The Nature of Predators - Venlil Foster Program (3/14)

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Memory transcription subject: Callsi, Venlil Bartender

Date [standardized human time]: October 22, 2136

It was my foster son’s first day of Venlil education. I’d packed Dustin and Jimek matching lunches, and sent them on their way. I intended to work my normal shift, and rendezvous with both children at home. However, fate interrupted my simplistic plan.

When the school called to tell me that there was a problem with Dustin, I expected him to have scared some poor Venlil. It wasn’t the best idea to expose children to humans without any buildup. I heard several parents objected to having their kids in the same classes as a predator. Even the staff were leery, uncertain how to protect students in the event of a hunting episode.

What I saw when I arrived at the school was nothing so mundane. Police and exterminators were forming a perimeter, and herding terrified Venlil out of the building. Parents were rushing to pick up their kids, and news cameras captured the scene. I could see flashing lights outside the administration office, though I didn’t have the depth perception to determine which emergency service it was.

Other human children had been quarantined with their belongings, and I could see the fear on their faces. Exterminators were holding them hostage, speaking in agitated voices. Panicked UN peacekeepers were on the scene too, demanding to know why flamethrowers were pointed at Terran kids.

“The fuck is wrong with you? Nobody threatens our children!” one peacekeeper roared.

A Venlil exterminator stood his ground. “There’s been a predator attack. We’re conducting an investigation.”

“Your investigation is shit. Were these humans here involved in any way?”

“W-well, we don’t think so—”

“Let the kids go, or I’ll show you a predator attack! And if you ‘put down’ the one who was involved, God help me…I’ll bash your fucking skull in.”

It chilled my bones to hear a “friendly” predator threatening to attack, even if I chalked it up to protectiveness. Dustin was notably absent from the Terran pack…and I couldn’t see Jimek anywhere either. I would’ve normally been worried for my foster child, but all I could think about was Jimek. Terror filled my chest, as I wondered what happened to him.

Sprinting closer to the school, I could see that the flashing lights were from an ambulance. What if Jimek had been right, about his weakness provoking Dustin into attacking him? Had the human sought my son out the moment I was not around…right after I let my guard down?

A Venlil kid was lying on a stretcher, and paramedics tended to him. To my relief, the charcoal-colored fur showed this was not Jimek. His jaw had been bashed out of place; it was crooked and stuck agape. Orange blood was smattered all over his features, like he’d been mauled.

Had one of the humans really done this to him? These Terrans were just children, but perhaps Predator Disease had slipped through the cracks. There were rumors that those ailments could fester in their genes too. It couldn’t have been our Dustin, launching an unprovoked assault. He was no raving psychopath; someone else had committed this unthinkable attack.

Maybe Dustin intervened, and got into a sparring match with a more violent predator. Stars, I hope he’s okay!

“The b-beast came…out of nowhere,” a witness gulped, recounting her own tale. “It had Cylek p-pinned before we c-could react. It w-wouldn’t stop.”

The exterminator taking her statement jotted something down. “How did you get the human off of him?”

“It just went b-ballistic! It was s-screaming obscenities…threatening us. It s-stopped to chase me, ‘cause I f-froze…”

“It’s okay, you poor thing. Do you remember anything else?”

“It seemed tireless. But the p-predator had turned a little red, and it clutched its hand l-like it was hurt. It stopped chasing me…and w-went back for Jimek.”

My eyes widened in panic, and I barreled into the administrative office. My parental instincts screamed to get Jimek away from the threat, if there was any safe option. If my son wasn’t outside with the other victims, did that mean he was eaten alive? What if there was nothing left of his body, or he was dead?

The receptionist shouted at me, pleading for my presence in a locked office. I didn’t register her words, instead following where she pointed to. Chairs and tables were jammed against the door handle, forming a haphazard barricade. My heart sank even further, as I peered through a window. This had to be a nightmare.

Dustin was locked inside a nurse’s room, and was holding one hand with gingerness. Orange blood was smeared across his pelts, sickening me to my stomach. Some had splattered onto his face, while his mane was bedraggled from the scuffle. This looked like a wild hominid back from his first hunt; it couldn’t be more true to my worst imaginings.

Why had Dustin gone after some random Venlil? What had he done to my Jimek, after he finished mangling Cylek’s jaw?

The human child leapt to his feet, as his paralyzing eyes spotted me. He walked up to the glass, and I could faintly make out him shouting my name. The beast was deploying the piteous act, but that wasn’t enough to override his bloodstained appearance. His hands reached out to me; however delicate those puny fingers looked, it was clear the predator could do serious damage with them.

The school receptionist whimpered. “C-callsi, p-please…do something. It’s your house g-guest. Get t-the predator out of here.”

“I want him sent back! I’m done with the program!” I screeched, in a hyperventilating panic. “I don’t know what happened, but I just want to see Jimek.”

“T-take the predator off our p-property, and you can d-do whatever you want with it. Please. There’s k-kids here.”

