Page 14 of Semi-Human

We leave the house at the crack of dawn after River tends to his garden one last time. He quietly tells his vegetables to be good in his absence and grow to feed his friends. I can’t shake my sense of gloom as I carry my backpack between the peaceful houses. I tell myself I’ll return here eventually, but with so many uncertainties lying ahead, I’m doubtful.

Despite the early hour, many from the village are waiting at the dock. Richmond smiles and nods at us. “Are you boys ready?”

“We are,”

River says, as Rowan walks over to join us.

Lyla steps forward. “I’ll be staying here for a few days. I forgot how much I missed the quiet.”

“You can sleep in my house,”

River tells her. “It’s nicer than yours.”

Lyla and I exchange a smile, but she suddenly narrows her eyes and turns to look at the lake. I follow her gaze, but I see nothing but morning mist covering the water.

River grabs my hand. “Something’s coming.”

“What is?”

“River, take Josh to the ferry,”

Richmond says sternly. “No matter what happens, keep your head down unless we’re in danger. Rowan, go with them.”

I have no idea what is happening, but I follow River as he pulls me toward the ferry, which is about 100 feet away. We climb on board and squeeze past the two horses before crouching by the window in the cabin.

“What’s happening?”

I whisper to River.

“We have a guest, the same one who came to see us three years ago.”

“Shh,”

Rowan says from behind, just as I notice the mist on the water beginning to stir. I squint, trying to detect a boat, but there’s nothing. On the dock, the Semi-Humans stand tensely. Lyla is the only one holding a rifle, though she doesn’t aim it forward.

Through the eerie silence, I hear a growing ripple in the water. River breathes heavily next to me, and if anything can scare him, it sure terrifies me.

When something finally appears, I don’t trust my eyes. I want to ask if I’m going crazy, but the words die in my mouth. A head rises through the mist, white hair and pale face. It takes me a few moments to take in the size.

A giant.

Like the ones I saw last night with Helena. Like the ones from the photos in Dino’s office.

He continues to walk steadily toward the dock, cutting through water and mist as he reveals more of his massive form. Just when I think he’s about to climb onto the dock, he stops, half of his muscular torso above the water. I don’t know how long he’s been down in the lake, but his face is bloated, seaweed draping over his shoulder.

“Brothers and sisters,”

the giant says, his booming voice loud enough to scare off nearby birds.

“You are not welcome here!”

Richmond calls.

“I am not here for hospitality, old man.”

The giant scans the dock, as if looking for something—or someone.

I place my tongue between my teeth to stop their clatter. The air feels colder, though it might be the ice running in my veins.

“Our decision hasn’t changed,”

Richmond says. “Those of us who agreed with Father’s cause have already left.”

“I am also not here to try convincing you again.”

The giant takes another step forward. Lyla raises her rifle, but Richmond signals her to lower it.

The giant remains in the water, now reaching his lower abdomen. His bulging muscles look ready to tear through his pale skin. “Have you really stooped so low as to invite filthy humans into your home?”

My heart beats even faster. River, who can likely hear it, holds my hand.

“Our guests—whoever they may be—are not your concern,”

Richmond says with fear in his voice.

“Father has been patient with your refusal to join his cause, but he won’t be if you decide to fight him.”

“Do not jump to conclusions. Have you been here for all these years?”

“I have. I sometimes sleep in the lake. Other times, I hunt. But I always watch. It’s a simple existence, but Father’s mission for me was clear.”

“I pity your simple existence,”

Richmond says, his anger sounding stronger than his fear. “Go back to your damn city and leave us be! We are not defenseless, Son of Father.”

At that, Lyla raises her rifle again, and Richmond allows it. More Semis have arrived, and most are armed. They’re supposed to be stronger than any human, but right now, they all seem reluctant to face even one of the giants.

If things are about to turn bloody, I’ll have to reveal myself. Nobody will die because of me.

The giant snorts and shakes his massive head. “It is a sad day when brothers act as enemies, but I will leave you be. You and your… little human.”

The giant turns around and strides back into the mist. When I can no longer see or hear him, I wipe sweat from my brow and ask, “Will he come after us?”

“I don’t think so,”

River says, “but I want to reach the other side as fast as possible.”

We move to stand as Oliver climbs onto the ferry. “This was a mistake,”

he mutters. His choice to speak out loud is clearly meant for me—an accusation. I wonder how many others share that sentiment. “A horrible mistake,” Oliver mutters again.

As we leave the village behind, I don’t dare to look back.

*

When we reach the shoreline, we hurry to mount the horses and ride south.

“Do you think that giant will bother your people?”

I ask River once we’ve made some distance. He sits in front of me on the black stallion, and I’m fine with his wild riding under the circumstances.

“I don’t know, but I’m worried,”

he says. “At least we can sense when he’s close. We’ll protect our home if we need to.”

I hate that our time in his village has ended on such a dire note. I can’t help but feel that if the giant had come a day sooner, the council would not have agreed to speak with my people.

Rowan signals us to slow down and says, “It should take us around four days to reach your Hive, Josh. We’ll need you to be our guide when we’re close. If they see you with us before we can explain, they might think you’re our captive.”

“I understand.”

We don’t speak much on the first day, focusing on covering as much distance as the horses can handle. With time to process the developments of the last few days, my mind grows heavy with concerns over showing up at the Hive with two Semi-Humans. Dino will be my key to getting them inside, but if he’s out on one of his travels, I’ll be in a tight spot.

“Everything will be fine,”

River says from in front of me.

