Chapter Text
I only wanted two things in the mornings; coffee and silence. The latter I had in abundance, which was truly the best thing about living alone. The former I just realized I’d run out of.
“It’s going to be a bad day, Poe,” I said after I’d scoured my kitchen again in case I had even an ounce of coffee somewhere.
Poe didn’t respond because Poe was a succulent on my kitchen windowsill.
About a year into living alone, unable to own a pet because my landlord was an idiot, I’d started talking to the plant. It began with a comment about what I should eat for dinner, then turned into a long-winded ramble about how my boyfriend at the time was an asshole, yes I should dump him, and of course, I was perfectly fine with being single because who needed men anyway?
After that, I named it, and from then on, Poe became my confidant. That succulent knew things about me I would never tell another living soul.
Of course, the day I ran out of coffee was the day of my important presentation at work. All it took to get myself in gear was thinking about how I could mess it up, and soon, I was full of anxious energy that made me alert enough to drive.
Public speaking had never been a problem, but this presentation was vital; it offered the chance to be promoted and receive a fifteen-percent pay increase. I’d been with this company for seven years and had already been promoted once. Administration wasn’t the career I'd dreamed of, but the pay and benefits were good, and at this point in my life, with thirty around the corner, it was a stability that I was perfectly comfortable with.
After scarfing down a granola bar, I got into my car and turned on the local news to try and distract myself from my nerves.
“Yesterday, a teenager was reported missing when she never returned home from school. Rocklin PD is asking anyone who has information about Allison Menendez’s disappearance to please contact a hotline they have set up. Still missing are Dave Heath and Mike Kathan who were last seen Friday before they left for their weekend hunting trip. Police have also set up a hotline for the two men. When asked if these cases are potentially related Sheriff Walters said he has no evidence that they are, but they are investigating every possible lead and have expanded their search area."
It wasn’t uncommon for people to get lost in the woods and eventually die of exposure. That was the current theory going around, but I didn’t completely buy into that. Dave and Mike were experienced hunters, going out every season in the same area they probably knew like the back of their hand. My dad had gone hunting a few times with Mike, and I’d met him once, a nice guy who usually had his labs in the back of his pickup.
A hunting accident, while doubtful, was a lot less concerning than the girl’s disappearance. People wanted to believe she just ran away because anything worse than that didn't happen here. Rocklin was a mountain town and a reasonably safe place besides the occasional car break-ins, domestic violence cases, and drunk men getting into fights at the local bars.
Once I got to work, those thoughts were forgotten as I began going over my speech. I was almost to the entrance when a loud rustling from the bushes caught my attention. I scanned the ground near the treeline but didn't see anything. The bushes rustled again, and I brushed it off as a raccoon and walked up to the door. I took a deep breath, gave myself a quick pep talk, and punched in my employee code.
Our secretary, Kathy, greeted me as I passed by her desk, giving me her usual cheerful good morning. Normally I didn't mind her bubbly personality and would indulge in some small talk, but the lack of caffeine combined with my nerves had me rushing past her toward the bathroom where I double-checked my appearance. I adjusted the blouse I'd spent almost an hour picking out, reapplied my lipstick, and made sure my bun was still neatly in place before heading into the conference room.
My manager John was already there writing something on his notepad. He had little patience for office pleasantries, and it made him seem gruffer than he actually was. A lot of people complained about it, but I didn't mind. I felt the same; it meant it was one less person I had to pretend I liked talking to. I especially appreciated it this morning when he only said 'good luck' before resuming his writing.
A few minutes later, people began filing in, murmuring greetings as they took their seats. Jessica, one of the few people I could see myself spending time with outside of work, gave me a once-over. "Fancy," she said.
I mouthed 'asshole,' and she sat down with a laugh.
Once everyone had settled, I walked up to the podium and scanned the room before clearing my throat. “Good morning. Today, I'll introduce you to the new project we started with Feldman.”
The presentation went smoothly, thanks to my preparation and the fact that I was good at pretending that everything was okay when I was internally panicking.
At noon, I went to the break room to heat up my lunch, and to my disappointment, Sean was already there. He liked to flirt with me, and I casually flirted back, enjoying it for what it was: a distraction at work. My last relationship had been a disaster, and it officially ended when I caught my ex Chris cheating. That was two years ago, and I decided I'd rather focus on myself instead of trying to date again, so I got back into my hobbies that Chris had called 'boring' and set a goal to get another promotion.
The coffee withdrawal had me in a bad mood, and I had no energy to entertain Sean today.
“Presentation went well,” he said, running a hand through his curly black hair, a gesture most of the girls in the office would fawn over.
“Thanks.”
“So...a few of us from work are going out this Friday. Wanna come?”
“Sorry, but I'm having dinner with my sister. She’s going to be in town this weekend.” Using family as an excuse was a great way to end any further debates. No one would try convincing you to ditch your sister for drinks.
His face fell, but he quickly recovered. “Oh, well...maybe next time,” he said with a wide grin.
When I didn't respond, he leaned forward to look at me with genuine concern on his face. “Everything okay, Elise?”
“Yeah. Just really tired.”
