[THE BLACK CACOON]

It was a warm afternoon at a private residence in Glasco, NY. And that feeling that something weird could happen, or that something strange was already happening. Fills the atmosphere of this private house.

The time is now 7 in the evening, and splashes of water and voices of women echoed from behind the house.

Let’s take a gander!

“Is he still in the water?” asked Liana. A thick-bodied white woman with long brunette hair was sitting on the balcony, looking down into the pool.

“Yes, Carver can hold his breath for a long period,” replied Cinthia, a black woman who is sitting on a beach chair with a towel in her hand.

“Cinthia, it’s been 5 minutes. I think you should take him out now,” she said.

“Trust me, he is fine.”

“Okay, I will be down shortly,” Liana said, got up, and went to the kitchen, for she was cooking.

2 minutes later.

A little black boy was getting out of the pool. His tiny head surfaced from the water, with the darkest hair imaginable, curly, and twisted in a French braid, grey eyes, and standing 4 feet tall wearing an “Esopus Seal – The ABC Tale” swim trunks.

Carver is a brilliant 7-year-old who speaks like a grown-up, but to himself or with his cousin, Trayvon. He is also the brightest in his class.

Carver got out of the water.

His mom, Cinthia, smiles. She was standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, with an afro. Currently unemployed, she quit her job after the death of her husband. And now she lives on his inheritance.

Cinthia is taking the time to heal from his death, even though it has been 7 years, she tells herself, she needs time, hence the reason she spends most of her time at home, two houses down from Liana, so visiting is just a walk away.

“Honey, that was almost 7 minutes, you are going longer and longer every time.”

“You might have to do swimming when you get to Lennord County High,” she said.

“I can go more if I want, I just get hungry, the longer I hold my breath,” he replied.

“What do you mean?” Cinthia asked, scrubbing his head with a towel, when Liana came down.

“Oh! Look! Who is finally out? That is quite the lungs on you, Mr. Cornelius Jr., she said, sitting beside Cinthia, smiling.

“Thank you, Aunty,” Carver replied.

“And that hair, so beautiful, I have never seen such dark texture.”

“You did not get that hair from your mom,” Lianna said and laughed, looking at Cinthia.

“Oh! That is his dad’s hair, for sure. Even though Carver’s is a little darker.”

“What is he again?”

“I don’t know really,” Cinthia replied.

“So do an ancestry test.”

“I don’t believe in that stuff.” She replied when Carver asked.

“Mom, when is Dad coming home?”

Liana abruptly paused.

“WHAT! he doesn’t know?” she asked Cinthia with a surprising tone.

“NOT NOW! Liana,” she said, talking under her breath with her teeth clenched.

“Mom, I already know,” Carver said.

“What do you mean by you know?” Cinthia asked.

“Who told you?”

“You did!” the boy replied.

“ME!?” Cinthia asked with shock.

“What are you talking about, Carver? When did I tell you this?” Cinthia asked and handed him a shirt.

“Silly mom, I can hear everything in your mind,” he replied when his cousin, Trayvon, Liana’s son, came home. He had just been dropped off by his dad, Carlton.

“Hey Carver,” said Trayvon. Smiling from cheek to cheek.

“Hi Trayvon,”

“I brought you something, guess what it is,” said Trayvon.

“A Nick Frost Action figure,” Carver replied.

“How did you know?”

“You were thinking about it, you weren’t sure if I wanted the Bobby Jean Frost,” Carver replied.

Trayvon was confused as to how Carver knew this.

Carlton walked up.

“What's up, Nephew?” he asked, rubbing Carver’s head.

“Hi, Uncle Carlton,”

Carlton then kissed Liana.

“I’m not staying long,” he told her.

“You're not going to say hi to Cinthia, she is your sister, you know that, right?” Liana asked.

“How long are you going to avoid her?”

“I’m not doing this now, I will see you later, babes,” he said, and walked off.

“See you later, nephew.”

“You and Tray better not give Liana any trouble. I will be back later,” he said.

“Hey, Uncle,” Carver abruptly stopped Carlton.

“What’s up, buddy?”

“I know what you are saying in your mind right now,” he told him, and shocked everyone.

Carlton quickly looks at Liana and Cinthia.

“Oh yeah,” he said.

Cinthia hissed.

“Carver, don’t waste your time with him, just let him go,” she said. As she stared at her brother with puffy eyes, Carlton looked at her with disgust.

“Go ahead, Carver, tell me what I’m thinking,” Carlton said.

“You keep saying, how much you love, the way, Aunt Liana, a white woman, is taking care of your sister, a black woman, because you are too weak to do it,” Carver said to Carlton.

“What the fuck” Carlton said under his breath.

“Did this kid just read my mind?” he whispered to himself.

Liana started crying.

“Good one, nephew,” said Carlton. He then laughed and quickly walked off.

“See you all later, well, just you three,” he said.

“Are you okay? Cinthia asked Lianna because she was still tearing up.

“Yes, that makes me so happy, that he was thinking that.”

“Liana, if you believe that. Is like you telling me you just believed, Carver just read Carlton’s mind, and knew what he was thinking.”

