Free Lizard People by Charlie Price

day.”
    How did he know I’d been here every day? He hadn’t been home some of the times I’d come by. Was he just guessing? Had he been watching? Oops. I was getting paranoid. Was I going crazy? Was I already there?
    I backed off. “Yeah,” I said, “you’re right. I, uh, I just wanted to know you better because I had never met another kid with a mentally ill parent. And then you seemed weirded out by what you said had happened to you, and when you told it to me, I guess I got a little upset myself.”
    â€œIt goes on,” he said. “It keeps happening … the story.”
    He left the room and I could hear him in the bathroom. When he came back, he was carrying the chair. “Want to hear more?” he asked.

4000
    Dr. Gila held his shoulder so Marco couldn’t walk out from the oak tree. She gave a soft whistle.
    Marco didn’t understand.
    She rolled her eyes, held up a single finger.
    â€œOne?” Marco whispered. Then it dawned on him. “You mean stop,” he said, “wait a minute.”
    She let go of him and turned to look out through the branches, listening.
    Marco bolted, but a blinding pain drove him to his knees before he had taken two steps. The stabilizer! He could feel his shoulder burning. He crawled back to Dr. Gila and the pain receded.
    â€œYou and I will search together,” she said. “You will guide, and I will think. Are we clear?”
    Marco nodded.
    â€œWe are in your backyard?” Gila affirmed.
    Marco nodded.
    â€œDo not attract attention,” Gila warned. “If we encounter someone, you will speak and get them to leave us alone. If you run again, or try to raise an alarm, I will stabilize you back to our time.” She paused to see if he understood. “Now, let’s go.”
    Marco’s mind was working at hyperspeed on getting away, but for now, he would do as she said.
    They left the shelter of the oak tree and surveyed the yard and nearby houses.
    â€œMonitor is a scientist,” Gila whispered. “He would be curious and explore, but he would be very careful.”
    â€œWould he carry a cloaking device?” Marco asked.
    â€œNo. No devices. Too risky. Like Anole and I agreed, only the stabilizer, so we would not lose you, and the translators so we can talk and I can understand the people here. That was unavoidable, but nothing else that would alter history. And I’m sure he would be similarly responsible.”
    Marco felt his shoulder. It was in there somewhere. Implant.
    They went to the back fence and looked over. Nothing. Side fences, nothing. They edged around the house to the shrubbery at the border of the front yard.
    â€œHow long has he been here?” Marco wondered.
    â€œA few hours at the most,” Gila said.
    â€œWould he have gone inside one of these houses?” Marco asked.
    â€œDoubtful.” Gila was holding her fingers to her temples. “He would have been extremely cautious,” Gila said. “He was very aware of the risks.”
    â€œMarco! Watch out! Another one’s behind you!” His neighbor, Mr. Bellarmine, was yelling at him. “Run! Run! I’ve got 911!”
    My neighbor’s name is Mr. Bellarmine! I blinked my eyes against a growing headache.
    Marco grabbed Gila and pulled her toward his front door. He could feel scales forming on her hand as he reached the steps. Throwing the door open and running inside, he almost ran down his mother, who was standing in the front hallway, facing the door. His mother’s face was painted red, and she was holding an odd-shaped cross in front of her. She began screaming. Marco turned to Gila, who was again transforming, her nose blunting, her skin changing texture. He dropped her hand and ran to his mother. The pain dropped him to his knees again. Gila pulled him to his feet and the two of them were outside, running down the block, away from his home and the neighbor with the