Once Rejected, Twice Wanted

Chapter 1

Sabrina's day was like no other, waking up early before the sun ascended in the sky to go look for food with her father before the Aliens filtered the whole place. This was the life humans had been subjected, to their whole lives, enveloped in fear and trepidation.

"Sabrina... Sabrina, snap out of it. What are you thinking about?" Logan's voice rang out.

"Oh my!" Sabrina let out. "I'm so sorry father." She apologized sincerely.

"How long was I zoned out for?" Sabrina muttered I saw her breath.

"We don't have much time left, Sabrina. We have to move out before the Aliens surround the whole place, by then, it will be too late for us to run." Logan let out.

"Right father...but...but what if the Aliens are already in the forest, the war is far from over and is blowing hot."

"That's nonsense talk, Sabrina, you and I know that the aliens are most active at night and now is our best chance to go out and source for food, at least to stay alive while we can...we are still going to die one or another," Logan said, looking up ahead and trying to hide the immense pain he felt from making its way to his voice.

Sabrina's eyes bulged as her father's words sank in. He was right; they were all going to die one way or another. Sabrina recalled that all the people she knew had all died at the hands of the aliens or were captured by them to be used as slaves for their Alien king.

Anger and resentment burned in her chest toward the aliens, but there was nothing she could do about it, she was stuck in this loophole. She stared at her father's face, trying to read his expression and get a hand at what was going through his mind but her efforts were futile.

Her father's expression was indiscernible unless there were in the face of danger. But Sabrina could make out one thing that was running through her father's thoughts; how they would gather up enough food to last them till the aliens got back.

"How long will you two be gone?" Kate wheeled herself into the room, breaking both father and daughter's train of thought.

"I'm not sure, but in case we do not return... please do not come to look for us," Logan said, the last sentence dripping with dread and fear. This was the only way for them to survive. Logan thought it was wiser that they died while striving to survive than to wait and let death come to them instead when they knew that death was just a stone's throw away.

"Okay!" Kate swallowed the bile in her throat before she responded.

Sabrina's face fell onto the floor as beads of sweat gathered on her forehead. "I don't want to do this!" She muttered to herself in fear.

"Did you say something, darling?" Kate asked with concern etched in her tone.

"Yes, mother!" Sabrina let out as she turned to face her mother. "I said, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm tired of living like this, I'm tired that we're always risking our lives!" She yelled out but stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

"Why can't our death come to us, why do we always have to chase after it? What difference would it make if we died tomorrow instead of right now?!"

"Keep your voice down, any alien lurking around might hear you!"

"And so what mother, are we not meant to die by their hands anyways?"

"Don't talk like that, Sabrina!"

"Let her be, Kate. It's the truth, it'll do us no good to keep it concealed anymore." Logan said and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"C'mon, Sabrina, let's go before the aliens come," Logan said, putting his sweaty palms on his daughter's shoulders.

Sabrina shook his hands off her shoulder and made her way out of the house. Logan and Kate watched on until her back disappeared from their sight.

Kate let out a deep sigh when Sabrina was out of sight. "I don't want to lose our daughter..." She trailed off as she covered her face with both palms.

"You won't...at least not today," Logan said.

Kate gasped, her face shooting up to meet her husband's gaze. "What?!" Kate asked, her eyes bulging in anguish.

"Wait up for us, will you... we'll be back before you know it." Logan said and made his way inside to grab his gun. He stuffed it into his pocket before making his way out of the house to join Sabrina.

"Well, I'll be damned if they don't return," Kate said, clutching her chest.

The door opened again and Logan walked in. Kate gasped for the umpteenth time as she traced her husband with her eyes. Her eyes seemed to ask why he was back in there.

"I came to grab a sack, just in case, we get to see enough food to last us for the rest of the week," Logan said for clarification and made his way out of the house.

"Sabrina, wait up!!" He called after his daughter.

"Please let them make it back home today." Kate prayed silently in her heart as she wheeled herself back into the room. She had barely made her way across the room when she heard a loud explosion.

"Oh my god, no!" Kate yelled as she turned around and wheeled herself to the door. Kate's fingers trembled as she stretched them toward the door when suddenly she remembered her husband's words.

".....In case we do not return... please do not come to look for us."

"No, no, no. I can't possibly let that happen!" Kate yelled out as her face contorted in anguish.

"My family, I can't just watch and let them die this way!" Kate yelled as she tried to open the door but another explosion came, throwing her out of her wheelchair.

"Damn it!" Kate cursed as she tried to get up from the floor. "I need to reach them." She added.

She struggled to get up from the floor but her efforts were futile. She cursed at herself for being so weak and the fact that she was crippled and couldn't do anything to save her family only fueled her frustration.

"Damn it!" She yelled out curses, slamming her hands on the floor. She dragged herself across the floor until she got to the door. Severe pains coursed through her legs as she walked but she ignored them and continued to make her way forward, the zeal to get to her family only diminished the pain that she felt.

"I must get to them, I can't just sit back while they are out there crying to be rescued."

The floor began to tremble and Kate could tell that another explosion was coming and it was going to hit big. She held onto the floor, closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth, waiting to hear the explosion.

After a few minutes,  she opened her eyes and looked around the room, her sweat pouring onto the ground as she looked around.

"What happened, why didn't it come?!" Kate said but before she could get all the words out, another explosion came, sending the door flying in her direction.

"Noooo!"