The city I call home is nestled in the heart of the Midwest, a small and unassuming place where dreams come to die. Nothing exciting ever happens here—no earthquakes, no hurricanes, not even a good old-fashioned tornado to break up the monotony of everyday life. We’re a forgotten speck on the map, a forgotten people clinging to our forgotten lives.
I’ve lived here my whole existence, never venturing beyond the borders of our sleepy town. It’s not that I lack ambition or curiosity; it’s just that life here has always been enough for me. There’s a comfort in familiarity, in routine, that I’ve come to cherish.
I work as a surgeon at our local hospital, a job that keeps me well within the confines of my city. It’s a calling I stumbled upon rather than actively pursued, but one that has come to define me. I’ve spent countless hours in the sterile operating room, my hands wielding scalpels and sutures with practiced precision.
One fateful night, as the clock struck midnight, a storm unlike any other gripped our city. Thunder boomed in the distance, rattling my windows and shaking me from my slumber. I peered outside, expecting to see rain cascading down in sheets, but instead, I was met with an eerie stillness. The air crackled with an otherworldly energy that sent shivers down my spine.
Curiosity got the better of me as I slipped into my raincoat and ventured outside. My neighbors huddled together in confusion and fear, whispering of strange lights in the sky and odd noises emanating from the nearby woods. Ignoring their warnings, I set off towards the source of the commotion.
As I approached the edge of town, an unearthly glow pierced through the darkness. It was a sickly green hue that seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped closer, my feet sinking into the muddy ground.
A small crowd had gathered, their faces etched with terror and fascination. I pushed my way through, my eyes widening at the sight before me. In the center of a clearing stood a massive spacecraft, all sleek lines and ominous silence. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, a grotesque blend of science and nightmare.
Minutes turned into hours as we watched, mesmerized and paralyzed by fear. It was then that I saw them—the aliens. They emerged from their metallic monstrosity, their bodies contorted and grotesque. They moved with an otherworldly grace, their limbs elongated and sinewy. It was a vision straight out of a horror film, but this was no Hollywood trickery.
As the creatures approached, panic erupted within the crowd. People scattered in all directions, desperate to escape the impending doom. But I stood rooted to the spot, my eyes locked with those of a creature unlike any other. Its eyes burned with an intelligence far beyond our own, a hunger that sent a chill down my spine.
Without warning, the alien lunged towards me, its skeletal fingers outstretched. Instinct took over as I dodged its grasp, stumbling backwards in fear. But my surgeon’s training kicked in, and I assessed the situation with a detached clarity. I couldn’t fight this otherworldly being with physical strength alone—I needed a weapon, something to level the playing field.
I raced back to town, my mind racing with thoughts of salvation. In my modest home, I rummaged through drawers and boxes until I found what I was looking for—a forgotten relic of my father’s hunting days. It was a rusty old shotgun, its wood worn with age and neglect. But it still held the power to protect.
Armed with my newfound weapon, I returned to the edge of town, determination etched across my face. The aliens had scattered, their initial curiosity replaced with caution. I inched closer, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. They were unlike anything I had ever encountered, but I refused to let fear overpower me.
One by one, I took aim and fired. The shots echoed through the night, their reverberations mingling with the distant rumble of thunder. The creatures fell, their bodies writhing in pain and confusion. It was as if they were experiencing death for the first time—a sensation that had been foreign to them until that moment.
For hours, I battled those extraterrestrial beings, my shotgun becoming an extension of my own body. The once-peaceful clearing became a battleground, a testament to the resilience and strength of the human spirit. When dawn broke, only a handful of aliens remained, their bodies broken and lifeless.
As the sun rose on our battered city, a sense of triumph washed over me. I had helped save my home, my people, from an unimaginable horror. The scars of that night would forever be etched in our memories, a reminder of the fragility of our existence.
Life returned to normal—or as close to normal as it could be after an alien invasion. But something had changed within me. The confines of my city no longer felt like home; they felt like a prison. The world outside beckoned, offering limitless possibilities and encounters beyond my wildest dreams.
So I packed my bags and left, bidding farewell to the familiar streets and faces that had shaped me. I embarked on a journey that would take me to the far reaches of the galaxy, exploring the unknown with a surgeon’s precision and a survivor’s grit.
And as I ventured into the great unknown, I realized that sometimes, it takes a brush with extraterrestrial horror to discover the boundless potential within ourselves.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Stab. Publisher: Cyber.
