In the movies UFOs were usually depicted as silver and shiny, this was not. It was pitch black, dull, and cold in appearance. It was only later that we would learn it was black because it was powered by solar energy and the black helped to capture the powerful rays of the sun. It was tubular in design with two large engines attached to each side of it. Though there was a hazy disturbance trailing from the engines, it was clear enough that the sky beyond could be seen through the fumes. The ship was so quiet that it seemed impossible that the sizeable engines attached to it were actually powering it forward.
Twenty five alien ships had arrived that day. Five settled over the U.S., three over Canada, and four throughout central and South America. Five more moved in over Europe, five more over Asia, two over Africa, and one hovered above Australia. Their arrival had signaled a short period of chaos, fear, and uncertainty. But over time things had settled down as no imminent threat emerged to kill us all and the aliens repeatedly proclaimed peace.
As time passed this claim seemed more and more acceptable, especially once they began to share their greater technology and vastly superior medical advances with us. Incurable cancers were cured; diseases were brought under control, if not eradicated. They taught us to harvest solar power in new and far more effective ways that drastically reduced our reliance on fossil fuels and nearly eradicated air pollution. They introduced a new form of irrigation that allowed us to grow food in even the most arid of deserts, including Antarctica. Millions of starving people were suddenly fed, people were healthier, happier, and starting to rely upon the advances the aliens gave to us. Everything they did for us was an improvement; life became radically better for everyone throughout those first nine months.
But on that strange, frightening first day, Cade had been in my neighborhood. I never knew why, as he didnt live close to us, but suddenly his car was stopping before me. He had leaned across the front seat of his beater car, his arm on the passenger side window as he leaned toward us. Toward me . He had been thinner then, lean and gangly, but never awkward. Cade had miraculously managed to skip all of the awkward stages that were involved with being a teenager and always been gorgeous, heartbreakingly so.
His midnight eyes appeared even darker as the sun disappeared behind the ship. He seemed far more intense as he pinned me with that unerring, fathomless gaze. I was unnerved, and yet strangely enchanted by his forceful stare, a stare that didnt leave me, not even to watch the extraordinary new arrivals as they slid
across the sky. I had to force my gaze away from his as I turned my attention back to our suddenly strange sky. Then the ship had moved past us. The sun had reappeared as it left the rural areas behind for Boston.
Are you ok?
My attention had been drawn back to Cade as he uttered the question. I couldnt find words for him; I didnt have any at the moment. I was terrified, fascinated, and completely stunned to realize that aliens actually did exist. And they were here . He continued to stare at me, expecting some kind of answer, but I couldnt find one for him. I didnt know if I was ok, I didnt know if any of us would ever be ok again. Clenching my jaw tight, feeling like an idiot in the face of his confident aura, I had managed a small nod.
He gazed at me for a moment longer, a strange gleam in his dark eyes as he studied me intently. He appeared strangely torn, seemed as if he didnt want to leave. But that made no sense, we barely knew each other, and we certainly werent friends. At least we werent friends anymore, we hadnt been for years. Finally he had returned my nod, sat back in the drivers seat, and drove away. Id watched him go until he took a left and disappeared from sight. We hadnt spoken again since then.
I blinked as I was torn from the memory of that day by the shaking of the building. My heart jumped in fear, but a strange thrill of excitement ran through me as I studied Cade with a growing sense of wonder and curiosity. Then, the quaking increased and I forgot all about him as my terror spiked high again. The glass in the windows began to rattle in the frames, vibrating with the force of whatever was coming toward us. I took an instinctive step back. Cades hand fell briefly against my back, stopping me from moving before his touch slipped away.
I watched in wide eyed fascination, and dread, as he moved slowly toward the window. I wanted to reach out and grab him, wanted to scream at him to stop, but I was unable to move as I gaped at his back. He eased down a slat on the blinds, barely moving it as he peered out the window. Drawn by curiosity, I crept toward him. Pressing against his back, I leaned forward to peer over his shoulder. He shot me a look but didnt try to stop me.
The shaking increased, the noise level escalated as it echoed throughout the store. My eyebrows drew questioningly together, I searched for the source of the sound, but I couldnt pinpoint it through the narrow gap in the blinds. I jumped slightly as a large thing suddenly loomed before us. And thing was the only word that could be used to describe it. I had no idea what it was; Id never seen anything like it. But it was awful, disgusting, gross in ways that I had never begun to imagine gross.