Six years later, no one saw or heard anything else about submarine-shaped UFOs or bright, rainbow-colored fox creatures jumping out of blue and silver swirling vortexes. The local Philadelphia news had broadcast a few stories about them during the weeks which followed after the mysterious alien attack. But after a while of reporting on it, no other signs of them were to be seen anywhere on Earth. I never forgot about them, despite their lack of appearances. I wanted to know what happened to them. I just HAD to know! Where did they go? How did they get to Earth Would I or anyone else ever see these heroes again? Questions like these often flooded into my mind on certain days when there wasn't much of anything to do.
It was now the 31st of August in the year 1999.
My mom and I lived together in a boring, old row house on Cambria Street, sandwiched in between several other row houses. During this time, while I was playing a game on the PlayStation Game Console, I heard a thud to my left. I looked towards the front door because that's where the sound came from. Filled with curiosity, I unlocked and opened the door. Right there, in front of me, was a medium-sized, brown package.
I quickly picked it up and brought it inside, due to my love of getting packages in the mail. I closed and locked the door again, so I could examine the package. I did so but didn't see any mailing tags on it. It was completely blank! I shook it and heard the sound of some objects shuffling inside. I gasped in delight. My Mom was currently asleep, but I wanted to show her the package right away. I also wanted to open it and see what was inside. The urge to do so took over and before I realized it, I was practically tearing open the package. I gasped in amazement at what lay inside of it-three hand-sized diamond-shaped objects, three flasks, containing three different colors of unknown liquid (blue, green, and red), and lastly, a piece of paper and a pen. I took all the stuff out and set it on the living room floor.
"Hmm..."I said out loud in curiosity.
I picked up the sheet of paper and examined it to see if it said anything. But, it was blank as well.
"Huh?"I muttered out loud, confused.
Suddenly, some handwriting I could read began to appear on the paper, as though someone invisible was writing a note before my eyes! It read:
"Greetings, young one! And thank you for opening this package. It is quite important that your Mom sees this. Please go and wake her up immediately!"
I gasped and stared at the piece of paper, startled. More handwriting appeared on it. Now, it said: "Never mind! She's already up. Please go and retrieve her."
I was stunned. I glanced upstairs. Surely enough, my Mom was now in the bathroom, and the door was closed. I ran upstairs and knocked on the door.
"What, Hippie-Muggins?" my Mom called down to me from inside the bathroom.
"I need to show you something amazing I found when you get out, Hippie-Mommy!" I told her.
"Okay, Hippie-Muggins." she replied.
I ran back downstairs and looked at the paper. It had somehow now turned into a scroll.
"Wow!" I exclaimed in excitement over this.
I picked up the scroll. It now read: "Are you Hippie-Muggins? Yes or no? Please circle one."
I picked up the fountain pen that had come with the package and circled "Yes". More writing was appearing on the scroll. It read:
"Good. Now that you and your Hippie-Mommy can both see this, I can tell you who I am and why I'm here."
My mom strode down the stairs. She looked at the mystery items scattered on the living room floor. "What's all this stuff on the floor, Hippie-Muggins?" my mom asked me, looking puzzled.
"This is what I wanted to show you, Hippie-Mommy!" I exclaimed. "Read this."
I promptly thrust the scroll into her hands. She took it and read it, and then looked at me.
"Did you write this, Hippie-Muggins?"
"No, someone just sent all this cool stuff to me, Hippie-Mommy!" I said.
My mom continued to inspect the scroll. "Hey! There's writing appearing on this!"
"Let me see!" I exclaimed.
My mom handed the scroll back. It now said: "My name is Mantecado Rushenido. Six years ago in August, I had to save your peaceful planet from being overtaken by the evil alien witch-demon Meh-Meh. But unfortunately, the Foxises, Foxerottos, and Foxmoors that I sent to Earth did not have the opportunity to tell your people about the Sky Fighters. They are half-angel beings who must be created from humans or VISAs in order to prevent Meh-Meh and her nefarious henchmen from taking over your world, as they tried to do with ours. When they first arrived, you and your Mom were shopping at Thriftway, correct? Yes or no? Please circle one."
I picked up the fountain pen again and circled "Yes".
Yet more writing appeared. It read: "Aha! I knew I had the right address! This is good. Ms. Eberle, would you like to see a holographic image of me as a Sky Fighter? Yes or no? Please circle one."
I handed my Mom the fountain pen. She circled "Yes".
Still, yet more writing appeared. It read: "Wonderful. You shall receive another package at your door within thirty seconds. When you receive the package, please open it and follow my instructions to operate the device you'll find inside of it."
My mom and I waited expectantly. Surely enough, there was another thud behind our front door. I jumped up, re-opened it, and grabbed the package. I brought it in, while Mom closed and locked the door. I set the package down and picked up the fountain pen, but more writing was appearing on the scroll.
It read: "Just in case you're wondering how I'm able to communicate with you from my distant home planet of Evensongland in the galaxy Andromeda of the 248th Parallel Universe, I am using a technique known as "Mystic Scroll Communication". Open the package and remove the Holograph Device from the box and set it on your coffee table."
My mom and I opened the package and did as Mantecado instructed. More writing appeared on the scroll that read: "Very good! Now just push the large, green button to activate the device."
I pushed the button. The device turned on with a soft hum and a holographic image of a muscular man with very long, white hair and ocean-blue eyes appeared. The man was wearing a long-sleeved, white cloak with elaborate embroidery on it. The man also had two angel-like wings on his back and six tentacles protruding from his sides, just below his arms. The top two were blue; the next two were green, and the bottom ones were red.
I noticed more writing appearing on the scroll. It read: "I am wearing a cloak because I am the Chief Host of Evensongland, which is similar to a king on Earth. I would be indebted to you if you were to attend a special meeting I'd like to hold on your planet. It is called a "Host Meeting". And before you ask, I have sent this very same package to 12 other humans like you. Most of whom have also agreed to attend this meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to reach an agreement that will allow us friendly aliens to bestow the powers of the Sky Fighters unto humans like you, using the ingredients I sent to each of you. This will help the lot of you to better defend your planet and if you can, assist the beings of MY home planet (You may call us VISAs, AKA Very Intelligent Space Aliens). We would like to organize a rescue-operation of our sister planet, which you may refer to as Britannia. You probably cannot pronounce its true-name. This meeting will take place in Center City, 10 days from today at 2:48 PM. Would you like to attend this meeting? Yes or no? Please circle one."
My Mom and I looked at each other, intrigued.
"Can we PLEASE go, Mom?" I asked her.
"But we don't have a way to get there!" she exclaimed.
"Look, Hippie-Mommy! I see more writing!" I exclaimed, pointing to the letter-scroll. Sure enough, more writing was appearing on it. This time, it read: "Do not worry about transportation. I have already arranged for a limousine to pick you up at 2:15 PM. Does this sound agreeable? Yes or no?"
My mom picked up the fountain pen and circled "Yes".
More writing appeared that read: "Wonderful! I will be there and shall eagerly be waiting to meet you! Farewell!"
The writing then disappeared from the scroll.
"Wow!..." I said in amazement.
My mom glanced at me in curiosity.
"I wonder why they are having this meeting at 2:48 PM, instead of at 2:30 or 3 PM?"
"Maybe 248 is their lucky number!" I exclaimed, hardly able to contain my excitement.
Nevertheless, what I saw this night, at Thriftway, in 1993 was true! I wasn't imagining things, after all. There really WERE fox creatures, who came to save us from a submarine UFO we had seen! And now I, Ross Eberle, a 13-year-old young man, was going to play a major role in helping this Mantecado out! It was truly an honor...