Chapter Twenty One: Oath

4:57, p.m. November 13.

I feel lost, I know where I am and I know where I'm going in the darkness with my small flashlight, and yet I feel so lost. I'm lost in my labyrinth of a head trying to keep my sanity from running away with me. I'm lost in the chaotic and clashing emotions inside my heart constantly at war with me and with each other. Everything inside of me is screaming at me in words I can't make out. My thoughts and feelings are speaking too loud for me to hear or understand and they're trying to cancel each other out just to be heard. I can't take it anymore. Everything around me and inside of me is a mess and I don't know what to do about it. I've never felt so at war with myself like I do right now. I'm so close to the end of this terrifying journey through the caverns. I can just smell the fresh air of the outside world as I move closer and faster to it. I'm so close to getting out of the darkness and the coldness of this place, yet I feel like I'm walking to my doom or something very horrible at the end. Damn, I sound stupid for thinking like that; for feeling like that. I should be thinking of the alien behind me as my doom rather than getting out of here. I should hate him for the people he killed, hate his hand clutching my left shoulder for guidance, hate his very presence being near me at all. But any shred of hatred I had for him have evaporated from me completely after I got to know Macho. I can't make myself hate him anymore. He's a warrior with honor. He's brave, loyal and even kind. He's thoughtful and willing to trust somebody like me whose not his kind; it takes a lot for some people to trust their own kind. He didn't kill that lady cop because she was pregnant, that alone makes him a decent person. The only people I know he killed we're evil rapists and criminals who deserved worse. The more I think about it, he's more like a hero in that aspect of things. He saved my life many times before and treats me as a fellow hunter as well as a trusted friend. With each minute that goes by and the longer I'm with him, I sink lower into my thoughts of him. I'm at the point where I can't focus long enough on anything else but him. His warm hand that causes my body to go rigid with pleasant shivers, his strange and yet alluring voice that sounds like a mixture of a powerful beasts growl and the rumbling thunder clash after the storm passes, his very essence of great strength and tender kindness have taken over my senses. No man of any kind has ever done such a almost impossible thing before. I used to scoff at the idea in the past that any guy could make me lose my senses so easily. I've only known him for a couple of days and yet I feel like I've known him for a lifetime. I never thought I'd care so for anybody like I do for my alien . . . My alien? When did that happen? Now I'm calling him my alien without even trying. He's taken over everything inside of me; even my heart, and I can't put up a fight even if I wanted to. It doesn't matter though. It doesn't matter what I feel for him. It's not like he feels the same for me. Even if he did, there's no way we could make it work. He can't stay with me on Earth or he'll suffocate on my air and eventually die. Even if that wasn't the case, he couldn't fit in with human life. He's too alien in appearance and looks so terrifying at first glance. Nobody would understand his warrior spirit or his aggressive nature except me. They would hate him for that. People would either try to kill him or experiment on him like a lab rat. I don't want that for Macho at all. There's no way he can or should stay on my planet. He doesn't belong in my world, and I don't belong in his. I don't even feel I belong in my own planet. I'm an outcast to my own kind as it is. If I went with him to his planet, not only would I suffocate on his air, the Yautja might treat me like a filthy pariah; some God forsaken creature not worthy to even speak to or touch. I'd bet a million dollars on it. From what I've been through the last four days and from what Macho has told me about the Yautja, humans are just dumb prey animals and aren't true equals to his kind. His kind is gigantic and their technology is beyond what my kind can manage. I feel so stupid and weak compared to this dominating race of aliens. The way I see it, I would be ridiculed more than ever and without mercy, Macho would be ridiculed as well as humiliated for bringing me with him. I don't want that for him either. It would just be better for the both of us if we go our separate ways and never see each other again. It hurts so much to think this, but it's true. We don't belong together and we never will. But like I said before, it doesn't matter. He'll never take me with him anyway, why beat myself up about it? I don't feel like myself right now, I'm feeling kind of weak; like I'm about to pass out or throw up. I think I'm getting sick now. I've been in the freezing cold for too long and I've been under more stress than I'm used to. It might also because of the cut on my side. The last time I really looked at it, it was inflamed and oozing. I need to change the bandages soon, but I don't have anymore. I'll just have to keep trying to focus on the task at hand. Get out of these caverns, change my old bandages and go back to my life like this was all a messed up dream. But how?

"Artemis."

