Chapter 5: Home Again

The story he told sounded real. Full of emotion.

I'd be lying if I said I trust the spaceman. After all, I know nothing about him. He's some alien creature who happened to crash in front of me. He could just be playing me.

Me and a lizard-humanoid. Walking out of the junkyard and heading for the empty suburban world. The world that was so much a part of me. Where David hung out with neighbors, where we went trick-or-treating.

Nothing was out of place from the last time I saw it.

The alien of course had never seen such sights. To him, it was all new. I had to explain to him a few things. Like what human society was like for me. How my entire life, my entire foundation was torn to shreds.

I left a shotgun here. I hope it's still here. And I hope Gunner doesn't betray me.

Kicking the front door in, Julie aimed her pistol into the living room. Furniture was knocked over, the TV which she and David watched all the time, was cracked.

It was strangely comforting, being inside her broken home. At least it was familiar, the place where she raised her son. A place where she had loved and laughed.

Gunner had never seen such a place in person, he had seen human homes from the comfort of his ship. He had seen street images and spied on various families. Well, his father had spied on many families with Gunner forced to watch.

Homes on his planet were not adorned with photographs of relatives, Julie had framed vacation photos.

The alien looked at these photographs intensely.

"David. Your son. The kid next to you?" The alien held Julie's favorite selfie with her son in his hand. Both smiling while a blue ocean graced the background.

"Yes. That's him. And he's in danger. Because of me. Because I couldn't protect him. Because your species exists." She took the photo from him and stared into the eyes of her long-lost son.

"He's in danger because of my father's love of ruling planets and violence." Gunner frowned and walked from her, looking at the kitchen and the shattered objects below. Signaling the very day, the Barg found Julie's house.

"The lizards came right in one morning. Destroyed the entire home with waves of laser blasts from guns. The sound was deafening. My head rang. David was right beside me. I got knocked out. I remember being on the kitchen floor, looking up at the green-skinned monsters. Breaking down walls. They will haunt my dreams forever." Julie spoke, still staring at the selfie.

"My father's fault!" Gunner clenched his fist and pounded the kitchen table, a slam reverberated through the broken home. He took a deep breath. "Bringer of pain and suffering to a planet he knew nothing about. A planet that had done nothing to him or his people"

Julie didn't dare approach the teen.

Blame Gunner. I don't know. Maybe he's starting to have a point. Maybe he is genuine. He also could be a spy. Working for Taurus, ready to kill me at any moment. I could just stop this whole thing. Shove him out. Get him out of my life. Looking at him, I feel fear. But he speaks so eloquently and so truthfully. I'm in a constant tug-of-war with this alien. If I treat him like shit, he'll walk away. Then what am I left with? Me to my own devices. Which sounded worse.

"You're my only hope of finding my son. You know your father. Know his plans. You could help me. I should give you a chance." She looked to Gunner who didn't stand too far away.

"I'll never call him that again. Don't call him my father. Taurus is his name. That's all he'll ever be to me. A name." Gunner's voice was full of disgust.

Heading upstairs, Julie found that the bathroom and bedrooms hadn't been touched by the vile aliens.

Opening the door to her bedroom, her memory flooded once more with times of peace and happiness.

Kneeling by her bed, she reached for the weapon she had been thinking of. The one she should've grabbed long ago. A pump-action shotgun. And by its side, lay a box of bullets. She cocked the weapon.

Gunner admired the upstairs as Julie sat on her bed, resting her tired legs.

The alien turned his head slowly as he reached the top of the staircase, eyeing a giant framed family photo hanging on a wall. It sat right next to the bathroom, very close by the doorway of Julie's bedroom.

I remember when that photo was taken. Big family reunion with my sisters and aunts and uncles. That was after I adopted David. Not long after I became a mother. Now, this extraterrestrial is looking upon this strange artifact. This remnant of what humans used to be.

He leaned into the photograph, at David's blonde hair and green eyes.

"How old is he?" Gunner asked softly.

"Eighteen." Feeling her throat tighten, Julie held back tears. Tears for her son. Tears for life that was taken. Tears for her son who might never grow old and not be able to achieve his hopes and dreams.

"You humans had such intricate lives." The lizard leaned against the doorframe of the bedroom.

"Yeah. We did." Julie yawned lying on the large bed.

She fell asleep instantly.

I dream of my old life. I wake David up slowly for school. I couldn't wake him up in a tired stupor. It would make him nervous. I had to be bright and positive. Had to make sure the shirt he wore was a fabric he liked, had to make sure his lunch was packed just right.

In return, David gave me words of encouragement. Sometimes childish, sometimes quite deep.

Going through special ed classes with him was stressful. He'd often whine about what little homework he got. Call himself stupid for not understanding certain guidelines. He was far from stupid. He could understand my emotions quicker than most therapists could.

Gunner is in my dream. Walking with me. The sky is blood red. We're both tired. We're both weak. I assume Taurus has completely taken over.

I see my son tangled in large metal wires. He screams.

The impact of an explosion sends Julie falling from the side of the bed.

Out of breath, Gunner runs into the bedroom. "Get in the closet!" He orders, getting into a fighting stance by the bedroom door. His hands clutching his laser pistol.

"No. I fight with you." Julie narrowed her eyes and stood by Gunner, shotgun in hand. "What's going on?"

"Barg found us." Gunner swallowed hard.

"Drop your weapon!" A non-human voice yells. Speaking perfect Barg. Distinct by its clicks and eerie grunts.

Two lizards on two legs, wearing black armor. Standing in the doorway of Julie's bedroom. Each holding a machine gun-looking weapon. Red dots appear on Julie and Gunner's chests.

The newcomers look identical to Gunner, apart from not being quite as muscular.

"We're going to get arrested." Gunner whispers, dropping his weapon.

"If you screw up, pray I'll never find you." Dropping the shotgun, Julie raised her hands.