Them

It had been a perfectly normal day. Nothing extraordinary. Everything was fine. And then it happened.

Hector was outside with Xavier. They tossed a ball back and forth, playing merrily. As they played they stumbled upon an empty open plain.

“Hey, pass the ball back.” Hector said.

But Xavier had dropped the ball, and was staring wide eyed at something far off.

“What is i-” Hector stopped talking. In the center of the plain was a strange metal contraption.

They said nothing as they slowly approached this mysterious object. When they were closer they stopped walking. Sweat beaded on Xavier's brow and his heartbeat quickened. He looked at Hector and swallowed.

“What do you think it is?” He said, frightened.

Hector looked at Xavier.

“I don't know.”

They both stared at the object. It was big and had four metal legs. A cone shaped pod was perched on top, with a door on the side. Hector began to go towards it.

“Are you crazy?!?” Xavier yelled. “Get away from there.”

It was at that moment when they heard a loud hiss. They looked around and saw nothing. Both of them froze in their tracks.

Hiss! The noise again. Xavier looked around wildly. But Hector was pointing at the contraption.

“Xavier, look!”

The sound had been coming from the object. The door was opening.

“RUN!” They yelled simultaneously.

Both of them sprinted for their lives, not knowing what was happening, but knowing they had to get away from it.

“Stop! Wait!” A voice yelled. Xavier screamed and ran faster, but Hector stopped.

“That's my dad!”

They ran to Hector's father and began to tell him what had happened.

“I know. You must follow me, and you must do it quickly.”

Without hesitation, Hector and Xavier followed him until suddenly he stopped. He knelt down, and brushed some rocks away from the ground, revealing a small chrome door. It was a hatch. Hector's father opened the hatch and beckoned them urgently.

“Get in! Quickly!”

Xavier hurriedly entered the hatch. Hector began to enter, but took one last look back at the metal contraption.

The door on the cone was fully opened. A shadow began to emerge. Hector's heart beat like never before.

But before he could see what it was, his father yelled.

“HECTOR! Get inside! Hurry!”

He ducked inside and climbed down the ladder, into a small bunker. Other family members and friends had already gathered and looked as frightened as he did.

His father clambered down the stairs after him. He began to shut the door of the bunker when Hector grabbed his shoulder.

“Who are they? Where did they come from?”

His father avoided his gaze.

“Humans. Humans have come to the moon.”

He slammed the door.