A Yautja's Handmaid

Ch. 4

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November 8st, 1999.

"This has to be a mistake, please tell me it's a mistake."

"Sure, it's a mistake and we'll be lifted off by a unicorn into the rainbow on the horizon any second now."

"Beth," the finger around his cigarette tightened, "what the fuck are we suppose to do."

My only response to his question was the movement of my arm as I reached for the cigarette. Its red halo was so bright against the darkened background of the sky. No stars were out that night, none that could be seen of course. They too were hiding in fear of the dread-locked monsters.

Ryan shoved his hands into the depths of his jacket as we both watched the smoke that escaped my lungs disappear quickly. The envy I had for fucking smoke.

"You know I had a whole pack of these just yesterday and the day before that," I leaned back until my spine met with the wooden backrest of the bench, "I haven't smoked a pack of cigarettes since college. Remember when my mom threatened to put me under house arrest if I didn't stop?"

"Is your plan to give yourself lung cancer before you get shipped off?"

Smiling, I turned my head to him, catching his soft blue eyes in a stare off, "Maybe."

The white around his iris was a tint of red. On the phone earlier that day, he assured me he hadn't been crying, that he didn't need to, that he would fix this as he had fixed all my problems, because that's who Ryan was. The man I loved.

But I knew and he knew, this was a problem he couldn't fix. No one on this planet could fix this problem. I knew he would be crying as soon as news broke of the women selected, that I was amongst them to be chosen. I had my fair share of emotions after the phone call.

"I love you."

His comment forced my head to bow in defeat. He loved me even when he knew what was going to happen to me. What unspeakable things I was going to be forced into. Maybe he didn't mean it anymore but, that's all he could come up with.

"Think I'll ever come back home?" I looked out into the trees, their branches stripped of their leaves leaving them sickly bare. Winter was coming. The aliens were coming.

Ryan's fist struck the empty space on the bench between us, I imagined the harsh impact left his hand buzzing. I wasn't going to be his anymore, but an alien's handmaid.

"The streets are already filled with protesters. The capital is being swarmed, it's all over the news. No one wants this sick, fucked up shit happening to you guys."

I took another hit of the cigarette as my head stayed between my legs, so, so ashamed.

This life couldn't be real. I had to have been dreaming.

I grabbed at my head not caring if the fire from the cig burned a chunk of my hair off. The tears from my eyes smacked the floor before I even had a chance to realize they were forming at all.

The grip on my hair tightened. We had talked about marriage only a few weeks ago. About getting a white fenced home, a dog even. All for nothing. I don't want to become cattle.

"Beth," Ryan was now kneeling in front of me, his cold hands locked onto my wrists, "Babe, look at me, please."

Obeying his wish, I looked up at his blurry figure. He repeated his love for me before kissing me with more force than I had ever experienced. A force filled with sadness and the taste of tobacco.

I pulled away first to tell him I loved him, watching the light return to his eyes as I did.

"I will fight for you and all those other women every single day, you hear me? Every single fucking day." He told me with a frozen expression.

I knew he meant every word, so I let my shoulder's relax and my forehead bump into his lightly. I didn't move an inch. Even if the comfort was temporary, I wanted to enjoy every second of it, of him, of his love.

Love would do for now but it wasn't going to be enough to fix my problems, to save me from my nightmares. Not anymore.

November 21st, 1999

I did the best I could to wipe away the blood. Some of it dried, forcing me to apply more pressure with the piece of cloth Clark had handed to me. It made my skin turn a light shade of red.

Without a mirror I was doubtful I had managed to clean every inch of the blood up.

I secretly hoped I missed some spots. Maybe if their cattle was handed to them damaged, Clark would be to blame. Even punished.

"Get up, girl." the agent's voice hissed at me, causing me to turn in her direction with the cloth balled up in my hands.

She gestured me closer to her before grabbing a hold on my upper arm, dragging me along with her towards the front entrance of the home.

Her fingers pierced my skin through the thin layer of fabric, "Remember what you were taught and this will go very smoothly."

When meeting them, we were told we must stand up straight. Shoulders squared. Head and eyes absolutely down, no questions asked.

With a nod, I did what had been drilled into my head and I pulled my arm away from her grip. Everything about her was unpleasant, even her ghostly touch. I dropped my head down so suddenly I thought my kapp would fall. Not even our hair was supposed to be showing.

A drop of sweat ran down my neck as the sound of heavy footsteps made their way towards our direction. Getting even louder as they entered and were met with the marble like floors, causing the echoing of sounds to be even more dominant.

They are here.

My heart began pounding against my rib cage as a rush of adrenaline ran through my veins, my fight or flight reaction was on an all time high. Perhaps I could jump out one of the windows to my death. I wonder if they had the technology to bring me back to life and make me relive this hell.

Stomp. Stomp.

I felt like a pack of lions was rushing towards me and all I could do was stand there, lifeless, helpless.

The more I listened to the footsteps, the more something overwhelmed me, like a light bulb going off in my head. There was only one pair of footsteps. Sounds of clicking filled my ears.

It was just one of them, I was certain.

The sound of their weight shifting on each step was heavy, but light at the same time. It walked with purpose and elegance.

The stomping and jingling of accessories stopped as soon as their feet came into sight. Reptilian. Long, well pampered black toenails resting on golden sandals with thick leather straps. No doubt custom made.

Making sure not to move my head, my eyes pushed to their limit as I looked upward. If I tried hard enough, I was sure I could roll them into my forehead. I spotted thick golden bracelets around their ankles. The razes of the two suns outside crept inside to brighten their raw beauty.

