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Miranda tucked the sleeping bag around her two children, creating a barrier against any bugs that wanted to crawl inside. The alien jungle was full of creepy things that made her skin crawl. Coupled with the constant moisture in the air, her days and nights were almost unbearable.
Although thin and made from a material she didn’t recognize, the sleeping bag, provided from whoever had stolen them from Earth and brought them to this God-forsaken planet, was a welcome gift. In the morning, the sleeping bag would defy all logic and fold down to the size of an SD card that would fit in a slot on the wristband she wore. Another handy gift from her abductors.
Adam, her four-year-old son, lightly touched the top of her hand, running the tip of his finger across her knuckles. His voice was as soft as a whisper when he said, “Mommy, your hands are shaking.”
Miranda was relieved he’d taken to whispering like their life depended on them being quiet, because their lives did depend on it. They weren’t on Earth anymore, and there were things, aliens, in the jungle who were out to get them. But for what purpose?
“I claim you.” That’s what two aliens had told her yesterday. They’d been two frightful looking things, coming from nowhere. They’d tried to trap her and the children, but at the last second, an alarm rang out, and the aliens dropped into the ground and disappeared. Miranda, and two others stranded on this planet, Ben, and Esme were more confused than ever.
Aliens. Alien planet. Alien technology. Alien bugs.
Her heart tightened and she gritted her teeth. She wanted to forget about all things aliens, but she didn’t have that luxury.
Miranda tucked the last bit of material around Lexi, her six-month-old daughter next. She didn’t try to still her trembling hands for Adam’s sake. There was no point in it. Her hands had been shaking uncontrollably since they’d awakened on this alien planet five days ago.
Five days.
Five days of staring at a sky that was purple and pink instead of blue.
Five days of looking at a pastel-colored planet looming over them instead of the moon.
Five days of wondering how she was going to survive this ordeal with her children.
Five days with a metal collar she couldn’t remove around her neck.
The only thing she was grateful for in all of this was that while her children had the same wristband that everyone else had, luckily, they weren’t fitted a collar.
“I’ve got the jitters is all.” She finally told Adam as she smiled down at them both, trying her best to suppress her fears for them.
Pretend everything is fine.
Even though her lips quivered, her smile seemed to work. Lexi giggled and returned her smile with a two-tooth grin. She looked like a cherub with her fat, ruddy cheeks. Her normally pale Irish skin was now marred with red splotches. So was Adam’s. By the way the skin on her forehead and cheeks hurt whenever she touched them, she guessed the red splotches were on her as well.
They’d spent days under the oppressive sun without adequate coverage. Ben, the Marine from America, and Esme, a scientist from Mexico, had taken Miranda and her kids under their protection. Ben kept their small group moving at a grueling pace. Miranda wasn’t complaining. Much. He was the only reason the aliens stalking them hadn’t caught any of them yet. Ben was smart, resourceful, and so kind-hearted for taking on the responsibility of Miranda and her kids.
She was more than grateful he was with them but at some point, when things got hard—or harder—he would realize he was better off without the dead weight.
Miranda let out a sigh and slumped. Her hair, now stringy and wet, swung within Lexi’s reach. Lexi wiggled a hand free and grabbed Miranda’s hair with a grip that seemed too strong for an infant. Miranda peeled each tiny finger off and tucked her hair behind her ears. When Lexi gurgled her complaints, Miranda bent and placed a kiss on her forehead then moved to kiss Adam.
“I really like this camping adventure, mommy.”
She’d lied to Adam about where they were. Telling him they were in a campground on an adventure excursion was easier than the real explanation.
Adam yawned. His breath smelled like the protein bars, their only source of food. Like the sleeping bag, she was grateful food was provided. At the touch of an icon on her alien wristband, a small white ball would spring from the ground, delivering protein bars and water canvases.
“The best adventure a family could ever hope for,” she whispered. “Now, get some sleep. We have another big day tomorrow.”
“I want to tell Esme good night.” Adam yawned again then smacked his lips. His eyelids were slow and heavy as he blinked to stay awake. “Where is she?”
Hm. Good question. Where was Esme?
Miranda sat back on her hunches and glanced toward the tree line. She narrowed her eyes, peering through the overgrown greenery, focusing on the muddy path leading to the lake. That’s where she’d left Esme to finish her bath in privacy. Ben put down the rock he’d been using to sharpen one of his military knives. His intent gaze was pinned on the path as well.
