Chapter 2

I continued to cry as I let my memory drag over that night and our first year of hiding. James wouldn't be up for a couple of hours and I couldn't sleep in this state might as well think about what happened and what I could have done differently.

We were half way to Oxford before I could bring myself to speak to him, the only lights were those from the dashboard of the ford focus which illuminated our faces and those from the cars whizzing past us.

'What's going on and don't give me that I'm protecting you crap' my voice still sounded shaky.

'Okay, here is the truth we have been invaded by something it has taken control of human bodies and they are on the hunt to turn everyone into things like them.' His voice was bleak. I froze I knew things were different but that different?

'No way your nuts you are all nuts! Aliens' is that what you're saying? Get real!'

'It is real, Dad and mum figured it out mum is a doctor she saw people come into the hospital and come out totally different I mean in how they acted they started talking about other worlds as if they were holidays. I'm not lying Saffy they have taken control we have to get away before we are turned into them next, dad has a theory that our bodies are like hosts that they just use our bodies to live like parasites' disgust was very evident in his voice then sadness came as he spoke next. 'You know Hannah? I loved her she went away over the summer and came back different she talked about all these things she had seen! I thought she was messing with me but then she started asking questions about mum and dad and you. The Hannah I knew is gone something has taken her place and hell I am going to stop that happening to you!' he was nearly shouting now as tears rolled silently down his face.

He and Hannah had been together for three years, school sweethearts they were planning to go to university together after 6th form and travel the world in a gap year. They had it all planned I swore they were going to get married someday I knew how he felt about her he didn't need to spell it out loud that he loved her. If something had happened to make James believe this only Hannah would make him, he wouldn't trust any of us in that way, she had obviously convinced him that what dad was saying was true. After I thought about it the idea seemed less crazy I mean spaceships instead of planes? I just saw them as planes still just a different shape and faster, also how teachers talked at school was different...

'Tegan! I have to warn her! James give me the phone' my outburst was sudden even I hadn't realised I was thinking out loud.

'No we only need to make one call and that is when we get to Heathrow' He was back in lead mode now the phone gently sticking out of his jeans pocket on the other side from me there was no way I could reach it. I sighed and curled up into the car seat thinking about the future and how much my life had changed in only a matter of hours.

When we reached Oxford, James parked as far away as he could in the shadows I didn't know what the time was but it must be sometime between 11 and 12. Put this on, he chucked a black jumper my way I stared back questionably.

'That hoodie you're wearing is too recognisable it shouts your name out, if you wear that no one is likely to remember you were even here pull the hood up and hide your hair, when we get to London we can get hair dye to help disguise ourselves.' He had obviously put thought into this plan no matter how I wouldn't come to terms with what was happening. He wore only a blank white T shirt which contrasted with his brown tanned skin, we were lucky our parents took us on a holiday abroad at least once a year we had gained olive complexions since we first went to Spain but we never lost the tan once we got back. His brown hair was short and in disarray pointing in all directions it needed a cut as did mine, my hair was a darker brown than his that went just below my shoulders, and I had a sweeping fringe to the side that sometimes got in the way of my deep blue eyes. We both had inherited that from our dad our shocking blue eye colour, it was how I had got my name Sapphire. With a pang on my heart for a split second he looked identical to dad in his expression and the way he held himself.

We entered the service station our heads down mumbling to one another making our way to MacDonald's there wasn't much of a queue at this time of night just one person in front of us, as we got closer we heard the conversation between the girl behind the counter and the customer.

'...totally, not long now I hear they should have control by Monday then we can all start to relax.' The customer said he was tallish with greying hair around 65 I reckoned.

'I hope so River Sun then we can relax a bit more here is you cheese burger enjoy' The girl smiled and handed the meal over, her name badge read Katie. When I heard her say 'River Sun' I felt cold that was what changed names too I asked James about it before as we approached the service station he thought it was the names of the 'things' that overtook your body. I shivered in response I wanted to run, run out of the doors run all the way home to my mum's arms and tell her it would be okay that it was a nightmare that we were on the run for our lives.

James whispered to be quite and to follow his lead and smile, I did so.

'Good evening please may I have 2 big Macs 2 cokes and 2 portions of fries please.' He had rehearsed these words I watched him mumbling in the car this must have been why.

'Certainly sir, coming right up.' She smiled pleasantly and went round the back to fetch our food. She came back holding a large brown bag and handed it to James he took it quickly then reached around for his wallet.

'Oh don't worry about that it is no longer in use now have a good evening.' She smiled again it was too sweet and innocent why did we no longer have to pay? Wasn't money being used anymore? James was just as shocked as me but he re-gained composure quicker than I did and grabbed the back of my hood and pulled me along with him out of the service station and back to the car. Again the cold wind whacked me in my face pulling down my hood letting my hair get tangled in the wind, I stuck close to James when we entered the shadows I couldn't read his expression all I could tell is he didn't want to hang round for much longer. I felt like I had been holding my breath the whole time and breathed out in a sigh of relief when we got back into the car, no one had spotted us. I added mentally that that wasn't true exactly; no one had spotted us yet. There was still plenty of time to be caught with a sense of pure fear I shuddered into the back of the seat I hadn't realised James was looking at me.

