Read Online My Cousin, the Alien by Pamela F. Service - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Pamela F. Service
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nothing changed. Anxiously I looked around. Maybe I could carry him. The ledge we were on stretched to the left, then turned a sharp corner. Maybe . . . I froze.
On the far side of the quarry something was moving along the cliff face, something with a faint violet light. One of those fat guys climbing a cliff? Still, under all their seeming flub might be alien muscle.
I flattened myself on the ledge beside Ethan, but soon the figure would be high enough to see us. Could I drag Ethan farther behind the fallen pine? I reached for him and caught sight of the chain around his neck. Quickly I slipped it and the pendant over his head. It glinted like fire in the moonlight. There had to be some way to make this thing work!
I held it away from me, frantically poking the little knobs. The violet light on the opposite cliff was climbing higher. I looked again at Ethan. It might not be safe to move him, but it wouldn’t be safe much longer leaving him here. I rose to a crouch and grabbed his shoulders.
Crackling air skimmed over me. Fallen pine branches burst into a rain of needles and sawdust.
“Time’s up, kid,” the alien’s voice boomed. “Guess you’ll have to stay here dead.”
I spun around, about to yell back something when another voice called sharply, “Guess again!”
A beam of blue-white light shot across the quarry into the climbing figure. Something screamed, something not human. Seconds later a charred, twisted shape fell to the dark waters below.
Stunned, I looked toward the source of the beam. Someone was standing on the rim of the quarry. A slender figure. Rescuers! The police had finally tracked us down. But that weapon. . . what was that?
The new figure was moving our way. Then it left the rim and began climbing down the rock face. Whoever it was, he was a very good climber. Nervously I looked around. There was still one fat alien left.
At one end of the quarry, our rescuer reached a ledge and leaped from it to an angled block of stone. Just then, a shaft of wavering air shot across the quarry and smashed into that block. It heaved sideways, and the person clinging to it was thrown backwards. That last shot, I realized, had come from almost underneath us.
Crawling to the rim of our ledge, I cautiously stuck my head over. The other alien and his violet light were moving below and to my right. Sitting back, I looked to the far end of the quarry. Our rescuer was still there but seemed to be caught in a rock crevice or something. I could see arms flailing.
And here I was, helplessly watching! Desperate, I grabbed at the pendant again.
It’s got to work!
I yelled in my mind.
It’s supposed to have some power, so let’s see it!
Clutching the metal disk, I leaned over the rock edge. As if it were a gun, I aimed the disk at the figure silently climbing below me. My mind was yelling orders as I jabbed randomly at the crystal and knobs.
That power, I need that power! I’ve got to save our rescuer! I’ve got to save Ethan! I need help!
I squeezed the pendant so hard my fingers tingled. No, it was the light, the light that made them tingle. My whole hand was glowing with pale blue light!
My fingertips glowed brighter and brighter, throbbing with pain, burning pain. Then, like glowing needles, the light shot beyond them. It shot down the cliff. The climbing alien shrieked. I couldn’t see beyond the flare of light, but something splashed into the water far below.
Stunned, I pulled back my hand and stared at it. The glow was gone. So, almost, was the pain. There were no scars, no burns. The pendant hung dully from the chain wrapped around my wrist.
That’s when I began shaking. Shaking uncontrollably. I’d used an alien weapon. I’d killed an alien. I’d saved my cousin. I’d saved that other person. I was going to be sick!
Dizzily I rolled over and retched. Again and again, my body convulsed. Nothing much came out, but finally I felt better. Weak and dizzy, but better.
Minutes passed. I was
On the far side of the quarry something was moving along the cliff face, something with a faint violet light. One of those fat guys climbing a cliff? Still, under all their seeming flub might be alien muscle.
I flattened myself on the ledge beside Ethan, but soon the figure would be high enough to see us. Could I drag Ethan farther behind the fallen pine? I reached for him and caught sight of the chain around his neck. Quickly I slipped it and the pendant over his head. It glinted like fire in the moonlight. There had to be some way to make this thing work!
I held it away from me, frantically poking the little knobs. The violet light on the opposite cliff was climbing higher. I looked again at Ethan. It might not be safe to move him, but it wouldn’t be safe much longer leaving him here. I rose to a crouch and grabbed his shoulders.
Crackling air skimmed over me. Fallen pine branches burst into a rain of needles and sawdust.
“Time’s up, kid,” the alien’s voice boomed. “Guess you’ll have to stay here dead.”
I spun around, about to yell back something when another voice called sharply, “Guess again!”
A beam of blue-white light shot across the quarry into the climbing figure. Something screamed, something not human. Seconds later a charred, twisted shape fell to the dark waters below.
Stunned, I looked toward the source of the beam. Someone was standing on the rim of the quarry. A slender figure. Rescuers! The police had finally tracked us down. But that weapon. . . what was that?
The new figure was moving our way. Then it left the rim and began climbing down the rock face. Whoever it was, he was a very good climber. Nervously I looked around. There was still one fat alien left.
At one end of the quarry, our rescuer reached a ledge and leaped from it to an angled block of stone. Just then, a shaft of wavering air shot across the quarry and smashed into that block. It heaved sideways, and the person clinging to it was thrown backwards. That last shot, I realized, had come from almost underneath us.
Crawling to the rim of our ledge, I cautiously stuck my head over. The other alien and his violet light were moving below and to my right. Sitting back, I looked to the far end of the quarry. Our rescuer was still there but seemed to be caught in a rock crevice or something. I could see arms flailing.
And here I was, helplessly watching! Desperate, I grabbed at the pendant again.
It’s got to work!
I yelled in my mind.
It’s supposed to have some power, so let’s see it!
Clutching the metal disk, I leaned over the rock edge. As if it were a gun, I aimed the disk at the figure silently climbing below me. My mind was yelling orders as I jabbed randomly at the crystal and knobs.
That power, I need that power! I’ve got to save our rescuer! I’ve got to save Ethan! I need help!
I squeezed the pendant so hard my fingers tingled. No, it was the light, the light that made them tingle. My whole hand was glowing with pale blue light!
My fingertips glowed brighter and brighter, throbbing with pain, burning pain. Then, like glowing needles, the light shot beyond them. It shot down the cliff. The climbing alien shrieked. I couldn’t see beyond the flare of light, but something splashed into the water far below.
Stunned, I pulled back my hand and stared at it. The glow was gone. So, almost, was the pain. There were no scars, no burns. The pendant hung dully from the chain wrapped around my wrist.
That’s when I began shaking. Shaking uncontrollably. I’d used an alien weapon. I’d killed an alien. I’d saved my cousin. I’d saved that other person. I was going to be sick!
Dizzily I rolled over and retched. Again and again, my body convulsed. Nothing much came out, but finally I felt better. Weak and dizzy, but better.
Minutes passed. I was
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