The Blinking Star (Part 1)

Inspired by a writing prompt on Reddit "You see a star blinking in Morse code. The message: We can see you." (Picture credit: http://saturatedcanary.blogspot.com/2011/10/track-4.html)

I sat on the rocking chair, listening to it creak as it moved. The cool night air made my sweater feel warmer. I looked up at the stars. They always made me feel small, and I knew the feeling well. I was eight. Everything was huge. I clutched my flashlight tighter, as if it would float away. I searched for the star that I had been watching. It was bigger than the rest, but not by much. It was always right next to the tip of the Big Dipper’s saucer. I strained my eyes until I noticed it again. It twinkled differently than the other stars. There was a pattern to it. Morse code. My grandfather had taught me it. It took me a while to translate the star’s message.

We can see you.

I flicked my flashlight on and off, pointing the beam at the star. I can see you. I hoped the star could see me. From my view the beam got fainter and fainter until it disappeared.

The star seemed to wink out of existence. Did it only exist in my imagination in the first place? Had anyone else responded to it?

Then the star appeared again. It seemed to be bigger, or brighter.

Finally.

Finally? How long had the star been speaking to us? I blinked back: Who are you?

You call us aliens.

The longer message took me a while to decode. I froze with shock. Electricity seemed to zap through me. I hoped to God this wasn’t a dream or a hallucination.

Are you peaceful? “Stupid!” I shouted, slapping my forehead. Since when did the bad guy ever admit to being the bad guy?

Yes.

They could be lying. How long have you watched?

Many years.

Why? Fear crept over me as the reality set in. Now there was proof. We were not alone. I felt their eyes watching me as I waited for a response.

You interest us.

Interest how? My chest tightened. Would we be dissected? Destroyed? Were we the clowns of the universe?

Your emotions are complex and intense.

It was a neutral statement. Blinking lights could not communicate meaning any more than a text message or Facebook post could. Should I ask to meet them in person? What would they do to me?

What are you planning?

We are not planning, only observing.

Why did you send the message?

To see if someone would notice.

My fear lessened somewhat. Of course, they could be lying. But if they’d been watching us for a long time, they had many opportunities to do us harm. I stared at the star for a while. It seemed to be getting bigger. It took on a shape. It was blurry, but I was reminded of an airplane.

Could I meet you in person?

Yes.

Author's Note

This is a short story but I keep getting Error 001. I'm gonna try to upload it in shorter segments. I'm not sure what's causing the error but it might be that my file's too big.