Beyond the Heavens

The Meeting

Kim woke up and looked around.

Where am I? she asked herself.

She looked around and saw that she was in the middle of the road.

She stood up and continued to look around.

The night was very dark, no streetlamps illuminated the road, no house around had a light on, there was no person on the street or in the vicinity.

Kim turned around, continued to look around and saw a few meters away a house with light on and she decided to get closer.

She got close to the gate, noticed that it was open and pushed it.

"Hi! Is there someone here?" she entered the house.

She carefully entered the house and was startled by what she saw.

The house was bloody, some furniture was overturned and other broken.

But what happened here?

"Who are you?" a man asked.

She was about to turn back when the man interrupted her.

"Stay like this! Hands up! Otherwise i will bury a bullet in your head!"

"You don't have to b---"

The man interrupted her.

"Shut up! Hands up!"

"Hey! Look I m s---"

The man threw a knife at the wall.

"I told you... shut up!"

Kim startled raised her hands.

"Remove your clothes without turning back."

Kim did it.

"What now?" she asked, terrified.

"Pull your legs apart, from each other!"

"What?" Kim asked, trying to turn back.

The man leaned her against the wall and spreaded her legs.

"Who are you, what is your name and where do you come from?"

The man pointed a knife at Kim's neck.

"I don't know..." she replied terrified.

"Tell me or I'll kill you!"

"I don't know!" she replied, screaming.

The man grabbed her by the hair and leaned her against the wall again.

"Girl!!!"

Kim remained silent and started to sob.

"Are you a collaborator?"

"What?" she asked, crying.

"My God!" he pulled her by the hair, "are you a terrorist?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she shouted as cried.

"There's only one way to know!"

The man took out a pocketknife and cut under the back of Kim's neck.

She screamed and continued to cry.

He released her.

"One hundred percent human," he said.

The man turned around, took a cigarette from his pocket and a lighter.

"Clean up yourself," he said, lighting his cigarette.

Kim turned back.

"What was that for?" Kim wiped the dripping blood below the nape of her neck.

The man turned to look at her and exhaled the smoke from his mouth.

Kim was thin, white, short, had black long hair to the shoulders and appeared to be in the age group from twenty-five to thirty years old.

"To find out if you was one hundred percent human."

The man was light black, tall, had a punk hairstyle and a well done beard, appeared to be also in the age group of twenty-five to thirty years.

"Of course I'm human," She approached him.

The man pointed a gun at her.

"Don't come any closer!"

"But wha---"

The man interrupted her.

"I don't know you, don't act in a friendly way!"

The man stared at her.

Kim was terrified and confused.

The man put the gun away.

"I don't trust you," he said.

"But I---

The man suddenly grabbed Kim by the chin.

"Look ... I'm the one who asks the questions here," He looked her in the eyes.

What is this smell? The man looked at Kim from above to low.

He noticed that she only wore underwear and released her.

He turned back.

"See if you take a shower and change clothes."

"But---"

The man interrupted her.

"If you want to stay alive do what I say."

"Okay," Kim started to pick up her clothes that were on the floor, "where is the bathroom?"

"I don't know. I never entered this house before," He said looking around.

The man started walking.

"Let me see th---"

Suddenly a hole appeared in the ground and he fell.

"Hey!" Kim ran towards him.

The man fell to approximately 5 meters deep and started coughing.

"What was this?" he asked himself.

Kim reached close to the hole and crouched down.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

The man stood up and looked around.

"I'm fine," He coughed.

"I'll look for help!" Kim shouted.

"There's nobody here... this area is abandoned"

But what's wrong with her? Doesn't she knows this zone isn't habitable anymore?" he asked himself.

"So how do you get you out from there?" Kim looked around.

Can I trust her? The man wondered.

"I'll look for a rope!" Kim stood up and started to dress up.

"Be careful!"

"Alright!" Kim went looking for a rope.

The man sighed.

Can I trust her? I don't even know her. But I haven't another choice.

He sat down.

He was waiting Kim for 10 minutes and nothing happened.

He became impatient, suddenly something crossed his mind and

suddenly he stood up.

What if she is a collaborator? And what if this is all a trap of the alien I came to hunt.

The man shook his head.

