Having reached maturity, she realized her birth Brother must have called the human to use for his own recovery, but she doubted her Brother’s powers had been strong enough.
The Womb created the energy she and Brother needed to survive as a by-product of its slow feeding on the organic material it rested on. It was an inexhaustible source of the energy she needed to feed on as long as she remained underground. Once above ground, she took all she needed from the sun. She could also use a human Brother or Sister, but she strongly intended to stay far away for now. Besides, she much preferred the slower absorption from the sun. It reacted more efficiently with her metabolism. Taking nourishment from a human left her species confused and disoriented. Perhaps the very reason Brother had left the Hive with the Sister. Maybe confusion had reigned.
The occasional animal which wandered near could obviously smell the membrane and knew the Womb lived. They usually entered out of curiosity and perhaps hunger, causing little damage. But she knew the Sister had entered because of her own carelessness.
Not only did she carry overwhelming guilt and barely tolerable loneliness, but she knew her species probably did not know she existed. They monitored the energy outflow from the Womb membrane to determine if Brother still lived, but the Womb could not make a distinction between its minions. They undoubtedly thought she was Brother. The Womb had never registered any simultaneous energy draws, cluing them into her existence back home. Over the last century, they had recorded her withdrawal, mistakenly believing it to be that of Brother’s.
At some point, Brother would have died. They would not know that he had an offspring or that he had become an Elder. They would expect the humans to carry out the mission of their own volition after her Brother’s death. Monitoring this planet would provide few answers. Only an Elder could communicate through the Womb to Oolaha. But the Womb knew. That’s all that really mattered. Oh well, she could only do her best. When she thought the humans were ready, she would begin.
Pushing all the unanswerable questions from her rambling mind, she stepped around the cairn of rocks that helped protect the Hive and stretched up to the sun. Sensing the life form she detected earlier, she peered around the rocks, unable to locate it. She decided she would scramble up her favorite rock to get closer to the sun where she would be unobserved. She loved to curl up in the depression at the top. It soaked up the sun and warmed her fat belly when she nestled in.
Reaching out with her long slender fingers, she touched the rock. Her suction-like pads helped pull her body up as she climbed, creeping up the side of the rock. Her head swiveled up and down as she gauged the distance from the top to the bottom. Pulling herself up and over the top, she made an unexpected discovery. There, in her depression, lay the life form: a small human Brother. He wore the coverings humans liked to swaddle themselves in, measuring almost twice her size, yet appearing harmless enough as he slept. Quivering with anticipation, she decided to quietly sit and watch, wrapping her golden tail around herself.
As she observed, she weighed the attraction her birth Brother had felt for his human Sister. She longed to reach out and touch the long fibers on the young Brother’s head, very different from the fuzz and fur on her own body. She wondered if it felt softer. It certainly did not keep him warm in the way her pelt did. She guessed that explained the swaddling. They would not be so vulnerable to heat fluctuations if their metabolisms evolved closer to that of her species; so much simpler. She sniffed, knowing that if she was consulted on the design she would certainly make improvements. Her puzzled eyes drifted over the strange markings on his head and the scars on his skin, shaking her head at his obvious signs of disease; the poor human Brother.
It was no wonder the Womb had decided they must be revisited for intervention. Perhaps the time should have come much sooner, before they had started to live inside caves instead of out in the open like herds. Before they had learned to practice wanton bloodlust, employed so often for reasons other than survival. They were a lost cause. Banishing all her troubling thoughts, she concentrated on the little Brother. Without realizing what she was doing, she let her probing aura coalesce in his mind. And suddenly his eyes flew open.
Chapter 3
What the—? Scrambling quickly up on his butt, Scotty scooted out of the depression, edging to the back of the rock. There he sat and stared at the funny looking creature, eh no, elf. No, fairy. Yeah, it must be a fairy. Wow. He had found an actual golden fairy. Hopping up, he made a grab for it. The fairy unwound his long tail and disappeared over the side of the rock. Scotty leaned over the edge, the fairy nowhere to be seen.
