Must Be Something In The Water

I fell asleep on Keith's couch and he was asleep in his bedroom. Tonight's dream was a nightmare. My mind messed with me. I was running in the woods and everytime I looked back a pair of glowing green eyes would look at me coming closer then there was the tentacles that would wrap themselves around me tighter and tighter. I cried for help. I couldn't breath and no one was answering my call. Until I heard a faint yell.

"Wake up." the yeller said and then repeated themself.

Then I felt shaking.

I woke up and looked at Keith.

"Keith." I said to him.

"You tangled yourself up." he said to me.

I looked down and saw that my arms, legs and throat were covered in my tentacles. He worked on my feet first.

"I was having a horrible nightmare." I said to him.

"I bet, me too." he said.

"What was yours?" I asked him.

"I had the weirdest dream that the gym Mr. Major threw up a gooey slime on me that caused me to be in cased in a cocoon shaped object." he said.

"He did." I said.

"Seriously?" Keith asked.

"That's why I'm here. I saved you last night." I said.

"You saved me in my dream too. Maybe it wasn't a dream. Okay you're free." he said my tentacles disappeared and pulled away from my neck and went back into my back.

I fixed my shirt and sat on his couch and rubbed my eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"It's almost five a.m." he said.

"Should we even go to school?" I asked him.

"I don't even think that's an option." he said.

"Our bikes are still at school though." I said.

"It would be extremely stupid to go back." he said to me.

"That's a yes then?" I asked.

He sighed and nodded.

Getting to school was hard especially when my pants were still wet from the other night and I haven't had a shower let alone a bath in like twenty-four hours.

"Well at least no one tried to steal our bikes." Keith said unlocking his.

"Yeah." I said pulling mine out of the rack.

School wasn't open for another hour.

"Are we going to stay or go back home?" he asked me.

"I want to go back to my house. Just make sure that the ELA are gone." I said to him.

"Okay." Keith said to me.

We rode our bikes back to my house. Slowly we waited a block away. Keith and I looked around cautiously. I saw my mom's car and my sister's parked in the driveway. I climbed off my bike and tested the lock I pushed the door open and peeked in my sister and mom was probably asleep. I waved Keith in. He followed me. I closed the door behind me.

"Alexis, oh honey!" my mom ran to me and hugged me.

"Mom, why did you call the ELA's on me?" I asked her.

"They came here, they didn't say anything about ELA's they just said that they were working for the doctor that got your blood test and that it had something to do with the same parasites that your sister have. What are you doing here Keith?" my mom asked him.

"We had to get our bikes back from the school." he said.

"What happened yesterday?" my mom asked me.

"Those people are the ELA that stands for the Extraterrestrial Life Agency." I said.

"Extraterrestrials?" my mom asked.

"Aliens, the ones that are in the lake." Keith said.

"The ones that are in Aly." I said and pulled away from my mom.

"Aliens oh you are sick." my mom said covering her mouth.

"No mom I'm serious aliens exist you have to believe me. Please." I said to her.

"I-I can't they don't exist." my mom said holding my arm. I backed away from her and looked at Keith.

He knew what I had to do I had to prove it to her. I closed my eyes and then next thing I knew tentacles floated from my back. When I opened my eyes. The horror in my mom's eyes made me feel bad. The tentacles disappeared.

"Was that..." my mom started and looked at Keith.

He nodded.

"How?" my mom asked.

"When I went to the lake. One of the aliens changed me. I don't know how." I said to her.

I heard a cry. come from my sister's room. I turned my attention to the stairs.

"Aly." Keith and I said.

We ran up the stairs to her room. My mom following. I saw my sister sit up and hold her stomach.

"Alexis, what are you doing here?" she asked.

I didn't say anything and stared at her stomach. Remember how I would go into a trance every time I saw tap water well it was the same thing with Aly.

"Aly what's wrong?" my mom asked walking in. Keith stood in the doorway.

"I don't know somethings not right." my sister said.

"Have you been taking your medicine?" my mom asked.

"No I can't it will hurt them!" she said quickly and then she cried out again.

"What are you talking about?" my mom asked.

"She's right if she would've continued with the medication it would've killed them and her. They're all connected. Can I have a few minutes with Aly alone?" I asked my mom.

"I'm calling the doctor." my mom said.

"Please mom don't." I said.

"Listen to her." Aly said covering her face.

My mom sighed and then looked at me and nodded and walked out shutting the door behind her.

"What's happening to me?" Aly asked.

"Just relax." I said to her she lied back down on her pillow but watched me.

"What are you doing?" she asked me.

I held my hand over her stomach and I saw it glowing. She gasped.

"How are you able to do that." she said to me.

I shrugged but kept concentration.

"There's seven of them." I said.

"Seven what?" she asked me.

"Seven embryos in you. Seven offspring of the Shelby inside of you." I said and looked to her.

"So they're not parasites?" she asked.

"Not by a long shot." I said looking back at her stomach.

It was like looking into a paper lantern. I could see vains and the blood vessel of each embryo inside of her as they jiggled around in place. I placed my hand on her stomach which was lumpy with movement and her stomach was warm. The movement slowed down.

"How are you able to do that?" she asked me.

"They're talking can't you hear it?" I asked her.

At first she shook her head and then she nodded.

"I don't hear talking but a lot of cooing what does it mean?" she asked me.

I looked up at her and a cold shiver ran down my back.

"It's almost time." I said to her.

"Time for what?" she asked.

"To give birth." I said pulling my hand away and staring back at her stomach.