The Intrusion

Three Months Later…

Grunting, I pushed myself off the bed to head to the toilet of the panic room. I peed saturated urine and flushed. I looked at myself at the mirror. I still look like me. Except I got a little thinner. My eyes are deep from lack of sleep. Insomnia was killing me softly and nightmares weren’t helping. My cheekbones are more prominent now. My wavy black hair falls on both sides of my face. It looks dull and almost dead. My eyes…my eyes were dull colours. Complete Heterochromia Iridum. The doctor said that that’s what I have. My right eye is blue while the one on the left is green. Both dull and sad. And I hate it.

I looked away to walk towards the radio. A month ago, survivors in America started to broadcast news on the radio. But they don’t have a permanent frequency. They change every day and they only last for a few minutes. By my observation, they broadcast during the morning at seven.

Why does this have to fucking happen? Why do they have to attack? Why Earth? Why kill millions and billions of people? What is it that they want? Why aren’t we doing anything? What’s going on? Where’s the president? Why are there no counter attacks?”

Too many questions in my head left unanswered. And I’m sure that it’ll be a long time until they will be. Without another stupid thought, I searched for the new frequency of the broadcast. A few turns of the knob of the radio, I found it. Just in time.

“Good morning, survivors,” the gloomy voice of the broadcaster said. ”Good job finding the new frequency. Today, we have news. Bad news. Word has spread that the leaders all over the world has been killed. A source said that they were the first ones to go, along with the soldiers. This is why no attacks have been made by our government. The Intruders have landed one of their ship on top of the remains of the White House. A theory was said that they wanted resources. As to what resource, we don’t know. No one has gotten close to them in fear. We are scared, we admit that. But remain hopeful. We want you to be hopeful, too. Be strong and live. Survive to live. We will fight back. Soon. But as of now, we cannot give details as to where we are because we know that they’re listening. Soon, we will be united. Soon, we will fight back. Good morning and good day.”

I stared at the radio as static filled the room. At least some of my questions were answered. My stomach growled with hunger and I immediately walked to the bag of food. There was only one can left. And that was my signal to leave this place behind.

I opened the can of meat and took a spoon to eat it. It wasn’t delicious but my stomach wasn’t in the right position to complain. As soon as I was finished, I took a swig from my bottle of water.

I have to say good bye to this place fast. I’ll die from hunger or maybe from dehydration. With only two bottles of water, I won’t last for even a day here. While I still have my energy, I stood up to gather my things. I took my camping bag from the bottom of the bed and assessed it. It’s still strong to handle my stuff. The tent is still secured at the bottom. I packed half of the bag with clothes that aren’t hard to move around in. Shirts, sweatpants, shorts, and other stuff like that. And underwear, of course. I tied one more pair of boots at the side because I know in due time my current combat boots will give up on me. I took the bag of weapons and stared at it to decide which I’ll take with me.

The lightest of our rifle was a semi-auto rifle. I carefully wrapped the strap to my body so the gun will rest on my side without it shifting to different places but can still be easily removed so that I can aim fast. Two pistols were safely secured in their holsters that was strapped around my waist. I strapped a knife at my ankle, another one beside the pistol on my left hip, and the last one strapped on my forearms so it can slide easily when I need it. I filled the other half of my bag with ammo. Lots and lots of ammo. I took my scope and a bag of all the medical supplies we have at our house and strapped it to the side of my bag.

I was good to go. After one last look around to see if I left something, I turned towards the door. The bag wasn’t heavy so I can still run okay. Not fast, just okay. I pressed the red button and it opened after.

As the door closed behind me, I felt myself tense up. I need to survive this. I need to fight. I climbed the stairs out of the basement and was greeted by the sun. I haven’t been under the sun for months now. Nothing much has changed, though. Everything else was still burned and ruined.

No spaceships in sight. That’s good news. “I need to find a new and smaller radio,” I told myself as I walked towards the road. The radio back at the panic room was huge and I need the radio for reports. The houses in our street was totally destroyed. No more roofs. Nothing. There goes my chance of finding food nearby. I steered myself away from the road and into the forest.