He watched me clean up, and before he could say anything else, I gave him a quick bye and rushed out.
For the rest of the day, I buried myself in my work, only coming up for air at the sound of everyone saying goodbye. I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders to ease some of the tension in my body from sitting at my desk for eight hours.
John stopped by my office before heading out. “You did great with the presentation.”
I thanked him with a big smile, picturing my next paycheck with that extra zero and a shiny new nameplate on my desk. I still wanted to wrap up a couple of emails before leaving. After finishing, I was almost at the front door when I realized I'd left my phone on my desk. A loud scratching broke the silence as I put my phone in my purse. It sounded like an animal. Maybe whatever had been outside this morning had managed to get inside. I paused and waited for another noise, but it remained quiet.
Everyone had already left, and the only sound was the ticking of the large clock on the wall and the faint buzzing of the fluorescent lights. Normally, the silence from the lack of other people was a balm, but for some reason, I felt uneasy.
The silence was broken by two thumps against the wall, coming from the direction of the scratching noise.
I froze, feeling a slight pang of dread, which was completely irrational because it was probably just a raccoon. That didn’t stop me from walking back to my desk and grabbing my letter opener, feeling silly for the impulse. I stepped slowly back into the hall, moving my body into a defensive position that was muscle memory from the years I'd practiced judo in high school. I felt even sillier for that. You're overreacting, I told myself.
A scuttling noise that sent a chill down my spine was quickly followed by a distinct slithering as if a big lizard was crawling around. Then I saw it from the corner of my eye, emerging from behind a desk—a pale, long, spidery shape.
I turned and shrieked when confronted with its featureless smooth body, eight long spider-like legs, and hard, segmented tail. My mind raced, trying to think of what it could possibly be. It sure as hell didn’t look like anything native to Colorado or even America. Maybe some deadly spider from Australia? A pet or an escapee from a zoo?
I didn’t have long to contemplate what it could be before it suddenly lunged at me. The speed caught me off guard; one second, it was on the floor six feet away, and the next, it was flying through the air toward my face. I reflexively brought my arm up and screamed out in pain as its tail clamped around my forearm like a vice, its long legs kicking out toward me.
It reared back, exposing its stomach, and I watched in horror as a proboscis unfurled from a mouth-like opening. Adrenaline kicked in, and I reacted quickly, stabbing the mouth with my letter opener. It made an ear piercing squealing as yellow liquid began pouring out of the wound. Smoke started rising from the carpet as its blood dripped down, eating away at the material and forming a hole in the floor. It had to be acid, but how could anything have acid for blood?
With its hold loosened on my arm, I managed to fling it off. When it landed on the ground, I stomped on its bony tail as it tried to get back up. My letter opener was still embedded in that horrible mouth, but it didn’t seem to be a mortal injury, so I stepped harder, producing a satisfying crunch. It put up a good fight, surprisingly strong for such a spider-like body, but it wasn't stronger than me.
I'd fallen back towards Jessica’s desk during my struggle, and I grabbed her heavy nameplate, bringing it down like a hammer onto the flailing creature. Four of its legs were broken, and part of its body was mashed, but it still wasn't a killing blow.
The creature made this clear when it started thrashing back and forth, and I brought the nameplate down to bash it, then leaned back. The motion saved me from being blinded when an arc of its blood flew out, landing on the wall behind me with a hiss as it began eating away at the plaster.
After my second blow, the creature only weakly moved, its gray and pink organs exposed by my ruthless bashing. Finally, it stopped moving, but I watched it for several more minutes, preparing for it to rear up and attack me again.
After running back to my desk and snatching my purse, I fled down the hall. I kept looking back, expecting more of those pale monsters to come flying at me. A jumbled mess of panicked thoughts ran through my head—was that really acid? How long had it been inside? What if I didn't have the letter opener?
I took a deep breath as I stepped into the parking lot, my heart still pounding and a headache already forming in my temples. Besides my car, the lot was empty—a perfectly normal sight, but I still approached my car cautiously, looking inside and underneath. It was just as empty as when I'd left it.
The adrenaline started to wear off, but my hands shook as I tried to grab my keys. I fumbled them into the ignition, and the engine started with a thrum that was music to my ears. I had the sickening thought that somehow my car might not start, and I'd be stuck in it while hundreds of those monsters surrounded me, eventually breaking my windshield and rushing in.
I was almost to the exit when something leaped onto the roof of my car, the impact rocking it back and forth violently. My Sequoia was a solid SUV, so whatever had rocked it that hard was heavy and big. The panic from earlier returned, but this time an intense fear made me break out into a sweat. I tried to convince myself it was just a bear or a mountain lion. Something deep down in my gut told me that wasn't true.
I accelerated and then swerved sharply, hoping that would dislodge whatever had landed on top of my car. It didn't work, and a ghastly scraping began as it tried to claw its way in.
Suddenly, a black, barbed tail landed on my windshield with a heavy thump. It wasn't a bear or a mountain lion.
With that realization, fear completely seized me, the instinctual fight or flight response to a threat narrowing my focus until all I could think about was flight. I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, twisted the wheel all the way to the right, and then braked hard. I knew what it would do, but the impact still shook me, and I saw something massive flying forward through the stars that danced in my vision.
