Chapter 3

It didn't seem like a minute later than I was being shook awake rather violently

'What!” I grumbled, not ready to get up. I just wanted to go back to sleep. I had; had the strangest dream I had ever had and that was saying something. Last night however had taken the cake. I dreamed I had been abducted by an alien and taken aboard a prison ship, because I had murdered a grasshopper that wasn't really a grasshopper, but an alien in disguise. What did I tell you, crazy bright.

I opened my eyes to see a triangular white head with antenna looking down at me from only a couple of inches.

“Ahhhwaha!” I cried, pushing away from it. The thing sighed and shook its head.

“Your are going miss breakfast.” Breakfast? I thought, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. That was not an it, it was a her. Jink. She was my cell mate. My. Cell. Mate. It hadn't been a dream. None of it. I had really been abducted and arrested and taken aboard an alien ship.

“No NO NOOO!” I wailed in frustration and slammed a hand against the wall of the ship.

“Ok, then don't eat breakfast.”

I sat up into to see one of the Steroid heads deactivate the door. That was what I had decided to call the muscular looking guards earlier

“Go eat.” Was all he said. Jink got up and left, glaring at him on her way out.

I remained where I was.

“Didn't you hear me?”

I said nothing. Couldn't he just go away and leave me be? I didn't want to eat. I wanted to wallow in self pity.

“I said it is time to eat!” He growled and took hold of my arm, yanking me to my feet. My hands balled into fist. I didn't like being touched. That seemed to amuse him.

“What? You going hit me?” He taunted, lips peeling back to revel teeth that would have made a T- Rex green with envy The hand tightened around my arm and his claws dug in to my skin, drawing blood.

“Go ahead.” The grip tightened even more and I knew there would be a nasty bruise. I tried to hold his gaze, to show him I wasn't intimidated, but I was and I ended up looking away almost immediately, my hands uncurling,

“Thought so”. He grunted and then shoved me forward

“Now go and eat like a good little prisoner.” I frowned, but walked out of the cell. Ahead of me where other aliens, err.. prisoners all headed in the same direction. I fell in behind one that scuttled around on all six. There where more Steroid Heads out in the hall, to make sure everyone did as they where told. . We went though a set of side doors I had failed to notice on my journey in.

Cafeteria. I thought. There where tables and benches sat up through the large room and aliens sat in groups or sometimes alone. They had trays of... what I had to be food in front of them. It didn't look like any earth food though. Of course it wouldn't genius, I told myself as this ain't earth.

I must have taken to long as I felt something push me from behind and into a lobster looking alien in front of me.

It growled, snapping its hand sized pinches.

'What is your problem?'

“I....I..” I struggled.

“You what?”

“I”m sorry.” I tried,

'You'd better be,” He growled and moved on. Couldn't I do anything right? Thus far I had failed to make a single.... alien like me. Of course this was a prison ship, but still... I wasn't use to such hostile environment. It felt like middle school all over again. Except these middle schoolers had criminal records. I seemed to be quite the center of attention and not just due to the little incident just now. I noticed lots of pointing in my direction and whispering. Yup, it felt just like middle school all over again. I tried to pretend like I didn't notice and failed horribly, pale my checks coloring red.

I knew along with my physical appearance my clothes must look odd as well. I was still wearing the same outfit when I had gone to bed in what felt likes months ago. I had the blue ughs, a black shirt with a skull on it and a pair of light blue pants that had once belonged to my grandmother's. Even for me , I couldn't help but feel a little awakard.

Thankfully I manged to get my tray from a squid looking alien, without any further incident. I sat down at one of the few empty tables left, doing my best to keep my head down and avoid eyes contact with anyone. Instead I focused on my.... food. There was a black jello like sustenance. A green something that bubbled and a what looked like a gigantic white cockroach. My appetite was gone. Not that it had been there in the first place.

I pushed it away and instead folded my arms on the table and laid my head down on top of them. I closed my eyes and tried to tune out the sounds of the cafeteria. My rest didn't last long when a belligerent voice suddenly asked

“What the Frock are you?' It started, but I ignored the voice, hoping it would go away. No such luck. I felt a hand shove me.

“I said what the Frock are you?” It demanded. I opened my eyes to see a __ standing above me.

“I'm a human.” I muttered already growing tired of having to explain what I was.

“A what?”

'A human!” I said louder and a bit more annoyed tone.. Couldn't anyone just leave me alone around here.”

