Invasion of the Heart

 

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Chapter 1

The moment I see the alien I am in love.

There is no other way to describe it. As it stands there, beside the wreckage of the Houses of Parliament, framed by the glistening Thames behind it – the river only marred by the few dozen corpses littering its surface – my heart starts palpitating, my stomach does somersaults. I have fallen.

The creature turns to face me. Foolishly, I am exposed but I cannot move; even as it strides towards me, its weapon raised.

Usually, when they spot one of us, they shoot on sight, but this one does not. As it comes closer, it wavers then lowers its gun. I cannot help but wonder; has it sensed it too?

A cloud of thick, grey ash passes between us and when it clears, the creature is standing before me.

I doubt anyone else has looked at such a creature and become besotted. A bald, bulbous head atop a thin, gangly body. Its skin milky pale. Yet its large, dark eyes seem to hold so much expression, I cannot help but get lost in them. I become aware of something and my heart leaps. It is looking back into mine.

Its gash of a mouth opens and emits a guttural burble of sounds. I do not know the words but I am sure of their meaning.

This cannot be. It will never work.

I coo a reply, knowing it understands me too.

Of course, it can. We will make it work. Look…

I slowly raise a hand. As I reach for its own, it drops its weapon, sending it clattering to the ground, and lets me take it. Its hand is wet and it has fewer fingers but I think my point is made.

See, I say. We are the same. More or less.

It burbles something else and its eyes seem to grow. They seem to say; I surrender.

There is a whistle in the air. I turn to see another ash cloud closing in. As it envelopes us, I take the creature in my arms and we embrace, its head reaching up to my chest. The moment lasts forever, as I stare into its eyes, those black whirlpools, and it into mine.

The mist clears but we do not part, we cannot. Instead, I lean in and we kiss. I hear a distant sound like a siren but it does not matter. Nothing can harm us. This will last forev-

I feel the blast hit him. I pull away and see his body glow as it disappears, vanishing into the ash in the air. For a moment all that is left are his dark eyes and then… nothing.

Through the ash, I see my colleague. A grimace on his shrunken, wrinkled face. His raygun shakes in his hand.

A Native! He cooes. A filthy native!

I say nothing, as the ash cloud wraps around me. We might have invaded their planet but that human being had invaded my heart.

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