searching the universe

8/2/2019 Searching the Universe

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La_Sketcha

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Searching the Universe

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Chapter One

Craig held Stacy closely to his chest. They

embraced tightly as he shielded her from the outside,

crouching below the window of the cosy brown shed.

Craig was a Xuxlor, a hybrid of a human and a

plant. Stacy on the other hand, was human, his true love,

which he tricked into coming with him back to his home

planet.

She willingly went with him though, taking his

hand on that fateful February day. It was snowing on

Earth; the explosions melting any snowflakes before they

touched the ground. Stacy herself was hidden, away

from the destruction above her.

Back on Earth, she had nothing left. The ThirdWorld War took everything from her. Her family was

brutally killed out in battle, her friends captured by

gangs. Craig knew the only way she survived was by

being beneath the ground.

When he found her, her clothes were stained and

she smelt very strongly of body odour. The smell

protruded into his nose. He saw past this though, seeingher flowing blonde locks and baby blue eyes which

lured him in.

Ever since, he hadnt known a stronger bond.


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The Zenacogs outside chased Villany down the

hill. Craig felt the need to do something, to save her, but

watched helplessly as she tumbled into the lake, the

splash reaching up into the sky. He stared, waiting a few

seconds. She didnt resurface. He lowered his head,

defeated, yet caught a glimpse of bubbles arising to the

surface.

His last friend still had a chance but those

Zenacogs were staring down the barrels of their guns

waiting for her to come up for air.

He looked to Stacy. He thought he had saved her

from Earth, only to bring her to another world of

conflict. It wasnt his fault though; he wasnt to know

that by the time hed return to Cranto - his home world

it would be in as much ruin as hers.

He looked very deeply into her eyes; that doe

eyed expression reflecting his fearful face.

He looked a lot like her, blonde, blue-eyed, but

with green skin.

With his special abilities, he shouldve been able

to conquer the beasts outside, but as he looked at Stacy,

he realised they were both mere mortals. They were

both blonde, both blue eyed, both weak in comparison

to the aggressive enemy that awaited them.

Unlike them, Villany wasnt so vulnerable. She

was an adult, yet they were still only sixteen and

seventeen. Unlike them, she had this mature air about

her, her sleek physique matching that of a models and

with such unique chestnut hair, Villany was a stand out


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from the crowd. She was the one who lead them

forward and managed to survive the war by using her

exceptional hypnotic powers. Out there, she used them

to manipulate the attacking race.

Craig wanted to fight them too, but what could

he do? The three of them against an army of foes...the

Zenacogs mayve looked like half-dog half-human

creatures but they werent stupid. They outsmarted

Craigs race. How could his race, the Xuxlors, be so

blind?

When the Zenacogs first got there they spoke so

eloquently, they had such a pleasant manner. They

made productivity soar. These guys were tactful and

were great in their logic. Everything they did was

calculated and every single gamble they made turned in

their favour. The Xuxlors hadnt seen these dogs as a

threat only as strong, worthy allies, that made them

extremely wealthy. They shouldve seen it though. They

hadnt thought. The Zenacogs were bound to want

something from them.

Cranto.

They were determined to kill off every last

Xuxlor. They wanted Cranto for their own, after their

home planet was destroyed.

When Craig returned home with Stacy, his first

discussion with Villany was all about the development

from friends to enemies.

Even then, Villany couldnt understand why the


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Zenacogs didnt want to share. Cranto was surely big

enough for multiple races; and since the Xuxlor race

wasnt very highly populated, the Zenacogs could have

continued leaving in harmony with them. Of course, the

Zenacogs were a ruthless race and having thrived for so

long as a species, the Xuxlors were merely inferiors.

Craig was proving the Zenacogs right. He was an

inferior, quaking below the window of the compact

shed. He hadnt much choice those vicious beasts were

out there slaying people every day. They seemed to

have endless ammo and being trigger happy only made

them more dangerous, more unpredictable.

