At present, my little family has expanded by three and I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier. Happy being a relative term. I still wonder if we’re going to get caught. I wonder if another alien hunter is going to take up the job so many others have started, but failed to finish. I worry about this the most because it would mean that my little family would be broken up and I’m not sure I could handle losing my family. Sometimes I think about how funny life can be. Sometimes I think my life is nothing more than a bad sci-fi story. I try to imagine what my life would be like now if the gunshot had never happened. I sit back and think about how this all happened because fifty-something years ago an alien ship crash-landed on Earth, putting Roswell on the map. I realize that no matter how weird Roswell is, I owe my family to that town, its history and its odd eccentricities. If I had been raised somewhere else, then I’d just be a weirdo rambling about on my own. Being raised in Roswell allowed me to belong to a group of weirdoes that fit together just right. So to answer my own question, I guess it really didn’t suck that much to call that odd place home.

September 12, 2004

Weekly Log Entry

Written by Maria DeLuca

***

Roswell, NM - October 23, 2000.

The streets shown gray and yellow and red and purple as the morning sky welcomed the sun, the first rays of light vanquishing the darkness. The lonesome creatures of the night retreated into their lairs as the air started to heat up – Dry as only a desert could be. The early morning dew quickly evaporated, taking with it any chance the town had of a pleasant day. Small animals propped against trees, hills, curbs and cactuses and prepared themselves for a day of skirting shadows. Birds began to sing lazy tunes. Flowers opened in the carefully watched and manicured parks and gardens. Alarm clocks started going off all over town. Angry words and bit-off curses sounded as weary Roswell natives rose to greet another Monday morning.

Waking from a dream, Isabel Evans stretched like a cat, her long limbs twisting under the covers. She rubbed her eyes and reached for the clock. Holding it up to her face, she glared at the digital screen with her intense ice-blue eyes. With a growl, Isabel slammed her head back against the covers. Her honey blond hair spread out on the pillow while she debated the pros and cons of actually getting up. Finally, she resigned herself to the fact that her economics teacher would probably not let her take that test later. Isabel could hear Maxwell Evans, her brother by blood and in the eyes of the law, walking down the hallway. (A lovely couple who shared a home, a life and a name with them had adopted Isabel and Max some years ago.) Not wasting another second, Isabel threw off her covers with a flourish.

For the first time, Isabel was neither shocked nor dismayed by the glowing, green light emanating from her abdomen that had started four and a half months ago. She let her fingers slowly trace the small, egg-sized area. The first time she saw it, Isabel screamed. She tried to scrub it off. She tried to remove it. Nothing worked. At first, the light would stop and start.

Lately, it was constant.

Some nights, Isabel cried. She wished for answers to questions that could never be asked. Mainly, she wanted someone older and wiser to show her the way, to tell her that everything was fine and progressing normally. Desperately, Isabel needed someone to tell her she was eating the right things, doing the right things. Many moments of frustration greeted her in the beginning, but now, laying here, staring at the soft green glow, Isabel felt nothing but serenity.

Soothingly, Isabel ran her hand over the location of the familiar glow. She smiled as the glowing light danced at her touch. Isabel never thought of herself as maternal, but still, she felt oddly warm and at peace. She wondered if her abdomen would distend and swell. Would she loose her figure? Or instead, would she remain the statuesque beauty she currently was? The questions. So many questions. They filled her mind, interrupting her moment of Zen. This small light represented every fear she had ever carried with her. Isabel worried over the possibility of detection, of someone coming after her or her siblings: Her sister, Tess and her brothers, Max and Michael.

Slowly, Isabel sat up and stretched again. She made her way to her vanity. She sat in front of the mirror. She placed her right index finger against her right eyebrow and followed the line created by the fine short hairs. She did the same to her left eyebrow. Swiftly, Isabel slid her hand over her mouth. Looking in the mirror, Isabel grunted at the shade of lipstick now covering her lips and the uneven line of mascara covering her left eyebrow. Sighing loudly, she removed the lipstick with a wave of her hand and retraced the brow. Finally happy with the result, Isabel turned to the task of dressing for school.

Absentmindedly, She glanced at the clock – 7:15 a.m. Damn! She agreed to meet Tess behind the gym at 7:45. (A man adopted Tess whom the four siblings considered an enemy. A hunter and a scientist, he secretly yearned to have three months, a limitless budget and the four of them in cages, chained to the wall. In fact, Isabel and her brothers would never have found Tess expect that Mr. Harding brought her to Roswell to use as bait to capture them.) Isabel reached into one of her chest of drawers. She pulled out a waist pad she used to cover the glow.

