(I tried to find a prompt that fit the random story thing I wrote months ago that I just found while going through google docs lol)

Zoe squinted at the gigantic landmark directly in front of her, the sun glaring into her eyes. It towered over her and appeared to be made of stone. It looked as if it was some sort of bizarre abstract sculpture. Was it? Or did it just happen to be there naturally? There was no way of knowing, seeing as how none of these… People (if you can even call them that) spoke English.
She twisted around sharply and scanned the landscape for the alien thing that brought her here. It appeared out of the door of the spaceship. The huge, silver and pink spaceship, with its sunken horizontal stripe across the middle, clear glass dome at the top, and the antenna sticking straight up out of the middle of it, looked rather silly. It was shaped like a large box, except for the glass dome covering the top, which was, obviously, round.
She had been having a mediocre day on Earth, watching TV, and the doorbell had rung. She had assumed it was the pizza she had ordered, but no, of course it had to be an alien that had come to abduct her in its flying spaceship. The day had gone from mediocre to an immensely weirder version of mediocre real fast. Zoe had no intense feelings about being dragged off into space. Sure, it made life a bit more interesting, so there was that.
The alien thing, which was short, chubby, and had red fur, shuffled towards her. Zoe inched away, not breaking eye contact. Its eyes were big, green, and they glowed. The alien reached into the pocket of its gray cloak and pulled out a small device that looked like a bracelet. It was white, metallic, and had three blinking buttons, red, blue, and green, on it. Zoe squinted at it.
“What’s that??” She yelled at the creature uselessly, knowing it couldn’t understand her. It made some high pitched screeching noises, circling her, cloak flowing in the wind. She turned around and around in order to keep facing it. The way it moved was unstable, like a zombie. It suddenly lurched forward and threw the device at her.
Zoe jumped back against the stone structure. She glared at the device on the dusty ground in front of her, and then back up at the red furry creature.

There is a species who have long inhabited the earth. Their presence is not undetected as humans flitter over them, but their intentions are. Their small bodies inching along, their so-called “metamorphosis” after the case of the munchies. Concerning, it is, how easily mankind can fall unaware without realizing it.

Of course, whom I speak of is none other then the catepillar. Prickly to velvety, chubby to thin, colorful to camouflage. From gentle Flamembrust to territorial Trewd to extroverted Monarchs, they surround us carefully.

They have come to protect us.

After extensive research, we have concluded they arrived one day from the galaxies, narrowly escaping predators (probably Wadens). Using powers of negotiation, they convinced mankind caterpillars are natural and have been there all along.

Each caterpillar represents a shield of invisibility in the atmosphere. Dangers to humans like Congrafs, Wadens, Plinre, and more have passed by, unaware of tiny and colorful Earth.

They have made a home here. How lucky we are to have such wonderful neighbors! Never intruding on boundaries, pollination, beauty. Humanity hit the jackpot.

Of course, they have traditions. All cultures do. Yearly meetings when they travel to the higher-ups’ villas. Sweet sunshine. It has been proven that they highly value willow, cherry, and apple leaves, a scrumptious case. They live short but purposeful lives, pleased with Earth delectables and spacious attribute.

Our goal is knowledge, expansive learning, and agreeable friendship with these neighbors. Please keep that in mind as their annual meeting grows nearer.

Transparent Colonising Exoskeleton Living City structures Unique Organic Transparent Languages off colour Filter feeders Symbioses Protection Size of a country Movement of vthe tides lunar Multiple stomachs Tentacles lash out

translucent skin _ eyeballs bright,_ _ blood colored _ _ red_ _ legs long,_ _ an alien_ __ __ __

Empty.

Floating away on nothingness.

Feeling nothing, thinking nothing, seeing nothing, hearing nothing.

I was absolutely nothing, just a pinprick of thought, drifting in the wind of the universe.

I was at peace. I was whole. I was nothing.

This was heaven.

Heaven… why was that familiar? What did that mean?

Where was I? Who was I?

Suddenly the nothingness around me turned black and dangerous. It grew fangs and claws, became deadly beasts prowling this space.

And it was a space. It went on and on, seemingly endless, but I was surrounded by something.

The inky beasts snarled, stalking closer to me. An irrational fear snaked through me, making my heart pound in my ears.

If my heart was beating, I was no longer nothing. I glanced down and lifted my hands.

What the… Where my hands should have been, there was only gray-blue mist. But it did look like hands.

