Ashley sat on her roof, watching the meteor shower.
She heard someone climbing up to the roof and she turned to see who: it was her best friend, Ben.
“Knock Knock.” He said as he finished climbing and stood on the roof.
“Hey,” She said, facing the meteor shower again. She heard him sit next to her.
“Everything OK? You only ever come up here if there’s a crisis.” He says, getting to the point, as usual.
She shrugs. “Everything’s fine.”
“I don’t believe you, Ash, I know you too well for you to lie to me; now what’s the problem.” He says.
She sighs and turns to face him. “I’m mov-“
“What the hell is that?” He demands, his face staring out at the meteor shower.
“It’s a meteor shower.” She says simply. “You’ve seen them before.”
“No, not that,” He says, pointing to something below the skyline that’s glowing different colors, from purple to yellow, from orange to blue.
“What the hell is that?” Ashley says, repeating Bens’ words.
They both stand and gawk at the sight.
“Let’s go check it out.” Ben says turning and climbing back down from the roof.
“What?” Ashley says, following.
“Let’s check it out.” Ben repeats.
When they get to the front yard, Ben takes off running in the direction and, after a hesitant moment, Ashley follows.
She heard someone climbing up to the roof and she turned to see who: it was her best friend, Ben.
“Knock Knock.” He said as he finished climbing and stood on the roof.
“Hey,” She said, facing the meteor shower again. She heard him sit next to her.
“Everything OK? You only ever come up here if there’s a crisis.” He says, getting to the point, as usual.
She shrugs. “Everything’s fine.”
“I don’t believe you, Ash, I know you too well for you to lie to me; now what’s the problem.” He says.
She sighs and turns to face him. “I’m mov-“
“What the hell is that?” He demands, his face staring out at the meteor shower.
“It’s a meteor shower.” She says simply. “You’ve seen them before.”
“No, not that,” He says, pointing to something below the skyline that’s glowing different colors, from purple to yellow, from orange to blue.
“What the hell is that?” Ashley says, repeating Bens’ words.
They both stand and gawk at the sight.
“Let’s go check it out.” Ben says turning and climbing back down from the roof.
“What?” Ashley says, following.
“Let’s check it out.” Ben repeats.
When they get to the front yard, Ben takes off running in the direction and, after a hesitant moment, Ashley follows.
After a while of running, they’re both ready to collapse.
They sit beneath a tree, breathing hard and seeing spots.
“What… were….you thinking?” Ashley demands between gasps.
“We’re…not far.” He answers, looking out in the direction of the lights, which they could still see even from their position on the ground.
“I…can see that.” She gasped.
They sat there for a few more minutes, until their breathing returned to normal, and then continued, albeit at a slower pace, down the street towards the lights.
The lights led them to the forest that was clustered on one side of their small Oregon town.
They walked deeper until they got to a small clearing, and stopped in their tracks.
In the center of the clearing was a crater. They looked at each other before continuing forward hesitantly.
Ashley's foot hit a rock and she glanced down automatically. That was when the problems started.
Her momentum took her forward, and she tumbled down into the crater, landing heavily on her ankle, and she felt the bone snap, and she cried out.
Ben rushed down after her, and found her rocking back and forth, holding her leg that she'd maneuvered out from under her.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Do I look ok?!" She snapped between gritted teeth. "I think my legs broken."
Ben looked down at her ankle. It was turning black and blue, and was twisted at an odd angle for an ankle. He cringed and looked away, and that's when he noticed the singular rock in the center of the crater.
"What's that?" He asked, getting to his feet and walking towards it.
When he got close, it started humming. A low sound at first, but it gradually got louder until he had to hold his hands over his ears to keep his eardrums from bursting.
When he got close enough to see that there were strange scribbles all over the rock, the humming stopped as suddenly as it had started.
The top of the rock slid off, revealing a white interior and two hands reaching out. Ben jumped back, startled at the rock suddenly breaking and the hands appearing.
After a hesitant moment, he walked closer and grasped the hands and began pulling whoever it was out.
