It was Skooter, thoroughly drunk. He was scratching around and making all kinds of noise.
"What are you doing?" I said.
"Your dad said to sleep up here," said Skooter. "Said you had a bed for me. It's okay if you don't. I'll just sleep with Natalie."
"No," I said. "There's a futon we prepared in the corner. Use that."
"Oh, fine," said Skooter. He ambled in a bumble bee course and fell onto the futon, started snoring. He hadn't bothered to turn off the light so I had to do it for him. Before I did, I went to stand over him and look at him.
"Damned alien," I said, and spit on Skooter. He continued snoring.
The dark concrescence of night came upon us and I stayed awake to let time sober the alien, and to make a plan in my head.
Around two I got up and woke Skooter, shaking him from the stupor depths.
"Huh?" he mumbled, cheap beer lingering on his tongue. "What is? Where am I?"
"It's me, Skooter," I said. "Jake, remember? You're on Earth."
"Of course, yes. Why you wake me?"
"Come on, Skooter. I want to show you something. Outside. Come on."
"Show me in morning please. Sleep now."
"This can't wait till morning," I said. "Really, Skooter, this is important."
After more shaking and prompting from me, I finally got him to come along.
"Hold the hand rail," I said, leading him down the stairs. I didn't want him to fall and hurt himself. That would be noisy.
The kitchen was still. We crept through to the back door and I cracked it open. The bite of night air shot in.
"We go out there?" said Skooter. "It is cold."
"We'll be fine," I said, and pushed him out. We walked back toward the old woods, past my garden. I picked up my shovel as we walked.
"There's something amazing back here," I said. "You won't believe it."
When we got to the giant oak tree, I lined him up.
"Look there," I said. "At the tree. Look closely."
He looked as well as he might in the dark of night. He scrutinized the tree like it was a real test, like there was actually something to see.
"I see nothing," said Skooter.
I raised the shovel and aimed at the back of his head, preparing to swing.
Skooter's head flinched, jolted. "Aahh!" said Skooter. "Is danger!"
I paused and lowered the shovel behind me. "What do you mean?" I said.
"I sense danger," said Skooter. "I have a sense. A future sense. It says danger is come."
"You mean you have psychic powers?" I said, cursing my luck.
"We must go, Jake. There may be a monster here. Nearby."
"If you say so, Skooter." I left the shovel on the ground and we returned to the house. "I'll show you that tree some other time."
"I'm sorry, Jake."
Next morning at breakfast Skooter told Mom about it.
"I can't imagine what Jake might want to show you at that time of night," said Mom.
"I thought I saw a wolverine back there," I said.
Skooter was looking through our fridge at all the strange food and drink, and I took the opportunity to put some powder from Dad's medication into his corn flakes.
"Dig in," I said.
He ate with relish. Literally. He'd seen all the condiments in the fridge and was curious to try something new.
After eating, Skooter said, "I don't feel so good."
"That's why people don't put relish on corn flakes," I said. "Let's go to school. Are you ready for your first day?"
"My stomach is not ready," said Skooter, collapsing to the tile floor.
"Skooter!" Mom screamed.
"I'm gonna go to school," I said. "You guys sort it out."
Mom ignored me and I left.
I expected Skooter to show up at school later that day. He never did. When I got home that afternoon, I found Mom looking sad.
"Where's Skooter?" I said.
"Gone," she said.
"Dead?"
"No! they sent him back to Europa. He was having panic attacks about Earth food. Your father didn't want him to suffer."
That night at dinner we were kind of quiet.
"It's like we've lost a piece of ourselves," said Dad. "He was only here for one day, but in that day he became one of us. Who will I drink with now?"
"I could –" I began to say.
"Out of
"What are you doing?" I said.
"Your dad said to sleep up here," said Skooter. "Said you had a bed for me. It's okay if you don't. I'll just sleep with Natalie."
"No," I said. "There's a futon we prepared in the corner. Use that."
"Oh, fine," said Skooter. He ambled in a bumble bee course and fell onto the futon, started snoring. He hadn't bothered to turn off the light so I had to do it for him. Before I did, I went to stand over him and look at him.
"Damned alien," I said, and spit on Skooter. He continued snoring.
The dark concrescence of night came upon us and I stayed awake to let time sober the alien, and to make a plan in my head.
Around two I got up and woke Skooter, shaking him from the stupor depths.
"Huh?" he mumbled, cheap beer lingering on his tongue. "What is? Where am I?"
"It's me, Skooter," I said. "Jake, remember? You're on Earth."
"Of course, yes. Why you wake me?"
"Come on, Skooter. I want to show you something. Outside. Come on."
"Show me in morning please. Sleep now."
"This can't wait till morning," I said. "Really, Skooter, this is important."
After more shaking and prompting from me, I finally got him to come along.
"Hold the hand rail," I said, leading him down the stairs. I didn't want him to fall and hurt himself. That would be noisy.
The kitchen was still. We crept through to the back door and I cracked it open. The bite of night air shot in.
"We go out there?" said Skooter. "It is cold."
"We'll be fine," I said, and pushed him out. We walked back toward the old woods, past my garden. I picked up my shovel as we walked.
"There's something amazing back here," I said. "You won't believe it."
When we got to the giant oak tree, I lined him up.
"Look there," I said. "At the tree. Look closely."
He looked as well as he might in the dark of night. He scrutinized the tree like it was a real test, like there was actually something to see.
"I see nothing," said Skooter.
I raised the shovel and aimed at the back of his head, preparing to swing.
Skooter's head flinched, jolted. "Aahh!" said Skooter. "Is danger!"
I paused and lowered the shovel behind me. "What do you mean?" I said.
"I sense danger," said Skooter. "I have a sense. A future sense. It says danger is come."
"You mean you have psychic powers?" I said, cursing my luck.
"We must go, Jake. There may be a monster here. Nearby."
"If you say so, Skooter." I left the shovel on the ground and we returned to the house. "I'll show you that tree some other time."
"I'm sorry, Jake."
Next morning at breakfast Skooter told Mom about it.
"I can't imagine what Jake might want to show you at that time of night," said Mom.
"I thought I saw a wolverine back there," I said.
Skooter was looking through our fridge at all the strange food and drink, and I took the opportunity to put some powder from Dad's medication into his corn flakes.
"Dig in," I said.
He ate with relish. Literally. He'd seen all the condiments in the fridge and was curious to try something new.
After eating, Skooter said, "I don't feel so good."
"That's why people don't put relish on corn flakes," I said. "Let's go to school. Are you ready for your first day?"
"My stomach is not ready," said Skooter, collapsing to the tile floor.
"Skooter!" Mom screamed.
"I'm gonna go to school," I said. "You guys sort it out."
Mom ignored me and I left.
I expected Skooter to show up at school later that day. He never did. When I got home that afternoon, I found Mom looking sad.
"Where's Skooter?" I said.
"Gone," she said.
"Dead?"
"No! they sent him back to Europa. He was having panic attacks about Earth food. Your father didn't want him to suffer."
That night at dinner we were kind of quiet.
"It's like we've lost a piece of ourselves," said Dad. "He was only here for one day, but in that day he became one of us. Who will I drink with now?"
"I could –" I began to say.
"Out of
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