Ever since I let the little alien out of its tank, it seed to be growing larger; originally it was the size of a softball, but now it was the size of a bowling ball. With its increased size ca so changes in its form too; it added three more translucent silver veils on top, while the original two moved down more and turned white and seed to condense into more arm-like appendages with two nubs for fingers on the end. The alien was still mostly orb-like with a few dozen black tentacles all over, but now it seed to be developing a gray little face; it now had two eyes, and whatever mouth it had originally moved below the eyes where a nose should be. Inside its mouth it didn’t really have teeth, but a kind of turtle beak hidden behind cute little black lips that had the ability to smile.
The little alien clung to constantly, always wanting to be on my arm or shoulder now. It wrapped a few dozen tentacles around while I moved around to keep it in place. I still put the food in the tank, and occasionally it would leave to eat, but mostly it would just grab at the food before I could even get it into the tank, wanting to feed it directly.
I’d been taking care of the alien for about two weeks now, and while I’d had no problem keeping it a secret so far, I wasn’t sure what would happen if it kept growing. Would it end up as big as a dog? A human? What if it ended up as large as the Alien Queen? It only seed to eat at random, so that didn’t seem to contribute much to its increase in size. I wondered if it was like those lizards that grew according to their environnt. If I took it outside, would it end up with another growth spurt? Better not risk it.
My grandparents were none the wiser but seed incredibly happy with my improved mood. Everyone was cautiously optimistic so far; I’d had a pretty manic episode a few months back before I crashed again, so my grandparents and therapist were keeping an eye on to see if I was actually improving or if I would rubber-band back. But I really did feel so much better; I was finally getting so good sleep, I was plenty distracted so I didn’t see the scene in my head as often. This little alien was doing more to improve my ntal health than any kind of treatnt so far.
I spent a huge amount of ti in my room with the alien, sotis just watching TV or playing video gas, and the alien seed to enjoy watching the screen. But I knew I needed to put plenty of faceti in with the grandparents so they wouldn’t get suspicious, so I had to leave the alien alone in my room quite often. I still had no idea how much it understood my words, but I was able to appropriately convey the need for it to stay in the room and remain a secret.
“Stay.” I commanded gently, gesturing with my hands down to the ground. The little alien trilled in response and lowered its tentacles to the floor.
Even though Gramps never asked, I liked helping out around the farm here and there. Before I started taking care of the alien, doing chores helped keep my mind preoccupied, but now I just wanted to repay my grandfather’s kindness. My parents died in so massive car accident when I was only five years old, so I grew up on my grandparents’ farm, and they welcod back ho without hesitation after my breakdown—actually they demanded I co back ho; wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Part of felt guilty I was keeping the alien secret from them since I was sure I was putting them sowhat at risk with the governnt. Eventually the hamr would drop and I’d probably have to either run away or find so permanent way to hide the alien. I sotis wondered if I told my grandparents about the alien if they would be able to help in so way. They were already providing it food, but maybe there was sothing we could figure out together how we could keep the alien safe and secret for the long run.
In the end, I decided to just wait and see how it all unfolded—see if the alien would keep growing and need to change my plans at that point. I hung out with Gramps around the farm and we went hunting through the woods occasionally, and then I spent a little bit of ti on the couch with Gram before I would head back up to my alien.
And so the days continued in that peaceful cycle, and I would surely be fine for them to stay that way forever.
***
I’d been taking care of the alien for three weeks now, and it’d gone through another drastic growth spurt to the point I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it secret. Now the alien was about the size of a toddler and its shape had beco much more humanoid. It stood on two spindly little white legs that didn’t seem to have any bones, more like solid tentacle limbs. Its body was rather plain, draped around it several black squid-veils that sohow looked like a little dress. Its arms had a more solid shape now and matched its little legs; it had three tiny nubs for fingers with a little thumb that was more in the middle of its hand rather than to the side, and it had tiny black nails against the pure white flesh. Its head was the right size for a toddler too, still with those two glowing yellow eyes, it grew in a cute little button nose, and its mouth seed more normal now too, with cute puffy black lips. Its teeth were a little strange; it had buck teeth that seed like wide incisors, with big canine fangs on either side, and then sharp looking molars behind that. It had a long nearly black tongue it liked to snap out like a frog to snatch up food in a playful way. On top of its head there was a black jellyfish bell that almost looked like a beanie, with black tentacles coming out around the back as though it had hair under its hat down to its ankles. It had a few of those translucent silver veils around the jellyfish bell that draped around its shoulders and back.
Overall, it’d changed to be a lot more white than black, with its main body and skin being pure white, while its weird flesh-dress was black, along with the hat and all its tentacles.
The alien was growing up to be quite adorable, and it still played with gently and wanted attention constantly. It had gotten quite clingy, and anyti I played with it, the little alien let out that musical trilling noise. It sounded a little more defined now, but it still seed like a weird bird-like fish-song mix. It was really pretty though.
