Chapter Eight

A harsh light filled my view, and I winced. Seeing the shadow of the boy from before, I remembered where I was.
The boy held up the laser gun I had given him before and grinned menacingly.

"You a spy?"
"No! I was just taking my friends to you and..."
"You are friends with humans? I thought you aliens wanted to obliterate us?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I just wanted to make sure my friends were safe, alright?"

Skeptic, he stood up and pointed at me. "Look alien girl, I don't care about your opinions, or you at all in fact. All I care about is the Resistance. They are my family. They look after me. So you're just going to have to start talking."
I shrugged. "I am not a general, or a soldier. Or anything. Those 'aliens' they don't even know I'm on Earth. My family think I'm dead. They think that Jay, killed me. Because he's human, and I freed him. They were going to make a slave out of him. I haven't seen my family in nearly four years"
The boy nodded thoughtfully. "You are one of them though. And I don't trust you. In fact, I should just shoot you. You did say that your alien family don't even know that you are alive..."

I gulped in fear. "There's no need to kill me. I won't tell anyone about the Resistance... I'll..."
The boy grabbed me by the shirt and flung me against the wall.

"You won't tell anyone of the Resistance?"
"I won't!" I managed to choke.

"You won't kill us?"
I nodded and he released me.

"I don't give second chances, especially not to scum" he spat and I ran from the room, finding myself on a train platform.

Seeing the huddled masses, the last free portion of humanity, I started to cry and sunk to the floor.

Jay walked up to me and sat down beside me, Ami too.

"I should go. I don't belong here" I stood up to leave but the boy from before stopped me.

"Double cross" he said and I frowned.

"You could work for us, and find out exactly what they're doing"
I understood. He wanted me to double cross the rest of the Invaders. Even though I was one of them.

Chapter Seven

At dawn, we extinguished the fire and continued writing, an unspoken understanding between us. We had been walking for about four hours, when we heard the sound of a car approaching.

"Run!" Jay screamed and we ran into the forest. Hearing footsteps, crinkling against the leaves, we ran faster. I turned around to see a boy of about fifteen running after us. The boy started to run faster, and then jumped onto a bicycle and went faster. Suddenly, he was in front of us.

We skidded to a halt, and stared up at the boy in fear.

"What do you want?" I asked, stepping backwards, and reaching into my backpack. I may not have seen my family in three years, but I still had the laser gun they gave me, just before I left the spaceship.

I pulled out the gun and the boy looked terrified.

"What do you want?" I repeated and he started to retreat.

"You human?"
"Who are you?" I asked, suspicious.

"Resistance" he said tauntingly and I threw the gun to him. Suprised, he caught it, and aimed it at me.

"Who are you?" he countered.

I ignored the question. "They're human" I said, and then mouthed to Jay 'go with him'.

"What about you?" the boy snapped.

I bit my lip. "Not human."
He raised the gun and stepped towards me.

"I'm not going to hurt you... I'm not a spy...." I stammered.

Then the boy hit me over the head, and all went dark.

Chapter Six

Jay turned scarlet red and glared at the girl.

"I'm not anybody's slave, you got that?"

The girl snorted and looked away.

"It's true you know. We're just friends" I said, smiling weakly.

The girl frowned and jabbed a finger at me. "So you're not taking me to the Prison?" she said, as I rubbed my bruised arm.

"No. I could never do that"

She looked at me strangly and stood there unmoving.

"Where are you going?" Jay asked her cautiously.

"I can't tell you..." she said, and looked at Jay like he was the most dangerous person in the world.

Jay glanced at me and then said "I'm going to an abandoned train station"
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Travelling hundreds of miles to go to any station? Is it the Resistance?" she whispered, looking at me warily.

Jay nodded curtly and the girl jumped. "Take me with you"

Jay shrugged then nodded.

I reached into my backpack and found a scruffy pair of trainers and handed them to the girl. She took off her hole ridden sandals and put the trainers on, and we started to walk on silently.

