Citrine (Deliverance #3)

10. Eli

10

Eli

There is nothing worse than asking for peace all your life, but when you finally have it, you just do not like it. Right now, I feel the surroundings creeping on me as the sun dips below the horizon. Darkness starts taking over, and the stars twinkle brightly above me.

I place another large leaf from the trees in a pile. They are more like prickly feathers than any leaves I'm used to, but I had to make do.

The only good thing right now is the sweet little fireflies helping me see. They are far larger than ones on Earth and keep glowing and dancing around me as if I'm fascinating to them.

Maybe I am.

There's sticky sap on my hands and I return to the softly lapping water to clean it off.

An eerie chill runs down my spine as I put my hand in the ice-cold water, but what catches me off guard is a pool of bubbles just a few inches away from my hand on the sleek lake surface. I quickly retract my hand, abandoning plans to wash and move toward the tree near the forest entrance.

He's probably watching again, but it's best to stay away from the water until daylight either way.

Using another tree branch as a cane, I look around, my eyes scanning the area for anything that might help. That's when I spot a tree with foliage similar to a coconut tree right at the edge of the lake. The broad leaves look like they could cover my body and provide some warmth.

I approach the tree, limping little by little, though I could swear my movement is improving. Maybe something was out of alignment and it shifted back.

"Let's hope this works," I mutter to myself, reaching up to grab a large leaf. It's surprisingly tough, and I have to put all my weight into pulling it down.

The leaf finally gives way, but to my dismay, I lose my balance and tumble backwards. I fall into the lake with a splash, the cold water instantly soaking through my clothes.

Luckily, the lake is shallow at the edge, and I don't go under. I scramble to my feet, shaking off the shock. As I push my wet hair out of my eyes, something catches my attention—a glint of light on the water's surface.

Squinting, I see what looks like a turtle shell shimmering under the moonlight.

It looks unlike any shell I've ever seen—larger, with a strange iridescence. I'm mesmerized by the sight for a brief moment, but then remember I'm not on Earth and start to scramble away.

Suddenly, a ripple disturbs the stillness of the water. My heart skips a beat. I freeze, every instinct screaming at me to run away, but it's too late.

The water erupts in a violent splash. The turtle-like creature bursts forth, its maw opening to reveal rows of sharp, gleaming teeth.

"Shit!" I gasp, stumbling backward.

The creature lunges at me, and I barely dodge to the side, my adrenaline surging. I turn and bolt toward the shore, my mind racing. The water slows me down, my injured ankle screaming in protest.

I can hear the creature thrashing behind me, its movements sending waves crashing around me.

I reach the shore after only a moment, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Just as I think I'm safe, a searing pain shoots through my scalp. I scream, realizing the creature has caught my hair in its jaws.

Panic surges through me as it pulls me back toward the water.

"No!" I scream out, clawing at the ground with my free hand.

I throw a hand behind me, hitting whatever I can reach with my fist, trying to dislodge the creature. It hisses, the sound like steam escaping from a pressure valve, and tightens its grip.

Desperation fuels my struggle.

I twist and turn, trying to free myself. My mind races, searching for a solution. I remember the makeshift knife I fashioned from a sharp stone earlier. With my free hand, I reach into the pocket that formed as soon as I thought of one and pull it out, my fingers trembling.

"Get off me!" I scream, stabbing at the creature's snout.

The blade connects, and the creature releases a guttural roar, jerking away from me. Its grip loosens, and I yank my hair free, stumbling backwards and falling onto the shore.

" Diablos ," I yelp.

As the turtle-like creature lunges at me again, it leaves the water, its entire body surging onto the shore.

In the moonlight, I realize my mistake. This is no turtle.

It's an alien alligator, and a massive one at that. I fling my body to the side and its jaws snap shut with a bone-chilling clack, missing my face by mere inches. I feel the wind from its bite, the raw power behind those jaws terrifying.

The creature's eyes gleam with hunger as it lands, its huge tail slapping the water, causing a violent splash that drenches me further.

