Oh No, Aliens

Sleeping on the floor of a gas station store wasn't exactly pleasant, but Jack supposed he'd been in worse sleeping situations. He woke up around six in the morning, just because that was the time he normally woke up for work. As much as he wished he could have been in bed all morning, this was no place for sleeping in. His immediate thought was that they should get out of this gas station mini mart before the owner came back. Then he realized that they had gotten in without a shop owner being there in the first place. The door had just been unlocked. And there hadn't been any passing cars or people all morning.

He stood up and slowly moved around Hadley and Hershey's sleeping forms, moving to a clear area to do some of his usual morning stretches. His back and neck were stiff. He wasn't sure if there were any employees coming by, but it didn't seem like it. Regardless, he left a twenty on the counter before going into the refrigerator and taking out a couple of iced coffees.

He set one down next to Hadley before finally venturing outside. She'd probably knock it to the side or ignore it because he was the one who gave it to her, but it was worth a shot to try and make some peace between them. He wasn't sure he deserved it for the torment he put her through as kids, but at the least he hoped that she would realize he had no intentions of continuing it. She didn't have to forgive him.

A little while later she joined him outside, coffee in hand. He pretended not to notice she had taken it, though he did feel a little triumphant on the inside.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"About an hour," Jack said. "Haven't seen a single car or person since I've been out here. If I'm going to be honest, I don't think anyone is here."

"You don't think that thing last night did any harm to them, do you?" she asked.

"It might have," Jack shrugged. "It must have a reason to be prowling around here. Either way, I don't think anyone lives in this area anymore."

"If they were all relocated, I'm shocked this wasn't on the news," she noted.

"Unless they were relocated by someone who wanted to keep this creature under wraps," Jack said. "It wouldn't be hard, with a tiny town like this. Relocation might be an optimistic thought."

Hadley went silent, then took a deep breath.

"We should try to get back on our way," she said as she went back to get their things.

Jack nodded and picked up his things, slinging Hershey's bag over his shoulder. They ventured back out into the open, heading in the direction of the few scattered shops and small homes nearby. They peered in through windows and as expected, everything was empty and looked as if it had been abandoned on the spot. There were coffee cups with half the coffee left in them and plates of an uneaten breakfast that had started to rot. Things had been like this for a few days. Possibly before the UFOs had even showed up.

Hadley pointed to one of the homes, where the front door was wide open. They headed towards it, hesitantly stepping inside. Like the other buildings it looked like it had been abandoned suddenly, but there was something a little more sinister about this house. It was a single home and seemed like only one person had been living with it. Jack's theory was proven when he walked into the bedroom and gagged at the sight in front of him. There was a man torn to shreds on the floor. His arm was in one corner of the room and his leg in the other. There was blood splattered all over the floor and walls, and even some splotches on the ceiling. It was like the killer had opted to play in his blood. Jack backed out of the room and slammed the door shut. Hadley came running, eyes wide.

"What is it?" she asked frantically. "Is that where the smell is coming from?"

"You don't need to see it," he told her. "We have to get out of here."

"What's going on?"

She reached for the doorknob, but for the first time since they'd seen each other, Jack forcefully grabbed her wrist and held it away. She seemed like she was about to go off on him at first, but his expression must have said enough. Regardless of how tough she was, it was a scene that she didn't need to experience. She just gave a short nod and yanked her wrist away.

Jack moved into the kitchen and picked up their backs, opening drawers and cupboards until he found the keys to the truck parked outside. The owner wouldn't be needing the truck anymore, he supposed. It was stealing, but justifiable in his book. They quickly loaded up into the truck and just sat in it for a moment, staring straight ahead and taking a moment to breathe.

"There's no way," she said.

"No way of what?" Jack asked.

"There's no way that thing is the only one of its kind," she said. "There have to be more out there. We're just lucky we found out about it before the news did. Now we can be ready."

"What happens when the news does find out?" he said.

"I guess we'll find out," she said. "All I know is that I want to be back with my family when it does."

Jack just nodded and turned on the ignition. He didn't have much to say about family. He'd never really had one. Things felt different as they started back on the road. It wasn't an awkward silence anymore, but a tense one. As if they could be attacked at any minute.

"Are you okay?"

Jack was surprised when Hadley finally spoke up. Not just that, but to ask him if he was okay.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Are you?"

"You looked pretty traumatized by whatever you saw in that room," she said in a flat tone, looking down at her phone. "I just wanted to make sure you were fine behind the wheel. That's it."

"It's not the first time I've seen a dead body."

Hadley was quiet for a few moments. Then she slowly looked back up at him and waited for an explanation.

"My dad," he said. "He blew his brains out when I was six. I found him. It was a long time ago, but it's hard to forget gore like that. It's really bright red and it just gushes out the nose like a waterfall. It used to make me angry to think about it. Especially when I got thrown into foster care. I used to think about how little he had cared about me to just abandon me in such a way and leave me with these strangers who just wanted the government checks that came with me. And then I took that out on other people. Like you. People who had control of their own lives, I guess."

"And then?"

"I learned to manage it after high school," he shrugged. "When I turned eighteen I started to live on my own, so I could stop worrying about holding my ground against bad foster families. I started going to therapy, and eventually I got into a routine to keep my cool in situations that piss me off. And if it's really starting to eat away at me, I'll go to the gym and beat the shit out of a punching bag. I like to think I'm a better person now."

Hadley didn't say anything, quietly looking out the window. But he knew she was listening. He thought for a moment about what he wanted to say next before speaking.

"I know you have no reason to forgive me for what I did to you when we were kids," Jack said, "But in the current circumstances... Can we at least agree that I have been better company than those nasty alien prowlers who want to eat your face?"

She cracked a smile and shook her head.

"Don't push it."

"Yes, ma'am."