The Opportunity ✘ Rex Salazar; Generator Rex

5.00

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative."
- H. G. Wells

The sounds of footsteps moving closer ignited some of Nice's most primal instincts. She could feel deep within her chest, her heart racing at what felt like a bursting rate. Sweat gathered on her brow and pressed her hair down to her temple. Her hand, which was wrapped comfortably around the blunt knife, tightened to a painful grip. Even her breaths were quicker, despite the cramping in her chest. 

She crept forward with the agility of a predator, naturally avoiding any creaking boards as she stalked closer to her prey. She tucked herself firmly into the door frame, poised to attack with her knife raised to strike. Her dry lips twisted shut to prevent the slightest noise from leaving her. Then, she tilted her head towards the entryway of the house, towards the front door that held the sounds of uneven pitter-patter creeping closer. 

In wait, she remained in anticipation. Despite how frail her body felt, as if it had been days since she last ate, habit had ingrained foresight into her body. It only took one second for that foresight to turn into action. 

That single second began with a creek–the door's bolts rusted with age. It took a bit of force for the first person to step into the house, but that gave her all the time she needed. She pushed off the wall and used her momentum to pull them onto the ground. 

Once the advantage of height was gone, she coiled around them like a snake. Her elbows and knees knocked against the floor, but the adrenaline coursing through her muted the pain. She could hear a scream cut through the silence, not fear but shock. 

Nice's legs wrapped around the person's body, craning their head back with a thin arm that hooked around the underside of their chin. She positioned the dull knife in her hands against their eye, close enough to be a threat. Once Nice secured herself, she noticed her captive was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair. He dressed thickly, in a winter's coat that was too bulky to cut through. Her sudden choice of targeting soft tissue was appropriate.

The older woman that had accompanied him didn't even have the chance to enter the house. Instead, her brown eyes were stuck on the scene, face frozen in something next to horror. Nice could practically hear the woman's thoughts, written so clearly in her expression. Neither of the two could properly subdue her, but she was still determined to dominant the situation. 

"Who are you?"

Nice regarded the woman with a sharp look when she didn't immediately answer, putting more pressure on the man's neck. A gurgling sound came from his mouth as his airflow got momentarily stopped. "I will not ask again," she hissed. "Who are you?"

The unspoken risk was clear enough. The woman's eyes flittered between Nice and the man in her grip before they finally settled on her captive. "I'm Diana Finch," she said, quietly reassuring him, even though her voice wavered, "that man you're holding is my husband, Abraham." 

"How'd I end up here?"

"We found you," she told Nice, reaching down to twist at her wedding band. The young girl cut her a glare that stopped her in her tracks, "in the back. You were passed out by the barn."

At that, Nice fought to keep her expression schooled. She didn't remember seeing any signs of civilization before she passed out. The curiosity still must've shown on her face because Diana continued on with her story. "We're not commercial farmers, if that's what you're thinking. A few years ago, we retired to New Mexico and wanted to get some cattle and plant some peach trees. We live far out, so it surprised us to find you-"

"Shut up," Nice snapped. This woman was a person who rambled when nervous, obviously. She wouldn't benefit the young girl at all. Focusing back on the man in her grasp, Abraham, she adjusted her grip so she could press her fingers against his jugular. "Is that the truth?" He nodded, causing her to squeeze harder. "Use your words."

"Yes," he choked out, swallowing against her grip, "It's the truth."

So, Nice was in New Mexico. It was hard to pretend that the information given to her didn't shake her when the last she heard; she was in California. Caught up in her thoughts, her grip slackened, and she could see Diana coming closer.

Nice pushed forward. The force in the movement was strong enough that Abraham went tumbling off her and into the legs of his wife. She scampered up to her feet, less graceful than before, more like an injured animal than a hunter. Then she raced up the stairs. 

She kept going until she was back into the room that she woke up in, pressing her back against the aged wood. It was odd how she couldn't quite catch her breath, even when she slid down to her bottom and followed the lines in her hand repeatedly.

Through her frenzy, Nice could hear the sounds of labored breaths from downstairs. Then she heard Diana fall to her knees and then speak. Her voice was low, yet urgent, as she questioned Abraham, likely about his state. Nice listened as he responded, and then waited for the anger, the indignation of being attacked. 

Instead, she listened as the conversation continued on for a few moments and then tampered off. Nice half-expected for the footsteps to come back up the stairs, although she knew that the direction the two went into didn't lead up at all. 

Still, she waited. Even as the sky darkened and her stomach started growling again, she still waited. It wasn't until she heard the pair disappear into another part of the house, closing the door behind them. It was only then did she finally allow herself to feel a sense of ease. She allowed that feeling to guide her into a dreamless sleep, the dull knife still curled into her fist.

Hello, I am back again with another chapter. I can't believe it's been four years since I've written anything for this story but, alas, that is the truth. I largely attribute that to mental health issues and other conflicts within my life (like the global pandemic), but I am glad to say that I am back! I hope anyone still reading this story enjoys this chapter and anything that comes next!