Part One

Metamorphosis

The Flesh of Lucia

Teaching the Humans

A History of Newcomers

The Release

Chapter One

The Flesh of Lucia

I could feel the human flesh begin to melt away. The change had come over me when they arrived. I could feel I was one of them, one of the newcomers.

They spoke to me with every look. Every proud haughty word they spoke entered my soul and told my body to rebel on this soft peachy flesh. "Arise," they said. "Let your true body free."

The change began quite suddenly, while the human compound was being locked down for safety. I stood outside the doors, which would soon close down the entire compound. I was breathing heavily, as if I’d been running. Then I felt it.

The human flesh coating my real skin was growing heavy. It became warmer, and started to slip off my short chubby frame. It lie there in fragments at my feet. A pile of human skin, pale and discarded.

My own skin now appeared a deep hue of blue: almost glowing in comparison with the ruddy pink I had become accustomed to. The skin was soft, and pliable, but stronger than that of humans. The skin I shed also changed my shape a bit. I was still short, only about 5’1", but I was now much more slender than before.

My hair was not weak and soft like that of a human woman, but strong and hard. It was a purplish hue and all different lengths down my back. The strands of royal purple hair were thick; almost the size of filled coin wrappers, and swung wildly about my head every time I turned it.

My face I could not see, but I knew its features well enough. I had seen them. There was a small protrusion where a nose might have been. It was a button in comparison with most human noses.

The ears would also be small in comparison. My race did not need the ears, for they spoke telepathically. They used more of their brain mass, and mastered the use of telepathy many years before humans could even speak.

The eyes were shining brightly. They might be green or purple or blue, but they would shine brightly no matter what color they were. The lips would be a very subtle shade of pink, much like the alluring human mouths.

I closed my eyes to the truth of it. I had always known I was different, but I never imagined I was one of them. I was one of them.

The tears stung on my cheeks. They were hot and nearly burned my flesh, just newly accustomed to the air of this world. I did not want this for myself. I had been taught to hate them since their arrival. The humans did not trust my people, and I couldn’t blame them.

The newcomers claimed peace, and then laid waste to thousands of lives. They said we could live in unity, yet they enslaved human children and women to work in their factories. I had a vision of the wars they fought. "Victory," they thought.

But the humans were gaining strength again. They would not lie still in their bonds for long. They would fight for freedom, as they so often did amongst themselves.

The rebel humans would fight against these creatures until every one of them lay dead. They would never give up, nor would I.

Then he saw me. The father of one of my human friends, Jared. His eyes looked upon my transformation with absolute hatred. He raised his arm, and produced a gun.

I stepped towards him carefully. "Don’t." I said softly, finding my voice at last. It was delicate and crystalline in sound. If voices had colors, mine would have been a light rainbow of translucence.

"You killed my son!" He yelled.

It was true that the newcomers had found Andrew. They used him for information and then strangled him. Before his capture he had been my boyfriend, and this ruined man’s son.

"I didn’t kill him. They did. Don’t you know me?"

"No." He said. "Who are you?"

"Lucia." I said even more softly. The tears welled up again and stung at my eyes. I looked down and put my hand to my face. I couldn’t bear him to see me like this.

"Lucia? No. You can’t be her."

"I loved him too. I’m sorry what they did to him, but I want to make things right again. I want to help the cause."

"No." He yelled, his hand growing unsteady. "Lies, they all lie!"

"It’s me! It’s Lucia. How can I make you believe?"

"I will never believe your kind. Murderers."

I closed my eyes. I could almost feel his grip tighten on the gun. "No," I thought. "Please not like this."

I imagined Andrew running to his father. He had something important to tell him, but he never reached him. He was captured before he ever told him our news.

We were to be married in the spring. He had just proposed to me, and was going to tell his father. The newcomers found him running in the streets after curfew, and knew him to be part of the movement against them.

Jared loosened his grip again. The gun dropped and he fell to his knees. "Lucia." He said in a whisper.

I cocked my head to the side in curiosity. What would make him react that way? And then I realized he saw my vision. He must have learned telepathy.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised his head.

His eyes told me of sadness, of many nights weeping over his loss. "Lucia. I am sorry. I would’ve killed you but for your beautiful memories of him."

"Where did you learn the telepathy of my people?"

"Do you think that we are all that weak? We have captured some of your people, and learned some of your secrets. Did you even know you were one of them?"

"No. When they started to arrive by the dozen however, I knew. Shortly before Andrew proposed, I had a dream. In the dream my flesh melted away, as it did just now. I was left in one of their bodies. I still denied it; I didn’t want it. I guess it can’t be denied any longer."

We both looked down then. "How I miss him." I said.

"Me too."

"There are times that I wish I had the power to bring him back." I sighed.

"So you can’t raise the dead? No one is perfect."

I laughed lightly at Jared’s jest. He tried to make me feel better about things not even he felt good about. He looked quite a bit like his son, and I never even noticed it.

They had the same strong jaw line, the pronounced chin. Even the eyes were the same. Those bright, burning blue eyes. His smile I noticed most. It was big and lopsided, and he always raised one eyebrow higher than the other when he laughed.

"Oh Andrew," I thought. "Help me to avenge you."

"Think not on the past." Jared said simply. "Let’s get into the compound quickly."

Chapter Two

Teaching the Humans

We had been locked in the compound now for three weeks. My human companions soon got used to my new skin, and eventually stopped staring. It was hard at first because none of them believed it was me.

I told them about my change, and how I never wanted it to be that way. I told them I yearned to avenge Andrew, and so they allowed me to join the cause.

The main movement of humans wanted to break free from the chains of their captors, and re-establish themselves. Smaller more radical movements wanted more to kill and disembody the newcomers.

My own motivation was to find Andrew’s killers, bring them to justice, and send the rest of my people home. They didn’t need to die; they needed to leave.

Not many of my human counterparts agreed with me, but for Jared and some of the younger rebels. They would only acknowledge that I was in part a newcomer, so of course I didn’t want them to die.

The truth of the matter was, I didn’t want anyone to die. Something inside my soul told me that all this fighting was wrong. We just needed to settle our differences and deal with each other civilly.

I befriended one of the younger rebels immediately. Everyone called him Bingo, for one reason or another, but I called him Shawn.

He had a beautiful rounded face. His eyes were pale green, and they seemed to twinkle and dance in the light.

He was short, for a boy, only 5’2". He made up for his small stature with a large, booming voice. It was deep, like the growl of a lion. He spiked his blonde hair just a little, as many said, "to add height."

His smile was what caught my attention most. His lips were a deep shade of red, and his lips were full. When he smiled all his teeth showed in row of pristine white. He rarely smiled, for he was a serious little fellow, but when he did the whole room took notice.

Shawn would soon fill many of my days with questions and stories, for he loved to hear my tales, and I his. We shared everything with each other, which was amazing. I had never shared as much with Andrew.

He seemed to draw the truth out of me, and I could never lie around him. He would laugh at me whenever I tried, and tell me to come out with it. Of course, he himself never even attempted to lie.

It was he whom I finally asked to tell me the true color of my eyes. They had been a hazel color before the change, and I wasn’t sure how they would look now. I was too scared to look into a mirror. I didn’t ask anyone else because it was very difficult for the humans to gaze directly into the newcomer’s bright eyes. I trusted Shawn enough to let him see.

He smiled lightly. "They’re violet. A beautiful deep violet, almost the color of your hair."

He was the most honest and loving creature I had ever met. And I found myself beginning to love him. With each new day the feeling became stronger and stronger until I could bear it no more.

I had to tell him, but first to teach the humans.

It was not an easy task at all. I took it upon myself to teach as many as were willing the act of telepathy and whatever I could about the newcomers’ history.

There were about two thousand residing in this particular compound. It was well hidden in the woods, and hadn’t yet been spotted by the newcomers. These humans were quite clever.

When one of their rebels became quite prominent they would send him and the others of his branch to one of these hidden compounds. In this way the movement grew stronger and more powerful, without the newcomers ever catching on. It was a brilliant tactic.