All Craig had access to were melee weapons. He

loved using them, getting up close and personal when

killing the enemy, yet these items werent going to cut

it. He couldnt run at a Zenacog and think he would be

able to slice them up the Zenacog would get him first

all it had to do was aim and shoot.

He glanced around the room, looking for a gun,

a bow, anything where he could harm long distance.

Though Zenacogs had great eyesight they were true

predators and if he even got a hair in the window frame,

hed be a goner.

No, he couldnt think of himself anymore. He and

Stacy were sitting ducks. Letting Villany tackle them

alone wasnt going to be a smart move. There were at

least a hundred out there and once they got her, theyd

come back for Craig and Stacy. Besides, wasnt he as bad

as them if he let Villany get killed? Wouldnt it somehow


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count as murdering his only real friend?

His eyebrows furrowed together, concentrating.

He crawled along the floor, spotting a bow and arrow at

the other side of the room. The bow itself was wooden,

carved from an old oak tree, the bow, metal, a shade of

ruby red.

He clutched the red arrow in one hand, the bow

in the other. He knew it would take down many enemies

the point on the arrow extremely sharp like a sharks

tooth.

Craig only had one arrow, but he knew exactly

which kind it was. If he shot it, it would divide into

twenty different arrows and aim in all directions, seeking

out the first warm-blooded creatures they could find.

What are you doing? Stacy whispered, her

usual soothing voice had an edge to it.

Im going to get them. With this, he held the

arrow up, but so it was still out ofthe windows frame.

He beamed at the arrow. He could help Villany

but from the safety of the shed.

With one arrow?

It becomes twenty arrows. Youll see. He raised

his eyebrows; crawling back to the wall where Stacy

kneeled.

As he got by the window, Craig put the bow in

the arrow, pulling it back. Stacy put her hand on his arm,

stroking it with her soft, ivory skin.

Her touch sent a tingle through his system, a

surge of electricity through his spine. He didnt want to


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look at her though, hed lose his strength. He was

already shaking as his hand held the arrow back and he

wanted to be able to concentrate. All he had to do was

aim at an isolated Zenacog. He knew his only issue was

one spotting him and getting him first, but he had to

push that fear aside, or else hed never do a thing.

Stacy removed her ivory hand from his green

one, placing it on his cheek, Theres a better way.

What way is that? He turned to ask, but in that

moment a flare came their way. Craig heard a shot,

which didnt sound like it went off to the East toward

Villany. Looking up, the red orb flew at them. He

grabbed on to Stacy and they rolled across to the other

side as the flare broke the window and started a fire

within the shed.

Pinned down by Craig, Stacy piped, This way.

She grabbed his face and pulled his lilac lips down to

her plump pink ones. The subtly of her lips caressing his

as they brushed sent endorphins pumping through his

system. It made him jump up and hold his arrow steady,

looking directly at a Zenacog.

Craig noticed how it held the flare gun and

therefore it mustve been the one that shot at the shed.

Craig focused, slowly pulling the arrow back, his arm

aching from the tension, so quickly raised it into the air.

He released it, watching it fly up into the sky and

directly back down, dividing. All the red arrows split, one

aiming for the first attacking Zenacog, the other

nineteen racing down the hill, in Villanys direction.


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Lowering the bow, Craig looked around the half

destroyed shed for more weapons, yet only discovered

more debris from the shed.

Long bits of wood were scattered along the

floor, along with glass shards.

He picked one up, the only item to save him and

sweet Stacy.

She leant up, still on the sheds floor, Now what

are we going to do?

Craig knelt down opposite her, placing his hands

on both her legs, Were going to save Villany.

Holding onto Stacys hand as he raced down the

hill, Craig gripped a glass shard.

So whats the plan? Stacy asked, out of breath.

Were going to hide behind a bush and Im

going to stab every Zenacog that comes by!Will that work?

Uh, I hope so...

Craig had no real idea what to do; all he could

do was fight. If picking them off one by one was going

to help Villany, it was worth doing.

