age, but I didn’t. It would have sounded stupid, and what did that matter now?
“How have they not gotten you? They’ve gotten everyone else.”
“My parents,” I explained. “One was a hippie and one was paranoid.”
Jake frowned, not understanding.
“My mother put in an electric fence; my father made sure we had solar panels, a vegetable garden, a rainwater basin. . . .”
“You have running water?” he interrupted me.
“Mostly . . . when it rains anyway. The filters work because of the solar panels.”
He stared at me. “Where do you live?” I felt my body tense. There was something in his tone that I didn’t like.
I looked at him, unsure of what to say. “Lakeview,” I answered vaguely. “But you have electricity too,” I quickly pointed out.
“A generator. It runs on gas . . . plenty of cars lying around to siphon fuel from. I also hooked a couple up in empty houses to attract those things.”
“Why?” I asked, truly curious. There were so many of Them, what would killing a few stray ones do?
“It makes me happy.” He scowled, looking anything but happy. “I feel like I’m actually doing something. Every night I go on my rounds, up to the lake and downtown and back. I check on the traps every third night.”
He stepped toward me and I backed away. I smiled awkwardly. Something about him had me on alert.
“I’m just heading to the fridge,” he told me, his hands up in the air. He opened the door and grabbed a couple of bottles. “Do you want a beer?”
“Uh . . .” Out of habit, I hesitated. “I don’t know. . . .”
“In case you haven’t noticed, society is in shambles. Our government has collapsed and we’ve been overrun by creatures from another planet. I don’t think the drinking age applies anymore,” he told me with a smirk.
He was right. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t drink. “Sure, I’ll have one,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed.
Jake returned from the kitchen and held out the bottle to me. I reached for the beer uneasily. As I stretched out my fingers the bottle slipped. The glass crashed to the floor and shattered, the noise startling me. I stared at the broken bottle, the beer fizzing in a puddle. It was unsettling not to be silent. Everything felt all wrong.
“I’m sorry,” I told him lamely. “Do you have a towel or something?”
“Don’t worry about it.” He took a swig of his beer and went to get me another one. Suddenly I was struck by an overwhelming urge to leave. “Actually, I should get back,” I said. “I wanted to do some more scavenging before dawn.”
“Oh. Okay.” His face fell. He looked at the floor, clearly disappointed. “But maybe I can see you again tomorrow,” he said, perking up slightly. “I mean, we have to stick together. There aren’t many of us left.”
“Have you seen others?” I asked excitedly. Somehow I just didn’t like the prospect of being stuck with Jake as my only human companion for the next fifty or so years.
“A few. There are even rumors that a whole town survived, though no one seems to know where it is.” He sipped his beer, unwilling to say more. Then he gave me a look that made my skin crawl. “You can stay here if you want. Or I can come to your place. I’d love to take a hot shower.” He beamed. “A shower would be fan.”
“Yeah, fan,” I agreed. Jake’s use of my friends’ slang sounded like when my dad tried to buddy up to me and said things like
“So, we can hang out at your place for a bit?” He was suddenly standing very close to me.
“Maybe.” I was careful not to commit to anything. “We can talk about it tomorrow.” I backed away toward the door.
“All right,” he said, though clearly it was anything but. “Should we meet up tomorrow at our spot? Midnight?” he asked. A shiver ran down my spine. His use of “our spot” freaked me out.
“Sure, sounds good,” I agreed, just wanting to leave. I reached for the door and struggled with the handle. Jake stood over me, making the muscles in my neck and jaw tense. He reached past me and undid the lock.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, and hurried down the stairs, out the door, and into the night.
My hands shook slightly and I felt queasy. I had such high hopes for our meeting. I thought he’d be younger, less creepy. I wanted us to click and become friends. But up there, in his apartment, all I wanted was to escape. I guess it takes a certain kind of person to survive an alien invasion; I was just lucky my parents were a little wacky. I had no guarantees with strangers.
A noise behind me snapped me out of my thoughts and I stood still. I quickly stepped into the bushes and hid. I expected one of Them to shuffle by, as they often did at night, unaware of things that were not directly in front of Them. Instead there was nothing.
It took me a few moments to realize it wasn’t one of Them. It was Jake. He’d followed me. He wanted to know where I lived. He wanted to see my setup and decide if it was better than his. My heart thudded in my chest. And what if he did think mine was better? My house was secure. It had running water and electricity. What would he do when he saw all that? My mind was racing. He would try to take it.
I waited in the bushes for him to make a move. His progression was not loud, but I’d learned to listen for even the slightest sound. As he made his way closer, I froze, uncertain of what I should do: run or stay hidden. I didn’t have long to decide.
Too late, I chose to bolt. I was still in the bushes when a hand grabbed my arm tightly. Jake pulled me roughly from my hiding spot. He took my backpack and slung it over his shoulder, holding my arm in a death grip. He hugged me to his chest.
“If you scream,” he whispered, his hot breath in my ear, “the creatures will come and kill you.” He shoved his arm under my shirt and squeezed. The pain made me exhale loudly.
“If you like that, just wait.” He pulled my hair, yanking my head back with a jerk. Forcing his face to mine, he kissed me roughly. His teeth rammed into my lips, cutting painfully at the soft tissue. He pulled away slightly and I tasted blood, sharp and metallic against my tongue.
I reached my arm around and pulled the gun from its holster. I was grateful my clothes were baggy and Jake hadn’t noticed I was carrying it earlier. I shoved the barrel in his stomach and unhooked the safety with a click.
“Back off,” I said, careful to keep my voice low. I could hear the panic in my tone, and my hands were shaking. Jake took several steps back and stared.
“If you shoot that gun, every one of those things within four miles will be on you.” He started to come toward me again. I quickly reached in my pocket and screwed the attachment onto the end. I’d practiced at home for speed.
“Silencer,” I hissed, forcing a smug grin. I really just wanted to puke.
“You know, silencers aren’t all that quiet. . . .” he whispered, though he didn’t sound very convinced. He backed away, looking me up and down. He still held my backpack. “I’ll see you around, honey.” He winked at me before he turned and began to jog away.
Then I remembered the object in my pocket. Since that day with the creature in the store, I’d come up with a getaway plan. A way to distract Them if They had me cornered, something more complex than a can of corn. I pulled out the remote and stepped back into the bushes. I paused for only a second before hitting the button.
About half a block away, the siren sounded. I heard a few run by, not the mindless shuffle but the full gallop They developed when They thought humans were near. And then I heard Jake scream. There must have been a few closer. He would have been shocked at the noise. It would have taken him too long to realize it was coming from the bag. Even if he had tossed it in time, he could not have outrun Them. He wouldn’t have had enough time to hide.
The screams continued and I put my hands over my ears. He’d be dead in less than a minute. I just wanted the noise to stop. The alarm was still going, but I figured They would tear that apart soon enough as well. I didn’t want to do it, but I already had to worry about Them. I couldn’t live wondering if a psycho survivor was out to get me as well. I cried silently, hoping Jake was not the only other person alive on the planet. Did he lie about seeing other people? About the town of survivors?
The creatures shuffled around for a while, satisfied with their meal. Exhausted, I waited for what seemed like hours, cold and miserable until the area cleared and I could walk back to my house. The first thing I did when I