Unfortunately, while it was growing it seed to be getting a little more unruly; when I would go downstairs now to spend ti with my grandparents, it would sotis throw little tantrums and stomp its tiny little feet-nubs. While adorable, I tried to convey how important it was for the alien to stay a secret, and after a couple minutes of stomping around, it would eventually relent and rush over to give my leg a quick hug before flopping onto my bed to watch TV.
I headed downstairs to have dinner with my grandparents. Once we were all seated and digging into atloaf, Gramps looked at with an amused grin, “You’re gonna choke it you don’t slow down.” He chuckled.
I swallowed a big bite and smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, you know I love Gram’s atloaf.”
My grandmother nodded as though I’d just stated a fact, “Naturally, my atloaf’s amazing.”
“You know…” Gramps started tentatively, “I was gonna head into town tomorrow, gotta get the parts to fix the barn heater before it gets too cold out. Wanna co with?” He asked. It was the first ti he was asking if I wanted to join him with an errand or chore; he probably thought I was doing well enough now it would be okay to ask.
I smiled brightly, “Sure, I don’t have anything else going on.” His responding smile was twice as brilliant.
Dinner was a calming affair, but I was more than eager to return to my alien before it could cause any trouble. I cleared the table and rinsed off the dishes with practiced haste when I heard my grandmother’s shriek from the den.
“What the hell is that thing!?” Gram shouted.
My stomach knotted up and froze as I rushed to the den to see my grandparents staring up in horror as the little alien stood on the stairs, gazing down at them with its head cocked to the side and a curious expression on its face.
Fuck!
I raced over to the stairs to stand before my little alien. I held my hands up haltingly, “Guys, just calm down, it’s not dangerous at all, I promise.”
My grandmother fell to the couch as though she would faint, while my grandfather’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, “You know what that thing is!?” He demanded.
I took a step forward, “Just let explain—” I stopped as I felt a little alien hand on my pants and turned, seeing the brilliant, golf ball sized eyes on the alien’s face wide with fear and confusion. It started shivering again—sothing it hadn’t done in a week now. I quickly picked the alien up in my arms and it nuzzled its face into my neck as it wrapped almost all its tentacles around for support.
“Gramps, Gram, seriously it’s okay—I promise everything will be alright. Just calm down and keep your voices down, you’re scaring it.” I insisted. The color had drained from both of their faces as my grandparents looked at with horrified surprise, but they trusted enough to hear out. Slowly, my grandfather nodded.
I let out a weary sigh and headed into the den, preparing to explain to my grandparents about the alien I’d been taking care of over the last few weeks.
***
“So I’ve just been feeding it whatever. It prefers at, really likes eggs, tolerates so fruits and veggies, and absolutely loves chocolate.” I told my grandparents, sitting around in the den like we were having a normal conversation.
Pretty sure normal flew out the window the second I found the alien though.
The alien was still clinging to with its tentacles wrapped around my arms and chest, but it cald down and stopped shivering. I sat in the recliner across from them on the couch, with a lazy Charlie sleeping quite soundly on the floor between us all.
Gramps chuckled and shook his head, “That explains all the extra food you’ve been taking I guess.” He nudged my grandmother with an elbow, “Told you it wasn’t the munchies.”
God bless him, nothing much phased him. My high-strung grandmother was a little different though. “Johnathon! This isn’t sothing to joke about, what if the creature carries so kind of contagion? We could all end up sick!”
“I had a physical and got so blood work done; got a clean bill of health.”
Gram eyed flatly, “Like a regular doctor can check for alien illnesses.”
Gramps shrugged, “It’s been living here for three weeks now, no one’s been sick yet.”
I turned the alien so my grandparents could see its face, “And see how cute it is? Big ol’ eyes always staring up at when it wants attention. How could I say no to this face?”
Realization dawned on Gramp’s face, “Is that why you’ve been in such a good mood? Taking care of the little critter?”
My grandmother huffed out a sigh, “It’s that damn racoon all over again.”
I chuckled at that, “A little different.”
Gramps smiled brightly, “Best therapy you could ask for. I say good on you for taking care of the sweet little thing.”
Gram shook her head slowly, “And just like the racoon, you encourage him…”
I sighed, “What would you have do? It was so small and weak when it first crashed down, and now I’ve grown so attached to it, I can’t imagine letting it go.”
Gramps crossed his arms, “Grown so attached, you haven’t even nad it yet—keep calling it an it, that ain’t right, boy.”
I shrugged, “It keeps changing form, I’m not sure what kind of na would fit. Started off the size of a softball and little more than a ss of tentacles and one eye, then it grew bigger and added a few more limbs, and now we’ve got this almost toddler form. Who knows how it’ll end up?”
