Forgotten

Grey’s and blacks haunted the atmosphere. It felt as though no life had been present on earth for centuries, though it had only been three weeks. Society collectively come to the decision to never leave the safety of the four brick walls we had once called home, if there is any safety left that is.

This morning felt different though. I am a 16 year old high school student who follows the orders of those who have authority over me, mum and dad.

“Never, ever leave this house without permission.” They would insist.

I suppose I understand, after the recent news story, the British nation was shook to the core, but not me. I found it quite ridiculous if I’m being honest. Is this the way we are expected to live now? Hiding behind brick and mortar from unknown creatures?

The day started as normal, no alarm in fear of making too much noise, mum tip-toeing into my completely pink room offering me a small slice of bread for breakfast. Mum is scared to use too much food as we never know when we will next have access to more. Each morning I mope around with my stomach screaming for nutrition.

Dad usually dozes off on the couch midday because he hasn’t been sleeping since the news, maybe he feels responsible for protecting the house of a night. I appreciate how my parents have cared for me through all of this, but its just too much.

After creeping down the stairs, engulfing the depressive aroma circulating the kitchen, I give my mum a nod to lighten the mood and do a thumbs up to my dad who was basically knocked out on the couch.

“I’m going to try and get some sleep upstairs love, let me know if you need anything.” She kissed me on the head.

I stared at my dad for a long 20 seconds, confirming he was definitely asleep.

This is my opportunity. They will kill me. What if something bad happens?

Different thoughts echoed in the back of my mind, as if my opposite brain hemispheres had conflict. Without second thought, I crept towards the front door, not taking my eyes from my dads face, his mouth open wide with saliva dripping down his chin. I turned the door handle, opened it just enough for me to squeeze through, and exited the house in slow motion, holding my breath.

Standing outside felt surreal, I could feel the microscopic raindrops absorbing into my skin, moisturising the areas that had turned dry.

I took a breath of fresh air before speed walking towards the supermarket. Adrenaline pumped through my blood vessels as if I were part of a criminal chase in an action movie. My emotions are contradicting my beliefs. I don’t believe in any of this ‘Dangerous aliens’ nonsense from the television, but I still had some doubt in the back of my mind. It felt essential to check over my shoulder every five steps, now I understand why everyone is so scared.

The supermarket is only a 7 minute walk, but it felt as though I was walking in endless loops, never reaching my destination. Sticking my hand in my pocket, I cupped all the spare change I had and counted it.

50p, £1.00, £2.00! Just enough for a sandwich!

My stomach laughed in satisfaction at the food I was soon going to be devouring.

Before I knew it, the supermarket was in sight, litter lay like a blanket over the car park that hosted nothing but scavenger seagulls and abandoned bikes and scooters.

Was this a bad idea?

No. I will starve to death if I don’t do something now.

After picking up the habit from my mum, I started to tip-toe towards the automatic doors of the building, darting my field of vision in all possible directions like a hawk.

Clearly I weren’t the first person to have this idea, because as I enter, all the shelves are collecting cob-webs with not a grain of food in sight.

“Oh no” I mumbled, before slapping my hand over my mouth.

Shut up, they're going to hear you.

I gradually step down the first accessible aisle, where its clearly visible all the food has been snatched. Luckily, this supermarket is like a maze, and there is usually what seems like an infinite food source, there’s no way there is nothing.

After practically crawling through each end of the building, I’m startled by an aggressive chewing sound.

My heart stops beating, while trying to catch my breath, I close my eyes and lay with my back against the feeble shelves. The noise continued, similar to a lion catching a meal after not eating for months. Crunching followed by swallowing and satisfied sighs of relief.

Maybe its another young girl getting her hands on the last bit of food and I’m just overthinking. Either way, my fight or flight was activated and I weren’t willing to take the chance.

Slowly, I descended to my hands and knees to get a better view of whatever was in the adjacent aisle. My view weren’t the clearest, but it was clear enough to get an idea of whatever I was looking at.

Emerald green, sandpaper skin with a washed away tone, each vertebrae in its spine prominent down the centre of its back, hunched over like a starving child. Occasionally, it would lean its head back, sighing in awe at the taste of the Doritos it was practically inhaling. A rounded head with what seemed like bruises and patches of stubble growing around it.

