The ring of alien-dividuality
This is an entry in Junior Dispatch’s alien short story contest. The effort earns the writer a free book from the York Emporium and a chance to win a $50 movie gift card and a $50 gift certificate from The York Emporium. Read the rules to the contest here, and get your story in by August 1.
By Brooke Hoffler
Age 12, Dillsburg
“Look up there, look up high. Yeah, yeah, real high in the sky. It’s a UFO, can’t you see? Full of alien-dividuality,” 18-year-old American pop star Skye Monroe belted out as she sang her newest song, Alien-dividuality, out to her screaming fans. As the last guitar note pierced through the warm, early August air, she flipped her hair, flashed her huge bright-white smile, and shot her glow stick-covered arm into the air. It was her best performance yet, captured in the heart of Central Park in New York City in 2012.
She glanced up at her peculiar ring as she did so. The ring was green and had an alien-like face on it, but Skye didn’t believe in aliens. She had found it when she was little, playing in Central Park. But that was before she was “discovered” and sent into the magical world of famous people.
Just as she looked back into her crowd of adoring fans, the ring glowed a bright green. Oddly, no one saw it, not even Skye.
Boom! The UFO smashed into an asteroid hurtling the sleek metallic spaceship parts everywhere. A small green alien ring went soaring, slowly drifting towards Earth. A small infant aboard the ship wailed in terror as she was safely placed into a small capsule and set adrift among the stars toward Earth. The last memory she would ever be slightly able to grasp from somewhere other than Earth was the caring and kind motherly face of her alien nanny. The alien’s glowing green necklace the child loved to play with suddenly turned gray and lifeless. The key to it was seemingly lost forever, and the year was 1994.
“Move,” Skye screeched as she shoved the hotel’s doorman aside, texting expertly to her best friend, Sierra, iPhone in hand. She briskly stomped into the delicate lobby, pushing tourists, and hurried into the elevator. As it opened, she jammed her green nail into the button marked Private Penthouse, and looked out into the city through the glass walls.
The skyscrapers winked back at her as she rose through the twinkling lights, giant announcement screens, and above the crowd at Times Square, lining up for a Rockettes show at the Rockefeller Center. But none of this interested her as she gazed dreamily at the black sky. The stars twinkled, and she smiled to herself, cherishing the moment.
But her fantasy was soon over as a buzzing sound filled the elevator. She snorted as she peered at the phone, showing Sierra riding an obese zebra. She rolled her eyes, and looked out again at the sky, dropping her phone with a clatter. Something out there had just twinkled above her blonde hair, and it wasn’t a star.
She bent to pick up her phone, but realized her ring was glowing bright green. She frantically picked up her cell, and glanced at the sky, her green eyes growing huge. A UFO was hurtling straight toward her, and a lumpy green head staring back at her, mouth open. She faintly caught a glimpse of a glowing green necklace as her phone dropped again and glass shattered around her. Then everything went black.
Beep! Beep! Monitors beeped loudly around her, jolting her out of a deep sleep. She squinted her eyes from the bright lights and screamed, ducking her head under her pillow. She had just seen the ugliest face ever.
“She’s fine and just woke up,” the ugly nurse grumbled into her crackling radio. “She’s got some scratches on her face.”
Skye gingerly touched her cheeks. What scratches? She peered up at the lady. “It’s Botox gone wrong,” the nurse smirked.
As she left the room, Skye sat up and caught herself in a full-length mirror on the wall, and whimpered at her reflection. She looked horrible. There were huge bags under her bloodshot eyes, bandages covering her body, and scars on her face. She dropped her head back onto her pillow, as the questions in her mind came in rapid-fire mode. Why was she here? Was last night a dream or not? What was going to happen to her? Why was her ring still on her finger? When did she …
“Skye,” Sierra gushed, her blue eyes flicking to the bed. She gasped, then quickly regained control and pursed her lips. She trolled over and asked, “How are you?”
“Um, good. What happened?”
“You just got hit in the face with some glass.” Sierra’s iPhone buzzed and she breezily walked out the door, giving a little wave. Skye closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Later that night, Skye awoke, someone poking her. She lazily opened her eyes and attempted to scream, but a bony hand covered her mouth. The same lumpy head stared back at her.
“Shh! Do you remember me,” it asked hoarsely. Skye vigorously shook her head. It frowned, then poked the musty air twice. Suddenly, a holographic screen came to life, dividing them. Skye’s jaw dropped to the ground. “Watch this,” it whispered, poking the screen again, and a movie started.
It showed a UFO blowing up in space, and an alien placing a baby in a small rocket headed toward Earth. It also showed a mysterious green necklace the alien was wearing, and the key, similar to her ring, floating away.
“Do you remember that,” asked the alien. Skye stared at her ring, then back at the still screen.
“Is that ring …is it mine?”
The alien opened her left hand, revealing the necklace. “You were that baby. And you have that ring. And I need that ring back.”
“What? Why?”
The alien drew a breath. “I was that alien who put you in that rocket. When our ship landed on earth, you somehow crawled into our UFO. I took care of you, dear. This necklace holds the fate of us and all that has been lost and yet discovered. I need that ring back.”
“No,” Skye answered fiercely. She jumped out of bed and tore down the hall, realizing for the first time she was still wearing her clothes from last night. She bolted through the doors, nurses and paparazzi following her, yelling her name.
Her ring started glowing, and it pulled her into an alley in the dark streets of N.Y.C. She tried to fight the pull, but it was no use. Then, it stopped. She paused and looked around her as a bright light enveloped around her. She looked up and saw the alien’s face looking down at her. She couldn’t run away this time.
She floated upward until her feet hit solid ground. She looked around and took in all the bright twinkling lights. The alien walked over to her.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Kia,” it said with a genuine smile.
“Like the car?”
Kia’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, then she glanced at her ring.
“So where are we going,” Skye asked.Kia shrugged, then looked up at the sky suggestively. Skye shook her head. There was no way she was going into space.
She took a deep breath, and thought about her childhood. She remembered going to the park and drawing when she was 12. She would just sit there on her favorite rock and draw pictures of trees or people. She had wanted to be an artist when she was younger. She remembered finding the ring one day while drawing. She had been sketching some trees, and something had twinkled in the mulch.
She turned to Kia, and slowly took a deep breath, pulling the ring off her finger. “Here. You can have it.”
Kia blinked, then hesitantly reached for it. They both took a deep breath as Kia inserted the ring into the necklace with trembling hands.
A sudden white light blared inside the UFO, and frightened, Skye called out Kia’s name, but there was no answer. Everything was white, except for when everything turned to black.
“Skye! Wake Up!”
Skye snapped her eyes open. She stared straight at Sierra, perched at the foot of her bed.
“I have the best plans for today,” Sierra gushed as she pulled Skye into the huge walk-in closet in her bathroom, “…with Kia. It’s going to be great!”
“Wait! What was that about Kia?” Skye asked, fastening a bracelet.
Sierra blinked. “She owns this new salon downtown. Don’t you like Kia?”
“Oh, no. Just asking.”
Sierra shrugged as she dove back into the clothes.
They strutted into the spa, and Skye stopped as she saw the lady behind the counter. It was Kia in human-form. Kia winked.
Kia briskly walked toward them. She pressed something into Skye’s hand. Skye looked down at her hand, and saw the necklace with the ring in it, a handwritten message scrawled on it.
To my daughter, Skye
Expect the unexpected
Love, Kia
Skye slipped the necklace into her jeans. She smiled and thought of Kia’s message. That was true. She hadn’t expected any of this.
Expect the unexpected. That was some real alien-dividuality.
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