The axe came down fast and split the firewood in two. Ben let his tool rest in the tree trunk as he breathed in the cool air. He welcomed the light breeze that kicked in and tussled the orange leaves around his feet. The scenic mountains and forest that surrounded his home was always a relaxing view for him. He took a moment to enjoy the nature around him then gathered the split wood into a small wagon and pushed it along to the back of his cabin.

The sound of crunching cans and crumpled paper ruined the atmosphere but Ben didn’t care. He ignored the bits of trash strewn about his property as he made his way to the yard. The cooler and wooden chair by the fire pit overlooking the hillside seemed cozy enough even with the garbage. Ben started a kindle and threw in his firewood one at a time. When the flames grew to a comfortable size, he sat back in his chair, picked up a can of beer from his cooler, and looked out towards the open landscape.

The mixture of orange, yellow, and red colors blanketed the sky. It was difficult to see the vibrant colors of leaves in the distant trees.

“Almost time,” he muttered as cracked open his beer and took a sip.

After waiting for some time, the sun had finally set. The stars now enveloped the heavens and Ben fidgeted in his chair. He gulped down one beer after another all the while keeping his sights fixated on the night sky. His impatience almost got the better of him until it finally happened. He gaped at the meteor shower raining down across the sky. It was truly a sight to behold.

Ben took out his cell phone and recorded the spectacle. Glancing between the sky and his phone, a peculiar light caught his eye. It didn’t follow its brethren that streaked across the sky but rather moved in an angular pattern. Had he not been looking in this particular area he would have missed it entirely.

The light stopped in its tracks and Ben couldn’t help but remain fixated on it. He rose from his chair and squinted his eyes. The longer he stared, the brighter it became. Within moments the light brushed past his home and disappeared into the forest. Ben’s trembling hands struggled to keep his phone still. Had he really seen what he thought? He dropped his phone and fell on his knees, taking deep breaths to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

Ben took a deep breath then picked up his cell phone and stopped recording. At that moment, there was a twinkle in his eye. He looked out towards the forest, a smile widening across his face. There hasn’t been any concrete proof yet. The thought of being famous excited him. He gripped his cell phone tight and ran straight into the forest. It couldn’t have landed far. He continued to trek the dark forest with his cell phone as his only source of light.

“Where is it?” he muttered.

A clang caught his attention and he ducked for cover behind the closest brush. He listened closely to try and determine if it was just his imagination. With the cell phone close to his chest, he kept his breathing steady and waited for another sound. The rustling leaves were all he could hear for the moment. He waited and waited but still nothing. Ben tilted his head back and gazed at the stars. Perhaps he had too many beers and was just hearing things. He sighed and was ready to leave until a strange mechanical noise disturbed the silence.

Ben’s muscles tensed and he remained low to the ground. He couldn’t tell what kind of machinery could make such a peculiar sound. The unique pitch continued to whir for a moment and then finally stopped. A series of footsteps followed after and he froze. How many were there? He wanted to peak over the brush but the rapid beating of his heart advised him otherwise. Gripping his cell phone tight, he steeled his nerves and chanced a look. He squinted his eyes but all he could make out were figures moving about in the dark. He adjusted his position and a twig snapped. His heart sank.

The forest lit up around Ben and he dropped his phone to shield his eyes. The brightness was blinding but he squinted, determined to see what was before him. A few figures emerged from the lights source. The muscles on his legs tightened with each step they made toward him. Beads of sweat ran down his trembling face as their shadows took form bit by bit. Tall. Four elongated arms and fingers. Thin torsos. Their fat triangular heads emitted two circular bright red glows. Ben fell on his bottom and scurried back the way he came, bumping into trees and tripping over branches as he made his retreat. The crunching sound of leaves that surrounded him made his heart race. How many were chasing him? He didn’t stop to delve on that thought. The only thing that mattered to him was reaching his home and grabbing his shotgun.

The farther he got from the light source, the easier it became for Ben to see his surroundings. The cabin came into view and he sprinted towards his home. He tripped over some garbage but he continued to scramble his way to the back door. He reached for the doorknob but his hand stopped at the sound of a crash. It came from just on the other side of the door. More crashing sounds now mingled with rustling noises were coming from within his home.

Ben tiptoed his way around the garbage to a nearby window. He peaked over and caught a glimpse of a figure leaving his kitchen. It was them. When another appeared in the corner of his eye, Ben quickly ducked and held his breath. They were in his home. The light from the forest grew brighter and he could hear his chasers closing in.

Their shadows were coming into view. Ben hurried around a corner, taking care not to disturb the trash, and waited. He heard the back door open and his chasers stopping just before it. No other sounds emerged from their interaction. A sheen of sweat glimmered on Ben’s reddening face. What were they doing? He heard the door close and their footsteps stirring up the junk in his yard. The noise they made faded away. Ben took this moment to go around the front of his home.

He found an open window leading into his living room and looked inside. A couple more of them were rummaging through his belongings. Though it was dark, the features of these creatures were easier to discern with the help of the eerie, glowing, red slits throughout their body. These ones were examining his keepsakes like the taxidermy trophies of small critters, empty cans of beer, and photos of hunting trips. Their long claw-like hands held the objects carefully, caressing their surface with sharp pointy nails before handing it to their second pair of grossly emaciated limbs and shredding them to pieces. They walked with rigid hind legs, balancing on four pronged toes that thumped about.