Hesitating, Isabel looked down at her stomach again. She pulled her nightgown over her head and stood naked in the middle of her room. Once again, Isabel allowed herself the luxury of running her hands over the light.

A noise from outside brought Isabel back into the real world.

Looking out her bedroom window, Isabel saw her brother, Michael. From her balcony, Michael stared at the light coming from her abdomen. Isabel approached the window and flicked the latch open. Slowly, Michael entered Isabel’s room. He reached out a shaking hand and lightly touched her abdomen. As the light flickered from his touch, Michael smiled his patent smile – the barest turning up of the corners of his mouth. In response, Isabel took a firm hold of his hand and held it against the glowing spot. For a moment, the connection was perfect.

No interference.

No confusion.

No guilt.

Blushing, Michael pulled his hand away, turned around and just like that the connection was gone. Isabel suddenly became acutely aware of her own nakedness and quickly dressed. She tapped Michael on the shoulder and he turned around. Isabel ran her eyes over Michael’s hair and face. Again, she wondered what the baby would look like. Would it look human? Alien? Would the baby have Michael’s chiseled lips? Her blue eyes?

Que sera, sera.

Regardless of the conclusion, Michael and Isabel’s baby had been conceived in the way of their kind – through their psychic link. The touching and fumbling, required for humans to conceive, was unnecessary for them. There were no romantic expectations, nor any free will.

They never wanted a baby together.

They never expected something like this to happen.

Six months ago, the prospect of pregnancy terrified Isabel, but now, it was just a fact of life. Someone (their parents, perhaps?) intended for Michael and Isabel to mate and continue the species. Without warning, their bodies and their minds called to each other. In their dreams, they felt each other’s touch and taste. At first, the dreams came every night – each one a lesson in passion, surprise and fault.

Thankfully, Michael and Isabel’s dreams stopped once their child was conceived. Isabel fancied she had what humans called a soul, though she couldn’t know for sure, Isabel believed, not only she, but her siblings as well, possessed one. In her soul, she felt no romantic love for Michael, nor did he for her. If their souls could have been free, then their souls would have flown in different directions, into the open arms of the human to whom their respective souls belonged.

Accordingly, moments such as this, where Isabel and Michael found themselves alone in each other’s company, were few and far between. Even though they were connected psychically, they were almost always separated physically. Michael slouched and ran his left hand through his hair roughly, causing his light brown hair to have its trademark messy style. Isabel glanced at her watch – 7:28. Damn again! She cast her gaze upon Michael and spoke to him for the first time that morning. “Michael, what do you need? I’m meeting Tess in a few minutes and I really need to go.”

Michael shuffled around as he answered, “I know you’re meeting Tess. That’s why I’m

here. I don’t want you to go.”

Isabel rolled her eyes and responded, “Michael, you have got to stop this. She’s our

sister, not our enemy.”

Michael began to pace. Mindlessly, he drummed his fist against his leg as he continued,

“Didn’t it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, she’s our sister and our enemy.”

Isabel crossed her arms and sat on the edge of her bed. Defiantly, she argued, “No

Michael, it hasn’t. She’s one of us.”

“I don’t think so, Isabel. She’s one of them.”

“No!”

“Isabel, yes! If she’s not on their side, then why is she still living with that guy? We all know he’s a hunter.”

Dropping her head down, Isabel sighed, “I don’t know, Michael.”

Suddenly, Michael stopped pacing. Quietly, Michael crouched down in front of Isabel and took her hands in his. He stared at their hands for a second before meeting her eyes and asking, “You haven’t told her about the baby, have you?”

Isabel returned Michael’s gaze and replied, “No, I haven’t. I haven’t even told Max.”

Michael nodded. He stood up and stepped back. Running his hand through his hair, Michael whispered, “Okay. Let’s just- Let’s just keep it that way for now.”

Isabel bit her lip and nodded. She grabbed her books and her car keys. She got up and walked over to her bedroom door. Grabbing the doorknob, Isabel looked over her shoulder at Michael and called out, “I can give you a ride to school, Michael, but I’m still

going to meet with Tess.”

Michael nodded again and shrugged his shoulders.

Brushing past Isabel, Michael walked down the hall and started descending the stairs. Shaking her head, Isabel followed closely behind.