Carefully, he lowered himself down the rock, slipping on the sharp footholds as he descended. Desperately, he looked around, trying to discover where the fairy had disappeared to. Gee, Mom will never believe this. He wasn’t sure he could convince her unless he brought the fairy home. Holy mackerel, no one will believe this! Excitement gripped him; a touch of something special in his life for the first time.
He knew he must find the hiding place where the fairy lived. Stumbling over the loose pile of rock heaped near the hillside, he discovered an enormous rip in his pant leg. Squatting down, he examined it. Mom won’t be happy about this. And he didn’t even have the fairy to show her. Straightening up, something caught his eye. A golden glint, just like the fairy.
He tripped over the rocks, his footing unsteady until he located the place the glint had come from. Digging down between the rocks, his fingers withdrew an object. A coin. He rubbed it on his jeans, removing some of the crusted dirt so deeply embedded. He stared, his wandering eye refusing to focus.
Turning it around and over in his little fingers, the heavy coin finally revealed more of the golden sheen and a date, 1702. Hmm, It’s not even new. He wondered if the fairy had left it for him.
Maybe the fairy knew of his birthday and had left it as a gift to make up for his dad ruining his day, hurting his mom and calling him bad names. If it did, Scotty wished the fairy could have made the coin a new shiny one. But at least he could show some kind of proof to his mom. Glancing around for the last time, he brushed off his pants and started home.
*
The creature stood inside the Hive. She felt full of furious agitation, yet oddly exhilarated. She wished the little Brother had not run off. She supposed she could have followed him, but wondered if he might return. If he did, she should figure out a better way to handle the situation. Even though the encounter had gone badly, she felt different, hopeful. She wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling about this little human Brother. Maybe he could be The One.
*
The little boy hurried down the path that took him out of his magical woods, the golden coin tucked safely in his pocket. Running down the hill past his neighbors’ homes, he could see his house. He noted with relief that his father’s car no longer sat in the driveway. Bursting breathlessly through the front door, he beheld his mom and Abby waiting for him.
“Oh, baby, we were so worried. Where did you go? We called and called. Didn’t you hear us? We even went up to the woods.” His frazzled mom hurried over as fast as she could, her brace clinking at her side. She sat awkwardly on the floor in front of him, holding out her arms to sweep him to her chest. Tears coursed down her face, the worry lines standing out in relief as she softly ran her fingers over the bald spots on his head.
“It’s okay, Mom. I’m okay. Please don’t cry, I’m sorry I ran away.” He hugged her tight, his young head fitting under her neck for comfort.
“Hi, sport,” Abby said. “Glad you came home—got’cha something.” Joining her brother and mom on the floor, she gave Scotty a kiss and put a brightly wrapped slender gift in his lap. He fingered the ribbon with wonder. The bow was bright gold. Unwrapping the gift, he grinned in amazement at the book about fairies. Wow, did this mean they knew? Leafing through the book, he located a whole chapter on wood fairies. He would study that chapter first. He knew he would learn everything he needed to know about his fairy
in the book.
“Gee, thanks, Ab. Mom, I met a fairy in the woods today. He left me a present. Did you tell him it was my birthday?” His face shined with unconcealed innocence.
“Sweetie, I’m sure you met your very own birthday fairy. But what do you mean, he gave you a present?”
Scotty sighed, knowing his mom worried about child molesters. Though it was unlikely any lived in the neighborhood, she monitored everything, knowing they had to be extra careful ever since they had abolished the sexual predator register (declared unconstitutional—they have rights you know).
“Mom, he did leave me a present. He’s a golden fairy. Abby, do fairies usually have a tail? His tail glowed. And he left me this.” Pulling out the coin from his pocket, he proudly held it up for his sister and mom. Taking it from him to examine, his mother carefully scrutinized the coin.
“This coin is very old, sweetie, old is good. That’s what makes it valuable.”