I had no desire to stay and see what had been thrown off my car, so I drove back toward the exit, not bothering to maneuver around the parking dividers. I bumped over one and forced myself to look into the rearview mirror to see if the creature was chasing me. As if looking in the mirror summoned the beast, it slammed into my door, and the side airbag went off from the force of the impact, knocking the breath out of me.
For a moment, I was just a body in pain.
The sound of the window cracking broke me out of my daze. The beast was trying to get inside, and I knew that it would kill me if it succeeded. Only the sturdy cage of my car protected me, but it was beginning to feel not so solid as the beast started scraping the side of the door with enough force to jolt me in my seat.
It abruptly stopped its attack on my door, and that was when I got my first look at it. It seemed more like a phantom conjured from that deep, subconscious part of my brain where nightmares were made than something that could exist in nature.
Its black, oblong head and thin, hard musculature was similar to an insect. That was where my frame of reference ended—it had no eyes. I was staring at a wide mouth full of sharp, deadly teeth, viscous saliva dripping from its jaws, the hiss of its breath fogging my window. It bent down closer, revealing several long joints protruding from its back. A quick movement drew my attention to a clawed, four-fingered hand reaching toward my door.
This was undoubtedly a predator, every part of it perfect for ripping something to shreds. Like soft, vulnerable me.
I didn't think it was possible to feel more afraid. Looking at it now, separated only by the fragile barrier of my window, I was gripped with paralyzing fear. It froze me in place, shutting down all rational thought.
It was only when it bumped its head against the window that instinct took over. I steered back towards the parking lot exit, then accelerated hard, hitting another divider. An unearthly, bone-chilling cry filled the parking lot, a sound that belonged in a horror movie. Not in real life. Especially not in my fucking life.
Apparently, it was as fast as it was strong, quickly catching up to me and jumping onto my windshield. The force shattered it completely, but I didn’t stop driving even as glass fell over me. The creature stretched a bony arm out, its claws slashing air as it tried to reach me. It was too big to get in through the windshield at this angle, but I never got the chance to feel relieved.
The world spun as my car crashed into the big oak tree next to the exit, and the front airbag went off, the impact whipping my head back onto the headrest. Stars swirled in my vision as I became disoriented, and the sounds of the creature scrabbling for purchase on the hood of my car barely reached me as a buzzing started in my ears. I tried to move, flexing my fingers and wiggling my toes to test out my motor skills. Not paralyzed, which was only a small relief when a loud hiss came from in front of me.
I looked up to see the beast. Even with no eyes, I knew it was looking right at me. Time seemed suspended as we looked at each other, a coldness spreading over my body, settling into my limbs, freezing me to my seat as I realized this was the last thing I would ever see.
It lunged forward again, too quick for me to react in time, and slashed my forearm, opening a deep cut that felt like it had gone straight to the bone. I had my share of painful injuries before, but they were nothing compared to this. This was white-hot, searing pain, and tears stung my eyes as a guttural scream tore from my throat, breaking the silence of the night. The rush of blood down my arm snapped me out of my trance, and a burst of adrenaline took over, had me unbuckling my seatbelt and throwing my body into the backseat. I tried to open the back doors, but they were locked. The sounds of the creature thrashing around came from behind as I scrambled into my trunk.
I swept my hands over the items there, my fingers finding something solid and large; my jump starter kit. I grabbed it with both hands and brought it back over my shoulder to swing it at the rear windshield. My hand was covered in blood from the wound on my arm, too slick for me to keep my grip.
The creature let out hisses and snarls behind me, but I didn't want to look back and see if that sleek head had snuck past the front seat or if those claws were getting ready to rip open my back.
I white-knuckled the kit with both hands and swung it hard enough to shatter the window. Something pulled in my side as I climbed out, the pain quickly dulled by the adrenaline. I was almost free, almost safe, so I looked back at my car.
The creature had gotten itself stuck, the long joints on its back wedged between the upper frame of my windshield. It was trying to free itself, letting out high-pitched shrieks every time it moved as if it was in pain. There was a familiar hissing noise and the pungent smell of something metallic burning, and in the back of my mind, I knew what it must be from. I didn't think anything more of it as I dropped onto the pavement and ran back toward the building.
I didn't stop running until I hit the door, punching in my code hard enough to make my fingers ache. I pushed it open, leaving a red handprint on the glass, a grisly memento for everyone of my near-death experience.
After collapsing into Kathy's chair, I allowed myself a moment to catch my breath. Everything caught up to me then as my adrenaline faded; my ribs hurt, my arm felt like it was on fire, and I'd definitely pulled something in my side when I'd crawled out of the rear window.
I ripped my blouse off to wrap it around my arm tightly. The white fabric quickly turned red. I tried to fight through the pain, knowing I needed to stay conscious long enough for help to arrive.
I dialed 911, the phone slipping out of my shaking hand before I gave up trying to hold it, tucking it between my chin and shoulder instead.
“911, what is your emergency?”
