The creature was sitting while leaning against the left wall of the master bedroom in its house, in front of it sad all three devices it had accumulated: The chess clock, the flat CD player, and the new CD player.
After a few minutes, the creature carefully pressed the on-button, expecting it to come alive and speak, however, nothing happened. Repeating the action a second time yielded the same result, causing the alien to let out a disappointed sigh, placing the CD player back on the ground and resting against the back wall, trying to think things over.
A few minutes passed and the creature simply thought over the topology of the device before it thought it figured something out.
Oh, wait. I can open the back of these, I wonder if there is anything different on this new one.
The creature picked the device back up off the ground and flipped it over, exposing the small rectangle cover of which the creature carefully tried sliding out. After a few minutes of trying to dig its claw in and pressing it in different places, it gave way and slid off, exposing four shiny AAA batteries.
They are the same, however, I recall the ticking device was connected to the back with those two cords, for the first voice-maker.
Going on a hunch, the creature reached over and grabbed the chess clock and flipped it upside down, smiling as it felt a similar style cover on the bottom. Testing a similar action it used on the CD player, the cover popped off, exposing eight AA batteries.
I wager these have something to do with the first voice-maker no longer working, but what explains the second one also not working?
The creature had a closer look at the second, initially finding nothing different, however, when it took in a breath with the device so close, a harsh foul taste appeared in the back of its throat, causing it to cough and quickly move the device away.
Ugh! Found out why it doesn't work, that foul smell I can even taste indicates something is amiss-
Placing the burnt-out CD player on the ground, the creature then started to piece things together with the newfound information.
Those cylinder things are in the back of all three devices, so they have to be important. Maybe, they come out?
The creature, unsure of itself, carefully dug its claw into the top and started wiggling it around until one of the batteries came out. Perfect!
After a couple of minutes, the creature had removed both sets of batteries from the CD players, ensuring to keep them separate, it took the batteries from the burnt-out player, and delicately put them in the flat CD player, struggling initially with the orientation, but soon let out a triumphant click as they all were flush.
Carefully placing the the cover back on, and slotting it in place, it flipped the device back over and held its breath. Slowly it found the power button and pressed it, soon feeling the whole device come to life. "Wendigo media presents Hunger Games. Read by, Catey Jacks. Chapter 1. 'When I wake up, the other side of my bed is cold.'"
The creature let out a gleeful shrill, feeling itself overcome with relief and excitement over finally getting the device working again. It gently placed the working device down, and brushed the dead one -along with its batteries- into the corner of the room and placed the chess clock there too, before finally settling down in front of the CD player and listening to the story unfold.
Despite not understanding most of the words, nor the context, it still did its best to distinguish the words and found great enjoyment in doing so.
John was nearly home after setting off from the fuel station, his mind was a flurry of questions, all aimed at the potential of a survivor residing in the same area as him. "I wonder how I can signal to them to have a potential meetup? Like, could we trade supplies? Would they even want to trade? How would I even signal them in the first place? Just spray paint a wall saying 'Hello survivor, want to chat?'? Oh too many questions, so few answers to them..."
John looked on at the quiet town around him, seeing the desolate windows, leaves piling up against doors and cars, not a single sound present except for the occasional gust of wind that knocked fallen leaves and debris around.
"It is a ghost town, with 3 potential inhabitants: Murderous alien hellbent on killing anything that makes a peep. A freshman pianist who lacks real world experience. Now a survivor that could either be a chill dude, or some feral maniac that would use me simply for my supplies..." John muttered barely above a whisper, still trying to figure out his next steps.
"In any case, dealing with the survivor should be a lower priority if I don't happen to bump into him just yet. I still need a bed, or well, mattress. The ibuprofen is doing its job, but only partly." He mouthed to himself, rubbing his still sore back. John looked down at his watch, it reading 11:41 am.
"Well fuck it, sunlight's not going down for some time, and I would rather be on my feet, then that shamble of a makeshift-bed at home. I will just stop by home, drop off some gear so I can travel lightly, then hoof it to a house, take mattress or couch cushions, then home. Easy."
John was now walking along the path towards the houses in the distance, having dropped off his bag by the front door of the cafe, deciding he needed to travel light to make the eventual journey home. John passed the small white sedan with the crumbled bonnet, noting the leaves and thin film of grit that covered the whole vehicle. It was starting to become surreal to John the level of degradation that was taking place over just a few weeks. As he quietly walked onward, he looked down at the footpath in front of him. "I wonder how long it will take before it is completely cracked and overrun with weeds and grass. When it starts raining, and definitely when winter arrives, a few more months, maybe a year." John mouthed as he watched the approaching neighbourhood.
A few minutes passed and he went by the first lot houses. The front lawn was overgrown, and the windows going into the set of buildings were smashed, and doors thrown open. Laying still and lifeless on the driveway was a body in a pink sweater and denim jeans, hair in a mess over her head and half her body. Stopping John from seeing her face, which he guessed was a good thing.