As the sun went down, we sat in a small cave, miles from anywhere. I grabbed two sticks from a nearby tree and set up a fire like I had hundreds of times before. When I had done that, I took a threadbare blanket from my backpack, and sat down on it.

"Ami. My name is Ami." the girl murmured shyly.

"Maria. Look, just so you know, I'm not going to hurt you. I might be one of 'them' but I'm not like.... well... I haven't seen a single member of my family in nearly four years. Since just after the Invasion. I'm not going to betray you or do anything, kay?"

The girl nodded, looking relieved.

"How did you become friends with Jay? I mean, he's human and you're not...."
"After the Invasion, me and my twin brother left the spaceship. I was terrified. I had been taught basic English, and was told to go looking for hiding humans. My twin, he found Jay. Hiding in a railway tunnel. He grabbed Jay and pushed him against the wall. I had the handcuffs. My brother told me to handcuff him, and take him to the spaceship. I couldn't. He deserved to be free. Jay, he was crying. I shook my head, and then my brother; he glared at me so menacingly, and I knew that he meant to handcuff me too, and take me back to the ship in shame. Angrily, I handcuffed Jay and whispered a 'sorry' in his ear.

My brother he looked so satisfied. We were in the forest, and Jay was crying. A car swerved in front of us - a runaway human. This place terrified me, the brutalness of my usually timid brother. I unlocked the handcuffs and I ran, Jay following behind.

My brother never could run fast, and he never found us. Three years it's been. And I haven't seen my brother again "

Ami stared at me. "You left them all, your family, just to save Jay?"
I nodded. "And because I was sick of them, all it was was endless strategy, never saying what you really feel."
I pulled up my arm to show the tattoo. "All of us, we are born with these marks, it is part of the way we are. However, mine doesn't show my allegience to them. It means nothing. Nothing!"

Jay nodded thoughtfully and then smiled. Staring up at the damp cave wall, we soon all fell asleep.

Chapter Five

Hearing the harsh sound of metal against metal, and hearing the car stop I looked up to see a girl standing by the roadside with a metal pole. She was smashing the pole against the hood of the car, and obviously had been aiming for it as it was about to go past.

Angrily, I stepped out of the car and so did Jay.

"What did you do that for?" I screamed at the girl and was about to hit her when Jay whispered slightly mockingly,

"I thought that you aliens didn't feel anger".

I glared at him, and turned back to the girl. "What did you do that for? Now me and my friend, we're going to have to walk for hundreds of miles. Thanks for that."
"Just get another car" she said venomously.

I exchanged a look with Jay. "Can't do that. Not risking that again."
A glint of regconition flashed in the girl's eyes, and I realised what she was thinking. She thought I was human. If she thought that, then she would probably go to the police; and that would end everything.

"I'm not...I'm not..." I stammered and I thought I saw a look of dissapointment and fear in the girl's eyes.

"I'm not going back to the prison!" the girl screeched then put her hand over her mouth.

"Why did you wreck her car?" Jay said,ignoring what she had just said and, staring down at the ground.

"Sorry, I thought...."
Hands on hips, I stared at the girl. "You thought?"

"It doesn't matter" she said and turned around to run away. Something clicked in my mind. Her disapointment that I wasn't human, and the way she was just going to run away.

"Are you-" I started but stopped when I saw Jay pull the girl's arm behind her back. Roughly, he pulled up her left sleeve, to reveal no tattoo. Jay then released the girl and she was ready to run, when Jay pulled up his sleeve and showed that he wasn't an alien.

My heart thudding, I looked away, as the girl started to cry, and hugged Jay.

"I'm not alone. I'm not the only one left" she wept, and I smiled inwardly. Suddenly, she jerked away from Jay, and pointed to me.

"What about her? She's not one of the Invaders is she?" she screamed and Jay looked panicked.

"I'm not going to hurt you" I managed to stammer, holding up my hands in defeat.

