Originally published on Yahoo Voices
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"I don't understand. It was here last night. I saw it," Jim's long blond hair swayed as he shook his head back and forth.
Jim walked around the small opening in the woods. There were no soft bare spots to indicate that some alien spacecraft had been buried there. The whole area was grassy. They was in the middle of a two mile wooded area one
mile outside the city.
"Are you sure it was here?" asked Gary.
"Of course I'm sure!"
"Maybe it was just a dream."
"A dream! What! You don't believe me?"
"I'd like to believe you but it just doesn't add up. You think someone took it?"
"Too big. It was buried in the ground with only the tip showing."
"What was it?"
"I don't know! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Okay. Okay. Calm down. We'll figure this out," Gary paused, "Let's go get some breakfast."
They started walking up the dirt path toward the small cabin. A shadow swung across the cloudy sky.
"What was that?" Asked Gary.
"Whatever it was, it was moving too fast to see."
They walked past the tree stump to the front door.
They opened the cabin door. Jim turned on the radio. The soft rock and roll music filled the air. Jim often came up to this cabin to get away from the busy city life.
Jim sat in the chair and relaxed while Gary took out a frying pan and some eggs.
"This may sound crazy but ..." Gary's voice faded, "You think they're related?"
"You mean that thing in the ground and that thing that swung across the sky?"
"Well, yeah."
"I have no idea."
Gary paused, seeking a way to change the subject. "You said your uncle owns this place."
"Yep. He told me I could come up here anytime I want."
"Where'd you live before you moved into the city?"
"Here and there. My mom and I lived in many places, Jim paused, "First time my uncle showed me this place, I loved it."
"I can see why."
Gary jumped as a shadow whisked across the window. Jim jumped from his chair.
"What the hell was that?" Asked Gary.
They both went to the front door and opened it. Gary went outside and looked around.
"It doesn't make sense." Jim sat on the tree stump.
"What do you mean?"
"Shadows are caused by objects blocking a light: In this case, the sun."
"So?"
"So, where is the sun?"
Gary looked up in the sky. It was cloudy. No sun.
"I think we should leave," said Gary.
"I'm calling my mom," said Jim as he searched his pockets for his cell phone, "Where the heck is my phone?"
"Look!" said Jim.
Something huge and dark was in the trees. The boys heard a loud rumble. They raced into the cabin and shut the door.
"That was no shadow!"
Jim was searching the bedroom.
"What are you looking for?"
"My uncle always kept a gun up here."
"What kind of gun?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything about guns."
"What did he do with the gun?"
"Hunting. But that was before developers started buying up the land."
"Have you ever fired a gun?"
"No."
"Great," Gary came in the bedroom. He spotted a lock on a closet door. "Did he have kids up here?"
"Yeah. He had two boys. Why?"
"Boys grown up now?"
"Grown up and moved out."
"Got the key to that lock?" asked Gary.
Jim looked at the lock. "No. Why would the gun be locked up now?"
They heard a noise.
"Sounds like it came from the front door," said Gary.
They hesitated for a moment.
"Let me in!" the voice said, "Hurry!"
Jim rushed to the door and opened it. His younger brother Tom pushed him aside while rushing in.
The dark thing was moving closer.
Jim closed the door and leaned a chair against it.
"Are you okay?" asked Jim.
"Yeah," said Tom, "What is that thing out there?"
"I don't know," said Jim, "What are you doing here?"
"How are we going to get home?"
Gary came out of the bedroom with a rifle and a box of bullets. "Hope your uncle doesn't mind. I broke the lock."
"That's how," Jim answered Tom.
"Anyone know how to use this?" Gary was inspecting the rifle.
Jim and Tom shrugged their shoulders.
"Great."
The room slowly became darker. Jim turned on the ceiling light.
"What's going on?" asked Gary.
"It's getting dark outside," Tom pointed to the window.
"We have to get out of here," said Jim, "Now! Use the back door."
The boys went running through the back hallway and opened the back door. As they distanced themselves from the cabin, they looked back. The sides of the cabin were covered with darkness, but the back was not. In a wild panic, the boys ran into the woods.
After running a half mile, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Where are we?" asked Gary.
"I don't know," answered Jim.
"We left everything there," said Gary, "We have to go back."
"No," said Tom.
"We don't have anything," said Gary, "Not even a compass and we are not on the path we walked to get to the cabin."
"Yeah we do," said Jim searching his pockets, "Oh no! My compass! I must have dropped it while we were running!" Jim paused, "We'll have to find our way back," said Jim.
