The Alien On the Bookshelf

I took a book from the library shelf and noticed there was something stuck on the shelf behind it. As I looked closer, I noticed that it was a foul green and pungent smell came from it. I remember thinking at the time, “Oh, well, the library workers can clean it up,” and just as I was going to find another book, the thing breathed! I almost fell down in shock but soon got my wits about me and leaned forward for a closer look. It didn’t look like it was from Earth, and hadn’t my teacher said in science that it may be possible that alien exist? Suddenly it (he?) jumped up , and in a surprisingly ferocious shouted, “Who goes there?” In perfect English! Then I really did fall over. Soon though I got up and hoped nobody had heard. Since he seemed to demand a reply, I said (quietly so nobody could hear me) “Me. Laura Colley, a, um, human.” The alien suddenly shouted in that Star Wars voice, “Good! Me Sikik. Need direct transportation to Mars immediately.” “Uh, I’m sorry, Sikik, but we humans have not got the technology.” Sikik scowled. But then before either of us could say anything more, I got a wild, crazy, dangerous, and idiotic idea. “Sikik! Come to my house! I can tell all my friends and family about you, and they’ll be so impressed!” I paused while he seemed to consider it. “Fine. I go. But no show me.” “Ok,” I replied, although I was a little disappointed I couldn’t tell everyone about him. As gently as I could I picked him up gently and tucked him into my jacket pocket, which fit him perfectly.

Later at home I stole past Mom, Morgan wasn’t a problem because he had swimming practice and wouldn’t be home for an hour. Up in my room I removed Sikik from my pocket and also took out the book I had found him behind, I had checked it out because it looked foreign and interesting. While Sikik looked around with obvious curiosity I leafed through the pages of the book. Suddenly Sikik crawled up beside me and said, “Book by Martian author. Information not human.” “But then how did it end up in our library?” I replied. He shrugged and continued exploring. “Stupid Martian mistake. Give to humans accidentally. Humans not notice.” “Ooooooooooh, “I said, as if I understood at all. I continued looking at the book until supper. At supper I saved a bit of my portion in my napkin for Sikik. He scarfed it down without even complaining about human food, so he really must have been very hungry. After that I continued reading the book until I saw a page that looked different than the rest. I looked at it closely and suddenly realized it said “Transportation to Mars from any other planet in the galaxy!” Sikik wasn’t trapped here after all “Sikik!” I called softly. “Sikik! You’re not trapped here after all!” Sikik clamored up my lap excitedly. “What? What? Show! Show!” Breathlessly, I showed him the page in the book.

Two hours later, I found myself staring, fascinated, as the tiny alien found this and that and connected it all into a strange machine. It was made of such items like a paperclip, a headband, a pen that didn’t work, and a Lego piece or two that had been lying around my room. Soon, he seemed satisfied and stepped on to the Lego brick and teetered around for a moment before reigning his balance and looked up at me. You. Press down on peeper cleep. (what he called the paper clip). “Me?” “You”, he said, full of confidence. “Look, Sikik…” he frowned, irritated. “Do!” And, holding my breath I closed my eyes and pressed on the paperclip.

What happened next was so weird. There was this puff of smoke, like you see in cartoons, and when the smoke had cleared Sikik was gone. Suddenly there was this Martian voice coming… from the machine. “The user has successfully been telaported to the red planet, home of the Martian race.” So, Sikik was at his home. I was glad for him.

The next morning, after a long rest, I got into a discussion with Jean about aliens. She said, “Laura, you’re crazy. There’s no such thing as aliens.”
“Oh, you think?”

By: Laura, age 9