“Are you reading my thoughts?”

“I know your body.”

I smile. “I’ll try to think more positively.”

I slip my hand underneath his shirt, using his soft skin as a distraction.

We spend the night in a small, deserted town. Most of the structures didn’t survive the harsh weather, but there are a few old brick houses that still have their windows intact. We eat dinner with Rowan, who shares stories from his travels, and then we separate into two different houses to spend the night.

“What did you like most about my village?”

River asks as we lie on top of our sleeping bags.

“The flowers,”

I say. “They were everywhere. My Hive is mostly gray.”

“I like gray.”

“You won’t after a few days in the Hive.”

“But you’re not gray, and I’ll be looking at you most of the time.”

I stroke his cheek, wishing I could see in the dark like he can. “Just don’t expect too much, okay? The Hive was built for longevity, not for looks.”

He tilts his head and kisses my palm. “I like longevity.”

“Good. Do you still hear Mother out here?”

“Barely. After you met her, she told me that you are very brave and handsome.”

“She didn’t say that I was handsome.”

“She did.”

He slips his hand into my pants, holding my cock. “I’ll help you sleep better.”

“You just want my nutrients.”

“And also to hear you moan.”

It takes a few strokes for me to harden in his warm palm. Knowing that Rowan is far enough, I let out the moans River likes to hear. He kisses my cheek and neck, breathing against my face. I rock my hips into his palm, tilting my head to find his lips in the dark. We kiss until I’m on the verge of coming, and since he knows my body so well, he stops in time to lean his mouth over my crown.

I erupt inside him, gasping as he sucks me dry.

He raises his head and says, “You were very generous this time.”

I laugh and pull him against me. Shortly after, sleep carries me away.

The following day, light rain begins to fall, making the road muddy. We make slower progress, but at least it’s not too cold. When the rain finally stops and it’s time to plan our camp for the night, River suddenly halts our horse. I’m sitting behind him, startled by the sudden stop.

“I feel it too,”

Rowan says. “But it’s too late to do anything. We should—”

River sharply steers the horse off the path and takes us into the woods. I hold on to him tightly, ducking from passing branches.

“River!”

Rowan calls from behind. “There’s no point!”

We ride deeper into the woods. They’re clustered enough to make it feel much darker, but it grows brighter once we reach a clearing. Before I can ask why we’re here, the stench hits me. I lean sideways to look, horrified as my mind struggles to put the pieces together.

River climbs down, but I can’t make my legs move. Rowan leads his horse next to me. “Terrible,”

he says with a sigh. “There are children here.”

I met these children. Not long ago, we spent a night in their camp, protected them until we wished them luck and parted ways.

I manage to numbly climb down. There are about twenty corpses scattered around, all bloody. There were more of them when we last met, but it’s unclear what happened to the rest. Did they escape or were they taken away by Raiders?

“They were supposed to be in Blue Moon,”

River says with his back to me, his voice distant.

“Blue Moon? I’ve heard they’re no longer taking in new refugees,”

Rowan says. “They closed their gates last week.”

I can’t imagine anyone turning down a small group made mostly of families, but I don’t know how bad things have been getting out there. Would the Hives have welcomed them? I don’t think so. Taking in a few might encourage more to come, and our resources are limited.

“Have you met these people?”

Rowan asks me.

“Yes. We spent a night with them.”

The stench slips into my head, making me dizzy. Burying these people will take us hours, so I don’t suggest it.

River returns with his head bowed and climbs on the horse. I climb behind him, gently placing my hands on his hips, knowing there’s nothing I can say that will make this easier to bear.

We remain silent until we break camp. Next to the campfire, River takes out his harmonica. He plays a melody so sad that I can’t help but walk aside to mourn alone, struggling under the weight of my guilt.

*

The evening before we’re supposed to reach the Hive, River takes me aside. The trees around us cast long shadows where we sit on a flat rock. The last few days have taken away some of our sense of intimacy. It no longer feels like we exist in a private bubble, and discovering the fate of the refugees from Prosperity didn’t help matters.

River places one of our bags on the ground. “You’ll see your people again soon, and you need to be presentable.”

He takes out my shaving cream and a razor. I barely need to shave, but I appreciate the gesture. He pours water on his palm, then gently strokes my face. “Let nobody say I haven’t been kind to my prisoner.”

When he’s about to rub the cream over my face, I hold his hand. “What’s wrong? You’ve been distant in the last few days.”

He looks away. “I’m getting what I wanted, but I’m sad.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m worried.”

“My people have nothing to lose by hearing you out. We all want the same thing.”

He nods, but the worry in his eyes remains. It dawns on me what this is really about. “You’re worried that if it doesn’t work out, I’ll stay in the Hive.”

He still avoids my eyes. “Your place is with your people.”

Is it? If they refuse to work with the Semi-Humans despite the threat from the west, would my place still be in the Hive? I feel sick thinking of voluntarily leaving my home, but I feel even worse thinking of staying while knowing the truth about the New-Humans. I pray I won’t be forced to make such a choice between the Hive and River.

“I don’t want to make empty promises, but I will say this—our story won’t end tomorrow.”

I’ve never meant anything more in my life.

River rests his forehead against mine. “You need to do what’s right for you.”

“Then good thing it’s you.”

He leans back with a smile. “You are right for me, too. I will now make you presentable. The most handsome Defender!”

“Keep it up and they might ask you to shave everyone in the Hive.”

He purses his bottom lip. “You think?”

I punch his shoulder. “Don’t even.”