The Aliens That Took Me

     It was there for a moment, and then it was gone. I could sense it still, but the immediate realisation, that’s what had gone. Something was in my room.  I heard strange noises. I saw strange lights. But I couldn’t point out what had made them. I couldn’t bring myself to look around, to try to imagine what could be lurking there.  I flopped back and turned over,  when I heard someone trying to speak what sounded like French. I sat up, and looked to where the noise had reverberated from. “ I think I got it! I believe this is the dialect here, I never can tell, it all sounds the same.” One of the people said in English.      “She’s looking right at us.” A different voice answered, but neither spoke to me. What I was looking at was darkness. My eyes searched for the voices, but found nothing.      “h-hello?”  Neither person answered. “I- I know you're there...” I whispered again.       “Please, do not scream.”  I sucked in a  gasp of air through my nose and lurched back. It was a creature. A hulking creature, all I could see were it’s clear white irises, but I knew, I knew it wasn’t human. It said something else, but it was back to being gibberish.  The alien backed away. I continued to stare, but they had gone back into the blackness,  I eventually turned over so I was facing the wall. I never heard the aliens leave, but I prayed that they had.        The next morning, all was normal again. It must have been a dream. I sighed, as I sat on the side of my bed. I still hadn’t done that English homework. I thought back to the aliens, maybe they should have kidnapped me, then I wouldn’t have to do homework anymore. No homework was just wishful thinking and I only had twenty minutes, I couldn’t afford to daydream any longer.       I looked around, everything seemed normal, clothing on the floor, pens and papers knocked over from the wind, aliens in the corner. I jumped. Aliens in the corner are not the usual. I blinked extremely hard, still there.  They didn’t move, so with a shaky breath, I forced myself up and to the closet. As I opened the closet, I realised,  mom hadn’t done the laundry again. I sighed as I rummaged through to find pants and a shirt.      “May we help?” I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned around. They were beautiful. Shimmering creatures with a dark gray skin color. Their eyes were like staring into pure light. Their hair was white and thin, it floated in the air. Their bodies were massive, and their heads touched my ceiling. I choked on my breath, I couldn’t look away.       “Help with what?” I stammered.  Everything I had been doing up to this moment seemed vastly unimportant. I dropped the pair of pants I was holding.       “Whatever you are attempting to do?” one of them answered. His mouth was a deeper shade of gray than the rest of him, but he had much thinner lips than a human, both of them did. Their teeth were razor sharp, and the whites of them stood out. Their voices were much less raspy in the daylight, and now, that they were apparently trying to be nice, their voices had become softer and more gentle.       “Getting dressed?” I asked incredulously. I was about to tell them no, but they just looked so eager, and I didn’t have time to be fussing over my clothes. So I just shrugged and sat down pulling out my homework. The things rushed to pick out my clothing, and I quickly finished up the last of my English work. I put my work in my bag and zipped it up. I looked up to the creatures and did a double take. They had shrunk! They were now closer to my height instead of being in danger of hitting the ceiling.       One of them had a shirt and a pair of pants that were kind of cute together picked out; I didn’t remember owning them. “May I have my clothes, please?” The alien who was holding my clothes stretched his arm. I moved so that I could meet in the middle, but his arm started to grow and it stretched all the way to me. I fought my deepest urges to scream and back away; instead, I reached for the garments with shaking fingers. I held them to my chest. Inching back on the bed, I eyed his arm as it slid back into the size that it had been before. The arm hadn’t been elastic, it had been like the bone had grown, the ligaments didn’t just stretch, there was more added to them, as beautiful as they were, they were terrifying.         Despite being afraid, a part of me felt self-conscious to be in front of them, as if I wanted these stunning creatures to like me. Though I didn’t know why. And then, I was angry, why should I care what they think? I had never cared what anyone had before, why should I care about them? I opened the door quickly and slid to change in the bathroom. In a moment of rebellion, before going back into my room, I went downstairs for a quick orange.      I walked back upstairs having almost totally forgotten the past few hours of events. Which is why when I saw them now sitting on my bed with my bag I quickly averted my eyes.            The alien closest to me, took the pack and handed it to me, even though I said nothing. He spoke in his native tongue to the other creature and then wandered out of my bedroom. I went about my business before the decision to just let him walk out of my room caught up with me and I chased after him. But he was gone. It was as though he had never been there at all.       I sighed in relief. One down one to go. I headed back upstairs. I grabbed my light jacket off my hook and said, “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” I tried to make my voice kind of harsh, but it was hard because I still wasn’t sure if the alien was going to eat my brain or not.      “And where would that be?” his voice had gotten deeper and slightly louder, his mouth contorted exaggeratedly so that he could make the words.       I turned and walked out, and I wondered if he’d follow. “I don’t know, anywhere but here.”      “I like it here.”  I heard his voice, but I couldn’t see him. I turned around.       “Where did you go?” I whispered.       “I’m right here, I just drained my skin’s pigment so that I wouldn’t be spotted.” I rolled my eyes, there was no good response to that.  I tried to pretend like I couldn’t sense him right behind me as I went down the stairs for the third time this morning. It didn’t work. His massive form might have been invisible, but it was not unfeelable. His breath remained on the back of my neck. His arms surrounded me.       I stepped out the front door and into the crisp air. I love fall, where you can see your breath it’s so cold, but the sun still feels warm. Where life is just an illusion, the leaves are dying but still green, the sun is bright, but the air is cold.  The sky was still dark. I could hear the crows calling to one another in the almost bare trees. I shivered in my jacket and bounced down my two porch stairs. I do this routine every single day. I have for years, it never gets any different. Or at least it didn’t, until today.       The aliens stood looking expectantly at me from the sidewalk, I still couldn’t see them, but I could feel their eyes.  I brushed past them keeping my head down. My resolve to be strong against them had been renewed after having breakfast. I would not be eaten. I would not give in.        I could hear them stepping quietly behind me; but I forced myself to stay facing forward. I refused to face what I knew to be there. Acknowledging them would only make it worse. Instead I walked. It was only a ten-minute walk to school from my little house.  If I could just get to school, maybe they would go away. When I reached my favorite oak tree, I realized they weren’t going away.       I had stopped to touch the bark, like I do every day, and I saw that instead of looking like aliens, they now looked like human girls about my age.  More than that they were beautiful girls with long brown hair and thin faces. They stood at my eye level now, and though they were tiny, they were perfectly formed with slender hands and kind eyes. "why, why do you look like that?" I was amazed and horrified, how could they just change forms so easily? But they did not respond to my question.       "We will be joining you for your school day." But that was all one said, then they both smiled, showing their white perfect teeth and walked past me, leaving me confused and behind.  Despite my resolve, I could not help feeling some attraction to them. What power did they have to achieve these feats? How could they do these things? No matter how hard I tried to wrap my mind around one thing they could do, it was never enough. No matter how fast my mind processed, by the time I had finally accepted the last talent, they were using another even better one.       I walked after them trying to catch up. Even though we had only just met, and they were aliens coming to eat my brain, I had a sense of shock and almost hurt when they had just walked away from me at the tree. All morning, they had been reserved but kind. This moment was the first time I began to see they were not always so gentle.       Soon I could see my college in the distance. I walked behind them slowly, just breathing in the crisp air. "Come on then, keep up, we don’t want you to be late." They stopped and parted, allowing me room to walk between them. I slumped my shoulders glumly. Their looks were deceiving. It was embarrassing how they looked so much like me, and yet were clearly so much older. .        As I walked to my first class I wondered just how this would play out, when they had said they were coming to school with me it hadn't occurred to me that they meant classes to. What would the professors think? And if they were planning on eating me, why would they go through this trouble? None of this made any sense to me. Also, how did they know where to go? or what to say?      My teacher  acted as if the aliens had always been in our class. He even called them human names. I just stared in shock. It went through this same way all day; the aliens, while they followed me did not cling, and they looked at me in a way that made my skin crawl. It was an almost parental look. They made no effort to talk to anyone but me, and even that was minimal. They just sat in silence. When a professor asked for a book to be pulled out, they had it. Though they never went to the bookshelf to grab them, when either one was asked a question, they both always answered correctly. It was as if they were perfectly well adjusted human women. It made me want to scream. None of these people knew, no one could figure it out. It was maddening. The aliens walked in perfect synchronization, and never to quickly. It was almost like they had been tethered to one another without actually being connected. They made the dark halls look somehow brighter.      When my break came for lunch I had never been more excited. walking around with them was draining. They were unpredictable. Every second I wondered what they would do, would they answer if a professor asked them something? Would they make friends? They always did, and no they didn’t, but the idea that they might terrified me. This whole day was definitely the strangest I had ever experienced, and I was glad to be eating gross cafe food if only because it was normal.  