Page 23 of Claimed by the Alien Warrior Triad

It takes me an hour to get down the mountain, stealthily moving from boulder to boulder, hiding in nooks and crannies. My feet are aching, blistered and painful, but I manage to make it to the plains intact.

Down there, the cool, slightly-damp grass is a welcome relief for my poor feet. Yet despite the ease of traveling on the soft-packed grass, I long to be back on the mountainside; where at least I had some protection and cover. Here on the plains, there is nowhere to hide; and I feel like there’s plenty to hidefrom.

A growl freezes me in my tracks. Suddenly, I don’t feel free. I’m paralyzed for a moment in terror, then Islowlylower myself to the ground, hiding in the long grass, hoping that whatever made that sound hasn’t noticed me.

I stare out through the grass towards the growling noise. In the light of the two moons, I see a massive, wolf-like beast stalking through the grass – ten-feet-tall and with a mouth full of teeth the size of kitchen knives.

The wolf stops suddenly, sniffing the air, and then slowly begins walking towards me. The creature is the length of a football stadium away from me – but the distance is closing fast because of the length of its huge strides.

Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Wake up, Aubrey! Wake up!

I shudder, cursing myself for leaving the safety of the cave. Suddenly, this feelswaytoo fucking real.

Oh, God – if this is real, I’m going to die. I’m going to die!

The wolf pauses twenty-feet away, sitting back on its haunches and testing the air with huge nostrils. It sniffs deeply, then snarls, the wolf’s lips drawing back to give me a closer view of those long, deadly fangs. It steps forward like a wraith. If I hadn’t just relieved myself outside the caves, I’d be pissing myself right now. I’ve never felt a fear so raw. It takes away my own thoughts completely – a fear so complete that it takes away everything that makes me,me.

Instead, I’m an animal of prey, my heart pounding as I press myself as hard as I humanly can against the ground. I want to be swallowed up by the earth. I need todisappear.

Closer, the wolf steps. I feel the vibrations of its bulk through the ground. The giant wolf-creature moves forward slowly, ducking down and approaching as if it doesn’t want me to see it coming. The creature growls – a sound that curdles my stomach and fills my veins with terrified adrenaline.

Then another sound comes from behind me – a faint rustling that grips my heart like a fist. Before I can turn to see if another wolf is sneaking up on me from behind, the great wolf in front leaps towards me.

I force my hand into my mouth to stop myself from screaming, as the massive creature leapsoverme. I stare up and watch the beast’s belly as it flies overhead. I whip my head around and watch as an enormous deer bolts away, racing for its life with the wolf in hot pursuit.

Thank you, not-so-little deer. Thank you!

It was luck that saved my life. I tremble, wondering why my own mind tortures me so. I think back to high school, when I used to bring the razor blade to my legs until the pain was so bad I forgot all my anxiety…

I’ve got a long history of hurting myself physically. Now, I can addmentallytorturing myself to the list. Ofcoursemy own mind would want to torment me.

I lay there, quivering, the fear still pulsing through my veins.

“Get up Aubrey! Get up!” I whisper to myself, trying to unthaw my paralyzed muscles. I grit my teeth and push myself to my feet. I don’t have any time to spare. I got lucky… once. I won’t trust my luck to hold any longer.

I start to jog, knowing I’m about an hour away from the portal. Each step sends pain through my bruised, blistered feet; but Ihaveto get to safety.

It takes me perhaps an hour to get to the spot where I came through the portal. I have no way of telling time exactly, but the movement of the moons suggest that.

All Idoknow is that I’m at the right spot –exactlywhere we stepped into this verdant, alien world…

…but there’s no sign of the portal.

I squint my eyes. Hovering in the air instead is a teardrop-sized black dot. I wave to it, trying to get its attention.

“Please! Please open,” I plead, looking over my shoulder for the next creature that wants to turn me into a late-night snack.

The black dot widens and my hope surges.

Then it blinks out.

Pain and loss hits me. If my mind is tormenting me, the pain is not over yet. My breath catches as not just the black dot disappears, but the moonlight itself waivers, then disappears.

Where before I could see almost as well as daylight, suddenly I can barely see my own trembling hands in front of me. I look up, and the moons are gone.

The sound of pure hatred fills the air.

It’s the sound that I heard earlier – while waiting to enter the cavern. It’s the noise that had made even the seemingly-invincible Stryker stiffen with genuine fear.

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