Alien Holiday by Tracy Lauren

Chapter 14

Resa

This is some kind of jewelry, part a courting ritual perhaps? Lo is alien in so many ways, it’s impossible to interpret her intentions. But she does have a matching one.

I point to the garland she made for me. Are these two things connected? Words pour from her like rain from the clouds. She looks happy and says something about gifts and Christmas…whatever those are.

“Okay, bottom line: we want to talk to each other, right? Of course we do. And this…” She takes the jewelry out of it’s box. “This is going to make it so we can. Resa talk, Lo knows.” She taps her temple. “Lo talk…” She makes a hand signal around her mouth. “Resa understand.” She taps my temple. “Get it?”

I have no idea what she’s talking about. But I do know she wants me to wear the jewelry. I consider it, looking closely at how it attaches to the skin. Seems like metal teeth…it doesn’t look very appealing and I try to bite back my frown. It appears to mean a lot to her. Looking into her eyes, I wish I could understand her words. What if I put this on and it means we are mated?

I push the jewelry back into her hands and present her with the side of my head. If she wants this, I do not care. Let her be happy. Besides she cooks well…and even though I do not like the aliens, I have not been terribly bothered by her company. “Go on then, alien. Do what you must.”

Lo squeals in delight, and even though she cannot understand me she takes my words as permission, positioning the jewelry just behind my ear. When she speaks, she winces and it sounds like a warning. This may hurt.

“One, two…” She does not say another number. She just pushes hard against my head and I feel the bite of metal teeth. It is no more bothersome than a prick. Unfortunately, the second that minor sting subsides, there is a blinding pain that shoots through my skull like a bolt of lightning. Lo clings to me, as I hiss, but the pain is already subsiding—leaving as suddenly as it came on. And Lo, she whispers comforting words…

“There we go, that wasn’t so bad. Was it?”

It was. But I like the way she is rubbing at my arms and shoulders, so I do not complain.

“Now, hopefully I did it right…”

My eyes go wide. Hopefully, she did it right? “Was there a chance this could have gone wrong?”

Lo gasps and our eyes meet.

“Did you just answer me?”

I jump to my feet, my fingers going to the jewelry. “What is this?” Some kind of magic? A talisman with the power to connect us? Are we mated?

Lo clasps her hands and squeals. “It worked!” She wraps her arms around me, bouncing on her toes. “It’s a translator. It helps us communicate. Everyone down in the temple has one—since we didn’t all speak the same language. Do you like it? Is it okay?” She clasps her hands together and bites her bottom lip.

I don’t know… I pace my cave. It is good to understand Lo. “Everyone has one?” This is not something that connects just the two of us?

“Yeah, now—if you wanted to—you could talk to anyone in Beacon.”

“Beacon?”

“Yeah, that’s what we call our village.” She inches closer, her expression cautious. “Resa, I’m hoping it can be your village too. I’d like for you to come back with me.”

I frown and shake my head at the thought. “I do not like your kind.”

“Ugh! Excuse you.” Lo frowns at me. “Grinch.”

“You have brought more supplies. Do you wish to cook again today?” I ask, pointing at her bag.

“Don’t change the subject, pendejo. We can finally talk, just let me tell you about everyone, and how we got here, and—”

“And how you claimed land that was not yours? Do you know how bothersome your presence has been?”

Lo’s frown grows hard. “First of all, we didn’t know anyone was even here. Besides, you’re one person. Do you really need the whole damn planet to yourself? Beacon has been our refuge— Ugh, enough.” Lo puts her hands on her hips. “I know what you’re doing. You’re being a sour puss again. You’re baiting me, trying to start a fight, but it’s not going to work.”

“I do not know what a sour puss is.”

“You, you old Grinch. Now come sit with me and listen.” Lo gives me a pretty smile and tugs me over by the fire. “You’re going to help me cook my grandmother’s tamales and I am going to tell you all about how we came to the temple.”

She spreads out her supplies…dried leaves, a powdered grain, seasonings and spices, shredded meats… I like this about her, the way that she cooks. There is so much detail that goes into it. It is like an art. I simply roast my meat over the fire or pull fruit from a tree. Lo makes magic. “Looks complicated,” is what comes out of my mouth.

Lo aims a determined look at me. “This…” She holds her hands out. “This is muyimportante. Very important. It represents mifamilia.” She reaches out and takes my hand. “You lost your parents?” she questions. “That was their graves in the other cave?”

I nod, still surprised I showed her that. Even now it makes me feel vulnerable.

“I was taken from my family. Stolen by bad men who wanted to harm me.”

My adrenaline spikes in a way I’ve only ever felt on a hunt. “The males in your village stole you?”

“No, no,” she hurries to explain. “They saved us. They brought us here to protect us and keep us safe.”

I nod. This is smart. “There is no one to hurt you here.” Still, the idea that someone out there could hurt Lo makes my insides feel knotted and sick.

She sighs, as if wondering how to go on, but the smile on her face is bright and she bumps her shoulder against mine. “I’m glad we can finally talk.”

“As am I.”

“Even though you don’t like me?”

“I do not like your people; they’re awful, loud, obnoxious. And your exercise is foolish.”

My words elicit a laugh. “You’re terrible. Like a grouchy old man.”

“Is that better or worse than wailing at all hours of the night and banging on drums?”

“You’ll learn to appreciate it.”

I raise a brow, but if I am being completely honest…I did like Lo’s cheerful singing yesterday, but that is mostly because I like Lo.

“We’re a family down in Beacon. Instant family. You’d be just as welcomed as anyone else.” She bumps my shoulder again. “No one should be alone, Resa.”

“I enjoy being alone.”

“Bullshit. You like hanging out with me.”

“You are one person who has grown on me. But the others?” I shake my head.

Lo huffs at me. “Just try! If you don’t like it you can come back up here and be a lonely, sour, old Grinch and no one will ever bother you again.”

“No.”

“Just no?”

“You are wrong. Once the others know I’m here there will be problems.”

“But you’re alone,” Lo says fretfully, getting to work on her food. She motions that I should watch her. “You know what’s really wrong? Being without family. That’s wrong. Especially at the holiday season.”

“What does the season matter?”

“It’s Christmas,” she explains. “This is the time for families to gather, cook, share gifts, decorate.”

I look around my cave. Is Lo trying to be my family?

“Do you have a mate?”

Her hands grow still.

“Here or on my home planet?” She shakes her head. “Sorry, that was a dumb question. The answer is no across the board. What about you? Was there ever anyone?”

“There were a few other family tribes, spread out over the mountains. It’s been many years since I’ve seen any of them. Many years.”

Lo gives me a sad frown. “You’re going to come home with me, whether you know it yet or not.”

I think back in my mind at what the temple used to look like…empty stone rooms, cold, an eerie vestige of my ancestors’ past. Though I don’t imagine that’s what it’s like now with all the aliens living there. Now when I think of the village I think of music and farming and I think of how vibrant and full of life Lo is. Still, I can’t leave.

“Lo, this is my family’s cave.”

“Your family is waiting for you down in Beacon, Resa. Me and all the others.”

Lo’s hands have gone still and I nod to her work. “Show me.” The request brings a smile to her face.

“Okay, but we aren’t done talking about this.”

“Oh I’m sure you’re not.”