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Chapter 3 "Ki, someone's coming," Ion whispered. "I'm sure of it." Eyes wide and full of horror, Ki looked towards the stairway. If someone was on their way then their shadow had not yet fallen. There was time, he thought. Little, but perhaps enough to drag the retched, stinking alien out of view. Hiding its body was their only hope. Without giving himself a moment to think - for thinking too hard in such a situation was the choice between life and death, and as a warrior, Ki knew this - Ki raced out. He skidded down onto the open rooftop floor. The alien was short, fleshy but Ki found it easy to scoop him up into his arms and throw him over one shoulder. The alien was not quite dead and it gurgled something in its strange language again. The sound made goosebumps race all over Ki's body and he wished the creature would just shut up and die. The shadow fell in the doorway and Ki stumbled down, dropping the fleshy alien onto the floor. Luck was on his side and the wind screamed loudly, masking the sound. Breathless, sweating and dripping with the mucous of the alien's insides, Ki collapsed back against the box. Ion's fingers melted over his, crept up his arm, across his shoulder and over his lips. His breath was too loud and Ion wanted desperately to quieten it. The other-worlder looked around, sniffing at the air with its alien nose. A garbled sound came from it. Fearfully, the boys turned to look at the injured other-worlder at their feet - would it reply to its friend's calls? But the alien did not move, did not make any sound. The one looking for it asked a question in its strange language again, that just sounded like strangled noise to the human boys, and then turned. Amazingly its footsteps were soon heard on the stairs. It was leaving. Still the boys would not move. It was possible that it was a trick. Surely the other-worlders would not leave one of their own behind? But within seconds they heard the screeching excited calls from the aliens downstairs. They fell out into the street. There was movement, noise, |
chatter, then more screeching. Fire burned somewhere on the street and then the awful stench of burning human flesh filled the air. Ki was suddenly grateful for Ion's hand against his mouth and nose and he lowered his own to Jez's mouth; Ion lifted his free hand to his own mouth. But their eyes could not be masked. Fear sang within them. Someone had died. Someone was burning in the street. Some of their flock had been taken. But who, if any, now survived?
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