The lady was just before an SUV, the door nearly off of its hinges, with huge gouges coming from the edges. "Poor, poor lady. She must of tried driving away, but was ripped out of her car." John mouthed to himself, shaking his head as he looked away from the broken body back to the path ahead.
John was on the lookout for a house that appeared to be relatively untouched, with less chance of finding a body or total carnage.
He continued halfway down the street when he stopped. Moments passed in dead silence as he listened, initially hearing only the breeze through the trees, and the wind chimes that some houses had on their porches. Something perturbed John, just as he was about to walk, he heard the sound again, this time. Voices, someone talking.
"Who the fuck would talk so carelessly?" He mouthed again, before biting his lip at the irony and adding. "-Talking so loudly that someone can here form the streets-"
He listened in a bit longer, identifying the area where the voice came from, being just up ahead near the right-hand corner of the road. He walked onwards, doing his best to discern words, while also being conscious of his surroundings.
John's heart skipped a beat, as he was close enough to hear what was being said: '[I kind Peeta Mellak is far more dangerous to me then an unkind one-]' "Oh fuck that is Hunger Games, oh God no."
John stood about 20 paces from the house, the front door was wide open, and he heard the audio coming from the broken window upstairs. John's mind started to race. "Too loud, no, too loud. Fuck, they didn't adjust the volume." John's head swivelled to the path he took to get here, frantically looking for any signs of movement as he knew his next decision could determine the fate of him and the survivor.
"Oh God. Fuck, do I run? Am I already dead? Should I run in and warn him, maybe the creature hasn't heard yet?" He was in near panic as fight or flight was starting to kick in, John clenched his fists as he chose to fight.
John bolted up to the building as quietly as he could, taking two steps at a time as he crossed the porch in a single bound inside. He looked around, on his right was the lounge room and kitchen, left was the staircase leading upwards. Without thinking any further he sprinted across the living room, grasped the railing and swung up the stairs, doing a full 180, taking three at a time as he went.
"Hey! Hey! Stop! Please stop, turn it off! The monster! Fucking turn it off!" John called, trying his best not to project his voice any more than he needed to. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard some shifting from above, something had heard him and was surprised.
John reached the top of the stairs, before running down a short hallway, seeing the first doorway to the left was where the audio was coming from. Half slipping because of his socks on the tiled floor, he clumsily grasped the door frame and pulled himself inside.
He saw the foot of the king-sized bed in front of him, and the dresser/wardrobe on his left. John could hear that the sound was coming from the right just out of view, accompanied by more shuffling.
"Sorry, look please turn that off. I don't know how long we have until the monster gets here, he might of already heard- OH SHIT" John yelped out as he saw the monster in the corner, crouching over the CD player and staring directly at him. John scrambled to run away, falling over in the process and cracking his elbow and side against the hard-tiled floor, causing him to cry out in the pain.
He was frantically trying to get off the ground, blood pulsing in his ear as terror wracked his whole body. The creature was unmoving and simply staring, appearing also shocked, but not sharing the same level of terror that John felt.
John unsteadily ran out of the bedroom, hitting the opposing wall and taking a hard right, expecting at any minute the creature to slice him in a single blow. He sprinted down the stairs, barely able to keep a footing as he spun off the banister, and tore off outside.
John sprinted as fast as he could, well past his lungs burning from the intake of breath. Blood throbbed against his ears, and every fibre of his being was terrified. He passed the house with the lay by the SUV and stumbled from the curb suddenly dropping off to the street.
He didn't drop his pace despite not hearing any sounds behind him, but that didn't matter.
John was starting to feel faint just as he passed the white sedan from earlier, but managed to keep up his speed just as he arrived at the cafe's door. He flung the door open and grabbed it seconds before it slammed into the table beside it. He raced inside, closed the door and was about to push the table against the door. "Glass, fucking useless against that monster." He cried, knowing no defences here would be any match.
He turned back from the door and ran towards the counter, vaulting it before pressing through the double doors. He frantically looked around in the dimly lit kitchen for anything to press against the door, but nothing. John quickly looked at the top and bottom of the doors, looking for any locks or latches, nothing either.
John backed into his room and closed the door before turning to the table that sat against the left wall, he attempted to pull on the table, but it was securely bolted to the wall.
"I'm fucked, I am a fucking dead man." John dropped to his knees, having not caught his breath left him dizzy and near fainting. He desperately crawled to the back of the room and underneath the table. "I don't want to die, please God, I don't want to die." John could barely let out in between wheezes and tears.
Minutes passed of silence, it being filled with the sounds of John's ragged breathing. He rocked himself softly as he tried to calm his breathing and his pounding heart, as the tense moments dragged on. He didn't hear any noises outside, nor at any point the creature following.
"Maybe he is taking his time because he knows he can kill me so easily..." John said looking up at the door at the front of the room, this only adding to his panicked state.
"Stop John, stop. Stop freaking out. Breathing, just breathing." He tried calming himself but struggled to calm his breath, having run too far and too fast.
