Page 6 of Haunted By the Alien
“You wear a grud uniform. And you are green, female,” I say as I take in her full, delectable form. She’s taller than I envisioned. “From a distance, you appear to be grud.”
A smile graces her lovely face. “That’s a compliment. I worked hard on this uniform. Though I must admit, I need horns like the ones you’re wearing to complete the alien look. What are you when you’re not chasing imaginary grud?”
“I’m in law enforcement. Here on special assignment.”
“Special, as in classified?”
When I say nothing, she lifts her chin. “Ignore me. I’m too curious for my own good. Great costume, by the way. Definitely better than mine. The horns arefabulous.”
“This is standard clothing for a mission off-world. I’m a zyanthan warrior.”
“And I’m a grud.” She twirls in her uniform. “I can’t wait to tell Tammi my costume was good enough to fool a cop.”
“Tammi? Is there another female lost here?”
“No. She was smart enough to stay on the bus. I was so busy talking that I got off without checking where we’d stopped. I’m Kenzie, by the way.” She holds out her hand.
Instead of shaking her hand as per human custom, I run a finger along her palm. She’s very soft. And I wish to touch more of her but that is not appropriate.
I force my hand to my side. “I’ve never seen a green human before.”
“That’s homemade paint. As part of my costume. It’s mainly food coloring and cornstarch. See?” She takes my hand and rotates it to show the green residue on my fingertip.
Most humans refuse to talk to me. This female, however, is bold and confident. And her presence has my horns trying to twist at the tops, making them hard to control.
“What is your destination?” I ask.
“You’re supposed to say, ‘Take me to your leader.’” She winks, another odd human custom, but one that intrigues me because of how her face lights.
“I have no desire to meet your leader.”
She sucks in air. “Harsh. I guess there’s no camaraderie among fellow aliens.”
“Are we talking about more than intergalactic politics?”
“Depends.” She bats those long lashes. “Where do aliens, um, negotiate their differences?”
This I can answer. “In a room with audio and video recordings for later review.”
Her brows scrunch together. “I think we got off track.”
“Yes, because you evaded my question. I asked about your destination.”
“I don’t give out personal information to every Tom, Dick, and Harry I meet. Safety reasons, you know?”
“Ah, then you need not fear, because my name is not Tom, Dick, or Harry.”
She rolls her eyes. The cultural packet I read on route to Earth covered this mannerism. It’s a sign of disbelief. And yet I find the action quite adorable on her.
“I am a fellow alien, yes?” I try instead, searching for a way to set her at ease.
She laughs. “Yes, indeed.”
“Come, female. I will escort you out of this area.”
“I was heading to a party at my friend’s house.”
“And you dressed as a grud for this party?”
