Monday, September 3, 2012

Mind Vacuum Part VIII


A light shown from the kitchen sometime later that night, there were clanking noises, along with a container being opened.  Kenchi groggily rolled over, he had no idea what time it was, but he looked into the kitchen and could see the form of Jessica in her robe.  She seemed to not be in control of herself.  She was drinking milk from the bottle and spilling most of it on herself. 
            To Kenchi, she didn’t seem to be the type that ate at midnight.  When she turned toward the light, her eyes were sunken and it seemed as if fog surrounded her head.  Kenchi continued to watch and his foot slipped and hit the lamp next to the couch.  It created a disturbance and Jessica turned toward Kenchi, her face covered in milk and the front of her neck and chest were soaked with the liquid.
            She frowned and made an unearthly noise.  Tendrils of blackness came out from her skin and she instantly cried out in pain.  She began screaming and fell onto the floor.  The tendrils turned into ooze and poured out of her delicate features.
            Kenchi quickly got up and ran into the kitchen.  He found a lower cabinet with ordinary flour in it; he grabbed it and began pouring it over the black ooze.  The alien mass congealed and convulsed until it became a mixture of black and white crustiness that formed a glob a few feet from Jessica.  Kenchi ran to Jessica’s side, he calmly shook her and tried to rouse her.  After a few moments, she breathed deeply and then suddenly coughed.  She tried to get up, but Kenchi placed a hand on her arm.
            “Don’t get up. You’ve had quite a scare.”
            “What happened to me?” Jessica whispered.
            “You were infected by an alien force.  You’re alright now though.  I think it left your body.  Do you remember anything?”
            “I remember getting ready for bed and I took my evening pills, then I sat down in my sitting chair next to the window.  I was going to read for a little while before bed, a few minutes later I felt cold and I drifted in and out of consciousness.  I felt as if my mind were being drained of memories.  After that I blacked out.” Jessica slowly sat up from the floor and clutched the robe closer around her body.  She looked down at the crusty glob of alien goo and flour lying close to her.  She instantly pushed back from it.
            “I’m going to wake your girls, I need their help.” Kenchi said. “Stay where you are at.”
            Kenchi went upstairs to May’s room, the room being completely dark, he had a hard time finding where her bed was.  He shook her gently and she rolled over looking at Kenchi.
            “May, I didn’t want to startle you, I need your help.  Meet me at Tena’s room; I’ll see you in a moment.” Kenchi left quickly, leaving May to get up from sleep.  He continued on to Tena’s room finding that her room was the exact opposite to May.  It was cluttered and in disarray, her bed was a clump of blankets and body mixed up.  He went over to her bed, noticing she was only in a tank top and shorts.  Kenchi gulped and slowly shook her shoulder. Tena moved and then opened her eyes. “Kenchi! What are you doing in here!?”
            “I need your help; we have to go to your mother’s room.  We have to examine something, join me when you’re presentable.” Kenchi answered quietly.
            Tena smirked. “I am presentable…Alright I’ll see you in a minute.  Wait outside the door.”
            Kenchi left the room and found May standing in a tee shirt and jeans.  She had her arms crossed and a smile on her face.  “Wasn’t what you expected was it?”
            “No, I was expecting organization, like your room.” Kenchi commented.  They waited and then Tena came out in the same tank top, but she wore jeans as well.  May looked at her sister, studying her, she rolled her eyes.
            “What?!” Tena knew that look.
            “Nothing, come on.” May rolled her eyes again.  The three went to Jessica’s room, which was elegant and tidy.  Kenchi knew what he was looking for.  He went to the sitting chair and turned on the lamp next to it.  The seat of the chair was wet with the black ooze of alien D.N.A.  It dripped over the side and puddled onto the floor.
            “Is that what I think it is?” May asked.
            “Yes it is, the aliens infected your mother and I found her downstairs gulping a bottle of milk.  She was spilling it all over herself and then she glared at me.  It must have triggered a different response inside because she screamed out in pain as the alien ooze came pouring out her skin.  The only way I stopped it was by pouring flour on it.”
            “So this stuff is actually aliens?” Tena asked.
            “Yes, don’t touch it, if it comes in contact with your skin, you’ll end up like your mom.” Kenchi replied.
            “Is my mother alright?” May asked.
            “Yeah, she’s just a little shocked.  She’s downstairs recovering.” Kenchi continued. “Do you have another vile?”
            “Yes, it’s in my bedroom.” May answered.  She wanted to go and see her mother.