“I’m…”
My breath was coming out too fast, and my mouth had gone dry. I swallowed hard and tried to steady my breathing, forcing the words out in a weak voice I hoped the operator would be able to hear. “I’ve been attacked. I don’t know—" another wave of pain swept over me, and I gritted my teeth against it. “Don’t know what it was. It’s dangerous though.”
“Okay, ma’am, what is your location?”
Having a conversation so soon after nearly dying was disorienting, and it took me a moment to remember. “182 Langley Drive.”
“The police and ambulance are on their way. What is your name?”
“Elise Amaro."
“Alright, Elise. Stay where you are. You said you don't know what attacked you. Can you describe it?”
I knew my description would sound insane, no matter how detailed or vague I was. I remembered the moment we were face to face, those sharp teeth, its black, otherworldly body, and the sounds it made, sounds I could still hear in my head. How could I describe such a creature? Breaking it down to its parts couldn’t convey just how sinister it was. It was beyond the scope of my imagination, and I wanted to beg her to please believe me...if you had seen this thing you would understand.
“Big," I whispered. "Bony. Like—like an insect I guess...but no eyes. And claws. It slashed my arm with a claw.”
If the operator doubted my story, there was none of it in her voice, only cool professionalism. She probably thought I was delirious. Maybe I was. It was possible I'd knocked my head against Jessica's desk earlier trying to fight that weird spider and that this was a nightmare.
“Thank you, Elise. Help is on the way.”
I was still too shell-shocked to fully absorb the situation. I knew I'd only survived my encounter by pure luck. All the different ways I could have died flashed through my head; if the creature had slashed my throat instead of my arm, if it hadn’t gotten stuck, if it had attacked me before I got to my car…
I'd bled all over Kathy’s chair, and some had dripped down onto her keyboard, covering the little smiling cat figurines she had placed by her monitor. The sight of my blood on such a harmless thing suddenly struck me as funny. I let out a croaking laugh that made me wince as the pain in my ribs flared.
I wanted to look out of the front door and see if the creature was still stuck in my car, but I felt too weak to get up. I hoped it was so that my story would be believed and that fucker could be shot to pieces by the police. It wasn’t just that creature, though—there was still the strange spider. If anything, that was proof I wasn’t crazy.
Sirens startled me out of my thoughts, and I swiveled the chair around to see part of the parking lot. It lit up with blue and red as police cruisers pulled in, two officers getting out of the first cruiser and one out of the second.
Another siren pierced the air as the ambulance arrived. I steeled myself for the effort it would take to get up and pushed off the chair slowly. My head started spinning, and I struggled to get to the front door, every step feeling like I was closer to passing out.
I eventually made it, pushing it open with my uninjured arm and shouting as loudly as possible. “Over here!”
I squinted against all the flashing lights and noticed the two officers with their guns drawn standing by the wreckage of my car. The paramedics were running toward me, followed by another police officer. I closed my eyes when arms wrapped around me, finally giving up my effort to stay conscious.
The last thing I saw before the paramedics loaded me into the back of the ambulance were the officers walking away from my car, a brief flash of blue revealing that it was empty.
************
When I woke up, the nurse told me that my ribs were bruised, and they stitched the cut on my arm. "Watch for signs of infection," she said. There was a question in her eyes; what the hell happened to you?
Thankfully, she didn’t ask. I only wanted to tell my story once, and that was to the police. A few hours later, two officers came in and woke me from my nap. I was still exhausted, but the pain medication the nurse had given me dulled everything, and I was finally in a somewhat comfortable state.
As soon as the officers came in, I was on edge. I had the cut on my arm and my crashed car to prove that I wasn't lying about being attacked, but I doubted they’d believe the rest of my story. I was hoping the spider creature was still in the office, which was the first thing I asked about.
The first officer who spoke was a man in his early forties. The kindness in his face eased a little bit of my tension. The other officer, a man with a considerable beer belly, had an irritated expression as if this was the last thing he wanted to be doing.
“Miss Amaro, I'm glad to see you doing well. I’m Detective Diaz, and this is Detective Fisher. We’d like to ask you some questions. I understand you had a very scary experience yesterday.”
Scary didn’t begin to cover it. I readied myself then for being patronized. I knew how the conversation would go; I’d tell them what I saw, they would tell me it was a bear, a wolf, a mountain lion, or whatever the fuck and try to convince me that I was imagining things.
I couldn’t really blame them. If someone had described such a creature to me I knew I would have a hard time believing them. But hopefully, the spider would lend me some credibility. It was strange and horrifying, so surely another strange and horrifying creature wasn’t too far outside the realm of reality?
“And yes, we did find the other...ah, animal where you said it would be. We’ve sent it to the University of Denver for testing.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, but Fisher's pointed stare made my mouth go dry in anticipation.
“Miss Amaro—” Diaz continued, but I interrupted him.
"Just Elise."
“Okay, Elise. Why don’t you start at the very beginning?” he asked, pulling out a notepad. Fisher grunted as he settled himself in the chair across from my bed.
