THE VISITORS
I was resting on
the big rock in my back yard, and star gazing.
It was so relaxing. I often loved
to spend my evenings that way, but little did I know that night would be
different.
As I lay there,
enjoying the brightness of the different stars, I noticed one particular star
that did not appear to be on my constellation map. It confused me. Then it excited me. Maybe I’d found something that no one else
had? I kept watching the star in
question, and soon noticed that its light appeared to be fading in and
out. It was blinking.
I didn't take my
sight from the blinking light for even a second. The more that I watched; the more that I
realized the light was getting closer at a steady speed. It was heading straight for me.
I felt silly to
be so; but I was scared. I guess it was
because there was no one there to reassure me that it was nothing; at least
nothing to be afraid of. I needed
someone to tell me it was a star going into supernova, or my eyes playing
tricks on me. Anything would have been
better than the fear that was coming over me.
But I was the only one within ten miles; I wouldn’t be so lucky to hear
the words from anyone. That’s the life
of living in a dusty plain.
I tried to reassure
myself that the light meant nothing, but it was no use. The more that I watched the light, the closer
it came into view. Close enough for me
to be sure. The light was not a star, it
was an object; an alien space craft. I
had heard of such a thing before, but never believed in them. But then, with the proof right before my eyes
about to land in my backyard, I had no choice but to believe.
I quickly dove
behind the large rock. I could see my
home off in the distance. Maybe I could
have made a mad dash without being seen, but I didn’t even try. It wasn’t the fear that held me back, it was my
curiosity.
I peeked over the
top of the rock and found an extraordinary sight. The ship was landing, not even a hundred feet
from me. I kept watching. Four large metallic legs sprawled out from
under the space craft. With a burst of powdered
ground swirling from the thrusters, the space ship landed on the dusty
plain.
The ship was
huge; at best estimate, twenty times the size of my home. I wondered if my distant neighbors could see
it.
Several minutes
passed, and all I could do was watch the sitting space craft. Nothing was happening. I wondered what was happening inside the
space ship. Was there anyone
inside? And if there were, why were they
there? And what did they plan to do?
Suddenly, a small
door in the side of the ship opened up, and I noticed a ladder that extended
down from the door. There was someone
inside. And they were coming out.
I ducked my head
deeper behind the rock. I didn't want to
see what happened next. I was scared out
of my mind, cursing myself for not running to my house when I had the chance. But that was a choice that I could no longer
change. I was hiding, and was going to
stay put. But as the seconds passed, my
curiosity outweighed my fear.
I peeked over the
top of the rock one more time, and I saw them.
There were two of them. Both were
pale as ghosts, and their bodies were large and bulky. They moved slowly across the plain, bouncing
rather than walking. They had four
appendages that appeared awkward to use.
It was no wonder they were so slow.
And they appeared harmless. There wasn't a sharp edge amongst their bodies.
No claws nor fangs, or any defensive appendages. But most captivating was to me was their
faces. They were smooth and shiny. I would swear that if I were close enough I
could see the reflection of my face in theirs.
Perhaps a confusing measure they used against predators?
I watched the two
aliens for some time. They didn’t seem
to notice that I was there. They
communicated with each other through means that I didn’t understand. But from their gestures, I knew that a
conversation was taking place. They
knelt down and played in the dirt for a while.
I couldn’t tell what they were doing, but my best guess was that they
were taking samples.
Hours passed
while I watched the two aliens in my backyard.
They played with an oddly decorated staff. There’s no other way to describe what they
were doing. And then, like their time
there had run out, they climbed back into their space ship, and left their
staff in the dirt. More time passed, and
the ship began to make an eerie noise. Steam
and air shot out from the sides of the space ship, and it suddenly split into
two pieces: a bottom and a top
half. It looked like something had gone
wrong. The ship looked doomed as it flew
up into space, leaving its landing gear behind in my backyard. I watched the spaceship’s lights as it flew
away. I expected to see it fall and
crash to the ground, but instead, it disappeared from my sight.
I stepped out
from my hiding. I couldn’t believe
it. With what the aliens had left
behind, there was no doubt that everyone I told was going to believe my story. I was going to be famous.
I had to get closer
to the piece of the ship that was left behind.
It was so strange to be standing so close to something like that. It was cold and hard; made of a material that
I had never seen before. It was unique
in over a thousand ways. I found a panel
on the side of the ship with some strange alien markings all over it. Their writing was like a piece of art. I had no idea what it meant, but it looked
like this: APOLLO 11
END
