Kringl (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

J oy stamped her feet against the frozen ground, trying to coax some warmth back into her toes. The biting cold seeped through her worn boots, numbing her feet despite her stomping and hopping. She huddled closer to the cluster of pine trees, their snow-dusted branches offering meager shelter from the icy wind.

The scent of the trees’ evergreen needles tickled her nose, sharp and fresh against the crisp, winter air. In the stillness of the snow-blanketed forest, the aroma seemed more intense, as if amplified by the quiet. Joy closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of something real and natural, amidst the artificial veneer of everything else in the village.

Ice crackled beneath her feet as she shifted her weight, the sound quickly swallowed by the deep snow. The hush was profound, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind through the branches and the faint strains of music drifting from the village.

That damn music. Joy gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to clap her hands over her ears. The cheerful melody mocked her, a constant reminder of the facade of happiness that masked the truth. She was supposed to be gathering firewood for yet another "celebratory" bonfire, but the thought made her stomach churn.

The same songs. The same snow. The same party around the village fire.

How many more bonfires would they be forced to endure? How many more fake celebrations of a holiday that never truly arrived? Joy kicked at a nearby snowdrift, sending a spray of white powder into the air. She was sick of it all—sick of the pretense, sick of the forced smiles, sick of celebrating when there was nothing, absolutely nothing, to celebrate.

She turned, gazing back toward the village through the gaps in the trees. From here, it looked picturesque. Smoke curled from chimneys, streets were lined with twinkling lights, the massive tree in the town square glittered with ornaments. But Joy knew the truth that lay behind the charming facade. There was no warmth there, no real family, no true excitement. Not for her, and not for any of the other humans trapped in the endless charade.

Joy's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She wouldn't be stuck here forever. She couldn't be. Somehow she would find a way to escape. She didn't know how, but she refused to give up hope. Even when each day seemed to blur into the next in an endless loop of preparation for a Christmas Day that never arrived, even when the weight of despair threatened to crush her, she clung to that tiny spark of defiance.

"I will get out of here," she whispered fiercely, her breath forming a small cloud in the frigid air. “I’ll get out, and I’ll find help to rescue everyone in the village. And I will never have to hear Jingle Bells again.”

As if in answer, a roar shattered the quiet. Joy's head snapped up, her eyes widening as she saw a glossy, silver object descending through the clouds. Her heart leapt into her throat. It was a spaceship.

She watched, scarcely daring to breathe, as the vessel grew larger. It was unlike anything she'd seen before, its hull gleaming even in the weak winter light. Joy's pulse spiked as the ship lurched and tilted to one side before skidding to a stop in a mound of snow.

For a moment, all she could do was gape at the vessel. Then she sucked in a frozen breath. This could be it. This could be her chance to escape! A laugh bubbled up in her throat, and the sound danced into the cold air, high and clear. After all this time, after all her bold declarations that she wasn’t sure if she always believed, salvation had literally fallen from the sky.

But her elation was short-lived. If she had seen and heard the ship’s arrival, so had others. The elves would soon emerge from the main celebration hall. They would come.

Fear made her tremble, and not just for herself. Whoever was on that ship had no idea what they'd stumbled into. The elves would trick them, and before the newcomers knew what was happening, it would be too late.

"No," Joy whispered, her jaw clenching. She wouldn't let that happen. She'd been helpless to save herself or the other humans, but she would not stand by and watch more innocents be ensnared.

She watched, hidden among the trees, as a ramp extended from the ship's hull. A figure appeared in the opening, and Joy's breath caught in her throat. Even from this distance, she could see that he was unlike any being she'd encountered before. He was tall and powerfully built, with skin the color of a lake that wasn’t frozen—a deep, rich blue that seemed to shimmer in the pale light. Intricate golden markings peeked from the sleeves of his cloak and curled up his neck. Ebony hair fell past his shoulders, whipping in the icy breeze as he descended the ramp.

He was gorgeous. Gorgeous and commanding enough to make her knees wobble. Then she gave herself a mental shake. This was hardly the time to be admiring the looks of an alien, no matter how striking.

Joy longed to cry out a warning, to tell the blue-skinned alien to get back on his ship and flee while he still could. But her throat was dry, and the words wouldn’t come. Besides, yelling would only give away her hiding spot, and as she watched, the elves emerged from the village.

Joy hunched lower, fear clawing hungrily at her throat. She couldn't warn the newcomers directly, not yet. But if she could reach their ship…

She had just convinced herself to make a dash for the vessel when a voice behind her made her blood run cold.

"What do you think you're doing?"