Arms wrapped around me, I was pulled back. A terrified scream escaped me; I clawed wildly at the arms, certain that death had just locked me within its tight embrace. “It’s me Bethany,” a voice hissed in my ear. I slumped slightly as I recognized Cade’s voice, but I could not see his arms around my waist against the harshness of the light surrounding us. “We have to go back Bethy, we have to go back.”
Cade was pulling me away, dragging me toward something. I didn’t know which way we were going, what was happening anymore. More screams echoed out of the light. I had never heard such awful, agonizingsounds in my entire life. I wanted to sob, wanted to curl up in a ball, clasp my hands over my ears and attempt to drown out the suffering and horror that echoed within those shrieks. I would never get them out of my head though, never forget the hideous pain, horror, and terror contained in those high pitched wails. Aiden. Bret. My heart was shattering. This was it; I couldn’t take anymore. Thiswas my snapping point. It would soon be over, for all of us, and I didn’t even care anymore.
Cade pulled me to the ground, keeping his arm locked around my waist as he leveled his body over top of mine. “Move Bethany!” he hissed in my ear.
I didn’t care to move, I didn’t truly care to do anything ever again. When I remained limp beneath him, he began to half push and half drag me forward. He pushed and pulled me into the center of a bunch of bushes. They were scratchy, painful and caused my skin to burn. Whatever the bushes were, they were not friendly. Cade cursed as he followed behind me, struggling against the low hung branches of the plant. I didn’t care about the bushes, or the pain, the only thing I cared about right now was the fact that I could finally cover my ears. Curling into the fetal position, I clamped my hands tightly over my ears, but it did little to drown out the awful sounds. Cade wrapped himself around me, using his body to cover mine.
“Shh, Bethy, shh love.” I didn’t realize that a low keening sound had been escaping from sound. I was shaking, but no tears spilled free. I was too horrified, to shocked to cry.
“Cade,” I moaned.
His body was warm against mine, strong as he enfolded me within his embrace. His cheek was against mine, his hand wrapped around my head and forehead as he tried to shelter me from the misery. There was nothing sexual about his embrace, no intense desire radiated from him right now. There was only a desperate need to protect me, to shield me from the horror, agony, and death that surrounded us. His mouth was against my cheek; his breath was warm and ragged on my skin.
My eyes remained closed but the light burned against my eyelids, I thought it would be seared permanently into my irises. “My sweet Bethany.”
He kissed my cheek gently. That was when I became certain that we were going to die, and that he knew it as well as I did. I found that to be an even worse realization. Cade had been stoic throughout this whole thing, even slightly playful. He had never shown fear, and though he didn’t show it now, I could hear the goodbye in his tone. I sensed the regret and longing that radiated from those three words.
The light blazed momentarily brighter, I became painfully aware of the fact that the screams had stopped. The silence, either from the lack of noise or from the suffocating quality of the light, was profound. And horrifying. I shivered, Cade held me tighter. The light faded.
I remained frozen, too stunned to move. I didn’t open my eyes; I didn’t want to see anything. I strained to hear something, but there was nothing to hear. Not anymore. It was nearing dawn, but the birds did not chirp. I could not even hear Cade’s breath anymore, could not hear the fierce beat of his heart. The silence was unending, unnerving, and terrifying in the wake of all the noise and light.
I couldn’t take it anymore, my eyes flew open. It took a moment, but slowly they began to adjust to the dark morning. At first all I could make out was the plant wrapped around us. I could not identify it immediately, but its size, look, and smell made me think of juniper.
Cade slowly unraveled from me. I froze, unwilling to move as he crept forward. The bush was large, but not large enough to keep him hidden for much longer. Sound suddenly flooded back in, the world came to screeching, abnormally loud life again as he lifted some of the lower branches and peered out. I winced against the abrasive sound of the plant as the branches grated against each other.
I could see nothing, but I caught the small slump of his shoulders. “I think it’s safe.”
His voice was soothing, surprisingly gentle against the stark clamor that pounded against my eardrums. “Think?” I winced, my voice was nowhere near as calming. He nodded. “They also thought the bridge was safe.”
“You didn’t.” No I hadn’t, but that didn’t do anybody any good right now. Especially not Aiden and Bret. My heart ached, I wanted to cry; I wouldn’t. “I think the bridge was booby trapped somehow. I don’t think the aliens are around here right now. But if I’m right, what just happened is going to bring them here, in droves.” I looked at him questioningly. “I saw no ship; there were none of those creatures around. Nothing happened until the first group made it off the bridge and onto the highway. I think the trap was set to lure in as many people as possible before it was released, just in case an escape was attempted in groups.”
I sat back, appalled by what he was saying. Sickened by the endless depths of cruelty the aliens possessed. “We either go now, or we wait until morning Bethany. When it’s light out.”
Translation, when they would be able to see us better. I swallowed heavily and nodded. I didn’t want to stay here a moment longer, especially if he was right and what had just happened was going to bring them here. “Now is good.”
I barely caught the brief flash of his gaze as he turned slightly back to me. His jaw was clenched in determination. I was more than just impressed by his resilience, his charm, his warmth. I was awed by it. He had lost so much in his life, endured so much, and yet he wasn’t going to quit. Not even now, when things seemed far bleaker than they had only ten minutes ago. There was a good chunk of me that was completely ready to cave right now.
I had lost too much in these past couple of days; I could hardly breathe through the loss crushing me. My mother, my brother, my boyfriend, it was too much. Maybe Cade was able to carry so stalwartly on because he had not suffered such harsh losses as recently as I had, but I knew that was not the reason behind his determination. Cade had lost a lot in his life, maybe not as much as I had, but he had also experienced great pain and hurt. He was just as confused as I was, just as frightened, but he was going to forge on.
The only difference between us, I realized now, was that he truly believed we were going to survive all of this. I did not. The realization was shocking, a little depressing, and yet a little reassuring. He believed that we were going to survive, and I found that I believed in Cade. I may not have faith that we would survive this, but I did have faith that he would do everything in his power to help us survive.
“Come on Bethany.”
He grabbed hold of my hand; his long fingers strong in mine as he pulled me out from under the bush. “Abby?”
“She made it into the woods.”
I glanced around, but we were on the backside of the rotary, I could not see the bridge from here. I wasn’t sure I wanted too. Cade rushed swiftly forward, bent over as he darted into the middle of the road with me in tow. I felt exposed here, vulnerable. I held my breath as I waited for the awful light to blaze forth, for our death to come, but it remained dark and still. Cade held tight to me as we plunged into the woods. I took my first easy breath as relief rushed through me, but I knew we were not clear yet. We had to find somewhere safe before full daylight set in.