Alien Isolation
Out in space it was cold… very cold. Out in space there was no air… and no sound. If something happened, it would not be heard, but it might be seen. Light and dark existed out in space and as for life, life only survived in the harsh, alien environment in the manner akin to the knights of old. Since the elements and atmosphere of the expanse of the universe were so unfriendly, fragile beings, like humans, traveled in suits of protective design and craft of similar intent to permit continued existence. And yet the question always remained: What if there was life that existed on other worlds and, if so, what would it look like? Questions and human curiosity combined always seem to yield answers, and yet there also seem to be questions that should not be asked because the answers are more terrible than the imagination could begin to describe.
One woman had been very young when something had happened in her life. Ever since the occurrence of that moment, she had spent every second available to herself searching and asking questions, pursuing a quest for truth. Some had ideas but no answers; most had none to give. Others kept silent and spoke not a word, as if there was something that they could not reveal for fear of whatever it was that may or may not have been known to them. Thus, it was that all her life she had been searching for the answers. Some things are better left in the dark where they belong. Some things are better left lost.
. . . . . . .
A figure huddled in a locker. A woman. It was dark; very, very dark. A figure that was human in appearance and yet not human walked into the room, its features garishly highlighted by what light was present.
"Are you actually trying to play a game with me?" it asked in a flat voice. It patrolled around the room muttering something before it finally concluded that perhaps this was a false alarm or that there was nothing here to see and left. The woman was almost ready to abandon her hiding place only for a noise to shatter her steeled nerves like glass.
She knew the source of that sound. What it was. She desperately wished she could see it, but she could not. She could only hear its footsteps, its growls, its inhalation, and exhalation. She huddled there praying to whatever gods existed that she would not be found. Thump, thump, thump. Hissss. Growl. The door hummed open and permitted the horrific invader in. She held her breath and prayed that the hammering of her heart did not give her away. It moved slowly about the room. The horrific thing… how could it move so gracefully? It acted as though it knew she was here and was waiting for her to lose her nerve. Was it playing with her? Oh, but to never have come here. Its search came up empty, though it came close to her hiding place. Finally, it left, though it briefly stood in the doorway, as if pondering its next move.
An eternity passed, and then it was gone completely. She gasped and began sucking in air gratefully. CLUNK. It landed right outside the door and raced back into the room. Chunk, chunk, chunk. It had been a trick. Or just a lucky guess? She now huddled down into the locker hoping it did not approach. It turned and its ugly features shone in the light, making it even more terrible. It began to approach, as if sensing the truth, lips peeling back to reveal teeth. All she could wonder was one thing: Is this it? Is this where I finally die?