I fiddled with the hospital bracelet on my wrist before speaking. “I heard a scratching noise. So I got up to see what it was…”
When I got to the part about the black creature, they shared a glance, but their expressions remained neutral. I finally finished, my last word hanging in the air, followed by a long silence.
Diaz cleared his throat. “Mis—Elise, I’m not going to tell you what you did or didn’t see.”
I gave him a small smile in return.
“While we didn’t find whatever attacked you, there was considerable evidence of the attack you just described. We also found evidence of acid. Parts of the hood of your car and front seat were melted through.”
I sagged back into the bed with relief. See, I wanted to say. I'm not crazy.
Fisher spoke up then. “The substance on your car matched the substance that came from the animal in the office. Diaz and I believe this could mean they are somehow related. We’re waiting on the University's results before we can speculate further.”
“Will you let me know what they find?”
“Of course,” Diaz replied, flipping his notepad closed. “I hope you’re able to get some rest, Elise. We’ll keep you updated on anything we find. Have a good day.”
Fisher mumbled a goodbye, and they left, leaving me alone to think about how the beast was still roaming freely. Would it be able to find me? Would it come for me when I was asleep, ripping me open? For now, I was safe, so I would try to sleep.
************
I dreamed of a mouth with sharp teeth, the drip of thick saliva falling on my face as it opened wider.
I woke up drenched in sweat and still panicking from the nightmare. Though it was dark, I knew I wasn't in my room. I got up to find a light switch and then stumbled over a bedside tray, knocking over a cup of water.
A hospital room...everything caught up to me then, and I felt the bandage on my arm. It was all real. The spider, the creature, the car crash.
I thought of my parents. They had retired in Massachusetts, far enough away that they would never have to know about what happened to me. I couldn't tell them; they would only worry. My mom would be a wreck, probably insisting on me coming to live with them. I didn’t want to tell anyone at all. There was no way around it; I had bled all over the front lobby, and the evidence of my car crash on the oak tree would be obvious.
My car…oh God. I'd already paid it off, but I knew it was most likely totaled now. I rubbed my hands over my face as that sunk in. Insurance would likely fight me on it. How do you explain that you crashed your car while trying to drive away from a murderous creature? While I got that sorted out, I'd have to take the bus to work. My mind sorted through all the logistics, and I focused on that so that my thoughts wouldn’t drift back to that creature, about being alone and vulnerable in my apartment.
What if it came back to the office? What if it had some kind of nest close by? What if there were more? And more of those spiders? How had it even gotten inside?
A loud thump broke my quickly spiraling thoughts. It was here. It had found me again. I looked around frantically for anything I could use as a weapon.
Then the nurse came in. “I heard some noises in here. Everything okay, hun?”
“I accidentally knocked over my water. Sorry.”
What I really wanted to say was that nothing was okay. Everything was fucked. I didn’t think I would ever feel safe anywhere again, always looking around for a large black shadow hiding in a corner or listening for the scuttling of long legs across the floor.
She gave me an understanding look that just made me uncomfortable. “I’m fine, really."
My trembling voice betrayed me, and she pursed her lips.
“Let me get you another cup of water. I’ll be right back.”
When she came back, she handed me the water and two white pills. "They'll help you sleep," she said, patting my shoulder before leaving.
Whatever she gave me did the job as I passed out and the next thing I knew, the sound of someone talking woke me up. It was a man’s voice, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. I opened my eyes, squinting in the bright morning light that filtered through the window, feeling the beginnings of a headache. I felt like shit; groggy and hungry, and the last thing I wanted to do was talk to a stranger.
The stranger was a handsome man with bright blue eyes and an impeccably tailored suit. He held a phone up with one hand and gestured with the other as he spoke. There was no way Mister GQ was here for me, so I cleared my throat to get his attention.
He met my eyes, flashing a dazzling white smile and holding one finger up. “I’m taking care of it now. I’ll call you back when I'm done.”
“I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong room,” I said after he ended the call.
“This won’t take long, Miss Amaro,” the stranger said, taking the seat Fisher had yesterday and leaning forward as he regarded me. “I'm Mark Pruitt. I work for Weyland Corporation, and I want to discuss the recent encounter you had,” he said in a self-assured tone that immediately rubbed me the wrong way. Why was a businessman wanting to talk to me about my 'encounter?'
“What do you want to know?” My voice came out snappier than I'd intended, but I no longer cared about being polite. Whatever reason this man was here, it wasn't to check up on my well-being.
He gave me a wide smile that was anything but genuine. “It’s not what I want to know; it's what I want you to do for me. What you saw, what attacked you. I'm sure you understand that it’s very unique.”
That got a laugh out of me. This guy was smarmy, for sure. Using silly words like ‘encounter’ and ‘unique.’ If he knew what I'd seen, unique would be the farthest word in his mind.
“Alright, can you just get to the point?”
His smile turned into an irritating smirk, and he crossed a leg over his knee, leaning back in the chair as if we were talking about something as casual as the weather. “You saw a xenomorph, Miss Amaro. An extraterrestrial. Weyland is currently researching them. They made a hive in Rocklin that we’ve been searching for but haven’t been successful. However, based on the location of your encounter, we’ve been able to narrow our search. I’m telling you all this because I want your cooperation. You weren’t attacked by an alien, but a bear. After the crash, you suffered a concussion and don’t remember anything about the encounter.”
