Alien Breed

Eleven

Naomi

I’m all twisted and turned upside down.

One of the many weird things about this place is that, at night, the stars are not visible. Everything is black.

So when we cross through the jungle, we really have no idea where we’re headed.

There’s no seeing through to the horizon. No north star to guide us as our compass. The canopy above our heads is thick, which causes our flashlights to only be of use a couple of feet away.

And, if I’m being honest, the captain isn’t the best person to be paired with.

“It itches,” he says, referring to the goo that has dried and solidified around his skin.

“We need to get the crap off you as soon as we can,” I say, angrily.

We keep walking. Every so often, Halloway tries to break the silence with some optimism, or a joke to keep the mood less serious.

None of it is effective. I’m pissed. I’m irritated I was lied to, and I’m angry that they couldn’t hire a captain with some balls.

But I guess that’s just what they wanted, right? They wanted to assemble a team of idiots. Yes, a team of dip-shits that could be manipulated into playing their silly little game.

Well, they were wrong about me. And the rest of the crew members, as weird as they might seem. They were wrong about them too.

They were wrong about all of us. Fassbender will be outsmarted. We may be at our darkest moment, but that doesn’t mean that hope doesn’t exist.

Finally, the captain steps in front of me. “Will you please just talk to me?”

“I find you completely pathetic,” I say. “In fact, every time I look at your face, I just want to smear more of that goo into your pores.”

“Thanks,” he says, hurt.

I swallow and remain indignant. Eventually, I just start to feel bad.

“Don’t listen to me. That’s not entirely true,” I admit, sighing. “Every time I look at you, I feel my heart sink and shatter into a million pieces. I see Turin suffering. I want to blame you, but I know you were only trying to survive.”

“Listen, I’m not weak. I will right these wrongs. You’ll see,” he says.

Now I feel even worse. “Halloway, it’s all right. You don’t have to do anything except look out for us from now on.”

“You have my word.”

Noble, but how can I sure he’s being truthful? As I get used to the i

dea that everything could fall apart at any second, we reach another clearing in the woods.

I recognize where we are. This is the spot we saw Fassbender with Hugh and Roy. This is the danger zone, and I’ve run right back into the heart of it.

“Shit,” I whisper, glancing at Halloway’s fearful eyes. “Just keep your voice low, okay? This place isn’t safe.”

“What do you mean it isn’t safe?” he asks.

“Fassbender,” I hiss.

Cautiously, I walk into the grounds. In the center, Hugh and Roy are still tied to a thick post. Sitting in chairs, they sleep.

They look terrible. Bruises, blood, and head wounds. Fassbender has really done a number on them, but he doesn’t look to be anywhere nearby.