Authors Note: Basically this story is based on the popular show Falling Skies. If it weren't for my partner and cowriter photogirl894 none of this story would've been brought to reality. With so many other stories I'm already working on I wouldn't have reached this one for a while, but with her assistance it's up here and Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my character Regina.
The Light Shining Amongst the Darkness Prologue
It was the not too distant future and the once-mostly peaceful planet of Earth was now dominated by a ruthless alien species from another planet. By order of their leaders, the Overlords, the aliens had invaded the planet and had wiped out a majority of the earth's population. They were more technologically advanced, so the invasion was not met with much resistance.
There were two types of aliens and the humans came up with their own names for them: "Skitters" and "Mechs".
Skitters were green, spider and lizard-like creatures with long legs, huge fangs and scary, black-eyed faces that made up a large majority of the invasion. They spoke in a language consisting of mostly hisses, screeches and clicks. On their backs they wore big, parasite-looking harnesses that helped give them their strength and power.
Mechs were basically giant robots with advanced weaponry, indestructible armor and were the main source of firepower for the Skitters.
Scattered throughout the planet, only small handfuls of survivors remained of the human race. Ever since the aliens had come and taken their home, it seemed like all hope was lost.
There was nothing left but ruins and darkness.
It was two months after the extra-terrestrials had taken the planet and in the eastern part of the former United States, in what was once New York, there was a patrol of Mechs and Skitters scouring the city of Manhattan…or, at least, what was left of it.
After the attack, the once great city was destroyed and completely left in shambles. It, along with the rest of the planet, had pretty much gone to hell. It was a ruined haven consumed by dust, rubble, glass and smoke, with hardly any humans left. Anyone who was found was either dead or dying, since there were a few that survived. Those that were alive were either put to death or taken captive if they were not on the edge of death already.
The leader of this patrol was a Skitter who was called "Red Eye". He was given that name because his right eye was completely red and was the only Skitter to look that way. It only added to his already menacing appearance and made him more intimidating to the other Skitters.
As Red Eye continued to walk through the wreckage, he looked down at everything that lay before him: remnants of buildings, cars and streets and a few dead humans lying scattered on the ground or being picked up taken away by the Mechs. At the sight of such destruction, he felt a wave of sadness overcome him. Unlike the other Skitters in his patrol, he was actually against the Overlords and felt sympathetic towards the humans. He wanted to resist against the attacks, but he had nothing to back his resistance. There was no way he could act, just yet. So, unfortunately, he had to continue to stand by and watch as the carnage continued before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Just then, his sensitive alien hearing perked up as he heard what sounded like a cry in the distance. There was a human still alive somewhere near. The Skitter leader moved as fast as he could to investigate, leaving the rest of the patrol behind.
Red Eye didn't know how far he had gone until he found the source of the cry. As he laid eyes upon it, he stopped dead in his tracks.
What he had heard was a small, human child; an infant, who was lying in a small bundle in the arms of a woman barely clinging to life, leaning limp against the wall of a decent-sized rock crevice to keep herself hidden. She was dressed in tattered clothes and much of her body was covered in blood and dirt. Her hair was braided, but parts of it were coming undone and there was dust and mud smeared all through it. It seemed to be that she had been on the run for quite some time.
Her head turned as she heard Red Eye approach. It was then the Skitter noticed that she was not looking at him directly. Rather, her eyes appeared clouded and distant.
"She's blind," he assumed.
Her breathing was slow and shaky as she spoke quietly, "I know you're there, whoever you are."
Red Eye was able to understand her, but he said nothing as he could not respond to her. He didn't know how to speak the human language.
The blind woman spoke again, her voice straining, "My name is Rosella…I have been running for so long and I have nowhere else to go. I'm wounded and weak and I'm afraid I won't live much longer." She lifted up her baby, who started to whine and cry softly again. "This is my daughter. Her name is Regina. She's only six months old…."
Rosella stopped for a moment as her mouth quivered and tears began to fall from her clouded eyes. She let out a trembling gasp as she started weeping and the fear of what was going to happen buried itself in her heart.
"She will not survive without me…!" she sobbed as she bent her head down and rested it against Regina's forehead, crying and shaking.
Cautiously, Red Eye inched closer to the woman, finding himself oddly curious about her sorrow and wondering what it was that was keeping him there instead of leaving.
After a moment of crying, Rosella stopped and brushed the tears from her cheeks, her breathing slowly degenerating. Her head lifted up again and faced Red Eye's general direction.
"I can't let her die," she said. "She's still so young…!"
The little baby girl let out a quiet whine and Red Eye couldn't help but look down at the squirming bundle in the woman's arms as he heard it.
Then Rosella pleaded with him, not even knowing who or what it was she was speaking to, "Please…take my daughter…!" She held the baby out to him.
Startled, Red Eye stepped back. Him taking a human baby? There was no way he would do that! He couldn't! He didn't want to, and even if he did, there was no way he would be able to keep the child. The other Skitters would want to get their hands on her.
When capturing human children, no matter how old they were, the Skitters would place the same harnesses they wore on their own backs on the children, enslaving them and making them work for the Skitters. If the baby was discovered, the other Skitters would take her and either kill her or harness her. Red Eye knew how painful that was and decided it would be better to leave the child and let her die instead of being put through that ordeal.