The humans were quick learners, and they soon knew the histories of my people better than I did. They asked why I had known so much about the newcomers, when the change had occurred just before I entered the compound.

I couldn’t answer that question; I just knew all the answers. It was the same with the telepathy; I just started doing it and knew it was there for my use. I was curious as to why this was myself, but I assumed the newcomers had pre-programmed the children they sent to Earth.

Shawn was the only one curious as to my life before the change. He always asked to hear stories of my childhood, which fascinated him.

"Lucia, tell me your story." He said one day.

"What of it?" I asked.

"How did you come to live among humans?"

"I don’t know really. I don’t remember much of my childhood to tell you the truth. I think the newcomers kind of erased that. I do remember however being in the orphanage. I guess I was maybe five then.

"I’m assuming that the newcomers dropped me off, and were planning to use me as a sort of information beacon. They could tap into my thoughts, while I unknowingly learned the ways of the humans. I have a feeling there are a lot out there like me."

"My childhood is much like yours." He said absentmindedly. "Do you think I could be one of you?"

" I don’t know. I’m not sure what prompted my change, if only we could do the same for you. Then we’d know."

"All I remember is being put in an orphanage when I was really young. Mind you, I could still be human."

"Of course. I won’t tell anyone, until we’re absolutely sure though."

He smiled at me. "You’re eyes are so beautiful."

"Shawn." I said bashfully. "How can you stand to stare at them so. None of the other humans can stand it for very long."

"That’s another thing that leads me to believe I’m one of you." He laughed. He turned to me serious again; "do you remember anything else? When did you meet Andrew and Jared?"

"Well, I was adopted about a year after being in the orphanage. My family was so sweet. They had two other children, Gregory and Nora. We were very close, and I loved them dearly." Here I paused, for I could almost see their images flashing before my eyes.

"Greg was 9 at the time and Nora 7. Mr. and Mrs. Hope wanted another child, but not another pregnancy, so they adopted me and called me Lucia. Nora and I were best friends instantly and Greg was the very protective big brother.

"We moved around a lot because dad constantly changed jobs. The Hopes were a great family. When I was about 13 we went on a trip to Niagara Falls. We had so much fun, but it ended quite sadly.

"Mrs. Hope died unexpectedly for us children, she had cancer, and dad never told us. This was to be her last trip, but no one expected she would die during it. Dad became very bereaved. He sent Greg, who was then 16 to boarding school. Nora and I went to live with an aunt, and two weeks later we learned that he had committed suicide.

"Lucia." Shawn said with condolence.

"No, that was so long ago. It was a tough blow on us kids though. And then the newcomers came. Nora was taken by them, and so was Greg. I haven’t seen them since the all out takeover. I can only hope that they are OK. My aunt hid me in her house for as long as she could, and then sent me to her friend, Jared Branaugh."

"Ah," he said. "I see, and so you met Andrew?"

"Yes. We became great friends, and then we started to date. After 7 years in hiding Andrew was found and killed. Jared and I wasted no time in finding the compound and hiding. That brings us to here."

"How long after he died did you find us here?"

"About six months. It seems long, but we had to go about it with trickery so that we wouldn’t be caught."

Shawn looked down then. "I bet you still love him?" He sounded sad.

My heart almost stopped. "I miss him."

"I know you were going to be married and all, but…"

"Yes?" I asked breathlessly.

"I think I’m falling in love with you."

"Shawn!" I yelled happily.

He looked up with a little laugh and a curious smile.

"I love you!" I yelled.

Chapter Three

A History of Newcomers

Over the next ten months Shawn and I discovered much more about each other, and found our selves in love. We became engaged not long after, when Shawn himself went through the change.

After nine months of midnight talks and bonding it happened. He stood outside my door with a pained look on his face.

"It’s happening!" He cried. "I can feel it."

He was panting terribly and his skin was falling off in large pink chunks.

"I’m one of you!" He said excitedly. "I’m just like you."

I laughed at his excitement. He always told me he wanted to be like me. "You’re all so beautiful, with your blue skin and bright eyes." He smiled.

His skin was just a little lighter than mine in color. His blonde hair changed to short purplish spikes. His eyes turned from their pale green to an astonishing emerald green. His full red lips thinned a very little and turned a lighter color.

He was still only 5’2", much like myself. He too was more slender after the human skin lie in pieces all around him.

He danced around in the excitement of the moment. It was ironic, how the one thing I dreaded becoming, he was joyful for. I almost think it was because I was a newcomer, and he wanted so much to be a part of me. No one in the compound was really surprised by the change; they actually expected it. They knew we were always different from them.

Shawn was quite ecstatic because now he knew. There was to be no more curious frowns when I spoke to him of my people. There was no more curiosity on his part, the change satisfied all his questions. It was like all the memories of another life flooded you, and suddenly you knew all that you needed to.

In our case we knew our peoples history. They had lived in a world much like this one. They were mostly docile, sweet people to begin with, but over time they became restless. They wanted more.

They started to experiment and learn more about themselves. It was during this time that they discovered telepathy and all its uses. They also became fascinated with genetics. Travel was another hot topic that was studied in many of the schools.

They wanted to find a way to travel out of our world, and into another one. After tireless curiosity they found a way to ‘jump’ from one dimension to another. So it seemed that we were ‘jumping’ from our world to Earth. The humans were surprised to learn this, and instead of calling us aliens, they gave us the title of newcomers.

In the early days the newcomers and the humans were good friends. Some newcomers came to live on Earth, and some humans went to live in our world, MaiaNah. It was difficult for both sides to learn each other’s languages, but after many efforts it was finally achieved. It was easier for the newcomers to learn the humans’ languages, because they could also see the humans’ thoughts.

The thoughts put a visual image with the words we were learning. It might have been easier still if the humans learned our language, because everyone living in MaiaNah spoke the same language, MaiaLune.

As the humans started to trust the newcomers, one of the greedier newcomers, named Kie, decided it might be good to cash in on this new world. So the newcomers began to deceive the humans. They built up their trust until they had the humans wrapped around their long, blue fingers.

Then they started coming by the dozens. Thousands of newcomers were taking over the Earth, and the humans were being forced to work in factories and labs. They were often used as lab rats, especially children.

As for the newcomers like me, our memories were erased. We were sent to Earth before the big invasion to learn more about the culture in a sort of hidden camera expose way.

Our bodies were covered with a sort of growing capable human flesh, as they sent mostly children down to Earth. We would grow as the years went by, our human skin growing with us. Eventually, for whatever reason, the skin would fall off and leave us as we truly were.

The newcomers started reclaiming their undercover children slowly. They didn’t realize that even though we were of their race, we were sympathetic to the humans’ cause. Their trump card had failed, and we joined the humans’ side.

Shawn and I often shared our opinions of this history. Had we learned it before they dropped us off here, or could we just sense it because the newcomers were now so close? We never could figure that part out, but we used the knowledge as best we could. We educated the humans.

It was easier now that Shawn was a newcomer as well. He was far more serious than I was, but less so now than he used to be. After the change he was more humorous, although I wouldn’t note this until later.

The best part of being stuck together was staying up late with him and talking for hours on end. We would sit up well past midnight in our underground bunks and talk and joke. We were best friends before long.

Then we decided to be married. This wasn’t too hard a decision. We were so close now that we shared everything. Being newcomers all of our thoughts were exposed to each other. We could have a whole conversation without speaking a word if we chose not to block our thoughts.

On one such night when we were up late talking, Jared came into the room looking quite flustered. "Pack up!" He said excitedly.

"What’s going on?" Shawn asked nervously.

"Nothing’s wrong. The newcomers are pulling out! They’re all sick with the common cold." He laughed. Shawn and I looked at each other in curiosity, but laughed it off. I shook my head and started packing for the return home.

Chapter Four

The Release

After ten months of hiding in the bleak human compound, it was safe for us to return. The newcomers were becoming ill with the common cold, and it knocked their forces to nearly half.

