I hear a sweet humming that sounds like my mother. I've just had the worst nightmare. I dreamed that all of humanity had succumbed to the invasion of a species that took over everyone's minds, but while still inhabiting their bodies. Both my parents and maybe even my brother have fallen to these parasites.
But it was just a dream, thank god. Although I'm awake, I don't open my eyes. I want to savour this moment of pure comfort and relief, a feeling usually taken for granted by most people. The humming stops, and a high-pitched voice says "Nearly home guys!" Then there are cheers from numerous people.
I frown and my eyes shoot open. This isn't my bedroom. I'm in what seems to be a van, on a little make-shift bed surrounded by boxes. I look quickly around me and cry "Oh crap!" when I see that I'm not alone. There are three people in the back of the van with me, and another person, a girl, driving.
A young boy, about the same age as me jumps up. The two other people are sleeping side-by-side and he shakes them abruptly.
"Mel! Jared! She's awake!" he says. He walks towards me and for each step forward he takes, I take another backward, until my back hits off a pile of boxes.
I look around me quickly, cardboard boxes are blocking off the doors at the side of the van and escape is hopeless. "You won't take me alive you filthy parasites!" I shout and swiftly reach into the front pocket of my rucksack and pull out the penknife my father gave me shortly before he was taken.
This all happens in about five seconds, but the boy, along with the other two people, Mel and Jared, apparently, who both jumped up and joined him, grab the knife from my hand just as I am about to raise it to my throat and push me dow, knocking over some of the smaller boxes. I grunt and try to get back up, but the woman, Mel, clasps my arms and says "Calm down! We're not what you think we are!"
She then pulls my face close to hers, looking me dead in the eye, so I can see that she is telling the truth. And she is. I demand to check the others' and get the same result. I sit down in utter shock. "How...how can this be?" I ask. "I thought I was the only one left..."
"You have no idea how wrong you are," the boy smirks. He sits down beside me and gestures for the other two to do the same. The woman does. But the man - Jared, was it?- goes to the front and whispers something in the driver's ear. I look over and see the back of the driver's head of golden hair nodding to whatever the man was saying. I never got to see her eyes, but I could safely bet that she is human too.
I look back at the two people, the two humans sitting with me. They are looking at me with both worry and excitement etched on their faces.
I can't think of anything to say, what CAN I say? I'm far too shocked to even think properly.
The woman finally speaks.
"Well then- hi! I'm Melanie, what's your name?" I blink are her as if she's just asked me what the Theory of Relativity means.
I finally open my mouth. "Da...Dakota. My name's Dakota."
"That's a pretty name, Dakota. This here is my brother, Jamie," she said, gesturing to the boy beside me, who suddenly looked shy. "And those two in the front are Jared and Wanda."
I look over at them again. Jared is now sitting in the passenger seat and they are deep in conversation.
I nod, and then reach into my rucksack for my canteen, and take a long gulp of water. I use the time drinking as a way to think about what I'm going to say next. I take a deep breath. "Em...I'm sorry I don't know what to say..." I leave the sentence hanging in the air, shrugging. Melanie smiles, an understanding expression on her pretty face. "I know what you mean, it's a lot to take in, isn't it?" I nod and attempt a smile, but I just can't. It's too much. I look at the boy, Jamie, I've noticed has been watching me nonstop for the past ten minutes. I catch his eye and he blushes, looking down.
"How?" I ask Melanie.
"How we all survived the invasion for so long?" she says.
"Yes."
"Well, it's a pretty long story. But I'll try my best!" Melanie says, before launching into the story of her past seven years. She told me of her parents and how she lost them; of her years of struggle with Jamie; of her meeting Jared one night; and of her uncle, Jeb's underground caves that house around thirty humans.
"Thirty?" I exclaim.
"More or less," Melanie laughs. She then tells me of two more groups of humans living in different parts of the country, consisting of less people, with around ten in one group, and fifteen in another. This floors me. It makes me feel something I haven't felt in years, something I never thought I could feel again: hope.
Tears spring to my eyes, "So...I'm going with you to your caves?" I ask. "Of course," Melanie says, "We couldn't leave you here out in the open!"
"Are you sure it's safe?" I say. "It's the safest place on earth." Melanie reassures me. And she hands me a tissue so I can wipe away my tears.
"Thank you. So much." I sigh happily. It seems to good to be true, I'll finally have a place to rest; to not feel fear for a while, maybe ever again? I only hope.
We make the long journey from Seattle to Melanie's Uncle Jeb's haven. I sleep most of the way and dream, for the first time in years.
