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From behind a grove of neon-tinted ferns, an alien beast emerged.
I had to stifle a gasp of horror.
Its skin had the mottled appearance of decaying flesh, with hues of green, brown, and an unsettling purple.
Large bulbous eyes protruded from its skull, darting around erratically.
It had multiple limbs that seemed to sprout from its torso at odd angles, each ending in sharp, talon-like claws.
A thick tail, covered in sharp spikes, trailed behind it, whipping around as if it had a mind of its own.
The beast’s mouth — if you could call it that — was a writhing mass of tentacles, each lined with small, razor-sharp teeth.
Oh my fucking God.
Beside me, I could feel Talan’s entire body go rigid.
His muscles tensed like steel cables beneath his scaly skin, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation.
I could practically feel the power emanating from him, a coiled spring of strength and agility waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
As the hideous alien drew closer, Talan’s grip on my hand tightened, his other hand moving stealthily to my mouth to stifle any sound I might make.
However, in his anxiety and concentration on the looming threat, he pressed down too hard, his palm effectively blocking my nose and mouth.
Panic surged as I found myself unable to breathe.
My lungs screamed for air and spots began to dance before my eyes.
My heart raced, its frantic beats echoing loudly in my ears.
Every rational thought was replaced by the primal need for oxygen.
I thrashed subtly, trying to alert Talan to my plight without drawing the beast’s attention.
My vision started to blur around the edges, and a cold dread began to settle in.
Was I really going to suffocate while hiding from an alien creature?
Meanwhile, seemingly oblivious to my plight, Talan kept his eyes trained on the creature.
The beast paused for a moment, its head tilting ever so slightly, as if trying to discern something in our direction.
My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest, each thud echoing the dwindling seconds I had left before blacking out.
But then, as if deciding we weren’t worth the trouble, or perhaps distracted by another noise, the creature ambled away, its grotesque form slowly disappearing into the thick foliage.
The moment it was out of sight, Talan’s iron grip on my mouth loosened.
Gasping for breath, I doubled over, gulping down large amounts of air.
My head spun, a rush of relief flooding my system.
Talan looked at me with wide eyes, realization dawning on his face.
“I… I’m sorry,” he stammered, genuine concern evident in his golden eyes. “I didn’t realize… I was blocking your breath. Do you humans not have other methods to breathe?”
He motioned to the gills down either side of his ribs that hissed with air as they took deep breaths.
