Princess SOS (6 page)

This isn’t living, this is surviving, and I’m doing a damn poor job at it.

A twig snaps and my eyes pop open in alarm. I’m not sure how long I let myself get lost in thought, but I’m pretty sure it was for too long. I sit up and grab up my dress. I clutch it to my chest as my eyes search for the source of the sound.

Another twig snaps and I catch a glimpse of something small and furry darting around a tree.

My shoulders slump and I release the tension that was building up in a long, relieved breath. It’s just a bunny or some other harmless creature. Nothing to be afraid of. Time to gather up my stuff, though, and get out of here.
Before something bigger and badder shows up.

Another twig snaps. I slide off the side of the rock. The furry creature darts out from behind the tree. We stare at each other, ten feet or so between us. It’s small, brown and reminds me of a squirrel. Except where I come from squirrels don’t have big, black eyes or long, razor sharp claws.

Where I come from, squirrels also tend to be skittish around people, and rarely get close to them. This little creature has no fear of me. It runs straight for me and stops only inches from my bare feet. It makes a chirping sound and it’s large, black eyes peer up at me. Its large gleaming eyes make it oh so cute. It reminds me of one of the forest creatures in the cartoons I watched growing up.

“Hello there, little guy,” I say softly.

The little creature makes another chirping noise. Is it trying to communicate with me?

“Were you what was chasing me?”

The creature only blinks.

“Well, I gotta get going… have fun…”

The little animal is adorable, but I know better than to reach out to touch it or to try to pick it up. It’s a wild animal and the last thing I need to deal with is a scratch or some kind of alien rabies. I have all my shots, but I’m not vaccinated for the stuff on this planet. I hope it doesn’t follow me back to the pod.

I take a step to the side and look up. There’s a loud commotion off in the distance that draws my attention. I lift my foot as if to take another step but stop dead in my tracks. Ice floods my veins. It’s hard to breathe. My heart thunders behind my ribs.

About fifty yards or so is the big purple alien and he’s running. He’s heading straight for me.

“Shit,” I curse.

The little animal hisses and bares its fangs. It darts forward and tries to take a bite out of my foot. I yank my foot back just in time and dance away from it.

Just what I needed.

I scramble backwards, but the only place to go is to the water or to the left. I mean to go to the left, but the little animal comes after me again.

“Hey!” I yelled at it, “Shoo! Bugger off!”

I kick at it and it retreats back.

I side step to the left and stop short. Another fuzzy creature pops its head out from behind a tree and chirps.

“I will stomp you if you don’t back off!” I warn the little animals, but they ignore me. They’re chirping at each other and I bet, I just bet they’re hashing out a plan.

The water it is. I hope the little buggers can’t swim. I start to ease myself back. The alien is gaining ground. He’s going to catch me if I don’t do something quick.

Something chirps behind me.

I cast a glance over my shoulder and sure enough, on the other side of the water is another fuzzy creature with fangs.

What do I do now?

The fuzzball in front of me rushes forward while its buddy comes at me from the left. I kick out at the one in front of me and swing my dress at the one to my left. They both back off of me for a moment then they start to circle around me.

Dammit, why do they have to be so intelligent and nasty?

I’d have to spin to keep my eyes on them, but then I remember I’ve taken my eyes off the alien. He should have reached me by now. My eyes flick away for just a moment and one of the creatures shrieks. I look down in confusion. It’s gone.

Where did it go?

I look to the other creature. It shrieks as well as a rock smashes into it and sends its little body flying away from me. I look up and there the purple alien is, five yards away from me with another rock poised and ready in his hand.

“Thank you!” I call out and take off running to the left.

The forest erupts with chirps. Little heads with large black eyes and snarling fangs pop out from everywhere. I dig my heels in the dirt and come to a screeching halt.

There’s so many… Where did they all come from? I can’t even…

I turn right back around and start running towards the alien.

“Help!” I scream.

I think I’ll take my chances with him.

The alien drops the rock and raises his fists in the air. He reminds me of a massive purple gorilla as all the muscles in his body seemingly flex and he lets out a blood-curdling roar.

It feels as if everything inside me just drops. My bottom fell out. He rushes forward and my life flashes before my eyes. This is it. I’m so dead.

I’m too scared to even care.

The alien rushes past me. I could have sworn he was going to barrel right through me, but he swerves and gives me a wide berth.

I hear the carnage behind me before I actually see it. The sounds of the creatures getting hurt is disturbing. I know they’re mean, nasty little things that would have eaten me but their sounds of pain are too high pitched. They sound like puppies getting kicked. It’s hard on the soul.

Slowly, I spin around, afraid of what I’m going to find. But something inside me has to see what is going on. I have to know.

I clutch my dress to my chest and shiver. It’s still wet and cold.

The alien is fighting dozens of the fuzzy creatures. He’s covered in their blood. They launch at him from the ground and even from above. There’s so many of them. The alien’s fists don’t slow. Most of the creatures get punched or kicked, but a lucky few get grabbed. If he doesn’t send them rocketing through the air, to splatter against a tree, he rips off their little heads. He’s completely berserk. 

I watch in fascinated horror as he dispatches each one until there’s nothing left but carnage.

Turning to face me, he’s huffing loudly, with his shoulders hunched forward. We stare at each other. Me in terror, him coming down from his rage. His red eyes are glowing so bright the light begins to sting my eyes.

Something makes a sound to his right. He roars and stomps over to dispatch it. I turn and flee for my life.

We really need to stop meeting like this.

I make it a few yards before I hear him crashing through the forest behind me. It’s no mere snapping of twigs. It sounds as if the very forest is coming down around me. He’s a tornado of destruction and I’m directly in his path.

