Unexplained Invasion (part 3)

She slumped against the wall, her eyes falling shut briefly as she fought to catch her breath. It was the sharp claws of the cat that brought her back to attention. She wondered who was the most afraid, her or the cat? As if on auto-pilot, she marched into the kitchen to pour a small bowl of milk and set it on the tiled floor. In numb silence, she watched as the cat lapped it up, seeming to calm it down. The soft purring floated up to meet with Mel’s ears. If only lapping up a bowl of milk would lend her the same content, she mused, feeling lost.

“I guess it’s just you and me, kitty. How about I call you Fiona? How does that sound, huh?” Strangely, the cat made her feel not so alone. Little solace, considering. Right then, her cell phone jingled, making her jump with a start. Mel fished it out of her pocket, her heart racing with expectancy as she clicked the talk button.

“Mom?”

“No. It’s me, Mel… Beth.”

“Beth! W-where are you?”

“At my house,” she said, her voice sounding shrill. “I’m all alone, Mel. Can you come over, please? I don’t know where everyone has gone. My Mom… Dad… You’re the only person I’ve been able to reach.”

“It’s so good to hear your voice, Beth. And yes. I’ll be there in a jiffy. Hold tight!”

“I can’t imagine what’s happening.” She broke into sobs. “I peeked out the window and all I could see were houses burning and black smoke. Be careful, will you?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Mel stuffed her phone back into her pocket. Thankful that at least one other person was alive—some comfort in an otherwise horrific circumstance. She passed a glance over at Fiona, wondering if she should take her with her or leave her in the house, where she would be safe for the time being. After tossing the matter around for a few minutes, she left Fiona, intending to come back later once she figured out what she was facing.

Her friend, Beth Delaney, and she would graduate at the end of the year. Beth had been her best friend since grade school, and Mel couldn’t ever remember feeling so relieved to hear her voice. Usually, they would walk to school within walking distance. Share deep dark secrets like who were the best-looking guys at school, and who they had crushes on. Girl things. Normal things. Why their parents left without a word to either of them remained a mystery. And why were they left to tackle an onslaught of extraterrestrials on their own was more than Mel’s mind could grasp. Both chilling and frightening.

It took a brief time before she made her feet move in the front door’s direction, then she halted, turned, and rushed to her room. Inside, she marched over to her closet and, with trembling fingers, rummaged through the stacks of shoes, tennis rackets, and cheerleading pompoms strewn at the bottom. Relief filled her as she withdrew a bow and leather quiver filled with arrows—something she hadn’t used in many long months but had gone on a few archery tournaments in the past with her father. Her skills proved to be quite impressive, and it had earned her several blue ribbons and a trophy. It seemed more than a little practical, with everything happening, to take the set with her. She remembered nearly ridding herself of the equipment the last time her family had their yearly garage sale, changing her mind at the last minute. No way in hell would she venture outside without something to protect herself.

She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her quaking legs, at this point feeling like jello. Fog clogged her mind, making it near impossible to reason out what she had witnessed moments ago. Aliens! The very thought of going outside made her shake with fear, but she knew she had little choice, other than to remain locked away by herself. To be honest, she did not want to be alone.

Cautiously, her hand twisted the doorknob, and leaning slightly forward, she gazed out at the destruction, a shiver climbing her spine. Fragments of ash swirled through the air, carried by an easterly wind. She looked upward; eyes fixed on the enormous wheel, still suspended over the city threateningly. Rays of sunlight glinted off the steel frame, nearly blinding her. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of movement and strained to make out the images through the glaring sunlight. Several oval-shaped objects were being ejected from out of the far side of the wheel, spreading out in a shotgun blast pattern. The transports looked minuscule compared to the mother ship, but she suspected they were the ones responsible for the smoking rubble surrounding her. Mel wondered if they intended to send alien hunters out to explore the damage, to see if they left anyone alive? Maybe they already had patrols on the ground? Was Sacramento, with its one and a half million people, their only target, or did they intend on taking on the entire world? Maybe they already had? So many unanswered questions.

Fear choked her, and she had to will herself to take the first step out of the doorway. Once she made it out onto the sidewalk, she bolted like lightning down the street, her brown hair flagging behind her.

Beth’s house was close to a mile from her own. Had she a vehicle to drive, she would have felt safer. However, her parents must have taken the Land Rover, since it was not in the garage, the Honda Civic was smoldering in their driveway. The concentration of smoke burned in her lungs. Not too far from her house, she ran up alongside a scorched vehicle; inside, sitting with their hands on the steering wheel, was the figure of a charred person. As if rooted to the cement, she couldn’t tear her gaze away. In that horrifying moment, she realized several people had suffered the same ghastly outcome—still sitting in their vehicles, torched. Had this been the fate of her own family? A strangled sob tore from her throat and she fought back the impulse to vomit.

A movement off to her left caught her attention, and she spun around to see a pencil-thin form, far from looking human, rushing behind a building with something black in its hand resembling a laser gun. Its body, all but transparent, stood approximately six-foot tall. It possessed abnormal characteristics; slanted eyes, an enormous head, and four long, gangly arms. The oddity reminded Mel of an octopus. Suddenly, she realized how vulnerable she had made herself, standing in the middle of the street. Terrified, she bolted forward, dodging in and out of abandoned vehicles, hoping to elude the alien.

Without warning, Mel released a scream as her body catapulted into the air, slamming forcefully onto the paved roadway. The impact drove the breath from her lungs, and she lay gasping for air. The blast launched two cars nearby into the air and then came crashing down behind her. There was a blinding flash of white at the exact time, and Mel realized the alien had taken a shot at her. Bruised and bleeding at her knees and elbows, she struggled to her feet and sprinted down the road, each jarring step a painful endeavor.

Not much further, she told herself. She saw Beth’s home ahead. Traumatized, she passed a glance over her shoulder, sighting the alien rushing towards her. Adrenalin kicked in—the only thing driving her forward as she closed the gap between her and Beth’s house.

Mel stumbled up the front steps, literally crashing into the front door. She heard the lock twist and when the door swung open, she tumbled through breathlessly. “Close it! Hurry!”

Beth did as Mel asked, and flipped the deadlock, then rushed over to help Mel off the floor. Beth looked mortified as she gaped at the blood trickling down Mel’s legs and arms. A lump the size of an egg marked her cheek, already turning purple.

“What’s happening?” Beth cried.

“Aliens! One of them just took a shot at me, but thankfully I got away. There are people still in their cars… dead! Burned to death!”

Beth’s face drained of color. “Aliens?”