Adventures on Mars-Part 8

“No,” I tried to deny, but it came out as barely a whisper. Finally, I recovered my voice as the dragged me away. “What have you done with Julie?”

They didn’t answer at first, but one of them finally spoke up saying, “She is one of us now.”

I didn’t speak the rest of the way. My sister, a Marshian. I just couldn’t believe it. I was too much in shock to notice when they threw me into a cold crater room. I just sat, slumped against the wall, leg broken from impact, and thought about what they had done to my sister. It was just impossible – I couldn’t believe it. Though I had known what she had become when I saw her skin turn red, it hadn’t really hit me – only fear did.

Now they’re probably gonna turn me into one, too, I thought as I examined my broken leg. It hurt to move, so I just stayed put.

I must’ve fallen asleep because when I woke up I couldn’t see anything – all was dark and frightening. Looking around, I saw the Sun, and knew that it was only dark in the crater.

I stood up, but fell again at the pain in my leg. My injury screamed for help at me until it stopped throbbing.

I waited for about an hour.

Suddenly, out of the blackness, I heard – or rather, sensed – a presence. I stood, putting my weight on my good leg and the wall of the great crater, and looked up. There was a dark figure standing at the edge of my prison.

“Who’s there?” I called to the silhouette, who didn’t move at my voice, but didn’t answer. Instead, the figure appeared to throw a rope into the crater, and fasten it somewhere up on the surface. “Tell me your name!” I called at the figure, but again I had no answer.

I stumbled along, trying to find the rope, leaning on the wall all the time, until at last, I grabbed hold of it. I didn’t know what to do with it – I couldn’t climb up with my broken leg – but, much to my surprise, the rope went up. I clutched it tightly, and looked up. The mysterious person was pulling me up on the rope.

Finally, I reached the top, and, once again, demanded my rescuer’s name. “Who are you? Tell me,” I said.

“Not now. Come with me,” was my only answer before he lifted me onto some sort of animal, then got on himself, and rode off.