Into Hell

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. Did you know they say demons enter our dimension from another plane? I didn't believe it before but I do now.

I watch as these demons or maybe they are aliens, or maybe they are just one in the same, break my partners on this exhibition down piece by piece. Whomever said they can't hear you scream in space is a lying piece of shit. All I hear is their screams.

I hear Mike, the captain of our crew cry out for God. "Ah." His scream curdles my blood. Three out of the eight of us are dead. Three more tied up as their flesh is peeled from bone with the sharpened claws on these lifeforms. Their appearance is just as dark as the night sky with elongated claws on their hands and feet. Their teeth yellow and jagged. They carry things like porcupine spikes on their back.

I look at Daisy beside me and she shuts her eyes tightly to keep the images from her head. I don't bother telling her it won't help. I work to get the ropes looser around my hands. It won't make a difference if I can't get my legs free though.

Daisy whimpers and the smell of ammonia hits my nose. I can't think about that now. I need to get to our shuttle and report back to command. I don't want anyone else stumbling onto this plane or galaxy.

Another life form approaches Daisy and I. Daisy must sense it because she goes stiff next to me. It seems like it tries to communicate at us but all I hear are rumbles and growls. I spit at its feet. A raspy like laugh comes from this damn thing and it makes my blood boil.

I don't fear death. What scares me most is that Daisy and I are the only women left on this exhibition, we were the only young ones. I don't know what they have planned but I don't plan on waiting for them to make their move. The things studies us with another sickening laugh before walking away.

My hands are free finally and I rub the feeling back into them. I quickly work at undoing the rope at my legs never taking my eyes off of the walking nightmares. I still have a sharp knife in my boot i placed there when we crash landed. My father always told me you can never be too careful.

I touch Daisy on her shoulder and her eyes shoot open, half mad. I put my fingers to her lips to keep her quiet. She nods like a bobble head and I work at her ropes. As soon as I cut her free she starts running like a crazed person. She doesn't even try to stifle the sounds of her footfalls.

"Fuck." I say under my breath and begin running. I don't look back but I know they are behind us. Our shuttle isn't far we just need to get a little closer.

Even though we crashed the frame is still intact. Just enough for me to get a message to our dying planet. I get ahead of Daisy and keep going, never looking back even as I hear Daisy stumble.

"Sophia!" She screeches at me. I hear more screaming and then painfully it stops.

An errant tear falls from my eye and I don't bother to dash it away. I lock the frame and can hear them shredding the metal on the outside. I crash onto my knees as I get the computer running. The only source of communication to our world and I hope it reaches them in time.

I can still hear the things peeling apart the shuttle. "Stupid fucking computer!" I scream because it doesn't matter now. Finally it boots up and I go through the motions of starting up our message to our base close to Earth.

"This is Sophia Valenccia from the SSUG 27." I take in a shaky breath because I know the metal is giving way. "We crashed on a planet and all eight of us have been taken as captives. These life forms, whatever they are, are deadly and not worth studying. I warn do not engage. Do not come for us! We are lost!"

I end just as the door keeping me from them gives way. Two of them come in and watch me. I smile for the first time since we landed in this godforsaken place. "No one will be coming. So... kill me."

They cackle. One hisses and to my surprise begins to speak. "You're better off to me alive". He kneels down and touches my cheek with one long claw. I grimace at the touch. "For your hope and the hope of survival of your species, I hope that's true."

He grabs me by my throat and drags me from the broken shuttle. I hope so too.