The rest of the day went by in a blur; I went home and told anyone curious enough what I did today, had dinner and before I knew it, I was in bed and it was midnight.

I really didn't want to go to sleep again after the nightmare last night, but I couldn't stay awake

for ever and it was not a good idea to be exhausted in a town of vampires.

"Claire." I woke up abruptly and sat up. Amelie sat in the chair at my desk, but she had moved it to the side of my bed. "Good morning." She looked the same as she did last night; long hair down in waves with the same eerie green eyes.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am."

"No, I don't. I'm in a nightmare and the Amelie I know, doesn't have green eyes." I looked at the clock on the bedside table; 1:54 AM. But there was something different about this clock… Usually the time would be flashing but now it was stuck there.

"Well I wouldn't call this a nightmare. I just thought occupying the body of someone you know would be less… Unnerving."

"What… are you? Where am I? Where's Amelie?"

"So many questions… but we have plenty of time. The first one is easy; you're exactly where you are, when you fell asleep. For the other questions… You will have to come with me."

"Where?"

"I'll show you." She got up and left the room. I pinched myself to try to wake up and tried to will myself to wake up but nothing was working.

"Come on, Claire." I sighed and got out of bed and followed Amelie (who isn't Amelie) out of the house and onto the street.

Outside, the sky was black with a sprinkling of stars. There wasn't anyone out on the street.

"Where did you come from?"

"A planet very far away."

"How did you get here? What was wrong with your planet?"

"Spaceship and a lack of hosts. You see, humans were just beginning to explore new worlds and they happened to come across our planet. We pulled in the ship, occupied the humans and stocking up on the rest of us, we piloted the ship back to Earth."

"But… Why come to Earth? What about other planets?"

"We came across other planets but they weren't suitable. Then more humans came on the radio asking for the return of the ship and so when we landed we took over the humans and a small group of us came here."

We arrived at the Morganville Hospital. The receptionist glanced at me with those creepy eyes. "Commander, we have captured three more hiding in the back streets and one in the disused part of town. They are getting ready to be occupied."

"Good."

"You're the Commander?"

"Fitting, isn't it?"

"Are they still… alive in there?"

"Unfortunately no. We stop their heart when we take occupation." Even though she said unfortunately I doubt she meant it.

"How did you infect Amelie?"

"We took over Oliver at first but only partially controlled him so his eyes wouldn't glow. Then after monitoring Amelie's movements, we thought it would be best if we got her in a moment of passion."

Amelie pushed open the door and led me past the desk and through the double doors into one of the surgery rooms.

A human girl lay strapped to the operating table. There was a small green container with something glowing green inside, which I guessed was the alien on the table to the right of her. She looked quite young; maybe 19 or in her twenties. I took a step towards her, but Amelie dragged me backwards.

"Can't you let her go? What did you do to her?" I asked. Her grip on my arm was going to give me bruises.

"She's partially sedated and no. Humans wouldn't stand for it. Turn on the screen."

"Please don't do this, Founder. You're strong, you can fight it off." The girl tried to get through to Amelie but it was no use. After a moment's hesitation, I turned on the screen and it showed the whole girls body.

"Watch the screen." I heard the door open and two male doctors came in. One stood by the girl's head and the other stood by me, casting an unwavering, unsettling stare at me.

Amelie picked up the green alien and the doctor forced the girls mouth open. I couldn't look anymore and instead stared at the computer which wasn't any better.

The alien spread its tendrils throughout her body and the heart monitor flatlined.

"Why did you show me that?"

"To show you how it's done. I want you to do the same to the other human next door."

"Why would I help you?" Why was she even asking this? She must have known the answer. "I'm not going to let you take over the town."

"You're forgetting;" the male doctor said behind me. "We have already taken over the town. We are just now finding stray humans."

"If you do this, you will stop having these nightmares." Amelie said. She beckoned for me to follow her. I really didn't want to, but I had no choice.

