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The Power of Love

Surviving the Venusians

By Christi CarmichaelPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
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Venus

Juliet stood in front of her classmates, soon to be the graduating class of 2121, about to give her speech on the history of human residence on Venus. Living on Venus had been possible for ten years. That's what started the past horrific five years on Earth. The world they now lived in had been conquered by the Venusians due to one discovery 101 years ago.

Living under the reign of the Venusians had been a nightmare. The people on Earth lived in constant fear of being taken. The Venusians sporadically took people whenever they wanted. No one knew why. There were stories that some were tested on or even taken to Venus. All anyone knew was...they never came back.

The cities were left in ruins from the day they first invaded. The Venusians limited food and water supply to the humans, and there was no medical care. People were dying from the conditions forced upon them, and there was little hope for change.

The children still attended school as before. It was the only normal thing they had left, so they embraced it.

Juliet absent-mindedly touched the heart-shaped locket around her neck. Her mother had given it to her, with their pictures inside. It was something she always did whenever she needed courage...the ever-elusive belief in herself.

She began her speech:

"On September 14th, 2020, signs of organic life were discovered on Venus. Phosphine, a toxic gas produced by microorganisms found on Earth, was detected in the thick clouds of the planet. This is what added Venus to the list of potentially habitable worlds in the solar system.

What followed were years of NASA missions targeting Venus, with numerous studies showing that the air had decreased levels of the toxic gas, which resulted in the temperature of the planet decreasing. The Phosphine dissipated the carbon dioxide that had been trapping the heat which was causing the planet's temperature of 880 degrees Fahrenheit. Without the carbon dioxide, the temperature dropped considerably, and Venus was no longer a blazing sphere of intense heat.

Suits were designed to allow humans to breathe and walk on the surface of Venus. In 2111, the first mission with astronauts was successful, proving humans could survive on Venus. No forms of life, other than plants, were ever detected. This started countless test runs and trials until finally it was deemed safe to begin living on the planet..."

She finished the rest of the speech perfectly, not realizing she was still clutching her locket.

That evening, she sat alone in her old house, the walls barely standing around her. The memories of that horrible night came flooding back to her. That night five years ago, when the first attack happened. That night when they took her mother.

She remembered it like it was yesterday:

Juliet was outside of their house which stood above the city. She watched the sun descending behind the mountains. She wondered if the mountain ranges on Venus were as beautiful as the ones here. Although people had described their visit to the planet as an incredible experience, she had no desire to go. The idea of not being able to breathe on Venus terrified her. Besides, she loved her home here on Earth. Juliet and her mom went on many adventures together, and they had plenty more to go on without leaving the atmosphere!

Juliet went back into her house, and the smell of her mom's spaghetti sauce filled the air. The familiar sound of jazz accompanied the aroma floating from the kitchen.

It had always been just Juliet and her mother - two peas in a pod. Their bond was like no other. Juliet's mom knew her fears of traveling to Venus and never pushed her to go. They had plenty of exciting quests here. She would do anything in the world - well, the solar system - for Juliet. Her daughter felt the same. No matter what obstacle they overcame in life, it was always powered by their unwavering love between a mother and her daughter.

After dinner, as Juliet and her mom were curled up watching TV, the power went out. In the darkness, they reached for the spots where they kept their flashlights. They stepped out front to see if the power was out anywhere else. What they saw made them freeze with fear.

The moonlight was so bright it lit up the view of the blacked-out city beneath their home. As they stood motionless, they gazed in amazement at the gigantic aircraft that hovered above them. They had never seen anything like it. It was similar to the ships that took the passengers to Venus, but the size, shape, and color were different. Most noticeably, it did not have the symbol of Earth on it. That was the thing that scared them the most.

Without warning, the bottom of the ship slid open to reveal a red glow radiating from it. Suddenly, hundreds of shadows floated down to the ground. Tall figures started quickly darting in every direction. As the mass swarmed toward them, Juliet and her mother ran inside their house and rushed to the most hidden place they could think of - the attic.

Juliet and her mom crouched in the corner of the room at the top of the house. As they huddled together, having so much to say to each other, they didn't speak. Instead, they stayed silent, listening. They heard a thump below them. Then another. They heard the floor creaking. Then silence. They stared at one another, not daring to utter a sound. Juliet's mother hugged her tight.

When they knew the aliens were gone, they finally spoke.

"Mom! What are they? What's going on??" Juliet cried. "I don't know, sweet girl. But we will get through this...together." She kissed her daughter's forehead. She stood up and reached down to help Juliet up.