Female, definitely female.

The limited glare of her calves made me bite hard onto my back teeth. One swing from those and I could bet she could kick my head right off my shoulders, right there and now.

Such fucking muscle, such power.

It was after a few minutes that an unpleasant snarl brought Agent Clark to life. I had completely forgotten the crazy bitch was there.

"N'jauka," the way Clark's voice traveled I picture her bowing before raising her head back up to face the Yautja, "it is an honor to meet you and present you with your handmaid. We pray that she will serve you well."

The thought of wrapping the cloth in my hands around her neck was tempting. Her words of praise and service ached my very existence.

The female's only reply was some soft clicking before I watched her feet continue to approach me, circle me, examining me. Her scent escaped her as she moved, leaving a trail. My nostrils were hit with the smell of cinnamon and bark.

She was so close, she was so warm. Even though she wasn't close enough to touch me skin to skin, her heat radiated off her. I didn't like it at all.

I watched her feet as she stopped sharply in front of me, her massive hand coming into view. I had an urge to jump back but stood still. I watched it with wide eyes as her finger nail teasingly brushed against my breasts. Almost as if trying to figure out how massive they were underneath my dress.

Next, she traced down my side to my hips.

"She's making sure you have the ideal body for child baring."

How thoughtful.

If there was anything motherly of me, my chest would be the only evidence of it. From an early age, my breasts were bigger than the other girls. When my bra size went to double D's, some of my friends were still at A's. The attention from the boys was nice until it wasn't.

As soon as she was done she stepped back. Allowing my body to ease up, I had never felt so naked before. Tension and hatred filled the air, enough to suffocate me.

Her native tongue rumbled my eardrums. It was harsh and scratchy sounding, their language was definitely all about the throat muscles.

Clark made a snorting sound of her own, "She says you're ugly."

Ouch.

I was more taken back by the agent's ability to understand her than the insult. Though, calling me ugly was a bit harsh.

"But, she approves. Lucky for you."

I squeezed the cloth in my hands so hard I couldn't tell if I was shaking, lucky for me? Lucky?

I exhaled the air that I was holding fast enough to hear footsteps grow faint, vanishing into the nearby room.

Lifting my head, I washed no time in rubbing out the cramp forming in my neck.

I wasn't sure what sight would have been more appealing, Clark or the Yautja but, it was Clark who stood before me. Arms crossed and eyes dozing off to whatever was behind me.

She signed lazily, "You will go to your room now and stay put until you are needed. As you know your duties go beyond just laying on your back with your legs open. You will clean when told, cook when told," she finally snapped her eyes to mine, "you will bark when told. They have others servants but you will be put to use in many ways."

"How did you understand her?" I wondered, disregarding her mockery.

Clark tapped to her right ear, relieving a small, slick black device hugging her ear lobe, "Thanks to them of course."

Thanks to them?

"I'm sure it was easier for them to conquer a species without the inconvenience of a language barrier. Less chaos and panic using words and not weapons."

"They didn't conquer us," she sounded on the edge of smacking me again with her baton, "we are working together, sharing knowledge, and trading. It's what all allied nations do."

"You know what the word allied means, don't you? A parasite might think it's allied with its host but it doesn't work that way, does it? The host always ends up dead."

Clark's cheek twitched as she tried to form a smile but instead, she appeared uneasy as ever. She began tapping her foot to calm herself. She looked like a bull ready to charge.

"What if she didn't approve?" I asked her without backing down from her glare, my eyes half open from the lack of sleep, "Would I have been able to go back home?"

"Is that your plan, to be a pathetic little handmaid that they will be forced to bring you back to us? To return you to home sweet earth?"

I stayed quiet, waiting for her to answer her own question. The air was growing hotter and hotter, even Clark had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"Once you have seen this world, there is no going back. You will be sent back home in a body bag."

Her words made my head drop back down, I wanted to scream more than anything. The thought of running crept into my head. Where the hell would I even run to? All that was beyond these four walls was a heat wave and more Yautja.

I will never go home. I will never know a life besides this one.

Clark lifted my chin, the expression that covered my face startled her. For a moment she was speechless.

I smacked her hand away from me, the feeling of rage filled every crevice of my body. I hated her, I hated earth, I hated everyone who allowed this to happen. My muscles shook wildly.

I wanted to reach for her throat and clamp my hands around her windpipe, demanding she take me home in exchange for her own life. The only thing that stood between her defeat and my victory was her gun. She knew and I knew, physically, she was no match for me.

She was a soldier but age was her enemy, she was slower, weaker than she was in her glory days. I even had a few inches on her.

She reached for me with both her arms. With a soft warrior-like cry she slammed me into the wall. Trying her best to be as quiet as possible.

"You're more fucking trouble than you're worth. She may have approved of you but one word, one fucking word," she shook me like a rag doll, "and I will strip you of your duties." She spit as she spoke through her teeth.

I didn't want to die.

I couldn't die. Not here, not like this.

With that, I relaxed as she hovered over my hunched figure, our breaths both heavy with frustration and anger. For two completely different reasons, "Be happy she came home and I am polite enough not to beat you now."

"You will go up to your fucking room and wait," she gave me one last push before backing away from me, straightening her uniform, "He will come tonight, her mate. Whether he wants to have you right then and there or in a few days from now, you will let him."

Let him assault me.

"Fuck all of you."

"Say what you want, fight me some more if you'd like, but tonight, when you see what a true Yautja is, what a true killer is, you'll know your place. This is their world, remember that. You'll learn to be a very obedient handmaid."