THEM

THEM



Her head was bent low over the paper, her hair a black velvety curtain over her face. The pen she held between her fingers flew over the paper. I could hear light scribbling noises coming from the pen against the paper and I wondered what she was writing about with such urgency, as if her life depended on it.

Maybe she was writing of the old days, before THEY came to earth. Those glorious days, before everything we ever knew changed forever. I could hardly remember five years ago, when humans were free to roam the earth in peace, going about daily activities and having fun. Wow, the word “fun”. I could hardly remember what “fun” was anymore. Once THEY came from their distant galaxy, all the humans on earth were imprisoned. For whatever reason, some of the oldest people were taken away and never seen again. Each day, people woke up and wondered if this would be the day a loved one would be taken.

I glanced around the small cell that I was trapped in. Including the girl who was still energetically writing and myself, there were ten of us here. Some people were whispering to friends, writing, or sitting, like me, with nothing to do. One of the people was an old sage; he had quickly become my friend while we were stuck there. His name was Yi Min and he always had something encouraging and wise to say.

I walked over to the cot that he was laying on. “Hi,” I said.

He looked up with a startled expression on his face, which quickly melted to a tired smile as he recognized me. He spoke in a weak voice, with a Chinese accent, “Hello, Xalvadora.”

I smiled down at him. “How many times do I have to ask you to call me Xal?”

“This will be the last time. I only have a little time left to live,” he said, in an unfazed tone that made it seem like he was simply conversing the weather.

My eyes grew wide. Yi Min had never been wrong before, but I couldn’t believe his words. “What do you mean?”

“THEY’RE coming for me soon,” he replied, looking up at me with his wise Chinese eyes. “I’m the next be taken.”

“No,” I gasped.

If he was telling the truth, my worst fears were coming true. Yi Min had been my best friend for the five years that I had been here. He had become like a father to me after I had been separated from my family. I simply couldn’t imagine losing him. He was the only one keeping me sane for the long time that we had all been incarcerated.

I held Yi Min’s hand. “I won’t let THEM take you.”

“You know you cannot stop THEM. I’m sure you remember the people who have tried to save loved ones. None of them are here today to tell the tale.”

My eyes welled up with tears. He was going to die and I could do nothing about it.

“You won’t die for you are the people’s messiah. You will lead them to freedom. You will defeat THEM.”

“But how am I to defeat THEM without you? Your guidance was the only thing that got me here today.”

“When the time comes, you will know exactly how to save everyone. I cannot help you there.”

“But why me? I’m only fourteen!”

“Age doesn’t matter. You were chosen to save us and that’s what you will do.”

I knew that I should believe his words, but it was so hard to think of myself as a messiah.
Creak! The metal door of our prison cell opened and two cloaked figure stepped inside. The hoods of THEIR black cloaks were drawn up, and THEIR faces were concealed by masks. THEY glanced around. THEIR eyes locked on Yi Min. I squeezed his old, wrinkled hand tightly between my youthful ones as THEY stepped over to us. I drew a sharp breath as one of THEM roughly pushed me away.

“NO! YI MIN!” I screamed as they dragged him out the door.

The door banged shut and I ran over as it locked behind THEM. I tried and tried to open the door until I finally collapsed into a heap. A waterfall of tears poured from my eyes for what felt like hours. THEY took Yi Min! THEY took my only friend! I wanted to rip THEM limb from limb. If THEY have limbs, that is. No human had ever seen under their robes.

I jumped up as the door next to me opened again. Two more of THEM stepped into the room. Backing away, I stood at the far wall. Everyone stared fearfully.

“Where isss the one called Xalvadora?” a voice hissed from one of the hooded creatures. ITS voice had been in some strange accent that I had never heard before, sounding snake-like.

Everyone in the cell looked at me. No one said anything, but their looks were enough to tell THEM that I was Xalvadora.

“Messiah!” the other one of THEM hissed at me.
My eyes grew wide as they walked over, grabbed me and half carried me out the door. I was brought into a hallway with doors everywhere. I had only been here once before: the day I had been captured by THEM. THEY led me to a big wooden door at the end of the hall. I had never been in there before and I knew that I never wanted to be.

THEY opened the door and brought me inside. The room was filled with a blinding light and for a while, I couldn’t see a thing. I was roughly shoved into a chair that I could just barely make out as my eyes adjusted. Then my arms and legs were tied down so that I couldn’t move. I was pretty sure that they were about to kill me…but how? I shuttered at the thought and hoped that it would be painless.

When my eyes had gotten used to the bright light, I saw that the two hooded figures were standing over me. They were both watching me as if I were an interesting show on television.
“W-what’s going to h-happen to me?” I tried to keep my voice even, but failed.

Neither of them acknowledged the fact that I said something.

“Please untie me.” I begged even though I knew that it was useless.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Another cloaked figure stepped into the room, but this one of THEM was very different. ITS cloak was cleaner and IT wore a crown on the top of ITS hooded head.

The two of THEM that stood beside me dropped to the ground in a frog-like bow to the one of THEM wearing a crown.

“LEAVE!” the crowned one boomed at the two that were still bowing on the ground.

“Yesss, Lord Desdemona,” THEY both hissed in unison as THEY scampered out the door.

“What isss your little ‘plan’ to stop us, messiah?” Lord Desdemona was trying to intimidate me by glaring me down with ITS piercing ruby red eyes.

When I said nothing, IT began to pull off ITS hood and mask. My mouth hung open at how hideous ITS face was. ITS skin was a grotesque puce color that made me gag; ITS hair was black and I could almost see grease dripping off; ITS nose resembled that of a pig’s snout; ITS lips were deep blue and covered in sickly blemishes.
I struggled against the ropes that bound me, but to no avail. What should I do, what should I do, I wondered. To this day, I’m not really sure what possessed me to do it, but I spat right into Lord Desdemona’s face. IT screeched and recoiled. I spat at ITS face again and IT dropped to the ground.

I gasped as I realized that IT was dead. ITS face was partially burned away and it was oozing green blood. Saliva had killed it? It was so simple, yet so unexpected. I was the messiah just because I had thought to spit on ITS face?
Two of THEM entered the room. When they saw what had happened, they fell to the ground. At first, I thought it was to commemorate THEIR fallen leader, but one of THEM whispered, “Our messiah,” while looking at me.

“W-what?” I asked.

“You saved us from the evil Desdemona. You are our new leader.”

“As your new leader, I command you to untie me!” no sooner had I these words left my mouth than one of THEM was running up to me and untying the ropes. I stood, rubbing my arms where the ropes had bitten into my skin and added, “Now, I command you to release all of the humans!”

The two of THEM rushed off and I could hear doors opening, causing cheering from the people who came out of the building that we had been trapped in for years. We were finally free.