The humans had driven them out for now, but they would soon return, no doubt. They needed only enough time to find a vaccine, and they would come back in full force.

When we left the compound many of the humans returned to their old homes. Shawn and I decided to stay with Jared Branaugh for the time being, until we could find a place of our own. Things were going quite nicely for all, and then something strange occurred.

I was out walking with Shawn in one of the many parks in the area. We frequently had these outings, as we were never sure that we would be able to take as much advantage of the parks later. After being shut up inside for more than ten months, one tends to enjoy nature a great deal more.

As we rounded one of the corners I glimpsed a familiar shape. I knew I had seen that body before, but I could only see it from the back. The figure was cloaked from head to toe in dark clothing.

I had myself had fairly well given up clothing, as my body was much like clothing itself. The skin was warm, and thick like rubber. It was almost like a perfect fitting body suit. Fortunately, the newcomer’s genitalia were different from the humans.

As for sex organs and even the breasts, they were covered nicely by flaps of skin, that could easily be removed when they were needed. It was strange for me to have such a resourceful body.

I assumed that this creature was a human, for the mere fact that it wore clothing. Then it dawned on me; I knew that gait. It was Andrew’s style of walking. He always bounced slightly on the up step.

Part Two

Escape and Capture

Reincarnation

Andrew’s Lie

Kie Explains it All

The Trap

Reincarnation

I stood in the park that night alone, waiting. I had seen that same figure several times in the few days that I had returned to the park. I was sure who it was, and I was sure he was following me.

"Andrew?" I called into the night. "Andrew?"

"Yes." Said a small faraway voice.

"I know you exist still. You can’t hide from me. Where are you?"

"I’m right behind you." His rich, dark voice whispered in my ear.

"What have they done to you?"

"Do you not know? They taught me all your little secrets, Lucia." Andrew said softly. It sent little shivers down my spine to have him so near.

"I thought they had killed you?"

"They did."

"I don’t understand."

"I’ve been reincarnated. They took a little bit of your DNA, and wrapped it with mine. What you see is the real Andrew, with a slightly altered body."

"What?"

"That’s what I said at first. I had only been dead for a few minutes. They took my body and extracted some of my DNA. Apparently they had some sample of your DNA from when you were still little.

"They spliced the DNA in certain spots and stuck it back in my body. Then they coated me in some weird goo and stuck me in an incubator. After a few days I woke up, almost brand new."

"My people did this?"

He laughed. "Yes. Remember how you always used to say that I was a part of you, and you were a part of me. Well, now it’s true."

"That’s not funny." I closed my eyes. Andrew was alive. Why wasn’t I happy? This was all I had ever wanted for myself, and now that I had it, I didn’t want it.

"Your newcomers have some weird stuff up there in their labs. I saw some sort of exchange going on between two…" He paused to think of the right word. "Well, between one of your newcomers and a human. They were lying on beds lined up so that the human’s feet were near the newcomer’s head.

"They had some sort of tube running from the human’s thigh to the newcomer’s thigh. It looked almost like they were pumping blood out of the human and into the newcomer."

"They were." I said. I had seen that process before in a human science class. When a newcomer was wounded they would take a sample of cells from a human body to replace the injured cells. The human cells could be manipulated quite easily. The human’s cells were then replaced by the injured cells of the newcomer. The human would die with this sort of transfusion.

The newcomers were great students of science and genetics. They experimented endlessly on all the possible ways to combine DNA. When they invaded the earth, they started using humans in their research.

They would randomly inject guinea pigs, so to speak, with all forms of DNA, including their own mutations. In these early experiments many people died. The new cells took over like cancer, and mutated so wildly that it killed the host.

Recently the newcomers had discovered by splicing existing strands of human DNA with their own that it did not kill the human, but that the human would mutate harmlessly.

The unfortunate part about the process was that it required a cadaver to be put in incubation. The corpse would be injected and kept in an isolated chamber covered in special light and heat sensitive gels, the goo Andrew spoke of. These gels would keep the body from overheating and combated against the prolonged exposure to UV lights in the incubators. After several days the body would slowly start to revive its processes, and the human would practically rise from the dead. They would then be studied for the effects of the mutagens.

It was too dark to see it in the waning light, but Andrew’s skin had become tinted at some point in the process. He was a pale, icy blue as if he had stood outside in the cold air for too long and absorbed the color. If cold air had a color, that was.

He smiled vaguely and turned to me. He could hear my thoughts.

"Did they teach you that?" I asked.

"Telepathy? Yes, but I think it’s just an inherent thing. At some point during the incubation I started to hear their thoughts and they trained me to focus in on them."

"Why did they let you go?" I asked after a long silence had engulfed us.

"I don’t know." He said honestly enough. "They didn’t say. One minute I was waking up in that gooey stuff, and the next thing I knew I was being taken on a tour of the place. That’s when I saw that procedure."

"Mer Prismia is what they call it."

"What?"

"The process you saw. In our language Mer Prismia means the transfer of goodness." I laughed at the thought.

"Oh. Well after the tour they sent me to a room filled with other humans. But they weren’t humans. They were others like myself but mutated. I saw so many strange things there.

"In any case they kept us in there for a very long time; I lost track of the days. Eventually one of the newcomers came and they set me free. They set all of us free."

Chapter Two

Andrew’s Lie

In the days that followed my discovery of Andrew, I learned much about the newcomers’ plans. They were to travel back to our own dimension. Once there they were to find a cure for the cold, and return to end us once and for all.

They wanted to enslave the entire human race and use them for labor and experimentation. I never once doubted the darkness of their intentions, but I was always scared that they would succeed. Each day it seemed they came closer to their goal.

Andrew seemed a bit more distant since his return, this I noticed immediately. It could have been that he felt challenged by Shawn’s presence. I had never believed that he would come back, so I let myself move on. The minute I found someone to love me, he came back into my life. My only problem with that was the fact that Andrew seemed to be holding something back.

The thing about telepathy was that certain thoughts could be blocked if you concentrated enough. Over time it became a sort of second nature thing, so that you could block any thought, and still concentrate on other things. In Andrew’s case, since he was new at telepathy, I didn’t see how he could have mastered this trick. I assumed then, that he had no idea what he was holding back.

It was just as well that we didn’t know, because things were so uptight as it was. If he still felt love for me, he didn’t really show it. He was just antsy for the return of the newcomers.

Jared was too concerned with counsels among the other rebel leaders to notice the change in his son, besides the obvious skin color. The light had gone from Andrew’s eyes. The newcomers might as well have left him dead, for that was how he appeared to me.

He was so concerned with the return that he would sit outside for hours just waiting. I would try to talk to him during some of these times, but he would not even look at me. Shawn would console me at these times as best he could. He was a little jealous, but he understood that the Andrew I loved was certainly dead. There was no danger of this pathetic creature stealing me from him.

Shawn himself had become restless. People still feared us for our appearances, and there was a great deal of attitude thrown our way. He tried his best to ignore it, but it really got to him.

Myself, I could have cared less. I only wanted for Shawn to be comforted and peaceful. All three men in my life were nervous and jumpy at every word. It was driving me near to madness.

And then, one peaceful enough afternoon it all came to a head.

Andrew was in one of his front yard reveries, and Shawn was pacing restlessly on the porch. Jared was away at one of his counsels. I was sitting on the porch trying to console my love. He was upset after an encounter with some jeering human.

Three armed newcomers came up the path of the yard and Andrew threw himself at their feet.

"I have waited for you, oh glorious newcomers." He said dreamily.

"Well done human child. Rise now, and follow us." Spoke one of the newcomers. He was the tallest of them all, standing at 5’3".

The group approached us on the porch.

"The Lord Kie of the newcomers requests your presence at his headquarters just south of here." Said the tall one.

"And if we refuse to go?" Asked Shawn warily.

"We take you by force." He replied darkly.

Shawn looked at me, frightened. We both thought that all the newcomers had moved back to the other dimension.

