Free Adaptation: book I by Pepper Pace Page B

face, brushed her teeth, and used the slop bucket. After dressing, she decided to save breakfast for later and went about her chores.
    Carmella had an odd feeling while she did her work. She looked over her shoulders often. She couldn’t understand why it felt as if someone was coming toward her even though she neither heard nor saw anything. She thought briefly of that alien, but the alien no longer scared her. It certainly would have killed her or taken her by now if that was its plan. She shrugged off the feeling and continued with her chores.
    Back in the house she cracked two eggs to make scrambled eggs, but the gelatinous yolks made her ill and she threw them out. Instead she made a cup of hot tea and nibbled on day-old bread. She didn’t feel like baking today. Oversleeping had completely screwed up her schedule. She was supposed to do laundry but didn’t feel like doing that either. She didn’t even feel like reading. Carmella climbed the stairs wearily and decided to take a nap.
    When she woke, she felt better and was ravenously hungry. She opened a can of Spam because the stuff never went bad and made herself a fried Spam- wich with the last of the bread. She felt tons better, and the queasy feeling in her stomach went away.
     
    ~***~
    “Did you just return from Earth, Bilal?” First Mother asked.
    Bilal resisted turning yellow. “Yes.”
    His First Mother followed as he headed for his living quarters. “You have been going there quite a lot.”
    “I like Earth,” he said. “And there is much to discover.”
    “Bilal, your fathers and mother and I have become worried. You seem preoccupied. And also …” A tentacle appeared, and she held dandelion caps in them.
    Bilal’s body turned black. “You’ve been in my quarters?”
    “I was worried. Bilal, you promised that you wouldn’t use this again. Is that what you do on Earth?”
    “No! I mean, yes, but I don’t do it all the time. Mother-Mina, you had no right to invade my personal space.”
    “Yes, I did. I had every right.”
    Bilal relaxed his body. “Throw that away, Mother. I haven’t consumed any of it in months.”
    His First Mother sighed.
    “Do you want to check me? You can. I’m not lying.” It had been three months since he had last indulged on the night he had created the embryo. Now it was a fetus; he was a fetus. Bilal had created a boy. He felt pleased and resisted turning red with pleasure. He didn’t need to have his First Mother suspicious. As much as he wanted to share his news, he couldn’t. His family would shun what he had done. Maybe it was wrong, but when he was doing it, it had seemed right. Even now when he was again thinking straight, it still didn’t seem completely wrong. 
    “You’re forbidden to return to Earth,” his First Mother said.
    Bilal tensed. “What?”
    She formed several tentacles that waved in the air like snakes. “Your fathers have decided and I agree. You return hurt, you are indulging in this poison, and you have been moody and difficult to communicate with. You have let your commitments at home fall by the wayside!”
    “Mother, no! You don’t understand. I have to go back to Earth!”
    “Even now you only care about that planet, when I am telling you that your behavior has been poor. You should be focusing on your attitude and behavior, Bilal!”
    “I will. But give me another chance.”
    “Bilal! You speak like a human! It is done. You, above all should know that decisions like this are not arbitrary. I cannot take it back. It has been decided. You will focus on your position as a dignitary within our own kind.”
    Bilal knew her words were true.
    He had fucked up.
     
    ~***~
     
    “What is the problem Bilal?” Lawrence asked. “Man, I gotta tell you that you’ve been stranger than normal lately.”
    Bilal, Raj, Lawrence, and Lawrence’s girlfriend-of-the-week were in Lawrence’s house.
    Bilal shuddered and gave Treya a long look until the human female made an excuse to