Chapter 11

Lily

The winding gravel path beneath my shoes suddenly opens, and I gasp in delight. Bathed in the moon's glow, a placid lake shimmers like a silver quilt. To my left, almost touching the water's edge, stands a sturdy gazebo, its weathered wooden slats carrying the tales of countless cookouts and summer outings. I can just imagine couples whispering vows of love under its shade.

"Wow…" I whisper to the wind. I stroll over to the pavilion, my fingers grazing the worn wood of its arched entrance. My heart flutters with awe as I take in the beautiful sight, the serenity of the surroundings working its magic on my weary soul. I suddenly feel thankful for the strange circumstances that led me to this untouched piece of heaven. If Koko hadn't accidentally shattered my window, I'd be at some generic roadside hotel instead of here.

Making my way across the gazebo, I sit on a quaint wooden bench, taking in the expanse of the lake. The tiny ripples on the water's surface reflect the moonlight, casting an ethereal glow that illuminates the darkened surroundings. I take a moment to close my eyes, finding solace in the soft lull of the water lapping against the pebbled shore, the distant chirping of the insects, and the faint rustle of the leaves. Tranquility fills my being, adding to the enchanting aura of this magical place.

A yawn sneaks up on me, sleepiness nudging its way back into my consciousness. I turn on the bench, leaning my arms on the gazebo railing, and rest my chin on my arms. I stare out across the serene expanse of the water, staring into the darkness of the forest hugging the shore. The sounds of the night slowly lull me, and I close my eyes, enjoying and soaking up the peace of this place. Just as I'm about to surrender back to sleep, a boom and a flash of light jolt me wide awake. I gape, stunned, as the darkness of the night is replaced by a burst of multicolored fireworks, painting the sky with a myriad of hues in brilliant colors. Koko is right – the fireworks' magnificence reflects beautifully against the lake's serene surface, making everything around me seem like a fairy tale.

A wide smile spreads across my face. I love fireworks.

I watch the show, impressed at the small town's display. Talk about going all out. I wish I had someone to share this with but ignore my niggling feeling of loneliness and take this moment to soak in the peaceful solitude.

The grand finale begins and captivates my gaze with a brilliant cascade of lights painting the sky. I'm absorbed in the beauty, lost in the moment when a black shape streaks across the sky between me and the fireworks. Its shadow darts across the sky like an enormous bird blocking the light for only a blink. My heart lurches.

"What the hell?" I murmur. I watch, frozen, as the shadow becomes a tangible shape reminiscent of a bird with its wings outstretched but sharp and metallic. It streaks across the night before crashing into the trees beyond the lake with a deafening roar. Time grinds to a halt for a moment, the monstrous echo of the collision reverberating through my bones. I have a moment of pure disbelief, feeling like my senses are tricking me somehow.

Snapping back to reality, the nurse in me kicks into autopilot, the implications of what I've just seen sinking in. A plane? A glider? It's too small for a commercial aircraft, but the possibilities hardly matter.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" I babble, glancing around as if I'm going to find help alone here in the woods.

Snatching up the flashlight from where I set it on the bench, I push all my fears and worries to the back of my mind. I race toward the crash site around the lake's edge. My pulse is pounding at the sheer possibility of what carnage lies before me. I grimly set my face and power on.

Each step feels both too slow and unnecessarily rushed, my brain grappling with the intense situation. Sweat trickles down my neckline, and I remind myself to breathe.

"Oh please, oh please, let them be alive," I pray, my breath heavy and thoughts scattered. Fear tastes stale in my mouth, the weight of the unknown pressing down upon me.

As I dash headlong into the dark woods, the beam of my flashlight dances over the carpet of leaf litter underfoot, illuminating the trail of broken branches and kicked-up dirt leading to the crash site. My breath battles the chilly night air, sharp physical evidence of my rising fear.

Without taking my eyes off the trail, I fumble around in my pocket for my phone. Nothing. Not even the lonely echo of a single bar. I curse under my breath again, frustratedly shoving the now useless device back into my pocket. I must be too far from the cabin to get a signal.

"Oh fu—" I swear when I see what looks like the bright gleam of metal ahead of me on the path. Panic starts to rise up my throat.

The air is sharp, laced with the scent of smoldering vegetation. Each inhalation rasps against my throat like sandpaper, triggering an unwelcome cough. I stifle it, biting my lower lip as I increase my pace, following the gash of upturned soil and mangled foliage that cuts a swath through the woodland.

"Please, let me not be too late," I breathe – half prayer, half plea – the words catching on the wind. I push past the brambles, their thorny fingers reaching out to me as I rush deeper into the chaos.

Thick tendrils of smoke coil serpentine-like, rising from a metallic structure half buried in the forest undergrowth. I don't know what I'm looking at, but whatever it is, it's not an airplane. Maybe it's some kind of military drone or something. My breath hitches in my chest as I cast my light onto the wreckage, the beam of my flashlight falling onto its sleek, smooth surface. It… looks like a spaceship – like something straight out of one of those futuristic novels that Marcus liked to read. It's an absurd, ridiculous thought, but right here, right now, it feels scarily plausible.

I stagger backward, tripping over a root, barely keeping myself from falling flat on my back. Distant echoes of common-sense scream at me to run, to turn around, and go back to the safety of the cabin, but I stand frozen in place, gripped by equal parts fear and shock.

The silence of the night shatters as a shrill, hissing noise resounds across the open clearing. The noise emanates from the ship, where a door slides slowly open. My heart thrums deafeningly against my ribs as a shadowed figure pulls itself from the belly of the metallic beast.

The figure crawls into the opening on shaky limbs, tumbling out of the opening and hitting the ground with a thud. It's humanoid in form, and I think male based on its enormous size and shape. Bright white eyes in a dark silver face snap up and stare at me before sliding closed. For a moment, I think I'm staring at an android, but then I notice he is smeared with a slick red substance catching the silver light of the moon. Blood.

I lurch forward without thought, muscles tensing in preparation for unwarranted danger – a charcoal-silver man – a fucking extraterrestrial – covered in blood.