My jaw dropped open, and I stared at him in shock as my brain tried to process what he had just said.
An alien. Alien, as in not of this world.
It seemed less crazy the more I thought about it. Surely, nothing like that could exist on Earth without already being discovered. How did this Weyland Corporation know about it? I had so many questions, but I was also certain this was the only info Pruitt would share. He wanted me to keep quiet about what I'd seen, which was ridiculous, considering my story was so bizarre that people wouldn’t believe me anyway. I had no desire to be seen as the crazy woman who thought she'd been attacked by an alien.
“What about the cops who took my statement? And the spider creature they sent to the University for testing?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “Taken care of. Now, I just need to take care of this.”
His blue eyes were stony when they met mine. I dropped my gaze to examine my hands and began picking at the dried blood under my fingernails. “Alright. I’ll keep my mouth shut.”
“I’m sure you will. But just to make sure you have a good reason to, I have a proposition.”
I perked up at that. Was he going to buy me out? I could definitely use the money. “What’s the proposition?”
“Fifty thousand dollars.”
My jaw dropped again. Was he just fucking with me? Maybe this whole thing was an elaborate joke, and I was being filmed for a prank TV show. That money would change my life. I could actually leave this place.
Pruitt looked at me expectantly. When I didn't respond, he shifted in his seat as he grew impatient. So, not a joke.
Of course, I'd take the cash. He could have just walked in here and said that in the first place: Hey Elise, would you pretend you got attacked by a bear and don’t remember any of it? We’ll pay you.
I briefly considered bargaining but wasn’t going to press my luck. “That’s, uh...acceptable.”
He flashed me another dazzling smile and stood up, handing me a white business card that I took with trembling hands. “I’m glad we could reach an agreement. Here’s my card. I’d like you to come to my office so we can get everything settled and in writing. I’ll have your check for you. Would you be able to come in tomorrow? It won’t take long.”
I looked at the address on the card. The street wasn't one that I recognized. “How far away is this? I don’t have a car anymore.”
He was texting something on his phone, briefly glancing up to respond. “Oh, right. It’s an hour north. I’ll arrange an Uber for you.”
“When will it pick me up?”
“Be ready by two. Tell your work you’re still recuperating,” he said over his shoulder as he walked out.
So aliens were real, and I was going to get fifty thousand dollars for keeping quiet about it. Not the worst deal.
Pruitt had said they were researching the alien and looking for a hive. I shuddered as I imagined hundreds of those things skittering around in a cave. But it wasn’t my problem anymore. I’d get out of here and start a new, alien-free life. That was all that mattered. It would be the peace of mind I needed so I wouldn't go the rest of my life wondering if something was stalking me, waiting to strike.
It really was too bad that the alien life that had come to Earth was nothing like E.T. Why couldn’t I have just gotten a friendly hug in the parking lot?
************
I took an Uber from the hospital back to my apartment, thoroughly inspecting it, opening every door and cabinet, and turning on every light. I took my pistol out of the drawer of my nightstand, then dug out my belt holster from my closet and put it on, deciding to wear it while I was in the apartment for good measure.
I bought the pistol as soon as I moved out on my own. My dad had taught my sister and me how to use firearms when we were thirteen, insisting that we needed to be able to protect ourselves. He believed that people needed to be capable of doing things on their own, that they shouldn’t need to rely on anyone else, and the first time I hit a target dead center, there was no going back. I was addicted to the feeling of power and knowing I could protect myself. As a single woman living alone, it was the security I wished I didn't need but wanted to have anyway.
Even armed with the pistol, I pulled all the knives from my drawer and placed them around to have every possible weapon available.
Soon, I’d be gone and wouldn’t have to worry about murderous aliens or walk around with my pistol, tensing at any noise that seemed out of place. Unless they were everywhere and they had spread—no. I wasn’t going to think that.
"I was right, Poe. It was a bad day. I almost got killed by aliens. But my presentation went well, so there's that,” I said to the succulent after eating the rest of my leftovers.
I felt restless, doing another check of my apartment before forcing myself to sit and watch TV. Eventually, I gave up trying to focus and pulled out my laptop to start doing research and making plans for my new life. It was sinking in now that I was about to have fifty thousand dollars. Unless Pruitt had lured me out somewhere to murder me...
What was I thinking, taking an Uber a stranger ordered for me? After opening a new tab, I typed in Weyland Corporation and went to their website. It was a technology company focused on innovation, whatever the fuck that meant. I dug deeper, not finding anything sinister. No headlines like Weyland involved in the coverup of a murder or Weyland researchers discover killer aliens.
Mark Pruitt was listed on their website as the head of the research division, and their address was the same as the one on his business card. It seemed less likely that I would be driven out to a remote location and shot. I wanted to let someone know where I was going, just in case something did happen to me, but that would defeat the whole purpose of covering up.
After a long hot shower, I climbed into bed, setting the pistol on my nightstand within reach. Though I was exhausted, I knew I would most likely revisit some form of the nightmare I had last night. You’ll be gone soon, I repeated like a mantra, and finally fell asleep.
