Alien influences

Dark shapes approached. Justin let his hood down and pocket his sunglasses. The creatures weren't walking, althought they were upright. They almost glided along the hard-packed sand and had long, twig-thin bodies with shiny black skin, two legs, two arms and wide, oblong heads with large silver eyes. It was easy to see why the colonists had called them dancers : they moved with fluid grace, as if they made every step in time to a music that Justin couldn't hear.

The children were unsupervised except for occasional school days, when workers could be spared to teach. No one watched the children so the children went off to watch the dancers.

Do you want to be an adult, Beth ?

Not anymore.


by Kristine Kathryn RUSCH