Chapter 14: Questions

It has been another two days since I had the fight between Nebraska and so far, it was getting boring with the exception of hunting, eating and talking with Lar'ja and Rory. Everything else was just . . . dull.

The good news is that McKenna finally got the parts to fix the trailer when they scouted the town and noticed that there were no more soldiers running around. According to them, the town became silent and the people returned to their daily routines. As much as I wanted to get out and explore it, I knew it was best not to since no one knew if we were being watched.

Come to think of it, the feeling that I had a while ago didn't fade from me. I was becoming edgy all the time. Even the slightest rustle of leaves would make me jump. Eventually, Lar'ja noticed my subtle changes and decided to ask me about it.

"Hey, Anya. What's wrong?"

My attention turned to him as I was cooking meat from my recent hunt while basking in the warmth from the fire that lit the cave.

"What do you mean?"

"You seemed distracted all the time now. You keep jumping like something is going to attack us."

I sighed heavily, turning my head to attend to the meat.

"I don't know. I get this feeling that something is out there. Watching us . . . Waiting . . ."

Lar'ja began clicking again and I swear that not knowing what he was saying . . . it drove me crazy. Finally, I decided to ask him about it.

"Lar'ja. Why do you keep making that clicking noise and such?"

He adjusted his head so that it looked like he was baffled at to why I asked him such a thing.

"It's my native tongue. It's how I talk to others of my own kind who don't speak the ooman language."

"Oh! So like another dialect?"

"Yes."

I pucker my lips together and nodded my head at the same time, making sure he knew that I understood but then I wanted to ask him another question that I was sort of afraid to ask since I didn't know what his reaction would be.

"Could you . . . teach me . . . how to speak your . . . language?"

"No."

I was shocked at how fast he answered it like he knew what I was going to say. But I still wanted to know the reason behind why he didn't want to tech me.

"Why not?"

He grunted before he turned his whole body to face me, crossing his feet in a sitting position on the ground.

"It would be too difficult to teach you. Plus, in order to talk like me, you would have to surgically alter your vocal cords to do so and that is impossible."

"Really?"

"Really."

I tilted my head down in disappointment but then I remembered that he didn't explain how he could speak English and even understand it for that matter. Then, a whole bunch of questions kept popping in my head that I wondered why I didn't ask before.

Why is he here? What is the mission he was talking about earlier? Also, why did he wanted his armor so badly? It couldn't just be because it was his. Rory said before that the piece that came out of his wrist gauntlet is what he wanted. I need to know!

When those thoughts ran through me, the anger grew inside me suddenly but I couldn't explain to myself why I was feeling like this.

"Lar'ja."

"What?"

I asked bluntly. "Why are you here?"

I could see the surprise in Lar'ja's eyes when he heard my voice asking his such a question. I saw him clamping his mandibles tightly. His whole body tensed as his hands gripped tightly into huge fists. I wasn't sure if he was upset or uncertain but my own emotions took over, blocking any sense of restraint I had before.

"Why are you even on Earth? You don't even like it here so why bother?"

"It's none of your concern."

"I heard that before!"

I stood up on my feet, towering over him just a little bit. Even at my full height, Lar'ja just looks like he was just on his knees instead of his ass.

"You said you had a mission to do. Something that concerns Earth and the Bad Blood that has been following us. Hell, it might even concern Stargazer for heaven's sake! What are you hiding from me?"

"It's nothing."

His answers were only making me angrier and were threatening to explode but at this point, I didn't care.

"Why not!? After everything that we've seen, you can't just not tell me! I didn't ask because it was personal to you but now . . . I need to know! So tell me!"

"I told you it doesn't concern you!"

His massive roar flowed throughout my whole body as he stood up to tower over me, leering down into my eyes. It was extremely powerful but in some unknown way, the tone of his roar had very little anger in it. In fact, I could only describe it as being out of perturbation. Whatever it was, it completely destroyed the anger inside me.

It became awkwardly silent between us. Lar'ja twisted around so his back was turned towards me and I stood there, looking like an idiot. The way that I saw him, I didn't want to push the matter further but I hoped that I could ask one more question.

"Will you ever tell me?"