"Is.She.One.Of.Them?"
"I'm not human" I said, carefully choosing my words.

The girl lunged at me and threw me to the floor, hitting me over and over again. I was stronger than most humans, but I didn't want to hurt the girl too much, so kicked her off me as gently as I could and stood up.

"There's no need to hurt me"
"You took our planet, of course I want to hurt you"
"I didn't, not me personally!"

The girl relaxed a fraction and spun on Jay.

"Why are you letting an alien hang around with you? Are you one of their pet slaves?"

Chapter Four

Jay sat awkwardly in the seat and turned to me. "The Invasion, why us?"

I felt so pathetic, and so guilty. "Easy target" I said and Jay turned bright red.

"I'm sorry"
"I'm sorry too" he said, almost inaudibly quiet.

As we drove on, I told Jay more about what had happened.

"The rest of the humans, the billions of them, they're slaves on some planet light years away. When the Invasion happened, they were all taken on a spaceship."
"It only took three days" Jay said.

"I'm sorry" I said, almost crying.

Remembering something, that might help Jay trust me, I stopped the car, and reached into my bagpack. Seeing a small star shaped pendant, I took it out and passed it to Jay.

"It's a necklace?"
"Well yes, but that is not the point. It's also a communication device."

I pressed the middle of the star and a holographic screen emerged, projecting an image into the air.

"You can speak to the Resistance, to anyone on the planet. It's one use though. Emergency only" I whispered and he put the pendant into his pocket.

"Why are you giving me this, Maria?"

"Jay, you're my best friend. If I get into trouble no-one can help me. My family... well, and no human except you would even go near me. And you need it more" I smiled broadly and then started the car again.

We kept on driving all night, and all the following day, Jay telling me exactly where to go. I didn't want to leave him at the Resistance, but he would be saver there, right?

Chapter Three

Jay looked doubtful and I was too. After all, I couldn't drive, and what was I supposed to do, waltz up to a car and hotwire it?

"I can you know. I can get a car from one of the towns. I'll just show them...my talent... that proves I'm one of them, and I'll get a car"
"What do you mean 'talent'?"

"Shapeshifting" she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"
"I can change the way I look. It takes all my energy, and I can't do it a lot - I don't have the stamina, but I can change the way I look. I could look like a cat if I wanted to..." I said awkwardly.

Jay nodded then, understanding. "Can you actually drive?"
"Can you?" I shot back, then immediately felt guilty. Of course he couldn't drive. My race had almost obliterated humanity from the planet, so of course Jay hadn't had a chance to drive.

"Haven't had a chance, the Invasion - remember!" he snapped and I blushed.

"Sorry. And no, I can't drive, but it can't be that hard, right?"

Jay laughed grimly. "How far is it to the nearest town?"
"A few miles"
We walked in utter silence to the town, neither of us able to speak. I knew what Jay was thinking, that he'd be caught, but I promised myself that I wouldn't allow that to happen. I couldn't. Not after everything I had done. Not now.

I put a finger to my mouth and we walked towards a garage. I pressed a button on the wall, and a window slid up, revealing a harsh looking middle aged Invader. My race actually called themselves "Invaders" out of pride, for the fact that they conqured every planet they touched. But that fact just filled me with shame.

"Yes?" the man said, and I looked up at him defiantly.

"My mate and I would like a car" I said, as emotionlessly as I could. Act like a heartless monster, I thought. Act like you don't care.

"Any car?"
"Yes"

The man slid a key through the window, and shaking we walked through the car park, until finally we found a red Micra. Climbing in, I sighed with relief and then pressed down on the accelerator. The car juttered but finally moved.

"We did it" whispered Jay and I smiled.

Chapter Two

I felt so useless. I couldn't go and be an normal inhabitant of planet Earth, one of the Invaders, even though I was their kin. I had been banished and was actually glad for it. Nor could I stay with Jay. I was going to be utterly, and completely alone.

Hated by both alien and human, the one thing that drew them together; their hatred of people like me.