I was familiar with the forest. Out of all the survival trainings we had to undergo through, anything related to the woods is my favourite. Everything is useful. For food, shelter, water, you name it. I walked faster, farther from my house.

A broken sign on the ground caught my attention. It was broken and pieces of it were missing. But I could see State Forest on it. My sister and I have only been once here for the survival training. Dad used to take us to different forests so that we won’t rely on what we remembered we did.

The Intruders—that’s what we call them—hasn’t laid a finger on the forest. The trees still stand tall. Although the broken sign might mean that they passed by this area to kill and not hurt nature. I walked some more to wherever my legs are taking me. I need to get food so that I’ll be ready by lunch time.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on a tree beside me. I need to listen. Running water. I can hear running water. I looked from side to side to see if I can spot a body of water. I walked faster to where I could hear it until I saw a lake at the end of the trail I was walking on. Before I got out of the trees, I took a peek to see if anyone was around. An Intruder, maybe.

When I saw none, I slowly walked to the edge of the lake. There were live fishes swimming happily. I shrugged off my bag, removed the rifle from the strap and placed it carefully beside my bag. The belt with holsters came off next. I took off my jacket to cover the weapons. With one last look around, I removed my cargo pants, leaving me with my underwear and a tank top. Oh, and also my knife at my leg.

I took my leg knife and stepped into the lake. I stepped further into it, until the water was a few inches below my underwear. Not gonna make it wet. I stood still as I watched fishes swim around. And with one swift move, I stabbed a fish and threw it onto the land next to my bag. I stood still again and waited. Another quick move and I sent a fish flying. Two more stabs, and I had four. Two for lunch, two for dinner.

Satisfied, I left the water and returned to land. I waited until my legs dry up to wear my clothes again. I cleaned up the fishes. Making sure that I gutted it correctly. I took branches and twigs that were lying around and piled it up at the side. I took out my lighter and made myself a fire.

“Just for a while. Just to cook my fishes and then I’ll leave.” I placed two fishes in a long twig and placed it near the fire to cook. I checked my bags to see that they were on my side, at arm’s length.
As I was cooking, I heard a twig break behind me but I didn’t look. I know that someone was there. I felt it. The person stopped a foot behind me and I heard a gun being held up. But before he could even position the gun to my head, I quickly turned and grabbed the forearm holding the gun with my left hand, fishes completely forgotten, while the knife on my forearm slid to my hand and I aimed at the thigh.

“Drop your weapon,” a husky male voice said. I looked up but I couldn’t see his face clearly because of the sun. But I’m sure that he’s three times older than me.

“I’m not sure you’re in the position to tell me that,” I told him. Realization hit him as he looked at the gun. He wasn’t aiming at anything at all. I got to grip his forearm and shift his aim. He then faced the knife that was pointing at his thigh. “People always forget the artery here. One slice and you’re dead.”

The forearm I was gripping tensed. “Drop the weapon,” I ordered and he didn’t hesitate. The gun dropped beside me. I threw it beside my bag as I stood, knife still aimed at him.

He was an old man, probably in his fifties. He has dark tanned skin and his eyes were blue with wrinkles at the corners. His hair was white and it reaches until his shoulders. He was wearing a white shirt under a dark camouflage jacket. Loose jeans covered his legs and boots to cover his feet. He was only carrying a black duffel bag with him.

“Who are you?” I asked as I rested the blade of my knife near his throat.

“Stannis,” he said, eyes locked on mine. “My name is Stannis Briggs.” His hands shot up beside him as he spoke.

I pushed the blade further and said, “I didn’t ask for your name!”

Realization struck him and his muscles relaxed. “I am not an Intruder. I’ve seen them and well, they’re not little green monsters I’ve seen in movies.”

