Goblin Invasion

A portal opened somewhere in Los Angeles.

It illuminated the night above with a radiant blue. The color changed to a vibrant yellow, followed by a celestial white. People gasped with disbelief as they gathered around the portals. The portal tore the sky apart as it widened up. Portals belonged in the sci-fi section. What was one doing here? A strange humming emitted from it like it was charging something.

Be careful. Something was coming.

Out of the portal came the techno steam train. Like something straight out of a Western film. The Goblins were armed with curved blades and medieval crossbows. Everyone fled once the train barreled through the sky. Except for this one man who tripped on his shoe.

The aliens’ Goblins looked a little different from the ones from Lord of the Rings. Ugly green creatures that stood only three feet tall. Their scrawny bodies topped with their oversized and hairless heads. Massive Dumbo-sized ears with blood-red eyes. Cold and indifferent beasts who cared only for themselves. The Goblins only wanted one thing.

To conquer Earth.

One Goblin pointed their crossbow against an enemy human. When the Goblin shot the bow, the string snapped. The bolt fell next to the Goblins’ grubby feet. Before the Goblin could escape, the human kicked it like a football. It flew across the sidewalk and smacked its head on the wall.

The Goblins rushed after the human with their crescent blades. They raided the stores and took whatever they wanted. Even the things they knew nothing about. It wasn’t long before the cops came with their guns and shields. They leveled the playing field, but it wasn’t enough. The Goblins. They were too much. Humanity was doomed.

At least until the rain came.

The sun disappeared as the clouds blocked the view. Water droplets fell from above like divine meteors. Up to now, the sky had been postcard-perfect before it changed. The beautiful cocktail-blue shade darkened to a gravel grey. So much rain fell, the sound blurred into one long whirring noise. The rain wasn’t anything unusual. Unless it met the Goblin’s skin.

Water. That was their weakness.

The rain droplets burned through the Goblin’s skin like acid. Some of them melted like the Wicked Witch of the West. Others retreated inside the buildings as protection from the outside world. To humans, the rain was a minor inconvenience. For Goblins, this was their definition of Hell. The rain kept beating down, sizzling where the water hit their skin. The predator has now become the prey.

This was humanity’s chance to fight.

Earth was 70 percent made of water. It wasn’t hard to find any in the big city. Squirt guns, fire hoses, water bottles. The Goblins dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. Humans threw them out of the buildings, back into the rain. The Goblin population on Earth dwindled in a matter of minutes. From thousands to hundreds and eventually none. Their bodies disintegrated back into whatever their version of the afterlife was.

Today was a massive loss for the Goblins from Sector 12. They have lost thousands if not millions of their finest warriors. The Goblins were known for their strength in numbers. What they lacked were proper research and common sense. One day the Goblins will strike back. With more advanced tech and an even better strategy. While humanity might have won the battle, the war has begun.

And so was the end of the First Invasion. A topic that would take up a chapter in every High School history book. The existence of aliens and portals opened many possibilities. New cultures, tech, and biology are waiting to be explored. Not to mention the integration of portals in their day-to-day lives. Humanity had a lot of catching up to do. All thanks to the First Invasion.

The event itself lasted less than five minutes. But its impact on humanity will stay forever.