"Then we must go as friends, shouldn’t we love?" I said sweetly.

Shawn looked at me with apprehension. "Certainly." He agreed cheerily enough.

We both heard the undertones in the tall one’s voice. "Capture," he thought. Andrew followed doggedly behind, as we all now made our way down the path towards the newcomers’ vehicle. They bound and gagged us for the duration of the trip.

Chapter Three

Kie Explains it All

As soon as we were inside the door, Shawn and I were separated. After many protestations, I was dragged into a room before a thin male newcomer. He was tall for our race, about 5’6". He had long arms with thin hands and fingers that reached out and gestured me into a chair.

"Lucia." He said in thickly accented English. "We’ve been expecting you."

"I’m sure." I replied curtly. "What is it that you want?"

"I just want to discuss things with you. The state of your affairs interests me most assuredly. By the way, I’m Kie, the self suggested lord of the newcomers."

I looked at this absurd little man. He grinned with delight each time I turned to him in anger or shock. The more upset I was, the more joy he got out of it. I didn’t realize this until it was really too late to aggravate him.

"So I understand that you and the Shawn boy are engaged?"

"Yes. What does that matter at all?"

"It doesn’t really. You’re both of our race, and I’m sure a match made in heaven."

"There is no heaven for the newcomers." I said coldly.

Kie smiled vilely. "Well none of us know that for certain dear, and none ever will until they are too dead to tell us."

"You’re sick, all of you."

He just sat there gazing at me in a commonplace manner.

"What do you plan to do with the humans?" I asked suddenly turning on him.

"Whatever can be done with them. There are so many uses for that race. Slave labor, experimental subjects, even breeding stock. The possibilities are endless child." He said this in such a superior way that I almost lost my stomach.

"What makes you think you are so superior to them?" I shouted.

"Simply can’t be denied child. You’re ignorant of their primitive ways. I should have expected as much, you were raised among them."

"I abhor this entire race." I replied darkly.

"And we sure do love you. Helping those renegade rebels was not the most intelligent thing you could have done child. You and that Shawn boy. So we sent Andrew to help clear up the matter." Kie explained.

"What did you do to him?"

"Just a little brainwashing. He never even knew what he was doing. His whole mission was implanted in his subconscious, where the humans can’t roam freely as we do. He was so helpful, but he has outgrown his usefulness."

"What will you do now? Kill him like you do all the others?"

"The thought had crossed my mind. I’d like to study him a bit more though. The splice of your genetics is certainly an exciting subject."

"Where is Shawn?"

"He’s still alive, no worries dear. We still have hope for you two."

"I will never join your cause!" I yelled.

"Ah yes, but if we hold Shawn’s life in our hands, you will do whatever we say."

"You wouldn’t do such a thing!"

"Do you doubt me even this? I thought you knew your race better than that. I will do whatever it takes to gain allegiance now. I’ve lost too many children like yourself because they were raised among the silly, sentimental humans."

"Shawn." I whispered. "What is it that you want me to do?"

Kie smiled cruelly. "We thought perhaps that you could lure the rebel leaders into a trap. They trust you. It would be simple enough."

"I can’t."

"Then your fiancé dies."

I blinked back the tears. "All right, for Shawn, but if he suffers any pain or dies I will ensure death to you all."

"Idle threats my dear, but no harm will come to him as long as you fulfill our will."

Chapter Four

The Trap

So it was that I was returned to Jared’s house. My lie was that the boys were captured, and I managed to escape. I was then to formulate a plan for their rescue.

When Jared returned he found me lying on the porch in a pool of blood. While the newcomers were at it, they decided it best to injure me, so it would look more real. My own blood was a pale blue that was thicker than human blood.

The gash they had cut in my side was throbbing now, and I realized they had hurt me more than they intended to. Jared picked me up and brought me inside. He lay me on the couch and ran to get some bandages and water to clean me up.

After he had dressed my wound he asked, "what have they done?"

"They attacked us. I thought all the newcomers had gone. There remains a few, and one of their leaders. He calls himself Kie. He came with armed newcomers. They grabbed the boys and I struggled to get away from them. They cut me before I got free, but I ran as fast as I could and hid. What do we do now?"

Jared looked suspiciously at me. He couldn’t tell if I was lying or not. I longed to tell him everything, but if I did Andrew and Shawn would both be dead in a matter of minutes.

"Well," he said after some amount of contemplation. "We must free them. I refuse to lose Andrew again, and Shawn." He looked at me with some determination.

I started to devise my own plan along the way. Maybe I could pull a decoy. There must be some way that I could get around this. I couldn’t possibly lead the entire rebel front to the door of the newcomers. Then again, I couldn’t come right out with it and risk Andrew and Shawn’s lives.

I finally decided what I should do. I would try as best I could to block my thoughts, and write it down on paper. Hopefully Kie wouldn’t be able to understand what I was writing.

I called to Jared and put a piece of paper on the table. He looked at me with curiosity, but I just smiled and started writing…

"Jared, it’s Too bad we Really don’t have Any time to Prepare a good plan to rescue them."

He looked at me and nodded. He understood my meaning well enough.

"What now?" I asked.

"I don’t know. We really do have to try and free the boys. Do you know where the headquarters are?"

"Vaguely. I have a feeling where they might be." I lied with a sarcastic grin.

"Well, let’s go." Jared replied.

"Shouldn’t we bring the other rebels with us for reinforcement?" I asked for Kie’s benefit.

"Oh, good idea. We should have more men with us." Jared played along.

We gathered as many of the rebels as we could, and started in the direction of the newcomers. We arrived at the little house in the dead of night. We stole around the perimeter and observed as much as we could before making a plan of action.

We decided that Jared and I would enter the building and find the boys. Everyone else was there for backup if anything went wrong. There were about ten of us in all, and the eight that remained outside would watch for guards and such.

Jared and I entered the building from a basement window that was ajar and slinked our way around once inside. I knew roughly where they would have kept Andrew and Shawn, but I still wasn’t sure of my bearings. Finally we reached the room where they were being held. I slowly opened the door and found the two boys tied up to the wall.

I sneaked in as quietly as possible past a sleeping guard, and tiptoed up to them. It was easy untying them, for none of the newcomers were tall enough to tie them up further than I could reach. I embraced Shawn warmly, and squeezed Andrew’s hand in mine.

"Quickly now," I whispered. "Let’s get out of here."

Things were going quite well until we got back to the basement window. There now stood a sentry right outside of it, and we couldn’t leave until he did. It was very nerve wracking waiting for the guard to move.

Finally he did, and Andrew was first to climb up and out of the window. Jared exited next, and then Shawn. I was to be the last one out, but something was caught on my leg. I whispered out to the boys to continue without me, and that I just had my leg stuck on a wire or something.

Shawn whispered something back, but I couldn’t understand it. The next thing I knew, they were all yelling and running away from the window. A cold, long, thin hand had grabbed a hold of my ankle. I froze in place.

Kie had caught me.

Part Three

Reunions

The Wall

Lucia’s Trials

The Return of Nora and Gregory

Imprisonment

Chapter One

The Wall

At one point in the late afternoon, bound as I was to the wall for my ‘disappointing rebellion’, as Kie liked to call it, I overheard him speaking to another of the newcomers.

I had been tied to the wall since the night before when Kie caught me trying to escape with the boys. Fortunately, Andrew, Shawn and Jared all escaped, along with the other rebels.

Kie was very displeased with me, and was sure to make me pay for it. Now he was standing just outside the door to my prison and speaking to an inferior newcomer.

"Make sure that the two young ones are sent as well." He said.

The other newcomer sounded confused as he spoke. "Which ones sir?"

"Nora and Gregory Hope. Ensure that they are on the next trip out of this world. I don’t want to hear that they were left behind. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly sir." Said the other nervously.

They were still alive! When Kie came back hours later to the wall upon which I was crucified I broached the subject.

"What have you done with them?" I yelled.

"I haven’t an idea what you mean, Lucia." Kie responded gruffly.

