The vibrations from the ship rattled Stan’s bones and electrified his anxiety. Without thinking, he removed the stunned officer’s gun, fluidly unlatching it from its holster. Gun in hand, he ran the rest of the way to the ship, not considering whether the other policeman had his pistol aimed at Stan’s back, or what he planned to do with the gun against a spaceship that might rise, taking his wife and child with it.
Everyone seemed to be in a trance, witnessing this horrible moment. Shouts of excitement and anger came from everywhere, from the thousands of people who wanted to board or just watch. Stan had no idea whether the policemen shouted at him to stop amongst the throng or whether they even noticed he’d taken the weapon.
He was more than a hundred feet away from the ship when he realized it was hopeless. It was too late. The ship rose higher than the tallest of the trees and even most of the looming hills surrounding the valley. Stan stood still, gun held down at his side, nearly forgotten, and shouted with rage and sorrow. Tears streamed along the arcs of the scowl that made up his face.
Suddenly, he felt a jerk like an electric cord yanking from within his chest, pulling it up toward the ship that seemed to hover a thousand feet directly above him. He couldn’t move, his eyes bulged with fear. He did not blink. His mouth froze open in a yell not fully formed.
Shockingly, he thought what might happen if he dropped the gun and a kid picked it up. That concern suddenly wiped from his mind, along with his ability to see any part of himself. His wandering eyes scanned upon the shape of himself, only the shape was made up of squirming, scintillating forms that resembled pale, oscillating larvae. Finally, all of him was gone. His only vision was the enthralled and angry mobs of people, each and every member watching as his body glowed blindingly with the electric larvae and disappeared.
Stan could see or think no more, like being in a vacuous universe, suspended, weightless. It could have been seconds later or hours or even years, when a beam of light pierced through his nothingness. Once his vision focused, stinging tears dropped from his eyes, as he saw his daughter Shara. Only, she was no longer nine. Standing before him, she was older than Stan, older than her own father.
Everyone seemed to be in a trance, witnessing this horrible moment. Shouts of excitement and anger came from everywhere, from the thousands of people who wanted to board or just watch. Stan had no idea whether the policemen shouted at him to stop amongst the throng or whether they even noticed he’d taken the weapon.
He was more than a hundred feet away from the ship when he realized it was hopeless. It was too late. The ship rose higher than the tallest of the trees and even most of the looming hills surrounding the valley. Stan stood still, gun held down at his side, nearly forgotten, and shouted with rage and sorrow. Tears streamed along the arcs of the scowl that made up his face.
Suddenly, he felt a jerk like an electric cord yanking from within his chest, pulling it up toward the ship that seemed to hover a thousand feet directly above him. He couldn’t move, his eyes bulged with fear. He did not blink. His mouth froze open in a yell not fully formed.
Shockingly, he thought what might happen if he dropped the gun and a kid picked it up. That concern suddenly wiped from his mind, along with his ability to see any part of himself. His wandering eyes scanned upon the shape of himself, only the shape was made up of squirming, scintillating forms that resembled pale, oscillating larvae. Finally, all of him was gone. His only vision was the enthralled and angry mobs of people, each and every member watching as his body glowed blindingly with the electric larvae and disappeared.
Stan could see or think no more, like being in a vacuous universe, suspended, weightless. It could have been seconds later or hours or even years, when a beam of light pierced through his nothingness. Once his vision focused, stinging tears dropped from his eyes, as he saw his daughter Shara. Only, she was no longer nine. Standing before him, she was older than Stan, older than her own father.
Return next week for Part 4
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