Don’t look back. Don’t look back.

I’m running back into the dark, misty depths. Back into the cold labyrinth of trees. I have a little head start but a lot of good it does me as I stumble over the unending sea of fallen twigs and branches. I’m so not cut out for this. Maybe if I was smarter, faster, or stronger I’d actually have a chance.

But I’m a princess. A princess who has been sheltered and protected, a princess who’s never had to worry about the dangers that exist beyond the safe little bubble of her home.

I feel danger coming up behind me and it’s fast.

The alien’s hands grab me by the hips. One second I’m running, the next he’s lifting me up and my feet leave the ground. I scream as his thick arms wrap around me. They’re as tight and strong as two boa constrictors. They squeeze around me in an unbreakable hold.

Knowing he’s stronger and more powerful doesn’t keep me from struggling. I scream and kick at his shins. He squeezes me harder. One beefy arm comes up to trap my arms. I lose my grip on my dress. I cry out in anguish as it falls to the ground.

He says something in his alien tongue. Again, to me it sounds only like coughs and grunts instead of actual words.

I don’t have a lot of energy left. My kicks slow, growing feeble. I feel tears of defeat stinging my eyes.

Why keep fighting? I’m so tired of fighting. I’m so tired of it all.

He’s stronger, faster, and meaner. It was only a matter a time before he caught me. Only a matter of time until it came to this. I’ve been delaying the inevitable and making myself miserable in the process.

I give up.

***

“Please just make it quick.” I clench my eyes tightly together and brace myself for the pain to come. Even a quick death is probably going to hurt like a mother.

The alien doesn’t say anything, but I feel him snort against the back of my neck. His arms start to loosen and then he’s turning my body until I’m facing him. I can’t help but peek my eyes open.

He looks every bit the demon. I’m surprised there are not two horns sprouting from his head. He is truly the stuff of nightmares. I bet he’s related to the thing I always feared was hiding under my bed. And it’s not even his red eyes though they certainly don’t hurt. It’s his massive bulging purple body. And it’s the fearsome, I’m going to eat you after I break you look on his face.

I squeeze my eyes shut again. I rather not see what’s going to come. My arms fall limply to my sides. They ache and feel numb from where he was cutting off my circulation.

He speaks again. It’s a grating growl that scrapes against my ears. I shake my head to rid myself of the sound.

He snorts. I begin to tremble. I don’t know how much more I can take of this. My bravery is fading fast. If he keeps me here, waiting, dreading, I’m seriously going to break down.

“Please, just get it over with, please,” I beg with a whisper.

His fingers tighten once more, digging painfully into my arms. He shakes me as if he’s angry. I cry out.
This is it. This is where I end.
He immediately stops shaking me yet my body continues to tremble.

I never thought I would go out like this, killed on some backwoods planet by a monster from the dark. Up until crashing here, I never even gave death much thought. There were so many other people always protecting me and looking out for me, I didn’t have to do it for myself. I just let them do it.

The demon pulls me into him. He’s so hard, it’s as if his chest is carved from stone. His hands slide down my arms, I wince as my skin tingles.

His hands go behind me and begin to rub against my back. My eyes fly open in shock.

At first, all I see is just lots of purple skin. Then my eyes slide up, over his bulging pecs and up his ridiculously thick neck, until reaching his face. He’s looking down at me, still intense and glowing, but the way he’s touching my back is soft. For a moment, it actually feels like he’s trying to comfort me or something. But no, that couldn’t be….

A chirp sounds behind him and I watch his face darken, consumed by red. Before I can completely process what’s happening, he hauls me up and throws me over his shoulder.

I’m upside down now with the blood rushing to my head. He takes off running through the woods. My naked butt bounces in the air.

“No, my dress!” I cry out as I spot it in a little pink pile on the ground that grows smaller and smaller.

I don’t even know why I did it. I mean, I know I’m not going to need my dress now with what’s going to happen to me but seeing it left behind, left to rot, just tears at my heart. It’s all I have left, and even though I’m going to die in some horrific way and have no real need of it, I want it.
I want my last piece of home.

The alien doesn’t stop, if anything, his pace quickens. He does, however, give me a small pat on the butt. I burst into tears.

Just when I think the situation can’t get any worse, it does. Over and over again, I think I’ve hit bottom but the hole keeps getting deeper and deeper. I can’t even have the small dignity of a quick death. The entire thing has to be dragged out. Why did I even give up?

I hate crying, I just hate it. I hate it because it makes me feel weak and pathetic. I hate it because it makes my skin all blotchy and reddens my nose.

I’m dripping tears and snot all over his back. It’s so nasty and gross.

He runs and runs, his pace never slowing. The trees whip past in one long blur. Occasionally I hear a chirp.

I want to stop crying so I try my best to focus on something else. Chin up, princess.
You’re a princess after all.

I feel helpless being naked and thrown over his shoulder. Like I’m just a piece of meat. Like I’m nothing more than hauled away flesh and bone.

I’ve been put on display before. Dressed up and paraded before an entire populace as a living, breathing symbol.  All my life I’ve been judged by how I look, who I talk to, what I do, and what I wear. I learned fast that my needs, my wants, my desires were of no interest to anyone else. I have a purpose, a single duty to serve my people and beyond that nothing else really matters. But I still had my clothes.

This is humiliating. This goes far beyond degrading. I can’t stop feeling sorry for myself.

My butt is in the air, there’s nothing I can do to change it. I squirm and twist, but it gets me nowhere. He has one arm across the back of my legs while his other hand rests on the small of my back. There’s a weight of possession to the way he carries me. And I can’t help but notice how his fingers tend to squeeze, even if it’s just a little.