Just grasping Stacys hand reassured him that it

was worth it. Every second with her was another secondof bliss, even if there was the threat of death.

Craig halted at the edge of the lake. He squinted,

looking carefully for any sign of Villany. There was no

way she wouldve held her breath that long but he

couldve missed her because of the flare.

Looking around him, he knew the fight mustve


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moved elsewhere or the alternative, no. He wasnt

going to think about the alternative.

Clutching Stacys hand even tighter, Craig pulled

her around the lake, farther East. He was going to take

her into the woods. If there was any possibility Villany

was fine, shed probably have headed in that direction.

In the woods, Craig heard shuffling.

Suddenly, a Zenacog jumped down from a tree,

bending its knees as it landed. It stood before them, a

whole nine foot. Craig could feel Stacys hand wrap

tightly around his as she stared up at it, frozen.

Craig thrust Stacys hand away and as the

Zenacog clumsily got out a ray gun, Craig managed to

jump up in the air and stab it directly in the heart.

Aroo! It yelped, dropping its gun as it fell to

the floor.

Turning around, Craig watched as Stacy shielded

her eyes, shaking.

Stacy, he cooed, gently removing her hands

from her face, one after the other, Weve got to do

these sorts of things to survive. You know that.

Mm-mm, she nodded, not making eye contact

with him. She could only look to the floor, but not where

the Zenacog fell.

Craig watched as Stacy placed a hand over her

face and so he took hers, guiding her around the bodies

with red arrows lodged in their backs.

He made sure to step around, so Stacy wouldnt

have to feel the sensation of stepping on bodies. He


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really thought she wouldve grown accustomed to

seeing death surrounding her, but this proved that

maybe she hadnt seen as much as he originally thought.

If he really took things into consideration, hed have

seen the obvious - she had been sheltered from the war.

When he found her in that underground bunker, she

seemed too pure a soul. There was no way shed been

exposed to the atrocities he faced.

After stepping over the bodies, Craig wondered

where the other Zenacogs were. Theyd chased after

them and yet they werent here. In all the woods and

even down here to the expanse of the lake, there was

nothing to be found. He halted for a moment, trying to

listen out for any shots.

Whats going on? Stacy asked, her voice hitting

an octave higher than normal.

Shh. Craig stayed absolutely still. For a few

seconds there was silence, until he heard a squeal. He

waited a few more.

Bang!

Lets go!

The bang came from the other side of the

woods, way off to the other side of the lake. TheZenacogs normally used silencers on their weapons to

try and sneak up on the Xuxlors. Craig made sure to

look around, hunched over as he and Stacy scurried

across the landscape.

He knew they wouldnt have much chance of

spotting just one or two Zenacogs alone in the woods


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they were animals, masters of disguise. Though Craig

was green and much smaller than a Zenacog, he still had

a distinct smell that would stand out even among his

cousins.

It was a peculiar thought really, that he could be

98% related to a tree and yet it stayed so still, whilst his

body was extremely flexible.

The flexibility gene came from rubber trees. Most

Xuxlors possessed it, but what very few of them had was

a hypnotic power.

That was his theory that Villany survived so

long because of her hypnotic powers. She could

hypnotise the enemy into going insane. It mostly

worked in her favour, but if so much as a drop of water

touched her, her powers were temporarily suspended.

Thats what made Craig afraid when she fell into

the lake that the Zenacogs had her in a position of

weakness, where shed be unable to make them shoot

each other or run around in circles; and that instead

shed be trapped. The image of her resurfacing crossed

his mind the horror on her face as those Zenacogs

raised their guns at her face.

He hadnt wanted to think that Villany wouldnt

have any choice. He didnt want her fate sealed. Not if

that was her fate.

No, he had to look on the bright side. It wasnt

that Villany was dead or anything she mustve still

been alive if there was still a fight going on off in the

East.


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Are we there yet? Stacy piped, still covering her

face with a hand.

No but you can look now.

She followed his direction, running along with

him with confidence. She could see things for herself

now, leaping over logs, avoiding dips in the floor. Even

one trip couldve been the difference between Villany

living or dying.

