Page 2 of An Alien for the Farm

It’s my turn to blink at him, wondering if my translator is purposely making him sound like a character from an old-timey novel. Or maybe it’s just the way he carries himself, all formal and proper. His ears flick slightly, a sign of mild annoyance or maybe impatience; it’s hard to tell.

I nod. “Right behind you.”

Luckily for me, I used to live in the city before being ripped from Earth. Walking behind Xarion and dodging the many other aliens coming from the other direction is easy. But this reminder of city life isn’t what makes a little ball of energy swirl in my gut. It isn’t what makes tingles go across my skin, anticipation filling me with each step. I’m going to a place where I can just be. Where life won’t be determined by someone else but me. A fresh start and not like the one from a decade ago.

Soon, Xarion slows down and bows before me again, causing me to blush. I glance behind me at the other aliens, vendors and purchasers alike, but none of them seem to find his behavior out of the ordinary.

“Here is our transportation.” He does another flourish and when I look at where he’s pointing, I almost drop my bag.

“That—”

“Is an ooga.” Xarion pats the hippo-like animal, and the creature lifts its head before going back to the orange grass it’s eating. “This one is yours.”

“M-mine?” But he’s already heading around the rear of the animal. He walks to stand just on the other side, putting the massive creature between us. I look on in dismay as he mounts an ooga on the other side of the one before me, then turns to watch me. I blink at him, because he’s waiting on me…to mount the animal before me.

“I’ve never even ridden a horse before…” I murmur, eyeing the harness on the creature’s back.

“I can assure you, an ooga has a much better temperament than a horse from Earth.” Xarion states it so matter-of-factly, I don’t even have it in me to ask how the hell he knows anything about horses.

There’s a basket balancing on the creature’s rear and I suppose that’s where I’m supposed to place my bag. Reaching up, I ignore the pain in my hand again as I place my bag inside the basket. Now, to climb on to the thing.

“This is just one of the animals that will be on your farm.” Xarion speaks with the assured tone of someone who knows what he’s saying is true, and I wonder if he always talks like that.

“Say what now?” I partially don’t even hear what he’s saying next because I’m focusing everything I have on grabbing on to the harness and pulling myself up. It takes two tries and when I see Xarion hopping off his mount to help me, I shake my head.

“No, no, I can do it.”

“I apologize. Once again, I’ve left an unfavorable impression. First with my tardiness and now with this. I was not told that you had no experience with oogas.”

I cringe as he rounds the mount, despite my protest. I’m halfway on the thing, balancing on my belly, my ass on display and so will be my britches if I don’t get on the damn thing.

“Permission to touch you,” Xarion says from behind me. I cringe again. It’s the first time in a long while some man is standing face to face with my ass, but in my dreams, I’d imagined myself climbing on all fours on top of a bed or, I don’t know, something adventurous like the kitchen counter or something. Not a frickin’ ooga.

“It’s okay, Xarion!” With a grunt, I haul myself onto the animal, almost losing my balance but managing to set myself straight before I fall. Sitting, I hold the reins and clear my throat. Xarion blinks up at me before dipping his head slightly in another bow and making his way back to his ooga. He climbs on like it’s nothing and makes a sound in his throat. A sort of click that the animal responds to. I have no clue how to replicate it but luckily, as his ooga starts to move, so does mine. They lumber down the busy street at a steady pace, allowing me to finally take a look around without feeling out of sorts.

It’s pretty here. Pink sky. Warm sun. The aliens in the town don’t seem rushed as they go about buying and selling and there are so many variations of species here, it’s clear it’s an inclusive sort of place. I could get used to this. At least, I think I can. I was looking for a new start to life and this is it, but as soon as we leave the hustle and bustle of the little town behind and the oogas make their way across the plain, another ball of worry swells in my gut.

Xarion is silent and I’m forced to listen to my worry-filled thoughts. Worries like the fact I’ll be all alone out on the plains. And that this will be a whole undertaking. That I have no friends here. I’m fifty-five and starting over. Women my age are mostly married and living out their happy lives with their husbands and grown kids. Nice house in the suburbs. White picket fence. Friends to come over and have tea. I have none of that.

Looking down at the ooga, I swallow hard. Can I really do this?

“It will take about three hors to reach your estate,” Xarion finally says, breaking the silence and the sound of the soft breeze.

My estate. It sounds almost too good to be true.

“Three hors?”

“Yes,” he says, looking over his shoulder. “Not to worry, I am escorting you the entire way.”

“Right,” I murmur, squinting through my glasses as I look ahead. “And you said more of these animals are already there?”

“The New Horizons Initiative has provided you an estate that already has several oogas grazing on the land, as well as a few wild tilgrans.”

“Wild?”

“Not to fear. They are not dangerous animals, though the tilgrans can be a bit…hazardous.”

“Right.” I frown a little, images flitting through my mind. “I thought this was supposed to be a…farm?”

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