I heard you

Chapter Three

Lottie

I sat quietly on one of the logs that were placed around a pit of coles. This was a fire pit, I read about them in camping guides. My eyes glided across the area anxiously, the scorching feeling of that alien's bottomless black eyes drew my attention. He was standing three feet from me, his arms crossed over his wide chest, and his head raised high, with dignity. A prideful stance, two others like him were behind him, guarding ME.

I felt my mouth go dry, they had long since taken Lassie, to help her they said. Though I didn't believe a single thing they tried to convey. Once I was restrained, using a rope around my wrists, the people that hid in the ship started to descend. Three females, a child, and another man. All in which were human. The rest were all aliens.

They were bigger than us, their skin more like smooth scales, though the claws and talons made them more predatory in a way.

It was easy to pick out the big man in the camp- the boss of these aliens.

And she was a woman, this place clearly belonged to her. The alien that always followed her around was intimate with her, were they a thing? I saw people's mouths moving, but no sound reached my ears, were they talking about me? They could be talking about what they're going to do to me. Were they going to kill me?

I admit I broke into their home, but I stole nothing. Only took what I already had with me.

But I suppose in this world, I'd have done the same thing, I thought sourly.

A small hand waved before my face and I flinched back, my eyes widening at the small child that stood in front of me. A big smile was on the child's face.

She spoke, but all I could do was stare blankly, before she tilted her head. Something else caught her attention and I turned to find one of the aliens had come to her, and spoke a few words before picking up the child. The drawing in the mantle in the bunker floated across my mind. She wasn't the only child, I soon realized when three more children descended the ship's mouth, smiles on their faces. two twin girls and a single boy.

Those drawings were theirs.

When I felt that burning heat again, I found the warrior alien staring at me with a scowl.

He really did seem to have some unstable hatred.

I hung my head, if only I kept a better handle on Lassie maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. I had been a lot less responsible when it came to enforcing her commands.

I knew she was slacking- but I wanted Lassie to be a dog. She didn't ask to be a service dog for a deaf person, She was raised to be one. I often felt I robbed her of her freedom, and father had vehemently argued she would have died on her own as a pup.

Even with my dark curls shielding my view from everything around me, I felt movement- and looked up warily.

The female from earlier had a small hesitant smile, though she kept her distance the alien behind her was standoffish. It was clear he didn't want her anywhere near me. She brought with her a notebook in her hand, and a perfectly good stencil.

I frowned when she took a seat on the log, and flipped it open.

When she finished scribbling on it, she flipped it towards me.

What are you doing here?

I felt a muscle in my cheek jerk at her poor penmanship, and her horrible grammar. She spelt the first word, and the fourth word incorrectly.

She still had a warm smile even as she held out the pad for me. I stared at it, then glanced down at the pad.

What was her angle? Why weren't they just killing me? Dread clawed at my chest at the thought of them being poachers.