The Aliens That Took Me

Am I An Alien Now?

     River and Dakota  looked down to me with their stunning eyes. I realised then that there was no way I could tell them no. I thought about the room, and the presents, and how they let me say goodbye to my mom. They loved me. I looked back to the alien. “I will. I will take them.” 

     Restraint ribbons came out of the table and gripped my hands, feet, and stomach, by looping my limbs over them over and over. I watched in horror but the more I struggled the faster they came. The alien was still holding me, but as the black ribbons retracted into the table, they pulled me with them out of his arms. I screamed loudly  but no one heard me over the deafening hum of approval the crowd was making. They seemed to be getting larger and larger. I realised they were actually coming closer, not getting larger. This was it, they convinced me to love them, and now  they are gonna eat me. 

    The head alien was closest to me, and he raised his hands up to calm the sounds of the crowd, which stopped almost immediately. Even I attempted to stop screaming. “You have already been partially bound to these two, but we must now finish the bond. I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.” My eyes widened as I processed what he was saying - what was going to hurt?

     His face was the last clear image I had before the blurry images of Dakota and River on either side of me. The momentary peace had ended, as the crowd got louder, my tears dripped down onto the table and my wrists burned from the ribbons. My attention was stolen from Dakota and River,  to the needles which were coming out of the table. I watched, almost in a daze from exhaustion and fear as the needles went into my neck. I hadn’t seen before, but the needles were connected to what looked like medicine tubes, and they were spreading fire into my system.

      I looked to Dakota,  but her entire face had changed. Her usual kind eyes had turned fully black, and little white flecks atop her nose had appeared. Her lips became even smaller and her teeth larger. Instead of the teeth she had had, which were similar to mine, she now had a full set of razor sharp fangs. I looked to River but  he too had turned into a beast. One of them, held my neck and they both bit down. It was agony and ecstasy at the same time.  There was an unbearable pain emanating from my neck, and at the same time an unbearable joy flooding my brain. It was like a soothing pressure on top of being pulled apart. 

     Pain! Ow! Ow! bright light, ow, ow ow light. blink, blink Marley blink! I commanded myself, but I could barely tell that my eyelids were indeed my own. I could feel their teeth in me, and wetness on my neck.  The energy level in the room was so high I couldn't think, I couldn't breath. I couldn’t move, and then they let go of my neck. The energy calmed almost instantaneously as my head rolled, backward into one of their massive hands.  I saw nothing, only blackness, I only know they held my head because it is still attached to me now. I blinked again, starting to get some feeling back.  I felt the restraints leave my hands and feet. one of their mouths came to my ear, “What shall you name your companion?” The voice was gentle, kind again. I relaxed into it. Elephant. Elephant. Elephant. The name came to me.  

     “Cole. His name is Cole” and then I don’t remember. I don’t remember leaving, or going home, or waking up in my crib. 

       But somehow I did, because I was there when I blinked and I blinked again, and realised that that was where I was. I couldn’t see around the room, as I had before. Everything was out of focus.  I took a deep breath, the air felt cleaner than before. “It’s the bond that does it.” I looked around for the voice,“Relax, I am to your left.” It told me. I reached up with my hand and felt nothing. “Try your other left. “ I sighed. How could a voice know which was left and right better than me? I decided not to give it  the satisfaction. My hand found my head, and closed my eyes. The images of what I assumed to be  the night before flooded in. River, biting me. Dakota, biting me. I touched my neck and shivered. “You’ll be sore for a few days, but it will lessen in time.”  I nodded to the voice but truthfully, it could have been talking for five minutes before telling me about the bite marks and I wouldn't have noticed. As my mom always said, I was always getting lost in my own mind. Distantly, I heard voices, talking in a language I didn’t understand, coming from outside the room. I thought I could hear River and Dakota, but there were other voices I didn’t recognise, sounds like laughter boomed into the room as Dakota opened my door. I wish I could join the party, I thought to myself, but as she came in, and more of my senses returned to me, the feeling of being out of sorts and uncomfortable came back full force, and I was glad it was only her coming in to see me.  

