Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 148(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Instead of taking an aggressive stance, Manik appears to be burrowing into the deep snow drift, not unlike those fish and octopi that sort of wriggle their way under sand to pretend they’re not there. Is he fucking hiding? Has he left me here, exposed?
Figures come into view in the mid-distance. They look human. They look like they’re wearing… Oh no… they’re bounty hunters. Special forces. Elite edition. The orange badging on their helmets and arms marks them as the best of the best. They will be heavily armed, and they will not be alone.
They’re waving at me. They’ve come to rescue me. Computer must have made contact with a backup team. This is going to cost me big. I’m not even certain that I can afford to pay the first installment. They’re going to probably repossess my ship, and…
“NO!” I scream, as all the pieces fall horribly into place. I wave my arms as best I can, but it just looks like I am waving back to them. I try desperately to think of a way to indicate that they should leave, but they can’t hear me through the helmet and now it is all too late.
Manik emerges from the snows like a hidden Yeti. Snow is thrown by the powerful motion of his body in a small cloud that obscures his position. They fire at him, and they miss because he is no longer where they think he is. He moves faster than I thought was actually possible. He drives an icicle through the exposed throat of one hunter with a harsh stabbing motion that makes every muscle in his blue body ripple. The second hunter is not so lucky. He sees what has happened to his companion and attempts to retreat. Manik is not going to let him get away. He gives chase and overhauls the hunter easily. The hunter is weighed down with gear and weaponry, while Manik has nothing but his body and the world around him. He is out of rocks and icicles. When he catches the hunter, he uses his bare hands…
I stop watching. I have already seen too much. I knew what he was, but it is one thing to be told someone is a monster. It is something entirely different to see the monstrosity displayed before you in all its glory.
I close my eyes and I cover my ears with my hands and I wait until the screaming stops. The next thing I know, a massive hand is fisted in the back of my jumpsuit and I am being carried back to Manik’s lair.
* * *
Manik
She’s hysterical. Terrified. A shaking, wailing mess. I am very angry with myself for letting her see what she saw. The human does not have the stomach necessary to be my companion. She is too weak and compassionate. She will be mentally destroyed by witnessing my acts as surely as she would have been physically ruined if she were caught in the violence. I should have left her inside. If I had, she would have remained innocent to everything she just saw. What has been seen cannot be unseen.
I return her to her bed, where she curls up on herself and hides beneath the blanket. She is shaking beneath the sheets and making a sound I find very unsettling. It’s a kind of weeping that cuts to the core of me and makes me feel very guilty rather than turned on. I don’t like it. I want it to stop, but I don’t want to frighten her any more than she already is.
Giving her some time to recover, I clean up. I would usually drag the bodies back with me, but on this occasion, I know I’ll have to go out and get them later. I am having to modify my behavior to accommodate this human, and that could put us both in danger.
When I return, she’s sitting up in bed. She is less tearful, and much more angry. I anticipated this reaction as well. As soon as the shock fades, the righteous anger comes.
“You killed them! They were just coming to rescue me, and you fucking killed them!”
“I kill everybody that lands on this planet. I made an exception for you, but I will not make an exception for anybody else. Those who come to rescue you are also coming to take me. I will defend myself. Tell your ship to stop sending out distress calls, or there will be more deaths.”
Her expression makes me feel sorry for her. She does not know what to do. I see her lower lip quivering, her eyes full of tears. She is trying to be brave. I admire that. It brings out a compassionate impulse in me.
“You’ve not seen anybody die before.”
“Not like that. Not torn apart by bare hands. You…”