The evening alarm blared. The disruptive sound came from nowhere but was everywhere at once.
“Not to worry. She’ll be back soon.” Miranda tried to convince herself of the words she spoke. She turned to Ben. “She wanted to finish her bath in privacy.”
Ben didn’t spare her a glance or a word. His gaze stayed glued to the path. Miranda wasn’t sure he’d even heard her. She turned back to watching the path and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled.
Esme is fine.
I should’ve stayed.
Esme is fine.
She’s the one who’d asked for privacy and sent me away.
Esme is fine.
I should’ve forced the issue and refused to leave.
Esme is fine.
What if an alien got her?
Esme is fine.
Oh, God. Why did I leave her alone?
They’d only come across aliens once. But once was enough to give Miranda nightmares for a lifetime. Since they hadn’t encountered any today, Esme and Miranda had convinced Ben to let them take a bath in the little lake near where they’d decided to make camp for the night. God knew they’d needed it.
After walking all day and sweating, everyone had an odor about them that Lexi’s baby wipes weren’t cutting through anymore. Ben had only agreed after he’d walked the perimeter of the lake and made sure no aliens were around. From his narrowed eyes, deep-set frown, and pursed lips, he now regretted that decision.
“Sh-she’s coming back soon,” Miranda said under her breath, more to herself.
Ben finally pulled his gaze away from the trees and gave Miranda an uneasy look. He’d wanted to stay close while they’d bathed to watch over them, but neither Miranda nor Esme had wanted that and had voiced their concerns.
“No worries. I’ll call to check on her.” He tapped his wristband. “Esme? You should be coming back now.”
Miranda’s teeth broke through the sensitive skin on her inner lip, but she couldn’t stop worrying it. She rolled to her butt then stuffed her shaking hands between her legs.
I screwed up. I shouldn’t have left her alone. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
The only reason she’d relented and left was because Adam and Lexi had been yawning and she’d been so tired herself. It hadn’t taken much convincing for her to go. She’d asked Esme if she was sure, and after her confirmation, Miranda had gathered up her things and the kids and made her way back to camp.
I should’ve stayed with her.
“Esme?” Ben’s voice was tight with concern.
No answer.
Fear blanketed Miranda like a heavy weight. “I should...I should go back for her. Watch the kids, please.”
Before Miranda could stand, Esme came running up the path. Her brown eyes were opened wide, her mouth agape. Esme’s dripping dark hair clung to the sides of her face and her wet clothes stuck to her body. Something had scared her.
“I just had a conversation with one of the aliens!” Esme dropped to her knees in front of Miranda, clutching her chest as her breaths came out in hard pants.
Talked to an alien? Miranda’s jaw dropped.
Ben, who usually kept a straight-faced, military look about him, grimaced. “What the hell?”
Esme swiped back the hair from her forehead and cheeks. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“Are you serious? Those aliens are after us! They’ll probably kill us if given a chance!” Ben stepped over Miranda and pulled back the kids’ sleeping bag. “We have to go. Now!”
Esme held up her hand. “We already know the ending to this story. He didn’t capture me.”
The memory of yesterday’s encounter flashed in Miranda’s mind, and with it, bile rose to the back of her throat.
One of the aliens had stepped from behind a tree. He’d been dark gray from head to toe, including his hair and eyes. His chin had four sections that hung from his face. His nose was broad and flat and had extra cartilage on the sides. His forehead protruded over his deep-set eyes. The alien hadn’t wanted to talk to them.
Miranda finally snapped out of her stupor. “But he could’ve! What were you thinking of talking to one of them?”
Esme turned toward Miranda. “Well, I was thinking that I didn’t want him to leave me and come looking for you and the kids.”
And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Instead of worrying about their own safety, Esme and Ben were busy protecting Miranda and her kids. Admitting that her family was a liability to them was getting harder to ignore every minute of the day. If something happened to Ben or Esme, it would be on her shoulders. Guilt suffocated her and she turned away from Esme’s sympathetic gaze.
Esme let out a sigh and squeezed Miranda’s shoulder gently. Esme had risked getting taken by an alien to keep Miranda and her kids safe. Because Ben was nice too, his fate would ultimately be the same. All because they were thinking of Miranda and not themselves.
