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The Girl Next Door

by Nik Pauling © 2005

I suppose everyone has to deal with bad neighbors occasionally. You know the kind. They party all night, speed by your house at 2 am blaring their radios, and yelling “Yaaahoooo” with fake southern accents. Growing up in the bad side of our city I was surrounded. My mom was a single parent and it was the best we could afford. I remember staring out my window and watching people selling drugs and women selling anything someone would pay for. As soon as we had saved up money we moved to a better area in the city. There weren’t problems with neighbors until this past summer when I turned 16.

My mom had decided that we would leave the city forever and jump into a simple country life so we were living in a staff house on the Milberry Farm. It turned out a simple country life meant working all day long. I didn’t mind so much, mainly because the farmer had a couple of kids who were around my age. They were kind of odd, back countryish I guess. They were always asking me dumb questions about society, as if they weren’t involved in it. I guess that happens when you’re out on a farm.

I never really saw their parents. They didn’t seem to like me much because I’d come from the city but I made friends with their kids anyway. We would finish work and run through the woods or traipse to the creek and fish. The nearest neighbor was within walking distance, if you didn’t mind walking for half an hour.

It started one night after I had just crawled into bed. The farmer’s oldest daughter, Amy, who had just turned 16 snuck from the main house to my room. She climbed a tree under my window. I heard the tapping and looked over, surprised. I wondered what she was doing. I got up and opened the window and she came into the room. I wasn’t sure what to do or say so I just plopped back onto my bed, hoping she would say whatever she’d come to say.

“Um. I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re really sweet.”

Sweet. Interesting…

“Thanks.” I replied, trying to determine whether sweet was a good thing to be. “You’re pretty nice.” I sounded like an idiot. I should have said pretty or something. I saw that she blushed. Maybe sounding like an idiot was ok for once. “So what are you doing here?”

“I thought maybe you’d like to go on a date, maybe?” She looked away. I thought she looked cuter than I had ever realized. Perhaps it was because she was showing an interest in me and that made her seem more attractive. When I didn’t answer immediately she started towards the window.

“Don’t go. I was just thinking how pretty you look!” I stood up and reached a hand towards her. “You don’t really need to go yet.” She smiled as I led her to my bed. She sat beside me. “I would love to date you. When do you want to go?”

“Tomorrow night. I know a very special place.” I smiled.

“Sounds good to me.” She leaned in and gave me a kiss. I brushed my hand over her hair and then down her shoulder. She broke it off and glanced around.

“I’d better go now. I don’t want anyone to know I’m gone.”

The next evening I waited for Amy. She scaled the tree, as only a farm girl could, and I let her in. We stared at each other, entranced. She smiled and a tugged my hand.

“Come on. We have to hurry.” I grinned in anticipation.

“Lead away.” We went down the tree. I didn’t move as quickly as Amy did but I got down unscathed. We headed through the forest. After 20 minutes we came to a small hill and stopped.

“Is this it?” I looked around. I didn’t know what to expect but it certainly hadn’t been this.

“Yes, watch.” She walked over to a large rock and turned it. A door opened in the hill and I could see a dark tunnel. My excitement at the date faded a little. What was going on here? Amy smiled at me and I tried to smile back. She took my hand. “Don’t worry. You’re safe with me.”

“I wasn’t worried.” She smiled again and I wondered if she knew I was lying. She led me down the dark tunnel. I wanted to panic when the door slid shut and we were completely in the dark. “Amy, are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely. Don’t worry. I have great vision.” All I saw was blackness. How could anyone see in here? Her pace was quicker than I would have liked given my blindness. Finally she stopped and another door slid open to a large circular room. She led me in and I glanced around. There were seats and panels and a half dozen doors leading off in various directions. One of them opened and Amy’s parents and siblings emerged. “We told you to bring a pet for the trip home, not a human,” said Amy’s dad.

“I want to keep him.” Amy said. I stood there, confused.

“Maybe I should go home now?” I said. I didn’t want to cause any trouble.

“It’s too late for that now that you’ve seen our ship. We’ll just have to take you with us.” Amy’s dad went to the largest seat and pushed some buttons. The room began to shake and I watched as a view screen showed us leaving the Earth. I looked over at Amy.

“Amy. I want to go home.”

“You can’t. But don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. You’re my pet now.” She smiled as her appearance began to change into a blue furry creature with 4 arms. I started to scream.

x x x




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