Traumatized school counselor travels to check on her addict mother, and didn't expect aliens to be there.

Mom's House

I drove up the long driveway. Mom's not answering my calls. Is she even still alive? I wished for just one close friend, close enough to drive two hours away from Atlanta, to be here when I knock.

I parked my Chevy Volt in the driveway. I don't want to be here. I know what condition her rat-infested house was in last week when I got scared. And, I feel guilty for wishing that maybe she is dead, and--

A man got up from the back steps. Who is he? A couple stood nearby. There's another car by mine. Mama sold hers. Gets rides from neighbors. My stepfather Jesse died last year.

I got out. Clutched my purse against my side. Tried to look brave.

"Hi, I am Neal O'Mai. I am a friend's son. I knocked, but did not get an answer. Would you like me to help? We are worried about her." He's blond, deep blue eyes and very handsome. But, bigger than me. If I screamed, would anyone hear? There are chicken houses across the road, 26 acres of pines to my left, and trees between us and the neighbor. I can't think!

"Would you go in? I have a key." It barely worked last week, in that rusty lock. I couldn't convince her to go see a doctor. She left a message yesterday and told me she thought she was dying. Last week she did this, and she just wanted money for booze. I left. But that was Saturday. Oh, Saturday before last. I'm not smelling anything. Yet.

He held out his hand for the key, and I let him help. What if he's-- No. I'm not going to think.

On the porch, a rat came running past me and I shrieked! He held me. Let go, fast, when I froze. Tears got too much to blink away.

"I will go first." He fumbled with the key. Dressed nice, so maybe he's got a push-button lock on his place. Finally, he got it unlocked on the bottom. It came open. The deadbolt's not locked? Smell got to me. Empty booze bottles everywhere.

Trash everywhere. And, I have to look for friends? Where to start, to find an address book or her phone? I didn't recognize any of these people—but I've been away. Friends like a revolving door--

I let him go in and I followed. Left the door open. Trash stinks, but it doesn't smell like a body. Did her toilet overflow? I shook all over, just standing in here.

We moved to the living room. She's on the couch. He touched her head. She groaned. Now, I just felt irritated. It's a long drive. If I left now, I couldn't be at work by 7:30 am. Now with that much rush hour traffic. It's still dark. Maybe, 5 am now. She's wearing his pajamas. Not Daddy's. Jesse's. The door to their room is open. I don't want to see it. Ugh. Nightmares of what he did--

But, the man startled. "Ket! I need you!"

Green light swirled, and another man appeared! This one wore white robes. I wanted to run! But he just felt Mama's head. Waved, and white slime flowed up her legs! White light flashed! In an instant, the house was clean and smelled fresh! Roaches and rats vanished. This man lifted Mama. "Maybe Pirad can do something." He stepped into another green swirl.

I backed when Neal held out his hand. "Please, Suma, come with me."

"No! I have to go back to Atlanta!" I ran out. Pulled that key out of the lock and ran for the car. Dropped my purse.

"Please, Suma! Wait! Pirad might heal your mother. She will not die."

"She's still an alcoholic, diabetic, and does drugs!"

"We have a cure for addiction. Ket is giving it to her, now." He had tears in his eyes.

"Are you the people SETI is talking to?" I just blurted it out. His eyes were blue. They turned black. I froze. I wanted to run! Too scared. He's not doing anything scary. They helped Mama. They cleaned the house! If he was going to hurt me, wouldn't he do it, already?

The car's only 15 feet away. But, who would I tell?

I crumpled, but he caught me. "Are you ill? Should I bring a healer for you, Suma? Or, should I call you Miss Cliatt?"

I hugged him. He was gentle, and kind. But, the yard and the cold faded away.

Too many bad memories in Mom's house. But, Neal's room had a bed and it was clean, so that's where I slept last night. I'm helping Mama wrap things up after my brother died. She's passed out drunk. So's Jesse. Why did I come back to this nightmare? I ran away from the foster home. They'll come. That's what I wanted, didn't I?

Mom kept one drawer of Daddy's stuff. It had moth balls, so nothing got in there. I opened it again. That pair of his coveralls--

Against my better judgment, I dressed in 'em. One trip to the woods, to face my demons. One last trip. I shrugged into the shapeless army green coveralls, over my jeans and T-shirt. It won't help, I told myself.

On the back porch, Mom kept Daddy's hip boots. I made sure to hit the heel hard on the wood floor, and it cracked. Nothing fell out when I dumped it. These were too big for even my size 9 feet, but I pulled 'em on. Not that I would ever want to live here again. Not in this house. Not in this town, in rural northeast Georgia! Too many horrible memories.

I was 14, before I went to foster care. My foster parents and I got along, but I didn't look back when I left home. I just—couldn't.

I took the path into the woods. What if I get lost? No one'll find me. I never got lost. I kept going. Should have looked back to make sure it still looks the same. Pine trees. Bushes. It looks the same.

The path led down to the creek. Drums that used to leak chemicals still made the water sudsy. And rusty. As a kid, I sat on the bank and cried and nobody ever heard. More trees are missing now.

It's not the same. Tears flowed, but I can't let go like I did then. Scared to sit down. Too many ants!

The carpet of pine needles and weeds tripped me up. I just stupid. What did I come down here for? To complain about my life.

I took the heavy gloves off and stuffed my lifeless brown hair back under the baseball cap. I'm not taking this outfit. My room's too small. What I wouldn't give to see Dad again, and throw a ball to him, even though I hate sports! And Mom, before she started drinking. Losing Dad killed her soul. Now she's with Jesse and still miserable. I'm 14 and feel old.

And, I'm alone.

I sat on the bank and cried. Jumped at every cricket, every bird singing, creaks of pine trees in the wind.

