short story: THE ALIENS

These apartment buildings have been filled with immigrants for years now. Since before you were born. I mean, a few’s one thing, right? But there hafta be more and more of them all the time. They don’t just stop at one. They come all the time. And kids! You’ve seen how they have kids. I don’t think there even is one white person in Building 4 anymore. That old lady died at Christmas. You didn’t hear about that? If my father were alive to see this, I tell you he would have fuckin’ puked.I’ll tell you what, they like it here because it’s cheap. I never said they were stupid. But they’re not like us. Their values are different. Very different. You’ve seen the way they look, and you can smell their food coming out the windows. It makes me sick. I’m happy when winter comes now so I don’t have to fuckin’ smell it. And don’t even talk to me about that church they go to, or whatever they try to call it. I’m not religious but I believe in God and that’s not God. All that waving your arms around and stomping. Ha ha.I haven’t been down to Saint Peter’s for years — not since about sixth grade. It’s full of pederasts anyway and I hope they do close it up. But, listen. Even though my father’s dead, I feel him still with me and if that’s God, then that’s God. I can feel him here, in my chest. I’m not joking around, seriously; I’m not being cheesy. Sometimes it’s like he’s right here with me and he can talk to me but I can’t understand what he’s saying. I wish he could tell me who did it to him.

No, they never arrested anybody. Not a single person. Once my aunt told me the police thought one of his friends did it. Somebody he owed money to. And who would think that’s what a friend would do — tie you to a mattress and set you on fire? That’s when I realized you don’t know anybody, not really.

And so, no, I’m not gonna go talk to them. You might think it’s cute to eat those dirty leaves with them and do that stuff they do. But you’ll never know them, not really. I think they’re all fucking terrorists.