"Nora and Gregory. I know you took them. Where are they?"

"Perhaps they were shipped back to our dimension for experimentation. Or maybe they were used as workers in the mines and such. We have so many uses for the human race, if only we could enslave them all."

"You know exactly where they are. I heard you planning with that other newcomer. What trip did you send them on?"

"Perhaps they were shipped off to Niagara Falls." He added with sarcasm.

"That was unnecessarily low Kie." I spat at him.

"You just missed dear. You might want to practice your aim a little." He left me there in silence.

I hung there on the wall in absolute contempt of him. "At the very least," I thought to myself, "he didn’t catch the rebels and my boys are free." It was the only comforting thought I would have for the duration of my punishment.

I hung bound to the wall for days on end. I prayed that the boys would come to free me, but they knew that Kie would not make the same mistake twice. Security here was ten times more than it was before the escape.

Kie fed me enough to keep me alive, and tried not to speak to me if he could help it. He was tiring of my bad attitude, and was ready to dispose of me. Even he realized that would be the stupidest thing he could ever do. I was to be his negotiating pawn with the rebellion leaders.

I needn’t say any more about the wall upon which I was hung. It was a dull room, and I could only move my head from side to side. I was taken down every now and then to use the bathroom and to eat. Other than that it was just hanging in those tightly tied bonds for hours.

Kie seemed to like this arrangement the best. I was out of his way, and he didn’t have to see me unless he wanted to. I was too tired and haggard to bother with heckling him anymore. This he took note of, and tried to aggravate me more. I didn’t bother wasting my energy for his benefit.

Chapter Two

Lucia’s Trials

After what felt like years of hanging on the wall Kie came to me one day.

"You my dear," said he spitefully, "are to be my weapon against these meek and stupid little humans."

I looked at him in a haze of pain. I hadn’t been let down from the wall for at least a week, and my arms were going numb in their bonds. I could barely hold my head up anymore and prayed for a quick end to all this.

I hadn’t been fed for at least two days, and my throat was severely parched. I was hanging in a soiled, foul smelling pile on that wall. Kie neglected me for two reasons. Number one, he really couldn’t stand having me around and hoped I would just die there on the wall. Number two, which I wouldn’t learn until later; he was too busy preparing for the return of the newcomers.

Kie called two of his guards to come and untie me. When this was done, one of them had to hold me in his arms, because I was too weak to stand on my own. The only thing I remembered of this was being poked and prodded, and then being set on the seat of a car. I could hear the hum of the engine, and could tell we were moving. Before long the car stopped.

I felt two strong arms wrap around me and pick me up. We were moving up a pathway into some sort of building. Kie was walking just ahead at a slightly nervous, fast pace.

He entered a side door into the building. Before us was a congregation of the rebellion’s leaders. I could feel everyone’s eyes trained on us. Kie held me up before them. He was good enough to clean me up, and dress me before my big public appearance.

It was no matter however; they could all see how weak and ill I had become. His armed guards took hold of me to keep me standing, as I started to sway with the effort to hold myself up. The walls were spinning and my vision started to blur.

I could feel Shawn’s rage, as he couldn’t quite block all of his thoughts. He wanted to kill Kie just as much as I did, which was a surprising new emotion for me. I had never hated anyone enough to wish them dead. My eyelids began to flutter, and my knees turned to water.

The guards dug their guns into my back. It was the only thing holding me up. Kie moved away from me a few paces. He was speaking again.

He was saying something I couldn’t quite make out to the rebellion. It almost sounded as if the newcomers would return soon. They had found a cure for this cold, and they would reek havoc with any humans left alive.

Then it hit me with cold clarity. He intended to kill me right there. He didn’t care that the rebellion had power now, he had a good indication that the newcomers would come back twice as strong, and the humans weren’t prepared.

If I didn’t do something quick we might lose some of the rebellion’s leaders. I tried to think of the most sensible plan. I could yell out to the leaders, but that would take away some of the surprise I needed for the plan to work. Then I knew what to do.

We were all in danger at that moment, so I did what my strength allowed. I dove at Kie with all the force I could muster and knocked him down. I lay on top of him with dead weight, as I was passing out. Everything faded into the dull black I had so longed for.

Chapter Three

The Return of Nora and Gregory

I smiled weakly at my brother and sister. They held their arms open to me, and I cried out to them. I could never reach them because I couldn’t stand up. There was no way for me to get to them.

I woke up panting from my dream. It was the dream that recurred most. I always saw Nora and Gregory, but something blocked them from me, so that I couldn’t join them. I would wake in a pool of sweat, frustrated and confused.

Shawn was at my side, and holding my hand fervently.

"Shawn?" I called in a hoarse whisper.

"Hey there. I can’t believe what you did." He said in return.

"What exactly happened?" I queried. I could remember nothing but that I threw myself on top of Kie to knock him down.

"Well, after you threw yourself at Kie all the rebels stood up. Kie was stuck underneath you, which was an advantage. His guards tried to shoot at us, but we tackled them. They only hit one person, and he’s OK. As for you…" He paused for effect. "The doctor said you’ll be fine. You need some rest, and lots of food. Was he even feeding you?"

"Not really, just enough to keep me alive. Did he get away?"

"Yeah. Once we picked you up he sneaked off. His guards have been captured and we’re all trying to crack them down. We have no idea as to what the newcomers are planning. Did you hear anything while they had you?"

"Nope. They kept me on the wall the whole time and their thoughts were well guarded. What was Kie saying?"

"At the meeting of the leaders?"

I nodded. He continued, "well, he said something to the effect that the newcomers had found a cure and would soon be returning to enslave and kill us all. Blah, blah, blah."

I laughed. It was so unlike Shawn to find humor in such a grave situation.

"Any other news?" I asked.

"Actually, an interesting piece for you my dear." He said gently. "The rebels over took the headquarters just before a large shipment of humans were to be sent out.

"We found a great deal of younger people there, mostly college and high school age kids. We freed them all, and helped them to find their families. Two of these kids said that most of their family was dead, but that they had a sister."

My heart started to beat faster, and my eyes widened in anticipation.

"They said they’re names were Gregory and Nora," he continued, "and that their sister’s name was Lucia."

"You had better not be kidding me!" I yelled.

He smiled lightly. "Nope. They’re here."

"Oh. Do they know about the change?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact they’ve already seen you. They… well."

"Well?" I asked nervously.

"They aren’t the same people you once described to me. They’re depressed all the time now. They didn’t seem to be bothered by your physical change. And they did want to see you, but they had no energy to show it."

I looked down for a second. They had probably been through a lot worse than I had. Eight years since they had been captured. Greg would be 24 now, and Nora 22. I had just turned 21 myself. After so many years of separation I wondered, would they remember anything of me?

"Where are they now?" I asked. "Can I see them?"

"Sure, and soon enough we can all go home together." He said.

Soon after my reunion with Nora and Greg I left the hospital. We all decided it would be best for them to stay with us at Jared’s house. As soon as I was well enough to, Shawn and I were to be married.

As fate would have it, my new family was different from how it used to be. Nora and Gregory had aged so many years, and seen so many hardships. They rarely smiled and always looked down.

It was rather depressing to live with them, but I didn’t know how else to help them. Shawn tried to cheer them a little with his own newfound humor, but to no avail. They were just going to remain miserable.

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel the same, but for their sake I tried not to show it. The newcomers hadn’t really gained their footing yet, but they were growing in numbers everyday. It was hard trying to fight them off when they knew all of our defenses.

It was most interesting I think for Jared. He had four new children to add to his own family. All of us living under the same roof was a trial. Nora and Greg trapped in their eternal depression didn’t take too much notice of any of the rest of us. Shawn and I were trying to aid in the rebels’ attempts to drive out the evil newcomers. Andrew was still feeling the effects of the brainwashing, but was becoming more like himself each day. His main goal was to gain back some his sanity. Then there was Jared, who had become our pseudo-father.