'You look more like a Flyuck.” I had no idea what a Flyuck was, but from the tone of his voice it didn't sound like anything good. I decide it best not to respond to him at all. He sounded like nothing more than a bully. Funny how when you graduated from school you thought you would be through will all that kind of shit, but even into adult hood bullies prevailed. It was no different with aliens. Juts don't give a response and they will get bored and leave you alone.

Not getting a response seemed just to annoy him future however.

“I guess you don't mind if I take your food then?' He asked and without waiting snatched up the cock roach and bit into it. It crunched and I winced.

“Go head, take it all.” I said trying my best to sound as noncontroversial as possible. Besides it would have gone to waste otherwise.

He frowned at me as if he did not like that I had given in so easy. As if he had wanted me to make a scene.

“Take it all I am not hungry.” I added and pushed the tray toward him. Anything to get him to leave me alone. It worked with a huff he snatched up the trey and was about to walk away when his tentacle leg shot out from under him and down he went, tray and all.

“You tripped me!” He accused.

“You fell!” I snapped back, losing my temper for a moment. I was sick and tired of being accused of something that I hadn't done

“Are you calling me a liar?!”

“Yes.” I was surprised at how calmly my voice sounded. Before I knew what was happening however I felt a tentacle wrap itself around my neck and I was jerked backwards violently. I ended up landing hard on my back side and I felt the tentacles realse their hold on my neck. It stood over over me and would have kicked had I not rolled out of the way. I scrambled to my feet, but had only made it into a kneeling position before he came at me again.

I balled my hand into a fist and flung my arm sideways and into his midsection and surprisingly he grunted and fell back a step. I had never gotten in a fight in my life. I tended to avoid confrontations at all costs, and usually ending up taking my frustrations out on inanimate objects, but damned if I wasn't going to try and at least defend myself. Before he could think to attack me again felt myself being pushed aside and then held down by a Steroid head.

“First day here and already starting fights, eh?”

“No, I, he..” I sputtered reverting back to sounding like an idiot.

“Well lets just see how you like fighting with the skin sucker. The what? I thought.

A tube was held against my right forearm. A heard a release of air and then suddenly felt something latch onto my skin. It was about the size of an apple and shaped like an upside down mushroom . It completely black in color and the skin reminded me of a slug's.

I instinctively used my other hand to try and brush it off and that was the worst thing I could have done. I felt something sharp dig into my skin. It felt like being stung by a wasp, by not just one but dozens and all in the same area. I screamed and flayed my arm wildly now in a pure desperation to dislodge it and the pain only intensified. It felt like something had jammed a hot red poker in my arm. I screamed again and the again at the top of my voice. It was the most excruciating pain and I had ever been in at at the moment I would have welcomed death over it.

I felt myself suddenly pinned down to the floor and yet again I struggled..

“STOP MOVING!” A voice demanded as more weight was pressed on top of me. I looked up to see Jink holding me down

“The more you move the more it will dig in. You need to lie still!” She yelled again I guess to hear over my screaming. I have whimpered, half sobbed, but tried my hardest not to move. It was hard. The pain make me want to curl into a ball Seconds, turned into minutes and the minutes seemed to stretch on for years. I had bitten my lip in an effort not to cry out but it was only half working. I was still crying and whimpering and I had bitten down so hard on my lip I had drawn blood.

Finally though I felt it slide off of me and onto the floor. Jink released me and I scuttled backwards crab like to get away from the thing which lay unmoving besides me. I felt like walking over and stomping the thing to death, if it wasn't dead all already, but I was weary to get anywhere near it again, I was still crying, but silently now. I was also the center of attention. Guards and prisoners stared at me alike, some with looks of amusement like the guards and others with pity, mainly the prisoners.

I looked at my arm and saw it was covered in blood. Almost like I had dipped my entire arm in red paint. I moaned and looked away. I wasn't one to faint at the sight of blood, goodness knows I had seen enough Saw, but this was a bit much. I was already feeling faint and light headed, although I didn't know if had more to do with my physical state or my mental one.

Just what the hell was that thing?! The guard had mentioned it being a skin sucker. Whatever it was I wanted nothing to do with it ever again.

'So how did you like that?” The guard who had shot me with the creature from hell stated as he looked down at me.

“Feel like getting into another fight?” I said nothing, just looked down at the ground. These damn guards where damn near sadistic.

“Better get ya to Medi. Wouldn't want you to lose that arm of yours no would be?” He stated sounded just like that was what he wanted to happen.

