Page 12 of Alien in the Attic

Elena’s face brightened up immediately.

“If that’s all right,” he finished. “I wouldn’t want to overstep.”

“Of course not!” Elena said, bursting with excitement. “So like, adding alien tech? Stuff from your ship?”

“Something like that. Although, it would help if you could explain a bit more about your Halloween traditions. Is it only about celebrating death?”

Now it was Sofia’s turn to brighten up.

“You’ll want to talk to her about all that,” Elena replied as she took Sofia by the shoulders and pushed her forward. “Just call me if you want help with any soldering.”

Carmen smiled at her younger sisters. The way they supported each other’s interests always gave her a strong sense of pride. Sure, they’d had their sibling squabbles over the years. But in the end, they always knew they could rely on each other.

“So it’s not just about death, though that is the biggest part of it. It’s about everything that’s scary,” Sofia said. Her eyes sparkled the way they always did when she was truly excited about the topic of discussion. “Werewolves, witches, bats, all of it.”

“Bats?” Arccoo asked.

“Oh, especially bats!”

Carmen gave her sister a pat on the shoulder and turned her attention back to the matter of decorating. She was pretty sure she had the final menu hammered down. Now it was time to pick up an actual hammer and get to work.

After a short while spent hanging some especially creepy portraits and adorning them with fake spider webs, Carmen’s interest was turned back to her sister’s lecture on Halloween history.

“So, your children are allowed to travel from home to home and demand tribute?” Arccoo smiled widely, as if something about their culture finally clicked with his own.

“I guess you could describe it that way,” Sofia said with a laugh. “The whole trick part isn’t exactly a real threat, but some older kids might throw eggs at your windows if they’re feeling especially bratty. Oh! And costumes. They absolutely must wear costumes. Everyone does on Halloween.”

“It’s true. I’m going to be the vampire queen,” Carmen said in an over-the-top Dracula-tinged accent. She had a tight velvet dress, fake fangs, and cape all ready.

“And I’m going to be the amazing Houdini, rabbit included,” Sofia said proudly.

“Hey wait a minute. Now that you mention it, doesn’t Arccoo need a costume?” Elena asked.

Carmen bit her lip. To most humans, Arccoo was already wearing a “costume.” She wondered if any other guests would come dressed as an alien. She hoped Arccoo wouldn’t be offended.

“Do I need one?” he asked. “I assumed I would simply remain invisible during your gathering.”

“What? No way!” Elena cried. “You’re helping out. You should get to party hard, too.”

“Oh my god, wait, what if he wore, like, an astronaut costume?” Sofia asked.

Carmen gasped. “Sofia, that’s perfect!” She could picture it easily. A gray skinned alien found an astronaut’s suit and wore it back down to Earth. It was too funny not to try!

“I’ll happily wear whatever you suggest,” Arccoo said simply.

Again, Carmen found herself flushing with thoughts she wouldn’t exactly describe as chaste. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to subdue the urges brewing in her chest. Finally, she accepted this fight was a losing battle.

“Arccoo, could you help me with something in the kitchen real quick?” Carmen asked. He nodded in agreement. “You’re doing a great job, girls. Keep it up.”

Carmen walked down the hall to the kitchen, resisting the urge to grab Arccoo by the arm and rush him inside faster. Once they were both standing on the linoleum floor, the door shut behind her. Arccoo grabbed her by the arms first and pulled her into him.

She smiled as their lips met. Knowing he was on the exact same page as her made her heart sing.

Arccoo’s arms slid around her waist, drawing her as close to his body as possible. She flung her arms around his shoulders and stood on her toes, giving herself over fully. As her lips parted, his tongue slid in to meet her own.

Carmen considered how easy this felt, how right. Despite being so different in so many strange ways, the truth was that they fit together perfectly.

His hands gripped her ass and then trailed up her back, tracing over her curves. He sighed against her lips. The sound made her quiver with desperate need. Her hands moved across his hard muscles, delighting in their girth under her touch.

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