"More likely, we'll walk in circles." replied Gary.
They looked up at the clouds.
"Looks like we're in for some rain," said Jim, "Maybe Gary is right."
"But that thing!" said Tom.
"May not even be there anymore," said Gary, "Lets go back and find out. Hopefully we'll find our way back before it starts raining." Gary wanted to say, 'if we find our way back at all,' but he didn't.
A shadow crossed the ground. The boys ran for a short while and then slowed down.
"So much for it not being around," said Tom, "Are we headed in the right direction?"
Gary and Jim shrugged their shoulders. They walked for an hour and stopped.
"Where are we?" asked Tom.
Gary felt a wet spot on his forehead. Then another and another. The rain came down. There was no shelter except the trees.
The boys got under a large tree.
"If we see that shadow again," said Gary, "No panicking and no running."
"What!" Tom exclaimed.
"That shadow is our only chance to get out of here." replied Gary.
They heard a loud sound.
Tom looked around anxiously.
"That was not the thing," said Gary.
"How do you know?"
A lightning bolt hit the ground along with a loud sharp thunder.
"That's how." said Gary.
During the next lightning strike, They saw the large dark thing. It had surrounded them.
"I think I'm beginning to understand," said Jim, "Whatever this thing is, the shadows are it's scouts. The shadows tell it where we are."
"Nice theory," said Gary, "Lets see if we could walk through it."
"Are you kidding?" asked Tom.
"Do we have a choice?" asked Jim, "It's closing in on us."
In seconds the boys were buried in the darkness within the thing.
--------------------
Jim's mom was in the kitchen, talking on her cell phone.
"Honey, I'm worried," she said, "I sent Tom out to get Jim and they haven't returned yet."
She heard dad's soothing voice, "Don't worry, sweetheart. Call Bart and ask him to check his cabin. That's probably where they are."
"Honey, can you take some time off and check? I tried ringing Jim's cell phone. He's not answering."
"That's strange," replied dad, "Okay. I'll be taking off in five minutes," dad paused, "Phone Bart."
Ten minutes later, Dad and Bart came in the front door.
"Home already?"
"I assume you want to come," said dad, "Was Gary with Tom?"
Mom shook her head.
"Better call his parents," said Bart.
Bart, mom and dad arrived at the cabin ten minutes later. Mom got out of the car first.
"Jim, Tom," she yelled while looking around.
No answer.
They tried to open the front door. It wouldn't open.
"That's strange." said Bart.
"There's Jim's phone," said mom as she walked over to the tree stump and picked up the phone.
They walked around the back to find the door wide open.
"Jim always leaves the door wide open," complained dad. He heard music.
"They broke the lock and took out the rifle. Seems like they left in a hurry. Here's the compass I gave Jim." Bart picked the compass up off the floor. Bart looked around and walked out the back door.
"Looks like they were trying to keep someone out," Mary pointed at the chair leaning against the front door. She turned off the radio.
"We'd better start searching for them," said dad, "Block the front door. Run out the back. Seems like they are in trouble." Dad took out his cell phone to call for help.
Nobody noticed the dark thing sinking into the ground down the dirt path.
-------------------
The lights came on. The boys looked at all the bright spots on the walls. Then they saw the shadows come flying in. The shadows dispersed across the room: Each one appeared to be in a different section of the walls and landing on one bright spot after another.
A portion of one wall became translucent and the boys were able to see the path to the cabin. A few minutes later they were able to see the cabin. They saw Jim's mom and dad through the cabin window. Then they saw Bart in the back of the cabin. Soon they were able to see the complete wooded area. They saw hundreds of people arranging several search parties. The people became smaller and smaller until they looked like tiny dots. The boys were mesmerized by the beautiful view of the wooded area and the city. Then their view was obscured by clouds. At length, they found themselves looking at the moon, the earth and the stars.
"Where's Gary?" asked Tom.
"I don't know," responded Jim.
------------------------
Bart came back in the cabin. He yelled for Jim's mom and dad, but there was no response. Then he saw Gary standing by the front door.
"Gary, are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Where's Jim, Tom and their parents?"
"They're on the spaceship."
"What spaceship? You're talking crazy."
Gary didn't respond. He knew that no one was able to see the spaceship except those the alien wished to show it to. It was visible to Tom, Jim, and their parents; but not visible to any one else.
"Well?" Bart sounded impatient.
Gary paused. Then as he saw a shadow moving across the wall, he said, "If you don't believe me, explain that." He pointed at the shadow.
------------------------
Jim, Tom, mom and dad stared in awe at Pluto. They were on their way to another world in another galaxy. They were the first people to visit that world. Many more shadows would visit Earth. And many more people would visit the world of the shadows.
"Of course I'm sure!"
"Maybe it was just a dream."
"A dream! What! You don't believe me?"
"I'd like to believe you but it just doesn't add up. You think someone took it?"
"Too big. It was buried in the ground with only the tip showing."
"What was it?"
"I don't know! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Okay. Okay. Calm down. We'll figure this out," Gary paused, "Let's go get some breakfast."
They started walking up the dirt path toward the small cabin. A shadow swung across the cloudy sky.
"What was that?" Asked Gary.
"Whatever it was, it was moving too fast to see."
They walked past the tree stump to the front door.
They opened the cabin door. Jim turned on the radio. The soft rock and roll music filled the air. Jim often came up to this cabin to get away from the busy city life.
Jim sat in the chair and relaxed while Gary took out a frying pan and some eggs.
"This may sound crazy but ..." Gary's voice faded, "You think they're related?"
"You mean that thing in the ground and that thing that swung across the sky?"
"Well, yeah."
"I have no idea."
Gary paused, seeking a way to change the subject. "You said your uncle owns this place."
"Yep. He told me I could come up here anytime I want."
"Where'd you live before you moved into the city?"
"Here and there. My mom and I lived in many places, Jim paused, "First time my uncle showed me this place, I loved it."
"I can see why."
Gary jumped as a shadow whisked across the window. Jim jumped from his chair.
"What the hell was that?" Asked Gary.
They both went to the front door and opened it. Gary went outside and looked around.
"It doesn't make sense." Jim sat on the tree stump.
"What do you mean?"
"Shadows are caused by objects blocking a light: In this case, the sun."
"So?"
"So, where is the sun?"
Gary looked up in the sky. It was cloudy. No sun.
"I think we should leave," said Gary.
"I'm calling my mom," said Jim as he searched his pockets for his cell phone, "Where the heck is my phone?"
"Look!" said Jim.
Something huge and dark was in the trees. The boys heard a loud rumble. They raced into the cabin and shut the door.
"That was no shadow!"
Jim was searching the bedroom.
"What are you looking for?"
"My uncle always kept a gun up here."
"What kind of gun?"
"I don't know. I don't know anything about guns."
"What did he do with the gun?"
"Hunting. But that was before developers started buying up the land."
"Have you ever fired a gun?"
"No."
"Great," Gary came in the bedroom. He spotted a lock on a closet door. "Did he have kids up here?"
"Yeah. He had two boys. Why?"
"Boys grown up now?"
"Grown up and moved out."
"Got the key to that lock?" asked Gary.
Jim looked at the lock. "No. Why would the gun be locked up now?"
They heard a noise.
"Sounds like it came from the front door," said Gary.
They hesitated for a moment.
"Let me in!" the voice said, "Hurry!"
Jim rushed to the door and opened it. His younger brother Tom pushed him aside while rushing in.
The dark thing was moving closer.
Jim closed the door and leaned a chair against it.
"Are you okay?" asked Jim.
"Yeah," said Tom, "What is that thing out there?"
"I don't know," said Jim, "What are you doing here?"
"How are we going to get home?"
Gary came out of the bedroom with a rifle and a box of bullets. "Hope your uncle doesn't mind. I broke the lock."
"That's how," Jim answered Tom.
"Anyone know how to use this?" Gary was inspecting the rifle.
Jim and Tom shrugged their shoulders.
"Great."
The room slowly became darker. Jim turned on the ceiling light.
"What's going on?" asked Gary.
"It's getting dark outside," Tom pointed to the window.
"We have to get out of here," said Jim, "Now! Use the back door."
The boys went running through the back hallway and opened the back door. As they distanced themselves from the cabin, they looked back. The sides of the cabin were covered with darkness, but the back was not. In a wild panic, the boys ran into the woods.
After running a half mile, they stopped to catch their breath.
"Where are we?" asked Gary.
"I don't know," answered Jim.
"We left everything there," said Gary, "We have to go back."
"No," said Tom.
"We don't have anything," said Gary, "Not even a compass and we are not on the path we walked to get to the cabin."
"Yeah we do," said Jim searching his pockets, "Oh no! My compass! I must have dropped it while we were running!" Jim paused, "We'll have to find our way back," said Jim.
"More likely, we'll walk in circles." replied Gary.
They looked up at the clouds.
"Looks like we're in for some rain," said Jim, "Maybe Gary is right."