I was unsure if he would answer after I yelled at him earlier and when he didn't answer immediately, I frowned and began to turn when I felt two hands wrap around me, holding me in a tight embrace. My body went numb but I could feel the heat burning in my cheeks and my heart beating wildly. I didn't move nor asked why he's doing this. I figured that I was too stunned to move but then I heard his voice. It was so gentle that I didn't think he was capable of creating such a voice but it was there nonetheless.

"Someday . . ."

It was all he had to say and we both stayed in our positions for a few moments. During that time, I couldn't help but inhale deeply and when I did, I smelled his scent and it reminded me of rain in the spring. Sweet and tranquil . . .

I would have stayed in his arms for a little longer until I heard tiny footsteps near the cave's entrance and I quickly pulled his arms away, which he didn't put up much resistance and let them fall to his sides. I gathered my composure as best as I can, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart as Rory comes in with a smile on his face.

"Hi, Anya. Hi, Lar'ja. How's everything?"

"Good. Everything is fine."

I answered as fast as I could, trying to hide what happened between me and Lar'ja. I knew Rory can easily catch on since he's quite observant but to my luck, he didn't seem to notice my deep breathing or my blushed cheeks as he walks towards me.

"Wanted to let you know that the trailer has been fixed so we can get a move on soon."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning. All of us were tired so we decided to stay for one more night since it's already sunset anyway. Going to have a big dinner tonight to celebrate!"

With Rory being so cheerful, I smiled at him. It was quite comforting that he could have such an effect on me without even knowing it. I chuckled at his happy demeanor, patting his head a couple of times before retracting my hand from him.

"That's great Rory. Why don't you prepare dinner then? I have a feeling that Baxley or Coyle is going to burn the meat before we get a chance to eat it."

"Alright! See you at dinner!"

As quick as he was in the cave, Rory darted out as his life depended on it. I chuckled again at how he was running cheerfully like he was celebrating his birthday. It was only when I heard rustling behind me did I turn to see Lar'ja putting his armor back on.

"What are you doing?"

He responded while he placed both his wrist gauntlets on each of his forearms.

"I need to be going then. If you're going to move in the morning, I have to take off to finish my mission."

"A mission that you won't tell me about."

Lar'ja stopped in his tracks before he could place his mask on. His dreadlocks swung around when he whipped his head towards me. I could see one of his mandibles twitching just a little bit but I looked down to the ground before his eyes caught sight of mine. It was disappointing but I couldn't help it. It wasn't fair.

"It's important but dangerous as well. I can't risk telling you about it."

I decided to look into his eyes and my breath was caught in my throat for a moment. His gold eyes still glimmer with light despite being dark outside. I stared into them to see if he was lying but there was nothing but genuine concern.

Then, a thought came into my mind. If I can't make him stay then at least we can do something before he takes off.

"Why don't we get some fresh air? At least some time to enjoy the night before you leave."

He hesitated for a moment, which made me think that he would decline. But then he hooked his mask on the side of his belt before walking up to me.

"Alright but only for a few minutes. I can't stay for long."

I smiled at him, glad that he decided to accept my invitation. I took the lead out of the cave with Lar'ja following close behind. When we reached towards the camp, most of the guys were chatting away, telling stories of their time as a soldier in a foreign country. Nebraska caught a glimpse in my direction and my eyes met his, showing no emotions. However, I didn't have to look into his eyes to know that he was angry. His body shook a little but I just smirked at his.

Guess he's still bitter about our fight. Oh well . . . At least he's not bothering me anymore.

My attention was soon diverted when Rory leaves McKenna's side and comes skipping towards us as any happy child would.

"Just in time! We just finished cooking the meat and we're ready to eat."

Normally, I would go to eat some food with Rory and McKenna at least but I could sense that Lar'ja was becoming patient with them. He was still uncomfortable with McKenna and the rest of the gang so I spared him from having to sit with everyone.

"That's fine but Lar'ja and I are just going to take a stroll out in the forest. Get some fresh air and stuff but don't worry. We'll be back for dinner later."

Rory began to pout but before he could protest, I beat him to the punch.

"I promise."

