I sobbed and shook uncontrollably against a tree, hugging my knees and whimpering for several minutes.
Xaez was sitting in front of me, he was watching with his head tilted, he didn't seem to know what to do.
I didn't look at him, I didn't want to see him after what happened to Prone. I covered my blood stained face with my hands and tried to speak, "Wh-... Xaez W-" I choked on the words and cried again.
Xaez crooned softly. I still didn't look up at him.
I cried for a few hours until I finally ran out of tears. Now I was staring at the dirt with Xaez in my peripheral view. The image of Prone's head exploding was still engraved in my mind, I shook my head to try and get it out but it wouldn't go away.
My guns were still holstered and I looked down at them. 'Xaez killed Prone... he killed him... he didn't even seem to hesitate, my friend just killed my other friend. The one who was like my dad...' My hands clenched into fists. 'I should kill him... If he killed Prone then if I find someone else that I like he'll kill them too.'
I whimpered and looked up at Xaez. He looked at me expectantly and hissed. 'He killed him.' I looked back down at my holsters. I unholstered one of the pistols and sat it down on my lap. 'But Xaez is the only one I have left.'
'Just do it and get it over with, you can't trust him anymore.' Xaez was staring now, his mouth was closed and he seemed to be a little tense.
'You have to do it.' I tried to convince myself, lifting the pistol. I stood up and backed up toward the tree. I lifted it up just a bit and brought it back down again, 'You have to.' I held my breath and aimed it at Xaez.
Now Xaez snarled and stood up as well. His teeth were bared and his claws were raised but he didn't attack me. His tail wasn't moving at all, it was lying on the ground.
"You kn- You know I have to." Tears began to run down my face again, "You killed my friend Xaez!" I walked closer to him close enough that I could shoot him in the head and not miss. Xaez screeched lowered his claws, he stared at me and repeatedly hissed.
'Just do it now before he tries something, you know he will.' I held my breath as more tears ran down my face. 'But I can't, he's the only one I have left, he protected me and saved me from the other Xenomorphs, if I kill him I won't have anyone left.'
I whimpered and whispered to myself, "I have too."
Xaez took a few steps forward, he was close enough that he could grab me now. I tensed up and held the pistol more tightly, "Please Xaez, I want this to be easy, you know I have to." 'But he's my friend too'.
Xaez growled lowly and lowered his head a little so that his was level with mine. It seemed that he was just waiting now, waiting for me to take the shot and end it once and for all. But I still had the gun aimed and kept trying to convince myself to do it.
'You know what he did, nothing will bring Prone back, he's irrplaceable and you know it. He killed the last human friend you had and now you're alone with this Alien with you're gun to his head, just pull the trigger and walk away.'
But that other side kept fighting me.
'Xaez is your friend, you kill him you'll be lost and alone. He killed Prone but he protected you and saved you, you know it. You can't kill him now, where else can you go on your own? You'll die without him.'
I put my finger to the trigger and put the tip of the gun against his head, I knew that his blood would hit me but I didn't care anymore, I already had one of my friends blood on me. I sucked in another breath and closed my eyes while flicking off the safety.
The pistol felt heavy in my hand now, but I still held it up. I wasn't shaking anymore, I knew what I had to do. I pressed it up against his head, exactly on the X that I had drawn on him. I could see how stiff he was now, not moving at all. 'I'm sorry.'
Xaez gave out one last soft screech. 'Don't do it.'
Tears streamed down my cheeks, "Why? Why did you do it!?" Xaez hissed and nudged my shoulder with his head. He made that little twitter. I couldn't tell if he was angry or not, I'd expect that he would be but instead he seemed to be trying to cheer me up.
"I don't want to see you..." I whimpered lowering my gun, and turned away from him trying to find the strength to keep standing. It took some effort, but I went to my backpack and started to look through it. The military had taken my food from it which I didn't appreciate at all, I growled to myself and wiped away some tears.
Prone was still in my head, like he was still here and I could just turn around and tell him that we needed to get food. I shook my head, 'Prone's gone, he's not coming back... All I have is Xaez now... My friend killing pet...'
Xaez screeched to try and get my attention. I still didn't look at him, "Xaez, please, shut up... we need more food..." I closed and swung my backpack around my back, holstered my pistol, and started to walk off in the direction that I thought would bring me to a store.
"Let's go Xaez..." I looked at him but only for a few seconds before I turned back to walk.
He stayed silent, just following me. I knew he was, I could hear the soft crunching while he walked on the leaves and twigs.
'At least he listened to me... I have to forgive him. He protected me before and he'll protect me again, I know he will.' I sighed, tears were still running down my face, 'Xaez and I, we'll make it through this, I can learn to trust him again.'
I looked back at him again, his markings were beginning to fade, not so badly that I'd have to remark him, but enough that the little glow wasn't there anymore. 'He'll protect me' I peered down at my watch, 2:39 PM. 'I still have plenty of time to grab what I need before it gets dark.'
"Xaez." I called to him although I knew he wouldn't answer, "Where do you think we should go to sleep when it gets dark? You know the other Xenomorphs so you should know where they won't go."
