Nathaniel had gone to bed. He was exhausted, so he couldn’t tell if it had happened again, or if he was still having nightmares from his original abduction. All he knew is suddenly, he was back in the Beam and being removed from his home planet. That alone was the stuff of nightmares. All he clearly remembered was checking on the children’s homework, helping Marc out with a few problems that were particularly difficult and then going upstairs to bed.
Over the years things got so bad, he ended up doing some research into the matter and found himself surprised at just how many right here in Willow Creek shared his experience. He was so upset by his experience, that his personal life was disrupted, at best. He formed a group, Interstellar Ambassadors. He had to do something to regain even a semblance of normality. They met at least once a month, more often if a member was having a really hard time adjusting to what had happened to them. Nathaniel was one of them. Memories were patchy, but the group employed a hypnotist to help draw out the finer details of the abduction. Slowly, Nathaniel recalled that he had, indeed, been abducted for a second time. They didn’t inject him again, so he didn’t find himself in the family way this time. Thankfully.
The details of this second abduction included a meeting of sorts, as he would describe it to the group, which was more about the children, themselves, than it was him. He sat in the well of the ship, surrounded by purple beings that either refused to be seen or preferred not to be seen. The lighting was dim.
“How are they doing?” thought the first alien. A male, from what Nathaniel could tell. Dressed in a body suit of neon green and black, it was rather form fitting. The alien appeared to be athletic, muscular. If Nathaniel entertained any thought of trying to take the guy, his physique alone was a deterrent to such aspirations.
“They’re both doing fine,” he answered, slowly, not sure just what they wanted with him this time, aware of his own unease, even so. “But I have to ask, why did you give me twins?”
The second alien gave her thoughts, “We wanted to know how each gender adapts to their new Home world. Many experiments are being conducted all over your planet.”
“Grizelda,” came the thoughts of the male, “not too much information.”
“Why? His thoughts will be wiped clean after this.”
“Again, too much information.”
Nathaniel looked from one to the other, “How is it you two think Simlish?”
“Oh, we’ve been studying your kind for Sim days. Many, many Sim days.”
“Why?”
“Silly Sim, you ask too many questions.”
“I have a right to know,” Nathaniel resettled in his seat. The chair was of cold steel, a flat hard surface, not at all designed for comfort. In fact, the capsule was a shade too cool for him, dressed as he was in his jammies; loose draw-string pants and a tank top. He was also barefoot, not expecting this little nightly visitation. He had gone to bed! Glancing around him, the interior of the ship was a polished gray steel with neon green tube-like lights that cut angular grooves into the bulkheads. Otherwise it was dark, the aliens with their large black eyes and lavender skin preferred the shadows, or so it seemed. Perhaps, those ghoulish eyes were sensitive. Nathaniel felt disdain welling upwards in him. Placing a protective hand over his navel, “You invaded my life, my body and my family. Just what is it you want? To impregnate me again? You want me to have to wrangle more than three children at once? My wife is an elder, now. That’s too much to ask of her, putting the onus on me.”
“You can give the girl back to us,” Grizelda impressed her thoughts into Nathaniel’s mind. “In fact, we insist. You must give the children back, now. Both of them.”
“Eat space dirt! You deliberately impregnate me with not just one alien baby but two without so much as asking my permission, and now you want to take them back! I don’t think so, they’re mine. My kids. I labored for hours, in pain. I birthed them. I fed them, I changed their dirty diapers. Where the hell were you? I’ve had them for years, now. Go back to Sixam, Zzxyzx, or wherever the hell you’re from. You’re not getting my kids!” Nathaniel shot up out of his seat, only to have large, purple hands, placed on his shoulders from behind, shove him back down into the swivel chair. “And just for the record my navel still hurts! So, no, you can’t have my kids.”
“Suit yourself,” Grizelda impressed her thoughts into his head. Her smile was a weak, sickeningly, evil grin. Full of foreboding. Her eyes endless pools of black. She gave him the creeps. “You haven’t seen or heard the last from us. We will be checking back with you.”
Shortly afterward, Nathaniel found himself back in the Beam and slowly lowered onto the grass at the side of his house.
“When you awaken,” the hypnotist said, “you’ll remember all that you’ve told me, but you will no longer be afraid.”
After this session, the group broke up for the evening. The next day Nathaniel found himself rather inspired to finish his latest book, “Stay Away From That Beam of Light!” He worked furiously at it, almost as if his life depended on it, and then it was done. Sitting back in his desk chair, he let out a sigh. Should he self-publish was the next question on his mind. He already had two books completed, one self-published, from which he drew a very modest §6.00 every week. In the end, after receiving the rather large monthly utility bill, he made the decision to find an actual publisher. His work was well received and his first royalty check a cool §84.00.
This was a good thing, as his three children were growing like weeds. Both the girls needed new clothes and his only son needed new shoes. He liked how the twins had cleverly disguised themselves, too. At first they both chose red hair and bronze skin, but after Nathaniel sat them down, they agreed the disguise would work out better were they to use the same skin tone as their sister, Janeille, as well as her strawberry-blond colored hair. This way, no one was likely to question they were triplets, which for all intents and purposes they were, all three born on the very same day. Just their host Sim was different. Sophia birthed Janeille, and he birthed Megan and then Marc.
Now that the children were of school age, things were working out well. The three always had each other to play with and often times went to the park together. Upon occasion a spat would break out, but Nathaniel was pleased they had genuine affection for each other. Megan had the aspiration to be a Whiz Kid, both Marc and Janeille were more of the Social Butterfly type, although to Marc’s credit, he was a genius, as well. Seemed to run in the family. After all not only was Nathaniel's brother Jaylen a genius, their grand-uncle Joe was one, too. Nathaniel half-fancied his son becoming a physician. Time would tell where his talents lie. Far be it for Nathaniel to become that kind of parent. He believed children should seek their own path in life. To follow their own dreams, hopefully via their gifts.
No comments:
Post a Comment