Photo: Sue Vincent
“What is that thing?”
Melanie squinted against the glare. Shrugged. “A microscope with duck feet.”
Tony frowned. His sister was easily the most annoying person to ever occupy the Earth. Well, after James. James was worse.
The boy stole a look behind him as if expecting James to manifest, even though he knew that the youth was many miles away. You just didn’t know. With James.
Melanie rested her chin on her knees, hummed under her breath, and played imaginary piano with her toes, watching the sand swish around her soles. She was hungry. She wondered what they’ll have for dinner. She lifted her head to glance around. The beach was slowly emptying but it was too early to check the bins.
And anyway, it was Tony’s turn.
She couldn’t keep doing everything for him. He was never gonna learn.
Her stomach growled and she sighed and squinted again at the odd shape on the sand. “Yep,” she pursed her lips. “Definitely a microscope with duck legs.”
Tony made that sound in his throat that she knew meant he was distressed but didn’t want to show it. She ignored him. He had to toughen up.
The quiet between them lingered. It felt stretchy. Like a taught rubber band wound over a finger. Melanie stared. That thing didn’t move.
“It’s an alien,” Tony finally said.
Melanie nodded. Could be.
Tony breathed. “I wonder where the spaceship is.”
“Yeah.” Melanie sat up, suddenly intrigued. “And I wonder when it leaves. You think that if we ask, it would agree to take us with?”
Na'ama Yehuda 
It sounds as if anywhere might be better…
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Yes, I think it feels to them like it might … (and far away from James …)
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Apparently so…
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Wow… poor kids… beautifully written.
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xoxo Thank you, Dale. So many times we don’t know the full stories of the children we see, and while most children have ‘good enough’ caregivers in their lives, many do not, but not all of them necessarily know to reach out, or find help when they do. I hope these two will, be it by extra-terrestrials with duck feet or by human ones who’d see their need.
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Yes, way too often. And ofttimes, we don’t even bother to try to find out, either. I hope they do, too.
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Yeah, though to be fair to us, it is not always obvious, and sometimes intrusive … and so it is a fine balance to strike between attention and intrusion …. So, yeah, I hope that they find safety.
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No, you are right. This is very true.
I shall chose to believe they do.
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Yeah, I think she’s got some serious street smart and grit in her and that she’ll get them to safety. 🙂
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Of that there is no doubt!!
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xoxo
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Thank you, Sue! 🙂
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This feels so real. Like a slice of life.
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Thank you Sadje! 🙂
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You’re welcome 😉
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🙂
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Intriguing and awesome simultaneously 😊👍
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Thank you! I’m glad it intrigued … 🙂
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Thanks, Sue! 🙂
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