Extraterrestrial Love

Stupidly Brave

Morgan had left a while ago, now it was just Trish and I before she had to go to her Track and field practice. At Least I think Sundays were track and field, maybe field hockey? Running was involved. I knew that much. 

She was listening to music while she painted her toes. Like nothing was wrong.

I looked at her a bit, admiring her. She was cool and pretty and great at sports. I wish I was more than the girl who was scared of her own shadow. I thought to myself.

Morgan stood out with her intelligence. Also her purple hair and gothic aesthetic made her interesting and memorable. I don't stand out at all. I have blended in my whole life. The only interesting thing about me is my friends. Oh and the fact that I possibly committed a crime last night.

I was broken out of my thoughts by Trish waving a hand in front of my face. 

Hey, I gotta get going here soon. Did you decide if you wanted to do anything later? She questioned.

Oh no sorry, I forgot to decide on something. I said.

No sweat, I'll see what Morgan says and I'll text you. She smiled and kissed me on my head. Try not to think about it too much, you'll give yourself a migraine. She laughed before walking out and closing the door. 

Have fun running! I shouted after her. I’m not sure if she heard me. I sat staring at the screen of my laptop for what seemed like forever. I didn’t feel like I had gotten anything accomplished. My stomach growled loudly. Lunchtime it is, I said out loud to myself. I took my laptop with me down to the kitchen and sat it on the table while I went to search for something to eat. I moved some odd ingredients around until settled on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

I had my sandwich in my hand and looked up at the clock. It was going on 2 o'clock. 

I shuffled over to the kitchen window that was above the sink and took a bite of my sandwich. I was taking my time to eat as I wasn't really ready to get back to work yet. It looked too dark outside to be only 2 o'clock. I didn’t see anything about a possible storm today. I looked once more as I took another bite of my sandwich. As if mother nature heard me, I heard the low rumble of thunder in the distance. The internet isn't always right I guess. I shrugged. I sat back down at my laptop and tapped away on a few keys looking up the forecast. It showed a big storm on the radar. 

I felt my phone buzz with an alert of a “flash flood warning”. I was starting to get a bit uneasy. I didn’t like storms. I never had since I was a kid. Maybe that's because that's how my mom's accident happened. She was driving home from work and she lost control of her car and went over an embankment. I wasn’t old enough to really understand but I do remember my dad looking out the window and saying my mom was really late getting home. Then the phone rang and my dad answered and suddenly started screaming and crying. He fell to the floor in a heap making sounds as if he was being tortured. 

I was scared and didn’t know what was going on so I cried with him on the floor.  He held me so tight I could barely breathe. We stayed like that until a policeman came to our house, picked us up, and drove me and my dad to the hospital. 

I later found out that my mommy wasn't coming home. They said she was in heaven up in the sky and she'd always be with me in spirit. That shouldn’t have creeped me out, but for some reason it did. My dad said I didn’t talk for a year. I was in grief counseling and therapy but nothing seemed to work. 

Then one day I met a girl during recess who asked me why I was weird and didn't talk. She wasn’t rude, just curious I guess. It was Trish. 

I said I don’t have a mommy anymore. 

She looked confused and said, where did she go?

I told her, she's in heaven. 

Trish looked at me for a minute and said wait here for a second. She ran over and talked to another little girl and said something. Then she grabbed her hand and led her over to where I was sitting in the grass.

Trish said hey kid what's your name? 

I answered reluctantly, um...Scarlett? As they both looked down at me.

Hey, Scarlett, I’m Trish and this is my best friend Morgan. Her grandma just went to heaven, maybe she knows your mom. She smiled. No, Trish, that's not how heaven works. Morgan told her.

My grandma was sick and she died. So that means she goes to heaven. Morgan explained.

She looked at me and asked was your mom sick?

I said, no she wrecked her car and didn’t come home. My dad said she's in heaven.

Morgan said, ``It's okay and that we would see her again. She changed the subject by asking “Do you wanna come to play with us?” From then on we have been best friends.