"I've cut her. It's not possible."

Tadeu looked up, terrified.

He rummaged in his pockets and took out his cell phone.

Twenty percent load? Maybe I should call Bruno...

The man was dialing Bruno when he happened to turn the cellphone to his left side and saw a small hole.

"What is it?"

He switched on the flashlight and focused on his left side, removed the gun and started hitting the wall.

The wall fell and gave him access to a narrow entrance.

"But…"

The man entered and started walking down the small corridor.

"Damn! What a musty smell!" he covered his nostrils.

He continued to walk then he saw a large room.

He went in and the lights lightened on.

This works... this works with sensor? He wondered, looking around.

The room was extensive, white, dusty and emanated a lot cold.

What a horrible cold, he ran his hands over the arms.

He looked at the floor and saw blood. Continued making a view and noticed that drawers were on all the walls.

Drawers?

He went to a row and tried to open it.

"Damn, I can't open this..."

He grabbed the doorknob with both hands and finally managed to open the drawer.

When he opened it he was horrified by what he had seen.

"Damn ..."

In the drawer contained the body of a man who was unconscious.

Then he opened a second drawer and saw the same, opened the third one, fourth and fifth drawer and saw the same, body of unconscious men.

They might be the men recently abducted by---

Suddenly he heard a female voice.

"Sir..."

The man got back to reality.

"Does…"

He started running towards the place where he had fallen.

He looked up and was relieved.

"You came back!" he smiled of relief.

"Of course I was going to get back." Kim tossed him a rope.

"Thanks."

The man took the rope and started to climb.

After 3 minutes he was five feet away distance from Kim.

"You are almost there," she said.

The man was going up when he suddenly pulled out his gun and pointed at Kim.

"You finally showed up your face...you damn alien!"

"Al---"

Suddenly the man threw something behind Kim, she turned back and saw a green humanoid creature, from a height about two meters, which looked like a giant lizard.

The creature was being electrocuted. Suddenly Kim felt someone holding her.

"Come on... we need to get away from here or we will die!" the man said.

Kim got up and they both started running towards the door. Suddenly the man fell and looked at his legs. The creature's tail wrapped around one of his legs.

The man started to shot to the creature's tail, suddenly he was thrown against the wall.

He screamed out in pain and fell slowly. Kim looked around in terror, not knowing what to do.

The creature was going towards the man when suddenly it noticed Kim and started walking towards her.

Kim put her hands over her mouth.

No.. No.., she took slow steps back.

"Hey ..." the man got the creature's attention.

The creature looked at him and he started to shout it. In a blink of eye the creature placed itself in front of the man and wrapped his tail on the man's neck lifting him off the floor.

The more he lifted him, the more he tightened his neck.

"Do something girl...", the man spoke in a breathless way, "do..."

The man was losing his senses, when suddenly the alien released him and he fell.

The man raised his head, saw a greenish liquid come out with a lot of pressure from inside the alien and he lost his conscience.

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The man woke up and looked around.

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

He tried to get up, felt his arm sore and noticed that he had a cloth intertwined around the neck that supported the arm.

"The girl!"

He got out of bed and left the room looking for Kim.

"Hey... girl, where are you?" he leaned against the walls.

He went to the backyard of the house and looked around, saw Kim waving to him.

After two minutes Kim got close to him.

"Good morning," Kim broke into a smile, "you should rest."

"I don't need it, I'm strong enough."

"Yeah ... I don't doubt it, you twisted your arm and doesn't look like you suffered."

"You saved my life. I'm in debt with you," The man held out his arm, " my name is Tadeu...Tadeu Tavares."

Kim looked at him and returned the greeting.

"My name is Kim."

Tadeu frowned.

"Now do you know your name?"

Kim shrugged her head, "I think it just flowed."

"I see..." Tadeu looked around, "what happened to the alien?"

"He died."

Tadeu shrugged and sighed.

"What it is?" Kim asked, worriedly.

"I came to this area to hunt the alien you killed."

"I'm sorry."

Tadeu stared at her.

"You said you killed the alien ..." Kim nodded.

"What do you mean, how did he die?" he asked.

"I killed him, as before you passed out."

"Did you manage to kill him?"