I just gave him a simple smile and his pouting face was replaced with a smile of his own. I pet his head, messing up his hair before walking past him. Lar'ja moved passed Rory but I turned to see Lar'ja stop midway and repeated the same action I did on Rory. Another smile crept on my face as Rory did a small chuckle at Lar'ja, which earned a snort from him and I chuckled as well. I was just glad that Lar'ja has warmed up to Rory at least.

I nodded to McKenna and he nodded back. Behind him, I could see Brackett tinkering with the lab equipment that she carried with her from the beginning. I still didn't trust her but she hasn't made any trouble since the night I slapped her. She no longer acknowledges me but I was alright with it. It's better than having to fight all the time.

Within a few moments, we were both walking into the forest, passing trees that covered the night sky with their massive branches and leaves.

We just kept walking in silence, not speaking a word to each other and only hearing the rustling of our feet dragging across the dirt. I didn't know what to say that I haven't already said to him. I believed that he would give me the same answers so I didn't bother with it. I didn't dare to look at him but I could sense his eyes were upon me and I had a hard time resisting the urge to look back at him.

Finally, we stumbled upon a clearing with a huge rock in the center of it. It was a nice spot, giving a great view of the starry sky that stretched above us. Without a word, I walked towards the rock and sat down on one side, looking up at the stars. They were beautiful and they made feel me feel so at ease.

I twisted my head to see Lar'ja frozen in his spot. I noticed that his eyes were focused on me but I couldn't make out the emotion that they were giving off. He wasn't shocked or surprised but something else. What is going on inside his head?

I showed no emotion as I motioned him to come and sit next to me, patting an empty spot on the rock next to me and he did so without hesitation. Once he was beside me, I looked up into the sky, admiring the small specks of light within the darkness.

"The stars are beautiful tonight."

"Yes . . . they are."

More silence passed between us and I didn't think much of it. I was too focused on the stars that I was beginning to forget where I was and who was with me. To my surprise, Lar'ja speaks out to me.

"You really like them. Don't you?"

I came back to reality as I turned my head to face him. "Like what?"

"The stars."

I chuckled as I looked back at the sky. "Yes, I do. Ever since I was a child."

Lar'ja just watched me as I continued.

"I always wanted to reach for them. There were times that I believed I could touch them with my bare hands. I would stretch out my tiny hands and pretend that I caught one. They were my favorite memories."

"You know . . . there are many planets out there that are unique in their own ways. Thousands of them that stretch to the farthest edge of the universe."

I whipped my head around to face him. My eyes lit up like a child seeing fireworks for the first time and my chest filled with such excitement. I was always fascinated with what was beyond this world and here I was, sitting with an alien that could tell me everything I wanted to know.

"Really?"

He nodded but didn't turn to look at me.

"Yes. There are some that are hot as deserts while others were cold as the universe itself."

I smiled and looked up towards the sky once more but then Lar'ja kept continuing to talk and what he said took my by surprise completely.

"However, there are planets that are beautiful and worth protecting and the most beautiful one I've seen in all my life is the one we are standing on right now."

He looked into my eyes and I was mesmerized by them. The glow from them shined like the sun at its highest peak. I just watched him, looking like an idiot with my mouth open like a fish out of water. I never would have thought he would say something like that.

"I thought you hated this planet."

"Don't be mistaken. I still do but I can't help to admit that there is a part of it that makes it appealing."

"Oh. And what is the part that makes it so?"

"You."

Right then and there, my whole world came crashing down and my mind scrambled to make sense of his words. Me? Why me? Why would he think such a thing?

I struggled to speak my words but all I could do was make a stutter. I kept going back and forth, trying and failing to speak to him. At the same time, I was amazed at how patient Lar'ja was, waiting for my response, which he would usually get frustrated. It took all of my inner strength to utter the words that I wanted to say.

"You can't mean that. I'm just some silly ooman to you. I'm nothing . . ."

I dropped my head between my legs, unable to look him in the eye.

I don't deserve his words. He doesn't know anything about me and vise versa. We've barely understood each other and he's saying things as he knew me for a long time. No!

