Page 1 of Ulfar

LIBRARY

SARAH

Ifinish tidying up the library, quietly appreciative of the fact that I can count on the regular patrons to be exactly that: regular. I find the regularity of their lives comforting, a reminder that there are things in life that one can rely on. With a contented smile, I begin to shelve the last few books, my eyes taking in the titles and covers without truly registering their contents.

When I finish, I notice that one of the tables at the back of the room has been left with a tablet still running. I walk over to turn it off, but my hand freezes when my eyes meet the image on the screen. It was a page from the Intergalactic Surrogacy Agency—the ISA, the matchmaking program pairing human women with alien males. My heart lurches as I remember the talk around town. A few women, some of my neighbors even, had left with the ISA. What would it have been like to have the courage to leave?

I close the tablet, feeling a twinge of sadness. I have never been one for adventure, always content with my life in my small town with my father. It’s too dangerous for humans out there. My father’s stories made that all too clear. I am safe here. Content. But a small part of me wonders if there’s more out there. Something I’m missing, just beyond the clouds.

But no. That’s ridiculous. I have a good life here, and that’s enough. Besides, I could never leave my father. Not after all he’s done for me.

As I perform the final checks and lock up the library for the night, the thought stays with me, lingering seductively in the back of my mind. What must it be like to be an alien’s surrogate? The program pays incredibly well, and it’s only for a year. My father and I would be set for life if I did that, and let’s face it: He’s not getting any younger. I’d be more able to care for him in his old age if I had money from the ISA.

It’s a half-baked plan, and I know that, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t excite me a little bit. But as I close the door and step out into the cold night air, the brisk temperature hits me with a dose of reality. I can’t just leave everything behind and go on some wild adventure. I have family here. Responsibilities. Purpose. This is my lot in life, whether I like it or not, and there’s no changing that.

My father sacrificed so much to keep me safe, and to go against that would be like a slap in the face after all he’s done for me. No, I’ll stay. Keep to myself. Live my little librarian life. Be happy.

Or so I think.

Before long, not even the chill breeze can keep the idea from taking root in my mind. It’s like a seed that’s growing with each step, blossoming into a full-blown desire that’s impossible to ignore.

Walking down the street to my house is something I’ve done hundreds of times before. Everything looks the same...except one thing. There’s a transport parked in the cul-de-sac that’s impossible to ignore, all sleek silver and strange markings that could only be from off-world. I frown as I move closer, wondering what a craft like that could be doing so far from the Hub. It’s not out of the ordinary to see a courier or two ferrying goods back and forth, but this is bigger. Much bigger.

My house beckons, however, and I look away from the strange craft at the end of the road. It’s weird, sure, but it doesn’t affect me. I’m too tired from a long day at work to pay it any mind, and I just want to go home, get a shower, and sleep.

My heart’s pounding despite myself as I open the door and step inside, the interior darkened and quiet. Usually my father is up and waiting for me. He must have gone to bed early. As I put down my bag and hang up my coat, I hear a strange shuffling sound coming from the living room.

Holding my breath, I creep around the corner, not knowing what I’ll find. The scene I find there takes my breath away.

My father stands in the center of the room, trembling, as the biggest alien I’ve ever seen towers over him, lifting him up by the collar until his feet dangle pitifully off the ground. He notices me, and his eyes, already bloodshot, widen further.

“Sarah! Get out of here! Run!” His choked voice rattles around in my head but does nothing to quell the rising panic. And then the monstrous creature turns on me.

He’s huge, standing a good two feet taller than my father and nearly brushing the ceiling. And his immaculate black suit does nothing to hide the sheer physical power he radiates. His glittering black eyes zero in on mine and his gaping mouth curls into a savage grin before he drops my father to the ground.

The spell between us breaks and I turn tail, bolting for the door, but the creature is too fast. He slips between me and the exit easily, anticipating my dodge before I even do it. “No!” I scream, bringing my hands up to protect my face when he lunges, but it’s too late. He wraps his huge arms around my waist and neck, leaving me struggling, squirming, like a fly caught in a web.

Prey.

FAUSTIAN BARGAIN

SARAH

No matter how much I thrash against my captor, he holds me in a vise-like grip that leaves no wiggle room. I look with terror for my father, regaining his feet and throwing his hands up in surrender.

“What’s going on here?” I hear myself yell, but it doesn’t even sound like my own voice anymore.

My father’s on his knees now, practically in tears. I’ve never seen him so distraught. “I can explain, just don’t hurt her!”

The sound of footsteps on tile echoes from down the hallway, and then I hear an unfamiliar voice. A female voice.

A tall, severe-looking woman walks in, her piercing blue eyes scanning the room with a practiced indifference. She takes in the sight of my father on the ground and the hulking alien with his hands around my neck.

“Yes, Areo,” she purrs, “why don’t you explain to little Sarah here the deal you made so many years ago.”

“Deal? What deal? Who are you people?” I ask frantically, my voice shaking with fear. What had my father done? Who was this woman? And why did she know our names?

The female laughs. “You really didn’t tell her anything, did you, Areo?” She turns her ire on my father, who flinches away instinctively. “Turns out you’re just as pathetic as I thought.”

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