Alien Invading My Heart

Chapter 3 II An Experiment

Layla on the side :)

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I still hated mornings. Maybe I hate them even more now. Every single morning in 7 AM sharp the big clock in the middle of this region started ringing in the most annoying way and it wouldn't stop for exactly twenty minutes.

This morning I was in surprisingly good mood. I got up ten minutes before 7 so I had time to find my earplugs. I took one of three jeans I owned and my only not ripped t-shirt. Clothes were hard to purchase, even for me.

I took the last apple from so-called kitchen and went out. I was going towards the big clock to meet with Layla like always. The street was already full of people. They were putting things on tables. It was some kind of market; if you have something valuable you can get what you want.

"Thief!" I heard someone yelling. I turned in the direction from which came the noise. Some middle aged man was going after a boy who couldn't have had more than six years. He caught him and gave him a slap. Young boy fell on the ground and started crying.

"That's what you get for stealing!" he yelled and slapped him again.

"Stop it!" I said as I was getting closer. He turned to me and stared.

"Mind your own business"

I clenched my fists and frowned. That man was a representation of the thing I hated the most about region – it turned people merciless.

"What did he take?" I asked calmly.

"He took half of my bread" he said it like it was the sin that you should pay with your life.

"I-I was hungry" the boy spoke.

"Shut it!" the man yelled.

"You got it back, now go" I ordered him.

"Who do you think you are..."

"Stop making the scene and leave"

He turned around and saw people staring at him so he walked away, but not before he gave the boy a look promising punishment. The boy was frozen on the ground. I looked at him for a moment and then tugged his arm to help him get up. His bottom lip was bleeding.

"Come with me", I said as I took his little hand in mine. He looked at me with doubt clear in his eyes, but still didn't back off. He was still scared.

I continued my way to the big clock with him in silence. Layla was already there when we came in her new outfit. She had no more clothes than I, but she managed to make it look new every day.

"What happened now?" she asked looking at the boy.

"Some stupid man started beating him up", I explained.

"And you had to react."

"Exactly"

She rolled her eyes and I gave her what-else-would-you-do look. She shook her head and crouched so she can look the boy in the eyes.

"Where are your parents?" she asked him. He squirmed and looked away. I squeezed his hand slightly and he looked up. I saw Layla's gaze soften up.

"They are gone", he said quietly, "aliens took them."

"So you were by yourself all this time?" I asked surprised and angry in the same time.

"Well, I tried", he said looking at me with his big brown eyes. I clenched my jaw and shook my head. A kid was left alone to fend for himself. They didn't care if he died or lived. They just put him there to fight with everyone else just to survive. Their cruelty kept surprising me. My anger could do nothing, but I could – at least for him. I got down on my knees and gave him a hug.