Amanda Milo [Milo - The (Alien) Nanny for Christmas

MITTEEKU

My gaze falls on an incredibly beautiful creature with wings of sparkling gossamer. The bright, shimmering colors are swirled and patterned and framed in bold strokes of black, and the overall effect reminds me of the princesses of my homeworld.

This makes me smile, and carefully, I coax the tiny beauty to crawl onto my hand. Its so light and feels so breakable, yet its tiny feet seem to adhere to my scales with surprising strength. I watch, fascinated, as it slowly, jerkily, explores my palm.

Its wings spread out, the colorful outsides brushing my scales and leaving a pretty powder behind. Like hobs, I murmur.

It slowly closes its wings, then lays them flat again, but each additional movement is slower and slower. Its hypnotizing.

Smoke blows from my nostrils when I acknowledge that I feel the compulsion to keep this newfound lovely. But I dont know what it needs, and I would hate to treat poorly something so precious, even if my neglect was performed in ignorance.

I stretch my hand out to place the creature on a nearby metal formation that stands in a mound of shredded wood. The formation appears decorative, with thin flutes hanging down in a cluster. It sentries over what appears to be a dead garden; there is one lone shrub here, leafless, alonedry and hibernating, most likely. The garden lies in a small alcove with a border of brick that leads to a set of matching brick stairs. Atop the stairs is an inviting, interestingly-designed door, with thick strips of beaten, swirling metal that manage to be as pleasing to the eye as they are functional for holding the wooden planks fast together.

Im drawn to it, but Im taking a great risk by standing in the open at all; I cant go about peering at doors. No matter how greatly I desire to peer at this one.

My attention is stolen from examining it because a high-toned metallic clattering begins. Its coming from the metal formation under my hand; Ive disrupted it, and its putting up an alarm.

Shhh, I tell it, not certain its sentient but hoping it can obey commands if its either been trained or programmed to peal an alert when it finds a trespasser. Stop that noise. Im leaving.

But the tiny, colorful creature still clinging to my scales has not alighted yet. Off with you now; I fear I wont be welcomed here and I must take my leave. Go on.

It does not go. It will not let goits tiny feet stick fast to my scales. My tail lashes behind me at the thought that time is running out and surely someone will come to investigate this chaos of noise soon. No matter how musical it sounds on the ears (and it is oddly musical), it is too loud to be overlooked.

Ive never taken such care with my claws in my lifespan; barely applying more than air-taps to the length of the winged creatures body, I try to nudge it onto the still-upset metal bell-clamorer.

I glare down at the ringing thing. I will be forced to take measures to silence you, I warn it.

But Im too late; I no more than manage to lay down my threat when the decorative door to the house opens.

A femalea member of this planets ruling species known as humanspeeks out.

Human females are fair things. Ive seen a number of them and all of them have lovely forms and pleasing attributes.

But this female...

Its odd: in only a glimpsea partial glimpse at thatIm struck. Im spellbound. She is the loveliest female of them all. Her hair falls in glossy waves that have me swallowing hard. Her eyes, striking and as attractive as the color of a summer-ripened luushu, glisten brightly and go wide as she stares at me in shock.

I stare at her in shock too.

Because shes crying.