Jared was working himself to the brink of insanity. He fought constantly, and thought about nothing other than the rebel movement. I was most frightened when he came home from rebellion meetings. He would often stare at me, the enemy in his home and like a daughter to him.

I knew he loved me, but he questioned me. I think in his position I would’ve doubted my loyalty as well. I was one of them by blood, but I was raised by humans. I had their sympathy; I had their love. This in itself should have helped him to believe in me, but I don’t think it helped too much.

There was more to learn about each other, and I was determined find out as much as I could.

Chapter Four

Imprisonment

Greg and Nora were sullen, depressed souls. It was quite difficult to get them to speak of their imprisonment among the newcomers. They didn’t want to dredge up the old memories.

Finally one day I cornered Greg. We sat outside on the Earth in our backyard. It was slightly dangerous for us to be out there, but it was not to be helped. Outside was the only place where Greg was comfortable.

"So." I said.

"So." He answered in a sad voice.

"Listen Greg, I want to know what happened to you two. I know it’s painful, but maybe I can help you. I hate to see you this way."

He smiled at me lovingly. The years had really destroyed his beautiful face. He once had thick black hair, like Mr. Hope. His eyes shone a bright blue and his smile was constantly beaming.

Now he had white streaks all throughout his hair. His eyes were glassed over and looked sadly pale. His smile was weak at best, but it was rarely ever there. Nora had changed too.

She used to be a bright, giddy blonde, like her mom. She had nice hazel eyes and her hair cascaded down her back in curls. This was replaced with a shaven head, something the newcomers did. Her eyes were much like Greg’s in that they were glassed over and sad.

"I don’t know where to start." He said. "When they caught me I was scared for you two. I had hoped that our aunt would’ve hidden you both. They sent me to this place with other humans. They put us all in these huge underground cells. Every now and then they would take two or three of us, those people would never return.

"One day a new shipment, as they called it, came to the underground. Nora was there, and she ran straight to me. They forced us to work in these dusty, dark factories all day. I don’t know what we were making, but Nora seemed to think that we were manufacturing weapons of some sort.

"They didn’t feed us much and we all got very little sleep. And all the while they would take a few of us, and they would never return. It was quite unnerving. Eventually we all stopped hoping. This went on for what seemed like years, and it was years.

"Nora and I sometimes wondered how it was that you escaped. It makes sense now though. They didn’t take you because you were like a spy for them. So our aunt hid you?"

"Yeah. When it became too hard for her to hide me, she sent me to her friend’s house. Jared as a matter of fact. I’ve been living here ever since, well except for our time in the rebel compound just after the change. That’s where I met Shawn." I replied.

Greg nodded. "One day after a particularly miserable time in the factory they came for us. They called out ‘Greg and Nora Hope, it’s your turn.’ I was scared. Now we were going to whatever place the other humans had gone.

"They put us in a batch with at least twenty others. They called us a shipment, so I had some hope that we were to be moved to another underground place and be allowed to live. But I almost wished we wouldn’t live after all we’d been through.

"The gloom and the work were all so tiring. We hadn’t seen the sun or felt the breeze in at least 8 years. It felt almost like life before this was just a dream. The hardest part for Nora was when they shaved her head. I didn’t even notice it, but my hair had turned mostly white from the fear."

"Why did they shave her head?" I asked.

"I’m not sure. They never said. She was the only one they ever did it to. All the other girls were allowed to keep their hair. It was just insult to injury."

"I’m sure there was a reason behind it. Maybe I could find out. Kie was behind your being shipped out. But tell me what happens next."

"Who’s Kie?" Greg asked.

"He’s the guy that hung me on the wall." I answered.

"Oh. Anyway, we were being lead out of the underground when a bunch of humans with guns surrounded us. There was a lot of shooting, and I threw Nora to the ground. A bullet grazed me, but it didn’t go very deep. After a while the shooting stopped and I noticed that all the newcomers were on the ground too.

"That’s when I realized, the humans had shot them all. The humans lifted us up into the sun, and carried us home. They freed all the shipment, which was amazingly unharmed by the gun battle. The others inside the underground were freed next, but it took a little longer for them. There were a lot more guards down there.

"Then we were with the rebellion. They told us all that had happened. The newcomers were getting sick with the cold, so most of them were going back to their own world. Some of the underground prison camps were kept open however. Especially the bigger ones like ours. But as the newcomers’ forces grew weaker still, they started losing power. It was easier for the humans to break into the underground and set us free.

"They helped as many as they could to get back home. We didn’t think you were still alive, or even free, but we thought it was worth a shot. When we said your name the guy’s eyes lit up. He yelled over to this newcomer, ‘I found Lucia’s siblings!’ Of course we had no idea that this was Andrew and that the newcomer was Shawn.

"We were curious as to why they kept one of the enemy around, and why everyone was so friendly with him. He told us all he knew of you, and told us you had changed as well. He was the nicest person we had ever encountered. He offered us to stay with him at Jared’s house. That brings us to the present."

Part Four

Peace

Family

A Child

The Return of the Newcomers

The Final Battle

Chapter One

Family

Greg seemed to cheer up a bit after telling me his story. Nora followed suit and cheered up as well. It was a nice change. Even Andrew seemed more at peace with himself.

Things were going better with the rebellion. Jared came home less stressed. The plan was to wait for the newcomers to start attacking. Sure they had a cure for the cold, but what about the chicken pox?

Between the chicken pox and our own men fighting them, we were sure to win. The men would be injected with the chicken pox and become hosts to the disease. We would send these virus bearing hosts into battle and wait for the results.

Most of the newcomers would become sick within a few days, or so we hoped. This would take a little time and patience on our part, and our men would have to be careful. Some of them might get a little sick, so we would have to observe them and make sure they didn’t get into more than they could handle.

The chicken pox had adverse effects on the newcomers. Shawn and I submitted our selves for testing. Once the virus took hold it became quite painful. The skin would turn to a dull purplish color. The eyes would become dull as well.

The skin would start to peel and crack and became very itchy. We started to run high fevers and have terrible cold chills. The worst of it was the vomiting. No matter what was eaten or drunk it was sure to come back up. This kept us in bed for at least a month, twice as long as the average human would be laid up.

Of course we weren’t the only ones exposed to the virus. All of the humans were given small doses of it, like a vaccine, so that they would become immune to it. This was the secret weapon of the humans.

Once Shawn and I were well again it was discovered that we could still become ill with the disease. It was like our bodies had no idea how to make antibodies to it. This was a good thing for the humans. As long as they kept the chicken pox virus out and about the newcomers would be defenseless against it.

As well as having made a plan of attack the human rebel forces had by now tripled. All humans wanted to fight for freedom now that they knew it could be won. This was another stunning blow for the newcomers, for whom the humans had before been subservient.

Kie had all but disappeared but I knew he was still around. I could almost feel him as a tangible thing, a deep evil that lurked around every dark corner. He was still on Earth, but where was a mystery.

My family was actually starting to become sane again. Jared was at ease now that we had a plan of action. Shawn stopped worrying as soon as Jared was restful. Andrew was becoming more like his old self everyday. Nora and Greg’s depression was at last lifting. It seemed as though nothing could bring us down.

Chapter Two

A Child

I turned to Shawn in the earliest part of the morning. We were lying together on our bed in Jared’s house. We had been given a lovely upstairs bedroom to live in.

The room was painted the palest blue, which appeared white in the fresh dawn light. The entire house was silent but for the breathing of Shawn and myself. Everyone else was quietly asleep in their own rooms, which were too far away to be heard. This room being on the third floor of the house made it difficult to hear anyone in the other parts of the house.

He looked so sweet with his blue head against the pale yellow pillowcase. I didn’t want to wake him just yet, but gaze at him for awhile. I could not deny him what I now knew. I was pregnant.

I had suspected for awhile. I had all the symptoms that a human woman goes through when she is pregnant. I figured it would be much the same for our people. I went to the doctor the afternoon before and she confirmed my suspicions. I was now one month pregnant with Shawn’s child.

