At the Break of Dawn, Shelter Found Me

“I saw it over here! Find it before it gets away!” a loud masculine voice shouted.

Xzeyko was hiding in a bed of shrubs beside the highway, shivering. He’d stumbled into a police investigation and made his presence known. Luckily, it was still dark, and the police had missed him in favor of searching further down the road.

He took a shaky breath. Hey, Xzeyko! It’s okay! If the police are here, it has to mean you’re close to the city! he thought to himself.

While the police had their backs turned, he snuck out onto the highway and bolted away. His padded feet made little noise on the asphalt, but it sure did hurt to run barefoot. He took a mental note to find some form of footwear whenever he could.

After a couple minutes, he saw the city lights closer than ever before. He could even see a few of the houses in the suburbs. What did Niko tell me to do…? I guess it’s risky, but I could try hiding in someone’s house.

He sighed. No, not yet. I can get closer to the city. C’mon, Xzeyko. You can make it a little longer without food. It’s been four days. What’s thirty minutes more? He kept on stumbling forward, watching as the starry sky became more blotted with light pollution.

It was about then when he met a new challenge— he was close enough to the city that cars were now a threat. He couldn’t walk in the open anymore; the trees beside the highway would have to make do. After all, the only thing worse than getting found would be getting flattened.

Xzeyko knew he couldn’t keep going for long, despite his best attempts at self-encouragement. He started traveling deeper and deeper into the woods, hoping there might still be half-humans close to the city who might take him in for the night. And if there aren’t any, it’ll be fine! I can go another day! I’m gonna make it!

He saw a bit of light gleaming in the corner of his eye— light that definitely wasn’t from the big city. He turned and tried to get a closer look. It looked… rectangular? He inches closer. It’s a house!

He noticed that he’d stumbled into some poor suburbian’s backyard. He hated what he planned to do— acting as a parasite was only fun when you hated the host. And beyond that, he’d have to find a way to keep them from knowing he existed. Luckily, it was still dark, and–

Xzeyko looked up at the sky. It had started to fade into a pastel blue. He always loved the sunrise, but not now. It had crept up behind him like a horror movie monster, and now he couldn’t do anything about it. He had to make a choice now.

You’ve always been sneaky. You can do this! Xzeyko told himself. He snuck up next to the back door, hiding in whatever shadows were left. A ray of sun hit him on the snout; he could feel its warmth threatening his last chance at survival.

He crouched down and pulled a pair of bent paper clips from his pocket. He hadn’t lock-picked in a long time, but he was certain he’d be able to do it. He had to, didn’t he? It was his only hope. He felt his stomach growl at him, and his vision blurred a little. I’m fine! I can do this!

He inserted the clips into the lock and started feeling for the cotter pins. One by one, he forced them into place, and after a minute or two, he turned the handle, and the door opened. See? That wasn’t that hard! He stood up to sneak in.

He felt the blood rush to his head and his vision darken. You’re fine, Xzeyko! You just stood up too quick! You’re just… fine… He fell down through the door and lost consciousness.

Xzeyko blinked. Where am I? He didn’t have the energy to get up, but he looked around. He was lying on his back on something… soft? He looked to his right and found a large leather cushion. It seemed like he’d laid down on a couch.

I don’t remember doing that, he thought. Maybe I just sleepwalked! That’d be funny. He groaned, trying to at least lean up against the couch. He found a side-table to his left with his paper clips laid on it. He reached over and pocketed them.

The walls were painted a plain white with aqua-tinted accents around picture frames and the like. The wooden floor was polished to a shine, and a circular rug adorned the center of the living room. Xzeyko smiled. Been a while since I’ve been anywhere so nice-looking.

He looked around from this higher vantage point. Over to his left was a kitchen— it looked nicely furnished. On the stove, there was a pot of some sort of soup. Xzeyko could smell it. Chicken smells really good! I haven’t had anything like it in years.

Then he heard a voice from a couple rooms away.

“Really? So you’re sure he’s safe?”

Xzeyko’s eyes widened. He was ready to bolt again if he needed to.

“I think so, yeah. He was out the last time I checked.”

He snapped his head every which way, looking for a potential exit. It was like his instincts had kicked in.

“I’ll try. I don’t know how long it’s been since he’s eaten, so I made food.”

His ears twitched. Food?

“Cream of chicken. Hopefully his stomach can take it.”

Is this guy planning on feeding me?

“Yes. Alright, I’ll call you back if anything happens. Take care.”

Xzeyko swallowed the saliva that’d been collecting in his mouth. If he sends me to the police, I’m dead. But hey, I can probably snatch the food and run! That’s a good plan!

A man of average height walked into the kitchen from the room adjacent. His dark hair contrasted the vibrant color of his collared shirt. He pocketed his phone and looked up to see Xzeyko, sitting up, staring right back at him.

“Hi,” the man said.

Xzeyko trembled a little. “H-hi!”

“I want to make one thing clear before anything else, okay? I’m not trying to hurt you. I know you, uh, broke into my house and all. But I’ve heard about the quarantine camps. I won’t send you away.”

Xzeyko scooted back. “Who w-were you on the phone with, then?”

“A half-human specialist. Her name is Dr. Johnson. I told her about your case.”

Johnson? I’ve heard that name before. But it’s really common… “A-are you gonna tell me to leave soon? B-because I can! If you want me to!”

The man crouched down next to the couch and looked Xzeyko in the eyes. “Do you really want to go back out there?”

“…No.”

“Then I’ll keep you safe for as long as I can, got it?”