My Neighbor is an Alien Hunter

Day 5 Prompt: The light next door flashes on and off in a strange pattern. You take a closer look: Three short flashes, three long, then three short again. “SOS”

The light next door flashes on and off in a strange pattern. I take a closer look: Three short flashes, three long, then three short again.

“SOS”

I didn't know my neighbor very well, just that he kept to himself, didn't go out much, and certainly wasn't someone you'd want to meet in an alley late at night. He spent most his time working in his basement with the occasional loud noise in the middle of the night, on what I had the faintest idea and that's the way things had been for the past couple years.   

I cautiously leave the safety of my home and slowly walk over to my neighbor's door. 

I knock a couple times and call, "Hello, hello. Do you need help or something? There are better ways of going about it then morse code you know... Hello." I stand there not knowing what to make of all this. "Is this some kind of joke?" I ask. "Okay, I'll be on my way then." I start to head back to my house, but I stop as the light comes to an abrupt stop and I'm left in the darkness. 

"Hello...?"

The door slowly creeps open.

"Hello, what do want? If this is a joke..."

"Come here," the man whispers in the darkness, what had to be the most words I had ever heard him speak if not the only.

"Is something the matter, do you need something?"

"Quick there's not much time."

I froze.

"Come here now or I don't know if you'll be okay."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Get in here now!"

"Okay, okay... I'll come in. You don't have to raise your voice sir." I reply making my way through the darkened doorway fearing for my life.

He shuts it in haste as soon as I clear. He grabs me and forces me down the basement despite my protest. 

"I've been watching you lately." He says, something you never want to hear from your creepy neighbor ever. I'm led to a small room lit with a single naked bulb. There's a high-security hatch on the other side, something you never want to see in your creepy neighbor's basement but almost always expected.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"You're in danger" 

"I certainly feel like I'm in danger right now."

"I'm trying to help you," he says letting me go.

"By using morse code, you're lucky I even saw that and even luckier that I knew what it was."

"That's beside the point, just listen okay." 

"Please do explain why I shouldn't be terrified right now."

"Oh no, you should be terrified, just not of me."

"Okay, more red flags."

"Stop talking... you're in danger."

"As you said-"

"Stop!"

"Fine continue."

"You're in danger..." He pauses to make I stay quiet. "and I'm the only one who can help you."

"Is that it? I just thought with the whole build up you would have a little bit more, and what do you mean you're the only who can help? Why not just call the police, and then tip them off about a stalker who lives next to the guy in danger."

"Follow."

He went over the hatch and puts in a code and the wall and with a bit of muscle opens it up. Inside a row of fluorescent lights flicker to life revealing an arsenal of unusual gun like weaponry and strange devices.

"What is all of this?" I ask.

"The only things that can stop them, made most of these myself."

"Who's them?"

"The Aliens."

"That's it I'm leaving."

"No, you have to believe me."

"Mulder, you're crazy."

"Look I'm being serious, and who the heck is Mulder."

"You believe in aliens and you don't know who Mulder is... don't you ever watch TV?"

"No, I feel it get's in the way of the important work." He says pulling a device from the wall turning it on.

"What's that?"

"Alien Detector."

"That's right I was leaving."

"Well, that's where it says the aliens are."

"Oh good, maybe we can have a chat about how crazy you are."

"Fine, you don't believe me, just let me show you one more thing."

"Okay, but then I'm leaving." I tell him.

He led me back up the stairs and to a table with a bunch of surveillance equipment that was pointed directly at my house.

"Okay, if I wasn't calling the cops before, I definitely am now."

He turns on a monitor and tells me to, "Look."

"It's a picture of my house taken by a stalker."

"You think your so funny don't you? Look closer." He says zooming in on the attic window.

"What do you think I'll see..." I pause actually looking at the image. In the window, a big dark spider-like creature was perched dark slime drooling from its massive jaw. 

"Believe me now."

"Uh huh, quick question. What the Heck is that Thing!?"

"A Zogona"

"Oh, and uh how long has it been in my house?" I ask nervously.

"Well, when's the last time you went into your attic."

"Thr-Three months ago... and how come you didn't tell me sooner."

"I didn't think I had to till now. I've been able to get most of them, but I keep finding more."

"More?" I ask not realizing by getting them he was presumably in my house

"If I had to guess there's probably a queen in your attic." He says totally ignoring me.

"Well, that's just great. I think I'm gonna go burn my house down and move very far from here now."

"Nope, can't do that."

"Wh-why not?"

"'Cause fire just makes the eggs hatch faster. We have to go in there and kill the queen and the remaining eggs."

"We?"

"Yes, we. Don't you know how hard it is to kill a Zorgona queen alone is?"

"No, I wouldn't have the faintest idea."

"Well, you might as well wrangle a Hestodi while riding a Juyto."

"You've lost me."

"Let's just say it's something you never do."

"Have fun finding someone else to help you then, as I will settle with moving very far away."

"Come on, I'm sure there's something of value in there that you want back."

My mind jumped to my 'I Want To Believe' poster signed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, as well as my limited edition complete series boxset. While potentially replaceable reminded me how this could give me the chance to be like them. "Fine, I'll help. What do you want me to do."

"No, I'm not going to be bait. That's why you need two people?"

"There's no other way."

"Haha, you're hilarious."

"All you have to do is stand there and wait for me to give the signal. I'm the one who has the hard job."

"By that, you mean keeping me alive."

"Well, I meant killing them, but yeah that too."

"So reassuring. Let's just get this over with before I talk myself out of it again."

We make our way back to my house and head up the stairs to the attic door.

"Go on." He urges.

I slowly open the door and go up the ladder. I'm hit with a wave of heat and what smelled like rotting animal that died eating something that smelled even worse. I reach for the light but stop my mind thinking back to his instructions.

"Don't turn on the light, not if you want to live at least. Also, don't move too much or scream if one touches you." He said.

"But they won't be touching me right?" I asked.

I carefully get off the ladder and in the complete darkness I take a few steps and plant my feet. Hiss like breathing coming from all directions almost like static. How did I not find out about this for three months?

I hear a skitter from behind. My blood runs cold and my hair stands on end. A skitter in front. My heart rate building.

"But they won't be touching me right?" 

"Did I say if, I meant when. They'll definitely touch you before this is through, but as I said don't move or scream and they won't eat you alive." He Replied.

A quick movement against my leg. I fight the need to run away.

"And long will I have to stand there?"

"A couple of minutes at the most."

"Why that long?"

"So, I can sneak in through the window and take them out while you distract them."

"For the sake of knowing, what size was the one in the picture?"

"That one was a little one. It's the big ones you have to worry about and trust me they get much bigger."

More and more skittering. Noises in all directions. Small ones start to scurry up my legs. I close my eyes tightly, despite it being dark already. They continue upwards. Their feet tickle my neck. My heart wanting to beat out of my chest. An immense urge to scream. I want to start swatting alien spiders off of me but know I can't and that's when a bigger one starts prodding at my calf. 

It pokes harder and harder. Then its teeth sink in. I let a small yelp. All around the hissing stops. 

Then more move towards me as the hissing begins again. 

I hold my breath and tears start to well.

Blood dripping down my leg.

I have to just scream. 

Closer and closer.

Hissing louder. 

Closing in.

Screaming.

Then a barrage of lasers lights the room. Ear piecing screechs as they explode. I shake and swat the little ones off, and run out while he takes care of the rest.

"Good work back there." He says returning from the attic.

"You didn't say I would get bitten," I say bandaging up the wound. "Are there any alien infections that I should know about?"

"No, you're fine."

"Good now I can forget this ever happened."

"Or maybe..."

"What?"

"Oh, I just thought that maybe could help me out in the future."

"I don't even know your name."

"Tod Carpenter."

"John Mercier." 

End?