Page 7 of Invasion of Sorority Z

“What other choice do we have?”

“We are of Aprix,” I explain, hoping to ease the rising heartbeats in the room. It is unsettling. “Your kind call us ally-ins.”

“Shut up! Aliens don’t exist!”

“Neither did zombies eight months ago,” the weapon carrying one says, eyeing us closer though remaining at her distance. “Do something alien-like, and I won’t shoot you again.”

“Oh no,” Drak taunts once more. “Not the tickles.”

Sighing, I hold up my arm. The red chrome spins and retracts, demonstrating the several gadgets stored within. Several startled gasps sound and then one of them comes running around the corner, heading straight for the Stee-vee in my lap. That is her name, I gather.

Her friends protest, several calling for her. “Brooke!”

“Fuck you guys,” she yells back. “I’m checking on Stevie. You can’t shoot them, and if they’re going to kill me, hiding behind a corner won’t stop them!”

Drak’s eyes widen. “Kill you?” He looks at the shooter yet again. “Where would the sport be in that? It would be like slaughtering a pack of toddlers.”

The one called B’rook kneels across from me, turning her chin up to me. “How did she fall?” Gently reaching out, she grazes her small fingers over the bandaged bit of reddened skin.

“She fell to the ground while I spoke to her of where I am from, and why I am here. Just dropped to the floor without a word.”

B’rook nods solemnly. “She fainted. Humans do that sometimes when they’re overwhelmed. You probably scared her.”

“Hu-nims shut down with fear? How do you survive predators?’

“Sometimes we don’t,” she says, frowning. “Are there more of you?”

“Four more,” Drak boasts, puffing up his chest. “They are coming here now.”

Shooter female does not like this idea. “Why?” She emerges slowly from the corner, keeping her hand-held weapon trained on Drak. Her hair is red like mine but darker and less bright. Where mine is like a bright fire, hers is like smoldering coals.

“Because we are here—” I start to explain, only to be interrupted by my fellow Aprixians.

“Put your tiny blaster away, mean one. It will not harm us,” Drak advises.

“Perhaps it makes the small hu-nims feel safer to hold onto their weapons,” I offer, still holding the fainting female beneath my hands. B’rook has begun softly rubbing her friend’s arm, offering a form of comfort, I gather.

“This is a ridiculous notion. She cannot even pierce our skin with such a minuscule trinket.”

Dragging something silver from behind her back, the one called An-nana narrows her eyes. “I bet there are parts of you soft enough to cut off,” she hisses, flashing a tiny blade at Drak.

He snorts with laughter, mouth forming into a delighted grin. “I should like to see you try. You may touch all of mypartsin your search, mean one.”

It looks as if she is going to take him up on the offer, stepping toward him once with great determination behind her eyes. A crashing sound interrupts the moment, stopping her stride.

“Frek!” L’ore growls. “Why mustUrthdwellings be sosmall?” He enters the room, rubbing his big orange head. I assume he smashed it into the doorway like I nearly did, scrambling inside minutes ago.

Rem booms with laughter behind him. “I like it! It’s interesting.” He pauses, giving a mischievous grin. “And it pains you.”

“Don’t start,” Terum instructs, coming to a halt as he takes in the room. “Care to explain, Marrec?”

“M-Marrec?”

My eyes snap down, heart filling with wonder.

Stee-vee is awake.

Big cloudy blue eyes stare up at the ceiling. For a moment, I’m struck by their beauty. I could not fully appreciate the color from outside her glass barrier. They are enchanting. It is not as if I have never seen such a color before. We of Aprix have many colors in our eyes. Yet I cannot seem to recall a time before this moment, seeing this blue and wondering if anything had ever been so beautiful.

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