Year E3029

Ocea

"How do you know Dr. Coachman is even important?" Becca asked, sitting on the cot at the back of the ship.

"It's not him but the content around his name," I said, flipping the notebook to face her and pointing at the words on the page.

"Men Of Suits, chips, and Dr. Coachman." I pulled the book away, tucking it under my armpit. "Why would my dad write those two key things on a list and the third not mean a thing?" Pacing back and forth, I glanced at Becca.

She shrugged her shoulders. "You have a point."

I bent over, glancing out the small round window. The night sky radiated a bright blue from the moons. The silhouette of the plants swayed in the wind while glowing insects buzzed around to find food. Wyatt and Thomas left to retrieve the door a few hours ago.

"They should be back by now," Becca said while biting on her fingernails.

I glanced over at her, tossing the book on the bed. "You are right." Walking to the door, I jumped the steps onto the dirt. "Let's get a fire started, and if they are not back by then—" I looked at her, pointing at my chest. "I will go after them."

Becca tilted her head, hanging halfway out the door. She glanced to the side, clenching her jaw, then stepped back, sitting on the floor inside the ship.

"So, Becca, what is the worst thing you have ever done?" I collected stones around the area, lining them in a circle.

"This," she replied, scooting on her ass to dangle her legs out the door.

I paused, rubbing my hands together to get the dirt off them. "No, before now."

She scrunched her eyebrows together while her eyes rolled back and forth. As she thought of an answer, I tracked near the ship, collecting sticks and small logs. I curled the fire starter material in my shirt, then bent over, gripping a red bark.

Lifting the bark slowly, a family of gal mites scattered. Their little round bodies dug in the dirt while their red wings with black spots fluttered to loosen the ground faster for their escape. The humans brought gal mites when they arrived from the Nus.

✧✧✧

"Those are ladybugs, not what your mother called them," my dad's voice echoed around my head.

"Gal mites are perfectly acceptable." Mom smiled, but her expression quickly changed to worry as other memories faded over another.

"Ocea." A tear escaped one eye as she dragged her sleeve over her cheek, wiping it away.

Pain radiated in my arm. Wyatt crawled quickly out from under the table and lifted it, knocking it over.

I gripped my arm tight below the glass piece sticking out of my arm, watching blood cover my fingers. I winced in pain as Stopper pulled my mom away.

"Let's give Wyatt space to help her." His green eyes glanced at me.

My mom shoved Stopper off. "I'm not a child." She glared at him. "I will be helping."

In my lifetime, I have only seen my mom angry a handful of times. Her purple eyes shade over a tint of red while her nose flares from unsettledness.

Stopper put his hands in the air. "I'm only trying to help."

Fin swung his backpack off. "You are only trying to be manlier than you are."

Wyatt snagged Fin's backpack, glancing at my arm. "You two shut up." His eyes then connected with mine. "I am going to have to pull the glass out, and once I do, you will probably lose a lot of blood."

My eyes widened, swallowing thick saliva. A soft touch from my mom boosted my confidence. She nodded at me in silence, telling me I could do this.

"Okay, pull it," I said, closing my eyes.

Wyatt's stiff hand wrapped around my arm tight. "Fin, hold right here."

With my eyes closed, I felt another set of hands on my shoulders. His body rested against my back while he shifted to grip me better.

"On one, I will pull," Wyatt whispered. "Three, two," Wyatt said, yanking the glass without saying one.

The smooth object leaving my body caused my eyes to open wide. I brought my palm to my mouth, screaming a muffle. Tears streamed off my cheeks while ugly sobs escaped my lips. The maroon liquid poured onto the ground, soaking my leg. My breaths quickened.

"Ocea, look at me," my mom said as I panicked at the amount of blood.

I glanced at her, crying like a child. Wanting to tell her how much it hurt, but all I could make up was terrifying weeps.

Pressure from Wyatt's hand stung as he wrapped gauze around my wound.

"Almost done." Wyatt pulled out the tape, finishing the last step. "This will hold for now, but you will need stitches when we arrive at the safe house."

Stopper knelt with wipes in his hand. He cleaned up as much blood as he could, gripping my palm and softly cleansing between my fingers.

Wyatt grinned slightly, patting me on the back. "You handled that great."

I let out a small laugh, wiping the snot from my face. Stopper chuckled loudly, pulling away from cleaning my arm. He soon snorted, shaking his head. My mom followed suit, giggling with him.

"Handled that great?" Stopper asked with titters between his words. "She cried like you chopped her arm off."

I shook with laughter, pushing him away. "It hurt." Glancing at my arm while red seeped through the white cloth. "And I might be a little terrified of blood."

"A little?" Wyatt added, raising his eyebrows.

Fin scuffed. "Okay, we should get going."

My mom squeezed my shoulders before standing up and helping me off the ground. Her eyes lightened with relief as she brought me into her arms, hugging me tightly.

✧✧✧

"Ocea," Becca said, bringing me out of my daze. "I hear something."

I glanced up, seeing the insects fly out of the area. They buzzed in a hurry, running from something. A slight break in the distance had me looking into the trees.

A loud thud shook the dirt, sending dust into the air. I stood quickly, running toward the ship. Once inside, Becca hid at the back, under the molded blankets.