The tense minutes pushed on, John's breathing having gotten somewhat back to normal, but he still shook slightly, rubbing his kneecaps as he sat, head tucked against his knees. "Everything is ok John, everything is ok... Everything is going to be ok..." John took in a final deep breath, before sighing, letting out a shaky "Fuck..." as he consoled himself.
"What was it doing? I didn't see anyone else with him. It was just him and the CD player...I should be dead right now." John couldn't think of anything as he sat there, the adrenaline slowly wearing off, now revealing the pain that throbbed in his side, back and especially elbow.
He couldn't see anything in the practically pitch-black room but could tell that a terrible bruise was forming where he struck the ground. He winced as he rubbed it softly, still collecting himself.
After what seemed like ten to fifteen minutes of nothing, John slowly let himself relax against the cold concrete wall of the office. He reached over in the dark and managed to grab a water bottle. Unscrewing the lid, he took a few sips, quenching his dried tongue and throat from the panting. John sighed softly, redoing the lid on the bottle and placing it to the side. "Well, that was something." He said, shifting forward to lie down, feeling drained.
The creature had not left its position since John had burst in, it sat there stock still in the corner but had turned off the CD player.
That human could have easily harmed me or worse killed me, I was vulnerable and I was distracted. But he ran off instead while sounding quite distressed. Didn't he come here just for me? Why did he suddenly get so frightened when he chose to come here?
The creature looked down at the CD player in front of it, and then to the left where the dead one sat just beside the chess clock.
Did he come for that, because I took it? I didn't know he wanted it so badly.
The creature leaned its head against the wall of the bedroom, feeling confused by what had just taken place.
I've heard humans cry out and be loud, but how that human reacted, is a complete change in his character. He was talking, warning of something, sounding distressed and panicked, like he was talking to another human... Or thinking he was talking to another human.
The creature looked down at the CD player once more, tracing a claw over it before holding it between both hands.
I took the CD player, he went out to search for it, heard human voices, ran in expecting a human, but got me instead... He had the advantage coming here, he had the advantage all along, did he come only for the CD player?
The creature stood up slowly and quietly, placing its CD player underneath the bed frame to keep it safe, before turning to the broken player and walking over to pick it up. The battery cover lay on the floor nearby, so the creature grabbed it too and began walking downstairs. I will make things right and give it back to him.
After a few minutes, the creature had passed several houses and was now in the town itself. It held the CD player and the cover in both of its hands, making sure it was quiet along the way and aware of its surroundings. It was still wary of the human and his intentions, and could easily be walking into another trap that was well crafted.
The creature was awoken from its thoughts as it stepped on the footpath leading into the cafe, slowly coming to a halt just before the door.
He wouldn't be home, he would certainly be somewhere else, right?
With that, the creature tested the door by gently pushing on it, and it gave way and swung inwards letting it walk inside. It walked around the the sets of tables to the right, before going around the counter and pushing through the backroom doors ever so quietly. The creature made its way to the door and was just starting to reconsider when it suddenly opened and two shocked faces met. "FUCK-" John yelped and fell into the room, while the creature was almost equally as jolted by the sudden noise and encounter, stepping back quickly from the door into the kitchen. However it didn't account for the extractor hood that sat above the burners in the centre of the room, which had several pots and pans hanging, its head colliding with them, causing the creature to hiss in pain from the noise and drop to the ground along with the pans crashing all around it.
A few minutes passed in silence, with the creature clutching its head, unaware of the human stepping into the kitchen, welding a steak knife it grabbed from the nearby countertop. He crept closer to the disoriented creature, fear coursing through his body as he stood just a few paces from it.
The creature looked up, as the human held the knife ready to strike, but it did not try to resist. I came here to give the device, not to kill. This is my doing.
The creature prepared for the blade to go through the exposed part of its face plate, tensing as it heard the human step closer. "What the fuck?" John stated, causing the creature to hold its breath, expecting pain to come soon. "You... Brought the CD Player back to me?" the human asked cautiously loosening his grip on the steak knife. "W-why did you take it in the first place?" the human added again, seeing the device beside the creature, the back exposed and showing the missing batteries.
"You took mine, to use the batteries, so you could keep listening to it?" John said, the tone of his voice sounded, confused to the creature, causing it to look up at the human. Letting it seem that John was holding both the knife and the CD player. The human noticed the gaze on the knife and lowered it to his side before speaking again. "Why did you come here?" The human asked, the creature understanding somewhat that it was a question aimed at him, but not knowing how to respond.
The creature's attention was brought back to the moment as the human tapped the knife's side. "I will put this away once I know you aren't going to kill me. Just, why are you here?" He asked again, looking simply afraid, then intimidating. I know what he is asking, I hope this is an answer.
The creature reached downwards slowly, causing the human to stiffen. "Hey hey hey- What are you doing?" The human called and stepped back, but paused as the creature grasped the cd player, and pushed it towards the human.