************
I was walking in the forest, shrieks ringing out around me as dark shapes emerged from behind the trees. I tried to run and slipped on something wet, thick gobs of saliva dripping onto my back as I struggled to get up. A cold, bony hand grabbed my ankle, and I screamed, struggling against the grip as it pulled me deeper into the forest.
I woke up gasping for air, then frantically looked around for looming black shapes, but I was alone. I rubbed my face as I tried to calm down from the nightmare. When I'd stopped shaking, I shuffled into my kitchen and groaned when I realized I still had no coffee.
I took a deep breath to steel myself before calling John.
“Elise! How’re you doing?”
John started his day off at one hundred miles an hour, and the papers shuffling in the background told me I'd have his attention for all of two minutes.
“I’m fine, John. Thanks for asking. I’m calling to let you know I'll be resting today. The doctor said I should take an additional day off.”
I felt slightly guilty for lying, but the rest was true. The doctor had said I should take the day off. Before Pruitt's unannounced visit, I hadn’t planned on doing that. I didn’t want to be home alone all day, which was ironic because usually, that was something I would dream of doing.
“Oh, of course, of course. Take all the time you need, and if you do need anything at all, feel free to reach out. I’m so sorry about what happened, by the way.”
I took the opportunity. “The police say I was attacked by a bear, but I got a concussion after my car crashed, so I don’t remember any of it.”
“Hmm...yeah, a bear. It’s very odd. Attacks are rare, and we haven’t heard of any bears in this area in years.”
I cursed Pruitt. I knew the bear story would raise eyebrows, but I had to work with what I was given. “I know, right? But they found the bear and killed it. The whole thing is just awful.”
John was already distracted as I heard his murmur of agreement. “Well, you take care now,” he said before hanging up.
I got ready, changed into my most comfortable pair of jeans, and pulled on a hoodie. I looked as bad as I felt, my face drawn and pale, dark circles under haunted eyes. I debated putting on some makeup to look more presentable, but I just couldn't bring myself to care anymore. As soon as I had the fifty thousand dollars, I was getting the hell out of here, and hopefully, I'd never hear about Weyland ever again.
A car pulled up at exactly two. I confirmed the address with the Uber driver, and we began driving into the foothills. I tried to enjoy the view and think about anything but aliens. It worked for a little bit before the driver turned on the radio. The local news segment had me straightening up in the back seat, my stomach sinking as the report went on.
“There have been no new leads on the disappearances of Allison Menendez, Dave Heath, and Mike Kathan. Sheriff Walters said in a news briefing yesterday that the search will continue. But just this morning there have been two new missing person reports. Holly and John Rhodes were reported missing by their son when they never came home from their hiking trip. Sheriff Walters will be holding another news briefing later this afternoon after a flood of phone calls from concerned residents has overwhelmed the police department.”
I had a feeling the disappearances were related to the 'xenomorphs' as Pruitt had called them. Maybe the people had been taken to the xenomorph hive? It seemed likely with the lack of bodies or remains found. It was a fact people kept pointing out every time the news of the disappearances came up and something that had been bugging me ever since I'd learned about Mike and Dave going missing.
“It’s just so sad, isn’t it?” the driver asked once the segment was over.
"Yeah, it is," I responded, looking back out the window so I wouldn't have to meet her eyes in the rearview mirror.
“What do you think happened to them? My husband says it’s wolves or some animal taking them, but I think the police would've found remains by now if that was true.”
I silently agreed with her assessment. “I really don’t know,” I lied.
Thankfully, the driver didn’t say anything else as we drove, and I became lost in my thoughts. I desperately wanted to see that check and hold it in my hand. It was still hard to believe that I would be given fifty thousand dollars just like that.
We pulled into a long driveway, and a couple of minutes later, approached an enormous black building the size of a warehouse. There was no Weyland Corporation sign or logo and, oddly, no windows.
Considering Weyland's purposely vague mission statement, all the bland press photos, and Pruitt's expensive suit, I'd assumed I'd be walking into a sleek office building with the pretentious architecture typical of a billion-dollar corporation.
I grabbed my purse and shut the door, thanking the Uber driver.
“Be careful out there!” she called out the window as she drove away.
I glanced around before walking up to the entrance. The building was strange enough on its own and felt even more strange in the middle of the forest. A sense of unease settled in as I stepped up to buzz for entry at the front doors.
“Please state your name,” a staticky female voice said from somewhere above me.
“Elise Amaro. I’m here to see Mark Pruitt.”
After a clicking noise, the door opened inward into an expansive, empty lobby. Two security guards stood next to the front desk where a pretty blonde sat.
“Hello,” I said.
She didn’t acknowledge me; just brought up the phone and said, “Mr. Pruitt, Elise Amaro is here.”
The guards were silent, and the blonde started typing on her keyboard. The click-clack echoed throughout the lobby. There was no other sound. My sense of unease grew, and I began to shift around on my feet.
Finally, the doors next to the guard on the left opened, and Pruitt walked out, dressed today in a green suit. He gave me a wide grin as if he were greeting an old friend. “Miss Amaro!”
