Heritage and Shimmer Read Free Page B

hologram could do no harm to
her, knew that she could easily pass her hand through the glow,
that another press of that obelisk’s button would force that alien
to vanish. Yet Beverly shivered all the same, for the alien’s eyes
conveyed such hatred for humanity no matter that they were made
only of shimmer.
     
    Simon chuckled as a forked tongue flashed
from the lizard’s mouth. “There it stands – the official alien that
appeared over New Bethany, the official enemy the Starwatch and the
people of Earth are dedicated to fight.”
     
    Jayce whistled. “The hologram of that alien
looks more terrible than even all the sketches in my Starwatch
textbooks.”
     
    “Just wait a minute,” Simon replied. “The
alien puts on one heck of a show once the music starts.”
     
    A thundering and threatening march of drums
and horns erupted from speakers hidden within the obelisk. The
alien threw back its arms, and a bladed weapon materialized in each
hand of talons. The alien’s arms whirled, and Beverly held her
breath as those spears and swords, made of nothing more than light,
swept close to her face. She barely resisted a scream as the
glowing alien swung a long sword across Jayce’s neck. What if that
weapon had been made of something more than shimmer? What would
happen if the aliens returned? What would happen when Jayce faced
those aliens as the duty of his uniform demanded?
     
    “Make it go away.” Beverly squeezed Jayce’s
arm until her knuckles turned white.
     
    Jayce pulled his forearm out of his fiancé’s
grip. “Relax. I want to watch the alien dance. The dance helps the
alien practice its martial skills and intimidates its enemies.”
     
    “I don’t care about the dance,” Beverly
scowled. “Just make the alien disappear.”
     
    Simon frowned at Jayce before offering
Beverly his smile of mangled teeth. “It’s fine, dear. That
monster’s only a fiction of shimmering light. Just be brave and
reach out to press that button on the side of that obelisk.”
     
    Beverly jabbed at the button, and she
grimaced as she broke a nail on the stone when her first attempt
missed. Her second jab struck the button truly, and the shimmering
alien vanished in an instant. The music disappeared at that same
moment, and Beverly’s knees felt weak as the surge of adrenaline
she summoned to touch that button emptied from her.
     
    Jayce laughed and took Beverly’s hands into
his own. “Just like the caretaker said, Bev. That monster was
nothing more than blue sparkle.”
     
    “It was still terrifying,” Beverly answered,
“and it’s even more frightening to think that you might have to
fight it. I would burn your uniform if that would save you from
ever having to face such a creature.”
     
    Jayce squeezed Beverly’s hands. “We have to
be brave now. The Starwatch teaches that all of us possess more
strength than we know, and that we’re all going to have to dig down
deep to find that truth if Earth’s going to be ready in case the
aliens attempt another invasion. It’ll be good for you to walk
through this cemetery, Bev. You’ll feel stronger after you look at
some of the other holograms. You’ll feel more courageous after you
hear what the simple people of New Bethany did to resist the alien
scourge. You’ll feel so much better about yourself after we
leave.”
     
    Simon giggled. “Oh, forgive me for laughing.
Don’t think I mean any offense by it, son. It’s just hard for me to
believe that New Bethany’s come to mean so much to folks.”
     
    “You must be very proud of your community,”
remarked Beverly.
     
    Simon shrugged and led his guests through
several bushes of brambles to arrive at the next sight of his
impromptu tour. Beverly winced as the thorns scratched at her
ankles and clutched at her hair. She did her best to emulate the
steps taken by the caretaker, hoping that Simon’s path might warn
her of the roots that might trip her, or of batches of poison ivy.
But Simon gave no