Alien Invasion

Running through the tall grass, Tommy felt free – freer than he could possibly imagine – but he had to be cautious at the same time, because they were everywhere.

The strange men from another planet had taken control of this world, had removed many of the people and had left so many to fend for themselves. But it was okay because Tommy wasn't alone. He had Jasper to keep him company. That was to say, his beagle puppy his parents had given him weeks ago. The little thing was adventurous and playful and loved joining in on Tommy's adventures. Well, this was one adventure that had no end. At least for Tommy.

Stopping in his tracks, Tommy's eyes wide, he saw the group of large aliens ahead, packed in a tight circle like they seemed to do when they got together, talking loudly in their alien language; there were others like Tommy nearby, but they were under the alien's control. The aliens had brainwashed them, keeping them close. He was alone. He had to be cautious now.

"We've got to be careful, Jasper," Tommy whispered to his dog, who sensed the urgency as he kept to Tommy's side.

Creeping toward the trees nearby, Tommy almost cried out as he kicked something in the grass and stopped. Looking back to the aliens, noting they weren't paying attention to him as they talked, Tommy bent down to pick up what he'd kicked. It was a small heart shaped locket, glinting in the daylight and was ever so pretty.

"Who do you think dropped this?" Tommy asked his pet, who whined to tell his master to get a move on. "You're right," Tommy stated, keeping the locket in his clenched fist now but dropping his hand, "we need to get to safety!"

The pair of them moved forward, moving into the tree line, Tommy letting out a sigh of relief when they were out of the alien's range of vision.

"Halt!" A new voice spoke, causing Jasper to yelp but Tommy held his arm out to stop his puppy. "Who goes there?" A blonde girl, around Tommy's own age, swung down from a tree. She was dressed in slightly dirty jeans, a shirt and flip flops, wearing an eye patch with skull and crossbones on it. She glared at him through her one good eye.

"Urm, I'm Tommy," Tommy replied, "and this is Jasper. We've just escaped the aliens."

"The aliens?" The girl replied, dropping from the tree to meet Tommy face-on, but not missing the chance to pet the puppy, who wagged his tail appreciatively. "Yes," the girl continued after a moment, "they took everything from me. My family, my life..."

"Us too," Tommy stated eagerly. “Those little grey aliens have some sort of mind control power. They turn friends turn into enemies.”

“The aliens I saw were green and shot a laser from their hands,” the girl added back.

“The two types of aliens must have teamed up,” Tommy said, his mind working fast as his eyes widened at the realization. Jasper giving a yap. The danger had just doubled. "We have to be careful. But what were you doing up a tree?"

"It's the safest place. I had a tree house back home so being up in trees is second nature," the girl grinned now, but paused as her good eye went wide, looking beyond Tommy. Jasper suddenly whined.

"What's the matter?" Tommy asked, dread filling him.

"A-a-alien!" The girl called, pointing. Tommy span on his heel, the tall figure just meters away as Jasper barked playfully, running at the tall being, his tail wagging.

"Tommy, there you are," it was his mother, and she looked a little worried, "you and Jasper ran off on us, just when we were about to have a picnic too – oh, I see you found a friend," she smiled at the other girl as she bent to casually pet the puppy.

"Mom! We were playing Alien Invasion!" Tommy protested, his and Jasper's game obviously over now as he sighed to his mom. Jasper was barking and running around his mother, seeming to want food now the game had been disturbed.

"You and your aliens," his mom sighed affectionately, shaking her head though. “Why did you father show you those films? And what's that in your hand?" she suddenly noticed that his hand was still clenched on the locket he'd found in the grass. Tommy opened his palm.

"Hey, that's mine!" the girl jumped forward, taking the item. "I thought I lost it. My mom gave it to me..."

"Oh. And where is your mom, dear?" Tommy's mom asked the girl, taking note of her demeanor.

"She's gone," the girl looked sad at that.

"And your father?" Tommy's mom had an arm around him now, as if protecting him from his new friend. Jasper was now sniffing around the girl.

"I... Okay, fine. See, I ran away!" The girl stated, pouting now.

"Why?" Tommy was the one to ask this.

"My dad hates me," she told Tommy's mom, "and I'm sure my stepmom is an alien," she glanced at Tommy as she said this, almost smirking at the reference to the game they had just played.

"Can she stay with us?" Tommy asked his mom quickly now.

"Well… Okay, only for the picnic – we have plenty of food – but after that we'll have to sort out finding her family," Tommy's mom stated simply.

"Even if they are aliens," Tommy added, glancing back at the girl, who looked conflicted. Tommy’s mom, however, gave the girl a sad look as she understood what had happened: The girl’s mother had died, and the father and stepmother weren’t the best parents. Tommy’s mom wondered if they even knew their daughter had gone.

"Come on, join us. We can play Alien Invasion some more," Tommy added.

"Okay," the girl sighed, placing the chain to the locket over her neck so the locket dangled around her midriff.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Tommy's mom asked now as she led the way back down the field to the other grown up, who were still chatting, Tommy's own older sibling and his cousins where there chatting and playing games on their handheld videogame systems.

"Emma," the girl replied simply as Tommy took her hand, Jasper running by their side and barking happily.

"You're my friend now, Emma," Tommy stated, smiling at her.

"Thanks," Emma smiled back at Tommy, who was glancing at her eyepatch now. "Oh, this is a toy, " she added, removing the eyepatch momentarily to show him her good eye underneath. "My real mom got me this before she went away."

"Where did your mom go?" Tommy asked, coming to stop as his mom explained Emma to the rest of the adults.

"I don't know," Emma stated sadly. "One day she was around and then she was gone," she looked down at this as she now held on to the locket.

Tommy felt sad for Emma. He wanted to make her happy, and she'd been happy playing Alien Invasion with him before – he would therefore play Alien Invasion with Emma some more then, but they'd have something to eat first and then see if his cousins wanted to be involved. They could use some people to play the aliens, after all.

Life was never dull to nine years old. Not when you could, in one moment, use your imagination and end up in any type of world you wanted. Even if that world was one where an alien invasion had destroyed the place.