Her kids weren’t Esme and Ben’s concern. Miranda had known from the beginning when Ben had told her they were heading out as a group she should’ve stood her ground and told him no. A firm no. Instead, the fear of surviving alone with two small kids on an alien planet had made her agree.
Miranda dropped her head and closed her eyes briefly. Esme and Ben deserved a chance to survive this hellhole. That wouldn’t happen if they were saddled with her.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to say it like that,” Esme said softly. “I wanted to run, I did. But I didn’t want him to find you guys. Besides, he didn’t try to take me away or anything.”
“Is he coming for us?” Ben demanded. He clutched a very sleepy Adam and Lexi tightly in his arms, his focus back on the path.
Esme shook her head. “No, he left.”
Ben pulled his gaze from the trees and glared at Esme. His thick eyebrows drew together. “So, what did he do?”
Esme sat back on her heels and let out a deep sigh. “He talked. He told me what the hell is going on here.”
“Really?” Miranda and Ben asked simultaneously.
Esme nodded. “And it’s totally bonkers.”
Ben cursed under his breath and handed the sleepy kids back to Miranda. “Wait. I think the others should hear this too.”
When Miranda had awakened on this planet, she’d found there were nine other adults who were just as confused as she was. None of them had any answers or plausible ideas about where they were or how they’d ended up here. They’d spent the first three days confined to a small area, trying to learn how to work the new wristbands that delivered food and medical supplies at the touch of a button and also called on a pod-like transportation system.
Of course, they had tried to leave their confinement without success. Thanks to the metal collars secured to their necks, anyone who’d attempted to breach the markers surrounding the camp received a nasty shock down their spine.
The group hadn’t agreed on much of anything, but it was easy to see when they eyed Miranda’s kids that they viewed them as a burden. The fact struck home after the first-morning alarm had sounded, releasing them from their small prison. The others had opted to go their separate ways. They hadn’t wanted to take their chances with Miranda and her children. They’d left so fast that one hadn’t even said her goodbyes.
Miranda cradled the kids, one to each shoulder and kept her voice low to Esme. “Are we in danger?”
That’s all she wanted to know. She didn’t care if the alien Esme had talked with had left or not. There was more than one out there, and they could be surrounding them now.
Miranda caught her breath at the thought and glanced around. Her gaze searched through the trees. She vibrated with fear. “I mean, right now? More than we already are?”
Esme shook her head, her expression earnest. “No. We’re safe for the night.”
Miranda didn’t believe her. She didn’t have the luxury of pretending her kids weren’t in danger. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing, and tightened her hold on her kids. Protecting them was her only priority.
“Roll call,” Ben said into his wristband. “Ben, Miranda, the kids and Esme are accounted for.”
After splitting up, they’d decided to have roll call every night, and only at night. Ben didn’t think it was a good idea to communicate with each other during the day. Since he was the only one with military experience, they all trusted his decision.
“Min is here with Yesinia, Kaylin, and Danny.”
Miranda tilted her head and frowned. When they’d left the makeshift base camp, Yesinia and Min had gone in one direction, and Kaylin and Danny had gone in the other. Yesinia was an African-American from New York, and Min-Seo had been abducted from South Korea. Miranda didn’t know why they’d chosen to stick together, but they had. It had been more plausible that Danny and Kaylin would stick together. They were both famous. Kaylin was a mega-movie star and Danny a famous rock star.
“Payton and Jack are here.”
Payton and her dog being alone made sense to her. No one knew much about Payton. She’d kept to herself the short time they were all together and hadn’t tried to get to know anyone. She was also the only one who’d left without so much as a goodbye to their small group.
“Esme had a conversation with one of the aliens,” Ben ground out and shot Esme a dark look. She shied away and slouched at Ben’s disapproving stare.
“What. The. Hell,” Danny said. It was easy for Miranda to imagine Danny running his multi-ringed fingers through his dark hair. “Are you trying to end up like Mary Ann and Spencer?”
Esme winced. Spencer and Mary Ann were the only two who’d decided to stay at base camp. No one had heard from either of them since.
“Of course not,” Esme muttered. “But I was stuck in the lake and couldn’t think of another viable option. So I asked questions.” She shrugged. “And he responded.”
