truth, I already
miss having long hair, but it just isn’t practical. Who is there to impress anyway?
I dress in my new clothes, strapping my gun back over my shirt. Baby gathers her things,
carefully placing the gun we took off the boy at the house at the top of her bag.
I want her to carry it, to use it if necessary. I showed her how. It makes me feel
a little safer to know she has it, in case something happens to me.
I heft my bag to my shoulder. Let’s look for a place on the lakefront tonight. We can find a mansion .
O . . . Baby pauses mid word. Did you hear that?
Hear what? I ask, puzzled. I look around and then I see it. A ship, landing.
I turn back to Baby. Run. Now . I sign as the blinding light appears.
Before I have time to turn, I hear a swoosh , and Baby is knocked into me and we fall. Her body weight presses against my chest.
I gulp for air. We are a tangle of arms and legs, held tightly inside a strong web
of netting. Luckily Baby is mostly on top of me, so I don’t have to worry about crushing
her small body.
We begin to move. I twist my head so I can see through the netting. We are being dragged
toward the ship, just like the creature, that night with Amber. I can’t reach my gun,
but I feel Baby’s hand within my grasp.
Desperately I sign to her. Baby, where is your bag?
Here . She shifts her weight slightly, maneuvering the bag into my hand. I undo the zipper
and reach inside. I feel the cool metal of the gun against my fingers. I don’t know
what happens inside the ship but I’m going to be ready.
We are almost to the ship doorway, the gaping hole in the side of the craft. We are
lifted from the ground and sway within the net for a moment before being deposited
roughly onto the floor. I can barely see anything in the dark, but I feel a presence
come closer.
Suddenly the net falls away and my hands are free. I roll over Baby into a crouch.
The creature looms over us, covered in a shadowy black material from head to toe.
I raise my arm, gun in hand, and fire into the creature’s body.
It’s not the recoil of the gun that surprises me. I’m ready for the gun’s push against
my arm, the memory of childhood shooting lessons still etched in my mind. What shocks
me is the noise. I’ve forgotten how loud things were Before. In the enclosed space,
the noise is amplified and my eardrums feel as if they will shatter.
The creature jerks back and clutches its chest where the bullet struck. I pull Baby
to standing but cannot see a way out of the ship. It’s small and cramped with no windows,
and the door has already closed tight. I can’t even tell where the opening is. We
are trapped.
Baby grabs my hand. It’s not dead .
I look back to the creature. It didn’t fall over; it doesn’t even look very hurt.
It seems to study us, debating what to do.
I shove Baby behind me and fire again. Now I’m prepared for the deafening boom. The
bullet hits the creature’s shoulder, and I watch closely. There is no tear in the
creature’s suit; the bullet just falls to the floor with a clink . I can’t believe it. They aren’t smart; They are mindless killers . How can They design a bulletproof suit? How did They even make it to our planet?
The creature lunges at us and I throw myself in front of Baby to take the brunt of
the hit. I’m knocked off my feet into the wall of the ship. My shoulder crunches sickeningly
and the pain brings spots of light in front of my eyes.
I attempt to stand, but the creature is already on top of me, wrestling the gun from
my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Baby ready to jump on its back.
I ram my fist upward, into the creature’s jaw. I know I can’t hurt it, but I need
to fight back, even if it only distracts the creature for a few seconds to give Baby
a chance. I punch again, a little lower this time, hoping to find a tender spot under
its chin.
I hear the creature choke inside its suit.
miss having long hair, but it just isn’t practical. Who is there to impress anyway?
I dress in my new clothes, strapping my gun back over my shirt. Baby gathers her things,
carefully placing the gun we took off the boy at the house at the top of her bag.
I want her to carry it, to use it if necessary. I showed her how. It makes me feel
a little safer to know she has it, in case something happens to me.
I heft my bag to my shoulder. Let’s look for a place on the lakefront tonight. We can find a mansion .
O . . . Baby pauses mid word. Did you hear that?
Hear what? I ask, puzzled. I look around and then I see it. A ship, landing.
I turn back to Baby. Run. Now . I sign as the blinding light appears.
Before I have time to turn, I hear a swoosh , and Baby is knocked into me and we fall. Her body weight presses against my chest.
I gulp for air. We are a tangle of arms and legs, held tightly inside a strong web
of netting. Luckily Baby is mostly on top of me, so I don’t have to worry about crushing
her small body.
We begin to move. I twist my head so I can see through the netting. We are being dragged
toward the ship, just like the creature, that night with Amber. I can’t reach my gun,
but I feel Baby’s hand within my grasp.
Desperately I sign to her. Baby, where is your bag?
Here . She shifts her weight slightly, maneuvering the bag into my hand. I undo the zipper
and reach inside. I feel the cool metal of the gun against my fingers. I don’t know
what happens inside the ship but I’m going to be ready.
We are almost to the ship doorway, the gaping hole in the side of the craft. We are
lifted from the ground and sway within the net for a moment before being deposited
roughly onto the floor. I can barely see anything in the dark, but I feel a presence
come closer.
Suddenly the net falls away and my hands are free. I roll over Baby into a crouch.
The creature looms over us, covered in a shadowy black material from head to toe.
I raise my arm, gun in hand, and fire into the creature’s body.
It’s not the recoil of the gun that surprises me. I’m ready for the gun’s push against
my arm, the memory of childhood shooting lessons still etched in my mind. What shocks
me is the noise. I’ve forgotten how loud things were Before. In the enclosed space,
the noise is amplified and my eardrums feel as if they will shatter.
The creature jerks back and clutches its chest where the bullet struck. I pull Baby
to standing but cannot see a way out of the ship. It’s small and cramped with no windows,
and the door has already closed tight. I can’t even tell where the opening is. We
are trapped.
Baby grabs my hand. It’s not dead .
I look back to the creature. It didn’t fall over; it doesn’t even look very hurt.
It seems to study us, debating what to do.
I shove Baby behind me and fire again. Now I’m prepared for the deafening boom. The
bullet hits the creature’s shoulder, and I watch closely. There is no tear in the
creature’s suit; the bullet just falls to the floor with a clink . I can’t believe it. They aren’t smart; They are mindless killers . How can They design a bulletproof suit? How did They even make it to our planet?
The creature lunges at us and I throw myself in front of Baby to take the brunt of
the hit. I’m knocked off my feet into the wall of the ship. My shoulder crunches sickeningly
and the pain brings spots of light in front of my eyes.
I attempt to stand, but the creature is already on top of me, wrestling the gun from
my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Baby ready to jump on its back.
I ram my fist upward, into the creature’s jaw. I know I can’t hurt it, but I need
to fight back, even if it only distracts the creature for a few seconds to give Baby
a chance. I punch again, a little lower this time, hoping to find a tender spot under
its chin.
I hear the creature choke inside its suit.
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