In the After

and clutches its chest where the bullet struck. I pull Baby to standing but cannot see a way out of the ship. It’s small and cramped with no windows, and the door has already closed tight. I can’t even tell where the opening is. We are trapped.
    Baby grabs my hand. It’s not dead .
    I look back to the creature. It didn’t fall over; it doesn’t even look very hurt. It seems to study us, debating what to do.
    I shove Baby behind me and fire again. Now I’m prepared for the deafening boom. The bullet hits the creature’s shoulder, and I watch closely. There is no tear in the creature’s suit; the bullet just falls to the floor with a clink . I can’t believe it. They aren’t smart; They are mindless killers . How can They design a bulletproof suit? How did They even make it to our planet?
    The creature lunges at us and I throw myself in front of Baby to take the brunt of the hit. I’m knocked off my feet into the wall of the ship. My shoulder crunches sickeningly and the pain brings spots of light in front of my eyes.
    I attempt to stand, but the creature is already on top of me, wrestling the gun from my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Baby ready to jump on its back.
    I ram my fist upward, into the creature’s jaw. I know I can’t hurt it, but I need to fight back, even if it only distracts the creature for a few seconds to give Baby a chance. I punch again, a little lower this time, hoping to find a tender spot under its chin.
    I hear the creature choke inside its suit. I’ve gotten its neck. I shove it, trying to get away, but it forces me back down, pressing on my shoulders. It reaches for its head and pulls at the black material. It’s going to eat me here and now, no matter what its original purpose was for capturing us. I made it angry and it isn’t going to wait.
    As it removes the material from its face, I close my eyes. I can’t bear to see its green skin and pointy yellow teeth. I wait for the pain. I want to die quickly.
    “What the hell did you do that for?” a woman yells.
    I open my eyes and stare into two very pretty, dark brown eyes.
    She is beautiful. She is human.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
    I lie on the floor, dumbfounded, not knowing how to react.
    I still can’t believe that underneath the strange black material is a woman. A regular, human woman. Her features are Asian; her accent is American.
    “You’re the first person to ever shoot me,” she tells me, “and I think you broke one of my ribs.” She pushes herself off my body roughly and stands. I sit up, looking for Baby. She hurries to my side and sits down on my lap. I hug her close.
    “What are your names?” the woman asks. I shake my head, unable to speak. It’s too much. Why have they captured us?
    “Do you understand English? Español? Français? ” She places her hands on her hips. “I’m pretty sure you’re not Japanese . . . Nihongo ?” she asks. I’m shaking and I can’t stop.
    We stare at each other. “Well, that’s all I’ve got,” she says eventually. “I think you can understand me just fine, but have it your way.”
    She puts her hand to her ear and pushes a slim black earpiece. “We’ve got a couple of hostile post-aps here,” she says. “I’ve secured their weapon but they’re unresponsive to questioning. We’re going to have to skip the meet and greet and put them straight through to psyche-eval.” She listens for a minute, looking us over.
    “Two female children, a Class Three and a Class Five.” She pushes against the wall of the ship and a drawer pops out. She places the gun inside and moves a few feet back. She presses the far wall this time and an opening appears. I can make out the head of another person through the doorway. The pilot. The woman disappears into the cockpit and the door slides shut behind her.
    What is happening? Baby asks.
    I don’t know . I hug her to my chest, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. I’m so very tired. The adrenaline has left my system, draining my energy reserves. I think we’ve been rescued .
    Like the princess in my book?
    Sort of . . . Are you scared? I stroke Baby’s hair and hope we are being rescued and not just captured.
    No. I was at first, but that woman isn’t one of Them. She won’t hurt us . She is so sure, even though the woman has hurt me. I rub my throbbing shoulder, the pain getting worse with each passing second.
    Are you scared, Amy? Baby asks, needing reassurance.
    No , I lie, pulling her closer.
    Why didn’t