I studied his face for a moment, to see if there’s a hint of lie. But there wasn’t. I pulled my knife back, along with some blood from his neck. Oops. I swiped the blood with my hand and swiftly placed it back to the strap on my forearm. I stepped away and took the stick with the fishes. “Alexandra,” I said as I placed the fishes near the fire again, warming it up. It’s already cooked minutes ago, but it got cold. “Alexandra Evans.” I sat by the fire near my stuff. My guns still at the ground.

He stood idly for a minute until I looked up. He was studying me with his hand pressed on the wound on his neck. I can feel his eyes looking at the scene in front of him. But I didn’t budge. “Are you gonna stand there or are you going to take a seat and eat fish with me?”

Without any more hesitation, he sat down beside me. His face was visible now. He looked at the fish and back at my face. “You caught those?” he asked. I took a fish out of the stick and handed it to him. It was warm now.

“Yeah,” I said as I started picking the meat and place it carefully in my mouth. Fuck, it was delicious. Anything that isn’t from a can is delicious. I watched as he did the same and his eyes closed as his brain registered the taste. I took a closer look at his wound. It has stopped bleeding and it’s not too deep that will require some stitching. I took a piece of my fish again and ate. “How have you been surviving the past three months?”

He shrugged. “Cans of leftover food then I resorted to hunting when there was nothing left. Never been a fan of fishing. But I do love fishes.” He finished his fish and threw the leftovers at the fire. “I was a sergeant in the Air Force, you see. So survival is something we do, too. What I’m curious about is you, girly. How come you know a lot about surviving?”

“Taught by my father,” I said simply. I threw the bones at the fire and rested my back on my bag.
“Any family?” I blurted. His face grew dark and faced the fire. “Don’t worry. Me, too.”

I stared at the fire as I felt him look at me. It’s been three months and I told myself that I’ll remain strong and I will shed no more tear. One day is enough and I have to move on. Silence surrounded us as we stared at the fire. The sky was getting darker. And soon, I’m sure that we have to put the fire out before they see us.

“Those bastards,” he started to say, eyes staring at the fire. “I was in the woods when they came, gathering woods for a bonfire with my family along with my other friends from the Army and Air Force. We were just visiting for the weekend from Kentucky. Then their ship appeared from the distance…they released a hundred of Intruders riding this hover craft thing and started to spread around the state. Before I could run back to my family and friends, a beam of light stopped me from my tracks. I hid under a space below a tree and waited. I came hours later and they were all…gone.”

A tear escaped his eyes and he looked at me with sad eyes. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. “You didn’t have to tell me. I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head and tried to smile. “No, it feels good to talk to someone. I’ve been alone for months. And I know that you’ve been alone, too. Talking relieves the pain.”

I was quiet for a while. I was thinking about telling him what happened to me. But I wasn’t ready yet. If I talked about it, the memories will surge through my mind again and I might cry. “What do they look like?” I asked after minutes of silence.

“They’re bodies are like of humans. A head, two legs, two arms. But they’re thin and long. Like they’re stretched. Their skin was smooth. Their head was big, though. Like it’s not proportionate to their bodies. I always wonder how their long necks can hold it. I didn’t get to see their faces. So that’s a shame.” He took a bottle of water from his bag and drank a little. He recapped it and placed it on the ground. “They’re naked, too. But unlike us, they didn’t have genitals or hair or whatever. It’s just…smooth.”

I took my bottle and drank some of it, satisfying my stomach a little. Watching him drink made me thirsty and he knew that when he smiled at me. “What abilities do they have?”

“Aside from killing humans with their weapons and naked bodies, no one knows yet.”
I took the two fishes and stabbed them with another twig. I gave one to Stannis and we cooked the fish in silence. Afterwards, we stored it in a plastic that Stannis have in his bag. “For dinner,” I told him.

The night sky was up and it was my cue to put the fire out. I took a small empty bottle in my bag to scoop some water and throw it at the fire to extinguish it. “We need to go,” I told him. “Light in the dark might attract them.” Stannis nodded and we left our camp.