When he's pulled the person out, he noticed that it was a girl, who appeared to be about seven years old, with white blonde hair and she was wearing a white robe. Her eyes were a stormy blue, which really contrasted with all the white.
She opened her mouth and a strange clicking came out. He stared at her, and she frowned and tried again, this time it came out in Spanish.
He held up his hands in a confused gesture and she sighed in frustration.
"I hate to interrupt," Ashley said from where she still sat, cradling her ankle. "But my ankle is kinda broken over here."
Ben walked over and knelt next to her again, followed by the strange rock girl, who looked at Ashley's ankle in what seemed to almost be confusion.
They sit beneath a tree, breathing hard and seeing spots.
“What… were….you thinking?” Ashley demands between gasps.
“We’re…not far.” He answers, looking out in the direction of the lights, which they could still see even from their position on the ground.
“I…can see that.” She gasped.
They sat there for a few more minutes, until their breathing returned to normal, and then continued, albeit at a slower pace, down the street towards the lights.
The lights led them to the forest that was clustered on one side of their small Oregon town.
They walked deeper until they got to a small clearing, and stopped in their tracks.
In the center of the clearing was a crater. They looked at each other before continuing forward hesitantly.
Ashley's foot hit a rock and she glanced down automatically. That was when the problems started.
Her momentum took her forward, and she tumbled down into the crater, landing heavily on her ankle, and she felt the bone snap, and she cried out.
Ben rushed down after her, and found her rocking back and forth, holding her leg that she'd maneuvered out from under her.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Do I look ok?!" She snapped between gritted teeth. "I think my legs broken."
Ben looked down at her ankle. It was turning black and blue, and was twisted at an odd angle for an ankle. He cringed and looked away, and that's when he noticed the singular rock in the center of the crater.
"What's that?" He asked, getting to his feet and walking towards it.
When he got close, it started humming. A low sound at first, but it gradually got louder until he had to hold his hands over his ears to keep his eardrums from bursting.
When he got close enough to see that there were strange scribbles all over the rock, the humming stopped as suddenly as it had started.
The top of the rock slid off, revealing a white interior and two hands reaching out. Ben jumped back, startled at the rock suddenly breaking and the hands appearing.
After a hesitant moment, he walked closer and grasped the hands and began pulling whoever it was out.
When he's pulled the person out, he noticed that it was a girl, who appeared to be about seven years old, with white blonde hair and she was wearing a white robe. Her eyes were a stormy blue, which really contrasted with all the white.
She opened her mouth and a strange clicking came out. He stared at her, and she frowned and tried again, this time it came out in Spanish.
He held up his hands in a confused gesture and she sighed in frustration.
"I hate to interrupt," Ashley said from where she still sat, cradling her ankle. "But my ankle is kinda broken over here."
Ben walked over and knelt next to her again, followed by the strange rock girl, who looked at Ashley's ankle in what seemed to almost be confusion.
"Sorry Ash," Ben said.
The strange girl reached out and grabbed Ashley's ankle, making her cry out as pain shot through her leg.
"What are you-" Ben's voice trailed off as the girls' hands began to glow over Ashley's ankle.
After a moment, the girl set Ashley's ankle down and she moved it experimentally and found that it didn't hurt to move it anymore and it was no longer an ugly black and blue.
She stared at the girl in amazement. "T-thanks," She said. The girl nodded, a smile on her face.
"Who are you?" Ben asked. "And why can't you speak English?"
The girl spoke again, but this time it was in French.
"She doesn't know," Ashley said. "She doesn't even know how she got here."
Ben gave her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "I take French, remember? Top of the class."
"I remember," He said with a laugh.
The girl was looking up at the sky, like she was looking for something.
"Can you understand us?" Ben asked. The girl looked at him and nodded.
"I understand," She said hesitantly.
"You do know English!" Ben exclaimed.
"Of course I do," The girl said. "It just takes me a moment to remember the exact pronunciation for every language. They get mixed up."
"What's your name?" Ben asked.
She thought a moment. "You could not pronounce it." she said.
"Molly." Ashley said suddenly, and they both glanced at her. "What? I think she looks like a Molly."