            “Could you grab one? Tena and I will meet you downstairs.” Kenchi finished.  May nodded and left the room.
            “Are the aliens more aggressive, the greater the liquid?” Tena asked.  Kenchi looked at her a moment then thought that could be the case.  He didn’t answer but motioned for Tena to follow him downstairs.  When Tena saw her mother sitting on the floor she ran to her.  Kenchi joined her and could see Jessica starting to regain her own strength.
            “Mother, why is your hair wet?  Were you in the shower? I mean all you have on is your robe.” Tena blurted.
            Kenchi felt embarrassed, he didn’t even think to bring a blanket down for Jessica.  He went to the couch and grabbed the blankets. “Here, wrap her in these.” Kenchi handed Tena the blanket to put around her mother.
            “I don’t remember getting in the shower; let alone taking off my clothes.” Jessica stared blankly. “All I remember is sitting in my chair and then felt as if my mind were a vacuum to whatever was attacking me.”
            “If it’s any consolation, we believe you completely.  We’ll try to get to the bottom of it.” Kenchi smiled, a clock on the wall sounded and rang its chime for five a.m.  Two hours and they needed to be at the school.  Kenchi hoped they could get rid of the aliens. Who else could help destroy that meteor?  Maybe Hero Higashi had some of those answers.
            May walked down the stairs with a piece of paper and an empty vile.  She came to her mother and hugged her tightly. “Mom, this is what was inside of you.” She held up the picture of the microscopic alien in all its villainy.
            “Oh that’s horrid!  How?” Jessica shook convulsively.
            “We believe the alien came through the window, went to the chair and waited until you sat down to enter your body.  The aliens travel much faster through water so they could be anywhere by now.  Do you work today?” Kenchi answered.
            “I do work today, May, Tena, you know I work on Tuesday’s.” Jessica replied as she started getting up.
            “When you go to work don’t forget to look at your seat. Bring some flour just in case.  It seems to kill the aliens.  I wanted to get a sample just to be sure.” May replied seriously.
            “You are so smart, just like your father, you too Tena.  I have such smart girls.  I’m going to get dressed.  Tena, could you help me?” Jessica smiled and then stumbled past the glob of alien mess on the floor.
            May picked up a sample of the alien D.N.A. and flour mixture to examine if in fact the aliens died in the flour.  May motioned for Kenchi to follow her and they quickly headed to her room.  She went ahead and poured on the lights, and then she adjusted the microscope to examine the sample vile.  To her relief the aliens were in fact dead.  Their legs crusted with white flour crystalized and caused the creature to stop is aggressive action.
            “That brings me relief, now we know how to beat it.” May sighed.
            “We just have to find something that will haul tons of flour.  You know we’re going to need something really large.” Kenchi commented.     
            “You’re right,” May looked at the clock. “Go get dressed; we don’t want to miss the bus.  I’ll get Tena.” The two separated and went to their task.  Kenchi had a numbing feeling that things were not that easy.  It was too easy of a solution.  Of all the aliens in the universe, ones would succumb to the simple ingredient of flour made from grain?  Then again it was the only planet where grain such as wheat was produced successfully.  Kenchi was torn in his thoughts as he finished getting ready for school.
            The three teenagers were ready to leave the house; Jessica stood at the door waving at them as they left.  She fell asleep shortly after Tena brought her to bed, and finally felt better after the sleep.  Jessica still felt embarrassed by Kenchi seeing her in the kitchen gorging on milk.  As Kenchi, May and Tena walked away Jessica smiled to herself. “Looks like I need to get ready for work.” She thought aloud.  She went in and prepared for the day.
           
            “Alright, so what if ones have already been affected by the aliens?” Tena asked.
            “We’ll have to deal with it differently.  Each person is different and each will not know what is going on.  Your mother was in a state of mental block.  We may not be able to tell anything until we try and talk with them.” Kenchi answered.
            “Let’s keep our distance anyway.  Right now I want to see if Higashi will actually show up at the school.” May shook slightly.
            They continued to the bus station and saw it was already there.  They ran quickly to board, and as usual there were chattering kids on the bus and then there were those who seemed off in space.  Kenchi, May and Tena went to the back of the bus and sat quietly as the vehicle pulled away taking them to school. Kenchi thought it surprising that so many kids were on the bus at this time of day considering the school didn’t start until another two hours.

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