Rosella heard him move away and she grew more afraid. "Please!" she cried loudly and desperately. "Please, take her…! She's just a baby! She'll be alone when I die…and the aliens might find her!" Her violent sobbing resumed and her voice became hoarse. "If they…if they find her…they'll k—kill her! My Regina…they'll kill her…! Don't let an innocent child die…not like that. Please…please, I'm begging you, whoever you are…take my daughter and keep her safe."
Red Eye felt conflicted. He now wanted to take the child, but if he did, what was he going to do with her? He couldn't just walk back to the patrol holding a human child. It would raise suspicion amongst the others and they would surely kill her or harness her. He would have to keep her hidden, but where would he hide her?
So many of those kinds of questions ran through his mind. However, when he glanced back down at Rosella, who was grief-stricken and had tear trails along her dirty face, he felt pity for her. It was clear that she was dying and her last wish was for someone; him to take her baby daughter and take care of her.
Perhaps he was crazy or perhaps he wasn't, but, either way, Red Eye finally decided he would take the child.
Carefully, he reached out and picked up the small bundle from Rosella's arms, making a slight noise of comfort; the only thing he could do to communicate with her.
As he picked her up, Regina started to cry and squirm and suddenly Red Eye had no idea of what to do. Just as he began to panic, Rosella reached up and laid a hand on her baby's stomach. Her fingers stretched out and the baby grasped her forefinger firmly with her tiny hand and her crying only lessened a little.
"Shh, hush, little Regina," she whispered. "You will be all right." She leaned forward and gently kissed the tiny hand wrapped around her forefinger. Her head lowered and she then said in a choked voice, "Goodbye, my darling girl."
Then, unexpectedly to Red Eye, Rosella closed her eyes and, even though her voice was shaky and weak, began to sing a lovely lullaby to help calm the child:
I remember tears streaming down your face,
when I said, "I'll never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your light,
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone."
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight.
Just close your eyes,
the sun is going down
You'll be alright,
no one can hurt you now.
Come, morning light,
you will now be safe and sound.
Don't you dare look out your window, darling,
everything's on fire.
The war outside our door keeps raging on.
Hold on to this lullaby,
even when music's gone.
Gone….
Just close your eyes,
the sun is going down.
You'll be alright,
no one can hurt you now.
Come, morning light,
you will now be safe and sound.
Just close your eyes,
you'll be alright.
Come, morning light,
you will now be safe and sound...
The mother's voice drifted on the last word and, with a couple short breaths, her eyes closed again and her head started to fall slowly down against the rock wall. The grip she had on her daughter's small hand weakened and her hand inched down the infant's body until it finally dropped back down the ground. Her entire body went limp and unmoving and she made no sound.
Red Eye realized what had happened and he let out a sad moan.
Rosella was dead.
Before he could really do anything else, he suddenly heard the heavy footsteps of a Mech approaching in the distance. He had to get away and fast. He clutched Regina close to his chest and, using his long legs, jumped high into the air and flew into a small group of trees to hide himself. He backed against a tree and peered around the corner to make sure the Mech hadn't spotted them. Sure enough, the giant robot with its large headlight kept walking and gave no indication that it had seen them.
Just then, Regina started to whine again and Red Eye could feel her small form shivering against his chest. He kept a firm hold on the child as he wrapped her blanket even more tightly around her to keep her warm. After that, she stopped moaning and seemed to snuggle up a little in her blanket.
Now that the Mech was gone, Red Eye decided he needed to get back to the patrol ship. He figured the baby was probably hungry and he remembered that he and the other Skitters had collected any human food they were able to find that wasn't destroyed over the last couple of days. Maybe they had something he could give to her. With that, he and the baby took a longer way back around to the ship to avoid coming across other members of the patrol that were still scouting out and about.
Luckily the ship was empty when Red Eye got there and immediately he went back into the cargo bay. He looked around and found a bottle of honey water, which he remembered hearing was a just as good alternative to milk for young children, if milk was unavailable. Which, in this case, it definitely was!
Relieved to have found something, Red Eye opened the bottle and sat himself down on the floor against a wall and looked down at the baby in his arms.
Her eyes opened and he found himself unable to look away from the tiny round face staring back at him.
Regina's eyes were violet, which was a rare color for human eyes, and they were looking up at him not with confusion or fear like most babies looking at someone for the first time, but with serenity, calmness and contentment. There was a flicker of light shining in her eyes, as well. There was even a small hint of a smile creeping up on her little pale face.
Suddenly, something then awoke deep inside Red Eye as he gazed down at the child. He wondered if it was, perhaps, sentiment or possibly compassion. Whatever it was he was feeling, it was something he had never experienced before…and he found he didn't mind it at all.
Carefully, he placed the tip of the bottle against Regina's lips. Her mouth opened and closed around it and she started to suck and drink the liquid from the bottle, letting out tiny hungry moans as she continued to drink.
Red Eye held her close and started to speak to her in the Skitter language. He said quietly, "I know you can't understand me…but your mother is gone and I'm going to look after you now. Perhaps as you grow, I'll teach you my language and then you will be able to understand me. But I promise you, little one…I will take good care of you, just as your mother asked. It's not going to be easy for either of us now. These are dark times we live in…but I see something; a flicker of light in your violet eyes…and I believe that means something."
The Skitter tilted his head down and pressed it lightly against the human baby's forehead and said, "I think you can be a light shining amongst darkness…little Regina."
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