The Thraqian Incident
14-year-old James encounters an alien
James stood in the woods, clutching his rifle with both hands. The cold metal felt heavier than it had in training. At fourteen, he was terrified and longed to be in his bed, wrapped in the safety of his blankets, not out here in his itchy uniform. He wished he was almost anywhere but at the border, the edge of his world.
After missing an obstacle course cutoff time by 45 seconds, his father, General Marcus Moore, ordered him onto the night patrol for a month, alone. His father had yelled, face purple with rage, and poked a finger into James’s chest until the scrawny teen nearly fell over.
The colony’s edge was two miles into the forest, clearly marked to separate their world from the Other Side. All his life, adults taught James that the aliens, invited by the world government, had turned on humans. He lived in constant fear of an alien attack. The militia trained to defend the colony, ready for the inevitable clash they expected any moment.
James had never seen an alien, nor did he know what they looked like, but his father described them vividly as snarling, hideous monsters. The images kept James up at night, scared of every sound and shadow in his bedroom.
As he stood there, his imagination ran amok. He saw an alien behind every tree. Every sound, every noise, every smell was amplified. The rustling of leaves sounded like whispers of doom, and the scent of damp earth mixed with his own sweat, creating a nauseating cocktail. Fear poured out of him as he stood, terrified of everything around him. He wanted to leave, to go back to his barracks and hide under his blanket.
If he did that, he could only imagine what his father would do. He was caught between two terrifying options.
A twig snapped.
James’s heart thundered in his chest as he raised his rifle, aiming toward the source of the sound. Every muscle tensed, his breath caught in his throat. His training kicked in, instincts taking over, pushing his fear to the back of his mind. The forest seemed to close in around him, every rustle and shadow a potential threat.
Fifteen feet in front of him, a giant alien with blue-green scales and ridges stepped from behind a tree, feet from the property line. Its scales shimmered under the moonlight, creating an eerie, almost hypnotic effect. The ridges along its spine rose and fell with each breath, giving it a serpentine appearance. Its glowing golden eyes fixed on James, practically seeing through him to his very core. The eyes were large and almond-shaped, with slit pupils that seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Sharp upper teeth protruded from its mouth, each one glistening. The alien’s mouth was wide, stretching almost ear to ear, and when it opened, James could see rows of smaller, needle-like teeth lining its gums. Its nostrils flared, releasing a puff of mist into the cold night air.
The alien’s skin was a mix of rough, scaly patches and smoother, almost translucent areas where veins pulsed visibly. Its hands were large, with long, clawed fingers that ended in razor-sharp talons. Each movement was fluid and deliberate, exuding a sense of predatory grace.
Its body was muscular, yet lean, built for both speed and strength. The alien stood on two legs, but its posture was slightly hunched, as if ready to pounce at any moment. The feet were wide and flat, with three toes each, all ending in curved claws that dug into the ground with every step.
The alien’s presence was overwhelming, a terrifying blend of disbelief and horror that made James’s blood run cold.
It made a sound, something like a chittering hiss.
James gripped the rifle tighter. “Get back! I’ll shoot if you come closer!” James’s voice cracked, betraying his fear.
The alien tilted its head and stepped forward. James held his ground, convinced he was all that stood between the murderous being and his homeland. He aimed despite his shaking hands.
It said something else, tilting its head and reaching an arm to point off to the East.
“You’re not welcome here! Go away!” James’s voice wavered as he tried to sound authoritative.
The being took another step, toeing the line of the colony. It spoke again, indicated to itself.
“You need to leave! We won’t let you invade us!” James hoped he could scare off the alien by making it seem like he wasn’t just a young teen alone in the woods, as if there were more people around. Yet there wasn’t another human for miles. It was just him and the alien. His training told him what he needed to do.
The alien crossed the line.
James fired.