porch was bare. He went about the daily chores the next day while she peeked out of various windows at him. He began to hope that she would invite him inside. It was cold during the day and even colder at night.
He thought of the clothes in the many department stores that he had visited over the years. Now he didn’t think he would have any problems wearing a big heavy coat. The clothes he had been given on the mother ship were simple linen pants and shirt and soft shoes. They were the normal clothing given to humans on the ship, but now they were filthy—and so was he. He washed his body a bit at the pump, but the water was cold.
That night as he huddled in the barn, he sneezed twice and swiped his forearm across his runny nose.
~***~
Carmella scrambled some of the eggs in the skillet with fresh butter she had churned that morning. There were too many eggs for one person to eat. It would be stupid to waste them when …
Her lips formed an angry line. I didn’t ask him to come here! I certainly didn’t ask to be impregnated, so he can just take his ass back to his ship!
Carmella carried her plate of eggs and a glass of milk to the window where she had set up surveillance. She settled down in a comfortable reclining chair and watched the alien as he went about the yard work. She scowled at the way he cut the wood. He was expending way too much energy! And why was he cutting the lawn in October? She craned her neck when he went behind the barn. What was he doing back there? When he returned, he was fixing his pants. Ah, so aliens pissed and shit, too.
She ambled to her slop bucket and used it. She had been opening the window and dumping it, but she really needed to get outside to use the pump to rinse it. She also needed fresh water. Carmella grabbed an empty pitcher and peeked out the window. He was shoveling animal shit. She grinned. Better him than her. She opened the door slowly and tiptoed out onto the porch. Damn leaves were building up. She had planned to sweep before he had come. She went down the stairs, keeping her eyes on him as she headed for the pump.
She figured he would hear it when she primed the pump.
He did, turning in her direction for a moment before returning to his work. Okay, so he wasn’t going to chase her down. She relaxed a bit as she filled her pitcher with cool, sweet water. She drank some and shivered at the cold in the air. It would be winter soon. Carmella went back inside with a frown on her face.
She sat in her rocker and read a book for a while then poked at her belly and felt the life inside poking back. She almost smiled, but then she remembered Micah and a sharp ache coursed through her heart. She peeked out the window but didn’t see the alien. Bilal. He said his name was Bilal. Strange because he appeared Asian. Okay, he wasn’t Asian. He was an alien living in some human’s body. Carmella frowned. No, he was an alien and a human both. Like her … her baby.
Carmella rubbed her face, went to the closet, and pulled out some quilts and blankets she rarely used. She opened the front door and placed the items on the porch. There. She’d done what any human would do for another being, even one who had helped kill everyone that she had ever loved.
~***~
Carmella checked the porch at dusk. The blankets were still there, and she didn’t see the alien. She chewed her lips and looked out the window until it was too dark to see. Then she made a cup of hot tea, hummed some long forgotten song, and went to bed.
That night she dreamed that the world was still present. She hurried to the window and saw cars driving down the street and kids playing in their yards. Erykah Badu was playing over the radio singing about seeing someone next lifetime, and when Carmella felt something nudge her belly, she looked down and saw that she was pregnant. She placed her hands on her swollen belly. Micah. Tears of joy streamed down her face. But where was Jody?
In her dream, she hurried
He thought of the clothes in the many department stores that he had visited over the years. Now he didn’t think he would have any problems wearing a big heavy coat. The clothes he had been given on the mother ship were simple linen pants and shirt and soft shoes. They were the normal clothing given to humans on the ship, but now they were filthy—and so was he. He washed his body a bit at the pump, but the water was cold.
That night as he huddled in the barn, he sneezed twice and swiped his forearm across his runny nose.
~***~
Carmella scrambled some of the eggs in the skillet with fresh butter she had churned that morning. There were too many eggs for one person to eat. It would be stupid to waste them when …
Her lips formed an angry line. I didn’t ask him to come here! I certainly didn’t ask to be impregnated, so he can just take his ass back to his ship!
Carmella carried her plate of eggs and a glass of milk to the window where she had set up surveillance. She settled down in a comfortable reclining chair and watched the alien as he went about the yard work. She scowled at the way he cut the wood. He was expending way too much energy! And why was he cutting the lawn in October? She craned her neck when he went behind the barn. What was he doing back there? When he returned, he was fixing his pants. Ah, so aliens pissed and shit, too.
She ambled to her slop bucket and used it. She had been opening the window and dumping it, but she really needed to get outside to use the pump to rinse it. She also needed fresh water. Carmella grabbed an empty pitcher and peeked out the window. He was shoveling animal shit. She grinned. Better him than her. She opened the door slowly and tiptoed out onto the porch. Damn leaves were building up. She had planned to sweep before he had come. She went down the stairs, keeping her eyes on him as she headed for the pump.
She figured he would hear it when she primed the pump.
He did, turning in her direction for a moment before returning to his work. Okay, so he wasn’t going to chase her down. She relaxed a bit as she filled her pitcher with cool, sweet water. She drank some and shivered at the cold in the air. It would be winter soon. Carmella went back inside with a frown on her face.
She sat in her rocker and read a book for a while then poked at her belly and felt the life inside poking back. She almost smiled, but then she remembered Micah and a sharp ache coursed through her heart. She peeked out the window but didn’t see the alien. Bilal. He said his name was Bilal. Strange because he appeared Asian. Okay, he wasn’t Asian. He was an alien living in some human’s body. Carmella frowned. No, he was an alien and a human both. Like her … her baby.
Carmella rubbed her face, went to the closet, and pulled out some quilts and blankets she rarely used. She opened the front door and placed the items on the porch. There. She’d done what any human would do for another being, even one who had helped kill everyone that she had ever loved.
~***~
Carmella checked the porch at dusk. The blankets were still there, and she didn’t see the alien. She chewed her lips and looked out the window until it was too dark to see. Then she made a cup of hot tea, hummed some long forgotten song, and went to bed.
That night she dreamed that the world was still present. She hurried to the window and saw cars driving down the street and kids playing in their yards. Erykah Badu was playing over the radio singing about seeing someone next lifetime, and when Carmella felt something nudge her belly, she looked down and saw that she was pregnant. She placed her hands on her swollen belly. Micah. Tears of joy streamed down her face. But where was Jody?
In her dream, she hurried
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