Dr. Carrow was quite knowledgeable on newcomers’ anatomy and such. She even knew a bit about some of their common diseases. Pregnancy was her specialty. She had delivered several newcomers’ children in the early days when they were still friendly with the humans.

She tested me and told me all about my options. She said it would be highly dangerous for me to carry the child once full out battle ensued. The chicken pox would be released and it would be difficult to protect the child and myself from it.

The average pregnancy lasted ten months, just a bit longer than humans did. Dr. Carrow said she would be glad to give me prenatal care, or perform an abortion if I so chose. This would be my tough choice.

I knew Shawn would support me no matter what my choice. This was no comfort to me; I would be bearing the entire decision. I was worried for my child in more ways than anyone could understand. It was dangerous because of the chicken pox. It was dangerous because of the battle. It was dangerous because Kie would know.

I hadn’t yet told Shawn, but Kie had been sending me wicked little dreams from time to time. The unfortunate thing about telepathy was that other people could put thoughts into your head. Kie used this little trick quite a bit on me.

He had gotten into my head while he had me bound to that miserable wall. This hadn’t really occurred to me too much. He was constantly in my head then. When I dropped my guard was when he attacked. Of course, who controls their thoughts when they sleep?

Kie was back at playing his little games with me wherever he disappeared to. He knew I was having Shawn’s child. And he would try to use this information for evil no doubt.

Would I be protecting my child better if I just terminated its life? No, I decided. I would find a way to protect my child. It would be best if the newcomers would only wait nine more months to attack. At least then the child would be born and it would be less dangerous for him or her.

Shawn woke and smiled at me. "How long have you been watching me?"

I smiled gently at him. The expression on his face changed and he realized I was hiding something from him. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well Shawn." I started, "we are going to have a baby."

His jaw dropped a very little and he laughed lightly. "No joke?"

"No joke. I’m pregnant." I said with some apprehension. "I’ve decided that I want to have the baby, no matter what."

"And you know I’ll support you no matter what your decision is." He quipped.

"I know." I laughed, just as I thought he would be. Shawn would always support me in any decision.

"Are you scared?" He asked.

"A little. Kie’s still here. If I know anything about him, he’ll be sure to cause me some amount of trouble. The chicken pox are very dangerous too, but I think I could stay with Dr. Carrow if worse comes to worse."

He smiled at me with full understanding. The worse case scenario would play out, and I would have to stay with the doctor. There was no way to avoid it. Shawn and I would be separated once more.

Chapter Three

The Return of the Newcomers

The newcomers had returned. They issued a warning of impending doom and stepped through the dimensional door. The humans were prepared this time.

The pox had been released. The newcomers were falling left and right. We had depleted their forces by at least ninety percent before they even knew what had hit them.

Even though we had the newcomers right where we wanted them they would not retreat. It seemed that their pride would not let them, so they kept on coming through the dimensional door, thousands of them pouring their blood on the Earth’s soil for a hopeless defeat.

Kie had reappeared. He sent out a warning to any newcomers staying with the humans. He would return one day and have us put on trial as criminals of war. Whatever affect he hoped it would have failed miserably. The newcomers left among the humans had an unwavering intention to stay with them.

As the days turned into months and my child grew within my womb, the war waged on. None of the newcomers had immunity to the disease, but they continued to fight endlessly, never giving in. I was staying with Dr. Carrow far from the front lines of battle, and in my own sterile little room, free from the pox.

Shawn, Andrew, Jared, Greg and even Nora had donned their fighting gear for the battle. They weren’t about to sit back while the creatures that had sent their lives into turmoil rained down on them from the dimensional door. Hundreds of humans joined them on the fields of battle, hoping to find this one or that one that had stolen their children from them. Most of the humans just wanted revenge.

I didn’t like the idea of fighting, but there seemed no other way when dealing with the newcomers. They were a proud, fickle, troublesome group of organisms that loved a good fight. And a good fight was exactly what the humans were giving them.

As more of the newcomers poured out upon us the chicken pox spread. It was as if someone had put a lighter to a blanket soaked in kerosene. It spread quickly with devastating effects for the newcomers. But the newcomers had a back up that we didn’t know about.

Kie had in fact planned the whole thing. They found a strain of virus that the humans had no immunity for as yet. The humans’ immune systems would eventually develop immunity, but it would take some time, which would give the newcomers a bit of a respite from all this germ warfare.

The newcomers released their discovery on the humans just as it seemed that they might be giving up. The virus was named T-86 for whatever reason, and there was no treatment for it. The results were awful for the humans.

T-86 would put any person infected with it in bed for at least two weeks. It was a horrible illness that caused the breakdown of human skin cells. Their skin would become blotchy and itchy. When the humans went to itch it the skin would peel right off.

This worked for the newcomers in more ways than one. Once a good portion of skin had fallen off the body became more susceptible to other illnesses, since the skin is the body’s first defense against illness. The newcomers had a trump card against our own.

After two weeks of infection the human would either die because of another illness, or overexposure with little skin left to protect them. The humans that did survive built up a special immunity to it, but it took them several weeks to build up new skin cells.

The rebels started fighting harder, but were now struggling with the T-86 virus as well. Many of our men and women fell to the onslaught of the newcomers, who were still falling themselves due to the chicken pox. It seemed that neither side had the advantage for some time. Both sides were losing massive amounts of people to their respective diseases, and both were still sending more into battle.

Around ten months I started into labor. It took me by surprise, for the pain was severe and wrapped around my entire distended belly. Dr. Carrow laid me down upon a bed in her office.

"Breath." She commanded gently. "Breathing is very important. Just like we practiced, right?"

"No." I yelped as another pain seized me. "Don’t you have drugs you can give me?"

"I can try." The doctor responded. She smiled as she went about her business. It had been over five years since she last delivered a newcomer’s child; this was going to be an interesting experience for her.

A few hours later the child had been delivered and was healthy. I decided to name him Xavier. Shortly after his birth however he became ill with the T-86 virus. Apparently he didn’t have immunity. Dr. Carrow kept him in a special incubator and tied his hands so that he couldn’t scratch at the loosening skin cells. All we could do was wait.

After a few days of nervous waiting I decided to ask why he grew ill. I couldn’t fathom how the illness had gotten into the sterile chambers of Dr. Carrow’s offices, let alone infecting my son who was supposed to have immunity.

"I don’t know." She responded. "I thought all newcomers were born with immunity to the disease, apparently I was wrong. His immune system isn’t very strong, but I think the worst is over. He should pull through it all right."

I sighed with relief. At least I knew Xavier would be OK. As for the rest of my family, I hadn’t heard any news of them for quite some time. Last I knew Shawn and Andrew were off fighting right at the foot of the dimensional door. Jared was commanding a post nearer to where Kie was located. Nora and Greg were fighting somewhere in between the two in the general army.

I prayed that they wouldn’t become ill with T-86 but I realized this was a stupid wish. They would become ill, all but for Shawn, who would become ill with the pox. They were fighting under the worst kind of warfare, germ warfare.

A few days later I could actually hold Xavier outside of the incubator. His skin was blotchy, but intact amazingly enough. He smiled up at me, his little, pale pink lips parting into a big smile. He looked strikingly similar to his father, but he had my sparkling violet eyes.

"Do you dream about peace or war, Xavier?" I asked my little son quietly.

Chapter Four

The Final Battle

Dr. Carrow stepped into the nursery, her hands knotted behind her back in anxiety. She looked nervously at me as if she wanted to tell me something, but didn’t know how.

"What is it?" I asked.

She sighed audibly and gestured me to a seat. "Jared has the T-86 virus. He’s been sent to one of the army hospitals and it doesn’t look good."

I held back the tears as they formed in my shining eyes. My lips quivered with the effort to remain emotionless. I knew it would happen, but when and to whom I wasn’t sure. "Do you know of anyone else?"

Dr. Carrow looked down for a moment. "Greg and Nora haven’t been seen for a few days. Shawn is still fighting at the door and Andrew has retired to care for his father."