No more tears came. I felt twice as mis—sound of a branch breaking got my attention! I jumped up.

I had the crystal with me that I'd found at the beginning of Spring; I carried it with me like a good luck charm, something to remember the magic of these outings to the woods by. Such a childish thing; wasn't I fourteen now? Old enough to almost be an adult. I wished. Reached into my pocket and fished it out, half thinking of putting it back in the creek, but I hesitated. It made me feel good. I didn't really want to part with it. Suddenly, I felt a vibration. The crystal looked more translucent than before. Was it glowing?

I looked from the crystal to the aqua shimmer in the creek. It looked aglow, too. Should I run? Quickly, before I could think better of it, reckless with excitement and the possible danger, I ran into the water and started shoving the sandy soil off the bluish substance. It felt hard and smooth, and when I reached under the cool water, warm.

When I had it uncovered, I could see through it into a little room. Like a fairy land of some sort. A sort of bed in the middle had a man lying in it. I was terrified that he was dead, and if I looked closer I would see evidence of that; yet, I peered in and looked closer anyway. He looked asleep, and he was rather pleasant-looking, at that. Dressed in some sort of loose-fitting tunic and pants, dark blue. Boots that came to three points at the toe; so weird.

"I wish I had a brother. I wish you were my brother. I miss Neal." I sobbed, sitting in the clear water staring at the dark-haired fairy man in the aqua window. He looked so kind, like someone I could tell all my troubles to. When my brother died, I hoped Jesse would go to jail. But, I saw his death certificate. Status epilepticus. Epilepsy from getting beaten up too many times. My older brother was still in elementary school when Mama remarried. I was too scared that would be me. He tried to protect me. That's why I called DFACS, the day of Neal's funeral, last week. I finally figured out when I could run away. Right after school, I had things in my backpack. I got off the bus but ran off. At school, they issued me a laptop. I used it to plan this. To get back.

Mom put Neal on a plane to visit Aunt Margie. But it went down in a river. Neal died because he pushed a little girl into a rescuer's hands, then he had a seizure. Drowned. It's like Neal. He always tried to protect me and got the worst of Jesse. He was only two years older.

"Mom and Jesse are getting worse; I don't know how much longer I can go home and clean up after them and hide the bruises when they beat me and live on green beans from the garden because they don't buy groceries. People stare at me, wearin' long sleeved shirts in the summertime, so I don't like to go places." And, Jesse wanted Aunt Margie to have my brother. He finally convinced Mom that he'd be happier with her sister. Margie had a heart attack and died when she knew Neal was dead. Now, we don't have anybody on our side, do we?

I told him everything; what happened at school, how I suffered in silence at home, described the beauty of my secret place and the calm inside that it brought me, my excitement about landing my first part-time job. Now I could buy my own food. What power! But, I called DFACS and they made me quit. They'll come get me. There'll be consequences for coming back here.

I stared at him for so long, the sun almost set before I could get out of the woods.

I looked in the creek, heart pounding. Nothing but mica sparkles.

Looked at him. That's him. But, blond curls, a large man. And, tri-toed feet but human hands. Huh? He's not thin, or sick. I got him out. I took him up the hill to Mom's house, today! Memories kept coming. My memories. How I felt. He was big and blond-curled like my big brother. And, I was 24. I'm 24 now.

That necklace appeared in his hand. The large blue stone on it glowed. And, a creature like an asymmetrical white walrus, in front of us!

A red-haired lady wailed at it, a song in its language. That couple who were in the yard!

I ran!

Someone ran after me!

The necklace flew in my face! I screamed!

The walrus thing was gone. The other man held the redhead. Neal shook all over. I reached for him. Neal reached a hand and took it, very lightly. 

"Are you all right?"

"I am all right. Scared. The Imwa are not of this level. He — saw all of my memories. I feared — Adia, he is still listening to me?" Tears fell from his eyes, which were black. "Will he make me blind, or weak?" They did, in that other future! I trembled. It was today. Mama died. I came back to check on her and had to--make arrangements. Came down here and found Neal. Took him to the house. His father sent energy to his ship and we left, but Neal was very sick. Thin. They tried to heal him but didn't know what they were doing, that he should be symmetrical. Then they healed him but left him blind. He became a healer--

"No! I asked him not, and he agreed. They will listen because they are curious. They have hive minds like Zbbat or Esteerrians." Adia's red waves jiggled on her shoulder. She's scared, too!

I looked at the blue crystal on the necklace. "What's this?" I gasped. When I spoke, it glowed in rhythm. Just like it did in those memories. Other memories flooded me.

"I should have spoken before they sent it to you, Suma. Our genetics are connected now. Oh, I am sorry! If we do not stay near one another, both of us will die!" He went limp. The other man held him up.

I grabbed his arm. "No, no, no! Neal! I wasn't close enough? How close do we have to be? I—I'll go with you!" I felt crazy!

Slowly, his head lifted. "You will?" His eyes turned very light.

"I will. I don't want to be alone! Where are we going?"

He put weight over his feet. "Show me your house, what you need to take."

"You're still shaking. Can you make it?"

Neal chuckled. "Oh, a diplomat can work." He held out an arm, and I put my hand on it.

"A diplomat? I'm just a school psychologist."

"You will help a lot of people in Rainbow Unwell Colony. It will rescue many slaves and they will need you." The red-headed lady smiled at me. I trembled also. The other man moved to support Neal, but both looked scared.

"What do they need with a school psychologist? I just test kids, and get very frustrated that the school doesn't give me much time to talk with 'em, except about schedules or changing classes." I shook my head, and my long hair waved. I knew that couple. He's Ryee and she's Adia.

-- Suma, Therapist

This story is part of the Battle Of The Cubes.