AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Part One
A Heart of Gold
Zoey
“Ten…” The voice echoes, calm and detached, a stark contrast to the wild pounding of my heart.
I blink rapidly, struggling to dispel the fog clouding my mind. My eyes strain against the harsh, bright lights glaring from above.
I’m encased in a glass pod, my breath fogging the clear barrier. Confusion tugs at the edges of my consciousness, a nagging question of how and why.
The last thing I remember is…
My thoughts scatter as I take in my surroundings. Five other pods, each a peculiar, daunting structure, form a semi-circle around mine.
A chill runs down my spine as I take in the bizarre and otherworldly creatures.
Aliens,my mind whispers.
They’re an eerie assortment, with some flaunting tentacles, others bearing an unnerving number of eyes, and a few with skin shimmering like a chameleon’s.
Pressing my hands against the cold glass, I pray, hoping against hope that this is nothing but a nightmare.
Itmustbe a nightmare!
I slap myself, a sharp sting blossoming on my cheek, but reality remains unaltered.
This isn’t a dream. This is terrifyinglyreal.
“Nine…” The indifferent voice continues, oblivious to my rising panic.
Desperate, I pound on the glass with clenched fists. “Let me out!”
My voice, muffled and weak, barely reaches my own ears. My gaze flickers to the other pods. The creatures inside are waking, their reactions varying from sluggish confusion to outright panic.
“Eight…”
The alien in the pod nearest to me catches my eye. It has luminous skin and eyes disturbingly human. Fear reflects in its gaze, a universal emotion that transcends all language.
A pang of empathy hits me — we’re all captives here, united in our terror.
“Seven…”
Frantically, I scan the interior for an escape, a button, anything. But it’s futile. There’s only the smooth glass and a control panel mockingly out of reach on the outside.
“Six…”
Gas hisses into the pods, each filling with a different hue: blue, yellow, gold, green, and red. My pod becomes enveloped in a pale, sickly white mist.
I hold my breath, eyes widening in horror as the other creatures scream in agony, their cries creating a haunting cacophony.
The gas creeps up my body, a cold sensation slithering up my spine. I gasp for air, bracing for pain that never comes.
“Five…”
The creature with human-like eyes convulses, tormented by the bluegas engulfing it.
I press my palm against the glass, tears clouding my vision. In this bizarre, horrifying moment, our shared fear binds us.
