Kapitel 12: Chapter 12: Wolf and the Alien

Teeth sank into Bilal's flesh, piercing the protective outer skin but not enough to cause his fluid to escape. There was pain, but it wasn't bad. He had no bones, tendons, or muscles, and bites could do little damage. If the beast managed to take a chunk of flesh, however, that could be a problem. Bilal wrapped a tentacle around the beast's neck and speared its underbelly at the same time he flung it through the air.

The wolf came down on all fours with a pained yelp, but he scurried for Bilal. Wolves generally retreated in the face of the strange alien with flesh that gave instead of ripped and a stinger that could stab. This wolf was different. Bilal raised his stinger again, and this time it was filled with poison.

"No! Wolf, no!"

Wolf spared his mother the briefest look before leaping at the alien. Bilal was surprised at the human's sudden appearance. She had darted out the door and was running across the yard toward them screaming at the top of her lungs.

In the brief moment that Bilal dropped his attention, the wolf sank its teeth into his flesh, this time shaking his head back and forth and tearing out a great hunk of flesh. Bilal sank his stinger repeatedly into the beast, and the human was finally upon them, slapping him and screaming until he released the limp beast.

Bilal watched in confusion as she gathered the wolf into her arms and rocked his lifeless body. "You killed my baby! Wolf!"

Bilal shuddered. The wolf was hers. He wrapped a tentacle around the hysterical woman's neck and pulled her free from the dead animal. She nearly went mad with fear and grief as she kicked and fought. Bilal formed three more tentacles to wrap around her to keep her still. She soon resembled a wild-eyed creature encased in a strange cocoon.

"If you want this creature to live, then you will have to stop fighting me!" he snapped.

After a moment, she quieted, her struggles lessening.

Bilal dropped her unceremoniously and allowed all but two tentacles to retreat to his body. These remaining two attached to the animal.

The poison would stop the wolf's heart, but he could restart it as long as it hadn't been too long without oxygen. His sensors entered the animal and sought the organ that pumped life throughout its body.

Carmella watched with her hands pressed against her mouth. She was shaking and crouched near her baby. He was dead. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the alien's tentacles begin to burrow into Wolf's body. She thought about how the Blob had healed her. He could heal her Wolf, too. He had to.

"Please," she begged. She rocked on her heels and watched this hateful monster dig its dirty tentacles into her Wolf.

But then Wolf kicked. Oh! His legs began a rapid running motion as he lay on his side.

Carmella reached out and stroked his soft fur. "Please, baby boy," she crooned. "Wolf, come back to me."

Bilal turned to her. "He lives."

She blinked at him. "You brought him back?"

"Yes, but he will sleep for several hours."

Carmella focused on the area that must be the creature's face. It had eyes, two holes where nostrils should have been, and a hollowed out mouth that seemed to float over a smooth, gelatinous mass of gray. It looked much like an octopus with wart-filled tentacles. She found it hideous to look at and was disturbed that it was not as tall as she was but definitely wider. Something this ugly should not be bigger than her.

She pulled Wolf into her arms and tried to lift him, but the alien elongated its body and two tentacles appeared and wrapped around her wolf. She panicked until she saw him lift the hurt animal from the ground and cradle it carefully.

"Where should I carry it?" the alien asked.

Carmella pointed to the farmhouse.

The alien shuffled off.

Carmella was about to follow when she saw two eyes watching them from the woods. Carmella narrowed her eyes. The she-bitch. She watched her man get attacked and did nothing. It will be a cold day in hell before I let that good-for-nothing bitch back into my house!

Bilal carried the wolf into the house and placed it on a couch the woman first covered with a blanket.

She knelt beside the couch and buried her face into Wolf's neck. She was still for a long time before she lifted her head and looked at Bilal. "He'll be okay?"

"Yes."

She watched him with suspicion. "Why did you come back?"

Bilal expanded briefly as if sighing. "I'm … I wanted to make sure that you had healed properly."

Carmella touched her shoulder. "That's it? You're not going to try to take me?"

She said "try to take me," Bilal thought. I like this human's spirit. "No." He didn't like the idea of her returning with him to the mother ship and Earth 2. Somehow, this place was right for her. It went against everything that he had been taught. Humans had to be cared for. If the Centaurians didn't do it, then humans were destined to return to their old ways of war and violence.

"You're not going to take me?"

Bilal regarded her silently.

"You … stung Wolf and it killed him. I'm pretty sure he was dead. But you stung me, too, and it just put me to sleep."

Bilal seemed to sink into himself as he formed a smaller ball. It was his "relaxed" position. "We don't generally poison living beings. It is against our way. We only want to share information, to help."

Carmella frowned. "Way to do that by ending the lives of seven billion humans. You need a pat on your fucking backs for that one."

He fought to keep his skin from coloring yellow. "It was not our intent. We had no idea that our ability to adapt would somehow invade your human cells and try to adapt within you." He was quiet for a moment.

Carmella glared at him. "Not your intent. Right."

"We are sorrier than you can ever know. We want to make things right. We realize that we have a debt to repay to mankind, and perhaps it can never be paid. But we will try."

"Will you just … leave? Leave my house. And don't come back." She glanced at Wolf. "You helped me and you helped Wolf. But if you hadn't come here, we would have never needed your help. You do understand that, right?" Her eyes narrowed. "It's only when you show your ugly face that we need your help! So just get out! Get out!"

Bilal's body elongated and he retreated, not taking his eyes from her. His skin began turning black.

Carmella began to sob. "You took everything and … you think that you can make it right?" Carmella's hands formed fists. "You can't magically bring my husband back. My child back! You can't give me my mama or my brother or that fucking postman who refused to deliver the mail because the neighbor's dog broke out of the gate!"

Bilal backed out the door to the porch, surprised at the woman's sudden and complete turn. She had followed him out the door with a look of pure hatred that caused him physical pain. He had never been witness to human hatred at its worst. Most humans were happy to be on Earth 2 where they could live in comfort and security with no fear of the disease that had taken almost everyone that they knew. Yes, there were those who hated the Centaurians, but he had been protected from it by his parents and friends.

Bilal turned and moved down the porch stairs and away from her.

"Help me? Help me! Bring my baby back. Give me my baby. Give him …" She couldn't finish. She dropped to her knees and gave in to the grief of all that had been lost. She cried all the tears for all the men, women, and children who had ever lost anyone. She cried for those who were dead and could no longer do so. She cried out her hatred and anger—and her loneliness.

Bilal was in the woods before he turned to look at her again. The woman lay on the porch curled into a ball as if she had been physically harmed. She cried harder than he had ever seen or heard anyone cry.

He turned and continued to his pod.

Physical harm has been done to her and to all mankind, Bilal thought. By my kind.

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