“I’m glad you found a boyfriend and all.” Payton’s sarcastic tone was easily discernable over the wristband. “But if you can’t tell us where the hell we are and how we get home, I’m logging off this party line and getting some sleep.”
“We’re on the planet Turolois.” Esme paused, her eyebrows creased together in thought. “But I forgot to ask how far away from Earth we are, but at least I confirmed we aren’t in Kansas anymore.”
Miranda’s stomach clenched. Bile bubbled up the back of her throat. She’d known they were on an alien planet, but to have a name for it was too much. She whimpered before she could catch herself.
“Mama?” Adam whispered in her ear.
Get it together. Can’t let them see me like this.
Miranda plastered a fake smile on her face, hoping it would reach her voice. “Shh, everything is fine, my babies,” she said so low that only he could hear. “It’s time to go to sleep.”
“Are you sure?” Kaylin asked Esme. “Couldn’t he be lying?”
Miranda tucked her children back into the sleeping bag. She kept the smile on her face even though her insides knotted and twisted. No matter the conversation going on around her, she would not let her children sense her panic. It must have worked because they drifted back to sleep in no time.
“I mean, he could’ve,” Esme responded. “But I don’t think so.”
“It’s time to face facts,” Yesenia chimed in. “None of this looks like anything we have on Earth, and that big planet hovering in the sky ain’t normal. We already knew this was an alien planet. We just need to know why we’re here and how to leave.”
“Let Esme tell us everything she learned, then we can ask questions afterward,” Ben said, eyeing Esme. “I don’t want her to forget anything while you guys are bickering. Go ahead.”
Esme closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Miranda sat on the extra bit of sleeping bag next to Lexi. When Esme didn’t speak for a few minutes, she whispered, “Esme?”
Esme opened her eyes, glancing from Miranda to Ben. “First of all, that alarm? When it goes off in the evening, the pods take the aliens away.”
The pods Esme talked about were something they’d learned about on the second day. By accident, Adam had touched a new icon on his wristband, and the ground opened up, and he’d fallen into one of them. Payton had also gone into a pod. She’d said there wasn’t dirt in the ground underneath their feet. Instead, there was an underground network of tracks there.
“He said they have to go back to the lodge when the evening alarm goes off,” Esme continued. “They don’t have a choice. And when the alarm sounds in the morning, they’re free to come out again, but on foot. Xrez, the alien, called it the off-limit hours.”
“Oh, goody. It has a name,” Payton drawled.
Miranda ignored Payton’s sarcasm and latched onto Esme’s words. Off-limit hours equaled safe. At least at night.
“He could’ve been lying about that,” Danny said. “Lull us into a false sense of security. Then while we’re sleeping, come and get us.”
Miranda inhaled sharply. Her gaze locked on Esme. Lying? She hadn’t thought about that. She’d been so quick to hope for safety.
Esme made sure to meet Miranda’s eyes then shook her head. “I witnessed it. The alarm rang, and he disappeared.”
Just like the aliens last night.
“What did he tell you before he left?” Min asked.
“What’s on our wrists is called a comlink.” Esme held hers up while Ben and Miranda both studied theirs. “The aliens have one too, but don’t worry, theirs is on a different frequency. We can’t talk to them, and they can’t talk to us. The comlinks have different available options. We’ve already figured out everything it does except for the one that shows what Level we’re in. I have a single line. That’s because I’m still in Level One of The Hunt.”
Miranda noticed one line on hers and checked Adam and Lexi’s as well. They all had a single line.
“The characters on the side of that are universal numbers, and it’s on a countdown, letting us know, well, if we could understand it, it would let us know how much time we have until we reach Level Two.”
Miranda had guessed the funny characters were some kind of countdown that very first day. Every time she looked at the characters, overwhelming dread fell over her.
“Wait. Back-up,” Ben said, breaking his own rule. He held up a hand and frowned. “What do you mean ‘Level One’ and ‘The Hunt’?”
“Xrez said we were taken from Earth to be participants in a game called, ‘The Hunt.’ The aliens tracking us are called hunters.” She glanced at Ben then Miranda, hesitating over the words she said next. “We’re being hunted as prey. That’s what he called us. Prey.”
Miranda gasped. “Oh, my God.”
