originally posted on 2/6/15 at malaker.32hertz.com
first draft
When Edna wakes to feel relieved that she is not dead but quickly realizes her worst nightmare has come true. She is strapped to that operating table and that hideous alien monster is just standing there staring at her. She wants to scream, or beg to be let go but once again she is paralyzed. This time not only by alien technology but by her own petrifying fear.
“Edna?” asks the alien calmly
“You speak English?” Asks Edna in a surprised voice
“Yes,” says the alien
“Then why have you brought me here? What could I possibly have that would interest you?” Edna demands, trying to muster up some anger.
“You have been chosen.” Says the alien
“Chosen for what?” Edna asked loudly, pulling on her restraints trying to break free.
“Chosen to save your people from a terrible fate,” says the alien.
“That is ridiculous! Let me out of here!” She exclaims
“You must help me complete this task.” Says the alien a bit louder now. “All of your species depends on it.”
“You are insane! I’m not helping you do anything” Edna says “What kind of being straps you to a table and asks for your help?”
“You were going to destroy the ship!” Says the alien.
“And it would have served you right,” Edna says “for kidnapping me against my will, and for putting those things in containers back there.”
“Those THINGS are several of your planets most endangered creatures. I am trying to help them hold on and stay in your world a little bit longer.” Says the alien now clearly sounding a little annoyed. “I was sent here to get you and we are to complete a task. That is what we are going to do. I cannot go back to my people if we fail, and your people will not exist.”
“I don’t have any people!” Edna says “I’m just a girl in a man’s world. I’m no leader, go see the president if you want the leader, he lives in a white house in Washington DC.”
“You are the one I was sent to get,” the alien says “Only you can succeed.”
“Well, I’m not going anywhere strapped to a table,” Edna says “And I wouldn’t go anywhere without knowing where I’m going or what it is that I am supposed to do, and without even knowing who you are or what your name is.”
“My name is Fanool,” the alien says slowly “I am from …another place. I am forbidden to tell you where I come from or who sent me. My people have been here since the beginning. Since before your species first learned to work together, since before the giant lizards roamed, even since before your moon was carved from the very earth you stand upon. We are the helpers, the watchers, and the caretakers of this world. Unfortunately, over the ages, we have had among us a few dissenters. Those dissenters are now imprisoned very deep below your planet’s surface. Recently we have been receiving reports that they may not only be planning to make their escape but may have found the means to accomplish it. If they do it will surely be the end of mankind and millions of years of work.”
“Well, I hate to tell you this” Edna says “but I don’t really care too much about mankind, or your work. Right now I just want to GO HOME where I can wake up from this nightmare!”
“I can’t let you go anywhere until you agree to help me.” Explains Fanool “I am sorry but I have no choice. Once our job is complete I will not bother you again.”
“Even if I was going to help you I am NOT going anywhere looking like this!” Said Edna “I just went outside to get a little fresh air and look through my telescope. I’m practically ready for bed. Then you come along and suck me up into this ship without any kind of warning or permission! Then you chase me around the ship for half the night before zapping me with your little ray gun. NO! I need a shower and some decent clothes and shoes, I have to feed my cat and get some sleep. I’m tired, I worked all day.”
“Tomorrow we begin then!” Says Fanool.
Edna stared at Fanool for a long moment getting the feeling that Fanool was not going to accept NO for an answer.
“I tell you what,” she says helplessly “I’ll help you under these terms.”
“And they are?” Asked Fanool
“You let me go get some sleep and I’ll meet you tomorrow, then when we are done with this mission of yours you grant me one wish. Anything I want.”
Said, Edna
“And that wish is?” Asked Fanool
“I’ll tell you when the mission is complete,” said Edna
“Then how do I know that I can grant your wish?” Inquired Fanool
“How do I know that I can complete this mission?” Asks Edna sarcastically.
Fanool stares at Edna for a long moment knowing that he has lost. In a defeated tone of voice, he says “FINE! I will return you to where I found you and you can return home for the evening and you will meet me in the same spot after dark tomorrow. Agreed?”
“I agree.” says Edna looking down and tugging again at her restraints “Now let me out of here!”
Just as Edna says these words and looks up at Fanool he is once again pointing his ray gun at her and once again she feels a sharp pain before everything goes dark.
Edna wakes up on the soft, damp grass next to her telescope. She takes a quick look around. There is no sign of Fanool or his ship and she is glad about that. Her watch says 4:53 am, that’s more than 6 hours since she set up her telescope. She quickly packs it up and begins to head home. On her way home the sky begins to lighten as the sun rises and she sees a man walking his dog up ahead of her. “Probably out for his morning walk and I didn’t even get home yet.” She thinks to herself. As the two walk toward each other, she thinks about telling the man about what has happened to her. Surely he should at least be warned, he too could be in danger and what if that cute little dog ends up in one of those jars she saw in the ship? But no matter how hard she tried she could not find the words to tell a complete stranger that she was on a spaceship and when the two got close she simply nodded and smiled and kept walking home to go to sleep.