"That will not protect you." I grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

Another stomp shook the ship, sending Becca to the ground. She crawled along the floor, letting out muffled cries. I spun in a circle, grabbing Wyatt's backpack. Inside, the pocket held a knife.

I knelt, handing Becca the knife. "Under the cot." Pointing at the bed, I helped her duck under the metal bar. "To the corner."

The ship trembled as a piercing scream rang through the forest. I glanced out the round window, seeing an immense figure in the shadows. In a panic, I ran to the red glow buzz at the front of the craft. Quickly, I picked up a box, brushing the insect into it.

My heart sank while another thud of something colossal walking vibrated the spaceship, sending me to a fast crawl. With the box in hand, I raced to the other glow buzz. A screech quaked to my soul while placing the last insect in the box. I set the box on the ground and covered it with a blanket, making the area pitch black.

As I peeked out the window, Becca's weeps seemed so loud while the rest of the forest stayed silently dead.

I hushed her as I watched the giant figure walk along the tree line. Slowly, I followed it with my eyes, creeping my way to the front of the ship. I leaned over the seats, watching through the front window. The surrounding trees bent, swaying from left to right as it barreled its path.

"Colossus," I whispered in shock. The two moons shined down on it while their red hair blew in the wind as she towered over the trees. Native to Safforia, we knew colossus creatures survived before safforians existed. With the same features as us but ten times the size. Gods to the ones that want to believe they are higher beings.

The colossus glanced in my direction, showing off her naked torso. Her skin shimmered a blueish gray while her eyes glowed yellow. The female creature grunted before grabbing the tree beside her. She ripped it from the ground, snapping it in half and throwing it. The half tree flew over the ship, hitting someone out of my sight.

A deep howl shivered down my spine while I covered my ears. Lost in the trance of the female giant, I didn't notice a human figure jumping out of the darkness into the ship until they bumped into me.

"Get out!" Wyatt yelled while he looked for Becca. She crawled out from under the cot, running toward him. Without a second thought, Becca and Wyatt brought themselves into a hug as he brushed her hair back.

He looked at me. "We have to get out of here."

A hand grabbed mine as I glanced over to see Thomas out of breath. A scream vibrated into the night, causing him to let go of me and cup both of his ears. The ship violently rocked, moving across the forest floor. Thomas fell forward into me. We hugged the ground as he held onto something solid until the craft stopped moving.

"Go!" Wyatt yelled, pulling Becca out of the craft.

Thomas moved quickly off me, jumping the steps into the outside. Following behind him, I glanced up to see a male colossus with half a tree sticking out of his arm. His yellow eyes glared at us as we tried to run. A red animal skin cloth hung on his waist, drifting to his upper knees, matching the bone necklace hanging around his thick neck. Becca and Wyatt hid behind a fallen log while Thomas ran for them.

The male colossus swiped my lower legs, sending me flying into a tree. My back bent awkwardly around the tree before falling to the ground. With blurry eyes, I noticed a small pond of green next to me. Coughing in pain, I crawled, digging my fingers into the mud. The pond rippled as the colossus stomped his way toward me. My arms sunk into the cold water, hoping to swim to the other side, safe, away from the threat.

"Ocea!" Thomas yelled in time for me to look over my shoulder at the enormous yellow eyes.

I yelled, extending further into the pond, but his vast hand wrapped around my leg, picking me up. The colossus dangled me in front of his face while he opened his mouth, showing off his sharp teeth. His breath heated my skin with musky, gross air.

He laughed deeply, mocking a small voice while wiggling me around. He threw me in the air slightly, flipping me around and catching me.

With my arms wrapped around his finger, I light my blue fire, burning him. His wail stung, ringing in my ears as I free-fell to his stomping feet. I rolled over, watching him wiggle his hand while I tripped to a stance, trying to run.

A deep, loud cry blew me to my knees as tears escaped from fear. I glanced over to see Thomas and Wyatt running toward me, but they were too late as the male colossus lifted his arms above his head. I closed my eyes, balling my legs to my torso, ready to die.

But death and agony continued to be absent.

I slowly opened my eyes, peeking around my arms. The female colossus stood above, protecting me. Her yellow eyes gazed in my direction, connecting to my spirit for a split second.

She pushed him away before kicking his torso, sending the giant flying into the trees. Her hands balled in a fist next to the skirt of colossus skulls hanging off her hips. Heads old to the bone while others' skin dying with rope intertwined into the eye sockets. She stomped her foot before charging into the trees after the male.

"Ocea." Thomas slid to his knees, grabbing my face. He examined me while tucking my hair behind my ears. "Are you okay?"

My eyes locked with Thomas's while his hand stayed in my tangled hair. He leaned in, forcing my face to his shoulder while he kissed the top of my head.

"G-Guys," Becca stuttered while jumping up and down.

The female colossus stumbled backward from the tree line, falling onto her stomach. She rolled over while the male approached, and she kicked him in the nether regions.

"This way!" Wyatt yelled, running into the forest. Thomas stood with his hand out. I wrapped my palm with his fingers as we ran after the other two into the dark trees.

Thank you for reading. Please share, comment, and push that beautiful star.