“Yes, but Carlton didn’t deny it.”

“Aunty, can we go eat now?” Carver asked, interrupting the conversation.

“Yes, let’s go inside,” she suggested, wiping her eyes.

Moments later.

All four were seated at the dinner table. Plates are filled with slices of Lasagna, cups with Kool-Aid, and prosecco for the ladies.

30 minutes later. Everyone had finished dinner and was now sitting in the living room watching a movie.

2.5 hours later.

“OMG, this movie is so long,” said Liana, yawning.

“It’s an Andre Paul movie, Aunty. His Syfy movies are normally long,” said Carver.

“And why is that?” she asked. Before he could answer, Cinthia chipped in.

“It’s getting late, I think I will be taking off soon,” she said.

“Mom, can I finish the movie, please? Only 30 minutes left to go,” he said.

“Cinthia, why don’t you and I step outside on the balcony, and let the kids enjoy the movie?” Lianna suggested.

“Okay,” Cinthia replied.

Moments later, both women were standing on the balcony, smoking weed.

The time was now 8:30 pm.

And the feeling that something could go wrong still lingers.

“I love it when Lennord County is quiet like this,” Liana said, passing the weed.

“So, what truly happened that night?” she asked.

Cinthia coughed.

“You (she coughed) mean (she coughed) my Husband?” Cinthia asked.

“Yes, apart from you think he was cheating; what truly happened?”

“He was cheating. I found several emails of naked pictures from a woman named Ms. Patan.”

“Okay, but I want to know what happened, because I was hearing rumors of some strange stuff,” she said.

“Okay, I will tell you the story,” Cinthia said, and passed her back the weed.

It was the year.

MAY 1999.

Students from NEPA University reported that an Unidentified Flying Object was floating over Ashokan and Minnewaska Hall. Eyewitnesses saw the UFO take off at light speed and crash into the Fairground. My husband was the leading scientist. Well, the proper name is Xenologist.

My husband had led a few men to the site, escorted by top government officials. When they arrived, they indeed saw a saucer tilted to the side, the door open; and a short black slimy creature, with human feature, but completely transparent, his inside look like it was all brains; allegedly, they had recovered an unconscious alien man; my husband had taken the alien back to his lab.

“And that is all I know,” Cinthia said.

“Wow! Aliens, huh?” “With all the murders going on in Lennord County, aliens are the last thing we need,” said Liana.

“You believe in Aliens, Cinthia? You believe they walk among us?” she asked.

“You know there is no such thing as an alien; we are the only ones in the universe,” said Cinthia.

“That is ignorant to say,”

“Then what killed Cornelius?” Liana asked when the kids came back out.

“Mom, the movie is finished,” said Trayvon, as he stretched and yawned.

“Okay, honey, we will be right in,” Liana replied, outing the weed.

Moments later, Liana and Cinthia had made their way back in. Carver was getting ready to leave, with hugs and kisses, they were now making their way out. Carver was yawning and stretching as well.

“Bye, Tray,” he said.

“Later, Tray,” said Cinthia.

“Thank you for everything, Liana, I know you are a real one,” she said.

“That is what Uncle Carlton was thinking, too,” said Carver, walking off.

Lianna looked at Cinthia with a pause.

“That hair,” she said.

“I’m telling you, do that Ancestry thing for him,” she said.

“Hold on, I think I have an extra package.”

She quickly went to her bedroom, grabbed a sealed kit, and handed it to Cinthia.

“Make sure you do it,” she told her.

“Thank you,” Cinthia said and left.

Moments later, after getting home, the two had gone straight to bed.

THE NEXT MORNING.

8 AM. AND IT WAS BREAKFAST AT THE HARTS.

Eggs and waffles, with a side of a DNA Kit.

Cinthia excitedly opened the box, as she saw sitting next to Carver, who was getting ready to eat.

“You can eat after I do this, okay?” she said, reading the instructions.

She then sobbed to him and read the last instruction:

RESULT TIME IS 8 WEEKS.

“8 WEEKS, why so long?” she asked.

“Mom, DNA makes up the body, things like that take time,” Carver told her.

Cinthia had followed all instructions, and just like that, Carver's DNA sample had been sent off.

ONE WEEK LATER, AND IT WAS BREAKFAST AGAIN.

“Just seven more weeks to go, Carver,” Cinthia said, smiling.

“Are you excited to see your background?” she asked.

“Not really,” he nonchalantly replied.

“Why not?” she asked.

“My mind is telling me it’s not important, and they won’t find it?” he said.

“What?” said Cinthia, laughing.

“Why would you say that?’ she asked.

“Anyway, do you remember at the pool, when you told me you already knew about Dad?” she asked.

“Can you tell me what you mean?”

“Sure,” he replied, and started to tell her a story that took place years before he was born.

It was the year.

May 1999.

Dad was on his extraterrestrial hunt in Nepa Town, where they supposedly discovered an alien spaceship with a 4-foot creature. After Dad took the alien corpse back to his lab, he began working on it, but the creature had somehow exploded all over him, causing him to pass out. After dad came home, he didn’t even take a shower, and had aggressive sex with you.