-----<(0)>-----

Slapping the snooze button, Liz Parker groaned her way into a sitting position. She plodded into the bathroom and turned on the light. She leaned over the sink, gripping the porcelain basin. Liz looked up and whimpered at the dark circles under her otherwise bright eyes. Another MUFON convention blew into town last night. The Crashdown had been filled to maximum capacity. Liz rubbed her arms, sore from balancing one too many Star Trek specials with Saturn rings on the side. Her feet hurt too much for her to only be sixteen. Despite her tender years, every muscle in her body cried out for sleep. With utter resignation, Liz opened a compact, applied some foundation and muttered under her breath:

“Thank God, I’m young.”

From somewhere, Liz found the strength to go about her morning routine of make-up, dressing and combing her long, dark brown hair. Before leaving, Liz looked in the mirror one more time. Healthy dabs of foundation concealed her puffy eyes but didn’t erase them completely. Sighing loudly, Liz picked up her bag and started for school.

-----<(0)>-----

Turning the steering wheel to the right, Max Evans turned onto Main Street. He passed the many stores and cafés and pulled up in front of the Crashdown. A few minutes later, Max saw Liz open the door. Her long hair shined in the early morning light. Her face, so beautiful in his eyes, was pale and weary. Max waved at Liz to get her attention. Turning toward Max, a smile spread over Liz’ face. She walked over to the passenger side of Max’s Jeep. Liz climbed in and stretched out a hand, with it, she pulled Max over by the back of his neck and kissed him firmly. Liz indulged herself in the feeling of his soft lips and texture of his skin and hair as she ran her hands over his face and through his dark black hair. Liz allowed herself to fall into the visions that always accompanied their embrace. The visions consisted of galaxies and wonders that Liz wished she could visit and touch. In her mind, a vast array of movement, matter and light rushed by at blurring speeds. Max could see it too. The lights and sounds only convinced him that he had made the right decision.

Although Max was an alien, one of the few individuals left from a race marooned on this planet, he believed Liz and he were meant to be together, fated, if you will.

But, there were others who didn’t agree.

At the age of eight, he was found on the side of the road with his sister, Isabel. Max had no memory of what his life was like before that, nor did he have any memory of his parents. All he knew was that someone left him, his sister and his brother, Michael in a capsule, out in the desert. Just recently, Max had found his other sister, Tess.

One spring day, Tess blew into town and started with in with stories of their people, of their parents. Max wasn’t sure if he believed them all but there was one story he did have to believe. Tess told him that they had been betrothed since childhood. Also, a psychic link existed between them. During a moment of weakness, Max allowed his primal urges for Tess to be satisfied. Max kissed Tess and knew in an instant that it was wrong.

The imagery running through Max’s head now, while he kissed Liz, had been absent from his kiss with Tess. Not to be misunderstood, Max did receive images from his kiss with Tess, but the intensity he shared with Liz was absent. Since that solitary kiss, Max had no trouble fighting off his urge for Tess. All Max needed was to surrender to his love for Liz. She was all he had ever wanted. She was all he would ever need. Like most people who can find a quiet moment to do so, Max saw his future stretched out before him and he did see his children at his feet but with Liz, not Tess, at his side.

Pulling apart, Max and Liz smiled shyly at each other. Max started the Jeep and drove towards Roswell High. They talked along the way. He asked her about the MUFON crowd at the Crashdown the night before. She sighed and let him see the fatigue she had carefully hidden away. At a red traffic light, Max ran his hand down Liz’s face and said he hoped she was feeling all right. Their conversation went on pleasantly enough until:

“Liz, have you noticed anything odd about Michael and Isabel?”

Liz looked at Max and shook her head as she replied, “No, I’m afraid not. Why do you ask, Max?”

“No reason, really… That’s not entirely true. There are reasons. For instance, I saw Michael at my house, this morning. This is nothing new, but he always, at least, says hi. This morning, he came out of Isabel’s room like a bat out of Hell. He looked angry about something. Isabel came out right after him. They left together.”

“Well Max, if you’re really curious, then why don’t you just ask them what’s going on?”

Max looked out at the road. His features darkened as he answered, “I can’t anymore.

Ever since Tess arrived, I haven’t been able to speak to either of them. Even Isabel blows me off. I think- I think that my kissing Tess really upset them. Michael was really mad at me. He almost put me through a wall.”

Max turned into the school’s driveway. He and Liz got out of the Jeep and walked toward class. Liz placed her hand on Max’s arm and said, “Max, I’m not happy about

what happened with Tess, but if I can understand it, then so can Michael and Isabel. I think you really need to do is talk to them before this breaks our group apart.”

