The Day they Landed
By James Jenson
The following is a transcription of a recorded message
Well, here we are. My name’s John, and if you’re listening to this then you survived. Now, where to begin? I suppose I should tell you about the day it started. The day I gained a fascination for practical jokes. At first it was all fun and games, but I could’ve never predicted that it would cause so much grief. It was a great day. A warm, clear skied Friday. It was even early release from school that day. No one thought anything could go wrong that day.
I was on my way to my second period when it happened. Suddenly the entire school was filled with noise. It was coming from the intercom. Apparently someone rigged it to Rickroll the entire school all day.
They went in before school and set up a CD player next to the microphone. They rigged a timer and locked it in a closet. The keys were sitting safely in the culprits’ bedroom. I never found out who did it, but that’s not important, the damage was done. After that I had an obsession with mischief. I pranked people every chance I got, it was the most fun I had in my entire life. I became an expert, pulling off bigger and bigger pranks frequently. I never suspected for a moment that this would eventually lead to such devastation as it has.
Now on to the meat of the subject: the actual landing.
It was a Monday. Bad things always seem to happen on Mondays, it’s almost cliché. Well, I was walking over to my buddy, Nicks, house. It was raining. Everything was going pretty normal, until I noticed that the water in the gutter was running up the curb and across the sidewalk. I watched as it all flowed across the sidewalk and into a field. I really wanted to just get over to Nicks house, but come on, it was water flowing up the curb. What kind of person wouldn’t investigate?
I walked into the field. It was a giant swamp now. I crossed to the other side and followed the water further. It eventually led me to a secluded part of the foothills on the outskirts of town. And I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a giant heart. Not the kinda heart you see lining the walls at a Valentines Day dance, but a real pumping heart. The kind you would see splattered against a wall in a horror film. It didn’t only look like a heart, it acted like one too. I guess the ship was a living slave of some kind. Whoever could train something like that to do their will must’ve been a smart one.
I looked for a reason why it might be attracting the water, and then I saw it: A hose coming out of the bottom of it. It was sucking up all the water within a mile radius.
What was it though? Why was it here? I didn't realize that these questions would soon be answered. I should’ve just walked away right there. I should’ve just forgot about it, maybe if I had it wouldn’t have gone so badly. But I didn’t. I stayed. I guess you have no one to blame for everything but me. I’m sorry. I know that just saying I’m sorry can’t atone for all the turmoil that I’ve caused, but given the situation I can’t do any more.
Well, back to what I was saying. A hole opened up in the giant heart thing and a big blue man jumped out. He didn’t look like whatever you’re picturing in your head right now. He looked like a regular human being, except his skin shimmered. It was like he was made of mist. He half floated half walked around the area. I think he was looking for something. Well that’s not important anyway, what is important is that he found me. He didn’t seem hostile, he was just surprised. He hurried back to the heart without even blinking… if he could blink. I figured it was time to leave.
I ran straight home. As soon as I got there I called Nick to explain why I never showed up at his house.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me, John,” I said.
“Hey, why didn’t you ever show up?”
I retold the events of earlier that day. Of course the thought never crossed my mind that he wouldn’t believe me, I was so caught up in just getting the word out I didn’t think that far ahead.
“Really,” he said.
“Yes.”
“Did you actually think I’d believe that? Frankly I’m disappointed, I thought you’d actually think of a good story, after all, you were always good at hoaxes,” he said.
“You don’t believe me?”
“No, I don’t. Why would I, this is just another prank.”
“No! It isn’t! You have to believe me!”
“Give it up, John. I mean aliens? Seriously?”
“Yes seriously! Aliens!”
Nick hung up. Hope wasn’t lost quite yet, I could still call Karen. She would believe me. She had to. I unfolded my phone and dialed the numbers with trembling hands.
“Hello?”
“Hi Karen.”
“Oh hi John!”
“You won’t believe this.”
“Oh.”
“You think it’s a hoax don’t you?” I asked.
“Well… you do pull a lot of them. Why would this be anything different?” she replied. It was over. All was lost for me. Not even Karen believed me. If she didn’t then who would? I hung up. I could actually hear my world crushing around me. There was nothing left.
The next day at school I somehow managed to make things even worse. It started with me trying to apologize. They didn’t really buy it though.
“John, what was the story anyway?” Karen asked me.
“Aliens…”
“Really!? Goodbye John.”
I sat and watched as half my world walked away from me.
“Are you ready to admit defeat yet?”
“No.”
And then he left too. My only friends. Gone. That night I lay awake in my bed thinking about Karen and Nick. Mostly about Karen though. I wasted so much time. I knew her for three years, and I was in love with her the first time I met her. She was perfect. Smart, funny, pretty. She had a way of lighting up a room when she walked in, I could never be sad or doubtful with her around. She would always manage to cheer me up, no matter how stubborn I was being. She would come in and tell the same cheesy jokes over and over and over. And she would grin like an idiot before she finished each one. But now she was gone. I watched her walk away, her brown hair gently waving goodbye in the breeze.
