Chapter Two
       page 8

“Edna. Strychnine; what a great idea. So much better than guns or knives. I can demonstrate some of our extensive knowledge of poisons, sedatives and contagious diseases. If you would bring me some...” [here there was a list of several long chemical names that she couldn't pronounce]“..I can show you some excellent, undetectable techniques not known to humans. We can use your cats. Please don't ruin all the Fudgesicles. Sincerely Yours, Henry.”

his was not the kind of e-mail a girl alone in the dark likes to get. The snake she was living with was poisonous. She had to either catch him or kill him. Since he watched her all the time, it would be impossible to rig up any kind of trap. She had never fired her gun. Strangling would be nice if she could catch him. The dogs were no help at all. They saw more of him than her. He was likely feeding them Milk-Bones at this very moment.
      Maybe she could starve him to death. She would need to remove all food from the house. She would have to eat out three times a day. From the trash she had picked up she knew he had some food of his own. Possibly he had a lot more. Possibly he would eat the dogs food. Possibly he would eat the dogs.
      Her least favored option was to use the time-honored woman's response Comply. Accomodate. Submit. How pathetic. She could buy him a truckload of Fudgesicles and Nutty Buddys. In time he would die of diabetes.
      The computer screen was the only source of light as she sat thinking. She got up and walked to the window on the other side of the room. Outside, in thick darkness, the tree frogs and katydids were singing. The rain had stopped and in the clear moonless sky, the stars were brilliant. There are at least four hundred billion stars in the Milky Way and there are at least a hundred billion other galaxies. That seemed like enough room for both Henry and her.
      She needed to repel him. Not just ask him to leave; not just insist on her privacy. She would send him to another part of the universe. He would run for his life; he would try and be as far from her as he could. She knew how to do that. Back at her computer, she clicked ‘Reply’ and wrote:

 “Henry. You are so masterful. You are a genius. I woke from dreaming about you and found your sweet, warm message waiting for me on my computer. Why are you so shy, Henry? I find you irresistible. You are driving me wild by playing hard to get. Oh, please let's get closer tomorrow!Love, Edna.”

She got back in bed and fell asleep immediately.

vernight the grass had grown and the garden had sprouted weeds. Mowing and gardening would have to wait, though, because today was grocery day.
      Forty miles away in the big city, the parking lot at the huge grocery store was packed. She found a spot in a distant corner and joined the stream of people converging on the hissing automatic doors. The air was icy inside. Shoppers were channeled to the right so they started in Produce. To the left, far in the distance, was the finishing line: Dairy Products. Edna swam with the current. Mountains of fruit spilled onto the floor. She dodged squashed tomatoes and flattened grapes. In front of the glass meat display case, a little dribble of blood trailed the length of the counter. Inside, she could see great slabs of dripping flesh.
      There were more than thirty aisles. She and most of the other shoppers, glassy eyed, chugged up and down them all. The women carefully ignored each other. They filled their carts to overflowing. Edna bought fresh fruit, bread, eggs and milk for herself. She bought expensive canned stuff for the dogs and cats. And she got some Fudgesicles. They were all out of Nutty Buddys. Standing in the checkout line she looked out of the corner of her eye at the National Inquirer. A woman on the cover claimed to have been ravished by aliens. The baby she was holding up to the camera looked just like Henry.
      In the parking lot someone had dropped a whole watermelon. The burst, pink flesh was crawling with flies and yellow jackets. A row of drooping potted plants was lined up across the front of the store with a big “SALE!” sign above them. As she drove past on her way out she saw a little dog methodically peeing on each one.

he had e-mail.

“Edna, from Henry. I am attaching a message from my supervisor. It follows:
To Ms Edna: We have not expected your response to our attempt at contact. For our known history, which is many thousands of years, we have scrupulously concealed our identity. As a small sensitive species, stealth is our means of survival. It was our belief that humans would spot us in a minute if we did not maintain perfect cover and mandate total separation. Evidently, we were mistaken.
We wish to make experimental contact with one individual to observe her reaction to our existence. How can we convince you? I hope you will communicate with our man, Henry. He contacted me in great alarm, reference your e-mail last sent. I have assured him that humans are very fond of ‘jokes’ and ‘humor’. He was badly frightened but I think I have convinced him that his virtue is not in danger. It would be very difficult for us to send a replacement at this time.
     Henry has been instructed not to remove any more items from your dwelling. He was not supposed to do that. He says he was hungry. He will apologize. Respectfully, Oscar.
---This is Henry. I apologize.”

Copyright © 2000 by Jay Arraich. All rights reserved.
All photographs copyright © 2000 by Jay Arraich
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