"Please don't hurt me!" Jay said and I bit my lip. We had been best friends. Had been. And now he was terrified of me.

Too scared to move he just stood there, utterly frozen.

"Maria, you never said. I was your friend. Three years and you didn't tell me"
"I couldn't"
"Why?"
"You would hate me."
"Maria, you're not even human. You're one of those alien freaks. You've got our planet, what more do you want?" he spat, brandishing the stick. Trying desperately to keep a hold on my dignity, I turned to Jay.

"It couldn't help being born on another planet. It wasn't my fault that they invaders came here" I said, not able to look Jay in the face. Jay could probably tell that I wasn't being entirely truthful. I couldn't have stopped the Invaders, but I still feel guilty. I wasn't able to save humanity, now driven to the brink of extinction, but I could have tried. No, I should have.

"You never told me. Three years I spent, we spent hiding from them. And they were your family. How do I know you didn't betray me? That they aren't coming right now?"

They weren't my family, not anymore. They hate me. They would be more likely to kill me then the human rebels, but I couldn't say that. There were things I still wanted to keep secret.

"Did you betray me?" Jay asked nervously, ready to turn on his heels and run.

"No. I could never... I would never" I sobbed and Jay looked nervous. I would never betray Jay, he was the only friend I had left.

"You're an alien" he said, it was a statement not a question.

I nodded sadly and stared at him. I started to inch towards him then gave up.

"I should just... I'm just gonna go. You go to the Resistance, Jay. I won't betray you. Just go"

Angrily, I ran in to the distance, running faster than any human ever could. Jay was out of sight in an instant, and I had traveled at least two miles in seconds. Exhausted and terrified I started to cry again.

Crouched in a ball, crying, I heard the sound of a car door opening and froze. Quickly, I stood up and looked in the direction of the noise. Sniffing, I tried to remember desperately what the rest of my race had been like. Quiet and un-emotional. I wiped the tears from my eyes and cautiously turned away. I heard footsteps on the ground, and sighed.

"Is something wrong, Citizen?" I heard a booming voice ask and I shook my head.

"I just fell. I am fine. I was running. I am going to go now" I said in a monotone, and before he could reply, I had ran.

Soon, I reached the place where I had left Jay, and sat down exhausted, wondering if he was still here.

"Maria?" I heard someone whispher, and turned around to see Jay standing behind me.

"Yeah"

He didn't say anything, then, and just stood there for what felt like hours, staring at me.

Finally he spoke. "I missed you" he said roughly and I frowned. He had missed me, yet he had seemed so eager for me to go!

"Jay, why haven't you gone to the Resistance yet? It's where you belong" I said gently.
"I can't walk five hundred miles on my own and... I can't leave you. You're back and that's all that matters"

I hugged him and then we sat there until nightfall, not moving.

However, Jay did not feel this way in the morning later.

"Maria" he said, coldly. I nodded and looked away, already ready for the torrent of abuse I was expecting. Still,he said nothing.

"I am sorry you know. It probably would be better if you went to the resistance" I said guiltily.

"What about you?"

"I can't go back. I can't go to the city. If any of them see me... I'd be locked away for the rest of my life"
"What did you do?"
She remained silent.

"Maria, what did you do?"
"I betrayed them"

Jay looked confused. "What did you do exactly?"
"Five spaceships went missing from the capital three years ago. Five hunted rebel humans disapeared two days later. You do the math..."
"You saved them?" Jay was utterly shocked.

"It was all I could do"

Maria looked up at the stars that had once been her home.

"I can't go back" she repeated.

"I'm not leaving you alone, just to go to the Resistance"
"You've got to"
"It's five hundred miles away, ok?I would walk that far, just not alone. So it's pointless. I'm not leaving"

"Yes you are. And there's no need to walk. I'll steal a car. I'll go to a city and steal a car. I'll drive. And then I'll leave. Only the people in the city know me. I might be an alien but that doesn't mean I can't help my best friend"