Hunted? Prey? She started to shake, the urge to grab her kids and flee was overpowering... The only reason she didn’t was because there was nowhere to go—no place to hide. Her stomach clenched, the contents threatening to come back up.
Ben ran his fingers over his low cut buzz, then dragged them down his face. “Holy shit.”
That wasn’t reassuring. Ben usually had all the answers and plans. Miranda pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “How do we survive this?”
“We’re prey. This gets better and better,” Danny muttered.
“We have to get through three different Levels,” Esme continued as if she hadn’t pulled the rug out from under them. “Each Level is progressively harder than the first. It’s part of the game.”
“But it’s not a game. This is a hunt,” Yesenia said slowly. “Aliens are like, for real hunting us down.”
Both Miranda and Esme nodded. This wasn’t like any game Miranda had ever played. This was surreal. She was supposed to be at home in Ireland.
“Yeah, hunters come here to capture prey,” Esme said. “If they capture us, they get to keep us—for a price. The lower the Level, the cheaper we are. Right now, in Level One, my survival skill set is meager. I’m considered weak. Xrez said most of the hunters are looking to capture Level One prey for mates or whatever.”
“Hell no. I’m not trying to be anyone’s mate or whatever,” Yesenia ground out.
This gets better and better.
“No one wants that,” Esme said. “That’s why we have to survive and not only make it to Level Three but finish it. If we finish this without anyone catching us, then we’ll get freed and can go home. That’s what Xrez said, at least.”
Esme made it sound so simple. Anger welled in Miranda, pushing some of her fear aside. “And how the hell are we supposed to make it to Level Three, huh? We don’t know what we’re supposed to do, where we’re supposed to go or how to avoid those...those...things!”
“We have to survive,” Esme told her firmly. “The better at it we are, the faster the countdown and quicker we get to the next Level.”
Be good and fast? Oh, is that all? How can she be either of those when she had to worry about cloth diapers and bottles? Miranda threw up her hands.
“So how do we make that happen?” Min asked.
“The more independent we are, the faster the countdown will go. Payton’s countdown is probably going faster than mine. She’s alone and displaying proper survival skills while Ben, Miranda, and I rely on each other. Xrez said that we can still progress, but not as quickly as someone who’s going it alone, though.”
“Maybe he’s just trying to break us up,” Miranda said, glancing from Esme to Ben.
“No. I think he’s telling the truth about that,” Danny said. “Me and Kaylin met up with Yesenia and Min earlier today. Now our countdown thing is going much slower than it was when we were by ourselves.”
Miranda grabbed Ben’s hand and compared her comlink to his. Their countdowns were going at the same pace.
Ben pulled his arm away. “It’s a good thing we’re synced, Miranda.”
If they were synced, it meant they would reach the next Level together, but it also meant she was holding Esme and Ben back. They couldn’t be independent if they were worried about helping her and her kids.
“So, we should split up?” Min asked.
Split up. That’s the only way Ben or Esme would make it out of here alive and back to Earth. She’d known that before, but now this was visible proof of it.
Without the kids and me, Ben and Esme have a chance to go home.
Miranda pulled the flap of her sleeping bag back and crawled inside to cuddle Adam and Lexi. Any one of the others could survive this on their own. But Miranda? She wouldn’t be able to do it. Not with two kids under five.
There wouldn’t be any help carrying Lexi, and with Adam walking on his own, there would be more rest breaks.
Even with those thoughts weighing heavy on her mind, she couldn’t be so selfish as to let Esme and Ben sacrifice themselves for her. She wanted to stay together, but she would do what was right.
Esme shook her head. “We don’t have to split up.”
“But if we don’t, we’ll stay in the game longer,” Yesenia stated.
“So even an alien knows I’m a burden, and you guys would be better off without me. Nice,” Miranda muttered.
Esme opened her mouth, but Miranda didn’t want to hear any of her reassurances. Miranda turned her back on Esme and Ben.
“I really want this crap to be over, but I also don’t want to be on my own,” Yesenia said.
“I guess I’ll be the first one reaching Level Three,” Payton said.
“Yeah, but you’re also out there by yourself with no one watching your back,” Esme pointed out.
“It’s not the first time,” Payton replied.
Miranda shut her eyes and focused on her own plan.