      A gentle light turned on and I was comforted by her when she lifted me. She wrapped her long arms fully around me, and nuzzled my head until it rested under her chin. “I am proud to be your mother now.” She whispered. I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t my mother, that I had a mother. But I couldn’t bring myself to actually say anything at all. 

      Her long legs carried us over to the changing table. Down on the soft space, I was immediately shy and confused, a particularly loud sound came from the other room. Dakota’s unfocused head turned in the direction of the sound, and then everything hushed. If I had been feeling even slightly better, it would have been funny. But instead, I felt weak sitting at the level of her stomach and my own tummy filled with butterflies again. Her body was so big, but still it was blurry, the crib, and other things in the room seemed to just be things I knew existed, but had somehow vanished in the face of me trying to actually see them. Dakota’s dress glittered in and out of shape.  I felt her push me back by my shoulders, but I struggled. Saying I wanted to be their baby was one thing, being dressed by an alien is another. Dakota put my blanket into my arms, I breathed in the scent and relaxed. Blankie had been with me since the beginning of time, whenever I felt, sad, scared, or alone, blankie always made everything better. 

     “Somehow even with our bond, the blankie is more soothing.” the blob of her face shook side to side in front of me. 

     “If you think you are unimportant, imagine how I feel.” I heard from the direction of the crib, it was the voice from earlier. 

     Dakota didn’t respond to the voice, but I felt her hands shake with silent laughter as she pulled up something against my lower privates. Her fingers came up underneath me, and finally my fingers touched her chest again. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. She was so close to me, leaning over on the table, probably only to grab the wipes, but still, it was comforting. 

     What was going to happen to me? What had already happened to me? I had liked Dakota before but now it was somehow stronger than that, like there was a constant force pushing me into her. I was a young child again, and I needed my mother, who more and more was becoming the alien leaning over me, and less of the woman I had loved on earth. 

     She slid the dress up some and I felt pressure as she pressed another button on the diaper I was wearing. Once again I was shocked it just popped open. “You can’t control your body when in our diapers. They are specifically made to force your kind to use them and further our bond. Don’t be afraid.” My face felt so hot from embarrassment. I wasn’t dry? How could that be? I was supposed to be a damn adult, Damn it! I hadn’t even noticed the wetness,  but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing it was indeed working, I was going to blow up from the amount of blood flooding into my face. She lifted my legs with one hand, and the other pressed a cool cloth to me, strangely, I did start to feel slightly better. She pressed a new diaper to my body. I swirled the blanket around my face to hide, but she had other plans, which I realised as she gently pulled the blankie away from my forehead. I resisted the urge to cry. She put her face close to mine, still holding the blanket, and finally her face came into focus. She pressed her thin lips to my forehead. Once one of their kind chose you, there was no going back. I had only been up for a few minutes, but as she lifted me up, it felt as though that change had actually taken hours. 

     “Your bond is healing well. Your eyes will adjust, but for a while, your vision will be blurry and out of focus. Your coordination will also be less advanced, you might find yourself less capable of walking, or moving.  This process is designed to increase your dependability on us.” I vaguely recognized that she was telling me something, and that it was something important, but it did not sound as though she was actually talking to me. Dakota was talking above me, and I just happened to be there. I nodded to her like I understood, but I didn't really. My ears seemed to be too tired to pay attention to the words she was saying, and I was too tired to care.  I felt her put me back down to sleep, and all I could think was finally! I shut my eyes wearily once again. 

     I woke with a start a few hours later. I sat up, I felt like a person again, even though I still couldn’t see as well as before. At least now the house was quiet. Even though I couldn’t see, I was eager to move. I stretched my arms and legs out and heard satisfying cracks from my elbows and knees.I stood up and looked around my room through the bars of the crib. Even out of focus the room was calm and enjoyable. It tailored perfectly to a person of my size and (according to them) age. I felt something tap my leg, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked down and saw a blurry toy elephant tapping my leg. 

      “Uh… what?” I asked it in a half-whisper. 

      “It’s the middle of the night.” He was the voice from earlier! I bent down and noticed that for a toy, the elephant, Cole, rather, looked annoyed. 

      “Oh. uh. Sorry. I didn’t realize you slept.” His facial expression changed to one of mental exasperation. he wobbled his little furry legs over to the other side of the room and curled up against the crib bars and wall. 