With a glance at the incoming snarling beats, I wiggled my fingers. The mist moved too.

So… I’m made of colored mist, am being hunted by monsters made of nothing, and have no clue where the hell I am, I thought. And all I wanted was to die.

One of the beasts pawed at the ground, about to attack. With a surge of frustration, I thought I am not going to be killed - again - by a frigging nothing-beast.

Spinning around, I looked for a way to escape. I had to find a way out of here.

As I turned, I saw a door made of more gray-blue mist appear. The mist seemed to condense from the bottom up. First the frame appeared, then the door itself, then a handle. Watching it was so strange, like it was fizzling into existence.

Behind me, the pawing beast sprang. Roaring, it leapt toward me, and I took off. The door was so close! I flung myself to it, grabbing at the handle. Please, please, please.

Yes! Flinging the door open, I shot through it, not even noticing what was on the other side.

With a whoosh, a whole different world appeared around me.

The Others came to earth months ago. Human life ended months ago. At least, human life as we knew it. Humans have become slaves for The Others. At least, the lucky ones have. Those who are less likely have been shunted off to breeding facilities. Unfortunately for humans, we are the best food source on earth for The Others.

We tried to fight them with military might, but their knowledge far exceeded ours. Each being towered over the tallest human by at least a foot. They appeared humanoid, but grotesquely so. The creatures were bipedal with an abnormally short torso that sprouted four arms. Six knobbly fingers and an opposable thumb stretched from the hands, grabbing at their human prey. Two hands held the victim – corpse or not – in place while the other two hands methodically tore it apart to consume. The most delectable part of the food was always saved for last — the head.

A yawning maw opened to consume the largest parts of food without issue. In its gaping cavern, two rows of pointed, serrated teeth on the top and bottom, tore through flesh and crushed bones. The crunch of breaking bones was nothing compared to the way The Others slurped the marrow. Black beady eyes, set deep into its humanistic skull conveyed no emotion. Pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. No pinnae could be located. Where ears would be located, their flesh stretched thinner over canals, allowing the passage of sound.

Their flesh! As if they weren’t horrific enough, The Others’ skin was terrible to touch. It’s dark, mottled green colour allowed them to disappear into the darkness. In a forest at night, they were virtually undetectable. After arriving on earth, many settled permanently around the densest forests. Those who touched it claimed it felt like thousands of ants crawling under a sheet of flexible ice.

The Others appeared to have a communication that was not verbal or physical. Often it seemed as though some telepathic connection allowed them to convey their attentions. When they did speak, the clicks and whistles that passed for their language sent shivers and fear through the humans within range. Some people were known to go mad after listening to The Others speak, resorting to shoving implements into their ear canals to stop the noise.

Their mercilessness carried them across the earth swifter than a flash flood. Earth is no longer a place for a humans; humanity is all but extinct. The Dawn of Man is at an end, and the Dawn of the Other is on its rise.

It’s been four days now, I thought I was dreaming. They showed up at everyone’s doorstep, they seem to have a hold on us. No one is fighting back, no one is even acknowledging what is going on. They look just like us, but they aren’t human. They have glowing purple eyes and their skin is smooth, no wrinkles for indents or dimples. You can tell you are around one because your phone stops working, the radios turn to static and the lights flicker. They have the ability to not only read our thoughts but change them as well. All they have to do is maintain eye contact for five seconds. They don’t seem to hate us, it seems they enjoy to be around us. They have not harmed anyone, in fact they are able to cure us. They take our hand and tap our palms and cure any and everything wrong with us. It seems they came to cure our sicknesses. The more they heal from us, the stronger they grow.

I don’t know if I will continue this, it depends on how ppl think of it! Just an idea, but if anyone thinks I should maybe I will! ———————————————

Her hands tighten around the lever, pulling toward her. Sweat beaded around her face and neck, but she had to keep pulling. Still holding the lever with one hand, she reached over and push a few buttons, hearing answering beeps in return.

Occupied with the control panel in front of her, the meteor flying into her ship came as an unwelcome surprise. Flung out of her chair and onto the floor, she struggles to stand and dust herself off. Blood drops from her knees, covering the floor under her with sparkling ruby tears.

The control panel flashed. She swears. The ship just took a direct hit. She was going to have to land if survival was wanted. Pulling up her star map, dread filled her eyes as it has been realized that the only planet close enough was… oh no. Zappa.

