In the dream, I knew that if the aliens caught my scent, they would know I was human.

My home was suddenly my prison. I crept in the shadows, hiding in the bedroom closet among an old vacuum cleaner and stale clothing. I didn’t know what was worse: being trapped in the closet until I starved to death or being discovered. I crouched there, waiting, sleeping intermittently and waking up in cold sweat time after time. Soon, the vacuum cleaner poking me in the back became the most comfortable thing.

When the closet door opened, I froze. I waited to see their strange probing faces. I waited to hear the dogs barking. Nothing, except for the light. I could smell food, and my stomach clenched.

I knew it was a she instantly, even though it was completely featureless. She vaguely resembled a human, but had no substance, no form. The color that came to mind was tan, but I saw no pigment, no skin. She caressed my face with no hands and called me a doll with no voice.

“Mama, feed me,” I said, terrified that she would catch my scent. I envisioned a Baby Alive doll, with its fake food and fake poop. I imagined my arms and legs becoming hard plastic. I kept my body as stiff as possible.

She said I would be a fun toy for her daughter, and then closed the door. I exhaled a sigh.

This went on for days, weeks, how long I don’t know. Every so often she would open the closet and play with me for a few minutes. I never met her daughter. I began to suspect that she knew what I was, but I couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t call the others.

Some days I got to leave the closet and eat whatever I could find. They seemed to like our food, and they also seemed to be around every corner. It was nearly impossible to avoid them, but it was easy to hide from them. They didn’t bother looking under tables or beds. They didn’t have the paranoia that so many humans are afflicted with.

I made it to the front hall one day. I knew all of the doors were locked from the inside, so they wouldn’t be able to get in from outside. I could hear the dogs though; our dogs had become their servants. I knew this because no dog had listened to me since I had become a prisoner in my own house.

I closed the door behind me and stood for a moment in the hall. I could smell pine and sunshine. I reveled in the light that bathed the hardwood floors. I stretched and spun, all the while listening. Had they discovered this part of the house yet? Could I make it down the three flights of stairs and escape?

I began to tiptoe down the stairs, then stopped when I saw toys on the landing. Three small digital pets on keychains with brightly colored cases waited for their new masters to come and play. I looked around. There were several cardboard and foam boxes, and some scissors. I got to work.

When I was done, I had blocked off the dogs and barricaded myself in. No one could get in now, but how could I get out?

I ran through the grass, keeping low to the ground. The sky was cold and gray above me. I stopped and lay on my belly, waiting. Against their advice, I had joined the rally of would-be soldiers. It was the only way that I could find my sister.

I had wanted this freedom badly during the days I had spent in the closet. Now, I wasn’t so sure.