I crab walk backward, panic clawing at my throat. It's preparing for another attack, its body coiled like a spring, ready to unleash its force.

Before I can even think to move, the alligator lunges at me with even greater force.

"No. no…" I huff.

My heart pounds in my chest, and my legs feel like they're made of lead. The monstrous predator is almost upon me, its jaws wide open.

I close my eyes tightly, preparing for my fate, but it never comes.

I open my eyes. It's being held by a tentacle.

Six more, strong and sinewy, shoot out of the water and wrap around the alligator, halting its attack. The creature thrashes violently, water churning into a frothy chaos around it.

I'm frozen in place, wide-eyed and unable to comprehend what I'm seeing.

It's him.

The creature who left me earlier, the one who threatened to crack open my skull and feast on my brain like some sort of zombie kraken.

He's holding the alligator back, his tentacles constricting around the predator's body, keeping it from reaching me. I watch, gobsmacked, as the scene unfolds before me.

" Dios ."

The alligator lets out a guttural roar, its powerful tail whipping through the water, sending waves crashing against the shore. The tentacles flex, tightening their grip, and the two titans begin their epic struggle.

The alligator twists and turns, trying to free itself from the killer's grasp. Its jaws snap viciously, trying to bite down on the tentacles holding it. The octo-man lets out a low growl, his upper body half-submerged in the water, using his strength to keep the alligator contained.

It's a savage battle, the kind you only see in nature documentaries or horror movies.

The alligator manages to get its teeth into one of the tentacles, tearing into the flesh with a sickening squish. The octo-man roars in pain, his grip faltering for a moment. But he quickly recovers, using another tentacle to deliver a powerful blow to the alligator's head.

Dark blood begins to mix with the water.

The sound of the impact is brutal, a wet, meaty thud that echoes across the lake. The alligator's eyes roll back in its head, but it isn't done yet. It thrashes harder, its claws raking through the water, trying to find purchase.

The tentacles are relentless, though, wrapping tighter and tighter around the creature.

I can see the strain in the octo-man's muscles, the determination in his eyes. His face says he's fighting not just for dominance, but for survival, though it doesn't seem like he's in danger of losing.

The alligator's thrashing grows more desperate, its movements more erratic. It's losing blood fast, and its strength is waning.

With a final, savage twist, he slams the alligator's head against a rock jutting out of the water. The impact is devastating, a sickening crack that sends a shiver down my spine. The alligator goes limp, its body floating lifelessly in the water, blood oozing from its wounds.

He releases his hold, his tentacles retracting back into the water. He's breathing heavily, his body heaving with the effort of the fight. The water around him is a gruesome mix of blood and foam, the aftermath of the brutal battle.

I can't tear my eyes away from the scene. This terrifying creature who threatened my life just saved me from certain death. The realization is surreal, almost too much to process.

He turns to look at me, his eyes narrowing.

There's a flicker of something in his gaze—anger, frustration, maybe even curiosity. He's covered in blood, his own mingling with the alligator's. He's wounded, but he doesn't seem to care.

He moves toward me, and I back away with a shiver and a gulp.

"What… why?" I manage to sing out between stammers, my voice trembling.

I can't find the right words to express the whirlwind of emotions I'm feeling.

Rage sweeps over his features.

"If you cannot defeat that, how could you ever hope to defeat me?"

He says the last word in a bellow, then lifts the dead alligator out of the water and uses his tentacles to break its back. Then he flings it. I can't even see where it lands, I just know it hits the water a short while later with a splash.

My body's shaking at the wanton violence of it.

"I don't want to defeat you, I just want to be left alone. Why help me?" I ask again.

He doesn't answer. Instead, he studies me, his eyes scanning my face as if searching for something.

"You are a useless hunter," he mocks me.

I swallow hard, my throat dry. The adrenaline is still coursing through my veins, making my hands shake. I picture the dead alligator sinking down into the lake, its once fearsome body now a lifeless, bloody husk.

A shudder passes over me, and I finally remember all those manners my padre taught me.

"Thank you," I say, the words feeling inadequate.

