Sticks and Stones

Joshua slowly walked toward Mrs. Longoria, who by now was jumping up and down in place and singing between screams. Her grandchildren had come to the door and were laughing at the sight of their grandmother in the yard. Joshua bent down on one knee and looked at the little creatures. They corresponded exactly to the descriptions in the reports he'd received. He forgot all his training regarding touching and isolating. One creature was six inches tall, grey and thin; stalk-like projections with two black dots appeared to be eyes. The other creature was round, brown, and lumpy, about six inches in diameter. The bottoms of the sticks appeared to be lined with cilia, which allowed the sticks to move. The stones would roll and stop, then roll and stop. He put his hand out and touched one of the stick-like creatures. With this touch, all the creatures stopped and turned toward him. Mrs. Longoria ran to the house and left Joshua in the yard alone with the creatures. They looked like toys. They were so tiny and animated. He picked up one of each of the creatures to examine them. He stood up and began to turn away from the group and as he did, the creatures in his hand became so heavy that he had to let them go. There was no explanation for the difference in weight. Joshua momentarily considered that the aliens were using the force of gravity to pull themselves away. They moved back to the others and continued to watch him. He sat down on the ground and began to laugh. The creatures began to vibrate and move closer. He heard the screen door open and slam shut. The slam of the door seemed to be an affront to the creatures, and they moved back. At the same moment, the children came running and laughing into the yard. “Look how they can play,” said one of the children. The little one spun in a circle and began laughing and squealing. The stick-creatures began to vibrate and spin. The stone creatures began to rock. Mrs. Longoria was pleading from the back door for the children to come inside, away from the creatures. It was obvious the children had played with them before. He was so caught up in the activity that he didn't notice the increasing number of creatures in the yard. As his head turned, he stood up and his mouth dropped open. The desert was covered with the tiny creatures. There must have been thousands. “This is not a sighting,” he whispered. “This is an invasion