"Not yet."
When Cade tilted his head to study me, his eyes were blindfolded. I swallowed heavily, hating what I just said, but we all knew it was true. We are not statues now does not mean that we will not become statues in the future. At any time, we may be frozen and trapped in our own body. This thought did not relieve the pressure on my chest in this room. In fact, it took me all without completely falling apart. Although it suddenly became very difficult, I tried my best to keep breathing. I don't know if these people are consciously aware that they are frozen and are about to be killed, but I would rather believe that they are not. I can't stand the thought, they know they are stuck and are about to be swallowed. If they knew...
I suddenly turned off this idea. This is too scary to start thinking. If this happens to me, I can't stand it. I would rather die first.
"They may just divide us into several stages," he agreed. "Or this will never happen to us. We are all different, we are all made of different DNA. No matter what they give us, it is impossible for everyone to react the same. I believe we will be fine. Yes, Bethany."
I want to believe that we will not stand still at any moment. I have a feeling that if aliens find that everything they do is useless to us, the consequences for us will be worse than what people on the street experience. They will not be happy to find that they are not perfect, and that things are not going exactly as they planned. We will be punished.
Terrible.
I swallowed heavily, frightened by the thought. We cannot be caught. But what should we do? Where should we go? I tried to control my panic that was getting worse. First, I must leave this room and find my family. I pray that they are safe.
"I never believed them," I whispered.
"I know."
My attention turned back to Cade. He had walked deeper into the room, his midnight hair and the shadow hugging him seamlessly mixed together. The black vest he wore brought out the rope-like muscles on his arms, blending with the darkness. The sunshine of Xia Rì has deepened his original olive skin and turned it into a bronze sè that I envy. This is something I will never be able to do. If I stay in the sun for too long, my summer looks will turn red.
He was checking some boxes, but he didn't try to open them, and he didn't seem to have a real interest in the contents. I have a feeling that even if he is not looking at me, his attention is still completely focused on me. "How did you know?"
He lifted a large box easily and placed it on top of another box. "In the past year, this sentence has been written all over your face."
Although I found him looking at me, I didn't realize that he had been watching me carefully, but obviously he must be watching me more keenly than I realized. "Oh."
"You are not good at hiding things."
"I understand." Although I didn't see it, and I was very confused about this conversation. I decided to change the subject. "How did you know this room?"
"I have been working for Peter for two years."
"Peter?"
"The man outside." I frowned, my hands tightening on my arms. I have no idea. In fact, I don't know much about him, except for some rumors. Because of his cold behavior, midnight hair and coal eyes, the girls in the school called him the black devil. I have never considered this nickname carefully, I think it is silly, and they are also ridiculous. Standing in front of him now, I fully understand and cannot get rid of my mind. "He hid the most valuable things here."
I just nodded. I don't know what else to say. I am not sure if I have interpreted this conversation too much or if I have completely overlooked something. Anyway, I started to feel like an idiot.
When I woke up this morning, I didn't expect such a thing to happen. However, it may be worse, and I may become one of those people on the street. I am lucky that I am still moving, and I am very lucky to have other people with me now. Especially Cade, considering the earth-shaking changes in our lives suddenly, he appears extremely calm and capable.
If I want to live, I must cheer up. "sit."
My attention returned to Cade. He sat on one of the boxes, looking at me with his arms on his bent legs. But I did not intend to leave that door. I didn't go deep into this room. This thought was enough to make my heart beat faster and get goose bumps all over my body. I shook my head.
He got up and handed me a box. "Sit down, Bethany, relax. I have a feeling that we won't have more opportunities to do this in the short term. We better take advantage of this now."
I looked up at him, and when he looked at me, I was instantly lost. I have always tried not to let his charm affect me, but this is impossible. We are totally people of two worlds, and I am not worthy of him. He has always been a fascinating mystery, almost impossible to solve. He can get any girl he wants, maybe most women. I am just myself, but nothing special.
But now, Cade is only a few inches away from me, and his presence is overwhelming in the small room. I feel like a fool, but I can't help but admire his sheer grandeur, because he got close enough to let me see the stubble on his chin. He smelled like a charming combination of spices and fresh air. I consciously diverted my attention. I don't want to leave him, but I don't want him to pay too much attention to me. He could see that I was a mess, but he didn't need to smell me.
I don't think I can relax, but I slip onto the box softly because I don't know what else to do. He looked at me for a while, then returned to his own suitcase. When the light bulb cast shadows around the room, we did not speak. The vibration of the thing as it moved along the street made it sway and drained the victim's blood.
It makes people jīng exhausted.
As we walked through the shadow of the building, Cade moved easily and gracefully, and I was very surprised. I am neither silent nor elegant, but at least I am not a clumsy idiot. At least not this time. I followed him as we crossed the street. I didn't feel the rumble of those monsters, but I kept my guard up, waiting for any signs of their return, or any signs of something else coming to us.
The streets now are not as crowded as before. I don't know how they dealt with the dead body, but thankfully they didn't leave the dead body behind. I felt relieved and guilt spontaneously felt the disappearance of those who were frozen, but I couldn't bear to see their remains scattered on the street. Not the primary cause of everything.
Cade slipped around a corner, and my heart was pounding when he disappeared from my sight. When I turned the corner, he was waiting for me, his hand stretched out behind him to pull me back.
I stopped, holding my breath, trying to hear any unusual sounds. The sky was getting darker, and there was an unnatural silence. I want to know if the aliens have spent the night on their ship, or if they will come back soon and start collecting people who are still in their homes and shops.
Cade walked forward again. We came out of the city center, slipped into the backyard, stayed in the woods, and passed through the shadows at a faster speed. When we approached my house, I was very excited and trembling. I don't know what to expect. I try not to hope too much, but this is impossible.
When my house finally appeared in front of my eyes, I almost had to run, but Cade pulled me back, and he gripped my waist tightly, arms wrapped around my waist. "Killing yourself is not good for you and your family."
I nodded and bit my lower lip, ignoring the strange sensation his touch caused on me. Or at least try to ignore them, but this is impossible. When his fingers gently stroked the exposed skin on my t-shirt, my body felt a sting of an unfamiliar electric current. The closer his breath gets to my ears, the warmer and warmer.
I force myself to focus on other things instead of him. Now is definitely not the time to think about these things. On this growing night, my house looks a little ominous. It looks empty, cold, and dark. My home is never dark. Abigail always turns on the lights, but she always forgets to turn off the lights. When I got home, I found that every light in the house came out of the window, illuminating the whole night. This is not uncommon.
My mother and Aiden often taught Abby to turn off the lights; I remained silent about this. Although I have never said it before, I secretly like the warmth of the lights when I go home. Our lives are dark enough, and I am not going to tell Abby that she should close the house too.
They are completely gone now, which is enough to make my eyes hurt.
"Cade," I whispered, choking in my throat.
"They won't light up Bethany, at least not tonight." I tried to find comfort in his words, but no. "bring it on."
He crossed his fingers with mine and led me through the woods. We swiftly crossed the street and then walked around to the back. For the first time I realized how dilapidated my home has become. The paint was peeling off in pieces; the back porch had sunk under the weight of time and weather.
When the stairs creaked under my feet, I cringed. When I twisted the doorknob and opened the door cautiously, my heart pounded. The hinge creaked, and when I walked into the kitchen, the floor creaked. The familiar smell of my mother's perfume, food, and scented candles washed over me. In the dim lighting, I can recognize the outline of the neat kitchen counter and pictures, transcripts and magnets covering the refrigerator. Plants hung in the window above the sink, and dishes were neatly stacked in the sewer. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)