Chapter Text
CRASH
My heart jumped out of my chest as I lurched forward out of my bed. I glanced across the hut to see my younger sister still asleep.
"Did you hear that!" I whisper. My sister rolls over, pulling her blanket over her shoulder. "I guess not.. " I say to myself. Maybe I should go investigate, someone must of heard it too.
Not bothering to put on shoes, I creep out of my wooden hut and past many other identical ones. The pitch black sky was cut through by a fire in the distant woods. That can't be a good sign. I squint and look around for anything I can put water in and find a bucket by the well we use to water the crops.
"Oh no!" I say as I run through the woods to find a ship crashed in the dirt and on fire with trees crushed in it's path. I try to get close to the ship and pour water on what looks like a door way. I think there's still people inside, maybe I can help them!
Covering my mouth and nose with the brim of my night gown, I kick down the door and smoke flies out with no flames seeming to be coming from inside the ship.
It's a mess. Everything is everywhere and the walls are falling in on themselves. I climb through the wreckage and hear cries. *A baby!*
Pulling open a small door reveals a small, green child unlike one I've ever seen. I pick it up and it's in hysteria as its cries grow louder and louder. I cover it's mouth with my sleeve so it won't inhale more smoke than it already has and stumble out of the ship, still engulfed by flames.
"Let's get out of here," I cough, wiping the smoke from my eyes.
The child stops crying as I back away from the flames, and hold it tight. "What happened in there..." Suddenly I hear the ship rumble as the child closes it's eyes and reaches out a hand. "What are you-"
I stumble back and trip over a stick as the ship rises in the air. "WHAT THE!" look down at the child who's slowly walking towards the ship. "ARE YOU DOING THIS?" I shout, astonished.
Suddenly a man falls out and the ship collapses, the child with it.
"Oh my god!" I scramble to get up. Rushing the pick up the child, then towards the man, kneeling beside him. He's wearing armor I haven't seen before with a helmet covered in ashes. I carefully put the child down, and lean my ear against the man's chest to hear a slow heartbeat and even slower breathing. I panic for a second, frantically talking to myself.
"Oh no, oh no, what do I do! Okay, calm down.. " I glance over, the child is still okay, his breath steady as he lays in the grass. I get up and look around, the ship's fire has gone out and the smoke is dying down. I run my hands over the two braids in my hair and take a breath. I find my bucket, half filled with water and carry it over to the man and keel beside him once again.
He needs air and that helmet isn't helping so I carefully pull it off. The man lays still with his eyes gently closed. His lip's bleeding and his cheek bone is bruised, it's a miracle that's all he suffered. He doesn't look much older than me, I wonder what happened.
I check his pulse and it's even slower than before. I stand over him with my bucket of water and dump it on his face. "AH," He jumped forward, gasping for air.
I pick up the child and stand back in silence, noticing the weapon on his holster. He looks around at his ship then his helmet beside him. The man picks it up and stands with his back to me. I silently watch him put his helmet back on.
Maybe he didn't see me. I back up slowly and step on a leaf that crunches under my bare foot. The man whips out his gun towards me and I raise my hand, I'd raise both if it weren't for the baby in my arm.
"Drop the child," He says, pointing his gun at me.
"No!" I retort, "What do you want with it!" I grip it tightly.
"It belongs to me now hand it over or else." He says, taking a step forward.
"Why would I give it to you, you left it in a burning ship!" I say, taking a step back. "If it weren't for me and this child you'd be dead!"
"Look," The man says, putting away his gun and raising his hands slowly. "We can talk this out as soon as you give me the child, no one has to get hurt." He notices I'm unarmed and not threatening the child.
I hesitate, he looked kind enough under the helmet, and the child did help him. I look down at him and he looks up at me, he doesn't look scared. So maybe I shouldn't be either. "Fine," I slowly pass the child from my arms to his and he slowly accepts it and checks if it's alright. "Thank you," He sighs. I still stand guard, incase he tries something. Then I noticed his burning ship and remember his bruised face.
"If you uh, come with me, I can get you food and water, and maybe parts to fix your ship?" I suggest pensively.
"No it's alright." The wing of his ship creaks and falls off with a thud behind him and he sighs, "What parts do you have?"
I smile slightly and lead him out to the village. The sun rises, everyone must be waking up by now.