"Molly." The girl said, trying the name out. "I like it." She smiled.
Suddenly, they all heard a noise that sounded like a semi-truck being dropped on glass, making them all jump to their feet.
Molly ran to the rock and placed her hand on one of the scribbles and it started to glow with a faint green light that pulsated out, surrounding the crater.
"What was that?" Ashley asked.
"Protection sigil." Molly answered, looking up at the sky.
Ben and Ashley glanced at each other before also looking up, just as something exploded right above their heads. They both dropped to the ground, covering their heads with their hands. Molly remained standing, unaffected by the explosions that were still happening above her head.
"What's going on?" Ashley shouted over the noise of the explosions, but Molly didn't answer, instead pressing another of the scribbles.
This time, no symbol shot out light to shield them, this time, the rock changed shape, or rather, it opened, so that it looked like a chariot from Greece without the horses.
She stepped forward and stood in front, pressing more scribbles and making more light shoot out to join the green until there was a rainbow above their heads.
"Molly!" Ben shouted. "What's going on?"
She glanced at them, but didn't respond, instead hitting another scribble and sending what looked like a toy rocket shooting up and going past the barrier, and hitting something, causing it to explode.
"Why can't you just take your private war somewhere else?" Ashley shouted. "We have family here! What if they get caught in the crossfire?"
"I did not ask them to follow me." Molly said as she sent another missile up. It hit something and exploded, giving them a brief view of what was attacking them.
It was a ship, and it was huge.
"Who are you?" Ashley asked, staring at where they had just seen the ship. "What is that thing?"
"That would be, I believe as you call them, the mother ship." Molly answered. "As for me, I am no one."
"I doubt that." Ben said. "They wouldn't be attacking you like this if you were no one."
Molly began to respond, but just then five missiles hit the barrier and exploded, sending them all back to the ground.
There was a sound like a megaphone coming on and then a loud voice said, surprisingly in English. "Why do you fire back?"
"It speaks English?" Ashley asked.
"Apparently." Ben said as he helped Ashley to her feet.
Molly just looked at the ground, refusing to even look at Ben as he offered her a hand.
The voice said something that sounded more like clicking than anything and Molly cringed and finally looked up.
"Why did you fire back?" The voice repeated. "And why did you involve these earthlings in this matter? Just like you to be selfish."
"Me? Selfish?" Molly shouted up at the voice, then, apparently figuring it couldn't hear her, got to her feet and ran to her rock and grabbed something that looked like a radio from a plane and spoke into it. "Me? Selfish? Have you looked in the mirror lately?"
"You dare speak that way to me? You dance on dangerous ground." The voice said.
"Excuse me," Ashley said. "I hate to interrupt, but what the hell is going on?"
Molly didn't answer.
"What is going on?" She repeated, and when Molly still didn't respond. She took a deep breath and ran up to her and grabbed the radio from her and spoke tartly into it. "What the hell is going on?"
"You must be one of the humans," The voice said. "I apologize for my daughters' behavior, she has been quite a handful as of late."
"That's alri- wait, your DAUGHTER?" She said.
"I'm afraid so," The voice said. "This is highly irritating, one moment please."
There were sounds like he was hanging up, and then a beam of white light appeared at one end of the crater and a tall man stepped out with white blonde hair like Molly's and, also like Molly, he was wearing a white robe.
"I apologize for her behavior." He repeated. "Her tantrums are very extreme."
"I wouldn't have reacted like that if YOU'D had just been reasonable." Molly said, crossing her arms.
"Excuse me," Ben said. "But you almost destroyed our town over a DISAGREEMENT?"
"It appears so," Molly's dad said. "I apologize once more, please, allow me to heal what we have hurt."
He snapped his fingers and the light returned and slid across the ground towards them and, before they even knew what was happening, Ashley and Ben were aboard what looked like something right out of Star Trek.
Molly walked over to one of the nearby chairs and sat down with a sigh. Her dad walked over to the controls and started hitting some keys that had the same scribbles as Molly's rock had.
"There," He said with a satisfied smile as he turned back to them. "Everything is as it once was."