“You can leave that part out,” said Cinthia.

“Mom, I know Dad used to cheat on you and beat you a lot, you said it in your mind all the time, and that is why Uncle Carlton doesn’t speak to you, because you wouldn’t leave Dad,” Carver replied.

“Wow, Carver,” said Cinthia.

He then continued.

After the sex, Dad had suffered a fatal heart attack, dying on your naked body, 7 months after I was prematurely born, and 7 years later. Here I am now.

“Big and strong,” he said.

Cinthia laughed.

“Where did you know all of this from Carver? No one knows this information but me,” Cinthia said.

“Mom, you said it in your head all the time, how much time you want me to tell you?” He replied.

Cinthia stared with admiration and speculation.

“The news is going to talk about Dad now,” Carver abruptly said.

“What?” she asked when the radio switched to anchor Sofia Collins.

Lennord County, it’s been 7 years since that alleged alien ship crashed in Nepa Town.

And up to now, we can’t get word from the mayor if these sightings were true or not; maybe the government is playing a prank on us.” “We know the government is good for fake news.”

“Lead Xenologist Cornelius Hart had lost his life the same night, just after allegedly operating on an alien’s corpse.

“Did the government kill him?” “Did the government kill Cornelius Hart?” the news anchor asked twice.

“Was Cornelius about to reveal something classified?”

“Is the government hiding something?” she asked. Then paused.

She spoke

“This just in, about 17 people from the Glasco area have now checked into the hospital, for rapid brain cancer, mostly from the Lennord County elementary school.”

“Hospital calling it a strange phenomenon, “she said.

“That is your school,” Cinthia shockingly said, looking at Carver, then a sudden knock came on the door.

Knock! Knock!

Cinthia quickly got up, “Who is it?” she asked.

“USPS,” said the delivery guy.

“I have a package for one, Carver Hart.”

Cinthia smiled.

“Could it be the package already?” she asked.

“But it’s just one week,” she said to herself.

She opened the door.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning, Ma’am,”

“Just signed right here for me,” he told her, and handed her the package; Cinthia quickly signed and collected the item.

“Thank you,” said the mailman, and left.

She got back in, closed the door, and sat beside Carver.

“This is it, Mr.,” she said.

Happy and curious to see the Carver result.

Cinthia then opened the package. When a mostly blank paper was at the front, it stated.

TO: CARVER AND CINTHIA HART.

She then flipped the page and read it.

“ZERO RESULT” “UNKNOWN DNA”

She looked at Carver.

“What is it, Mom?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing, I think they might have your papers mixed up,”

“But our names are on it, it can’t be mixed up,” he said, taking the paper, when another piece of paper fell out. She quickly glanced and saw the word cheated and was intrigued.

She then took the paper up and read it.

It says.

Dear Mrs. Hart.

You should be getting your result in 7 more weeks, but this could not wait; so I hope this reaches you in time; my name is Rachel Patan, I knew your husband, we worked together at Sage Town NASA Center, you can say he cheated; but that is not important at the moment; after the incident, leaving your husband dead, I had handed in my resignation, and opened my own business. I’m a Scientist and the founder of Ancestry.com. I was the one who ran Carver’s test. I think Cornelius might have passed down alien DNA to your son. I think he was infected the night he was exposed. I will explain more later, so please, when you get this note, I’m begging you to leave your house immediately and go far away with your son. When you get to a secure location, call this number and hang up. (845- ORIGINS). I will come and pick you up. And one last thing, tell Carver not to read anyone’s mind, he could also cause brain cancer, a possible alert to others.

Yours sincerely.

Rachel Patan.

XENO ARCHAELOGIST.

Cinthia looked at Carver when she suddenly received 9 emails with the same information.

“We need to go, baby,” she said in a hurry.

“We need to go now,” she further said.

“Where are we going, Mom?” Carver asked.

“I don’t know, but let’s go now, right now,” she said, and got up, and they both felt-

A VIBRATING SOUND SHAKING THE ENTIRE HOUSE!

Cinthia looked at the carver, trembling.

“What is it, Carver?” she asked when the morning suddenly changed to night, followed by a bright light shining from outside and into the house.

“Mommy, they are coming for me,” Carver replied in fright.

“What baby?” she asked, and immediately held her mouth when she saw:

CARVER'S THICK BLACK HAIR GREW AT A RAPID RATE AND WRAPPED AROUND HIS BODY. THE LITTLE BOY WAS COMPLETELY MUMMIFIED. HE THEN FELL TO THE FLOOR WITH A PARALYZED GESTURE, UNABLE TO MOVE, WHEN THE HUGE BLACK HAIR STARTED TO CRACK OPEN LIKE A CATERPILLAR IN A COCOON, AND SOON AFTER, A HUGE SPLIT APPEARED IN THE MIDDLE. SOMEONE OR SOMETHING SLOWLY LEVITATES FROM INSIDE THE BLACK COCOON. BUT IT WASN’T HER LITTLE CARVER ANYMORE.

IT WAS…