Aliens With a Spot of Milk

Caylin tugged the fridge open and lazily pulled out the milk. Today was a weekend, and homework was unexistent. She planned to watch anime and eat stale cereal with 2% milk. As she slammed the fridge shut, she noticed that the jug was considerably light. Maybe I'm getting stronger, she thought. Hoping that that was the case, she twisted the milk jug's lid, but her fingers slipped, leaving prints on them. Scratch that, I'm not getting stronger. Caylin shook the jug but didn't hear any swooshing sounds, signalling that there wasn't a drop of milk in there. She grumpily threw the worthless thing in the garbage can, not even thinking about recycling. She'd have to go to the market today. Caylin mentally groaned as she stomped her bare feet to her room. Well, her and her roommate's room. 

Still disappointed, she opened the door to reveal a figure hidden underneath the covers of a blanket. There was a faint white light glowing from underneath. She walked up to the figure, still stomping her feet, not even bothering to hide her disappointment. She took one end of the blanket and tugged it off, revealing a girl, eyes glued to a laptop screen with a bowl of cereal.

"Morning," the girl greeted without taking her eyes off the screen. 

Still grumpy, Caylin just replied with a grunt. The girl dipped her spoon in the cereal bowl, and Caylin noticed a liquidy thing in there. Milk. Caylin's milk. 

"Get up, Zoe, you're going to the market," she commanded. Zoe finally glanced up at her, mouth bursting with cereal. She resembled a chipmunk. "Wut? Fy do I ave to oh to da mrket?" Zoe asked, milk dripping from the corner of her mouth. 

"There's no more milk left," she replied, still not understanding with Zoe said. Zoe swallowed. 

"Why can't you go get it yourself. I already have all the milk I need."

"That was supposed to be mine. So stop being lazy. What are you watching anyway." She peered on her screen. "Seriously? Anime?" she asked. 

"Ha! Don't pretend you don't love it."

"I don't!" 

"Liar," Zoe sang. She just frowned. This day couldn't get any worse. "C'mon, forget about the shops. You can share cereal with me, and we can watch together." Zoe scootched over and patted to an empty spot beside her. 

"Nope, I got to go get some milk. No way am I sharing cereal with you."

"Your loss. Cereal always tastes better with my spit on it." She dipped her spoon in the bowl again and nearly poured the contents on her laptop. Caylin slapped her forehead; Zoe just giggled as she said, "oops." Caylin walked out of the room, leaving Zoe with her anime and Caylin's milk. She slipped on her grey sweater, shoes and put her blonde hair in a too messy bun. She quickly glanced at the mirror and shrugged. 'Good enough,' she thought. 

Caylin grabbed her keys and wallet from the kitchen counter, opened the door, and slammed it behind her. She swiftly locked the door and headed towards the market. 'I could have been eating cereal and watching anime right now,' she thought. During the trip to the market, she nearly tripped four times on cracks. 'Poor mum probably broke her back a couple of times now.' When she reached the market, she immediately realized that she had arrived at the wrong one. This one looked a bit odd. Perplexed at which wrong turn she took, Caylin cautiously started walking inside, gaping at her surroundings. There were many weird substances on the shelves, which she assumed were food. As she continued to look around in half disgust and awe, Caylin realized that the grocery shop was empty. 

There wasn't a single living thing in sight. Unless the weird food was... She snapped out of her faze and starting looking for the milk, given her stubbornness. She hadn't walked all the way here for nothing. As she walked through the aisles looking for the dairy section, it finally hit her, smack dab on the head. Literally. Her behind kissed the hard marble floor. She groaned and attempted to stand up. Her bottom burned with a passion. She looked around, and there was nothing there. Still grumbling and rubbing her behind, she reached out and clung to one of the shelves. It was surprisingly soft. And warm. Caylin steadily turned her head to see what was supporting her. It was what she least expected. It was nothing. There was absolutely nothing there. She cautiously removed her hand from nothing. Caylin started blinking rapidly. Maybe she imagined things. There was still nothing there. Caylin placed her hand around the area where she had touched nothing, and there was indeed something there. She just couldn't see it. She removed her hand again and closed her eyes firmly. 