“One of those kids is my son, and I’m taking him! I tried to include the human in our activities. I trusted Dustin, and he proves he’s a violent, unhinged beast on day one! WHERE IS JIMEK?”

I noticed the Terran backing away from the glass pane, and slumping into a chair. The human was careful to flinch at my words, trying to sow seeds of guilt. But all I felt toward the creature was disgust. This was why predators were all dangerous, and why it was folly to treat them like Venlil. Perhaps the first contact astronauts had been manipulating Tarva’s empathy, just like Dustin played me.

This was my fault, for not listening to Jimek’s repeated fears about sheltering a human. Why had I thought any government stipend was worth endangering my son? I’d signed away my right to demand compensation for any ‘bodily harm’ on the first day. A better mother would’ve found another way to afford art school. It was hubris to think I could manage a wild animal for weeks.

“J-Jimek is in the break room. T-two doors to your right, down the hallway,” the Venlil receptionist stammered.

I followed her directions, and shot occasional glances back to ensure Dustin’s barricade held. Fear consumed my thoughts, without a clue what condition my son was in. There was no chance he’d survived a predator attack unscathed, but I hoped he’d escaped permanent damage. Before I could reach my son, the front entrance crashed open. Human barks echoed behind me, along with the screams of fleeing Venlil staff.

My instincts told me to join the stampede, since I would be the only Venlil left in the vicinity. But I wrestled against the itch in my paws; I’d never forgive myself if I left my child behind. My body was shaking uncontrollably, as I flung open the break room door. Jimek was curled up on a cot, with his tail twitching in his sleep. That told me he was alive…and all I saw was a reopened wound on his ear.

“Jimek!” I cried in relief. “I’m so happy you’re okay!”

The Venlil popped his head up. “M-mom? Where’s Dustin?”

“I’m s-so, so sorry I let him into our lives. You were right, about everything. Please forgive me.”

“What are you talking about? The human saved me. See, I’m fine!”

“You’re not thinking clearly. Let’s get out of here; t-there’s soldiers breaking in here now.”

The little Venlil looked confused, but hopped onto his feet. I hugged him closer to me, unwilling to let go of him for any predator. If my higher brain functions were lost to a stampede, I didn’t want to take the chance of losing Jimek. We would run from the humans together, though perhaps I should stay cogent long enough to appeal to their ‘empathy.’

Two predators in UN gear, whose heads were ducked awkwardly to avoid the ceiling, wrenched the barricade away like it was nothing. The only species I could think that was taller than them were the Mazics; the caloric needs of large animals were staggering. That was some indicator of just how much hominids hunted, and was why I’d fed Dustin massive portions.

Still hunched over, one of the Terrans took a running start. The beast seemed a bit winded, perhaps slowed by the strain of our gravity. Their foot planted against the wooden frame, like they expected to demolish structures with pure strength. Even without full lung capacity, the human kicked the door off its hinges with ease. I stood no chance of fending off such a creature.

Another human tensed her grip on a weapon, and glared at me. “Who the fuck are you?”

“P-please let us go! Your hellspawn attacked my s-son!” I wailed. “W-who the fuck are you?”

The beast relaxed slightly. “Lisa Reynolds, with the UN’s Venlil Prime Response Team. You can leave.”

The UN soldiers escorted Dustin into the lobby, after checking him for injuries. I gawked as the bloodstained beast staggered just meters away, and avoided eye contact with me. Jimek wriggled out of my grip, while I was distracted by the Terran adult interrogating me. The little Venlil ran toward the predator child, which almost stopped my heart. I swooned, as Jimek wrapped his arms around Dustin.

What on Venlil Prime is he doing? Why is he not more frightened, after this predator just mauled other kids?

“Thank you,” my son sniffled. “Nobody ever sticks up for me. I don’t know what they would’ve done to me.”

Dustin patted Jimek’s neck gently. “Don’t mention it. Those assholes got what was coming to them. I just wanted to protect you…”

Peacekeeper Reynolds squinted at me. “You all know each other?”

“They’re my, uh, foster family. Not anymore, I guess.”

My fear was mixed with utter confusion, watching the exchange between Jimek and Dustin. Was my son implying that the Terran child attacked Cylek, because of a bullying incident? That wasn’t exactly what I wanted from Dustin; this was a vicious, horrendous assault. However, if it was the predator-diseased mongrels that tormented my son, I felt a lot less sorry for them.

The massive soldiers traipsed around the office, and bumped into a lot of objects. It was amusing how clumsy they were in tight spaces; they probably couldn’t chase any Venlil around our buildings. One male human with glasses tapped at a computer, which the fleeing receptionist had abandoned. He shouted something about security footage, and tapped away at the keys.

“Let’s see what happened here,” Lisa muttered. “Do you want to see, Miss…?”

“Callsi.”

Despite the screaming of my instincts, I crept closer to the alien hunters that could end my existence with ease. The Terran with the glasses was scrubbing the footage, and rewound to the incident’s context. I watched with interest, trying not to think about Jimek and Dustin mingling together. My son showed no inclination to separate from the predator.