With a start, I realize they don't translate. That I spoke them in English, which his look of confusion confirms.

I try again to say my thanks in his language, but I can't. My brow furrows, but I can't figure out what that means right now.

He saved my life, despite his earlier threats.

He grunts again, the sound odd when spoken in whale tones, turning away from me.

I watch as he moves back into the water, his body blending into the darkness. The lake is returning to its eerie calm, the only evidence of the battle is the slowly dispersing dark blood. I'm left standing there, soaked and shivering, my mind racing with questions and fears.

Alive for now, but what does he plan to do with me?

I look around at my makeshift shelter and at the top of the rock I was trying to climb to see that glinting of metal. Should I move back to the silver vehicle?

I let out a sigh. I don't think I can make it to it, since he moved me up and over a large stand of rocks to move me toward the water.

Was his plan to drown me?

Anxiety grips me, and I let out a frustrated groan. Tears well up in my eyes before I can stop them. I wish I could go settle into the red fabric of the silver chamber and pretend none of this is real, but I can't.

"Great. Just what I need. Getting emotional now," I mutter to myself.

As if that has ever helped.

I shuffle farther from the edge, grabbing the broad leaf I gathered and moving it as far from the shore as I can manage with my injuries. Above me, the stars twinkle brightly in the clear night sky.

A surge of loneliness hits me. This is too much to handle by myself.

"Miss you, padre ," I whisper, hoping somehow he can hear me, watching over me from wherever he might be. Whatever comes after death.

The weight of isolation presses down on me, right along with the grief. Not as fresh as it once was, but a wound that never heals.

Then I sense something—I'm not alone anymore. My pulse quickens as I see him emerging from the water, his presence a strange mix of terror and an unexpected sense of safety.

Despite our tense history, there's something about him that makes me feel protected, despite his scary as hell threats.

He approaches with purpose, and before I can react, his tentacles wrap around me, lifting me off the ground. Panic surges through me, and I start to struggle.

" Hijo de puta , put me down," I gasp, hitting him as hard as I can.

My fists pound against the sinewy tentacles, but it's like hitting a squishy wall.

"Stop making your noises or I'll drop you," he growls, his voice a low, menacing clicking song that freezes me in place.

His eyes, cold and unyielding, meet mine, and I know he means it.

With surprising gentleness, he sets me down on a higher, more stable rock. From here, I have a better view of the moonlit surroundings, a vantage point that makes me feel safer. Able to monitor any potential threats.

"Stay away from the water," he commands.

After a moment, he speaks again. "I am the only one allowed to hurt you."

The way he says it sends butterflies all over my body. It is an odd mix of fear and something else I can't quite identify—something that leaves me feeling even more aroused, and I hate it.

I don't know how to react to that sensation, and it confuses me. I'm going insane.

Clearly.

He turns and slips back into the water, leaving me on the rock. I notice one of his tentacles is injured, a nasty gash from the earlier battle. Concern tugs at me despite myself.

Then it pisses me off.

"You can't order me around," I yell after him, trying to regain some semblance of control.

"I just did," he retorts, his voice carrying clearly over the water.

I watch in disbelief as he tends to his wound. He blows on it, then takes mud from the ground, rubbing it on the gash. To my astonishment, the wound closes, healing before my eyes.

"What the hell?" I whisper, more to myself than to him.

This creature is full of surprises, each one more confounding than the last.

I settle back on the rock, my mind racing.

His words echo in my mind. Was it a threat or a twisted form of protection?

I lie back, staring up at the stars. For now, I'm safe, at least as safe as I can be in this alien world. The night's events replay in my mind, and sleep feels like a distant dream.

Tomorrow, I'll have to figure out my next move. For now, I'll rest and try to gather my strength.

I close my eyes, the image of him tending to his wound lingering in my mind. It makes me realize that my own are healing faster than they should, though nowhere near as fast as his.

Is it something in the air? Another mystery to figure out later.

Why the hell did he have to put me up on a rock? I get up, trying to find a safe way down, but can't figure it out.

I settle for trying to keep myself as close to the center as possible.