Chapter 11 Shani's POV

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I dedicated this chapter to story_lover_29 becuase she is an amazing friend, so cause I believe you guys are so nice could you go check out her stories please? Thanks. NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

(Shani)

“They found us” Arina whispered. Shock and hate tore at my gut. How could they have found us? We were so far out they wouldn’t know where to start. My eyes fell to their hands, where Zachery was clenching her small hands in his aliens ones. He let go when he saw me looking at their intertwined fingers.

Everyone was silent for a few moments, trying to process what Arina had just said. I remembered when I saw the fear in her eyes as she ran into the camp. I didn’t know why I didn’t believe her when she said that they had found us. I guess being hidden for hundreds of years I never ever thought we would ever be found. Never.

My eyes went back to the alien. He actually looked sad by the devastation of what just happened. I knew, I just knew he had something to do with this.

“It was you.” I said, my voice flat. Zachery looked up, but remained silent.

“It wasn’t Zachery’s fault his phone was being tracked.” Arina said, tears brimming in her green eyes.

“Phone?” I asked in bewilderment. Zachery nodded and handed me a thin silver square. On the front was a screen, just like a phone. A holograph phone.

“You kept your phone with you?” I had to ask the question even though the phone was in my hands. My mind had turned to glass and every new bit of information was cracking the sides.

“Yes.” Zachery sighed and my mind shattered. Anger surgerd through my veins, and I forgot all about my injuries. I raised my arm and smashed the phone down on the floor, watching shards of glass and metal fly everywhere. A small ‘zap’ later and the motherboard was short circuiting. Bringing my foot over the piece of technology, ignoring the way it cut into my foot, I made sure no one would be able to track it.

“Shani!” Luke’s voice broke through my shattered mind and his warm hand restrained me from breaking the crumbled technology that seemed to be bleeding. Instead of looking up at him, I brought my rage filled eyes to Zachery.

“You did this!” I spat. He didn’t react in anyway and I took that as a chance to let go everything I’ve been keeping pent up inside me ever since he came. “You’re an alien! Not one of us. You will never be one of us! Your kind killed us off. Only the strongest could survive the invasion! Then you killed the rest!” by now I was screaming every insult I could think of at him. Everything my now dead parents taught me was being turned into an insult and being flung at his face.

Luke was trying to hold me back but I admit, I was a strong girl and for one second, Luke’s grip on my arms slipped allowing me to break free. Drawing my arm back and curling my fingers into a fist, I let a punch fly. Zachery staggered back, clutching his jaw.

“You monster!” I snarled. Arina had stepped in front of Zachery and was trying to protect him from my words by using her body.

“It wasn’t Zachery’s fault he was tracked.” She cried. I could only stare at the girl. The girl I saw get out of our best traps, the girl who helped us with the weapons the girl who looked like she would be someone I could hang out with and teach how to attack. That girl was gone. This girl was someone who trusted an alien who killed her entire family, her kind in a matter of weeks.

“I made the program.” Zachery said, looking into my eyes. I staggered a bit in Luke’s grip, but he didn’t let go, thinking it was all a trick. Most of the fight left me. I knew I couldn’t go back to the past and change things. If I could I would go and get my parents and warn my brother.

“It doesn’t matter.” I sighed, looking down at the wooden floors. Wrenching my arms from Luke, I walked up to Zachery and looked him dead on in the eyes.

“I know what your kind did to mine. I know.” I whispered before walking off. Using an old route and a foggy memory, I swang until I got to an old river I used to call the Moon Pool. I remembered when I was little and my mother would take me down here at night, just as the moon was shining overhead. The reflection would have a huge moon in the centre and no matter how many sticks I threw in there when I was a child, it never faded. So I started calling it the Moon Pool.

Not really caring if any aliens were currently tracking in the area, I sat myself down by the edge of the pool. All my anger had left me, leaving the stinging pain in my foot. Taking a look at the bottom of my foot, I grimaced. The skin was broken but wasn’t bleeding anymore. Gently lowering my feet into the river, I allowed everything to wash over me.

Should I punish Zachery? He did burn our home to the ground. Bile rose up in my throat, but I continued on with my thoughts. He was one of them and no matter how many good deeds he’s done  it will never erase the past of his kinds actions. But, I looked on both sides of him. The plus side. He did look attractive when working and I could tell everyone knew that. He was an efficient worker and could carry heavy loads and didn’t complain when we asked him to do something. I never saw him say one nasty thing to us humans and we all just walked all over him.

Snorting, I realised everyone was treating him like one of us, all except me. I just couldn’t get the actions out of my head. I looked at Zachery with a small sliver of respect now. I see how he’s making Arina happy, by just being there next to her. Maybe he really wasn’t apart of the actions that were taken today.

“Hey.” Looking up, I watched as Luke sat down next to me, also placing his feet into the Moon Pool.

“Hey.” I greeted before turning back towards the pool. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, but this time I was glad of the wake up call. Maybe we were all never really safe when we decided to live so close to the city.

“You gave him a good punch you know.” Luke complimented. Sighing, I ran my fingers over my knuckles. “He’s alright though.”

Relieved he was fine, I rested my head against Luke’s shoulder.

“Been a big day.” I sighed. Luke smelt like smoke and sweat which was unlike him. He always kept clean even if we were trying to clean the mud from the ground on a pouring night.

“It has.” Luke said, looking out over the river. I closed my eyes and tried not to worry about anything. I wasn’t going to worry about our home, food or safety. Everything was going to be gone.

“Do you know where we are?” Luke asked me. I mumbled a ‘what’ that was muffled by Luke’s shoulder.

“About two kilometres west.”

Groaning, I tried to remove all thoughts from my mind. I wasn’t going to think of anything. Nope. Nada.

“They know were here.” Sighing I sat up straight and looked around. To the untrained eye, this would be the most beautiful scene ever. Quiet and secluded. Only it is never this quiet. They’ve been through here hundreds of times to get their water.

“Do you think they had something to do with the aliens?” Luke asked, looking down over me.

“Maybe. Its too hard to tell right now.” I looked up into his eyes, and realised just how close we were. His breath blew gently over my face and his hand came up and gently traced my jaw.

“Luke.” I breathed. I was silenced by his lips as they came down over mine. His lips reminded me of the better times with him. Those are the memories I hold on to. He didn’t deepen the kiss, and slowly withdrew. The kiss felt more like a good-bye kiss.

I traced my lips with the tips of my fingers before turning away, embarrassed. I hadn’t kissed Luke since my brother had gone to them.

“Shani, we have to go.” Luke said, but it was hurried. Looking up, I noticed a pair of eyes before they vanished into the bushes surrounding the pool.

“Yes. Now.” I said while standing up. Taking a last glace at the spot the eyes were, knowing they still watched me before running back to camp.

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