“Is it a special coin, Mom? It must be special because I got it from the golden fairy, and he knew about my birthday.” Scotty’s chest inflated, his wandering eye unexpectedly centered in his eyeball.
Looking over to the kitchen table, a new birthday cake winked at him. He could tell his mom had purchased it at the bakery. He wondered where she had got the money from, but the moment contained so much joy he pushed away his guilt. Jumping up, he tugged on both of them.
“Mom, let’s have cake. I want to blow out my candles and make a wish.” Hurrying over to the table, she lit the candles as she sang to him. While they blazed with flame, he made a wish and blew them all out. Smiling happily to himself, he realized that, this time, his birthday wish would come true, absolutely convinced his golden fairy would grant it. He couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning to hear of his father’s death.
When bedtime came, his mother tucked him in. Noticing his gold coin and his new book in bed with him, she removed them, placing both on his dresser.
“Sweetie, I think we’ll put your coin someplace safe, it’s probably very valuable. I’ll look into it and see what I can find out. Good night, birthday boy.” As his mother shut off the light, his last thoughts filled his head with images of the fairy and the most fantastic birthday ever. Scotty slumbered fitfully, unaware of the probing flashes of residual rainbow light that sent fingers to tumble around in his brain.
*
Going off to school the next morning, he took his new book with him. Reading the chapter on wood fairies, he found no mention of golden ones with long glowing tails. As a matter of fact, he didn’t see any fairies with tails. They all wore wings of some kind. Certainly none of them with horns like his golden fairy. His disappointment acute, excitement dimmed, he slowly grasped that he might be wrong about his fairy. No, he knew a fairy when he saw one. What else could it have been?
Riding home on the school bus his spirits flagged with disappointment to find the rain pouring down. He wanted to return to the big rock and wait for the fairy, afraid that if he didn’t show up, the fairy might give up on him and find a new little boy to spend time with. His mom waited for him at the bus stop. Taking her hand, he scooted under her umbrella. Smiling gently, she smoothed back the wisps of hair that refused to cover his ringworm scars no matter how she brushed them.
“Sweetie, your father called. He would like to visit this weekend and apologize for his behavior. Would you like to see him?”
“No, no!” Scotty screamed, his face turning white. His father was still alive? The fairy hadn’t come through for him. Something had gone wrong with his wish. Maybe he needed to tell it directly to the fairy.
“Mommy, I need to go to the woods today.” His voice frantic, he begged for her permission.
“Don’t be silly. You’ll get soaked. You’re not going anywhere except home with me.”
Arriving at their front door, she closed the umbrella and scooted him into the house.
Hanging up his jacket, he ran to Abby’s bedroom where he found her studying. She was in high school now, her time no longer as available to him. He climbed up onto her bed, trying to fit in her lap the way he used to as a tot.
“Come on, little dude, I need to get my homework done.” Abby laughingly rained kisses down on his sad face, signs of his infant impetigo less of a beacon now that a growth spurt looked to be in play. Stroking his patchy fine hair back from his face, she pushed her books aside, cuddling up with her brother on her pillows. “What’s wrong, Scotty?”
Tears slowly leaked down his chubby cheeks as he snuggled up to his sister. “Abby, I love you.”
“I love you too, champ. What’s going on?”
He put his ear up to his sister’s to whisper. “I think Daddy’s going to move back in with us.” He quickly looked to his sister’s face to gauge her reaction. Abby looked grim, but she hugged him tightly.
“No, Scotty, that will never happen. Mom promised he would never get the chance to hurt her or demean us again. So put a smile on your face and get ready for dinner.”
“Okay, but if he does, I’m going to make a magic sword to protect us with. I’ll always protect you and Mommy.” Scrambling off Abby’s bed, he ran to his own room. He took out his book of fairies from his backpack and slid it into a drawer. He would solve his fairy dilemma on his own and in secrecy. That’s probably what his fairy wanted anyway.