Craig could hear a growling between the trees;

but as he kept twisting round, he couldnt spot a

Zenacog anywhere. He broke out into a sprint,

squeezing Stacys hand. He wasnt going to let it end

like this not when hed used the only shard of glass he

had.

Without a weapon, it would be extremely foolish

to confront a Zenacog. Even if they were both unarmed,

Craig was pretty sure a nine foot tall creature with thick

claws and razor sharp teeth would take him down. He

wanted to avoid that at all costs; and the only way to do

that was to run faster.

They finally came out the other end of the

woods, out into the battlefield. It was less of a battlefield

now, but in the clearing ahead of them Villanys hairstuck out from behind a boulder. She was hiding in a

cave, trying to stop the Zenacogs from coming in.

They were pawing at her, their claws scratching

the boulder, leaving white strips on the grey stone. The

eighty of them tried to lean their body weight against

the rock; and Craig even noticed one running the other


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way, fetching a cannon.

As Craig stared on, a Zenacog came from behind

them. He heard its panting, as if it were crouched on the

floor. He turned round with haste, shoving Stacy out the

way.

The beast smirked, opening its jaw. It snarled

ferociously, the grumbling growl rising as it stood,

arching its back.

Here! Stacy yelled, catching Craigs attention.

She tossed him a Light Blinder.

He switched it on, aiming it in the Zenacogs

face. It screeched and howled, its body twisting

unnaturally to get away from the light. It was blinded

and found itself scratching at the air trying to get

Craig.

Stacy, Illdeal with him, you get Villany!

Stacy stared over at the cave. She hadnt any

weapons. What was she going to do? Take a rock and

chuck it at a dog persons head?

No were staying together! She stomped her

foot, alerting the Zenacogs to hers and Craigs presence.

They yipped in a high pitched tone, all getting down on

their four paws. They hopped, almost bounding over like

rabbits.

Craig heard the yips too, so spun on his heel, the

bright white light blinding the Zenacogs in its path.

A few managed to bound away, blinking when

they saw the Light Blinder coming at them. They werent

going to give up that easily that had a Xuxlor to kill.


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And since Stacy was with it, she would be killed by

association.

All Craig could really do was blind as many as he

could. It wouldnt affect them long term the one from

behind him kept blinking and he could hear its low

rumbles again.

Stacy, howd you find this thing? He asked,

raising the Light Blinder, but still facing it at the

Zenacogs.

It was under this twig, She pointed to a thin

twig on the floor, right in front of her feet.

Craig stared off to the cave, Villany mustve

dropped it.

Light Blinders were powerful things to wield. In

Stacys terms it was called a Torch that simply lighted

darkened places.

Yet here, it could blind a whole army without

hurting them long term. Its rays were like that of the sun

and could burn your eyes if you looked long enough.

The light from it was battery powered, but only by the

best energy source in the whole planet Lightning bolt

rainbows.

Lightning bolt rainbows were rainbows that

captured the shock of a lightning bolt as it struck. The

mix of colours from the rainbow such as yellow and

orange and the bright flash of the lightning bolt had the

power to keep a quarter of the planet running on

electricity for months.

Yet all that was gone now. Most homes on the


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planet were smashed, or obliterated. Or one way or

another, caught fire, just like the shed.

The Light Blinder carried on blinding the

Zenacogs, and though some avoided the rays, Craig

noticed more of Villanys hair coming from the boulder.

He saw it edge open a bit more, a small gap where

Villany stuck out her purple arm.

She shook it about, as if trying to wave, though

Craig realised she was shaking off the last droplets of

water, so she could use her powers.

There was another catch though as both she

and Craig knew she needed a visual of the Zenacogs

before she could invade their minds.

All it took was a couple extra pushes of the

boulder and she was out.

For a moment, Villany chanted, that white

glazing coming over her eyes.

It was starting.

