I slowly came to, still next to the creek. I looked around, and everything looked as if it were before. My science equipment was still recording everything. But I felt like I had been asleep for hours, and when I looked up, it was almost nighttime. I need to get back now. I got up, gathered up my equipment, and started heading towards my ship. The insects buzzed loudly as I cut my way through the vines and brush. By the time I got out of the forest, it was dark outside. The moon was a soft shade of purple through the clouds. It reminded me to press a button on my suit, which added an extra layer of protection. On this planet, everything went underground when it got dark. I knew that I had to leave because my suit could only do so much to protect me from the elements. As I stumbled to my ship, I opened it hastily as I heard something from the bushes. That’s not supposed to happen. Isn’t everything supposed to be underground? I froze solid in that moment as a low hiss and crackle echoed throughout the silence.
I didn’t dare to move as I heard the sounds getting closer. Eventually, something brushed up against my suit. It was hard, leathery, and scaly somehow. I tried not to cough as I smelled its breath through my space suit. Something like rotten eggs and mustard, with a metallic scent. It continued to roam around as I didn’t move. As it finally began to move away, I felt movement from underneath my feet. I slowly turned my head to see a huge tail the size of my ship. It disappeared beneath the ground. I took a few more moments to compose myself, then got inside my ship and left.
As I soared higher and higher through the purple atmosphere, thoughts raced through my mind about what that thing was that I saw. I swallowed a lump in my throat. I’ve barely explored this planet. What else could be here? As my thoughts consumed me, I took another breath to calm myself. It’s never been there before, that thing. I need to go back another time and document it. Besides, it didn’t hurt me. I reasoned with myself before leaving the planet entirely. As I entered the abyss of space, I began to search for the wormhole. I knew that everyone else had probably gone back already. I was usually the last one left. It took a moment, but then I found it. It looked different from when I last saw it. Rather than bluish white, it was black as space itself. If I didn’t know any better, it almost looked like a black hole. I shrugged, however. Wormholes sometimes changed their form randomly, as I had observed with this wormhole before. So, I steered my ship and headed inside.
Once I got inside, the journey was a bit rougher than expected. My ship rocked about, shaking and bumping. Again, I shrugged. I’d been through a wormhole with unstable boundaries before, almost knocking me out of it. So this wasn’t anything I hadn’t experienced before. A few minutes later, I exited the hole. As I turned around, it looked as if I knew it before. Bluish white and almost invisible to the naked eye. I drove my ship towards the space station, relieved to finally get home and see my baby girl’s birthday. I thought about all the ways I could surprise her, with her favorite cake or a fun birthday present.
As I made my way towards the station, I noticed something. I didn’t see Earth anywhere close. Just stars, a few unfamiliar planets and gas giants. I clicked an emergency button to jump to the space station at light speed. I didn’t jump to the space station. I jumped straight to Earth. I saw the blue and white skies as I went further into the atmosphere. When I finally entered, I looked around. All I saw was the ocean and some islands surrounding me. When I looked down, I had to blink twice to register what I was seeing. A small boat with sails, and a large boat carrying cargo off to the horizon. I shook my head. I jumped to light speed again to where my house was. I hovered in the sky and saw an empty lot below me.
Helenmollybooks 