Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor Page B

would never forgive him; he would out Jacobs and run him out of the city, or worse.
    To his relief, the bishop only shook his hand and congratulated Jacobs for taking the first step toward “healing his soul in the name of Jesus.” But Jacobs felt so humiliated that he couldn’t bring himself to tell the bishop (or his mother) that he wasn’t gay at all. He just liked wearing women’s clothes.
    He loved the colors, the feel, the material, the creativity, and, oooh, the fit. A year later, he joined the Black Nexus because they were the only people who accepted his ways. If anyone needed the help of the Lord, it was his sister Fisayo, who was too smart and sweet to be out hustling her body.
    â€œWhaaaat?” Rome whispered, bringing his face close to the high-definition images on Jacobs’s mobile phone.
    â€œPlay it again,” Seven said, grinning. “Is this for real? Even if it’s not, that’s a person changing into another person! Would’ve been better if it changed from a woman to a man but this will do. We could have some fun sending this around.”
    Fisayo was quiet, biting her nails.
    Jacobs replayed it. “My boy Moziz got this from his girlfriend Philo,” he said. “It’s real. No Photoshop or anything.” He turned off his phone. “Philo says that this woman . . . man . . . whatever is an alien who is at the house of the people she works for.” He thought about mentioning the kidnapping plan but held off. He needed to get out of his parents’ house, and he needed money for tuition when the university reopened. Kidnapping an alien would solve all of that. Yet . . .
    â€œHey! We should go see her. Get her on our side,” Rome said.“The Black Nexus can come out of secrecy for this . Who better to understand than a shape-shifter?”
    â€œMy exact thought!” Seven agreed, breathless with excitement. “This is what we’ve been waiting for, o.”
    Fisayo raised an index finger and frowned. “Wait . . . wait just a minute,” she whispered. “Last night, I saw . . .” She looked at Jacobs. “Did you tell them?”
    Jacobs shook his head. “Thought it would be better if you did.”
    Fisayo got up. “I was on the beach talking to a guy when I heard the loud booming noise.”
    â€œThe one they are all talking about on the news?” Rome asked. “You were there?”
    Fisayo nodded. “Everyone was looking around, all scared. The guy I was with ran off to check his car. A lot of windows shattered from the noise.”
    â€œThat man left you alone?” Seven said, looking disgusted. “Anuofia!”
    â€œHe wasn’t gone for long,” Fisayo replied uncomfortably. “Anyway, before he returned, I was just standing there looking at the water. It looked . . . It was moving strangely. The waves had kind of lost their rhythm and the water was rising. I saw what I am sure was one of the creatures come out of the water! It looked like smoke at first, like smoke that bubbled out of the sea.” She paused, bothered by her own recollection. “Then it was a woman. That same woman in the video. She dove back in the water and seconds later I saw a huge wave go after these three people on the beach, one woman and two men, I think. I couldn’t see them that well. They ran, but the water . . .”
    Fisayo frowned and pressed her lips together. When she spoke again, it was in a whisper. “There . . . there weren’t any other waves, just that one. It splashed over them and pulled back into the sea . . . with them. They were gone! Stolen. If you’re saying this woman-thing is an alien, then that must have been what took them! They’re taking people! Maybe eating them or something!” Tears squeezedfrom her eyes. “Like in that old American movie . . . I