"Thank you." Ashley said.
He smiled again and turned to Molly and his expression changed to one of disapproval. "I will not embarrass you in front of these earthlings, but do expect repercussions from your little 'trip.'"
"Yes, father." Molly said. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him with what could only be described as a cutesy look.
"That's not going to work this time." He said sternly, and turned towards Ben and Ashley again. "I will send you back to your homes now, and I apologize once again for my daughter."
The light appeared again and before they knew it, they were both standing on Ashley's roof again, but this time, the lights were gone.
"Wow," Ashley said. Ben nodded silently.
They both climbed down and said goodnight to each other before Ashley went inside and Ben walked down the block back to his house.
The strange girl reached out and grabbed Ashley's ankle, making her cry out as pain shot through her leg.
"What are you-" Ben's voice trailed off as the girls' hands began to glow over Ashley's ankle.
After a moment, the girl set Ashley's ankle down and she moved it experimentally and found that it didn't hurt to move it anymore and it was no longer an ugly black and blue.
She stared at the girl in amazement. "T-thanks," She said. The girl nodded, a smile on her face.
"Who are you?" Ben asked. "And why can't you speak English?"
The girl spoke again, but this time it was in French.
"She doesn't know," Ashley said. "She doesn't even know how she got here."
Ben gave her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "I take French, remember? Top of the class."
"I remember," He said with a laugh.
The girl was looking up at the sky, like she was looking for something.
"Can you understand us?" Ben asked. The girl looked at him and nodded.
"I understand," She said hesitantly.
"You do know English!" Ben exclaimed.
"Of course I do," The girl said. "It just takes me a moment to remember the exact pronunciation for every language. They get mixed up."
"What's your name?" Ben asked.
She thought a moment. "You could not pronounce it." she said.
"Molly." Ashley said suddenly, and they both glanced at her. "What? I think she looks like a Molly."
"Molly." The girl said, trying the name out. "I like it." She smiled.
Suddenly, they all heard a noise that sounded like a semi-truck being dropped on glass, making them all jump to their feet.
Molly ran to the rock and placed her hand on one of the scribbles and it started to glow with a faint green light that pulsated out, surrounding the crater.
"What was that?" Ashley asked.
"Protection sigil." Molly answered, looking up at the sky.
Ben and Ashley glanced at each other before also looking up, just as something exploded right above their heads. They both dropped to the ground, covering their heads with their hands. Molly remained standing, unaffected by the explosions that were still happening above her head.
"What's going on?" Ashley shouted over the noise of the explosions, but Molly didn't answer, instead pressing another of the scribbles.
This time, no symbol shot out light to shield them, this time, the rock changed shape, or rather, it opened, so that it looked like a chariot from Greece without the horses.
She stepped forward and stood in front, pressing more scribbles and making more light shoot out to join the green until there was a rainbow above their heads.
"Molly!" Ben shouted. "What's going on?"
She glanced at them, but didn't respond, instead hitting another scribble and sending what looked like a toy rocket shooting up and going past the barrier, and hitting something, causing it to explode.
"Why can't you just take your private war somewhere else?" Ashley shouted. "We have family here! What if they get caught in the crossfire?"
"I did not ask them to follow me." Molly said as she sent another missile up. It hit something and exploded, giving them a brief view of what was attacking them.
It was a ship, and it was huge.
"Who are you?" Ashley asked, staring at where they had just seen the ship. "What is that thing?"
"That would be, I believe as you call them, the mother ship." Molly answered. "As for me, I am no one."
"I doubt that." Ben said. "They wouldn't be attacking you like this if you were no one."
Molly began to respond, but just then five missiles hit the barrier and exploded, sending them all back to the ground.
There was a sound like a megaphone coming on and then a loud voice said, surprisingly in English. "Why do you fire back?"
"It speaks English?" Ashley asked.
"Apparently." Ben said as he helped Ashley to her feet.
Molly just looked at the ground, refusing to even look at Ben as he offered her a hand.
The voice said something that sounded more like clicking than anything and Molly cringed and finally looked up.
