My first sighting of------was
as it leaped across the road.
Words 1,643
The Thing
©2004 by Mae Ondracek
I was heading home from
Mary’s house when it first happened. I
really thought my mind had played tricks on me, but no, there it went, leaping
across the meadow. I slammed on my
brakes, as I must not hit it. But what
was it? I really couldn’t say. It looked like a very large rabbit but I knew
rabbits didn’t get that big. This
‘thing’ must have been over four feet tall and was covered with what looked
like soft fur. It was a dull brown color
but I’m sure it was fur; it just had to be.
Now it was gone. Gone on the
other side of the meadow.
I sat there for
awhile, wondering if I had only ‘maybe’ thought I had seen it leaping away. I looked carefully around and didn’t see
anymore of them, so I cautiously opened the car door and got out. I looked around and there sure were strange
foot prints alright, right in front of my car.
How could I save them from being obliterated?
Then I happened to
think of my camera. There were three pictures
left to take on it, so I finished off the film and hurried home. I wrapped the film and got it ready for mailing
tomorrow. I just had to have those pictures.
In a week, the
pictures were back and I tore open the envelope. My hands were shaking and I gasped when I saw
those last three pictures. They were
blank. A total blank. All three of them. What could have happened?
I went over
everything and made sure the camera was in good working order and went out for
another drive. I drove to the place in
the road where I had seen the ‘thing’ before and parked my car. I looked around and didn’t see anything, so I
carefully opened my door and got out. I
was sure I had taken pictures here last time, but to make matters worse, there
was nothing in the road, nothing beside the road, and nothing in the
meadow. Where was the ‘thing’?
I had given up
hope and got back in my car and almost drove off but something caught my
eye. What was it? I sure couldn’t have made that up, no, there
it was again. I listened carefully and
there was a sort of humming sound coming from somewhere. I looked all over inside my car and was sure it
wasn’t in there. Then I looked, as good
as could be, all around the car.
Nothing. But still I heard that
humming. I sat quietly, scarcely
breathing, listening to that humming noise.
It was a good thing it was chilly out today, otherwise I’d be the sorry
one. I sat with my jacket pulled up
around my neck and shivered with anticipation.
Where could it be? What could it
be?
I sat there and
was getting strangely light headed from listening to the humming noise. I had my camera ready but, poof, it was there
and then gone. What was it? Nothing could move that fast and yet, I had seen
it. I was just about ready to put my
camera down when another ‘thing’ bounded across the road. I got a couple of pictures of him this time
but was sure there wouldn’t be anything on the film. I hurried home and got the film ready for
processing but instead of mailing it, I quickly drove the 50 miles into town
and asked at the Quick Print Shop to do the film. I left and bought groceries and hurried back
to the shop just as she was hanging the film up to dry. I asked her what it showed and she grinned
and said, “Next time, I suggest you use a better brand of film, as I think this
one got stuck on something.”
I looked at her
and couldn’t believe my eyes. There was
the ‘thing’ leaping across the road. I
almost gasped, but held it back and gave a funny little laugh and said all
right I would and bought a roll from her.
I couldn’t wait until I got home to look at the pictures, so I pulled
into a parking lot and looked at them.
Wow! What excitement. There was my ‘thing’. But what was it? I sure didn’t know.
All I could really
make out was that it was at least four feet high, had long floppy ears, and its
mouth sort of projected out. The rest
was the same as we are, except of course the legs and arms weren’t the
same. Those legs were at least two feet
long but the feet weren’t any more that six inches. How could they hold them up? I put the pictures away and carefully drove
home.
About
I just stood
there and didn’t seem to understand. He
repeated, “Pictures back now, if please.”
I couldn’t help
it, but I had to laugh at his language.
It wasn’t quite right but was close enough to be understood. “Please come in, won’t you?”
They both took
long steps to come into the house and I saw they didn’t like it. Their eyes kept darting about as if they
expected someone to jump out at them. I
said, “I am the only one here. No one
else is here to pester you.”
“No pester. Only pictures please,” the largest ‘thing’
said.
“Right, as I
headed for the table.
Well, I never saw
anything move so fast in my life. He was
beside the table in and instant and I couldn’t get past him. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to let me get the
pictures,” I said.
With that, he
stepped aside and let me go to the table.
I pulled out all the pictures and showed them to him. His overly large hands, with only four
fingers, couldn’t cope with handling the pictures. Most were empty but the two pictures of the
smaller one showed up real nice. “Where
others?” He asked.
“I’m---I’m sorry
but these are all I could get. You guys
move real fast,” I said.
He laughed,
anyway I think it was a laugh, and said, “No good. Looks like fake. We want real pictures.”
“I’m sorry, but
these are all I got. Please try to
understand. I couldn’t get anymore,” I
said as I moved away from the table.
He hit the table
with a large hand and said, “We want more pictures. You took lots. We want them.”
I stammered and
told him the first pictures didn’t turn out and said I would show them to
him. He said, “Alright, show me.”
I told him that I
was sorry, but the first time I took pictures, I only got their tracks on the
road but they were laughing so hard I didn’t thing they understood me. The largest one wiped his eyes and said, “We
take these, too. We like them. Make us laugh.”
I told them to go
ahead and take them, I could get more of my friends. They were happy and said they couldn’t let
pictures of themselves be seen here on earth.
“What do you mean, here on earth?” I asked.
“We not from
here. We have space ship all ready to
fly, but am sorry you cannot have pictures of us,” the largest one said.
“That is all
right. I only thought I’d like to see
you to remember what you looked like,” I said.
He stiffened and
said something to the smaller one and she stiffened, too. He said, “You take picture now. A good one.
You can tell everyone we are from afar in the galaxy and we can’t come
for more pictures. Okay?”
I took a couple of
pictures of them and thanked them for understanding. They again laughed at the pictures they were
holding and I said they could have the envelope so they wouldn’t lose any of
them. They clapped their hands together
as I put the pictures in and envelope and gave it back to them, saying, “We
hurry now, before space ship leaves. We
want to be on it. It was nice of you to
give pictures and now we’ll take one of you.
Go ahead
Marimba.”
Well, Marimba took
out of a ‘pocket’, something like a camera, and snapped a few pictures. They thanked me for letting them have the
pictures and said they must go. It sure
had been nice meeting them, until I asked him his name. He stiffened and said, “Me called Harimba.”
I told him I
thought that was a lovely name and they both looked at me like they thought I
was nuts. Then he said, “Me only
fooling. I am called Toolouse. Captain of this ship.”
“Well, I am very
happy to meet you, Mr. Toolouse. I hope
you have a safe journey home and enjoy looking at your pictures. Good bye.”
They said their
good byes and in a flash they were gone.
I really wish I knew how they did that, but I soon heard a beeping noise
overhead and I ran outside. There was the
space ship and I could see both of them standing by a window. I waved at them, they waved back and quicker
then I can say, “Gottcha,” they were gone.
I now have
pleasant memories and someday I’ll get my pictures developed to see what I
have.