“Who are they and what do they want?” Danger alerted every fiber of my being. Those red things clomping toward me could only be trouble. I’ve been here so long and nothing like this has ever happened before. At least I don’t think so. There’s that prickly feeling in the back of my …. I’m not sure where my back is even as I say the word. No, nothing happened before. Got to be certain of that. Say it again. Again. OK. Relaxed a bit.

Still whatever, there’s danger now. They’re coming closer. First that hot red noisy thing comes across the white stuff. Noisy, funny, just felt vibrations. Didn’t know the ‘noisy’ word until I said it. What the hell? Then the red things pop out of it and start clomping toward me. That’s what started the prickly . . . whatever it is. How do I protect myself? Never had to think about that before. Do I have any weapons? Darn, what’s a weapon? Has to do with protecting. But what?

They’re here. Touching my silver skin, looking and now stepping inside. Inside what? Inside the silver thing? Inside me? I’m hearing something, a different kind of vibration. It’s happening between them, and it almost feels . . . familiar. Maybe not danger. The more I feel their vibrations, more familiar. What’s happening to me? I’m feeling I need to go home. Go home at last.