A Distant Visitor

A very short novel about a little girl who witnesses a space craft visiting her yard.

     The night sky was clear with a sprinkling of stars.  Genny watched them twinkle as she swung back and forth on the makeshift swing her older brother had hung from the tree.  She wondered if any of those tiny orbs of light had life on it--she wondered if live existed, would they be like us--she wondered if she would ever be ever to meet anyone from out there.  

The universe was so vast, that anything was possible.  She jumped out of the swing and landed on her feet only to fall to her knees like she always had.  It would be great to be able to jump and land gracefully on her feet like Galen did.  Her older brother took care of her after her mother had abandoned them.  Galen let her get away with murder.  Like now, the hour was close to midnight and where was she?  Not in bed like her mother always insisted that she be, but out playing in the yard.  

Genny sprawled out flat on the ground.  The dew soaked into her clothes, but she barely noticed.  She stared dreamily into the night sky, and focused on a shooting star.  She sat up fast when the star did not fade from sight.  Rather it had seemed to keep moving.  She watched this with her naked eye, for what seemed to be an hour.  It zoomed back and forth in the sky, and then seemed to get larger.  

Genny realized that this was in their own atmosphere and not way out among the stars.  She swallowed hard and got up.  Running to the house, she called her brother's name loudly.  

"Galen!  Galen!  Come outside fast."  

She turned and surveyed the sky again.  The light was gone.  Galen opened the door and sleepily looked out.  He was clothed in a striped bathrobe with flip flops on his feet.  He didn't seem too happy.  Genny could smell the alcohol from where she stood.  

"What Genny?  I was sleeping."

"You were drinking you mean."

"What?  You should be in bed.  You know if the neighbors saw you outside you would end up being a ward of the state." 

"Yeah...yeah."  She had heard that all before.  She looked into the night sky again and her eyes popped open wide as she saw the light, now larger than the last time.  "Look, Galen!"  She pointed at it.  

"What the....  Wait here."  He went inside and came back with a baseball bat.  He walked down the back porch and past his little sister, saying nothing.  

"I'm going with you!"

"No.  Stay here!"

When he started to venture toward where the light had hovered, she followed him.  He turned around once, but just shook his head.  The walked slowly towards the hovering orb until they were under it.  Galen looked at her and she back at him in silence.  Then the light hummed loudly and shot off into the night.  

*

Genny and Galen never told anyone that they had witnessed a so call UFO.  They also never spoke of it to each other.  Genny wondered if she would ever see it again. 

Reviews

[Wolfwind]

Now I want to know what it was and if it will come back! This was a wonderful short scene that has the potential to expand into something much larger. Even though, as a stand alone, you did a wonderful job at crafting two different characters, with different personalities, and had them share in an event that was exciting.

Nice writing!
Aaron

[Professor Xeronian]

Some grammar/spelling/whatever issues I noticed. But otherwise very good writing. There's something in my writing I think I'm missing... you guys seem to have it. I: