Captured by Aliens:  A Memoir

A "Captured by Aliens" story

By Thelma Mary Caroline

They told us to write about our memories.  They want to compose a book.  Our favorite story, our fondest memory.  Whatever.

But I remember best is not the individuals, not slaving away.  Just how we lived.  How we were forced to live.

Most people lived in families.  Familias, they were often called.  Thought the "cool" kids called them Ohanas.  They consisted of two people, usually.  A bigger, stronger dominant one, the leader; and a smaller, often more submissive one, the follower.  The dominant one would always protect the other.

You might think that it was a man and a woman, in their respective roles, but no.  Sometimes it was a woman and a man, two women or two men.  And not everyone was always happy with who they were with.  Even the higher of the two.

There were such strict rules, enforced by an enemy we never saw.  If you ever went out of your way for some one at all, you were with them.

But other rules were weirder.  Everyone had to braid their hair.  I never really understood why, execpt that maybe they were trying to take away a small piece of freedom.  One long braid, or if your hair wasn't long enough, pigtails.  If it wasn't long enough for that, then as many little braids as it took.  Not just women, mind you.  Though the men would rather have lots of short braids that took a long time to do than have long hair.  Most.

But the women did have to wear dresses, normally over jeans.  They had to wear dresses, I expect, because otherwise the aliens couldn't tell the two sexes apart.  As though they had a reason to.

And that's what it was to me.  Familias, braids and dresses. 

Not digging.  Not fighting for a place in line for meals. 

Familias, braids and dresses.

And that's what I miss the most.