The Aliens That Took Me

Trouble At Home

     The aliens, even though they were quiet, were not mean. I had always been quiet so it did not phase me that they were so silent all the time. I had become used to the quiet way about them, they never yelled. Other than my original terrifying acceptance into my family’s species, there was no reason for me to feel ill at ease. Unlike my mother, I always felt protected by them. there was something comforting in knowing that I did not have to worry about driving or fixing things or even getting to school on time. It had all been taken care off. 

     But I was home here, in a different way. I knew where all the cups were, and I could tell you how every scuff mark had happened to come to these walls. They might have to carry me everywhere and feed me baby bottles on Arc, but on Earth, I could do it all.

    I raced down the stairs trying to find my mother, but no matter where I looked, it was clear she wasn’t there. It was after I had checked every room (even the bathrooms) that I realized Dakota and River were not following my every move like they did on the Arc. The pull to be near them was not as strong on Earth as it was on the Arc, but still, as I picked up the kitchen phone to check messages, wondered why that was happening. Finally, I found a message from the St. Paul’s hospital. My vision had been right, my mother had been in a car accident. I pressed the play-back button with shaking fingers. ICU room 3044 was all I listened for, before hanging up the phone to go find River and Dakota. 

     They were in the living room, sitting on my couch, facing each other. They each held the other’s face in one hand and both heads were bent down. My drive to see my mom was paused, as I watched from the doorway. Once again, it felt like I was interrupting a private minute between them. ‘Marely, you are welcome here.” River’s voice rang out, soft and low. Surprised as I was, I moved more into the room. He used his other hand to wave me closer to them, and once I was close enough, River’s arm lifted me up, and put me in Dakota’s arms. I stiffened, remembering our earlier fight. 

     “We- We have to go.” I stuttered out, as I felt Dakota’s other hand snaking up to cup my face, the same way she was doing to River, and River was doing to her. As soon as she had her cool fingers against my cheek, I felt and understood why they were holding each other. An intense feeling of warmth and safety was coming from her fingers and radiating through my body. The panic about my mom receded back, and I no longer felt the awkwardness I felt around Dakota from this morning. 

     “River and I are combining our joint feelings of comfort and love, and using your newborn ability to absorb them to soothe you.. I am sorry for upsetting you earlier young one. You are too little to understand these complex dynamics, it’s my fault for not remembering that.” I wanted to be embarrassed at her comment about me being too little, but the feelings they were both providing me would not allow any other emotion to be felt, even though I knew I should be. All I could do was nod to her, in a pathetic attempt to accept her apology.  

     They both ducked their heads further down, to wrap me in an even tighter cocoon, the feelings of warmth and comfort began to ease off. I remembered my mom, and while the cocoon helped to make me feel better naturally, the worry was coming back almost as quickly as the feeling of safety was leaving. “We have to go.” I said again. And this time, I worked to untangle their arms and legs from me, and escape out of their grasp. I knew they could have stopped me if they wanted to, but instead, I felt both of their hands hold me less and less, and I was able to climb down off the couch. For a moment, as I looked at them, they seemed to look tired. I wondered, how much strength it took out of them to provide that feeling for me. If they were indeed tired, they didn’t say anything. 

     I stood outside waiting with River. Since our talk, I began to feel even safer and safer with him. I watched as Dakota pulled out a silver sphere of a backpack. She walked to the street and put it down. I watched, and realised that the sphere was the key to the spaceship. She pressed the button on the top and I watched as the ship upstairs turned into a nondescript but nice silver car. Dakota opened my door and helped me in the back seat. She put my backpack in the foot space beneath the seat beside me. She opened the bag to show me my blanket and elephant. I took them eagerly. There was no denying my terror, especially not from River and Dakota. They didn’t need to super empathize with me, they could tell it from my face. 

     They were both in human form, as middle aged adults. River, a man, with dark hair and a beard and Dakota a blonde woman with freckles and blue eyes. They had picked these forms so that they could look like me. Once they had settled themselves into the car, River backed out and we were on our way. “I wish they would hurry up” I said to Cole, who was now sitting on my thighs. He c****d his head to one side. 

     “If you rush too far ahead you will miss your destination.”

     “What are you a fortune cookie?”  

     “It means that you shouldn’t rush into everything all at once or you’ll miss where you are really trying to go.” I rolled my eyes at him. 

     ‘What is a fortune cookie?” River asked as he made the turn into the hospital parking lot.

     The question startled me a minute, fortune cookies had come with the meal after every chinese take out I had ever had with my mom for the past however many years. It was shocking that something I found so normal did not exist on Arc. “They are a cookie that comes with a few lines of a life lesson inside. It comes with chinese take out.” 