Craig switched off the Light Blinder as he

witnessed the Zenacogs around him drop to the floor,

falling to their sides. They all started running, looking

like sleeping dogs. A few of them were strong minded

spirits, and fought against some of Villanys hypnotic

power. Around ten of them managed to get up, only to

run around in circles. One was obviously the Alpha, the

one closest to charging at Craig. It was up on its feet, its

body unbalanced on its toes as it rocked from side to

side. Craig saw the struggle it was put through and

thought Stacy would be hysterical if she saw it.


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He looked around for her, but wasnt there.

Hed to look for her later, as he and Villany still

had to deal with the remaining Zenacogs. As Villany

concentrated, staring straight ahead, Craig made his way

around the pack, taking their weapons from their belts

and using them against them.

When he was finished, the bodies laid still. He

put them down in the most humane way possible, all

with a simple slit across the throat. He wouldnt fire

anymore even the scent of two Xuxlors close together

could trigger one or two Zenacog noses to twitch. For all

they knew, there couldve been more Zenacogs around

the corner. Thats how it always was. Even the previous

night, just when they finally snatched two hours alone,

Craig and Stacy couldnt do what teenagers do best.

They were in an abandoned ship. Craig and

Villany came across it when they were out searching for

water. Being half plant, he and Villany could easily make

their own fruit and vegetables, but they couldnt grow

them without water. Though thered been many trees

around during the battle, the night before theyd

roamed out to the middle of a desert.They found a cactus and Villany used a knife to

slice it open. She and Craig drunk as much as they could

get before returning to Stacy who sat in the ship.

Craig burst through the door, growing a couple

apples. At that point, Stacy was extremely thirsty and

seeing food grow from his body made her jump up and


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down with excitement. He found it hysterical how she

slowly approached like a cautious animal, poking the

fruit as it dangled from Craigs arm.

Later that night, Villany was on the lookout for

enemies- whilst Stacy and he snuck of to the ships

bedroom.

The whole ship itself was slanted, pushed up

against a large sand dune. Of course, that made itdifficult for Craig, since he was already struggling

romantically lifting Stacy up and carrying her to the

bed.

When he laid her down, she scooted back, all the

way up to the pillows. She went up to the right side of

the bed and patted it, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

He crawled onto the bed, hovering above her.He gently stroked Stacys arm, making his way

down to her hand. He leant over, kissed it; taking in her

scent, the flowery perfume.

Her skin was so smooth, like a marble surface on

a statue. In the cold room, her skin radiated heat, the

way it always had when they touched.

Craig cupped her oval face, her mouth a gape,staring at the horrors outside. His fingers gently rubbed

against her cheek. That desire to lean in and just forget

about everything else rose from within him. He watched

her profile as she turned her head, wanting him to kiss

her neck.

That little button nose twitched, her breaths


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becoming louder, longer. Her face seemed blissful, her

eyes closed.

Stacy, he whispered, turning her head to face

him. Those plump pink lips parted, as if she expected

him to kiss her, expected a rush of adrenaline.

Craig leant into Stacy, pushing her down. He

drew her in; as she had the day they met.

Stacy ran her fingers through his hair then pulled

his head down so that their lips met.

As his purple lips touched her lavender pink lips,

he felt them brush lightly against each other.

Stacy wanted more, wrapping a leg around him.

She pushed her lips harder against his. The sound of

their lips smacking, opening, gasping made Craig grab

anything he could. He wrapped his arms around her

back and pulled the fabric of her shirt; whilst Stacys

hands slipped from his hair to his cheeks.

Stacy cupped them, pulling him even closer, so

his tongue could grace hers. She leant into him more,

pushing her tongue farther, pushing her body against

his. They groaned, Craig tightening his grip on Stacys

back.

Guys! Villany yelled from the roof, Theyre

here!

Craig pulled himself from Stacy, sitting upright

on the bed.

Cheering him up, Stacy placed a hand on his

shoulder. She placed the other beneath his chin, lifting it

up so their eyes could meet.


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Stacy smiled coyly, Enough playing,its time to

go.

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