'You alright?'

'Yeah I just want Mum and Dad'

'Shouldn't be long now, about an hour or two then we can ring them.' His voice got harder at the end I had a feeling he wasn't looking forward to making that call as much as I was, I shrugged it off and curled up again in the seat letting my eyes slowly close against the cool window of the car relax me. This was normal to be sleeping in a car on a journey, something I had done so many times I had lost count but this time I fell asleep because of exhaustion of being constantly on the edge or fear that we were going to get caught and changed. Even in unconsciousness the feeling of worry and stress did not totally leave me.

I was awoken by James I opened my eyes groggily.

'Saffy wake up we are here, come on!' His voice sounded impatient much like it had when I used to spend too long in the bathroom. It flooded back the memories of the previous night I groaned as I realised I hadn't been dreaming that I was still in a nightmare. My nightmare.

'I'm up I'm up!' I spoke a little louder so he got my message. 'Have you rung them yet?'

'No, I was just about to; I thought you should be up when I did...' His voice was hesitant like he didn't know if he should have woken me up. I looked around we were in a HUGE car park we must have been at Heathrow lost in the maze of cars no one would spot us here all the lights were off the only ones I could see were orange lights coming out of the terminals of the main building pulsing like reminders that we were not alone how little did I need reminding that we were not alone. I turned away from them and back to James he had the mobile in his hand he was taking deep breaths; he dialled quickly and raised it to his ear.

'Hi how are you?' He spoke in a rush his eyes focused on mine. Then his body went ridged the phone fell from his hand and onto the seat.

'James! What is it??' I could hear a female voice coming out of the phone she sounded frantic I picked up the phone and held it to my ear James was still frozen it what could only be described as shock.

'James are you okay honey? Come home please dad and I are soo worried...'

That was all I heard when James leaped back into action and struck the phone from my hand making it fly to the back seats he scrambled around till he found it cursing loudly then he stepped outside as I sobbed and clutched my hand that was starting to throb from the where he hit me. He stomped on the phone several times crushing it into pieces against the concrete, till it was no longer recognisable as a phone he then threw the pieces in different directions he was breathing really heavily, from what I could make out of his figure he leaned forward gasping hands on his knees then he fell onto his knees and put his face in his hands. All the calm façade was gone he let it all out sobs of pain bowing his head to the floor, I didn't know what to do it was a few minutes before I decided to go and comfort him I opened the door of the car and walked slowly round the back not sure how to approach him anymore.

I rested my hand on his shoulder he took my hand and stood up to face me, he looked deep into my eyes I knew what he was seeing complete confusion. His eyes where full of pain and his face was streaked with tears he soon made everything clear in one sentence.

'Mum and dad have become them they are gone Saffy'

I didn't know until that night how one sentence ruined your life, my world my hopes turned to dust gone just like my parents.

The sun was just rising as James stirred; I wiped my eyes clean coming back to the present and our current situation since that night James and I had been on the run moving round the country hiding grabbing food when we could, stealing and lying to survive to stay human. We had learnt a lot about our enemies and how they acted which enabled us to be able to pretend to be them, it is now September and it is getting colder. We managed to get some winter clothes a few raids ago but now our supplies are wearing thin I groan internally at the prospect of having to leave our safe place to get more as we had nowhere near enough to last us through the next few days let alone weeks!

'James' I hissed.

'Mmm... What??' He sounded half asleep his hair was a long mess now that swept across his face.

'Come on we should go, we need more food and more clothes and I'm starving come on lazy bones get up your the adult here.' I playfully punched his arm.

'Thanks for reminding me' he grunted as he crawled out of his sleeping bag. They had been a lucky find we were going through a campsite so we helped ourselves there was no one in sight but I wished I could have seen the worm's faces when they got back! It was still dark in the mine, we were in Cornwall it was always full of tourists who left stuff out for us to take it was becoming too easy to get our hands on what we needed the only challenge was to do so un noticed. I laughed as I turned on the torch beside me and blasted it in his face and laughed I really had missed seeing his bed hair and how he squinted away from the bright light if I had a camera I wish I had taken a picture, it was sticking up like a Mohawk.

'What?' he asked.

'Ha-ha..Y..Your hair! If only I had a camera it is a picture James!' I struggled to get it out between chuckles.

'Are you trying to insult me little sis? It isn't wise to irritate your older, stronger handsome brother.' He laughed back at me and lunged getting my head in a headlock and using his fist to mess up my hair now, despite this I was still giggling he always made me laugh. That's when we were blinded by something a powerful torch light coming from the tunnel entrance we froze as a voice reached us

'Sorry, are we interrupting something?'

Dun dun da! Okay I hope you liked that I just had to leave it on a cliff hanger any guesses on who it is?? Thank you so much to Starlight5577 who was my first reviewer! Please anyone who reads this REVIEW it would make my day thank you xx