It's Not What You Think

Chapter 10

Zoe and Svetlana greatly appreciated the often under-appreciated relative flatness of the midwest after several hours of nauseousness in the western half of Pennsylvania, since whoever was driving the car they were in had been seemingly intent on driving over every hill that was even just remotely close to the road.

That whoever was kind of still unknown, seeing as they kept shapeshifting. It was towards the end of the car ride, though, so that person had shifted back into Murray Hill to go untie Zoe and Svetlana from their place in the trunk.

Zoe and Svetlana were both prepared to fight back to gain their freedom when they were united, but Murray pointed a gun at the threateningly as he untied them.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you," he warned.

Since neither Zoe nor Svetlana were in the mood for being shot at, neither of them tried anything.

"Great," Murray said. "Then this will work out just fine."

***

"Why couldn't we have wound up over there?" Ben asked, pointing across the water to the cities and towns along the nearer shorelines.

"I don't know," Erica said. "But I'm not sure you should be going out into society anyway."

They were coming across plenty of vacation homes set back a ways from the lake, but with all of the cheese, no one was outside, and Erica didn't really feel like taking their chances knocking on some random person's door.

Erica picked up a small stray piece of cheese and chucked it into the water like someone might have normally done with a rock.

"Why did you do that?" Ben asked.

"I just felt like it."

"Do you think fish would come and eat the cheese?"

"Probably," Erica said. "But I'm not going to go out of my way to feed them."

***

"Hello, dear," Catherine said to Alexander, startling him.

"How did you get back here?" he asked.

"Well, the kids got wrapped up in a little bit of a cheese related weather event, but they ought to be fine figuring that out on their own. It wasn't too big of a cheese issue."

"Cheese?" Alexander asked.

"Of course," Catherine said. "Don't you remember that Tralfamadorians? You were having what I'm sure you thought were delusions about them back when we were on the cruise ship."

"Are you telling me those weren't delusions?"

"Of course not. I'm terribly sorry for letting you think that you had been going crazy on that medication. It really just gave you the ability to see the Tralfamadorians."

"Oh."

"Is your dad around?"

"He went fishing," Alexander said.

"Good," Catherine said. "I'd rather us get a chance to talk without him around."

"About what?"

"About us. I know this has all been horribly strange, and I wanted a chance to talk some things over in person instead of over the phone."

"This is just really weird," Alexander said. "I don't think it matters how we're discussing it."

"There's nothing I can do to make this any less awkward?"

"Uhh, no," Alexander said. "Because how long have I known you? Eighteen years. And how long have I known that you're a space alien? A couple days. A drop in the bucket of time."

"I know," Catherine said. "And I'm sorry. But you know I never could have told you."

"My dad knew!"

"Yes, and maybe you should be wondering why he never told you."

"I can have that conversation with him," Alexander said. "I have been having that conversation with him. But you are who I'm talking to now. I hope. Is this some sort of trick? Are you really here?"

"Yes, I'm really here," Catherine said. "And I've really just come to talk to you. To try to smooth things over just a little. If you don't mind, of course. Because I really am sorry. I didn't ever intend for you to find out about this.:

"Then what are you sorry about?" Alexander asked. "How can you not care that you lied to me?"

"I just wanted to protect you, and I've failed at that," Catherine said. "You could be in terrible danger now that you know this."

"I don't need protection," Alexander said. "I may not have always been the best spy, but I have always survived my missions."

"I know," Catherine said. "But this is different. You wouldn't be going up against normal people. I haven't really told anyone else about this yet, but we have been receiving some threats lately."

"Threats from who?" Alexander asked.

"We don't know yet," Catherine said. "We probably won't unless this person or other creature or group or whatever attacks. But there is a very real possibility that we could be facing something very serious very soon."

"I don't know how you expect me to believe you," Alexander said.

"You don't have to believe me," Catherine said. "I just need you to duck."

"Why do I need to-"

Catherine tackled Alexander and pulled him to the ground just as an explosion went off above them, blowing the roof off of the cabin.

"That's why," she said, looking up through the hole in the ceiling at the cloudy sky above.