Al

ov.

 v.

They decided the best thing to do was move. With the wee hours of sleep they received, they looted the police car for any valuables and headed off. The sun began to peek over the horizon and Al groaned, but he'd much rather be far and away from there than killed in his sleep.

"It was the trash," his sister was enjoying another box of food their grandma had prepared.

"What?" She put her plate down.

Al picked something off of her plate, eating it before she could slap it out of his hand, "It was the trash that brought her. She was eating it while I was in here."

Missy hummed in acknowledgement, not dropping a crumb, "I wouldn't blame her. Grandma Myra makes amazing food."

Al rolled his eyes playfully but tightened his grip. If they did eat their food, then they'd always have to eat and be on the run. He checked his gas tank. It was still halfway filled. He placed his foot above the brake. Missy spoke, "Do you think that those policemen really had a safe place for us to hide?"

Al shrugged, "I don't know, but based off last night, I think that's the only alien they'd ever seen."

Missy nodded, "I wonder why she didn't hurt you, you looked straight at her."

Al shuddered. "Yeah, I wonder why."

He soon pulled onto the main road, joining a small onset of cars. Many of them had people getting off of them, while others were being wheeled to what seemed to be a hospital. There were only a few people, but based off of the amount of blood everywhere, Al could only assume they'd been attacked too. He slowly drove up to one of the survivors and rolled his window down.

"What happened?" The man was short and a bit older, but not yet elderly.

"Some crazy mutants attacked us. It was the aliens," The man shook his head frantically, watching for something. "They said something about a shelter so we headed there. Was here when boom, didn't know what hit us. Some people ran off, others tried to fit it but they damn near killed everybody."

Al sat up in his seat, "What? Did any of you guys have food?"

The man jumped and shouted, "Forget about food, my brother's dead! The government doesn't want us to live, that's why they sent us here! We're doomed!"

Al parked the car, leaned out the window, and gripped the man's shoulders, "Where is the shelter?"

"I'm not telling you! You'll be dead if you go there!" The man broke free of his restraints and ran off, leaving Al frustrated. A younger woman strolled up to the car, a bit more collected than the man but just as distraught.

"I heard it's by the mall. The mall has two stories and enough stores to make a bed, but I'm not sure it's too safe," The woman crept closer.

"We have to try something, it's far too dangerous to be playing around out here."

"I know," The woman pulled a card, "If you go here, they might help you. It's an old bar, but it has a basement. I was headed there myself, but I've lost my hand."

She gave him the card from in between her dainty, bloodied fingers. This made Al really take a look at her. She was frail, dripping blood from the hand she didn't offer and her clothes were tarnished. The appear ripped, almost like the markings on the alien's face from earlier, but she also had a very visible hole in her leg, like a cannon was shot at her. He had to look away. The woman leaned closer into the window and smiled.

"Aw, a child. Haven't seen one since the attack hit," She waved at Missy, "Hello young lady, I pray to the stars that you remain safe."

Missy nodded, freaked out by all of the blood. Al fared his goodbyes and drove off towards the address and behold, he was back at the place they had attempted to sleep at. This time, there were no officers and the cars were missing. The trash was emptied and upon closer inspection, the garage was part of a bigger building. It was right under his nose. He cut the engine and he and his sister proceeded to leave. A rustle was heard. Instinctively, Missy ran into his arms. Another rustle.