     He was right, my second wind was also starting to fade.  

chapter 4

     I stood there that morning feeling fine, until in my chest deep pain resonated. Stronger and stronger it came until I couldn’t bear it. , it was like a fire. I gripped my chest. I yelled out, I shut my eyes, there was a vision of a crash. Pain, so much pain, what could have happened?

      I felt myself being lifted. It was Dakota. “What is wrong? What is the problem?” The pain hurt so badly, I could barely see as Dakota held me. I knew she was talking but I was utterly consumed. How could something hurt like this? Then it was over. I gasped and blinked. I looked blurry-eyed back at Dakota and River, who looked confused and worried. I was beginning to learn their facial expressions. I started to sob. Dakota who had been holding me away from her, crushed my body to her chest. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re all right,” she was trying to tell me. 

     “It’s my mom, somethings wrong. something’s really wrong.” I whispered through tears. “I need to go home.” 

     “You have had a vision, it is a sign of your transformation. In time you will learn to control them. For now you will be changed, and then have something to eat. We will discuss this afterwards.” Dakota pulled me away from her, and I could tell the concern from earlier had been replaced with a hardness. 

     “My mom-” I reached back for her, but she set me down in the crib. 

     “River will change you, you will eat, and then we will discuss.” She said it harsher then. But I refused to listen. She didn’t understand. That was my mother and she was in pain. I stood up on shaky legs reaching for them both, and trying to climb out of the crib. 

     “But I-” 

      She looked at me in the eyes and growled- baring her teeth. I whimpered and retreated back. She was punishing me. She walked out of my room. River lifted me out of the crib, but I stiffened against him. My face felt warm, and I turned my face away to brush away tears. He set me down on the table. I wiped my eyes, trying to regain what was left of my dignity. It didn’t matter because that was quickly removed by him bending me back and pulling off my diaper. 

     “Do not be upset, she is worried. It is the first day you have come out of the transformation, and you wish to leave already.” I didn’t know how to answer him. I  turned to look away. Now that I was conscious, I remembered how embarrassing it was to be changed by him. I felt him wiping carefully up and down my inner core,  and then the diaper wrap around me once more. The pull I had felt the other day to be near Dakota and River was stronger than ever and being touched and taken care of by him, I knew, was making that even more clear.  I was starting to become used to the feeling. He tried to smile at me he lifted me into his arms and held me tight. The dress fell loosely around my body. Already my first day fully awake had been a disaster. River picked my elephant up out of my crib and handed him to me. I held him a little away from me and looked into his eyes. 

     He blinked, “Hello.” 

     I  whispered, “Hi.”

     He smiled at me under his trunk. “You will get used to me in time.”  

    I scoffed. I could never be used to a talking elephant. He was insane, or maybe I was insane for listening to him. I couldn’t keep track anymore. River walked us into the front living room, where Dakota had prepared one of their food bottles for me. I did not look at her, and she had her back to us. He handed me the massive bottle. It looked like a baby bottle, but for a person my size. I looked at it in distaste. I did not have very long to make the decision of whether to drink though, because River then pushed it into my mouth. He did not give me time to think or change, I had one choice, and even that he made for me. I gave in, and sucked at the bottle. I shut my eyes.

      There was just no point in arguing with them. We were sitting on the couch now. He did not move the bottle tell I had drank every bit of it. He held me close, but looked to Dakota. He said something short and fast, in his normal voice. The one he only spoke to her in. Then looked to me. He caught my eyes, with his crisp blue irises I was trapped. They were so bright, so beautiful against his gray scaly skin. And then, just like that, he looked back to Dakota. I blinked. He spoke again to her. I looked away. I felt almost like I was intruding on their discussion.  I looked back when I heard the door shut. Dakota was gone. instinctively I wondered if it had been me, and I felt bad. “It was not.” 

     “But I-” 

     “Dakota has gone to pack your things, We must travel quickly to see your mother.” He had a far away look in his eyes.

     “Is it... is what I saw really bad?” I whispered this. River looked down at me, looking me in the eyes once again. 

