"And she just admitted that she was into this mpreg thing?"

"Yeah, just came on out and said it."

"You're an idiot, Max."

"What?! I panicked! It's not every day the hottest girl in school comes to your house and confesses she's totally into fetishes that you didn't even knew existed. I mean, come on, Dad..."

"Alright, alright, benefit of the doubt, I guess. Still though, you got the hottest girl in school..." he said while elbowing me in the ribs. I laughed a little and felt my face flush.

Dad laughed. "This is great. Ah, young weird love..."

"Dad!"

"Oh, here, found this." He handed me a cellphone. "It's your old phone. I figured maybe you could sift through it and delete some people or whatever... maybe text Marsden?"

I look at the phone and suddenly become really panicky. I start shaking and swallow hard.

"Y-yeah... yeah..."

"Max." I looked up at him. "It's okay. No one said you had to. It was just a suggestion. But, now when Ms. Hottie, comes back, you can give her your number to keep in touch. And I only mentioned Mars because he is worried. Please talk to him; somehow. Maybe whatever that odd feeling is will get resolved if you talk."

I sighed. I guess I was being unfair to him and Dad's right, he's the only one willing to be nice. I sighed again.

"Okay, I'll see about it."

"Good. Your mom should be home any minute so I've got to get ready for work. Mama Ganeshka's tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah."

He smiled and left as I stared at the phone. I turned it on and waited. My old background came up and I smiled a little at how childish it seemed. It was only three months ago that I had been abducted and used like a guinea pig but it seems so long ago... I looked through my contacts and saw Mars' number. I breathed in and hit the message button.

Hey... what's up?

I waited for the little dots to come up to show he was typing but they never came up so I typed again.

This is Max.

Immediately, the dots for typing came up.

Hey! Sorry! I didn't recognize the number. How's it going?

Okay, I guess. You know... got abducted by aliens and stuff.

Yeah, weird. Are you okay?

As I can be, I guess... Can I ask you something?

Sure.

Why are you trying to be so nice to me? I mean, since everyone is avoiding me like the plague?

There are dots and then none and then they come up again and then they disappear and then finally come back up. They hop for a few seconds and then the text comes through.

Isn't that a reason TO be nice? You just had a weird, traumatic experience that definitely didn't leave you unscathed. Everyone is acting like you made a deal with the Devil or something when all you did was go out for some chips. If it were me, I'd be GLAD to have someone who is trying to be nice.

I sniffled and realized I was being a jerk. Mars was trying to be my friend and all I was doing was being horrible to him. I just told Mom how lonely I was and yet...

I'm so sorry! (╥_╥)

I put my hand over my eyes and laid back, trying not to cry, but I just can't stop. He was trying... and I'm just...

"Max, I'm leaving- What's wrong?"

"I'm a bad friend!" I wailed.

Dad sat beside me and then looked back at me. "What do you mean?"

"I texted Mars and asked him why he was being so nice to me and he said that I should be happy that someone is even trying. I mean, he didn't say it as rude as they sounded, but I mean... I just..."

"Come here..." Dad stood up and grabbed my hands to pull me back up to a sitting position. "Max, we understand why you are acting certain ways. At least the ones who care about you do. Mars hasn't given up on you and neither have your mother and I. It's understandable that you have reservations about everything and everyone. The stuff those aliens did was horrible and cruel and has made you doubt even basic emotions and actions. It's okay to feel that way, but you have to give us the benefit of the doubt. We don't know everything... That being said, in this hell, you've got a friend who really wants to help. Give him a chance."

I sniffled again and looked back at my phone.

OMG, I'm really sorry if that sounded mean!

Max?

Dude, I'm really sorry.

Dad looked at the phone and smiled. "See?" I smiled too. "I'm heading out. I told your Mom you had that phone so she may call you for food if you're hungry."

I nodded and he left. I texted Mars back.

Sorry, I was talking to my dad. I didn't take it that way. No worries.

◕ ◡ ◕

I slept halfway descent that night, happy I made amends with Mars. He said he might stop by next week to talk and stuff. It was a little nervous since I was a dick to him the last time he was here. But I really was lonely and talking with him might not be so bad.

******************************

"Max. Max, wake up."

I woke up and saw Dad looking down at me.

"Dad? What's going on?"

"Come one, we're going to go have a little fun before we head out to <u>Mama Ganeshka's</u>; get you out of the house for a little bit."

I looked at my alarm clock, which read 5:27.

"Dad, it's not even daylight yet."

"That's why we should get going, before people try and run us off."

I moaned but got out of bed and shuffled my way to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and hair did all the morning duties. I put some clothes on and walked slowly downstairs. Mom was there and looked just as tired as me.

