Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke up the next morning with a start; my sleep had been troubled and dark. I sat up on the side of my bed as I remembered what happened the day before. I shuddered as I remembered the beast’s terrifying face, how it morphed into my face.  I couldn’t work it out- why would it do that? What possible reason could it have for trying to take my place? With a sinking feeling I remembered the way it enjoyed the fear it invoked in the men as it ripped them apart. How it spoke to me, saying my form was needed, but I had to die, and how it morphed into me, and tried to kill me. Suddenly it hit me- the man said something about how they fed on our fear- they wanted to hide in plain sight right next to their next meal. By killing me, and most likely ripping apart my corpse it would have been able to take my place without anyone being any the wiser. But wait- if they were going to do it to me, what’s stopping them from doing it again? I remembered the first officer, he had lead a search party out, it would be easy to replace the survivors, or even snatch members of the search party and replace them. I never should have lied to Vargbran, Id put him in terrible danger.  I ran out of my tent, it was early afternoon,  and span around looking for him, a sinking feeling in my chest. I ran up and  asked someone nearby if they were back yet, but they said they had heard nothing. I wanted to chase into the forest after him, try and warn him before it was too late, but I knew I had to check on Adriel. Her condition had not changed. She was healing, but very weak from her fever, lying in a half conscious state, ranting and moaning. I went through the supplies again, but we had run out of anti botics weeks ago.    I spent the next few hours in a panic, pacing back and forth debating to chase after him when I heard a cheer erupt from the crowd.

 He had arrived, battered and bruised but with all the search party and survivors. The people celebrated, but I hung back, and studied the group. I knew only a few of them personally, but even still I could tell there was something wrong, something no quite right.  About 6 of them stood with an oddly tight posture, like they didn’t know how to stand naturally. Their faces looked human, but there was an odd sort of tightness, like too little skin was stretched over too much face. It was too late, they were among us now. I had to warn First Officer Vargbran.  I slipped away from the crowd, not wanting to tell him in public, intending to approach him in private once the crowd died down when I felt a suddenly clamp down on my shoulder.

“Dr Swift! Mayson tells me you had something you wanted to talk to me about?”

I looked into his eyes and with a grim realization I knew it was too late. The man I was speaking to was not Vargbarn. They had gotten him too.

“Ah its nothing Officer, I just wanted to tell you Adriel was healing but weak- we need to find another group of survivors, or another crash site and try and get some anti-biotics or she won’t be able to pull through.

He nodded seriously, and began a  lengthy reply. I listened somewhat, but I was watching how he spoke. He spoke with the same accent, gave off the same intonations that the officer did, even  pausing for breath in the same way he always did. But it felt wrong, like someone was trying to show an emotion they had only ever read about, it felt flat and empty. His eyes didn’t blink enough, and his whole face seemed stretched over his skull, like his skin was not enough to cover his face.

“I’m sorry doctor swift, but I can’t risk any sending a party out into the forest. It was risky enough going after those who were captured, and we have no idea how many more of those creatures are out there.  Then men who did go are exhausted and on edge. We need time to rest and build up our defenses, we could be attacked again at any moment.”

I had to fight the urge to run to the hills, and scream the truth to the whole colony. But I knew, it would be useless-  no one would believe what I had to say, they would think I had simply cracked from the pressure and my fear was making me paranoid. I had no way to prove that the creatures were capable of imitating us and hiding among us. If I tried to warn people, odds are word would get to one of the beasts who had impersonated the kidnapped survivors, and all I would do was make myself a target to them. I couldn’t risk that, not when Adrial still needed me. I protested;

“But sir, if she doesn’t get the drugs she needs,  she’s unlikely to pull through. I can go alone, I know the area, I can plot a course based on where the survivors came running from. I know what drugs to look for-

He cut across me suddenly

“”And then what Dr Swift? While you go out into the forest, who will look after Adrial if she takes a turn for the worse? None of us have any medical training, you are our only source for medical care.  By running off into the forest, you are leaving us without a doctor, if we get attacked again we will have no way of patching up those who get minced by the creatures claws. Michal, I need you here, everyone does. I know that Adrial is important to you, but I can’t risk loosening you.”

I realized that the more I pushed the issue, the more attention I drew to myself as a danger to the imposters. By opposing him here, I would broadcast myself as a possible troublemaker, someone who could oppose him,  and   if I continued to argue with him, there was a very real chance I would make myself a immediate target again to these creatures to target. It would be easy to make me disappear, or suddenly snatch me from my bed at night and  replace me.  If I was to save Adrial I had to back down and hope she could pull through on her own. Recovery would be meaningless if I didn’t survive long enough to warn her had happened. Realizing this, I decided to drop the argument and get away from Vargbarn.

I gave a loud cry of frustration, turning and stormed off.
“Fine! But if she dies, it’s on your head you hear!”

I gave off the perfect image of a doctor far too close to his patient. Trouble was, I was.

For the next week I barely slept, nursing Adrial, checking her IV, wiping her sweat off, scouring the remains of the medical supplies for anything that could help. Adriel seemed to slowly be improving but it was hard to tell, the fever was still very strong. I did all I could. but no matter how hard I tried I could not escape the long periods of waiting, desperately trying to think of a plan to escape or reveal the monsters to the rest of the survivors.  Try as I might, i could not think of a plan even remotely feasible that could save my fellow colonists without the creatures being able to silence me or invalidate my seemingly impossible truth. Finally, after a week, Adrial finally awoke.

She stired slowly, still dazed and feverish, slowly sitting up in the bed.

“Where… Where am i? what happened?”

“You’re in your room,  we moved the med bay after the attack. It’s okay you’re safe now- we fought them off-

Jumping in shock, her eyes suddenly went wide and she began shaking clutching her self, half crazed with fear.

“Oh god those monsters- they ripped them apart, covered in blood oh god oh god-“”

Grabbing her hand I  looked into her eyes and spoke loudly to her face

“”Adrial- we fought them off- you’re safe. I killed the one that hurt you. He won’t touch you again”

Her eye widened at the mention of her injury and she looked down at her chest, an ugly scar covering her belly. Before she could speak I interrupted her, trying to calm her down.

“You were lucky, its claw missed hitting any important organs., but you’ve  been  unconscious for nearly a week and a half now, you developed a fever.  How are you feeling?”

“Like I just went 3 rounds with a tiger, while wasted. Ough, what happened anyway? I remember the attack by the monster but nothing else”

I gave her a brief summary , leaving out the monsters replacing Vargbarn and some of the survivors. She was still very ill, and telling her now would just terrify her, and possibly jeopardize her chances of recovery. I would tell her once she had recovered, and then we could come up with a plan.  Noticing she seemed to be tiring, I brought her meal and urged her to eat before she rested again. We sat in silence as she ate, till she lay down again to rest.

“”I’m afraid to sleep again… I remember seeing those monsters in my dreams, tearing me apart, again and again.”

Gently holding her hand I looked into her eyes.

“Il be here with you the whole time. I won’t let them harm you again. I’ve already failed you twice, I won’t do it a third time. I love you too much for that.”

Blushing she pulled the sheet over her head and turned over. I sat with her till she fell asleep, desperately plotting late into the night.