"Why did you fire back?" The voice repeated. "And why did you involve these earthlings in this matter? Just like you to be selfish."
"Me? Selfish?" Molly shouted up at the voice, then, apparently figuring it couldn't hear her, got to her feet and ran to her rock and grabbed something that looked like a radio from a plane and spoke into it. "Me? Selfish? Have you looked in the mirror lately?"
"You dare speak that way to me? You dance on dangerous ground." The voice said.
"Excuse me," Ashley said. "I hate to interrupt, but what the hell is going on?"
Molly didn't answer.
"What is going on?" She repeated, and when Molly still didn't respond. She took a deep breath and ran up to her and grabbed the radio from her and spoke tartly into it. "What the hell is going on?"
"You must be one of the humans," The voice said. "I apologize for my daughters' behavior, she has been quite a handful as of late."
"That's alri- wait, your DAUGHTER?" She said.
"I'm afraid so," The voice said. "This is highly irritating, one moment please."
There were sounds like he was hanging up, and then a beam of white light appeared at one end of the crater and a tall man stepped out with white blonde hair like Molly's and, also like Molly, he was wearing a white robe.
"I apologize for her behavior." He repeated. "Her tantrums are very extreme."
"I wouldn't have reacted like that if YOU'D had just been reasonable." Molly said, crossing her arms.
"Excuse me," Ben said. "But you almost destroyed our town over a DISAGREEMENT?"
"It appears so," Molly's dad said. "I apologize once more, please, allow me to heal what we have hurt."
He snapped his fingers and the light returned and slid across the ground towards them and, before they even knew what was happening, Ashley and Ben were aboard what looked like something right out of Star Trek.
Molly walked over to one of the nearby chairs and sat down with a sigh. Her dad walked over to the controls and started hitting some keys that had the same scribbles as Molly's rock had.
"There," He said with a satisfied smile as he turned back to them. "Everything is as it once was."
"Thank you." Ashley said.
He smiled again and turned to Molly and his expression changed to one of disapproval. "I will not embarrass you in front of these earthlings, but do expect repercussions from your little 'trip.'"
"Yes, father." Molly said. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him with what could only be described as a cutesy look.
"That's not going to work this time." He said sternly, and turned towards Ben and Ashley again. "I will send you back to your homes now, and I apologize once again for my daughter."
The light appeared again and before they knew it, they were both standing on Ashley's roof again, but this time, the lights were gone.
"Wow," Ashley said. Ben nodded silently.
They both climbed down and said goodnight to each other before Ashley went inside and Ben walked down the block back to his house.
The
next morning, Ashley came down the stairs, expecting her mother to tell
her that she should stop digging her heels in and just pack, but her
mother didn't do that.
When she walked into the kitchen, her mother was sitting there just staring at the phone.
"Mom?" She said when she walked in. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-yes." She said. "I'm just surprised is all."
"Surprised by what?"
When she walked into the kitchen, her mother was sitting there just staring at the phone.
"Mom?" She said when she walked in. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-yes." She said. "I'm just surprised is all."
"Surprised by what?"
"Well, you know how my job transferred me to Florida?" She asked; Ashley nodded. How could she forget?
"What about it?" She asked.
"They changed their minds." Her mother said. "They've given me a pay raise to stay here, saying that no one can handle the people here like I can."
It took Ashley a moment to fully understand what her mother was telling her. "We're... we're staying?"
"Yes." Her mother said. "I guess we are."
Ashley screamed and ran over and gave her mother a hug. "I have to go tell Ben!"
She ran out and down the street to Ben's house and rang the doorbell until his father opened the door.
"Oh, hello Ashley." He said.
"What about it?" She asked.
"They changed their minds." Her mother said. "They've given me a pay raise to stay here, saying that no one can handle the people here like I can."
It took Ashley a moment to fully understand what her mother was telling her. "We're... we're staying?"
"Yes." Her mother said. "I guess we are."
Ashley screamed and ran over and gave her mother a hug. "I have to go tell Ben!"
She ran out and down the street to Ben's house and rang the doorbell until his father opened the door.
"Oh, hello Ashley." He said.