"But that thing!" said Tom.
"May not even be there anymore," said Gary, "Lets go back and find out. Hopefully we'll find our way back before it starts raining." Gary wanted to say, 'if we find our way back at all,' but he didn't.
A shadow crossed the ground. The boys ran for a short while and then slowed down.
"So much for it not being around," said Tom, "Are we headed in the right direction?"
Gary and Jim shrugged their shoulders. They walked for an hour and stopped.
"Where are we?" asked Tom.
Gary felt a wet spot on his forehead. Then another and another. The rain came down. There was no shelter except the trees.
The boys got under a large tree.
"If we see that shadow again," said Gary, "No panicking and no running."
"What!" Tom exclaimed.
"That shadow is our only chance to get out of here." replied Gary.
They heard a loud sound.
Tom looked around anxiously.
"That was not the thing," said Gary.
"How do you know?"
A lightning bolt hit the ground along with a loud sharp thunder.
"That's how." said Gary.
During the next lightning strike, They saw the large dark thing. It had surrounded them.
"I think I'm beginning to understand," said Jim, "Whatever this thing is, the shadows are it's scouts. The shadows tell it where we are."
"Nice theory," said Gary, "Lets see if we could walk through it."
"Are you kidding?" asked Tom.
"Do we have a choice?" asked Jim, "It's closing in on us."
In seconds the boys were buried in the darkness within the thing.
--------------------
Jim's mom was in the kitchen, talking on her cell phone.
"Honey, I'm worried," she said, "I sent Tom out to get Jim and they haven't returned yet."
She heard dad's soothing voice, "Don't worry, sweetheart. Call Bart and ask him to check his cabin. That's probably where they are."
"Honey, can you take some time off and check? I tried ringing Jim's cell phone. He's not answering."
"That's strange," replied dad, "Okay. I'll be taking off in five minutes," dad paused, "Phone Bart."
Ten minutes later, Dad and Bart came in the front door.
"Home already?"
"I assume you want to come," said dad, "Was Gary with Tom?"
Mom shook her head.
"Better call his parents," said Bart.
Bart, mom and dad arrived at the cabin ten minutes later. Mom got out of the car first.
"Jim, Tom," she yelled while looking around.
No answer.
They tried to open the front door. It wouldn't open.
"That's strange." said Bart.
"There's Jim's phone," said mom as she walked over to the tree stump and picked up the phone.
They walked around the back to find the door wide open.
"Jim always leaves the door wide open," complained dad. He heard music.
"They broke the lock and took out the rifle. Seems like they left in a hurry. Here's the compass I gave Jim." Bart picked the compass up off the floor. Bart looked around and walked out the back door.
"Looks like they were trying to keep someone out," Mary pointed at the chair leaning against the front door. She turned off the radio.
"We'd better start searching for them," said dad, "Block the front door. Run out the back. Seems like they are in trouble." Dad took out his cell phone to call for help.
Nobody noticed the dark thing sinking into the ground down the dirt path.
-------------------
The lights came on. The boys looked at all the bright spots on the walls. Then they saw the shadows come flying in. The shadows dispersed across the room: Each one appeared to be in a different section of the walls and landing on one bright spot after another.
A portion of one wall became translucent and the boys were able to see the path to the cabin. A few minutes later they were able to see the cabin. They saw Jim's mom and dad through the cabin window. Then they saw Bart in the back of the cabin. Soon they were able to see the complete wooded area. They saw hundreds of people arranging several search parties. The people became smaller and smaller until they looked like tiny dots. The boys were mesmerized by the beautiful view of the wooded area and the city. Then their view was obscured by clouds. At length, they found themselves looking at the moon, the earth and the stars.
"Where's Gary?" asked Tom.
"I don't know," responded Jim.
------------------------
Bart came back in the cabin. He yelled for Jim's mom and dad, but there was no response. Then he saw Gary standing by the front door.
"Gary, are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"Where's Jim, Tom and their parents?"
"They're on the spaceship."
"What spaceship? You're talking crazy."
Gary didn't respond. He knew that no one was able to see the spaceship except those the alien wished to show it to. It was visible to Tom, Jim, and their parents; but not visible to any one else.
"Well?" Bart sounded impatient.
Gary paused. Then as he saw a shadow moving across the wall, he said, "If you don't believe me, explain that." He pointed at the shadow.
------------------------
Jim, Tom, mom and dad stared in awe at Pluto. They were on their way to another world in another galaxy. They were the first people to visit that world. Many more shadows would visit Earth. And many more people would visit the world of the shadows.
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