     River stepped out of his side of the car, and Dakota too. I quickly tried to join them, but Dakota was faster. She opened my door and took my elephant and blanket from me. She put them back in her bag and lifted it onto her shoulder. She then pulled me all the way out of the car. She may have been in human form, but she had not lost any of her otherworldly strength. “We should get some, of that what did you call it, Chinese food? While we are on this planet.” I nodded to him, but didn’t answer, we were walking in now, and once again I was overwhelmed with fear for my mother.

      The woman behind the counter looked miserable, the top of her square head, hair wrapped into a tight ponytail, was the only thing she showed me. I was nervous, but my mom needed me. “Excuse me, I’m looking for my mother’s room? Katlynn Reboard is her name?”

    “That would be an ICU patient” The woman did not even look up at us. “I. D.” Dakota handed her three licenses. “216, third floor. Visiting hours end in two hours. No exceptions.” 

     I nodded but I didn’t really hear her, I was already on my way to the elevators and River and Dakota were not far behind. I had to hold the elevator for them. I felt like a little child over-excited to see the candy store racing ahead. Once we were in the elevator and all was quiet, I looked from one of them to the other. 

“I’m glad you’re here.” I mumbled out toward Dakota, but didn't look at her. She turned me toward her anyway and looked deep into my face. I didn't turn away, I waited. 

“You are loved.” She stood up and the elevator opened. 

I took a deep breath. Each alien took my hand. Even though on this planet i was twenty, I had grown used to depending on their attention, and now was not a time I was going to refuse it. We came to the shut door. I let go of River and Dakota and gently unlocked the door. In the first bed was my mom and I immediately tried to  head straight for her but something held me back. I glanced at River and then I saw his eyes. I followed his gaze until I came to the man who was standing nervously at my mother’s bedside. 

     “Dad?” I whispered. 

     Before i had even realised it, Dakota and River stood in front of me. Each bent and held their hands slightly out posed and ready to jump if he made any sudden moves. I stood on my tip toes and tried to see over them to the man who looked like he was from from a long past memory. Dakota and River however, would not budge. Even in human form, I would not have wanted to be on the wrong side of them. My gaze traveled from the man in the corner to my mother, lying in the bed. There was a giant ventilator pumping air in and out, and I could see casts on her underneath the thin blankets, they made her look deformed and disjointed. I stepped slowly toward her bed, for the moment having forgotten about the man, to her bedside. I fought through the jungle of wires and plugs to reach her hand. I didn’t move from my spot looking at her the whole time we were there. I didn’t hear River and Dakota or the man ever once speak. We just stood, or maybe, I just stood, and I tuned them out instead. The only sound I heard was the breath of the machine, in and out, in and out, no life, no hope only in and out, in and out. 

     Eventually River put his hand on me. His gentle touch told me it was time to leave. If my father said anything, I didn’t hear it. All I could focus on was one foot in front of the other. I couldn’t stop seeing my mother’s lifeless expression beneath my eyelids. I didn’t need the doctors to tell me, she was gone and I didn’t know if she’ll ever be back. River helped me into the back seat of the car and carefully handed me the same pacifier from earlier. He wrapped me gently in my blanket and patted my head. I sucked on it contentedly. It was strange to think how dependant I was on them already. It had only been a week and I was completely comfortable being given pacifiers and bottles and even being changed. Just like everything else River did, he drove calmly and cooly, it was easy to allow my mind to wander.

     When we arrived back, as I suspected Dakota was quick to usher me inside. I watched from the window as River played a hologram of the car driving away, and realised the ship was back upstairs. As soon as River had come back in, They regained their alien form, and I was glad. Strange as it was, this was the form I was used to seeing. Dakota held me in her arms and did not put me down, for that I was also glad.  They went upstairs and into the ship with me. River to the window, and Dakota to the changing table. “I shall change you and then it is time for your rest. It is almost evening time.” 

     This time I did not fight her on her plans for me. I was simply too tired and drained to see a better option for myself. I allowed her to set me down and push up my dress. I looked at her face carefully. Her eyes were so focused on what she was doing, her teeth hidden behind her lips. It was amazing how something could be so grotesque and beautiful at the same time.  She pressed the blue button on my diaper, and I felt her gentle hands cleaning me. She looked up at me when she was done, and hesitated. Then she stood up more fully, and kissed my forehead. “You are a good girl,” she told me. I was shocked at her show of affection. Despite myself, I blushed a little and even more surprising was the giddy happiness I felt at her praising me. Involuntarily, I realised, I was regressing more and more each day. I felt my new diaper come on, and my dress being pulled down. I leaned my head on Dakota as she lifted me into her arms. We stood like that awhile, and then I felt myself being put down to sleep, and I welcomed it.