Alien Holiday by Tracy Lauren

Chapter 4

Resa

The night was a silent one and if fires burned in the village I couldn’t see them through the haze of the rain. Which is good. Whatever keeps those intruders in their dens is fine by me. As if anyone wants to hear talking, laughter, and music late into the night.

Unfortunately, however, as the morning came on, the storm slowed to a halt. Perhaps the weather would still keep them indoors? I hurried to my post on the side of the mountain to ensure the aliens weren’t congregating on the hill below. Yet sure enough…

Relentless, I huff. It’s cold and wet out, the ground is nothing but mud. It’s actually fairly dangerous—especially for the females. And still, here they are. Huddling together as they walk—laughing, happy. It’s utterly annoying. I have far more important things to do than to stand around and watch these troublesome beings.

I climb to a rocky perch to get out of the mud and pull my limbs in tight around me to fend off the cold. Then I curl my lip at the few males below. They shouldn’t allow their females to be traipsing about in conditions like this. Can’t they do their exercises in one of the many rooms in the temple? It’s been years since I’ve been down the mountain, but I seem to recall room after empty room. Surely one of those would do better than this muddy hillside. Not that I care about their wellbeing, it’s just, they should. Besides, like I said, I have better things to be doing than spying on them—I mean, guarding my mountain.

A strong breeze rushes across the mountainside, shaking the trees. Two males, the color of the setting sun, hover close to one of the females, wrapping their arms around her and shielding her from the cold. That’s all well and fine, but what of the other females? Surely that one doesn’t need the both of them to warm her. Unless she’s sickly…

I wonder about that. What if the females are unwell? I focus in a little closer, searching for signs of illness. There are herbs in the forest, medicines, things that are meant for healing. The aliens might not know about them, might not be familiar with all the wild has to offer. I shake my head. That’s their problem though, it isn’t like I’d march into their village and offer aid. No, I’d rather them leave—find a new world that suits them better.

One of the females—shorter than the others, with nutty brown hair—rubs at her arms and hangs back from the group. I remember her from yesterday. She’s the one who passed out from overexertion after these pathetic exercises. Perhaps she is unwell… I climb forward on the rocks, trying to get a better look.

Damn these aliens and their odd coloring. I can’t tell from one to the other what they’re supposed to look like. Some have horns, others do not, there is stony skin, earthy skin, and manes in every shade. I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Is her coloring wrong? Being pale is a sign of sickness, that is what my mother used to say and, in her final days, I saw that it was true. Perhaps that is why the golden males cling to the pallid female they seem to share. In any case, the one with the brown hair atop her head…she looks healthy in color, even if she is a bit shorter than the rest.

The alien invaders spread out on their stolen hill. One of the females leads the group. Starting at the front, she instructs them, then moves through the ranks to adjust their poses. I frown, still not getting it. What are they even doing? They stand with their legs apart and arms held wide. It seems awkward, and the brown-haired one loses her balance. She’s going to tumble! I lurch forward, extending my wings before I think better of it.

Gods… What got into me? It wasn’t as if I could catch her. And anyway, she’s fine. They all chuckle over her misstep before continuing with their routine. It causes an unfamiliar feeling to sweep over me; my cheeks and ears grow hot and I frown angrily. Damn aliens. I wish they’d get back on their ships and leave once and for all.

Still, I stand tall and try to mimic their pose. Front leg out, bent a bit at the knee, back leg straight, one arm to the front, one to the back, palms…up or down? Then they lean back, reaching one arm to the sky and touching their rear leg with the other. My balance seems to be off too and I stretch my wings, evening out my stance. I wonder if the instructor would call this cheating? Not that it matters, it’s all foolish anyway.

I crouch down and tuck my wings in close to my body. For the remainder of their session I study the aliens, paying closer attention to the fine details of their poses. Perhaps I’ll practice again later in my cave. Even if it is a foolish pastime, I like the idea of being better at it than they are. Hell, I suppose I’m already better at it than the brown-haired one. Down below, she loses her balance once again and my wings twitch instinctively. As a matter of fact, the more I watch her, the more I realize that she seems to be fairly terrible at this. I wonder if it’s because she thinks it’s foolish too?

Distracted (or perhaps bored), she tilts her chin up, staring at the heavy blanket of clouds above us. I follow her gaze. It appears as if the rain might start up again any moment. And when I look back at her I realize she’s lost track of the pose she’s supposed to be doing and the rest of the group has cycled into a new motion. She, however, doesn’t seem to care. No, the brown-haired female has her face is tilted toward me— This is my chance to get a better look at her.

Instantly, I’m taken by the fact that she isn’t unpleasant to look at. She’s got dark eyes and high cheekbones, her lips appear full and her nose petite. She smiles often and easily, seeming unafraid to laugh at her own mistakes. There is just something about her demeanor that seems…wholly unlike my own. I shake free of the thought. These aliens. It must be simple to be so easy-going—when they have so much help from one another. Give just one of them a long day of having to fend for themselves and they wouldn’t be so quick with those smiles.

I’m on the very edge of my rock, staring at her—bitter and resentful, when the smile drops from her face. She narrows her eyes in my direction.

Damn it!I tuck my wings in close and dive behind a bush. Luck is on my side, however, because at that exact moment the clouds unleash a fresh storm. Rain pours from the sky, obscuring her view, and I watch from between the fronds of a thick fern as they clamor and run. Happily, I expect to hear them screech and complain, but that’s not the sound that meets my ears. No. They’re laughing. And that sound of it makes me scowl. They do not take this world seriously enough.

The females cling onto one another and hurry down the hill, while the largest of the golden males hastily pulls his female into his arms and carries her as if she is injured…or particularly cherished. They make their escape and not once do they look back—even though they have left the brown haired one behind!

She stands there alone on the hill, looking up in my direction. Her eyes scan the mountain. Surely one of the males will notice she has been left behind. Surely they will come for her.

Any second now…

But the group recedes into the distance and the brown-haired female makes no effort to join them. Systematically, her gaze dissects my mountain and I do the only thing I can—duck lower behind my bush.

They’ve never spotted me before today! Hell, I had begun to think their vision was impaired. Perhaps I even grew careless with that idea in mind.

I hook a branch with my finger and pull it aside, hoping she’s gone. Then, I let out a heavy sigh. She’s no longer in her spot on the hill. What a relief! That is, until I double-take and see her slipping down the muddy slope, headed my way!

Damn it all to hell! I’ve got to hide.