Xaez made a quiet growl and stepped up beside me. He looked at me and did that little grin of his.
I tried to resist smiling with my tear stained face but I couldn't resist. 'I couldn't of survived without him.'
He ran a bit ahead of me like he used to when he was a 'chestburster'. 'He's just going to lead me to the store like usual' I smiled, "Just run Xaez, I think I need a little jog."
Xaez screeched, now louder and did as told. He sprinted off toward the left and I followed behind him. It felt good to run now, to get my mind off of things. The thoughts still lingered in my mind though, 'Prone and my family are gone, everyone is gone...' I shook my head, 'No, you have Xaez, he is your family, he'll protect you and you'll protect him. You don't need anyone else.'
I looked down at the ground as I ran, I made sure I didn't trip over any roots or face plant into a tree. We ran for about ten minutes before I ran out of breath and stopped to lean against a tree. "Wait, Xaez." I called to him.
Xaez paused and looked back at me. He tilted his head and looked forward.
"I just need a break, I'm tired..." I tried to catch my breath, "See any stores?"
He slowly nodded and dropped to all fours. He stayed low and crept up to the tree line. "What's wrong?" He snarled lowly, then leapt behind a tree and looked over at me.
I stood silently, puzzled. 'What is he doing?' I took a few steps toward him and then knew what he was hiding from. People.
There was a group of them, around four, one looked like he was hurt. He was limping and two others, both guys, were holding him up. They were going toward that store that Xaez had indicated was there.
"What do we do?" I crept up next to him and ducked behind the tree. I looked at him expectantly.
Xaez bared his teeth and growled lowly. Drool was now dripping down his mouth and I knew what he wanted to do. "Xaez, no, you're not killing them."
The people were talking and I perked up to listen. "You think it's safe here?" One of the guys asked.
"Yeah," A girl replied, "Doesn't look like it's been looted yet, and if any of those things cross our path we could just shoot them." I peeked and saw the woman holding a C8A3 Carbine Rifle, the weapon that Prone had.
The hurt man replied, "You sure? We only got two guns, if a pack of them come in like they did before we're screwed."
"If a big pack comes in, we run, no questions asked. We'll just grab some food, stay the night, and leave in the morning."
"Xaez," I whispered, "Should I show myself? I can stay with them and get some food, then leave while they're sleeping."
Xaez hissed softly and seemed to go a bit tense, then growled and nodded.
I nodded back to him and slowly got up. I took a few steps toward the tree line and immediately the people looked my way. 'Probably heard me.' The Woman raised the Carbine to the trees, I heard her suck in a breath.
"Don't shoot." I put my hands in the air and stepped out into the open.
"Oh my God." The woman stared in surprise, she lowered her weapon and took a few steps toward me. "Are you okay?" She said in a calm tone.
"Yeah, I'm okay." I looked at everyone, one of the guys was holding a pistol in his hand, the others didn't have any weapon. "I'm Kat, I've been out here in the woods ever since this all happened, I was at a millitary base but it got overrun..."
"It's okay, you can stay with us," The woman smiled, "My name is Amy, these are Joe, Derek, and Vaxer."
'Oh no.' I looked back at the forest when I heard a silent hiss, "Okay, I-I guess I can stay with you." I looked down at my pistols and back up at Amy, "But only if you promise not to shoot me in the back." I was lying, I knew that if I stayed with them Xaez would get angry, or maybe even try to kill them like he did to Prone.
'Grab food, wait till they fall asleep, and leave in the night... I hope Xaez remembers that.'
"You look like you're armed to the teeth, I wouldn't even think of doing something like that, especially to a kid... How have you survived this long on your own?" She looked at the guys, "We had a bigger group before, about five of us were killed four days ago."
"I had a Marine friend with me... and I have another but he's not here." I tried not to look back at the forest. "Did you get overrun?"
The wounded man, Vaxer, replied, "Yeah, those things got my sister and dad."
"Xenomorphs..." I said offhandedly.
"What?"
"Those things are called Xenomorphs... I've been really close to them before." I tried not to look back at the forest.
"How do you know that they're calle-" Amy went wide-eyed and walked back, she raised her carbine, "Run kid."
"What?" I looked back, Xaez was right behind me, his teeth were bared and he was snarling. "Xaez!" I looked back at Amy, I was in her way, she couldn't shoot at him with me being there.
"Run! That thing will kill you!"
"No! He won't, Xaez is okay, he's my friend, he won't attack." I stared back at him, "Xaez please."
Drool was dripping down his jaw, he snarled again and tried to take a step toward the people. I put myself between them so that he couldn't get them. "Please don't shoot him, he's all I have left!"
Amy and Derek aimed their weapons at Xaez, "What!? Wh- Kat, honey just come over here, ok?" She took a step toward me.
'You can't let her kill your last friend, you'll be alone forever.' I growled and lifted one of my pistols, "No! He won't hurt you if you just listen to me, he's saved me before, please just listen!"
Amy was silent for a moment, just looking at me with anguish in her eye's.
