I was abducted, I had to go somewhere to relief myself. I hated it. I wanted my pills.

I didn’t see Richard until it was light again, after a quiet,but restless night. He came into the camp with a handful of men, carrying strange dead animals, and makeshift baskets with oddly colored berries. I got up when he saw me. I didn’t want him to tower over me. “Richard…”

“Orlando! Perverted bastard. Do you miss your precious priest already?”

I wanted to kick that dirty grin off his face, but I clenched my teeth to keep control over my anger. “Did you plan all this?” I asked.

“None of it,” Richard said cheerfully. “It was a spontaneous action. Did you see how I stabbed that alien? Great, huh?”

“Did you kill him?”

“It,” Richard corrected me coldly. “Did I kill it. I don’t know. I didn’t wait for them to react. We ran out as fast as possible, while the others attacked the rest of them. We were the first to get out, so we survived.”

“How many humans got killed, Richard?”

“No idea,” he shrugged. “I didn’t count the bodies. Others are responsible for burying the dead; I merely hunt for food. Do you want some berries? These are good.”

“Did you test them?” I asked with a frown. “How many people died because they ate poisonous food?”

“You ask too many questions,” Richard said slowly. “Just eat, Orlando. Don’t worry. Alright?”

Despite my aversion, I ate a handful of foul tasting berries. I needed the energy, and they quenched my thirst. “So now what, Richard?” I asked. “We’ve been hiding here for three weeks, apparently. What’s next? I trust there’s some kind of leader with a cunning plan?”

“There is,” Richard nodded. “But as I want that position, he’ll be dead soon.” He didn’t lower his voice, cocky as he was. “And as for plans? Survive and kill as many aliens as possible. Or do you have another suggestion?”

I swallowed the final berry, and shook my head. “I have no ideas. Is there something like a river nearby? I feel dirty.”

Richard pointed me in a direction. He followed me with his eyes when I walked away. I could feel his eyes burning in my back. As soon as I was out of sight, I walked a bit faster, eager as I was to get out of the woods. I had no idea where I was going, and I wasn’t sure I made a wise decision; I just wanted to get away from Richard.

I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know what I could eat, like the others who had ‘tested’ it. I bet I had missed a lot of agony. I was glad I had a concussion, in a way.

The river was narrow, and shallow. Still, I was happy to step into the water, and to kneel on the rocks without undressing. It felt good to wash myself. I was so dirty… The beard itched and my hair was tangled, so I washed it all as thoroughly as possible. Only when I was clean enough, I waded to the other side, and sat down between the trees.

I was alone. And again, I blamed Richard for it. That idiot… What was he thinking? We knew nothing about this planet! We hadn’t seen anything yet, only a small part of the forest where our aliens lived. There had to be other places, but at that time, we didn’t know anything about it.

I wanted to go away on my own. My suit had dried quickly, and I was just about to pull out my rosary, when I saw Richard and Mary appear at the other side of the river. I clenched my teeth in restricted anger, and I didn’t take my pendant out of my suit. Instead, I stood up, and waited.

“Where were you going, pervert?” Richard asked with a smirk. “Running away on your own?”

“What’s that up to you, asshole?” I replied. “I didn’t choose to be here. You should have left me in peace.”

I had expected a snappy remark or another insult, but Richard nodded. “Yeah. Actually, I never thought about what to do next. What do you suggest we should do?”

I was stunned for a moment. Those idiots dragged me with them, against my will, and now they asked me what I would do? “I want to get out of here,” he answered. “There will be other places than just forests. Places with pills instead of poisonous berries.”

“Places with aliens, you mean.” As I started walking away, Richard followed me. Mary followed him in turn.

“Richard,” I said patiently, “may I remind you that we are the aliens here on this planet? We’re not on earth… Our aliens didn’t invade our planet, they have abducted us. We’re stuck. And we had a good life.”

“You had a good life,” Richard muttered. “You were with a priest. Our owner wasn’t half as patient with us. He smacked me around the ear one time too many.”

“I bet you deserved it,” I snapped. “You’re a cocky, stubborn bastard, and I bet you misbehaved shamelessly. I would smack your ear as well, Richard.”

Richard sputtered, highly insulted. “You wouldn’t dare to lay a finger on me!”

That did it. I was so mad, so angry for being pulled away from a life I had chosen to adapt to, that I snapped. I swirled around, smacking Richard full in his face, breaking his nose. He fell down, squealing like a pig, holding his face between his hands. Mary ran to him. I ignored the curses and cries, and turned away. I simply left, without looking back, and I kept walking until I couldn’t walk anymore.

I had reached the edge of the forest. I looked at the clear space before me for a very long time. The trees were growing in a clear line, as if someone had planted them like that. The reddish ground sloped gently down. It was an enormous circle. It took me a while to realize I looked at a crater, formed by the impact of a comet. At the bottom of the crater, there were eggs...

“What the fuck is that? A nest of a giant chicken?”

I didn’t look at Richard. I didn’t ask him how he felt, or mock him. I kept looking at the crater. “It’s a city,” I said. “And it’s far away. What do you want to do? Invade and conquer it?”

“Fuck. That’s a city?”

His nose was black and blue, and his clothes were stained with dried blood. My outfit was still sparkly white. I touched my chest, feeling the pendant and the beads, and thought of Chadann again. “Yes,” I said. “What did you expect, Richie? Skyscrapers? Traffic? Smog? We’re on another planet... I wish you would understand that.”

“Right...” Richard walked back behind the trees, and sank on the red moss. Mary sat next to him immediately. “We’ll camp until it gets dark, and then we’ll go to that city.”

I looked at the bottom of the crater again, estimating the distance. I hoped we would be able to make it in one night... It looked very far away to me, with very little opportunities to hide. And we would need water, to make it to the city alive.

For the first time since I got dragged out of the church, I pulled the rosary out of my suit. I didn’t care if Richard would see it. I pressed the pendant between my hands as I looked at the large, setting sun. “Chadann,” I whispered, staring at the horizon. “Please... Take me home.”