Nasferas: The Begotten

29

Matt shimmied through the snow-covered grass with Eve in tow. They skid to a halt at the bottom of the hill. His jaw dropped at the sight of his friends. They had taken position behind a downed pine tree. And Jimmy Boy barked out orders.

"Keep behind your cover. If y'all need ammo, call it out and Nancy will bring you some. Do not shoot until I give the order."

"Are you out of your minds?" Matt said. "We don't know who they are, but they aren't extraterrestrials." He handed the binoculars to Nancy. "Put your guns down before you accidentally shoot someone."

"I think he's right. Jason, check this out." Nancy passed off the binoculars to Jason.

He pointed them toward the ship and promptly gave them to Brett.

Brett nodded. "She's right." He lowered the binoculars. "They look human to me."

"What if they're Russian cosmonauts? Killing one could cause an international incident," Katelyn said.

Two of the possible cosmonauts broke from the group and started walking across the field with their hands up.

"They're coming to talk to us." Matt stepped up and over the log shield.

"I'm not dropping my weapon for no Commie." Jimmy Boy stayed behind his cover.

"Commie?" Katelyn argued. "Jimmy, the Russians stopped being communists years ago."

"Don't make no bit of difference. Once a Commie, always a Commie."

Katelyn raised her hands and dropped them with a huff. "I'm going to talk to them. So if you shoot, you're going to hit me." She turned her attention to Matt. "Wait, bro, I'm going with you."

"Me too." Eve caught up to Matt and took his hand.

"Okay! But one false move and those Commies will get a bullet in the eye. Don't think for a second I won't make the shot." Jimmy Boy tightened his grip on his rifle and cinched it up to his right shoulder.

"Stay calm everyone." Matt turned and made eye contact with Brett, Jason, Nancy, and Jimmy Boy.

The teens lowered their weapons. Jimmy Boy did not.

Katelyn strode into the open field. Matt followed with Eve at his side, her fingers interlaced with his. He thought about shaking her off but didn't want to put up the fight. He let her hold his hand as they approached the two individuals heading toward them.

Eve had a flashlight in her other hand, pointing at the ground in front of them. Matt was glad because he didn't want to seem hostile by shining it in the Cosmonaut's eyes.

"You think they're Russian astronauts?" Eve asked.

"Not sure. Better to ask first and shoot later. They're not armed. And their outfits ... last I looked, our Astronauts don't wear spandex."

Katelyn stopped to wait for Matt and Eve to catch up. "There's a guy and a lady."

Matt glanced back. The others had disappeared into the trees, hidden like the munchkins after Dorothy's house landed in Oz. Yet, a vague silhouette of Jimmy Boy with his rifle propped up on a bipod resting on the stump, made him nervous.

The man and woman moved effortlessly over the rough terrain. Matt had to step over scattered branches and rocks strewn about the meadow, stumbling and tripping more than a few times.

The closer they got, the more relaxed he became. The people walking toward them didn't have three eyes, no antennae protruding from their skulls, and no laser guns in their hands.

Human as humans can be. Matt helped Eve over a clump of sticks. "Their rocket, or shuttle, whatever the hell that thing is, should've been destroyed given the amount of damage it did to the meadow and tree line." He pointed out the ravine created by the crash. 

Eve scanned the devastation. "Those guys are lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, they are." Matt sighed.   

Katelyn arrived first. "You can put your hands down. No one's gonna shoot."

Matt strolled up to the two with his right hand extended.

The foreigners dropped their hands and looked at each other with an odd sense of awe.

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