Zappa, the planet where she had been raised. The planet she had lived at for the first 15 years of her life. The planet where she had been accused of murder.

Glorious green swords dappled in ivory and strawberry creamsicle canopied around the fleshy trunk. Fingerlike aerial roots grasped the huge moss pole piercing the pot’s middle. A few indigo roots intertwined with its own tender blush stalks. A sweet scent redolent with notes of cantaloupe and vanilla hugged the sharp leaves and beaconed Maddie closer.

“It’s … incredible, Star,” Maddie said in a hushed whisper admiring the bright tangle. “Even more beautiful than the pictures.”

“Whatever, Mom,” Star said.

Maddie walked up to the conservatory’s red velvet rope. Eyes closed, she inhaled. Snorting, Star went back to her phone. First there was the pink princess philo. Her mother had dragged her up to a storage rental place parking lot to buy a cutting from a guy in a trenchcoat for fifty bucks. Then it was a Thai Constellation Monstera. Her mom had to have one. Star went with her mom to seventeen nurseries until her mom scored a dinky little plant in the ass end of Chester County. Now it was Jupiter Hurricane.

Star surveyed her mom’s latest plant obsession. Sinewy neon petals with sticky garnet tentacles, the flowers reminded Star of a tie dyed chtulu. The Chandler line, nasty things their flesh is too much like th flesh of men, ran through her head. Star shivered violently.

“Do you smell that? They only bloom at night for one night, but their scent lingers. It’s incredible,” Maddie said. "This is so cool, baby. Three of these beauties were found in a remote jungle in Papua New Guinea near a meteor crash. Three! They are debating still which species they belong to. I think it’s a mutated Cattleya some kind of monstrose form but it’s possible—are you even listening?”

“Creepy orchid from outer space, right,” Star said without looking up from her phone.

“The Jupiter Hurricane is a newly discovered species. We are looking at a sliver of exotic jungle in our own backyard. And you are watching TikTok.”

“It’s a plant. You got two hundred of these weeds in every corner of our apartment, Mom. Besides I’m writing a flash fiction on first contact between dumb violent humans and smart violent aliens. Are we done here? I want to check out the Mediterrean section. The benches are warm. Ready?”

"They are nearly impossible to propagate by seed. Conditions have to be precise, but the plant itself is hardy and will tolerate a wide range climes. Near freezing to tropical rainforest. They can grow on trees, in pots, in water, on rocks, soilless. Full sun to shade as long as they get bugs or hamburger. They are hydrophilic carnivores,” Maddie droned on.

Star rolled her eyes. She had read about tulipmania, the craze to buy flower bulbs that rocked the world. Her mother was bananas, Star thought, but her mother was her nutcase. Star raised her phone pretending to take a selfie. Her big coat blocked the Jupiter Hurricane from the conservatory’s surveillance camera. Looking left and right, Maddie stepped over the rope. She whipped out a ziplock bag and a pair of sterilized scissors. One snip later, the mother and daughter were heading away from the Jupiter Hurricane.

“Hey mom wouldn’t it cool if instead of little grey men aliens came down as plants. We would sow our own destruction one creepy space orchid at a time. Pushing our alien overlords to the far corners of the planet in pink plastic pots on grocery store shelves and Home Depots,” Star said. “Don’t laugh. I think it’s a spooky idea.”

“Who’s laughing? I’m worried about doing this tissue culture. If this works, we will make a fortune on the green black market. Those thai monsteras went for 500 bucks a pop until the market bottomed out. These will be $5000 for a node, guaranteed.”

Looking back for one last glimpse of the Jupiter Hurricane, Star had the weird sensation of being watched. A group of plant enthusiasts were admiring the lush plant. An irresistibly sweet scent began to fill the orchid room. Shaking her head, Star followed her mother.

We don’t know when they appeared or for how long they’ve been here. But the shadows move and grow darker by the hour.

People say they hear voices in the night, deep noises that reminisce on the days events, at times multiple are reported.

They talk about what happened in the day, comparing it to what happened to others days. People have commented,

“I can’t open my eyes.”

Though their forms are unknown, their activity and timing is precise. Every night, either at 11pm or once the ‘host’ is asleep the voices will begin. There is some cases of faint touching of the eyes, possibly to ensure they remain unknown.

They are out there, their motives are unknown, they lay in your shadow and have keen ears to what’s going on.

We can only assume, they know what we do…

They know we know of their existence.