The footage was a welcome distraction, though not a pleasant scenario to behold. Cylek was laughing maniacally, as he twirled a knife in his paws. The female child who’d been giving the witness statement was there too, and she was circling a building pillar in a predatory way. I could see a sobbing Jimek tied to the support, begging them to stop. The bullies crouched beside him, and inspected the scar on his ear.

“I don’t think I finished the job,” Cylek cackled. “I think I’m going to carve my name this time, Remsi.”

The female Venlil flicked her ears. “I’d like to practice my art on his other ear. Isn’t that what Jimek likes? Art?”

Remsi tugged a sketchbook from Jimek’s knapsack, and began ripping out the pages one-by-one. My son screamed at them to stop, while the tears quickened. My heart twisted, witnessing their cruelty firsthand. I had no idea the bullying was this severe; it was unfathomable that someone would do this to my baby. On second thought, I had zero sympathy for these monsters.

Other Venlil goaded the instigators on, with a few filming on their holopads. Cylek traced the knife across my son’s scar tissue, and the bindings prevented Jimek from thrashing. The bully was basking in the limelight, not rushing a moment. I noticed the UN soldiers’ expressions becoming increasingly predatory and grotesque.

Dustin appeared on camera, sprinting with surprising speed for a gangly creature. The human hit Cylek with a full-body tackle, and twisted his wrist so the knife was dropped. He looked like a terrifying fiend, a visceral snarl on his face. The Terran rained haymakers on the downed Venlil, whaling his jaw without relenting.

“Why don’t you…gah, pick on someone your own…size!” the predator grunted, between punches.

Cylek screamed with pure terror, and tried to shield his face. One of the Venlil bystanders, who’d been cheering on Jimek’s torment seconds earlier, went to pull Dustin away. The human slid his backpack down his arm in one fluid motion, and swung it with impossible speed. It clobbered the interloper in the head, knocking him out with a hard reset.

The Terran child abandoned Cylek, satisfied with him whimpering on the floor. His head snapped around in an unnerving gesture, and those binocular eyes scanned for his next prey. He saw Remsi holding Jimek’s sketchbook, and bolted after her. The Venlil scrambled backward, surrendering the drawings to the beast.

“D-don’t eat me!” she mewled.

Dustin shoved her to the ground. “You ever mess with Jimek again, and I will END YOU! You fucking understand?”

The female Venlil cowered, and slunk away as soon as the predator turned his back. The Terran untied Jimek, returning the sketchbook to him. The little Venlil was unresponsive, and concern was visible in my foster child’s eyes. Dustin carried him toward the nurse’s office, which must’ve been how they ended up here.

None of Jimek’s wounds were caused by Dustin. I…I should’ve never said those things about the human, I lamented to myself. He deserves a better guardian.

“Let me say, Dustin Curtis, you just created one hell of a diplomatic mess. But in my book, you did a good thing.” Lisa Reynolds crossed her arms, leaning against the wall to lower her height. “Bondarenko, download that footage. We want a copy of it.”

The predator with the glasses obliged the order. “Yes, ma’am. What now?”

“We should take him to the embassy, until we sort this shit out. If I understand correctly, Callsi wishes to relinquish custody of the kiddo.”

“No!” I yelped hastily. “Please, d-don’t take Dustin away.”

Bondarenko adjusted his glasses. “You just called him a ‘hellspawn.’”

“I’m sorry…it all looked terrible. Jimek was hurt, there was an ambulance with a mangled kid and witnesses, and Dustin was covered in blood. I didn’t mean it. If he c-can’t forgive me…I’ll help find him a new home. I’m really sorry for what I said; I wasn’t thinking.”

The Terran child shrugged. “I’ve heard worse, Callsi. I understand, er, and I know I’m a burden. But I don’t wanna move again.”

The UN peacekeepers exchanged glances, before beckoning toward the exit. Jimek wrapped his bushy tail around Dustin’s wrist, and the human seemed taken aback. I don’t think he had a clue how to respond. The skin around his knuckles was red, indicating the force of his punch. The Venlil staff here hadn’t offered ice to ease the swelling.

The human soldiers were pushing the pace, however, not leaving me time to root out any supplies. The giant predators were sending chills down my spine, but I didn’t want them to leave me behind. I might never see Dustin again. As the Terran warriors hustled toward their van, I stuck close to them. They took care to avoid reporters, and ward off potentially hostile Venlil.

Guilt threatened to swallow me whole, as we slid into the backseat. No matter what I saw back there, it was unthinkable to assume the timid orphan was a cutthroat predator. The hurtful words I’d spoken could never be rescinded. It was my responsibility to make up for my failures, and earn Dustin’s trust again.

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A/N - Part 3 of the miniseries! Dustin's first day of school ends with an extreme emergency response, after he smacks down Jimek's bullies. While Callsi regressed to old thought patterns, the Venlil kid seems to be won over. Will our foster family be able to unify after this incident?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!