Aliens

ALIENS

When the aliens arrived none of us were ready. We were sitting around the dinner table, mindlessly chattering, when the knock came. Aunt Rose went to the door, swung it open, and was instantly vaporized. Horrified, we watched Aunt Rose’s ashes slowly settle to the floor. The door creaked shut. “Aliens!” Grandma whispered.

A few moments of silence followed, and then the knock returned. This time Grandma grabbed her shotgun, signaled everyone of her intent, and crept quietly to the door. The kind, eternal light had left her blue eyes. Her jaw was set, and I saw the look of the vengeful she-wolf bent on protecting her cubs.

Grandma suddenly flung the door open and I saw her pump two rounds into Harold Schmidt, the grocer up the street. When the smoke cleared, we all stood there, quietly observing Harold’s twisted, broken body.

“Who would have thought” Grandma’s voice quavered. “Old Harold Schmidt--a stinkin’ alien!”