Hopefully they would leave after my classes ended and this was just some weird alien research project that I would never ever need to remember again.       I put my bag down at my table. It was the same table I had sat every day since the beginning of the year, and I always sat on the left end. Nobody ever sat with me, so it was strange to see the aliens waiting for me to sit.  I rummaged in my pocket for my money. My heart skipped a beat. I felt through my other pocket, not there either. I whipped around to my bag and started frantically looking through every pocket.  How could I lose my money? I had it in my pocket, I had felt it there before but where did it go? I had class in just under an hour, I didn’t have time to go home and eat.        The aliens stood there motionless, watching me for a moment, before one of them, I didn't even look to see which one, put a delicate hand on my arm. I jumped instinctively, but she kept her hand on my arm. It was such a light touch, but her hand felt fake and uncomfortable. I froze. I did not look at her. She moved closer to me, I stopped moving and kept my eyes on my bag. "What are you looking for?" She whispered, but it wasn't in her human voice, it was in the same voice that I had heard the night before, the deep throaty alien voice, her real voice. It was strange to hear her again. The monster was still inside of her, even if she looked human.       "My.. my money.. It's gone. I lost it." I felt the ache in my stomach. I had had nothing since the orange this morning. I didn’t want to go all the way home for lunch, I would miss my last class of the day if I did.       “What does  money do?" It asked me, the words came slowly just as I had said them.       "It gets me food." I huffed. There would be food at home. I would just have to go hungry tell them. I could do that.       "Is this enough?" The one who had been speaking put her hand in front of my face before I could respond. A brand new one hundred dollar bill was staring back at me.       I stared at the creature in awe, "Where did you get this?" I gently touched the crisp paper. I had never seen a hundred dollar bill before.       The alien did not answer, she just repeated, "Is this enough?"       I looked up, "No it's too much. I can’t take this from you. It’s fine. I’ll be okay." I watched as the bill split apart into five twenty dollar bills. She took the top one and handed it to me. I took it with shaking fingers. Then she handed me a second one. I did not want her money.  Only bad things come from owing someone something. Nevertheless, the money was already in my hand, and I felt faint. So I swallowed my pride, and I folded the bills up, corner to corner, trying to make the edges perfect.       "Go and bring us back one of whatever you are getting the exact same way as you, please." I looked up, but she said nothing more. They had both sat down. They were looking at each other so deeply, it was almost uncomfortable. I  realized that was my dismissal cue. I looked down and stared at the money in my hand. How had they done that? What were they? Then it occurred to me, I probably did not want to know. I picked up my cherished wrap, and the two for them, even though the lunch lady looked at me funny. I gave each of them the wrap they had asked for. I held out the other twenty and the rest of the change. The both looked at it, then at me, but made no move to take it. I shoved it inside my backpack immediately. I wanted to ask them more questions, but somehow I had this feeling that they wouldn't have answered my questions anyway. I instead, ate and watched them.      They seemed to be oblivious to me. They were talking in their own quiet language and looking around the room. I realised what a foreign concept college must be to an alien. They had this way about them that even though they looked like humans, they were clearly not humans. They always looked directly into your eyes when they wanted to talk to you, and it was like you physically couldn’t look away. You were trapped until set free. Which was why every time they tried to talk to me, I jumped. Neither alien had put their sandwich in their mouth, all they did was touch it, and it was gone. Then they looked up at me and I jumped, once again. "Why do you not sit with other people?"       I looked away at the crowded lunchroom. It was by no means a choice I made.“Oh you know, nobody here is much fun anyway."       "You are lying.” It spit the words out.   "All the other human children we have seen do not behave in this manner.”  Her voice had not gone back to being her human tone. I tried to ignore her and eat, but I couldn't help myself from answering. Even though the creature on the left was the only one talking, I once again had the feeling she was speaking as one person with her counterpart, as if they were really one person split into two bodies.       “I just, I don’t know. And were not kids okay?”       "So you mean to say that they do not wish you to sit with them, yes?" I just nodded. Surprised they had accepted that.      " It’s normal here, to not sit with people if you don’t know them. I don't mind. It's not so bad being alone. Thank You for lunch by the way, and the money you gave me." I packed up my stuff. When I turned to grab my wrap to throw it out, I found our table had already been cleared. Both creatures were waiting for me at the door. I tucked my head down and followed them.      