I tried to get them out of my head but they kept coming back. So I decided to take a walk. I got out of bed, pulled on some clothes and went outside. I walked for a few hours just staring at my bare feet before I looked up to see where I was. I had gone three miles. I decided it was time to head back. I looked around. The streetlights illuminated segments of the street in a faint red glow. I took a few deep breaths and started the journey home. As I walked I noticed all the little details of the night. The cracks in the street, the crickets chirping, the pleasant chill on the pavement pressing up on the bottom of my feet, the bugs humming, the streetlights flickering, sprinklers turning on.
And then I saw something that didn’t quite fit in with everything else: the blue man standing down the street staring at me. He just stood there, not doing anything. He was just harmlessly observing a little human boy taking a walk at two in the morning. I kept walking, but I was a little nervous. I mean it’s not everyday that you see a blue man made of mist watching you.
I looked back behind me. He was still just standing there. He looked like he was just curious about what this mysterious planet was all about. For a moment I entertained the idea of taking him home, but then I remembered the giant heart. That thing somehow trained that heart to fly him around, if he could train that thing than he could do the same to me without me even knowing. Besides that, what would I tell my parents? Mom, Dad, this is Paul. He’s from the planet Melmac and he’s here to observe us and learn about us. No. I would just leave, and forget ever seeing him. Or so I thought.
I just kept walking, I knew he was walking behind me, but I didn’t care, as long as he wasn’t hurting me. When I finally made it home I was ready for some sleep. But that doesn’t mean I went to bed. It’s kinda hard to sleep with a seven foot blue man standing in your room. When I saw him I was scared, but then I was just stunned.
“How did you-“
“John, don’t speak.”
“How do you know my name?”
“Long have my people watched this orb, not knowing what it was or how to get here. But we finally became advanced enough to be transported here by way of the heart. We didn’t know that there were inhabitants on the orb. But now that we know, my leaders have decided to destroy your people unless you sign a writing, agreeing to be peaceful.”
“But…”
“None of your people believe you.”
“Yeah.”
“Your leaders have three days to come to the field and sign the writing. After three days, your people’s existence will end.”
And then he left.
Well, this is just great, I thought, How do I get my leaders to believe that there are aliens waiting in the foothills? We’re all doomed.
The next day I had no choice but to bring it up to Nick and Karen again. They just walked away without a word. I walked through the halls telling everyone. No one believed me. I was panicking. I ran through the streets like a mad man rambling on about aliens. The only person who believed me was a hobo with big wine bottle in his hand.
The next day I took things up a notch. I called the newspapers. I didn’t go to school on the third day. After I saw the front page headline about a boy that lost his mind and hallucinated about aliens I just couldn’t handle the world anymore. Why did it matter anyway? The world would be gone at the end of the day. I just sat thinking about all the things I’d missed. About Karen and how much I loved her. I had just never had the balls to tell her. I had never really lived, and now I was going to die. We all were.
I laid there all day rolled tightly in my blanket. That blanket was all I had left. It was my only friend. It protected me from the cruelties of the world until the blue man appeared in my room again.
“John. Have your people agreed to sign the writing.”
I didn’t say anything.
“They haven’t. Then as we agreed, the entire orb will be destroyed. I will go report back to my leaders.”
And he left. I just laid there until I heard the noises of destruction coming from downtown. Well, it was over. Just then I had an idea. I got up from my bed and left the protection of my blanket. I opened up a drawer, inside was a tape recorder and a microphone. I took it to a closet and locked myself in. I thought I should leave something behind just in case anyone survived. If it turned out to be useless, at least I would be out of bed. I sat down on the floor and started taping. I sat for a moment, wondering what to say. And then I started.
“Well, here we are. My name’s John, and if you’re listening to this then you survived….”
And that’s where I am right now. I’m sitting in this closet like a child, recording this message for you to listen to, so that you’ll have someone to blame. Because after all, isn’t that what everyone is after? Everyone just wants someone to blame. We all just want to see the faults in one another. And why? There’s no excuse.
Now I can here them breaking through the front door. I need to finish what I want to say. Please, if you find this tell Karen how much I love her, if she survived. I don’t know if anyone will find this, but if you do, don’t make the same mistakes as me. Live before you die. It’s much easier that way. (Scratching on the door) They’re breaking in! I can't say anymore. Goodbye. (smashing and screaming)
“We have found you!”
“Now you must honor your word.”
“Karen, I’m coming.”
(One last yelp of pain and then silence)