"Yea…"

She looks so fragile and helpless ... no one would believe that she managed to kill an alien, he thought.

Kim held her head with both hands.

Tadeu held Kim by the shoulder.

"Are you fine?" he asked, in a worried way.

Kim ran her hands over the face.

"I spent the night awake, I'm tired... I need to rest .."

"Al---"

Kim started walking.

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Kim woke up to the sound of an explosion.

Suddenly she sat up on the bed.

She looked around the room and it was dark, she suddenly started listening long heavy footsteps of someone approaching her room.

She stared at the door and saw it being broken off sharply.

Kim made a slight moan of fright.

An alien emerged from the door.

Kim screamed in terror, got out of bed and ran towards the window.

She opened the window, when she was about to jump, the alien grabbed her by the leg and pulled her down.

Kim banged her face on the side of the window, tried to grab it and the alien put pressure pulling her down.

"No!!!"

Tadeu woke up to the sound of Kim's scream.

Kim!

He quickly got up and went towards Kim.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, in a worrying tone.

Kim was sitting on the couch, she was pale, her left hand were placed on her chest and she took a deep breath.

"Kim? Are you fine?" Tadeu held her by the shoulders.

Kim sighed and laid down again.

"I had a nightmare," she said.

Tadeu sat down next to her.

"You're sweating," he said.

Kim closed her eyes.

"I dreamed that an alien had invaded my room and wanted to take me somewhere... it was awful," She added.

"I understand. I will wait you to fall asleep again."

"There is no need to," she replied, "i'm fine," She added.

Tadeu got up and went to the place where he slept. Lit the flashlight and held up a book.

"What book is that?" Kim asked.

Tadeu looked around the book.

"Ballad of Love in the wind by Paulina Chiziane... great work."

Kim nodded.

"I can read it to you if you want."

"I do."

Tadeu read the book for twenty minutes, until finally Kim got sleepy again.

Tadeu closed the book and fell asleep.

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Tadeu heard Kim approach.

"Good morning sleeping beauty!" he said.

"Good Morning! What do you do?" "I'm packing up the supplements." "What supplements and what for?" Tadeu turned back and stared at her.

"You really don't know anything," he said.

Kim looked away.

"I lost my memory... I don't know what's going on here..." Kim looked away.

Tadeu opened a smile.

"Let's go to the base," Tadeu started to put away the boxes that were on the floor, "but first, let's meet my companions."

"Base of?" Kim went over to help him.

"I'll tell you on the way. Is there anything you want to take?"

Kim looked around.

"No..."

"Then let's go," He said removing the bandage that supported his arm.

"Hey.. no..." Kim was approaching Tadeu.

"I need to drive," Tadeu got in the car.

Tadeu started the car, "Won't you get in?"

Kim went around and got inside.

"So... what is this base?"

"Well... base is one of several centers that were created to put citizens safe. So far there are ten bases and I'm from the second one."

"I understand."

"I'm a second base mercenary"

"Mercenary?"

"Yeah... we hunt aliens and trade for weapons at the Chinese Corporation."

"Hmmm…"

"The Chinese Corporation is an organization of Chinese origin, as the name suggests, who have created weapons able to kill aliens... and other defense equipment against these creatures."

"I see."

"Here we are!"

Tadeu got out of the car and then Kim. Kim looked around.

The place they were in was an uninhabitable area and contained countless abandoned houses.

Tadeu started walking towards one of the houses and went in. "Bruno!" Tadeu shouted, "sargent Mauro!" Tadeu looked around.

Something is not right... everything is silent and dark, he thought.

Tadeu withdrew his gun, a flashlight, started to aim and focus simultaneously. Suddenly he felt a shape and turned around.

"Kim…" Tadeu was looking for her with his eyes.

"Kim?"

Tadeu was returning to the entrance of the house looking for Kim. Suddenly someone hit him and he lost his consciousness.

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Kim regained consciousness.

Where I am? she tried to release herself.

Kim looked around.

It's dark... what is that smell…?Blood?

Kim felt sick.

I need to get out of here.

Kim tried to release herself.

I can't release myself

Kim continued to struggle to release herself and finally succeeded.

She fell to the floor on her knees.

Kim held both wrists and felt chains on them.

I need to...

