Page 7 of Alien Abduction for Beginners
The shiny dome of the spaceport at the edge of the desert glinted in the sun. I blinked and looked away before I could start having fantasies yet again, dreams of leaving not just this town, but the entire planet. Those were childish. They were vacancies to work on spaceships, yes, but I had no skills and qualifications that would ever get me there. No, I was destined to stay here, starving, always hoping for a miracle.
Chadra's shop was empty and refreshingly cool. It was a ramshackle store that was filled with all sorts of unnecessary crap, but the owner was kind and often had work for me. I gave two marble statues a questioning look. Not exactly something people in this part of town would buy.
"Those are new." Chadra appeared from behind a curtain, barely managing to squeeze through the doorway. She was big, no, massive. Three of me could have filled her clothes and there would still have been space. Her white hair was braided around her head like a crown, giving her a somewhat pompous appearance, especially when paired with her slightly upturned nose that always made her look arrogant and aloof.
"What are they for?"
She shrugged. "Coat stands? Oversized garden gnomes? I'm sure I'll find a seller eventually. But I doubt that's why you're here."
"Got any jobs for me? I could do with some work."
Chadra rolled her eyes. "You always do. Why don't you try to find a full-time job somewhere? You're a clever girl."
"Woman," I corrected. I barely reached the five-foot mark and people often thought me younger than I was. It was annoying but it also had its advantages. I'd been let off by the police more than once because I got them to believe I was simply a teenager, not yet of age, and therefore not worth the trouble.
"And nobody wants to employ someone like me. I never even finished school."
"Qualifications have nothing to do with intelligence. You're a quick learner. If I could, I'd employ you as my assistant, but I wouldn't be able to afford you. Still, you'll be pleased to hear I've got a job for you. A courier run to the spaceport."
I groaned. That meant I'd have to spend all afternoon in the burning heat.
"Want to say something?" Chandra asked with a smirk.
"No. It's fine. Great. Wonderful. What do you need me to deliver?"
She pulled a small parcel from a drawer, not much bigger than my hand. Jewellery, maybe? It had to be something small yet valuable. Chandra wouldn't have something delivered if it wasn't worth it.
"Don't ask questions, don't look at the customer for too long. Just get to the spaceport as fast as you can and ask for a Mrs Lester."
"Can I get a scooter?" I asked hopefully and to my surprise, Chandra nodded.
"You'd never get there fast enough by foot. But if it gets even the tiniest scratch, I'm going to have to take it off your wages. And because I don't pay you much, it's going to take years for you to repay, so you better don't have an accident."
I gulped, but it wasn't like I had a choice. I needed the money.
Chadra pulled a bundle of keys from her pockets and threw one of them at me. I caught it easily and grabbed it tightly, unable to suppress a grin. I'd not ridden on a scooter in years. This was going to be fun.
Half an hour later,I was on the side of the road, my knees bleeding, the scooter wrecked. And my head hurt like hell. I hadn't worn a helmet because there hadn't been one. Something wet tickled my cheek. Tears? I rubbed my face before looking at my hands. My skin was stained with red. A head wound. Just what I needed.
I let myself fall back onto the hot sand. I didn't have the energy to get up and inspect the damage. This was it, the moment the last dream turned into dust. I'd have to spend years paying for what just happened, like Chandra warned me. Years of starvation. Instead of improving my life, I was making it worse.
I closed my eyes, unwilling to look at the damaged scooter any longer. I wasn't quite sure what had happened. It had suddenly stopped and I'd been flung through the air, over the handles and onto the hard ground. Everything ached. For some reason, the scooter had then started to drive again, on its own, right into a brick wall that had once been part of a house. Not anymore. The homes that had stood here had all been abandoned when the spaceport had been built five decades ago. Now, they were nothing but ruins.
My head was starting to pound as if someone was banging against it from the inside. I must have got hurt more than I first thought. I couldn't afford to go to a doctor or even call an ambulance, so I just had to wait until it got better.
The sun was quickly drying the blood on my face, turning it into something that felt like a mud mask. A wave of vertigo overcame me even though I was lying in the sand. The ground swayed beneath me and bile rose in my throat. Don't puke. Please don't puke.
The headache was getting worse. Was this the end? Was I going to die in a ditch, alone with no witness but the scorching sun? It would turn my body into a burned crisp before anyone removed my remains.
Even though this was the road to the spaceport, nobody had driven past since my crash. People would start passing by once their shifts ended later today, but now everything was quiet and deserted.
I let my mind drift, unable to stay focused. The pain pulled me away, wrapping me in its arms and telling me not to worry. I welcomed it. There was no point in resisting. Darkness lingered around the edges of my mind, waiting for me. Soon. For now, the pain wasn't ready to let me go quite yet. It explored my body, showing me all the places I'd been hurt in. My legs, my back, my head. I wished for the darkness to swallow me. I didn't want to have to wait. Any delay meant suffering. I'd fought all my life and now I was done fighting. It was time to simply give in to the temptation of everlasting sleep.
A shadow fell over my face, instantly cooling my skin now that it was no longer being grilled by the sun. Someone was talking from high above, several someones. Men. I couldn't make out their words, but I was grateful for the shade they gave me.
I waited for them to leave so that I could die in peace, but they didn't move. Something - no, one of them - touched me by the shoulders. I groaned. I was too tired to move, even opening my eyes seemed like too much of a task.
Cool fingers touched my cheek. Inside, I smiled. Such a nice feeling. It was lovely of them to stay with me while I died. I wouldn't have a funeral but this was even better. I was still alive and knew they were here. Funerals were kind of pointless for the dead person.
