Read Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences for Free Online Page B

are totally for animal rights.”
    “I volunteered in a shelter. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen.”
    No big surprise that Lauren volunteered in a shelter. I wonder if there is anyplace she didn’t volunteer.
    Lindsey says, “You know who else is all over animal rights? Paris and Alicia. I know them.”
    “You know them?” Michael says.
    “Well, I’ve met them, anyway.”
    The conversation becomes a little bit of a tug-of-war. Lauren talks about animal cruelty, like using bunnies to test cosmetics or monkeys to test drugs. Things like that. Lindsey talks more about any famous person who cares about animals. After a few minutes of this, we’re ordered to bed by a Handler. Lindsey and Lauren go on talking as we move up the stairs.
    When we get to our room, Michael says, “Are they actually becoming friends?”
    “I wouldn’t go that far,” I say, “but it’s weird. I thought they hated each other.”
    “You can’t tell with girls, dude. I’m not saying they’re as different as the aliens, but they’re more than halfway there.”
    We nod silently at the wisdom of these words.

I see Catlin again that night. I’m dreaming, and I know I’m dreaming. She’s standing at the window in the moonlight wearing a short nightgown. I can see her body more clearly. She has nice legs.
    “How is this happening?” I say. I’m standing by the door. The room seems enormous from this angle.
    “You’re making it happen,” she says.
    “How?”
    She shrugs. She has a small round face, which her short, straight hair crowds; she pushes her hair back when it slips over her eyes.
    “I don’t know. Lord Vertenomous put a locking spell on this room. He wouldn’t call it a spell, but I do. I can’t break it. You can, somehow.”
    “In my dream,” I say.
    Catlin nods. “He feels someone has been here, but he can’t believe it. He can’t believe even a Handler could break his spell.”
    “You’re saying they use magic?”
    “They wouldn’t call it that. They use their minds. But it’s like magic, isn’t it? Magic from inside.”
    “Why are you here?” I ask.
I wonder if she’s human
.
    “Of course I’m human,” she says sharply.
    My face heats and I feel a little blush. I hate that.
You read my mind? If you are human how can you read it like they do?
    “You know how,” she says. “I hope you aren’t one of those people who pretends not to know what you know.”
    “I know you’re not like me,” I say stubbornly. “We can’t read minds without alien help.”
    “I think maybe I am like you, Jesse,” she says.
    “How do you know my name?”
    “That doesn’t matter. Here’s something that does. You’re right about the rebels. There are rebels.”
    “How could you know that?” I’m suspicious of her. I think of Lauren, and I know she would tell me to be careful. She would point out the nature of simple math and say there are things about this girl that don’t add up.
    “I don’t know who Lauren is, but you came to me; I didn’t come to you.”
    I realize I have to be careful what I think around this girl. “But how do you know there are rebels?” I say.
    “I know a lot of things,” she says. “Get me out of here and I’ll tell you more.”
    “For example?”
    She looks at me like I’m trying to take advantage of her, but then she shrugs and seems to relax a little.
    “Those rebels out west killed that patrol. I think they were able to sneak up on him.”
    “How? The aliens can hear us.”
    “Maybe there are ways to keep them from hearing. Maybe the rebels know some of those ways.”
    “How?”
    “Get me out.”
    “How can I get you out? I don’t even know where we are. In a dream. That’s all I know.”
    “You can get in,” she says. “You can get yourself out. Figure out a way to take me with you. We can’t stay here.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “We’re going to have to make a run for it sooner or later. You’re going to have to. You know I’m