Kim got up, felt a little dizzy and her legs flickers.

I think I was drugged, she held her head.

Suddenly the light started to dazzle.

Kim looked around in terror.

"What..."

The light continued to dazzle steadily and Kim had been able to see other people hanging.

Kim felt sick and covered her mouth with her hand.

Is Tadeu and his companions here…? It's possible th...

Kim shook his head.

"I'll have to look for his body around here."

Kim started looking for Tadeu in the bodies of people who were hanging. Kim inspected body by body and noticed that the bodies that were in that place were just women.

"Tadeu is not here ..."

Kim looked around for a way out, when finally saw a double ironed door.

She ran over there and opened it carefully.

She looked around and saw no one, she started to walk until she realized that she would need a weapon.

She returned to the room where she was and looked for something and had nothing.

She saw a wall with iron pipes, held it, stepped on the wall and pulled until she managed to get one out.

She ran out of the room and saw two corridors in front of her who led to different directions.

Left or right…?

Kim went to her right corridor and heard voices of people approaching.

"Damn ..."

She looked around and saw that it contained a gas pipeline underneath.

She opened the grill, entered it and closed it.

She stood there and watched the men pass.

“Today we can sacrifice... for a long time we couldn't do it”

"Truth. We were very lucky.”

Sacrifice…? What do they talk about...? Maybe I should follow them... they can take me to where Tadeu is ..

Kim slowly opened the grille, left the pipeline and went after them.

"Hey!"

The men turned back and Kim hit one of them.

The other ran and clicked on a spot on the wall.

Suddenly a door started to get down in front of him and an alarm started to ring.

Kim ran, slipped and rolled on the floor in order to cross the door.

The man took a gun and started to shot Kim.

Kim took the iron in her hand and threw it in the arm of the man.

The man dropped the gun, then took out two knives and ran towards Kim.

Kim dodged the first knife, the man attacked her with the second, Kim jumped back and crouched.

The man ran again towards her, she supported the hand on the floor and gave him a double kick.

The man fell.

Kim stood up and took his knives out of his hand.

"Who are you? Where is Tadeu?"

The man burst out laughing.

"Do you think I'll answer?" the man asked.

Kim tugged on his shirt making him stand up.

"Answer!"

Kim headbutted him.

The man fell to the ground, quickly took something out of his pocket and put it in his mouth.

Kim knelt and took him by the collar again.

"What…"

Suddenly the man started to have seizures and foam something green in the mouth.

Kim dropped him.

"Tsk!"

Kim looked around.

How am I going to get out of here..?

Kim looked at the man, crouched down and began to research on him.

A flashlight ... two grenades...what for?

"It doesn't matter... it can be useful .."

Kim took the objects and kept it. She looked around again.

"Perhaps…"

Kim clicked a button on the wall and the gate started to rise.

Suddenly she noticed that on the other side were many men who pointed guns at her.

"s**t!"

Suddenly Kim picked up the man on the floor and placed him in front of her to use him as a shield.

Kim ran out while the men were shooting her.

She reached one of them, dropped the body she used as a shield and slit a man's throat, continued to run, she threw the knives at the head of two men killing them, she slipped on the ground, took a gun, got up and started the counter attack.

She continued to run among the men in order to escape from them, she found herself at a safe distance then she threw a grenade. Kim continued to run until she found a door and entered the place.

Everything here is dark...

Kim was looking for a switch until she remembered taking a flashlight from one of the men.

"Ahm.."

Kim took the flashlight and turned it on.

Kim got horrified by what she was seeing.

In the place where she was, there was a heap of countless

bodies in an advanced state of putrification.

Kim covered her mouth with her hand.

Kim heard a noise coming from the huddle, focused on the place and she saw countless cockroaches and rats writhing because of the light.

"s**t I have to---" Kim was going towards the door to leave the place.

Suddenly she heard the voices of men running around looking for her.

Instinctively Kim ran towards the huddle of bodies and hid between them.

Suddenly the door was opened, two men entered and started to check the place for two minutes.

"She might not be here," one of the men said.

"Let's check elsewhere," said another one.

Both left.

Kim sighed.

She was about to get out of the heap of bodies when suddenly someone grabbed her by the leg.