“You want to get up or do you want to be helped up?” He asked and I rose to my feet as quickly as possible. I knew just what kind of help would be offered.

“Follow me.” He damned and walked away without waiting for me. I hurried along behind me, doing my best to ignore all the stares directed my way.

He led me out a side door and into a smaller room that contained so much stuff it was hard to move without bumping into things. Things I had no hopes of ever identifying.

“Hey Medi!” The guard yelled. From the back of the room a small yellow head popped up.

“Quit your napping, you got another patient.' I heard movement and then emeregng behind a pile of junk that stood four feet tall was a man no taller then a toddler.

“another skin sucker?” He asked a in a tone that sounded like he disproved of the use of the creature as he waved scanner like device over the wound, Steroid head simply shrugged.

“We had to subdue her.” He said by way of explanation

Meid made a sound half way between a sigh and a grunt.

“Well fine job you did there. It did a damn number on her arm Nearly chewed through to the bone.”

“ain't my fault she didn't lay still.”

'It isn't your fault for a lot of things, is it?” he mumbled, causing Steroid head to frown.

“Watch what you say Medi.” He warned. Medi grumbled under his breath in response. .

“I”ve got the patient, you can leave now.” His tone was sharp, unfazed by the warning.

“You know I can't leave you alone with the patient.”

“Fine, but stay the Frock of the way!” He grumbled.

“Come back here where you can sit down.” His harsh tone changing to one of concern. I followed him through a maze of junk to the back of the room where I could see practically the only clear space left, a plat form raised about four feet off the ground. He motioned toward it.

“Sit. Sit.” I sat. I clenched my hands into fist as he cleaned away the wound with a sponge like material and paled when I saw just how bad it looked. That thing had taken a good chunk out of my arm.

'So you must be the hoomen I've been hearing about.” He commented as he selected a small lip stick like tube from a pile to his left.

“Human.” I corrected eying him weerigly. I was bit of a wuss when it came to doctor. It wasn't that I disliked them, more so what happened when I went to them.

I tensed as a wave of green light washed over my wound.

“That's just to stop the bleeding and cauterize it. You should feel a tinging sensation but that is all. .” He explained at seeing my discomfort.

Next he selected a small tube and spread a bluish gel like liquid over the wound. I could feel it began to harden over the wound almost instantly until it formed a see through barrier around it. I was starting to like alien technology.

“There. All fixed up. “ He grinned at me and I couldn't help but manage a one back. Finally, someone that didn't want to cause me harm. It felt nice

“So you are done then?” Grumbled Steroid head impatiently.

“Yes I'm done,” Said Medi over emphasizing the word done and causing Steroid Head to frown.

“Come on then.” He grumbled in my direction. I looked back at Medi, not wanting to leave the one place I felt wanted

"Bunch of Luryks, the whole lot of them guards.” He whispered to me.

“Luryks?”

Someone highly undesirable and short on brain power.” He explained with another smirk and I grinne dback..

“Com on!” Demanded Steroid Head and Medi rolled his eyes Unlike Medi, I wasn't brave enough to purposely defy them and began to make my way through the room reluctantly, looking back at Medi as I did.

“Hope to see you again, but under ahh, better circumstances.” He called out as we left the room and I cast one last look at the doctor and his room. I was returned to my cell where Jink was already waiting. She stood when she saw me.

“Not even here a full roundabout and already in a fight and got the skin eater.” She actually sounded as if she where in awe. I let out a long breath of air and plopped down on the bench

“What is a rounabout?”

“You don't know what a roundbaout is?” She asked as if I had said I didn't know what a rcok was.

“No!” I said, perhaps a little harsher than I meant.

“I don't know what anything means, like Nyat and Flyock...” I said remembering the things I had been called by Tober and the idiot who had picked a fight with me.

“ Hell, I didn't even know aliens existed until....”

I trailed off for a moment trying to detremine just how long I had been on the ship. Without a sun to go by it was hard

“....until I was taken here.” I finally settled on

“Seriously?”

I nodded.

“Must be quite a shock, huh?” She said with a smirk

“You could say that.” I admitted.

“Ok. I'll try and explain roundbaout's then.” I sat up.

“They are how we measure time. There are also Clicks annd Swifts. The next time you eat your first meal would have been a full rounabout...” She pause to look over at me.

“You with me so far?” I nodded

You following me so far? I nodded. A roundabout was like a day. Now clicks are what make up rounbaouts and swifts made out of Clicks.” Like hours and minutes I thought

The rest of the day past suprsingly without any further incident