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it earlier. I shoved the barrel in his stomach and unhooked the safety with a click.
    “Back off,” I said, careful to keep my voice low. I could hear the panic in my tone, and my hands were shaking. Jake took several steps back and stared.
    “If you shoot that gun, every one of those things within four miles will be on you.” He started to come toward me again. I quickly reached in my pocket and screwed the attachment onto the end. I’d practiced at home for speed.
    “Silencer,” I hissed, forcing a smug grin. I really just wanted to puke.
    “You know, silencers aren’t all that quiet. . . .” he whispered, though he didn’t sound very convinced. He backed away, looking me up and down. He still held my backpack. “I’ll see you around, honey.” He winked at me before he turned and began to jog away.
    Then I remembered the object in my pocket. Since that day with the creature in the store, I’d come up with a getaway plan. A way to distract Them if They had me cornered, something more complex than a can of corn. I pulled out the remote and stepped back into the bushes. I paused for only a second before hitting the button.
    About half a block away, the siren sounded. I heard a few run by, not the mindless shuffle but the full gallop They developed when They thought humans were near. And then I heard Jake scream. There must have been a few closer. He would have been shocked at the noise. It would have taken him too long to realize it was coming from the bag. Even if he had tossed it in time, he could not have outrun Them. He wouldn’t have had enough time to hide.
    The screams continued and I put my hands over my ears. He’d be dead in less than a minute. I just wanted the noise to stop. The alarm was still going, but I figured They would tear that apart soon enough as well. I didn’t want to do it, but I already had to worry about Them. I couldn’t live wondering if a psycho survivor was out to get me as well. I cried silently, hoping Jake was not the only other person alive on the planet. Did he lie about seeing other people? About the town of survivors?
    The creatures shuffled around for a while, satisfied with their meal. Exhausted, I waited for what seemed like hours, cold and miserable until the area cleared and I could walk back to my house. The first thing I did when I got home was rig another bag from the car alarms I’d scavenged.
    I didn’t know then that the awful exchange with Jake would be the last real conversation I would have for a very, very long time.

    A clap of thunder brings me back to reality, away from the past. I scan again for any new ships, but the sky is empty except for dark gray clouds. The heavier rain will come soon. I’ll be able to climb down the tree and return home before long.
    I try not to think about Jake and what happened that night. But I had learned a few very important things about survival. I also learned where They go at night.
    While I hid in the bushes all those years ago, I watched Them shuffle back from their kill. One by one, They lay on the ground and slinked down a rain gutter. I would not have thought it possible, but they are small and bend in incredible ways. Even their bones seem flexible. That’s where They will be now, while the sky is darkening and the heavy downpour threatening to burst through the clouds. They will head underground to the sewers.
    As soon as the drizzle turns into a torrent, I slide down the tree and jog home. Baby is happy to see me. She greets me with a towel and a change of clothes.
    Did you see it? she signs, her quivering hands betraying her concern. The ship?
    I nod.
    Is it Them? she asks.
    Yes .
    Where did it come from?
    I don’t know , I say, no longer sure that I want to find out.

CHAPTER NINE
    We spot the ships weekly now, their presence becoming more common. So are our run-ins with other survivors. It used to be once a year, when the weather turned warm. Now I spot other people about once a month, usually when the