The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and I found comfort in their presence. They were oddly nice to me, in a way that made me think that they might be here for a reason other than eating my brain. They would open a door for me, or pick up my bag for me. They did not speak often, but that was okay. Even though it was unusual, among all the other people it was refreshing. I had never realised quite how loud everyone was until I was around the creatures. While they did look around, I caught them staring at me on numerous occasions. It was strange to know that aliens had come to Earth and gone through all this trouble just to go to community college with me.       As we walked out of the school building they each pulled out a small gray circular device. "Are you ready to see us in our true form? We promise we will not hurt you. This device makes it so that only people we wish to see may see what we are about to show you. Nobody will know we were here today." They looked at me expectantly, so I nodded yes. The gray machine spun, and  there was a bright light and then there was nothing. I watched in horror and in awe as their skin  pigment slowly began to fade back into the color of this morning and their limbs began to grow. At their full height they must have each been over twenty feet high.I had to crane my neck to see up that high.         Their eyes grew wide and their hair grew long, pale, and feather white. It glistened and flew about their heads as if it was lighter than air. Both creatures became slightly elevated off the pavement, and their clothing changed to that worthy of such things. It was made out of long shimmery glossy material that flowed around and behind them. It was like a massive wrap, but neither alien was shy. They wore the robe loosely and that allowed me to see all the way down their bodies. The robes shined so brightly off their shoulders that it hurt my eyes and I had to look away. Once again, I was faced with the question of why were they here? What did they want? What could someone as small and insignificant as me give them? I didn’t even know where the nearest government building was for me to take them to my leader like it was in the movies! What could I possibly have to offer them?       "No government building you could take us to would or could give us what we want. After all as far as most of your planet's governments are concerned, there is no such thing as what we are."       "How did you know?" The aliens had started gliding toward home then, and I had to rush to keep up with them.      "It is an ability we have. To you, it would be considered empathy. I can look at you and accept your emotions, thoughts, and needs in an instant. We try not to do it unless it is necessary."       I said nothing. It was obvious they were going to do what they wanted, whether that coincided with my wishes was unimportant to them. The other creature, looked down at me and said, "You are struggling."       I felt like a fat pig, running on to short legs to keep up. But I smiled, "I'm okay, I’ve got this."          "I shall carry you." The creature bent down and lifted me up into its arms. It held me in one hand as if I was a toddler. It’s skin was cool and rough, with little scales, almost like an amphibian but smaller.  It was obvious that the creature was using extreme caution. There was no reason for me to scream, I knew nobody could see or hear me.      "We have decided that you would make a good fit. So now we shall answer your many questions. We shall use names that are similar to our own but in your language for your convenience. As you have already figured out Dakota and I are bonded, meaning we are in a sort of marriage as you would call it. While our species has enough babies to continue growing, not every pairing is allowed a child. Many hundreds of years ago our species found yours, and struck a deal with them. In exchange for not enslaving all of you, each pairing is allowed a human child to make their own and raise from childhood."      I interrupted, "So you're going to enslave me? What could I possibly do for you?"       The creature turned to look at me, first his eyes narrowed, and then softened again.  "We are not here to enslave you. We are here to, as you would say, adopt you."       "But I already have a mom." I whispered stunned. The creatures just continued walking. Though I did realize that the one holding me had begun slowly rubbing my back in a soothing manner.      "Your mother and family will be well taken care of and you will still be allowed to see them regularly. On our planet, newborns are born knowing what you know from your human school in terms of math and sciences, it is an innate understanding. You will be bonded with us and grow as a newborn into a successful member of our society. You will eventually be able to attend our schools, and you will grow as one of us."      "Do I have a choice?" I looked away from them to the ground far below.      "Technically no, you do not. However If you wish to stay we shall honor that, wipe your memory of us, and leave you alone. We do not want to force you, but we promise that if you do choose to stay with us you shall be quite happy. Nobody will ever hurt you while you are under our protection." He looked at me so kindly, I just nodded.       "And I'll still get to see my mom? She'll be ok?"       "We shall make sure of that. While our planet is not far, your ships will never be able to get fast enough to take her to you. However, in ours, it only takes a few earth hours, we shall bring you back to visit. We are so glad you have decided to come home with us."       "Wait but I-"      " You have agreed in your heart, We promise you  shall worry of nothing, forever from now on."       I sat quietly just thinking. Once again I didn't know what to say. But I knew they were right, I did want to go with them. They seemed nice enough. I mean so far they hadn't even nibbled on my head.