D.N.A: Does Not Assimilate

Home.

That was the only thought on her mind as she ran deeper and deeper into the trees. The overwhelming desire to get home, to race into the loving arms of her father. For only then would everything be okay. Once those loving arms came around her, Niyota knew that she would be safe and this would become nothing more than a bad memory. And like all bad things, in time it would fade.

Finally reaching their house on West Adams Street, an old colonial house she had loved at first sight, Niyota began to run towards it. But suddenly she stopped, feeling the weight in her hands, she looked down to find fingers still clutching around the handle of the weapon. A metallic knife with strange etchings on it, fueled by a light that couldn't be possible. Needing to put it away for safekeeping, too scared of what its existence could mean, Niyota carefully hid it underneath the porch. Where she alone would know where to look for it.

Should she need it.

Using the hide-a-key underneath the mat to unlock the front door-having misplaced her own key somewhere the door slowly came open. Replacing the spare key back underneath the flower pot, should the need for it crop up again, the door was pushed open and she raced inside. "Daddy? Maggie? Is anyone home?"

Silence met her.

Fear took hold of her. "Daddy?" she said louder.

"Niyota," the rich baritone of her father's voice came.

Sighing in relief at the sound of her father's voice coming from inside of the house, she raced across the floor as he appeared in the doorway. Niyota immediately flung herself into his arms, throwing her own around him, clutching onto him for dear life.

"Thank god you're here," she breathed into his chest, holding on tight. Luxuriating in the feel of being in his arms again, as she'd never thought to do. "I'd never thought to see you again."

"Sweetheart, you're shaking," Charles noted in concern, his arms instinctively wrapping themselves around her, in the hopes of soothing her apparent fear. "Talk to me, Niy. Did something happen?" "It's a long story,” she whispered.

A very long story she was soon to realize.

Allowing the silence of the house to envelope them, arms growing tighter around her father, she luxuriated in the feeling of his warm embrace. A bittersweet pleasure that Niyota had never thought to experience again when she'd woken up in that deep cavern, held captive by monstrous creatures. Shuddering in horror as the scattered memories washed over her then, Niyota quickly banished the memory before it could take root. None of that mattered now. She was home and in her father's arms and nothing could hurt her.

She was wrong.

"Charles," a soft voice came from the direction of the doorway right at that moment, interrupting the solitude of the private father/daughter moment. "What's going on?" "Something's happened to Niyota."

"No there hasn't," another said. "I'm fine."

Niyota instantly froze in the embrace of her father's strong arms as she recognized the voice that had denied his claims. Her voice. Running on autopilot, she slowly released the tight hold she had on her father and turned around to face the one who had spoken with that voice. A voice that didn't belong to them.

Niyota couldn't believe her eyes when she did. Stumbling back at the sight that met her, her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened to the size of saucers, shocked to the very core of her being.

Directly across the living room, standing just inside of the front door, a girl had stepped into the house. Standing at a height of five nine, a thin, willow reed frame that could stand to use a few extra pounds. The mini skirt and halter top only further emphasized an hourglass figure. Hair that had a bluish tint to the black framed a heart shaped face and deep turquoise eyes shined from a tanned complexion. "What the fuck!"

The girl.

It was her.

Staring at the girl who'd entered the house, a doppelgänger she'd never imagined possible. Niyota found herself tumbling into the past, reliving the moments that led to this point in her life.

***

Hi, I'm Niyota Y'Fell.

I was once normal.

I was once ordinary.

I once had a regular life.

Once I was just like you.

That all changed one night as I made my way back home, only to be abducted by the strange green light streaking across the sky of my small town. A life altering experience for me. And upon escaping captivity at the hands of the most hideous creatures on the face of this planet-or beyond it was to find out that someone had taken over my life and no one believed my story. My only hope now is to go on the run, and become a fugitive from the law and find a way to expose the truth to the world.

Before it's too late.