In my peripheral, a ham and cheese sandwich lay helplessly on the shelf beside this creature.

Are you stupid, absolutely not.

My conscience argued with my malnourished stomach.

Surely I could out run this thing.

This time, I am willing to take the chance.

I crawled like a hunting predator, ready to pounce on any approaching threats, although, I doubt I would do much damage. The creature was sat on the floor so it was hard to judge it’s height, but this thing was lanky and could have easily bordered 6 foot tall.

I paced myself before standing up to ensure full defence, and with enough self criticism, put myself into full view of the creature.

It froze in place, dropping the remaining crumbs that had survived its binge eating. Black, emotionless eyes glared at me, with an absence of facial expression. It was as though I had pressed a pause button, as it did not move an inch.

With hesitation, I raised my arm and used my finger to gesture towards the sandwich sitting about two meters away from me.

It jumped, and grew a startled expression on its face. The first sign of humanity I had seen in these past 20 seconds. I put both of my palms facing forward, and gestured a surrender signal.

“I don’t want to hurt you, I just want food.”

It tilted its head to the right, unsure of what I was saying.

I pointed at the sandwich for the second time. “Food.”

He, she, it, whatever this thing was, arose into a crouching position, stepping backwards, increasing the distance between us.

Without taking its eyes off of me, it used its thumb and pointer finger, that were each at least 6 inches long, to pinch the corner of the packaging. I smiled in order to confirm that’s what I wanted.

It let out a grin, each end of its thin lips reaching where its ears should be, except, there were none. It crept forward as if it were treading on glass, and stretched its thin arm out, in fear of coming any closer to me. I snatched the sandwich out of its hand, informing it of the fact this uncertainty and fear was mutual.

For what felt like days, we glared into each others unfamiliar eyes, while occasionally analysing each and every change in movement, waiting for the other to make the first move and break the tension. My cowardly tendencies took over and the figure firmly stomped towards me, barely lifting its feet off of the ground with each step.

To create some boundaries, I stood still, feet glued to the ground eyes glued on…that, presenting myself as powerful and fearless. My facial expressions however, betrayed me, I may as-well have screamed at the top of my lungs and ran as far and as fast as possible. But I knew that wouldn’t have done anything, this thing was obviously much more intelligent than me, or any other individual in the human species, even if it couldn’t speak English.

Goosebumps emerged on my skin with each movement it made, it lifted its arm once again, this time close enough to make contact with me. All I could feel was the chilling temperatures on the tip of its long finger, pressed between my eyebrows, hard enough to make me fall backwards.

My vision began to fade, as-well as my hearing and stability, the last thing I remember is this thing, grinning, 5 inches away from me.

…

After regaining consciousness, I found myself tucked up in my fluffy bedding, in my completely pink room, hearing my mum’s footsteps echo up the staircase, but it was different. She weren’t as quiet and as gentle as usual.

Oh no, she's going to kill me.

Mum burst into my room as if she had won the lottery.

“Good morning beautiful! What do you want for breakfast?”

I glared at her, utterly confused at what was happening.

“Sorry! Did I wake you?”

“Mum, are you not mad?”

“Why would I be mad honey?”

“I snuck out? I seen one of the aliens…and I know I shouldn’t have snuc-”

“Aliens? You really are crazy!” She wondered out of my room with a giggle, as if id just finished a comedic performance.

I leaped out of bed, running downstairs to see if I was dreaming.

“Where's dad?” I whimpered.

“At work, like he is every Tuesday?” Mum mumbled, treating me like I had gone insane.

I knew the aliens were not a dream, it had consumed three weeks of our lives, I felt the temperature of its skin, on my skin.

I ran outside of my house, urging to figure out if I HAD actually gone insane. The eery tension that once existed, didn’t.

I ran as fast as possible, until I felt a broad man catapult into me, throwing me to the ground.

“OW.” I scold.

He desperately comes to my rescue, and lifts me from the ground, holding the same anxious expression he had when he had bumped into me. We both gazed at each other, looks on our faces like we hadn’t seen the outside world before.

It was then that he whispered.

“Do you remember too?”