an older fellow sitting at the next table.
“ Hold your horses Wilber, I’ll be right there.” Dotty glanced back at the girls. “I'll get this right out.”
Elle watched Dotty give the cook their order . “Here we go again.” She reached over and touched a sunflower in the small vase, taking comfort in the softness of the perfect orange-yellow petals. She would get through this like she’d gotten through the other times there had been sightings. One day at a time.
“ It scares me,” Sara said.
Dotty set down their drinks . “Oh, by the way Elle, Herman has been looking for you.”
Elle's blood pressure shot up . “What does he want?” She pulled her Coke toward her, knowing exactly why he was reaching out to her. Sometimes she wished he would leave her alone. She sighed. Like that was going to happen.
“ Wouldn't say, but he's going on about how the aliens abducted him. I told him not to bother you, but you know how he is when he gets on that particular bandwagon.”
Of course Herman would track her down . She was the only one who knew he was telling the truth. Not that she could confirm it to the Sweetwater grapevine. If the busybodies knew the truth, they'd contact those scientists from Los Alamos labs, and she and Herman would be their newest experiments. “Thanks for letting me know.” Dotty left to fill another order.
“ Don't let it get to you.” Sara patted Elle’s hand.
“ I try not to. Though I know something happened to Herman.” She sipped her drink. “Trouble is he realizes I believe him. That's why he talks to me. He's not crazy.”
“ Oh, I agree. After last night, I'm sure Herman has some interesting things to tell you.” Sara paused. “But what if its things you don't want to know.”
“ Want to know?” Elle sighed. “It doesn't matter if I want to know. I have to know. I need to know if what people have said about me all my life has any grain of truth to it.”
“ Your dad has gone over this with you a thousand times.” Sara lowered her voice. “The people who care about you know you're not an alien.”
“ What if I am?” Elle smiled weakly. In spite of her reserve, a tinge of exasperation crept into her voice. “I have this psychic thing and the lights in the sky always come back to this area.” She hesitated. “I think they’re after me.”
“ Don’t talk that way. A lot of people have psychic abilities and they aren't aliens,” Sara said, her face solemn. “I've known you since we played together in the sandbox. You're as normal as I am.” Her brow furrowed.
Elle laughed . Thank goodness she had such a good and trusting friend in Sara. The tension eased and for Sara’s sake, she forced a smile. “Who says you're normal?”
“ Well, I.” Sara stopped in midsentence as Herman sauntered toward them.
“ Hey Elle, Sara.” Herman, rail-thin with his graying salt and pepper hair sticking out in all directions, leaned against their booth. “I need to talk to you.” He glanced around the cafe with his wild black eyes blinking, taking in everything and everybody around him.
“ Sure, join us,” Elle said and scooted across the booth to make room for him. Herman slid in beside her. “What's on your mind?” As if I don’t know. He’s in bad shape. Her heart went out to him.
There was a pensive shimmer in his eyes as a momentary look of discomfort crossed his face . “Is it all right to talk in front of her?” He motioned to Sara.
“ Of course, I trust Sara.” Elle looked at him with amused wonder. “Go ahead. Tell me what's bothering you.”
“ I have something.” A dim flush crept up his neck. “Once you see it, I know you'll believe me.”
“ What is it?” Elle lowered her voice, purposefully wanting to protect Herman from the customers trying to listen to their conversation.
“ Nope, I can't tell you,” Herman croaked in his low, gravely smoker’s voice. “I have to show
“ Hold your horses Wilber, I’ll be right there.” Dotty glanced back at the girls. “I'll get this right out.”
Elle watched Dotty give the cook their order . “Here we go again.” She reached over and touched a sunflower in the small vase, taking comfort in the softness of the perfect orange-yellow petals. She would get through this like she’d gotten through the other times there had been sightings. One day at a time.
“ It scares me,” Sara said.
Dotty set down their drinks . “Oh, by the way Elle, Herman has been looking for you.”
Elle's blood pressure shot up . “What does he want?” She pulled her Coke toward her, knowing exactly why he was reaching out to her. Sometimes she wished he would leave her alone. She sighed. Like that was going to happen.
“ Wouldn't say, but he's going on about how the aliens abducted him. I told him not to bother you, but you know how he is when he gets on that particular bandwagon.”
Of course Herman would track her down . She was the only one who knew he was telling the truth. Not that she could confirm it to the Sweetwater grapevine. If the busybodies knew the truth, they'd contact those scientists from Los Alamos labs, and she and Herman would be their newest experiments. “Thanks for letting me know.” Dotty left to fill another order.
“ Don't let it get to you.” Sara patted Elle’s hand.
“ I try not to. Though I know something happened to Herman.” She sipped her drink. “Trouble is he realizes I believe him. That's why he talks to me. He's not crazy.”
“ Oh, I agree. After last night, I'm sure Herman has some interesting things to tell you.” Sara paused. “But what if its things you don't want to know.”
“ Want to know?” Elle sighed. “It doesn't matter if I want to know. I have to know. I need to know if what people have said about me all my life has any grain of truth to it.”
“ Your dad has gone over this with you a thousand times.” Sara lowered her voice. “The people who care about you know you're not an alien.”
“ What if I am?” Elle smiled weakly. In spite of her reserve, a tinge of exasperation crept into her voice. “I have this psychic thing and the lights in the sky always come back to this area.” She hesitated. “I think they’re after me.”
“ Don’t talk that way. A lot of people have psychic abilities and they aren't aliens,” Sara said, her face solemn. “I've known you since we played together in the sandbox. You're as normal as I am.” Her brow furrowed.
Elle laughed . Thank goodness she had such a good and trusting friend in Sara. The tension eased and for Sara’s sake, she forced a smile. “Who says you're normal?”
“ Well, I.” Sara stopped in midsentence as Herman sauntered toward them.
“ Hey Elle, Sara.” Herman, rail-thin with his graying salt and pepper hair sticking out in all directions, leaned against their booth. “I need to talk to you.” He glanced around the cafe with his wild black eyes blinking, taking in everything and everybody around him.
“ Sure, join us,” Elle said and scooted across the booth to make room for him. Herman slid in beside her. “What's on your mind?” As if I don’t know. He’s in bad shape. Her heart went out to him.
There was a pensive shimmer in his eyes as a momentary look of discomfort crossed his face . “Is it all right to talk in front of her?” He motioned to Sara.
“ Of course, I trust Sara.” Elle looked at him with amused wonder. “Go ahead. Tell me what's bothering you.”
“ I have something.” A dim flush crept up his neck. “Once you see it, I know you'll believe me.”
“ What is it?” Elle lowered her voice, purposefully wanting to protect Herman from the customers trying to listen to their conversation.
“ Nope, I can't tell you,” Herman croaked in his low, gravely smoker’s voice. “I have to show