“We need to go find a house to rest in. The cold weather will be our enemy tonight even if you have a tent,” he said. I took his gun and gave it back to him. He looked at me. His eyes showing gratitude for the trust I have for him. He took the gun and placed it in the holster at his waist. The fire was out and we took our things and we started to walk.

We got to the edge of the forest, searching for a house in our town that wasn’t blown away. But we didn’t find one. Those fuckers didn’t leave a single one behind. I didn’t want to go back to the panic room. Too many painful memories.

Grayson was a small county. I guess we have to move on to another town or county. Just a town, please. I will not walk to another county while the temperature drops at night. Stannis took the lead, he took his gun out of the holster and proceeded to the town next to ours. I held my rifle beside me and followed him.

We got to the next town within an hour and I could feel my stomach complain of hunger. Stannis looked back to me and chuckled. I pushed him a little to make him go on.

The houses in the next town wasn’t all burned down or blown away. Some were still standing strong. We went inside the first house we could find and closed the door behind us. Stannis told me to search the first floor while he checks the second.

All the rooms were empty, even the basement and attic. The kitchen was also clean. It’s like no one lived here before the Intruders. Sighing because of the lack of food in the house, we closed all windows and doors and stayed inside the living room for it was the only one with good light. Stannis took out the fishes and gave me one.

We ate in silence. The only audible sound was our chewing and swallowing. After cleaning out the fish to the bones, we threw it at the nearest trash bin. Stannis found a small radio in one of the rooms and placed it at the table. “We’ll listen to news tomorrow.” He stood up and stretched his arms up. “Right now, we need to rest.”

I stood up to gather my things. “You take the master’s bedroom,” I told him as we went to the stairs. “I’ll take one of the smaller rooms.”

“You sure?” he asked. I nodded. “Okay, good night, Alexandra.”

***

“Good morning, Alexandra,” Stannis said as I saw him in the kitchen the next morning. He was preparing something at the counter while his back was on me.

“Alex,” I told him. “You can call me Alex.” I walked around the counter and saw him holding down a chicken. On his side were five chickens lined up and skinned. “Well, this could help us for a few days.”
Stannis laughed. “Best hunter alive, honey.” And when he realized his own joke, he laughed some more.

I shook my head and went to the living room to retrieve the radio. I placed it on the kitchen counter so Stannis could hear, too. My hands went to the knob and started turning. Slowly, I could hear the muffled voice of the broadcaster. When the static was gone, we could fully hear the man talking.
“…no new attacks have been reported. On the other hand, we have seen and figured out what they are after. A ship near our area has a hole underneath and we saw Intruders working. They seem to be after the core of the Earth. Another observer has also stated that these Intruders can shape-shift into humans they have been in contact to. One way to distinguish them is that they do not have blood like us. So please, survivors, be careful. Live until the day of our freedom. It will come. Soon. Good day, survivors.”

The radio went to static and I turned it off. Stannis was done preparing the chickens and placed four and a half of them in a working refrigerator. I know that he’s not an Intruder because he was bleeding when I slightly pushed the knife to his neck. No need to doubt him one bit.

“One half chicken for breakfast?” he asked as he turned on the electrical stove.

I nodded as I leaned on the counter. “Do you think we’ll have to stay put here for a month or so?” I asked.

Stannis looked at me while letting the chicken fry on their own. “It’s up to you, actually.”

I studied the floor for a while. He’s making me the leader of our two-membered-group. Finally, I looked up at him. His white hair was tied at the back and his face was expecting a response. “We’ll stay put until we finish all chickens in this town or until something urges us to go. Right now, we don’t have any type of mission or drive. We don’t know anything about them. But we will fight. Soon. We will…right?”

Stannis smiled and patted my head. “Yes. I was hoping you’d say that. Because if you’re planning to sit this one out, I’d have to leave you.” He patted my head one more time and continued to cook.

We need a push as soon as possible. I want to fight. I want them to suffer. I want to avenge my family. And looking at Stannis, it looks like he wants to avenge his, too.