“Big as a house, just our luck.” Gram grumbled. Follow current novels on novel~fire~net
Gramps nodded along, “Seems like it’s trying to look more human—either to fit in or maybe just imitating you. I’d bet it’ll end up being person-shaped in the end, maybe even look exactly like a person—fits in to whatever planet takes care of it.”
I looked skeptically at my grandfather, “And where the hell are you coming up with that information? Seen many aliens in your day?”
Gramps shrugged, “Not much all we can do except speculate over this whole thing—might be miles off base even.” He nodded at the little critter clinging to , “But this isn’t like those other animals you took ho, no expert advice or opinions available to see how best to take care of the thing. I have no idea how many other aliens might’ve crash landed on earth over the years the governnt’s kept secret, but this very well might be the first extraterrestrial to co to our planet—first contact sort of deal.” He heaved out a deep breath, “This could be a turning point in humanity’s history, you realize that yet?”
I just shrugged, “Like I said, what else could I do?”
Gramps smiled kindly, “Just keep taking care of the little thing, we’ll all keep it secret from the governnt—Lord even knows what they’d do to it, nothing kind I’m sure.” He got up and knelt in front of to look at the alien, and it turned its head slightly to fix one big eye on him, watching cautiously, “Really is cute—sweet little thing.” He looked up at , “Ti for a real na, I reckon.”
I sighed and turned the alien to look up and , those adorable orbs glowing up at sweetly, “Any suggestions?”
Gramps shrugged, “You found the damn thing, ain’t you got an idea yet?”
My grandmother huffed out an irritated sigh, “For goodness’ sake, enough of the ‘it’ and ‘thing’, the poor dear is wearing a dress; clearly, it’s a girl—a she.”
I pulled the alien a little farther from so I could see more of its face; sure, it did look feminine with its eyes and lips, the long hair, but the dress wasn’t really a dress—part of its body or sothing. But maybe it was imitating a dress? It watched enough TV with to learn a bit about humanity now.
“You think?”
Gramps stood up and tapped at his chin, “How about…Eve? Then we got Adam and Eve.” He said cheerfully.
I shrugged, “Not like I have any better ideas.” I looked back down at the alien who was watching with a surprisingly serious expression, “What do you think? You like the na Eve?”
The little alien—she tilted her head to the side as she considered my words.
“Eve. Your na is Eve now, okay?” I said gently.
For a few more seconds, Eve looked at with that questioning gaze, then she smiled brightly and made that musical trilling noise, then buried her head in my chest, snuggling into it affectionately.
“My word, she likes it!” My grandpa cheered.
“Okay, I’ll admit, she’s really adorable.” Gram relented.
While I found the whole thing cute, I had no delusions to think I wasn’t endangering my grandparents now—to what degree, I had no idea. But I was sure the governnt would punish them as much as for harboring the alien. “Now seriously, what should we do from here? They’ve already been snooping around the property, there’s no way they won’t be a little suspicious sothing might’ve co from that space rock.”
Gramps sat back down on the couch, “Well I’m not handing her off to the governnt so they can run a million experints on her, that’s for damn sure.”
My grandmother shrugged, “We’ve just gotta keep her secret like you have been, keep her in the house so their spy satellites don’t pick her up.”
Gramps nodded along, “No telling how suspicious the governnt actually is over the whole deal; if she really is the very first alien ever to co to earth, why would they expect anything to have co out of that space rock she arrived in?”
“That would definitely work in our favor, but for all we know she’s got family already locked up in Area 51.” I reasoned.
Gram swatted a hand in my direction, “Adam don’t say that you’ll upset the poor dear.”
“We’re her family; we’ll take care of her from now on.” My grandfather confird.
I couldn’t help but smile, “We’re really doing this, raising an alien in secret, keeping her safe and hidden from the governnt?”
“Fuck the governnt.” Gramps barked.
We all ended up laughing at that, crazy as it was. Honestly, thinking about it, we’d found ourselves in an absolutely insane situation—yet we were handling it like it was so completely normal, like it was just an injured animal we found and gave a ho. There were so many possible ramifications to the whole ordeal—alien life crashed down on earth, and we kind of just glossed over it. We weren’t alone in the universe, and this cute little thing could’ve been first contact with our entire species. History might be changing in our little farmhouse den, but we were all fine with just keeping little Eve safe and secret. Maybe because she was so gentle and cute, maybe because she hadn’t crashed down in so sophisticated spacecraft, it was like we didn’t even consider how much our lives changed in that mont.
Over the next few hours, Gramps and Gram tried to get Eve to open up to them with gentle words of encouragent and no small amount of chocolate bribery. And as the cute little alien finally grew to accept their presence, it was obvious our little family had just grown in size—and we’d do anything to protect it.
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