     His face softened. “It is not my place to tell you, nor is it yours to ask.” I looked down again. The way they talked was different to the way humans spoke. They were colder and rougher, mouths moving to move in exaggerated ways to form responses back to me. I could tell they were trying so hard to love me, but the transition was hard for all of us.  “I can change my voice if it helps.” 

     “It doesn’t.” All I could think about was my mom. She needed me, and I was a million miles away playing dolls with aliens. He said nothing else to me, just held me. Soon, Dakota walked back in carrying two massive packs, at least the size of me. River stood, still holding me in one arm, and took the pack from her. 

     We stepped outside of the living cube. I saw Dakota guide the ship with her hand, down out of the sky it came. The sound of the ship coming down was deafening. A pathway came out of the ship’s door, and before I even realised, River was jumping from the cube to the ship. They both landed with barely a jolt, and I looked down into the space below the ship, but could see nothing but orangey red fog. Aboard the ship, River put me down so that he could take off his pack and start preparing the ship.  I was shocked at how much the ship had changed since the last time I had seen it. When I had first come onto the ship that day, it had been simplistic, with just enough for River and for Dakota.  There had been one chair, and then the control center. Now, there was a traveling nursery set up. There was a crib, bolted to the floor, with a changing table close to it. They had also put down a soft rug on the hard black floor.  Books and some toys in one of the corners, obviously for me, with a smaller seat next to the adult seat were all set out. Part of me was shocked, the other was happy. Again, they had shown how much they cared for me.  I felt guilty about criticising my place with them, almost as much as it felt like I was not connecting to them well.

     River stood to the control center, and set me down on the floor. It felt strange to stand on my own two feet again, it seemed as though I was always being carried these days. It was alarming to me still, even after living with them for probably a week now, that the top of my head only reached their knees. I was at a loss for what to do as I stood by him, holding my elephant in one hand. Dakota meanwhile, had set down both packs on the opposite side of the ship from where my area was. I thought about our fight earlier, and immediately felt even worse about it. She had been so kind to me. As the ship slowly rose into the atmosphere, I slowly made my way trying not to fall, toward her. She must have heard me trying to come to her, because it only took a few seconds before her long arms shot out and lifted me up. She set me down on the children’s seat next to the adult seat at the front, and buckled me in with careful hands. To my dismay, the seat was alien child proof, it was like a baby padlock. Or at least, what would have been a baby version to them.

     By now, the ship was high in the sky, and the planet was shrinking below us into it’s deep red orange fog. I could not get over how different the landscape was, and as I looked out, the thoughts of my mom and Dakota melted away. It was so beautiful, Earth, although home, seemed so much paler in comparison to the vibrant colors of planet Arc. I strained in my seat trying to see as much of the landscape as I could. 

     Eventually, all I could see was a faint white dot in the distance. River reached into my bag and handed me my blankie, and then he motioned for me to open my mouth. hhe placed a brown dot on my tongue, it melted into my mouth and tasted like chocolate. I felt it suddenly grow and grow until one end of the piece popped out of my mouth. I tried to drop it but it stuck to my mouth, forcing me to suck on it. Once it fully filled out, I realised it was a pacifier. River motioned for me to be quiet, and so I sucked on the pacifier and held my elephant tight, I had no other choice. Somehow I felt strangely comforted by that. I felt my eyes shutting and didn’t fight sleep.  

     I yawned and sat up to see River looking over me curiously, “It is time to go now.” I sat up immediately. I was home. He unclipped my seat belt and before he could hold me I was jumping off the seat and scrambling out of the ship still sucking the pacifier I had been given. I stopped for a moment, and realised that I was in my old bedroom. The bed was made nicely, and the room was cleaner. I sat down on my bed and yawned. The room felt like it was from a different time, a different place, a different me. River and Dakota came in after me, always in synchronization.  Both had to duck half their bodies to fit in my tiny room. “Why do your kind have to be so short?” River asked in disdain. I just shrugged, he pulled the pacifier out of my mouth. As soon as it was out I was bolting down the stairs calling for her, I wanted to find my mom. The longer I didn’t see her, the stronger the sinking feeling felt in my stomach that something had happened and I wasn’t there for her.