Ethan jogged towards me steadily and scooped me up in his arms gently. He carried me to a hut, I think that’s how I could describe it, it was just like a hut, a semi-dome, made up of leaves. I noticed that there were three camp fires burning at the mouth of the hut almost enclosing, It from the cold outside. There was a huge pile of dry leaves and dry branches stacked up on one side of the cave. When he took me in, the warmth that flooded me from all the three sides was heavenly. I felt little less cold than I did few moments ago. Just when he placed me down, I realized something. Fear and panic gripped me trying to rob me off the little oxygen, I manage to force down my wind pipe. I cursed myself for realizing it just now. Ethan took my hand, sensing my sudden panic, I cringed away from him terrorized.“Ana?” he was confused, his eyes made no attempt to mask the hurt that flitted across his face. He reached for my hand again.“No, Eth…Et

I can feel the tension radiating off him in heavy waves. He was clutching my hand tightly. "Don’t panic ok? Stay with me, they are here" he said urgently. Now, it was me who was clutching his hand tightly, my heart thumped painfully. They shouldn't hurt him, they shouldn’t hurt him. I chanted in my mind."Freeze!!" Two voices shouted. My ears buzzed from the sudden adrenaline rush. Just like, Ethan warned there were four of them with heavy loaded guns pointed right at our chests."Put your hands up in the air, right now!” one of them shouted. Ethan partly obscured me from their field of vision. We lifted our hands up slowly. 

 I dint know how long I have been asleep, I glanced at the dashboard it read 4:00 in the evening. I looked around and noticed that we were just entering a forest area. This was nothing like the one, we have been struck in for days. It was more like mountain area with lot of trees and valleys. The road was flanked by dense trees on both sides. I rolled down my window to hear the soft rustle of the leaves brushing against each other, topping it all was the melodious tune on the bird chips. I put my head out the window and inhaled deeply, letting my hair flutter in the hands of the playful wind. It was enthralling. He was driving through the flush of trees slowly. I looked up at him questioningly, what place is this? The road came to an abrupt end, only then did I see the huge fence that ran, for almost a mile on either side. My eyes widened. Ethan drove through the automatic gate, I guess it was an equipped biometrics lock. My mouth fell open when I the house came into view, it w

     We were seated at the press conference. Ethan has been narrating the whole incident for half an hour now. I duly listened. Once Ethan ended his narration the officers permitted the reporters to ask three questions. Almost every one of them raised their hands. Ethan pointed at an older woman.“The doctor’s reports claim that Ana has post-viral fatigue. How did she live through that?” I tried my best, not to react. She was dangerously close to the very thing we are so bent on covering.“Yeah, that is a miracle, we did struggle with it. I almost thought she wouldn’t make it. Her system fought it off on its own” he said and looked down at me, “she definitely is much stronger than she looks” he added. The old woman flopped back into her seat smiling, understandingly. Ethan pointed at a man, who was close to dad's age, his spectacles were  sliding off his nose.“Why do you think the tribal

“No” I whispered. I wasn’t aware that I was shaking my head furiously. “She really was, Ana” Dad said letting out a gush of air, as if he has been weighed down by the burden all along and now he has given up. But now, I can feel it loaded upon me, weighing me down. My bones turned to lead, sagging my skin and wrenching me down to the ground.  “No” I realized that the word escaped from my mouth. “Ana, she is one of the Jo-Hannians who came to earth in search of a mate” he said, he flopped on the furniture, heaving a breath as if he has aged twenty more years by uttering those words. I blinked, still frozen on spot, unable to make myself move towards him.