"Do you know what's going on?" I asked.

"Beats me."

"I just want us to have a little family time outside of the house. We've been cooped up in here for almost a month now and since today Max wanted to go out, I thought we'd make a day of it and make the most of it."

"But at 6:00 in the morning?" I argued.

"The earlier we do what we want, the less crowds will be there and the less likely people will tell us we can't do something."

"I guess..."

"Let's go then, time's a-wasting."

Mom and I shrugged as we followed Dad to the car.

********************************

As we drove along, I noticed we were heading towards the forest. Grand Marquis is known for it's quaint throwback nostalgia but it is also known for the state park we have here. It's large and foreboding and everyone loves it here. I'm not sure why we're heading in that direction though.

"Why are we going to the state park?"

"You'll see."

"But I don't get why we had to come here so early. I mean, if you didn't want me to be seen I don't think the woods are that popular."

Dad didn't say anything as we kept driving towards the park. We got to the little stand and Dad threw in five dollars and then we drove some more. We drove way into the middle of the forest where it was almost starting to get black again when he finally pulled over and parked the car. He got out and breathed in the air.

"Ah! Good day for some practice!" I heard him say.

Practice for what? Where to dig a body?

"Bruns, what is all this about?" Mom said, coming around the car.

"Here, let me tell you."

Dad put his arm around Mom and they walked away from the car a little as I slid out. I looked around the meek place and then back at my parents, who were whispering in each other's ears. Mom was smiling a little and I realized suddenly that something wasn't right. I mean, I knew I should have realized that the ride to the forest was weird, but now I got this odd feeling that something wasn't right. My parents stopped talking to each other and walked back to the back of the car.

"Come here, honey, your father has a surprise for you in the trunk."

For some reason, I didn't believe them.

"No."

"No?"

"Why can't you show me here?"

"It'd be better if you saw it up close."

"My feet hurt so... I'd kind of like to see it right here."

Dad shrugged. "Okay then."

He opened up the trunk and pulled out a shotgun. My heart sank to my feet and I gulped.

"You um... you finally taking me hunting after all this time?"

"Something like that..." he said as he loaded a large bullet into the chamber. "Hunting is involved but uh, it's not a together type thing." He cocked the gun. "See... your mother and I couldn't figure out for the life of us how to get you out of our lives. When we saw that disgusting mound of flesh attached to you, we just knew that you were an abomination and contrary to nature. It's been so difficult having to care for your sniveling, whiny self. Pathetic... pathetic, disgusting, unnatural little pig."

I was frozen solid, unable to move from the spot I was in. What the hell is happening here?

"Wh... why are you doing this? I thought we were okay?"

"We tried, honey, we really did, but you just cause too much trouble for us. Your father had to get another shift at the factory, I have to endure so much gossip behind my back that I actually have back problems from being so stressed, and then there's just you in general. Seeing you everyday makes me want to have my head smashed by a falling piano."

I felt the tears again and I finally was able to step forward a little.

"Wh-why are you doing this to me? If you didn't want me back then why did you take me home in the first place?"

"We were trying to save grace, Maxxy. Then when we got you home we realized that you were more trouble than it was worth. So, we decided to donate you to science but the only problem with that is that you kind of have to be dead."

I watched the two of them looking at me casually, as if they didn't just tell me they were about to fucking shoot me.

"Last chance for a nice head start." Dad said, closing the trunk.

"Can you at least answer one thing for me?"

"Sure."

"Everything until now has been an illusion, hasn't it? You're not my parents... you're fakes. You fucked me over again, didn't you?"

The faces of my parents melted and these weird looking slime creatures looked over at me.

"Very good, Max." one of them said.

I smiled a little, my will to live pretty much gone. I got fucked up the ass this time... this time... I can't even comprehend the amount of agony going through my body because I've gone numb. This whole thing was an elaborate hologram... My parents weren't real, I'm sure none of my classmates were real... I now know for a fact that Zylith Amone isn't real. Who the hell was I kidding that the hottest girl in school had time for a secret fetish?

The two aliens from before turned back into my parents and 'Dad' pointed the shotgun at me.

"You are a failed experiment and so we are terminating you. No hard feelings, right?"

"Fuck. You." I snarled, holding up my middle fingers.

'Dad' pulled the trigger and I felt the bullet hit me directly in the stomach, making it explode like a pumpkin. There was blood and guts and fetus and intestines but I felt the bullet go straight through me and out the back. My body flew backwards, stunned and confused and betrayed. They were humoring me until they didn't need me... I was nothing to them but an experiment.

I just wanted to go home...

I just... I just wanted my mom... my dad...

I just missed feeling loved and wanted...

*****************

I just wanted to go home...