Suddenly, in one swift motion, the entire roof was ripped off! Her mother started floating up toward the brightest light Juliet had ever seen. "Mom!!" Juliet grabbed her mother's arms, desperate to keep her from being dragged away. "Juliet, I am always with you! I love you so much!" Juliet now was grasping her mother's hands, as she continued to slip away. "Mom!! I can't do this without you!" Juliet pleaded with her mother as if she had a choice in leaving her.

"Remember you are strong. You are brave. You are amazing!!" her mother said through a genuine smile, although her eyes were fearful. "I don't know how, but we will be okay! I promise!" Their hands lost their grip and Juliet locked fingers with her mother for as long as she could, but it was inevitable. Their hands finally broke free of each other. Juliet screamed, "Mom! No! Mom!!" Her mother focused on her daughter's face. "I will find my way back to you! Believe that in your heart."

She was gone. No light. No ship. Just silence. Juliet fell to the ground, crying and gasping for air. She could only think of her mother's face and her words. Strong. Brave. She was none of those things. As her breathing slowed, she realized she was grasping the locket. Strong. Brave. The words echoed in her head. She could do this. She didn't know what, but she had to do something.

Juliet was running downstairs when the power suddenly came back on. The reporter on the TV was saying the invaders were the Venusians. It seemed that since we inhabited their planet, they now wanted to occupy ours. "The Venusians?! They exist??" she said aloud. Humans had been living there for five years with no sightings of any aliens. Did they take her mom to Venus? Maybe she had a chance to save her...

A loud crash of thunder shook her back to the present, taking her from her thoughts. Shivering, she pulled a blanket around her shoulders and she tried to sleep, which she hardly ever did.

Juliet shuddered at her memory of that night. She had spent the past five years trying to sneak aboard a ship to find her mom on Venus but to no avail. The Venusians took complete control of Earth, shattering any way to escape their wrath, but she never gave up on trying to find her mother.

Juliet's memory of that night inspired her to try again. She jumped into the car and headed toward the space station. Her mind was racing. How was she going to steal a ship to go after her? How was she going to get her back? But, most of all, how was she going to make herself go to the planet that terrified her? Touching her locket, she knew...her mother would do the same for her. She had to be brave. Whatever it takes.

She took the next turn so fast the car spun out of control, sending it down the side of the hill into the woods. When the car finally came to a stop, she opened her eyes, grateful to be alive. Juliet climbed out of the car into the darkness. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar glowing red light.

Juliet walked closer to the glow, finding the same ship that had taken her mother. She hid behind the trees and observed the Venusians. After five years, she still trembled when she saw them. They were similar to the human form - two legs, two arms, and one head. They were silver and reflected the few moonbeams that made it through the thick blanket of trees. The most intriguing feature was the red glow in the center of their chest. She couldn't help but notice that some lights were glowing brighter than others. Why was that? And what were they lining up for?

She felt a gentle touch on her arm and she spun around. "Mom!!" she cried, as her mother threw her arms around her. "What happened? How are you here?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks. "I snuck onto the ship, hoping it would bring me back here. When we landed, I made a break for the woods. I saw the reflection of the moonlight on your locket!"

"What are they lining up for?" Juliet asked. As her mom tried to think of an explanation, her eyes fell to Juliet's hand on her locket. With a smile, she said to her daughter, "You still hold onto that for courage, don't you?" That gave Juliet an idea. "A power source! They have to be lining up for a power source! The aliens with the softer red glow are moving slower. It makes sense. We have to find the power source!"

They crept as close as they could to the one Venusian standing at the front of the line, facing the others. The light was coming from something hanging around his neck. It was eerie how much it resembled her locket. "The necklace, Mom! We have to destroy it!" Juliet whispered.

On the count of three, they ran toward him, and with all their strength, knocked him down! Juliet grabbed the bright red light and ripped it off the alien's neck. They ran through the woods, with the Venusians chasing them, following the necklace.

They came to an open field that led them to a cliff. Juliet threw the necklace over the edge as the Venusians were closing in. It crashed on the rocks below, smashing it to pieces and killing the power source. The red lights in the Venusians disappeared, and their bodies dropped to the ground!

As Juliet and her mother stood in the clearing, the moonlight enveloped them. Its reflection shimmered on the stillness of the shiny intruders. They reveled in their newfound freedom. It was almost like it was their love that overpowered the unwelcome visitors. Hand in hand, they began their next quest - to share with the world how to conquer Earth's captors and, once again, live in peace.

Sci Fi
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About the Creator

Christi Carmichael

Hi! My name is Christi & I love coming up with fun stories for my daughter! I have never written professionally, but would love to! I'm so excited to have found this group & to be able to share my stories with you. I hope you enjoy them!

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