Page 5 of Obsessed

My heart leaps into my throat as I spot it—a ship, plummeting from the sky like a meteor.

"Oh God," I breathe, watching as the ship disappears behind the treeline. A deafening crash follows, and the earth shakes violently. The ground trembles beneath my feet, and I stumble, catching myself on the tree. Small, furry and scaledcreatures I've dubbed 'scurriers' dart past my boots, fleeing the commotion.

My hands are shaking. I haven't seen another person in... how long has it been? Almost a year? The isolation hits me anew, a weight pressing down on my chest.

"Get it together, Alice," I mutter, trying to steady my breathing. "You don't know who's in that ship. Could be anyone. Could be dangerous."

But even as the words leave my mouth, I know I can't just stand here. I'm the only one on this godforsaken planet who can help. What if someone's hurt? What if they're dying while I'm here talking to myself like a crazy person?

"Okay. Okay, you can do this." I take a deep breath, steeling myself. "Just... be careful."

I start picking my way through the dense foliage, my mind racing. What if it's pirates? What if they want to hurt me? What if?—

No. I can't think like that. I have to help. It's the right thing to do.

As I push through a particularly thick patch of ferns, I can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Well, Alice," I say to myself, "looks like you might finally get that company you've been wishing for. Let's just hope they're friendly."

The smell of burning metal and fuel grows stronger as I near the crash site. My heart's pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears. I pause at the edge of a clearing, peering through the leaves at the smoking wreckage before me.

"Here goes nothing," I whisper, and step out into the open.

I take a deep breath, willing my voice not to shake. "Hello? Is anyone there? Can you hear me?"

My words echo through the clearing, swallowed up by the dense jungle. Nothing. Not even a groan or a cry for help. Thesilence is deafening, broken only by the occasional pop and hiss from the wreckage.

"Come on," I mutter, inching closer to the ship. "Give me a sign. Anything."

The vessel's a mess, that's for sure. Twisted metal and shattered glass litter the ground. One wing's completely torn off, lying several yards away. The hull's crumpled like a tin can, smoke still rising from various points.

My stomach churns. Could anyone have survived this?

I scan the area, looking for any sign of movement, any hint of life. "Hello?" I try again, louder this time. "If you can hear me, make a sound! I'm here to help!"

Still nothing.

Minutes tick by, each one stretching out like an eternity. I pace back and forth, debating my next move. Should I try to get closer? What if the ship explodes? But what if someone's trapped inside, unable to call for help?

"Damn it," I hiss, running a hand through my hair. "What am I supposed to do? I'm a scientist, not a first responder. They didn't even teach me CPR!"

The rational part of my brain tells me to wait, to be cautious. But another part, the part that's been starved for human contact for so long, urges me to act.

I glance at my watch. Five minutes have passed. Five minutes of absolute stillness.

"Maybe... maybe it was unmanned," I say aloud, trying to convince myself. "Some kind of drone or automated cargo ship."

But even as I say it, I know it's unlikely. A ship this size, making atmospheric entry? It had to have a pilot.

My eyes drift back to the wreckage. Through a gap in the twisted metal, I catch a glimpse of what might be a cockpit. My heart races. If there was a pilot, that's where they'd be.

"Hello?" I call out one last time, my voice cracking. "Please, if you can hear me, give me a sign. Anything at all."

The jungle answers with its usual cacophony of alien sounds, but from the ship? Nothing but silence.

I'm about to give up when I hear it—a dull thud coming from the other side of the wreckage. My heart leaps into my throat.

"Hello?" I call out, scrambling around the twisted metal. "Is someone there?"

Another thud, louder this time. As I round the corner, I spot a hatch on the side of the ship. It's bulging outward slightly with each impact. Someone's alive in there!

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