"Is Ben up?" She asked. He nodded and let her in.
She walked into the living room and saw Ben sitting on the couch, playing a video game.
"Hey, uh, do you remember last night? I was going to tell you something?" She said. He looked up and nodded, though he didn't seem surprised to see her here. "Well, I was trying to tell you that I was moving to Florida because of my moms job."
He sat there staring at her for a moment.
"But before you say anything, those plans have changed." She explained. "My moms bosses gave her a raise to stay, so I'm not moving after all!"
He stared at her some more.
"What?" She asked. "Say something!"
"You're staying?" he asked, and when she nodded, he started to smile. "Good."
"I wonder what caused them to change their minds." She said, sitting down next to him. He shrugged.
They sat in silence for a long while before Ashley stood. "I'm gonna go check out the woods."
She walked into the living room and saw Ben sitting on the couch, playing a video game.
"Hey, uh, do you remember last night? I was going to tell you something?" She said. He looked up and nodded, though he didn't seem surprised to see her here. "Well, I was trying to tell you that I was moving to Florida because of my moms job."
He sat there staring at her for a moment.
"But before you say anything, those plans have changed." She explained. "My moms bosses gave her a raise to stay, so I'm not moving after all!"
He stared at her some more.
"What?" She asked. "Say something!"
"You're staying?" he asked, and when she nodded, he started to smile. "Good."
"I wonder what caused them to change their minds." She said, sitting down next to him. He shrugged.
They sat in silence for a long while before Ashley stood. "I'm gonna go check out the woods."
"Why? Her dad repaired everything they'd wrecked." Ben said.
"I know, but I still want to." She said and left.
She was halfway there when she heard footsteps behind her. "What took you so long?" She asked.
"I had to finish that level." Ben said, falling in step beside her.
She smiled and they continued until they reached the clearing where the most exciting night of their lives took place.
The crater was gone and there were no remnants of the missiles that were sent back and forth between Molly and her dad.
"What's that?" Ben asked, as he walked over to a tree. She followed him and peered over his shoulder as he looked closer. It was a piece of paper, tied to the tree.
"What is it?" Ashley asked, and Ben started reading.
"I know, but I still want to." She said and left.
She was halfway there when she heard footsteps behind her. "What took you so long?" She asked.
"I had to finish that level." Ben said, falling in step beside her.
She smiled and they continued until they reached the clearing where the most exciting night of their lives took place.
The crater was gone and there were no remnants of the missiles that were sent back and forth between Molly and her dad.
"What's that?" Ben asked, as he walked over to a tree. She followed him and peered over his shoulder as he looked closer. It was a piece of paper, tied to the tree.
"What is it?" Ashley asked, and Ben started reading.
"'Dear
Earthlings, I hope you are reading this and not some random hiker, that
would be hard to explain, and the memory wipe machine is malfunctioning
so that would be hard to clean up.
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for not freaking out over the whole alien thing, although to us, you're the aliens, I think I'm losing control over this now so I'll just wrap up.
I apologize in advance for this, but I did a little research and I saw that the human earthlings mother was being, what was the word? Transferred so I took the liberty of, how shall I put this? Changing their minds, we'll just leave it at that.
Once more I apologize, but you two seemed to be a great team and it would be a shame to split that up. Now, I think this note is becoming, as you earthlings say, ramble-y. So, goodbye earthlings.'"
Anyway, I wanted to thank you for not freaking out over the whole alien thing, although to us, you're the aliens, I think I'm losing control over this now so I'll just wrap up.
I apologize in advance for this, but I did a little research and I saw that the human earthlings mother was being, what was the word? Transferred so I took the liberty of, how shall I put this? Changing their minds, we'll just leave it at that.
Once more I apologize, but you two seemed to be a great team and it would be a shame to split that up. Now, I think this note is becoming, as you earthlings say, ramble-y. So, goodbye earthlings.'"
Ben and Ashley shared a look and started laughing.
"We have to get this framed!" Ashley said.
"Agreed." Ben
said and untied the note and they started walking back to their houses,
looking up at the sky and wondering, what else was out
there?
The End
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