Surviving on Snexle
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. The submission deadline was Aug. 1.
By Marietta Sisca
Age 11, Lewisberry
It was a dark and stormy night. Ubleckein poured down and dashed against the window of the observatory. “1 wonder if we’ll ever get home?” thought Ashan.
Ashan was one of the first kid astronauts. She had been at space camp in the space shuttle Endeavor. Her team and she were feeling what it was like to blast off. The engines had been on standby so the rocket wouldn’t blast off, but there was a malfunction and they had blasted off. Her team had programed the ship to go to Mars, but the ship had been thrown off course by a meteor shower. They had landed on the planet Snexle in the asteroid belt, and befriended some aliens who had helped build
the observatory.
The aliens were about a foot tall and 8 inches wide. They were covered in fur and had antennas with little balls on the ends. Their arms and legs were thin. They had mostly transparent wings with a tint of the color of their fur.
Ashan decided to go to the lab. She would like to take a closer look at that ubleckein. As she entered the lab she thought about the scientists at NASA. “What would they say when they found out about the aliens.”
Artwork by Marietta Sisca
“Ashan, help me capture the ubleckean! It seems to have a mind of its own. I want to bring some to study if we get back to earth, but I won’t be able to if I can’t catch it,” yelled Ian. He was the science guru of the team.
“Ok,” replied Ashan as she ran to corner it.
“Thanks,” said Ian as he scooped it into a bag and sealed it. “I think it has bugs in it, like Mexican jumping beans.”
“Cool, bet you can’t wait to look at it under the microscopes on earth,” said Ashan.
“Yeah!” exclaimed Ian.
Just then her friend Skye burst in, out of breath. “Guess what! The aliens have offered to fix our shuttle! We can go home!”
“That’s great!” exclaimed Ashan. “When will they start?”
“As soon as possible,” replied Skye. “Come on! I want to show you the alien city.”
In the city, the two girls took a wind glider — a combination between a sailboat and a scooter that hovers above the ground. They went to an alien mall and tried the food. “Mmm, this ferroso wrap is good,” said Skye.
“Yeah, it tastes like a rolled up pizza with alfredo sauce instead of pizza sauce, chicken instead of pepperoni, and Italian seasoning!” laughed Ashan.
Suddenly an alien rushed in “IIo+o)(oII,” it said.
“What did it say?” asked Skye.
“Let me get my alien translator. Here it is. It said ‘Come on a spacewalk,”‘ said Ashan.
“Cool,” said Skye, “let’s go!”
On the space walk, Ashan found a space spider, and Skye found a keffelo flower. They decided to take it back to the observatory.
“Ian will love this!” exclaimed Ashan.
“Yeah, he will,” replied Skye.
Suddenly the ground in front of them opened, and an octopus like tentacles came slithering out at them! “oU…!” the alien guide yelled.
“I don’t need my alien translator to figure that out! RUN!” yelled Ashan.
“Let’s go!” replied Skye as they ducked behind the nearest space rock. They waited while the creature caught another creature that looked like a jellyfish.
“According to my book that was an octogroundsquid, a mix between an octopus and squid that lives underground in a series of tunnels. They will eat ANYTHING! Even that other creature called a hoverjelly which is a poisonous jellyfish that hovers in the air but moves with the wind,” said Skye.
Suddenly the girls and the alien guide were grabbed by a slithering tentacle! The octogroundsquid had them! They were thrown in the hole, but before the octogroundsquid could get in or cover the hole up with dirt, they climbed out and escaped!
“Whew, that was close!” breathed Ashan when they were safe in some tall space grass.
Just then an envelope like piece of glowing piece of paper showed up in front of them.
“Hmm, it looks like a message for us,” said Ashen.
“Let’s open it then!” exclaimed Skye. “It says the shuttle’s almost completely repaired. It will be ready tomorrow.”
“Let’s go to the observatory and pack up the stuff the aliens gave us.”
The next day Ashan’s team said goodbyes to their alien friends and boarded the ship. Just then a small purple alien ran up. “I want to give you my one last thing. It’s one of my favorite rocks,” it said.
“I want to give you this flower pot from earth. There is already a tulip bulb in there. Just water it every other day and give it plenty of sunlight. It should grow,” said Ashan as they exchanged gifts.
“Thank you,” replied the alien.
As they blasted off Ashan took a picture of the alien city. “Once we are close to earth. ” Ashan decided, “I’m going to send NASA these pictures and a message explaining it all. All right team, we’re going home,” she said.
After they had landed Ashan’s team was welcomed by their families, the scientists from NASA, and even the president!
“How did you survive?” one reporter asked.
“We found a planet named Snexle. There were aliens there and they helped us. Here are some of the things we collected,” replied Ashan.
“There’s a space spider, keffelo flower, ubleckian, this ferroso wrap, and this cool space rock,” added Skye.
“If you help me, I want to look at the ubleckian under your microscopes,” said Ian.
“Sure,” said one scientist, “I’m the microbiology specialist.”
“Thanks,” said Ian.
“We’re finally home,” thought Ashan. “I wonder if we will ever see the aliens again. I probably will if I’m going to become an astronaut.”
On Snexle the alien that Ashan gave the flower to thought: “I wonder if I will ever see them again. I probably will if she decides to become an astronaut.”
Guess what? Ashan did see them again.