"Greg and Nora are missing?" I asked. Just as I find my family, they disappear again.

"A great deal of the general army is ‘missing.’ They’re still out there, but it’s hard to keep track of them all."

"Not much of a comfort."

"No, it never is. I’m sure they’re safe still. We would have heard the news if it was otherwise."

We continued like this for two more months. The battle raged on and the diseases spread. The pox was still floating around and much of the newcomers’ army had been laid to waste. The T-86 virus had knocked out a good portion of the humans’ forces, but many of those affected now had immunity and newer more resilient skin cells had grown in place of the ones they had lost.

Nora and Greg had been found in a small army hospital nearer to the front lines than we thought they would have been. Both had been infected with T-86. Greg was much better, but Nora was still in critical condition.

Andrew was with his father, who was still very ill. The man clung onto life like a pit-bull after a bite. The doctors just shook their heads at his chances for survival, and Andrew was talking it hard.

Shawn had the chicken pox again, but not as severely this time. He continued to fight the newcomers just below the dimensional door. Somehow word of his son Xavier reached him and he sent back a message to tell me that he loved us very much.

I decided at this time that I needed to help. The baby would be safe with Dr. Carrow and I could go help Shawn in the battle. Dr. Carrow was wary of my intentions, but she agreed to care for Xavier while I was gone.

When I arrived at the front lines the first thing I noticed was the devastation. Bodies, human and newcomer alike, were lying all about the ground covered in blood and gore. The stench was terrible and one could practically smell the disease as it permeated the air all around.

There were few men standing still, but most of them were human. I spotted Shawn not far from the door and ran to his side. He looked at me in surprise and a very little anger. For now the fighting had stopped.

"What are you doing here?" He queried.

"I’ve come to help. Xavier is safe with Dr. Carrow. What can I do?"

He shook his head at me, but smiled. "We have a big advantage now. Almost all of their fighting forces are dead." He pointed to the carnage surrounding us. "There is one more battalion waiting just outside the door. We expect them any minute now. We have twice as many men as they do. We’re sure to win."

I looked down. I noticed the body nearest me was a newcomer. It wasn’t nearly full-grown. Then it struck me with terrifying clarity. When the newcomers had run out of adult fighters, they started sending children into battle.

"Shawn, you’ve been fighting children?"

He looked down as if in shame. "Yes." He said with some reluctance. "They were twice as fierce as the grown newcomers. I tried not to kill them, just render them useless. This is a war, Lucia. The rules change."

"It doesn’t justify killing babies." I yelled.

"I know." He said gently. "I know. I never wanted this. I just wanted to protect life, and here I am taking it away." Tears streamed down his beautiful blue cheek.

"Oh Shawn. I don’t blame you. We need to stop this though."

"What can we do? They’re waiting on the other side. Kie is going to send them out at any moment."

"Kie? Is he back in the other dimension?"

"I believe so. He disappeared again. He was close to where Jared was stationed, but he may have returned to the other dimension. You know how spineless that creature is."

"Kie must be removed. Once he’s gone the others will give up. We need to get him back into our world and end his worthless life."

Shawn looked at me surprised. I hadn’t checked my anger while speaking this time and I started to grit my teeth. I knew how to call him over. All it would take was a little taunting. He would come to answer my heckling, as his pride wouldn’t allow him otherwise. I wasn’t sure what to do when he got here, but I knew it would all work itself out.

Using all of the mental strength I had I called out to the arrogant Kie. "Oh Kie! It’s you favorite person in the whole universe, Lucia. Do you remember me? You tied me to a wall and kept me there until I was almost dead. That was so much fun Kie. We should do it again sometime."

I paused expecting an answer, but when I received none I continued. "Are you scared Kie? Is that why you retreated to the other side of the door where you don’t have to face the reality of your defeat? Yes Kie, defeat. You and all of your little army are as good as dead."

Then I felt it. It started as a knot in my stomach, and then a weakness in my knees. He was nearby and he was trying to weaken me. "Good to have you back Kie." I called out.

"My pleasure." He said sourly as he stepped down from the dimensional door. "So you missed me enough to call me back? How precious."

"Well, I always was a glutton for punishment. So Kie, how are things on the other side? I see you’ve resorted to younger newcomers to aid you in your plunder of this fine dimension." I nodded towards the young newcomer’s corpse at my feet.

Kie looked at me darkly. "One uses the resources that one has until they’ve run dry."

"Apparently so. What’s your next plan?"

"If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise now would it?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. He circled me and smiled. "I see your child has been born." He said. "Did he enjoy the little infection I sent to him?"

"You?" I asked angrily.

"I have powers you’ll never master my dear. I do hope his skin is still intact. He won’t be able to survive the pox with no skin."

I closed my eyes. The rage was building inside me and at any moment it would boil over and crash onto this disgusting creature. I had never felt such anger and hate before. I could never understand where people found the desire to kill until I had met this cold-hearted, vile, evil man before me.

Even then, however, I knew that killing Kie would be wrong for me. Shawn understood my thoughts, and he too agreed that someone else would have to be Kie’s undoing. Before either of us had any more time to think a voice called out from behind and pandemonium broke out above.

"Kie! You will die." Andrew called from somewhere behind us just as the dimensional door became crowded with young warriors ready to fight.

The battalion at the door froze in position while watching the events unfold. Andrew ran up to join us with his sword unsheathed. He was the type that would fight the good old way and had no use for guns.

"My father has just died because of your disease! Your life is now forfeit to me and I must avenge him." He snarled through tightly pursed lips and teeth. His ice blue skin flushed red with anger.

Kie stepped back in fear and Andrew chose this moment to rush at him. Three things happened at this point. Kie drew his own weapon, another sword. I yelled to Andrew to stop and look out. Shawn threw his body at them to knock both men down before any damage could be done.

The result was Kie lying dead in a spreading pool of blue blood at the foot of the door. The troops looked on in horror as their leader lay, a silent corpse forever more. Andrew lay next to him, his own red blood spilling from his side. He held his chest in pain, and cried out to me. Shawn lay near them both in a stupor, having knocked his head into the ground during his dive.

I rushed to them and aided Shawn in sitting up. I held Andrew close to me as the life drained slowly from his body. He grew more limp at each passing moment, and soon he lay so still that I believed him to be dead.

I looked at him; the tears that could no longer be contained splashed onto his still face. His lips moved very little and I could hear his thoughts weakly, as he couldn’t speak physically anymore. "Lucia. I’m sorry. I tried to live for you, but it’s really no use. Love Shawn and your little baby. Take good care of them." And then he was no more.

I turned my face up to the door and yelled to the troops still transfixed in horror. "Do you see what the war has done? Evil begets evil. You have a choice. You can die like all the others, or you can live with us in peace. The future rests on you now, choose well." Shawn wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I cried into his shoulder until I could cry no more.

One by one the young battalion threw down their weapons and turned away from the dimensional door. They had decided that Kie was wrong, and that the humans really weren’t a bad race. The whole war was based on one man’s greed and lust for power. They wanted to live in peace at last, and left the human dimension to do the same.

The rebuilding of our society and trust in the newcomers took many months, but was an overall success. Many of the young warriors, which were most of the living newcomer population, abandoned their own dimension and lived among the humans. It was rough going at first, but within a year the newcomers had re-integrated themselves into human life.

In the end Nora recovered from the T-86 and married a young soldier she met in the general army, and lived a long and peaceful life near our old aunt’s home. Gregory remained single, but started a doctor’s practice with Dr. Carrow, specializing in the care of newcomers. Shawn, Xavier and myself lived on in Jared’s old house. We buried Jared and Andrew under some beautiful trees in the park where I first met Andrew after his capture.

I also took on the responsibility to bury Kie. His gravestone was just to the left of the dimensional door. All that was written upon it was "My dream is that he will rest in peace, as he could never do so while living. May all live in peace and fulfill there own dreams with happiness in memory of his ill fate."

The End