Sitting down to dinner, he noticed his mom serving mac and cheese again on the fancy blue and white plastic plates she’d been given as a wedding gift before his birth. The aroma of hot gooey cheese tantalized him. Mom made it almost every other day because he loved it, naturally. Chowing down, he noticed Abby and Mommy talking in low voices about the welfare money. They needed the welfare money. Everyone got welfare money.
“Kids, I have some important news for you.” He looked closer at his mom’s face, her lips tightly pursed, her eyes tense. Not with anger, more like scary disappointment. Did he see fear on his mom’s face? What was going on? Looking at Abby, he could tell she already knew.
“We’re going to have some new house guests.”
“No, not Daddy, please.” His stomach started to ache. His mommy reached over to stroke his arm, calming him.
“No, baby, it won’t be your father. He’s gone for good. I don’t even know where he’s going, but I do know he’ll leave New Jersey. We’re going to share the house and expenses with another family. It’s all arranged. You know the Diaz family, doesn’t Jose go to your school, Abby?”
“Yes, Mom, he does, he’s okay. Is the whole family coming?”
“Yes, except for Mr. Diaz. He’ll be heading to Mexico to try to jump the fence. If he’s successful, he stands a good chance of nabbing a job, and they’ll probably move out if that happens. If he gets caught, he’ll go to prison. It’s a felony in Mexico, they’re very serious about protecting jobs for their own people. Then we’ll have to think about a more permanent solution.”
“Solution to what, Mom?” Abby asked.
“Honey, anyone with a job is being removed from the welfare rolls. We can keep our housing stipend and our energy assistance, thank God. And the food stamps will help until they cut them out. My paycheck won’t cover the rest of our expenses. Not with the co-pays for Abby’s dialysis. The Diaz family is losing their welfare check, too.
“But, Mom—why? Why is the check going to stop? Can we talk to the mailman? Is this the week he comes, or is it next week?” Scotty’s voice faltered with fright.
“Don’t worry, sweetie, everything will work out if we all pull together. The government is just finding it difficult to collect the money from the rich people. They can’t give it to us unless they collect it first. I know it’s not fair, the rich have so much compared to us. It’s not the government’s fault. The rich people are just getting better at hiding the money. We’ll learn to make do. That’s why the Diaz family is moving in.
“All the boys will sleep together in your room, Scotty. The three of us will sleep together in Abby’s room. I’m going to move m
y bed in there. The Diaz family will have two rooms for six people. Most importantly, they’ll pay us rent. That’ll make up for most of the loss of the welfare.” Grinning, his mom tried to put a smile on her face, but Scotty could see her struggle.
“Mom, as long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.” Abby got up and put her arms around her mother. “Hey, champ, since we’re going to be roomies, why don’t we do the dishes and give Mom a break?”
Scotty understood that many changes loomed large in his life. As he cleared the table, he thought about Jose Diaz, the only one in the family he recognized. Jose, an older kid on his bus a couple of years ago, didn’t speak English very well. He kept to himself, never horsing around with the other kids, although he had nodded now and then as Scotty boarded the bus. Rumors said he had grown up in another country.
Helping his mother up from her chair, he glanced out the window, hoping the sun had finished chasing away the rain. The thunderclouds covered most of the sun as it began its nightly disappearance below the horizon. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.
*
Sunny skies greeted Scotty as he rose to get ready for school. Unexpectedly returning home after being dismissed early when his teacher had failed to show up, he changed into his old jeans and ran up the hill to find the path to the woods.
The ground under his feet felt spongy from all the rain. Small puddles collected in layers of dead leaves, turning the clear water to tannin. He took a deep breath, smelling organic matter rotting; a contribution to the cycle of life. He soon found himself approaching the path that led up to the rock. He crept slowly, not wanting to scare the fairy. Scotty’s eyes scanned the area, coming up empty. Struggling with the handholds in the rock, he pulled himself up, grunting loudly in the silence. Well, he thought, I hope that didn’t scare the fairy away. Scaling the top of the rock, he discovered an empty surface.
Alien Species Intervention: Books 1-3: An Alien Apocalyptic Saga (Species Intervention #6609) Page 19