Then, a gentle hand grasped at my chin and lifted my head up so our faces were facing each other. The texture of his hand was scaly and rough on some parts but there was a gentleness there that made him feel smooth like marble. Then, I began to notice that my breathing was becoming rough and my chest was pounding so hard that I swore my heart would burst out of me. Then, he began to purr but this one was louder than the other ones and had a sound to it that was full of longing.

"You're more than nothing. You saved me more times that anyone else had in my life. No matter what happens, you always want to protect everyone around you. You're strong."

"I'm not strong!"

I ripped my chin from his hand and stood up quickly from my spot. I paced back and forth in front of him, yelling out as he just watched me.

"You don't know me! I'm just an object that people use to gain something for themselves! My past was brutal. I was treated like dirt and tortured for something they wanted that I didn't have. I had no one and no one cared for me! No one!"

I stopped my pacing and leered at Lar'ja who was still as a statue, only twitching his mandibles once in awhile while I berated like a baboon. My whole body was shaking and my breathing became erratic. All of a sudden, my head began to ache with pain that was stronger than anything I had felt before and I gripped it so hard that I could feel my nails digging into it. I groaned loudly and memories of my past started to flood in me.

[FLASHBACK]

"You're nothing! You're just a lab rat with a purpose to give us what we need so let's have it!"

I whimpered like an injured dog, gripping the hard, cold floor while trying to crawl for the doors. My back burned from the 'latest' session with the whip and my body was losing the energy to move. I wanted to run from this place or even someone to take me away from here.

Then, the doors opened to reveal an older woman looking down at me with horror. I recognized her immediately. It was my mother.

"What have you done to her?!"

"Please, Dr. Jones. We are in the middle of an experiment."

A couple of scientists rounded up around her so as to block her from reaching me. My vision was becoming cloudy as I could see her fighting her way through.

"This is wrong! You're going to kill her! Stop it!"

"It is not up to you to decide what we do to her. Go back to your duties and let us handle it."

"Handle it?! You call whipping her to death handling it?! Let me see her!"

My mother tried with all her might to break free of the other scientists but it was to no avail. She was out numbered and they all begun to push her out of the room with her screaming.

"Get her out of here. Director Traeger will deal with her later."

My strength was fading fast and everything went dark. All I could hear was my mother calling out my name.

"Anya! Anya! Anya . . ."

"ANYA!"

My eyes shot wide open and I saw that I was lying on my back, covered in sweat. Strangely, I felt I was being lifted slightly off the ground by a strong pair of arms and I looked up to see Lar'ja, looking stunned as his eyes were full of fear. I was breathing very harshly and it felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs. I was dazed and confused at what occurred to me.

"Are you alright!?"

I took several huge breaths before I nodded slowly.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. You just started complaining about a headache and then you screamed. I thought you were in pain and then you suddenly dropped to the ground. I had to catch you before you fell. I tried to wake you and you didn't respond. I was worried!"

I just stood still in his arms, unable to move any of my limbs while my hands trembled uncontrollably. The only thing I could remember was my memories flashing before me but there was one fact that I knew. The flashbacks were coming more frequently and the pain was becoming stronger. In a weird way, it was like my memories are trying to break through the surface of my being, which I thought I was keeping them in check after all these years. Until now . . .

However, it dawned on me that Lar'ja's arms were shaking as well. They trembled just as badly as my hands and I didn't know if he was also in pain or was really worried about me.

With the little energy I had, I release myself from his arms and crawled to my knees, using Lar'ja as support to get me back on my feet. I stood there for what seemed like hours, holding onto Lar'ja as I breathed deeply in and out until I could feel my heart slowing down and my breathing returning to normal.

"Can you stand?"

It took me a minute but I nodded to him and slowly released my grip on him, using my hands to steady myself before I got my sense of balance back. I blinked my eyes slowly and my vision returned from slightly blurry to normal.

"I'm okay now Lar'ja. It was just a painful headache."

"You sure?"

He didn't sound convinced but I assured him that I was alright but I was ready to tell him of what I've just seen. I was having a hard time believing it myself. I made an attempt to brush off the incident.

"I'm sure. We need to get back to the others. They are probably wondering why we haven't come for dinner."

