Page 11 of Prize for the Alien Grumpus

The shirt drops from my numb fingers. Where can we possibly go that's safe? A hotel? He'd track the credit card charges.

"Mom?" Sam's voice wavers.

I wrap my arm around her small shoulders, pulling her close. The familiar scent of her strawberry shampoo fills my nose. Her teddy bear's worn fur tickles my chin.

"Change of plans, baby." My free hand fumbles for my phone. Time to stop running. Time to face this head-on.

"But you said we were going on an adventure!"

My thumb hovers over the keypad. Who do I even call? The police? The FBI? The Men in Black?

'Hello, 911? My boss is an alien and there's a horned monster in my yard. No, I haven't been drinking.'

But what choice do I have? My daughter's safety comes first. Always.

I take a deep breath and start to dial.

My thumb stabs 9-1-1, but nothing happens. The keypad freezes. No signal? But the bars are full.

"Come on, come on." I switch to WiFi calling. Same result. The screen stays dead.

A blast of static makes me jump. The phone's screen flickers, pixelating into a kaleidoscope of colors. My stomach drops as the image resolves into... oh God.

The phone slips in my sweaty grip. Gray, mottled skin. Bulbous black eyes. A lipless mouth full of needle-sharp teeth.

"Is that the Green Goblin?" Sam peers at my screen, fascinated rather than terrified. Of course - she thinks it's just another Marvel movie villain.

"Hello, Melanie." Mr. Gregor's voice emanates from my phone, but his mouth doesn't sync with the words quite right. Like a badly dubbed movie. "I'm sorry to call so late. Can we talk?"

My arm tightens around Sam. The other hand clutches my useless phone, knuckles white. The alien that's been masquerading as my boss for the past year stares at me through the screen, waiting for an answer.

"Sam, honey." My voice comes out steady despite the terror coursing through my veins. "Go get Mr. Snuggles ready for our trip."

"But Mom-"

"Now, please."

She huffs but trudges toward her room. I wait until her door clicks shut before bringing the phone closer to my face.

"Listen." My throat feels like sandpaper. "I don't want any trouble. I'll just forget what I saw."

Gregor's alien features twist into what might be a smile. Hard to tell with those teeth.

"I have another solution. You continue to work for the Ayl Lean corporation, and I expand your duties...and your salary."

The phone trembles in my grip.

"My duties?" A hysterical laugh bubbles up. "What, you want me to help you conquer the world?"

"No, no, Melanie." His voice softens to that same patronizing tone he uses during performance reviews. "We want to save your world, not destroy it. In fact, I have wonderful news for you. For everyone on Planet Earth."

The static crackles as he leans closer to whatever camera he's using. Those black eyes reflect my terrified face back at me.

"Have you ever heard of our Lady of the Flame, the Goddess Ataxia?"

Oh perfect. My shoulders slump. Here I thought this night couldn't get any worse. First aliens, then demons, and now this.

Space Jehovah's Witnesses.

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