"This isn't how nightmares work. How are you doing this?" I asked.

Amelie smiled. "Now that would be something you'd like to know."

Amelie opened the door to the next room and I let a scream. Shane was strapped to the table, partially sedated just like the other girl.

"Shane!" I ran towards him, but Amelie pulled me back. I hadn't had the pleasure of feeling Amelie's strength much, but she felt much stronger, like the alien was adding to her strength.

"He was wandering the streets, looking for you." Amelie said. "One of the vampires caught him and he was screaming your name. He was so terrified of never seeing you, but when you give us a new home he will never feel that ever again."

"Because he'll be dead! Please let him go. I'll do anything you want, just please let him go!" I knew it was useless trying to plead with an emotionless alien, but I had to try. I couldn't let them kill Shane.

"You're doing something for me now. "

"Please, not him! Anyone but him!"

Amelie's grip on my arm tightened, nearly breaking the bone. "This is the only thing keeping you alive. If you don't do this, you're of no use to us."

I felt as if I couldn't breathe and I wiped my face with my free hand. "I can't do it."

"Last chance." Amelie said quietly.

"NO!"

"Liam. Claire is ready is ready to be occupied."

Pure fear washed over as Liam dragged a chair over, carrying another one of those glowing things. "OKAY, okay, I'll do it."

"Good girl." Amelie dragged me to the side of Shane where a table with an alien container on top of it.

"Clare…" Shane said, faintly. I tried with everything I had, not to burst into tears again. But I had a plan, even if it had a one hundred percent chance at failing. He has to know I've tried.

Amelie handed me to container. "Open it, then open his mouth." I took the container and made a swing at Amelie's head, but in a flash I was on the table behind me, with Amelie - or the thing inside her - holding me down. "Bad move."

"Amelie, snap out of it! Please wake up!" I tried kicking her but the doctors strapped down my legs.

"This is my body now. Amelie is never coming back."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the alarm bleeped. I've never been so nerve wracked in my life. I turned it off and put my head in my hands.

I looked around the room. Everything was just as it was and my clock's time was flashing again.

I'm sure these nightmares are just nightmares, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was visions of what is going to happen. Maybe the ships were leaving now or they could already be here?

I tried really hard to get rid of that thought. I needed to tell someone but Amelie doesn't believe me and Oliver definitely won't believe me. My existence annoys the hell out of him, probably only second to Myrnin.

I could try telling Myrnin, but he'll just say the same thing; they're nightmares and to get some rest which is what I really didn't need right now.

I guess I could tell Shane or anyone else, but I didn't want to worry them. I also didn't want to annoy Amelie, but she had to know, if the invasion really was coming.

But she wouldn't allow me to see her if I went to her directly so instead of asking Myrnin who explains stuff to Amelie in way too much detail, I went to Oliver.

Having a shower, brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I headed out of the house and made my way to Common Grounds.

When I arrived it was packed as usual, but Oliver wasn't behind the bar. When I asked his replacement, the guy said he was in his office.

Standing outside the door to his office, I hesitated in knocking, having second thoughts about coming here in the first place. Oliver couldn't care less if I died some days, so why would he care if I had a nightmare?

"Come in." He could probably smell me or hear my heartbeat. Vampires were an endless source of creepy. I took a breath and opened the door. Oliver was standing behind his desk, looking through sheets of paper. I rarely came into his office but it was always a sharp contrast to Amelie's perfectly neat office. "What do you want?"

"Is Amelie busy?"

"She's always busy." Oliver said, in a tone that suggested I should already know that.

"Are you going to see her anytime today?"

"Why?"

"I was wondering if you could tell her I want to see her."

Oliver gave me his usual glare. "I'm not your personal messenger. Tell her yourself."

"She won't believe me if I told her why, though."

"You're her pet, she'll believe anything you say. Now go, I'm busy."

Not likely. I thought, but left anyway. Why did I think that was a good idea?