    The thunder rumbled the house as the storm was getting closer. My phone buzzed with a text from Trish then again with a text from Morgan. 

Trish: Hey the rain is coming in. I'm grabbing pizza with the team. Do you want me to bring you anything?

Morgan: Hey the power is out here at the library. I’m heading home before the storm gets worse.

I was texting Trish back and my phone lit up with a call from dad. I answered. Hey Dad..trying not to sound anxious.

Hey Scarlett, I'm sure you noticed the storm before I did. Is the power still on at home?

Yeah, for now, I’m gonna gather up some candles in case it does. I said.

Okay, good there should be some under the sink. It'll probably be a few more hours before I get home. I'll bring us something for dinner. Try not to get too spooked if the power does go out. He joked. 

I’ll be fine, I explained.

Okay see you in a bit, call if you need me.

Will do Dad. I laughed.

Okay, sweetheart, I love you.

Love you too Dad. I smiled. He was such a big mush. I thought to myself as I hung up the phone. I went back to answering Trish,

Scarlett: No, I  don't need anything. We might have to call off plans because the power is out at the library so far. And the radar is showing a pretty big storm coming.

Trish: No, problem morgan said the same thing. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Scarlett: Ok see you tomorrow. I finished sending the text to Trish, and my power went out. The kitchen was dark but thankfully my laptop was still open so I could see a bit. 

I went over to the kitchen sink to grab the candles dad said were there. 

I stood up with the candles gathered in my arms and out the window  I saw the old abandoned house on the hill light up with a shock of blinding green. It looked like a lightning bolt had struck the top of the house but it was green. I dropped to the floor so fast that I dropped the candles and they rolled around in the darkness. I had my knees pulled up to my chest and I gasped in the air I forgot to breathe. Thunder rumbled the house again. Trish was right! I said out loud to no one. I couldn’t believe it. She really saw green lightning. 

I had to call her. I thought. I swept my hands across the dark floor looking for my phone. I just had it. I said as I searched. I must have set it on the counter when I went to grab the candles. I stood up. There was my phone. I grabbed it and before I could even get it unlocked, the house lit up with another green lightning strike. But this time I didn't drop down in fear. I looked right at the old abandoned house on millers lane out my kitchen window and a green light came on in the room that Trish, Morgan, and I were in last night.

I stared in disbelief. I was so shocked I didn't move all I could do was stare. I thought I had to be seeing things. 

Then I saw a figure moving in the room the figure looked like it was outlined in green light. I could see the shape of what looked like a person but nothing else.

Someone was in that house. Who would be in there? How long had they been in there? The whole town looked to be out due to the storm. I didn't even think that house has electricity or plumbing. It was so old. I thought.

The green light came on again but in an upstairs room in the house. I watched the same figure pass. Then the light went out again. What were they doing? What were they looking for? 

I found myself opening my backdoor out into the backyard. The thunder was rumbling and the lighting was sparking up the sky with purple streaks. I started off towards the house. I don't know why, but my body seemed to have a mind of its own. I continued up the street toward the house. It started to rain as I approached the window that Trish had brought me through the first time we were here.

This wasn’t me. Why am I here? I stopped and thought to myself with my hands on the window sill.

I must have lost my mind, I thought out loud. I was about to turn back as a large lightning bolt shocked the sky and the c***k of thunder that followed made me jump out of my skin.

Without much thought, I hurriedly pushed open the window and climbed in to get away from the now downpour of rain. I'll just wait until the storm dies down. Then I had the sudden realization of why I was there and remembered I wasn't alone.

I stood there in the same room as before. Nothing was out of place. The furniture was still covered and untouched.

I walked toward the staircase and again nothing looked different from before. I must be crazy and seeing things. I wonder if the jelly in my fridge has expired and is causing delusions. I thought as I looked around. 

Suddenly I was knocked to the ground and pinned by something heavy. I tried to scream but my mouth was covered by a large hand.  I’m such an i***t, what have I done? My brain was going wild with fear. I’m going to die here, I thought with my eyes squeezed shut in fear.