She was squeezing her eyes so hard that little white dots were starting to form. She peeled her eyes open and almost fainted. There were people in every corner swarming around. She saw mothers dragging their kids, children grabbing junk food, workers doing their jobs, someone pocketing a candy bar, everything. Everything that happens at a market, except all this, wasn't here 2 seconds ago. I'm imagining things, she thought. I must be. Caylin begged her feet to walk, but they disobeyed. She could hear her heart pounding, slowly making its way up her throat. Ok, she thought. Don't panic. Just walk up to someone and ask where on earth you are and how on earth they got here. Caylin nodded her head as if someone else was telling her to do this. Her feet starting moving, wobbling with each step. She spotted a nice looking lady and cautiously walked up to her. Just ask her where you are. And if you have time, ask where the milk is.

Caylin had reached the lady who was now viewing an odd purply vegetable that looked like cucumber. No stupid, a cucumber is a fruit, Caylin argued with herself. "Just talk to her, will you?" she said out loud. Caylin clapped her hand over her mouth, realizing she just spoke out loud. Her voice was booming, and she was bewildered as to why. She looked up to the lady who was now staring at her. Everyone was. "Umm, hi. Do you eh um ehh know where I uh am? And um, eh, do you know where the uh milk is?" she stuttered. Her face grew crimson red. Great, now these people think I'm a tomato that got an F in language. She waited patiently for a response, but the lady just kept staring at her along with everyone else.

Caylins palms started sweating as the strangers' eyes pierced through her. Her mind raced with questions. Where did they come from? Why aren't they talking? What are they thinking? Is a cucumber really a fruit? Why didn't I share cereal with Zoe? Why am I sweating? When can I have my milk? She just wanted answers and for this day to be over. She glanced up again at the silent people and studied their faces. They all looked extremely concentrated, even the kids. Their eyebrows and faces were all scrunched up as if they were using the bathroom. She pushed that thought to the very, very, back of her head. "Why aren't you guys saying anything?" she blurted. No one seemed disturbed by her sudden outbreak. Caylin sighed.

Everyone's faces got scrunched up for a few moments later until the nice looking lady dropped the weird fruit and walked away. "Where is she going?" Caylin asked. No one acknowledged her presence. Perhaps they were all deaf, but how was that possible? What is wrong with these people? She thought. Suddenly everyone looked disturbed and slightly angry. Did they just read my thoughts? Now their faces looked pleased and wore approving looks. Caylin tried not to think. They just read her mind. Don't think Caylin, don't you dare think. They can hear you! Great, now I'm thinking. The mind-reading people wore looks of amusement. 

Caylin's head was spinning. This was all too much. All she wanted was her 2% milk. Now she was in a shop with mind-reading people who either can turn invisible or teleport. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and shrieked like a camel. She turned her head to see the nice lady and in her hand was something glorious. It was a perfect jug of milk. The lady handed it to her and smiled a forced smile. Caylin gratefully took the jug. Even with her mind exploding with questions, she had, at last, got her milk. "Thank you! Thank you so much. Now I can finally go and watch anime!" she exclaimed. The mind-readers looked at her, confused. "Oh yeah. You guys can't hear me. Lemme try again." She focused on making her thoughts nice and clear. Thank you for the milk! Now I can eat cereal and watch anime. 

The mind readers nodded. I guess they mind-readers like anime, she thought. Approving and disapproving took over their faces. Caylin was now extremely confused. She was even frustrated. Why are these people so hard to read? She hugged her milk jug for comfort, rocking it back and forth. The people started walking towards the exit and beckoned Caylin to follow them. Caylin thought for a while. She didn't want to leave. She had too many questions. But then again, she got her milk. She decided milk over people and followed her strange hosts. She arrived at the exit and walked out of the market. She faced the people smiled. They all smiled in return. Bye. I'll visit you soon. They just kept on smiling. 

Caylin turned around and starting walking home. Her milk jug tucked safely under her arm. She enjoyed the cold feeling on her skin. This calmed her down since her mind still had questions that needed to be answered. Little did she know that the moment she left the market that the people went back to their original forms as aliens. Pasty green skin and bulging eyes. She didn't know that when she walked inside the market that there indeed were many living things. Invisible things. Aliens. Caylin did not realize that the nothing that she was touching was an alien. She did not know that when she left, the aliens started teleporting back home to watch anime. She didn't know that the thing she bumped into was the nice lady. Caylin did not know any of these things. She had finally arrived home, took off her shoes and made herself a nice big bowl of cereal. She walked inside her room and slammed the door. Zoe was still watching anime. She walked over to Zoe, a massive grin on her face. "What are you smiling about?" Zoe asked. Caylin just grinned wider.

"I got my milk."