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WE DIDN’T, OF COURSE. After about twenty minutes the office lady came out, her hair all puffed out at the sides and hurried away saying, “I’ve just got to get to the pool!”
We waited another five minutes, then went in. The school was now deserted.
Ms Loti tried ringing all sorts of people, even her cousins in New Zealand. No replies. Nothing. No police. No power company. Nothing. Her parents didn’t answer. Neither did mine.
I was terrified about going home: terrified of finding my mum and my dad and my baby sister, all in the pool, going, '‘Hoo-whoop, hoo-whoop!’ I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing them like that: fat alien seals with sausage-horns like three cartoon fingers curling around their cheeks.
So anyway we came in here to hide and we’re still here two days later. And that’s pretty much the end of the story. We’ve still got power on so I’m going to print this out while I can. Then we’re going to leave it in the middle of a table, on top of another table, tightly wrapped in plastic to keep it dry. Ms Loti’s already done a whole heap of books like that. Been at it for two whole days. She reckons this building will stay up for a thousand years easy.
Maybe people on some other planet will read this one day, far in the future.
Maybe.
So anyway, Space Dudes, that’s it. See ya.
#
MS LOTI STOOD ON A chair and put the plastic-wrapped print-out on the top of the stack, wedging it securely between a big atlas and a fat encyclopedia. On its cover, at Nathan’s request, were the words ‘ATTENTION SPACE DUDES!’ in thick black permanent marker pen.
As she came down again the lights dimmed, then went out.
“That’s it then,” said Nathan, “They’ve won.”
Ms Loti said nothing, just walked to the door and looked out. In the distance they could hear the now familiar ‘Hoo-whooop!’ of aliens.
She stepped out, listening, then turned to him, looking sad and tired.
“Sorry Nathan,” she said, picking up Lucy’s farewell present, “but I’m just too damn lonely. I’ve got to find my family. I don’t care what they look like any more.”
She paused to swirl the water then lifted it to her lips, but right then a voice shouted, “Stop!”
They both turned to look, and they both spoke at the same moment.
“Lucy?”
It was Lucy, plodding towards them. She looked rather wobbly and fat, but her face was normal again. Also she looked worried and urgent as she came the last twenty metres, but slowed down when she saw that the bottle was still full.
“Phew! Just in time!”
They backed away from her, alarmed.
“It’s alright. I’m back to normal, almost.” Lucy glanced down at herself, looking in particular at her hands that still looked vaguely like flippers. “You see, we had to try. We didn’t know any other way to do it.” Her voice was quite normal, but it was saying the weirdest things.
“ ‘We’?” asked Ms Loti.
Lucy glanced up at the sky. “Yes.”
There was a metallic glint up there, just for a moment.
“The aliens?” asked Ms Loti
“Yes.”
“So are you an alien or not?” asked Nathan.
“No. Yes. Sort of. It’s complicated.” She took the bottle from Miss Loti, swirled it and looked at the faint blurry streaks inside. “You see, it didn’t go quite to plan, but I think you’re all going to be okay now. I mean, look at me!”
She laughed, very much like the old Lucy would.
Nathan looked at the sky, frightened. “So what’s going to happen next?”
“This.” Lucy tossed away the old water bottle and showed them the new one she had been carrying. “It’s brand new, see?”
Nathan took it and looked at the cap. It hadn’t ever been opened.
“So..?”
“So spit in it.”
“What if I don’t?”
Lucy shrugged. “Just, you know: end of the world as you know it. End of humanity. That kind of thing. We’ve been working on it, see, but we realised we needed one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
She tilted her head shyly and glanced away for a moment, then looked back at him as if she was very happy to see him again.
“Boy Germs.”
#
HI. IT’S NATHAN AGAIN.
Well, it’s a funny thing, but there’s still a little bit more to write. We’re waiting at the library now, to see what happens. I’m not sure what’s going on, but after Lucy went off with that bottle, me and Miss Loti just stood there for a while, and then she hugged me which was nice, and then I realized there was water dripping onto my hair. I freaked out for a moment and pulled away, but actually she was just crying.
I’d never seen a teacher cry before, and this was Ms Loti – the world’s toughest teacher! But anyway she was, and I suppose I felt all funny inside too.
Alright, so I cried too. No big deal. Get over it!
You see when Lucy turned up again – well it was like the sunshine coming back. I was so happy to see her.
I guess ... I suppose ... I mean ... well anyway ... Alright I’ll admit it! I’ve always liked Lucy. She’s so cute. And funny. And smart. You know what? – I’d like to be her boyfriend if she ever goes in for that kind of thing.
There, I said it!
So I’m glad the aliens chose her, because I think she’s got the best Girl Germs in the world!