The Day The Aliens Came by Lenai Jo Despins

Author:Lenai Jo Despins [Despins, Lenai Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2020-07-12T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

“Caden. Caden! Wake up, man.”

Caden opened his eyes. Trey was yelling into his left ear and shaking him simultaneously. His silhouette was haloed by firelight. Night had fallen.

“Jesus, I thought Grikki killed you. No offense, Grikki,” he added nervously.

The alien was slurping stew near the fire. He paused to reply, None taken.

Caden engaged his abs to lift his head. Biggy and Li Min were crouched on the other side of him.

“Take it easy,” Li Min said, placing a hand on his chest so he couldn’t raise himself any further off the ground. For such a delicate hand, he was surprised by its strength.

“How long was I out for?” Caden asked, rubbing his head. Everytime he moved, it felt like invisible knives were stabbing his skull.

“Twenty minutes, give or take,” Trey replied. “You okay? Hit your head when you fell.”

“I’ll survive.”

Grikki’s voice chimed in with apologetic words, although they weren’t adorned with a sympathetic tone.

I should have limited our initial conversation. You fainted because of shock.

“I’ve been in a permanent state of shock for the past month. I don’t see why my body would start reacting differently now.”

There was no imminent danger; therefore, you had no adrenaline to help you stay conscious.

The spoken truth was unnerving. When Winnipeg was under attack, his life had been on the line. The same held true when he’d first investigated the UFO, and when the bear had charged them. But when he’d discovered that Grikki could speak English, it wasn’t dangerous, it was convenient. Convenient, but a mind-bender he couldn’t handle.

Drink some water, Grikki instructed. You’ll feel better.

Around him, Trey, Biggy, and Li Min were shooting each other inquisitive sidelong glances.

“When you speak, you choose which mind you want to communicate with?” Caden asked.

That’s right, Grikki replied. The rest of the group suddenly looked at the alien, and Caden knew he was speaking to all of them. I can correspond with multiple minds simultaneously, or be selective if the information is relevant to only one person.

“Can you read our thoughts?” Trey asked, stretching the collar of his shirt with a nervous finger.

No, Grikki replied. But I can read your body cues, which is almost the same.

Trey dropped his hand quickly, cocking an eyebrow instead.

It’s irrelevant. I leave camp in the morning, and we have more important matters to discuss.

Grikki walked, or rather floated, to the nearest camping chair and sat. The crevices of his umber skin were exaggerated to black in the shadow of an overhanging spruce tree. Li Min helped Caden to his feet, guiding his arm over her shoulder to support him as he moved gingerly to take a seat beside Grikki. The rest pulled up chairs to complete the circle.

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” Caden asked.

Yes.

“But how? Your spacecraft was destroyed.”

The sentence was meek as it flowed from Caden’s lips. He was clutching at straws, and he knew it. It wasn’t the technicalities of the alien’s departure that concerned him; he was worried that they hadn’t developed a profound enough bond with Grikki to ask for his help.

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