Nodding, Max reached out and took Liz’s hand. He gently squeezed it and smiled.

“You’re right, Liz. I’ll try and get them together later.”

-----<(0)>-----

Behind the girl’s auxiliary, Tess Harding paced back and forth. Her curly blond hair bounced with each step, her blue eyes flashed brightly and she bit into her full, red lips. Time was running out for her. She needed to get something and get away. Her “Father” had warned her that they needed to see results and her Father was far from forgiving of failure.

Gritting her teeth against the last thought, Tess knew, just knew, that Isabel could help her. Isabel would understand. The sound of approaching footsteps stopped her internal ramblings. Tess looked up and saw Isabel coming around the corner. A huge smile spread over Tess’ face, beaming brightly and then dimming suddenly, as Michael rounded the corner as well. Tess bit her lip and walked up to Isabel and Michael.

“Hi. Not to sound like I don’t want you here, but what are you doing here, Michael?”

“Me? No reason. Is there some problem with me being here?”

“No. Of course not, I just…really wanted to talk to Isabel alone, about female things.”

Isabel looked at Tess curiously and asked, “What female things?”

Tess shifted uncomfortably. She glanced at Michael. She met Isabel’s scrutiny. Looking down, she slowly replied, “I need your help, Isabel. We all know that we four are all that’s left. We-“

Michael interrupted, “All, that is, except for LoSaedo.”

Tess’ face reddened as she responded, “Forget about LoSaedo, Michael. Don’t you think that if he could help us that he would have done it by now? He makes the humans fear us. I can respect that but he also makes the humans hunt us. Michael, for all intents and purposes, we are all that’s left of our race. All the others are dead. If we fail, then our race, our people disappear. You can pretend that it doesn’t matter to you, but I know better.”

Michael looked away before countering, “Tess, you don’t know the first thing about me or you would know that I know what I am. I’m just not sure you’re right. How can there be no other aliens when you told us that you were captured and taken to a place where there were a lot of aliens?”

Tess nodded her head fiercely while she explained, “Yes, yes, I was kept with them.

They told me about you and Isabel and Max. They said I needed to find you. Then, one day, they started to get sick. Those damn scientists took notes and studied everything, but they did nothing to help them. In the end, they died - One by one, until I was all alone. I was tested and poked and questioned for years. The only thing that kept me alive was the knowledge that you three were out here, somewhere and that I had to find you.”

Isabel walked over to Tess and placed an arm around Tess’ shoulders. Tess turned into Isabel’s embrace. Gently running her hand up and down Tess’ back Isabel cooed, “It’s

all right, Tess. Michael and I are here. You found us. It’s over.”

Roughly, Tess pushed away from Isabel and countered, “It’s not over! It’s not over,

Isabel, because we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing. We contaminate our time with the company of humans. We have to get away. Go somewhere where the Feds will never find us. We need to be together as our parents intended. Please, Isabel, I need you to help me. I need you to talk to Max.”

Isabel’s eyes flashed with anger as she responded to Tess, “What did you say?

‘Contaminated with the company of humans?’ I don’t consider myself ‘contaminated with the company of humans.’ I don’t consider Alex a disease. You had best start understanding that I’m with Alex. Max is with Liz. Michael is with Maria.”

Tess hugged her arms around herself and chanted, “It’s wrong. You are supposed to be

with Michael and I am supposed to be with Max. I feel myself calling to him, reaching for him, but he won’t respond. I’m the one he was meant to be with, not Liz.”

Michael rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Reeling in her anger, Isabel patiently approached Tess and explained, “Tess, I understand what you’re saying, believe me, I

understand. You think you have this destiny, but it’s not that simple.”

Tess looked at Michael and Isabel, her narrow eyes darting back and forth between them. Quickly, Tess accused, “You’ve felt it, too, haven’t you? The pull.”

Isabel and Michael looked at each other, a knowing glance passed between them. Tess watched this exchange intently. Isabel met Tess’ gaze with soft, comforting eyes and declared, “Tess, it’s not about that. It doesn’t matter if we’ve ever felt it. The point is

that we are never going to pair up the way we were intended, the way you want us to. Too much has happened. Whether you like it or not, Max is with Liz. He genuinely loves her and she makes him happy and, I, for one, don’t want to see that end anytime soon.”

A frustrating silence fell over the three of them. Finally, Isabel shattered the silence by looking at her watch and saying, “Guys, we need to get to class.”

Michael never said goodbye he just got up and walked away.

Following Michael’s cue, Isabel looked at Tess for a moment longer before turning away.