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I glance up and look around the tiny cabin with its rustic log walls, polished wooden floors, and large windows looking out over a dreamy moonlit wintry view. It’s perfect, almost like something out of a fairytale. I feel safe and unbothered about anything.
Not even. . . What? My forehead furrows as I wrack my brain. There’s something nagging at me in the back of my mind – something that I should be very worried about – but I can’t think of it. What is it?
Oh well, it can’t be all that important if I can’t even remember it.
My thoughts are interrupted by a flash of lightning that streaks through the night sky outside illuminating the cozy cabin and shattering the peaceful atmosphere. It’s almost immediately followed by a loud crack of thunder that makes me jump in alarm and nearly spill my drink. I glance out the windows and see that the once calm night sky has been replaced with storm clouds that completely block out the moonlight. Another streak of lightning soon follows and then another until the entire cabin seems to vibrate from the force of the storm.
I quickly set aside my book and cup of cocoa and burrow deeper into the soft cocoon of the blanket, squeezing my eyes tightly closed.
It’s just a storm, and I’m safe.
I repeat those words over and over until my heartrate slows and the sounds of the storm raging outside the cabin grow muffled and far away.
I feel as if I’m floating on a warm cloud, and I rub my face deeper into the plush material of my blanket. My nose twitches as something furry brushes against it and I think about the dog my family had when I was kid and how she would sneak into bed with me and snuggle under the covers. But Sadie died years ago when I was a teenager.
The storm fades away and the sounds around me slowly begin to register, and I recognize the quiet twittering of birds off in the distance. The gentle dripping of water on a hard surface and the whisper of a soft breeze somewhere nearby.
My eyelids lift open, and I blink until finally everything comes into focus. After the exhaustion of the last few days, my brain is a little slower to wake up, but when it does, realization hits me.
Holy fucking shit, I fell asleep.
That’s right. I fell asleep after being thrown over the shoulder of an alien and abducted by him. Abducted for the second time, might I add.
I’m lying on a pallet made of some type of incredibly soft fur situated at the very back of a shadowy cave – please don’t let there be any weird animals in here. A rock wall is against my back, and as I study my surroundings, I realize there is no sign of my kidnapper anywhere.
I should feel relieved that he isn’t here, but instead, disappointment makes my chest tighten and I don’t know what to make of that.
Weirdly, even when Draggar was carrying me through the jungle, I felt an odd sense of safety from him. Like, as long as he was around, nothing would hurt me. Nothing would dare. He would protect me against anything no matter how big or dangerous it was. Just like he did with the dinosaur.
And without him here, that feeling of safety is gone. I’m alone. Like really alone, and to make matters worse, I have no freaking clue where I am on this planet.
I try to think back to what I remember from my walk through the jungle as I searched for Zoe and what I recall from when the big alien carried me through the jungle, and I realize that all I remember is an endless parade of trees, trees, and more trees, with a large rock or two thrown in for a little variety. I certainly don’t remember any caves.
Based on the low slant of light spilling in through the entrance of the cave and how refreshed I feel, several hours must have passed since this morning. Which probably means Draggar traveled a fair distance before he dumped me here.
But why? Why he would just leave me here? I could have sworn that he felt that same strange pull that I did. He fought off a dinosaur with nothing but a sword, carried me through the jungle away from two other dinosaurs, just to abandon me here by myself. Maybe that feeling of safety that I felt with him was completely wrong.
As I ease up into a sitting position, I glance around the cave and study my surroundings. That’s when I notice a satchel sitting at the edge of the fur pallet, and I have a vague recollection of seeing it looped over Draggar’s shoulders. Next to the satchel is a smaller bag and another object that reminds me of a waterskin I saw at a museum one time.
He must have left them here. I pick up the waterskin and feel liquid sloshing around inside. Opening the cap carefully so as not to spill its contents, I cautiously take a sniff and smell. . . nothing. Huh, I guess it is water.
Down the hatch. I take a small sip and the cool refreshing taste of water floods my mouth making me realize just how thirsty I am. I gulp down a few more swallows before wiping my hand across my mouth and twisting the cap back on.
I’d better not drink it all in case I can’t find more any time soon.
Turning my attention to the smaller bag, I open it up and find strips of some kind of jerky – I’m too hungry to even think about what kind of animal it is – that tastes delicious but with a gamey flavor. There are dried purple berries and small nuts mixed in with the jerky that add a touch of sweet and salty that balances it out.
I groan as the complex flavors explode on my taste buds. This is the best thing I have eaten since Earth.
Actually, even before that. My last meal before being abducted was a microwaveable meal because I was too stressed to cook.
The memory seems so hazy, now, and my life on Earth seems so far away. Almost like it happened to a completely different person. I guess I need to resign myself to the fact that I will never have that life again. I’ll never see Earth again.
My eyes water, and I breathe in slowly to keep the tears at bay. I don’t want to cry. If I start crying now, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.
But the last few weeks have really sucked and the urge to just sit here and bawl is so tempting.
My thoughts turn to my friends. They’re probably wondering what happened to me. I hope they’re safe and that none of them went out looking for me. Hopefully, they’re smarter than me and stay put inside. The thought of any of them, but especially the smallest of us – Zoe – running into one of those dinosaurs sends a shudder of dread through me that threatens to bring tears to my eyes again.
