In Search of Home

Chapter 16

Viktor and the others retreated into the center of the room, nestled between the tunnel and the jungle gym. The tall alien, which Viktor caught Pink referring to as Vock-something, peered into the enclosure with curiosity. He said something to Pink, who shook her head and pointed to something hanging on the wall. Viktor couldn't see it, considering it was outside their room, and would probably be unable to read it if he could. The tall alien shrugged and also shook his head, pointing towards the group of humans. Pink looked like she wanted to politely hit him on the head but couldn't find a good enough reason to.

"Do you think he's like, a king or something? She keeps bowing," Viktor asked, watching as Pink offered another bow and started fumbling with something on her waist. The action caused almost all of them to tense up. Viktor almost stopped breathing. They ignored each other's sighs of relief when it was revealed that she just had the key to the gate in her hand.

There were no shock collar remotes in her hands. Nothing that could harm them.

The gate opened, and both aliens made their way in. The tall alien stopped as he kicked something into the room, and Viktor realized with dismay that it was the ball that he had thrown over by accident earlier. The alien's jewelry clinked pleasantly as he bent down to pick up the ball. He idly tossed it up in the air as he spoke to Pink once more, who answered with a small shrug and an even smaller bow. His eyes traveled to the group of humans, and he crouched down a fair bit away in front of them. He held out the ball, speaking quietly.

"Who threw the ball?" Zach asked.

"Me," Viktor moaned through the thick fog of his fear. They hadn't yet seen Pink even raise her voice in anger, but they had only been here for almost two days. Throwing anything out of their cages in the arena had resulted in either taking the entire thing out, as was the case for their straw piles that had managed to get strewn about on the floor outside their cages, and actually caused one of the employees to slip, or a decrease in food, like the time Ezekiel had gotten fed up with the slop and tossed the whole dish out in anger when Lilac had gone to retrieve them. Unfortunately, the ringmaster had been there inspecting some of the other animals. He had come in with Lilac unnoticed by the humans. Viktor still had some of the thin scars the ringmaster had caused on his arms that day.

The tall alien made a surprised noise as he noticed Viktor, speaking to Pink once more. Pink responded in kind, gesturing with a tiny smile on her face. Viktor did not like the look of that. The tall alien waved the ball, tossing it gently to the ground right in front of him. "Kohgrash?" he spoke, looking back at Pink, who nodded. "Kohgrash," he spoke again gently, along with a few other words.

Viktor wanted to scream. It was always him.

He stood firmly in place, neatly tucked in between Aiko and Ezekiel. The alien kept calling his name. Pedro nudged him from behind. "I don't think he'll give up. Plus, if he hurts you, we aren't stuck behind cages anymore." Murmurs of affirmation and resentment followed that statement.

He was right, Viktor thought, his nerves quelling just a bit. The others wouldn't let some alien hurt him anymore, even if it was some higher-up. Maybe he'd be kicked out of the store.

Viktor cautiously walked forward, eyes trained on the alien's hands. They were held loosely in between the alien's legs, forearms propped against his legs as he crouched. Viktor crouched to grab the ball, barely even coming up to the alien's knee when he did. He gripped the ball tightly, looking at the alien. "Thank you," the manners forced into him by his dad coming out. The alien grinned wider, showing his long fangs. The ringmaster had only ever had short canines, quite like theirs. But this alien had predatory teeth. Viktor bared his own teeth in response, feeling a bit creeped out. The other stopped grinning, speaking softly instead.