Seeing a familiar face in this creepy lobby was a relief, even though I disliked Pruitt. He waved his name badge over a security pad next to the door, and we entered a long, white hallway. It reminded me of a hospital, with bright fluorescent lights, bare walls, and the strong smell of disinfectant.
We passed by steel doors with numbers on them that increased as we walked by. The uneasiness returned, a slight sinking in my stomach that I tried to ignore.
“You feeling well? Healing okay?” Pruitt asked.
He gave me a once over, and I fidgeted with my purse strap. “Yeah.”
“Like I said yesterday, this won’t take long.”
That was good—this place gave me the creeps, and I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
“I told my boss it was a bear attack.”
“What did he say?”
I shrugged. “He said it was odd. Bear attacks are rare, and none have been spotted recently. It’s a stupid explanation.”
“I know. But people will believe anything,” he said and grinned when our eyes met.
“Guess that makes your job easier. I bet I'm not the first person you’ve had to pay off.”
“You won’t be the last either, Miss Amaro,” he said casually as if that information wasn't extremely unsettling to hear.
We came to another door that Pruitt used his name badge to enter and walked down another hallway, passing a large lab behind floor-to-ceiling glass windows. I didn’t see any baby aliens in jars or a dissected one strapped to a table, just a man and two women in blue scrubs and surgical masks. The man was sitting at a computer desk and paused in his typing to glance at us. The women were absorbed in their conversation. One of them was sitting down examining a tray of vials filled with a pale yellow liquid, and the other woman held a clipboard, gesturing with her pen as she spoke.
There was nothing out of the ordinary. It looked like a regular lab, but we couldn't hear anything they were saying, so it had to be soundproof.
Pruitt took a right at the end of the hallway, and the more we walked, the more I got a sense that this place was a maze. If Pruitt suddenly left, I would be shit out of luck trying to find my way back.
We passed by a large steel door flanked by two security guards armed with M4s. The guards in the lobby had pistols, so why would these ones need a military-issued rifle? My stomach tightened with anxiety, and I glanced at Pruitt, but he said nothing.
Besides the security guards, we passed by one other person, a short man wearing a white lab coat over green scrubs. He looked at me curiously, which I wasn’t that bothered by because I knew I looked out of place. When I glanced at his clipboard, he moved it away so I couldn’t see what was on the paper he had been examining.
“I have the...” he began before stopping to look between Pruitt and me. “The samples you requested in the lab, Mr. Pruitt.”
“Great, thank you, Gene. I'll meet you down there in an hour.”
Gene nodded and walked away, casting one last look at me.
We finally reached our destination after climbing up a small flight of stairs. Pruitt's office wasn’t as richly decorated as I'd expected. It was quite bare, just his desk, desk chair, and filing cabinet; the only decoration was a photograph of the New York City skyline.
I took a seat in the chair in front of his desk, settling my purse on my lap. Pruitt sat down and rolled his chair towards the filing cabinet, opening a drawer and turning his back as he rifled through it. The file he pulled out had my name written on it, and I'd never been so disturbed to see my name on anything before.
He opened it, took out five stapled papers, and slid them across his desk toward me. “This is a nondisclosure agreement. You sign it, you agree never to speak a word of what happened on Tuesday,” he said, handing me a pen.
I looked over the papers. It was a lot of lawyer jargon, but I got the gist and signed it. Before he shut the drawer, I briefly saw more files with names on them. I thought I'd feel a little better once I saw the check, but it made me more anxious to get the hell out of there.
“This is fifty thousand dollars,” Pruitt said, holding the check slightly out of reach.
I knew his salary had to be more than twice that amount, and I tried not to show my irritation at the lazy power move. “Okay,” I replied, not knowing what he wanted me to say. I reached for the check, and he let me take it. “So that’s it, right? Everything’s settled? No one’s going to come looking for me?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “This isn’t the FBI. We don’t need to monitor you."
I was about to ask why he had a file on me if that was the case, when a siren went off, startling both of us.
“Code 45. Code 45. This is not a drill,” an automated voice said from an internal sound system.
Pruitt froze, all the color draining from his face.
"Pruitt?"
His jaw clenched as he stared at the pen on his desk. “Listen to me carefully,” he said, and I had to lean forward to hear him over the siren. “I have to leave now. Stay in this office. Lock the door. Do not come out.”
I just stared at him, the words not quite sinking in yet. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”
Normally, I would have cringed at the pleading tone of my voice, but Pruitt's expression had set off a round of panic that I was too familiar with.
He took something I couldn't see from one of the drawers in his desk and put it in his pocket.
“Pruitt!”
He turned back at my shout. I was caught off guard by the fear in his eyes. What could scare him this much? "Tell me what's going on," I demanded, trying to keep my voice from rising as I grew more panicked.
“There’s been a...security breach. Code 45 is—it’s when a specimen has escaped confinement,” he said in a shaky voice, no trace left of his usual self-assured tone.
“Specimen? Do you have those aliens here? What the fuck?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Amaro. Just lock the door.”
Then he left me.