I stumbled for a moment until I regained my footing. My body was still recovering but I didn't want to worry Lar'ja too much. After a few steps, I could feel my body returning to normal and I turned to smile at Lar'ja who was still wearing a look of worry on his face.

"See? I'm alright now. Let's go."

I was hoping that I convinced him that everything was alright and when he began to move towards me, I chuckled but then a sound of rustling echoed in front of me and I looked to see that it was coming from the bushes in front of me.

As quick as ever, Lar'ja moved in front of me while using his body as a shield to protect me. He pulled out his wrist blades in preparations to what was coming. I just stood behind him, trying to look and see what it was.

"What is it, Lar'ja?"

"I don't know but stay behind me."

I didn't argue with him since I haven't fully recovered and he began to emit a menacing growl, ready for anything.

The rustling grew louder and louder until the leaves of the bush were pulled apart and revealed the creature that was lurking inside. When I gazed at it, I gasped as I remembered who it was.

It was the alien dog from before. It just walked towards us, showing no aggression but rather curiosity. I could see the bullet wound on the side of its head where Nebraska shot it during our confrontation with it. However, Lar'ja was still growling at his and was about to raise his wrist blades at it until I pushed in front of him.

"Don't hurt it! I don't think it's come to hunt us."

"You don't know that. It belongs to the Bad Blood and shouldn't be trusted."

He tried to push me aside but I stood my ground, convinced otherwise that it wasn't bad.

"It's okay, Lar'ja. He didn't want to hurt us before. Nebraska did something to him and now, it just wants to be with us. Please."

Although he put his wrist blades back into the gauntlet, he was still growling at it but I ignored it as I turned to the alien dog. I crouched low so that he knew I wasn't a threat and reached my hand out to it.

"It's okay, boy. I won't hurt you."

The alien dog whimpered a little before coming closer. It was a slow process but I was patient and eventually, he was only inches from my hand. He sniffed a little and looked into my eyes. I didn't sense anything that was bad, only curiosity.

It took forever but at last, he placed his head under my hand and purred when we made contact with each other. I smiled and gave a reassuring gesture to Lar'ja and that stopped his growling altogether. Next thing I knew, the dog was licking my face and covering me with saliva.

"Okay, boy. Calm down. You're going to get me soaked."

Eventually, he stopped and barked a little at me, wagging its little stub of a tail. It was a reassuring gesture.

"See? He's friendly. I told you he just wanted to see us."

Lar'ja grunted while crossing his hands over his chest. He was still wary of the alien dog before us.

"We will see. For now, he's alright but let's keep an eye on him for the time being."

I didn't argue with him as I raised myself back on my feet, still smiling at Lar'ja and then he let out a huge purr like before. I didn't know why he was doing that but I hope one day that he will explain it to me.

But then, the dog began to growl and I was worried that Lar'ja might kill him for doing so. However, I saw that the alien dog was facing towards the forest while hunching down the ground and baring his teeth in a furious manner.

"What is it, boy?"

"Something is wrong."

I turned around to see that Lar'ja had placed his mask on his face, looking in the same direction as the dog. I saw that he was tensing up and I knew that something was wrong indeed.

"What's happeni—"

Before I could finish, a blood-curdling scream rang out through the forest but it sounded familiar. It wasn't from an animal but rather a person. My body froze in fear when I realized who's scream it was.

"Rory! It's Rory! We have to go now!"

Lar'ja nodded to me and we were off as the dog followed behind us through the forest. I pushed my legs as fast as they could go, surprisingly keeping up with Lar'ja's pace. As we rushed to get back to the camp, I was scared at what I would find as another scream echoed throughout the forest, sending chills down my spine.

I hoped that we weren't too late.

Hi Readers!

This chapter has become my favorite one so far and I couldn't help the way Lar'ja was praising her and being gentle. There might be something more going on than mere friendship and perhaps even more. However, there are bigger problems coming their way.

Looks like trouble has come for Anya and the rest of the group but what is in store for them?

Will Anya let everyone know of her horrible past? With her memories threatening to destroy her from the inside, will she be forced to tell or something terrible will happen to her that may give more questions than answers?

Stay tuned for the next chapter and hope everyone is enjoying the story!

Happy Holidays! :)))