Ben ducked back into hiding, whimpering uncontrollably under his breath. A sudden crash from within his home made him flinch.

“You can do this. You can do this.” He whispered.

He took one last deep breath before peering back into his house. He spotted an untouched locked trunk in a nearby corner. His shotgun was in there. He slipped in through the window and snuck his way to the chest. The noise they were making made it easy for him to move about without their detection. He unlocked the trunk, pulled out the pump action shotgun, and loaded it before daring to make his next move. He crept closer to them, took aim, and cocked the weapon, startling the creatures.

The front door flew open and Ben whipped around to meet the intruders. Two more entered hunched over like they were ready to pounce with their emaciated arms out front maneuvering in random, rapid, stiff movements. He screamed and squeezed the trigger.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ben smiled and relished at the thought of dispatching the invaders. His merriment faded when they remained standing. Their thin limbs were now motionless and baring a ball fist. The fists were brought up to their face, palms open, its red eyes examining the buckshot as it rolled off its hands. The creatures tilted their heads and looked to each other before turning on Ben.

He gripped the shotgun tightly with trembling hands. They towered over him like bears amused at a lamb. He remained fixated on their glowing red eyes until he felt a prick in his neck. They grabbed his arms before he could react and wrestled the weapon from him. He shoved them aside and ran down the hall into his bedroom. He slammed the door shut, blocked it with some furniture, then rushed over to the window but stumbled on his way. The room was starting to move in a blur. He shook his head but that only made it worse. What did they do? Their light engulfed his room and the banging on his door startled him. He looked about for anything that might help him.

Nothing. He was trapped.

He backed into a corner, his eyes jumping from the door to the window. Shadows were now approaching his window and the constant banging made his heart beat faster. Who would break in first? Ben could feel his strength wasting away. He stared at his feet and waited for them. The door cracked and the window crashed. He trembled and dared not to look up at his attackers. They stopped before him, their pronged feet within his view.

The next thing he knew, he could feel the smooth surface of his wooden floor against his back. His vision faded in and out with glimpses of his home décor followed by a view of his cabin. Their light prevented him from determining where they were taking him and that alone was enough to quicken his heartbeat. He was lifted off the ground and laid down on a flat surface. His eyes widened and he tried to spring up and run, but those commands were ignored by his body. Whatever they injected into his system had immobilized him.

The unknown fate that awaited him was all his mind could focus on. What did they want? Where are they going? Is this the end? The area around Ben was too bright to see so he relied on his ears to discern their movements. Several footsteps and some clanging noise were all he heard. His eyes looked as far down as they could and he saw some movement around his lower extremities. What were they doing?

One of the beings came up to Ben’s face, startling him. He stared deeply into its glowing red eyes until it dimmed. The center of its leathery face peeled back on its own. Slowly, its fat triangular head reshaped itself as the exterior skin receded. He could now clearly see what he was dealing with. It looked exactly how abductees had described them. Oblong head, grey, pale skin, and large black eyes. The creature held up an obscure tool that sent shivers down Ben’s spine. It was nothing like he had ever seen before and he certainly did not want to find out its use. More of the aliens were approaching him, their true faces revealed as well.

They hovered around him and nodded to one another before turning their attention towards Ben. He could not stand to see their faces any longer and instead focused on the bright light above him. It brought him some comfort and he closed his eyes, no longer caring what they had planned.

The rustling leaves and cold breeze stirred Ben awake. He was back in his wooden chair with a beer in his hand. The flame from his fire pit was but a tiny ember now. Was it all a dream? He patted and searched himself to see if anything had changed. Instead, he was surprised to find his cell phone in his pocket. His eyes widened and he frantically fiddled with the device.

“The video!”

He searched for the footage of the meteor shower and watched it. Ben frowned when nothing out of the ordinary had been captured in the recording. He let out a heavy sigh as he gazed up at the starry sky.

###

The spaceship reappeared in the black abyss of space. The Earth was still within its view but its appearance was more dull and dead. A much larger spacecraft occupied the planet’s vicinity as well and the smaller ship docked with it. The alien groaned while rubbing its temples and maneuvered as best it could out of the captain’s seat. Its many subordinates managing the controls of the ship slumped in their chairs and remained motionless. Their mission was over.

The captain and crew reached behind their necks and pressed at its base. Their extra emaciated appendages went limp and the chest opened. They slipped out of the suits and stretched their bodies. Some took the time to fiddle with their five digit toes, expressing relief from tiptoeing on the four pronged boots for so long.

The door to the bridge opened and they were greeted by more of their kind but dressed in military attire. Their leader handed the captain some clothing while the troops did the same with the rest of the crew. Though these creatures had no lips to communicate verbally, the captain could still understand his superior via telepathy.

“How was it visiting our ancestors?” asked the superior.

The captain snorted as he dressed himself, “Difficult. How much longer are we going to do this?”

“For as long as we can.” The superior gazed out at the dead planet, “It’s important to learn from our past.”