Aim to Participate: An Anthology

Out of Sight

They said it was a safe place. They said it was a purple planet. They said it would be our haven. They are liars. The sky is blue. And the inhabitants are dangerous.

I peek out of the wooden structure. The creatures are still there. Kicking a ball around with their scrawny legs. They are remarkably agile for creatures their size. I've seen how big they get. I've seen all of the odd shapes they turn into. I've seen the groups they gather in called "families".

I do not like this place. Their atmosphere is hard to breathe. And their spectrum hurts my eyes. The star is far too close. It keeps the planet too hot for my skin. If I leave this structure, I will surely perish. If not to the star, then to the curiosity of the odd beings.

They seem to be curious, far too curious. And they have not developed the technology to travel as far as we have. But I've heard them talk when I come out at night. They will be on the red planet soon. Their persistence is terrifying. Their Success is probable.

Lingering here is dangerous, but I have nowhere to go. All I can do is stay out of sight and hope for extraction.

"Hey, there's something moving in the dog house!"