His voice surprised me when he said my name and it echoed through the tunnel. It didn't scare me though. He can't scare me anymore. I got over being scared when he gave me the spear I'm holding in my left hand. The way he says my name makes my cheeks burn, it also made me pull out of myself for a bit.

"What?"

I turned my head around to look at him and almost tripped over my own feet., not watching where I was going like a dumb bimbo.

"Big moron, don't make an idiot of yourself anymore."

"Do you ever have anything nice to say, ever?"

I'm yelling at myself in my head again. I really need to stop doing this. I have somebody else to talk with. I don't need to talk to myself anymore.

"Yeah, but how long will he be here until you have nobody but yourself to talk to again?"

I hate it when I made sense. I didn't want to think about it though. I looked back to the tunnel and tried to keep my eyes straight, like I should've been doing. Macho continue talking.

"I must ask a great favor of you."

My hearts pounding so hard, I can feel it in my eardrums.

"What?"

"That's all you can say? God, you sound like a dumb parrot repeating one word over and over. Knock it off."

I wish I couldn't hear myself anymore, I can be a real bitch.

"Do you recall the terms of our oath Artemis?"

Oh my God. I almost forgot about it. If I get him out of here safely, he'll let me live and he'll have to leave and never come back. I made that oath with him when he was trying to kill me and I hated him. Now, it's no longer the case.

"Yeah, what about it?"

I tried my hardest to stay calm when I said that. I don't even know why I'm so nervous. No, not nervous, excited. . He paused for a minute. What's he trying to say?

"I must ask another oath from you."

My throat has a huge lump now, it's hard to swallow and breathe.

"Stop it Artemis! You're acting like a . . . a girl!"

So this is how it feels. I'm not used to this girly feeling, I've always been boyish in the way I think and feel. This new feeling is uneasy and confusing. So why do I want this feeling to stay? I tried to muster as much power as I could so I could tell him he could ask anything of me and I'll gladly do it, but all I could say was one lousy word.

"What?"

Stupid! parrot"

"You must never speak of what took place in these caverns."

My heart almost shattered into micro shards when he said that. Why would he ask something like that from me? was he ashamed of what happened? Is he ashamed of me?

"Why?"

I tried my best not to scream at him about why he would want me to cover up something that meant everything to me. He continued.

"Your kind must not know about the Yautja. We wish to keep your Earth a pure hunting ground. I must not leave no evidence of my hunt behind or I will be severely punished by my clan. Will you give your oath to me to never reveal our friendship or my secrets to any other oomans, please?"

Now I get it. He's begging me to keep this a secret because I'm his friend and to keep him out of trouble. I calmed down, but only the tiniest bit. It still meant he'll still be leaving and I'll never see him again. At least we can part knowing we'll still be friends and that he has no reason to doubt me.I'll make sure he knows that. I stopped dead in my tracks so that I could turn around and look at him. Even though he couldn't see me, I wanted to say it to his face. I put the flashlight in my right hand holding both that and my spear so that I could place my hand over his strong one still holding my shoulder.

"Macho. You're my friend and always will be. After everything we've been through, I don't have the heart to sell you out like that. If I did, then I don't deserve this spear or deserve your friendship. You don't have to worry about me blabbing my mouth because I'll keep it shut for you. You can trust me with anything."

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I couldn't hold it back but I kept my composer so I could finish what I needed to say to him.

"You have my oath, Macho. I'll never tell anybody about you or your kind. But can you make an oath to me?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"What do you wish of me, Artemis?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I hope he won't be upset.

"When we leave this place and we go our separate ways, I want you to swear to not kill anybody. All I want you to do is go back to your ship and go back to your planet without anymore deaths. I can't take anymore death. Will you give that oath to me?"

I felt another tear roll down my cheek. He was quiet but he didn't seem upset at all, he was actually calm. He began to unplug his tubes and with his free hand removed his mask. Before, his face used to terrify me. It's still strange to look at but I'm getting used to it. If there's anything I would call beautiful in his face, it would be his crimson eyes. They're so thoughtful and steady. I could see them even in the dim light. He said he could only see red without the mask which makes it hard to make out anything, but I could feel his warm gaze on me and I felt the warmth. He dropped his mask on the ground and without warning, he placed his free hand on my cheek. He softly rubbed away my tears from face.

"You have my oath, Artemis."

This warmed my heart so much, I couldn't feel the cold anymore or the pain. He was about to say something else, but he was cut off by the far off echo of a gunshot behind us.

GUNSHOT?

BEHIND US?

HOW?

OH GOD, NO, NO, NO . . .