Alien Invasion: and the origins of mankind

by Mark Douglas Doran

chance to answer questions and take pictures.

  Since the military request was on the same weekend as the Springbrook Gardens annual variety talent show. Everyone thought it would be a great idea to combine the two events into one massive weekend of fun.

  Stories quickly shot around town of what the military would bring with them, everything from jeeps to armored vehicles to top-secret spy planes. Everyone, especially the kids spent weeks trying to guess.

  A few days later the town went completely wild when it was announced rock group Fly by Night was booked for the Friday night fireworks show as well. Never in a million years would anyone in Springbrook Gardens have guessed that a band so well known would’ve chosen there town for a concert. Needless to say the last few weeks has been beyond amazing throughout the town.

  Timmy walked along the sidewalk talking to Sam when he quickly took a step to his right as a couple of little kids ran by him with cameras in their hands heading to the same place he was walking to. He glanced behind and noticed countless others headed the same way. He knew everyone in town was either at the top of Main Street already or on their way. No one wanted to miss this. He couldn’t blame them, he to felt the same buzz. How on earth could his small town be so lucky? He knew nothing could possibly ruin the weekend. What on earth could happen which could damper such a glorious moment? This truly was going to be a weekend no one would ever forget.

  As the four of them walked along Kyle turned to Bobby “You know what would be so cool, if the military surprised us and brought a top secret weapon with them, like super powerful ray guys and lasers”

  “Oh I’d love that,” Bobby quickly said. “I read in my comic books the army has a top secret spy plane that can fly faster then the speed of light”

  Sam shook his head as he walked along. “No way, that can’t happen, maybe faster then sound, but not light. Nothing in the universe can travel faster then light” He knew that from the countless science books he read each night. He enjoyed reading chance he could. His bedroom bookshelves were stacked with countless books waiting to be read. He had more then he could keep up with. It seemed whenever he finished reading one he bought two more. At this rate he would never finish.

  “How fast is the fastest military plane? Kyle asked himself out loud, “I’ll have to look that up on the Internet”

  Timmy looked over to him “Your always on the Internet. I’ve never known someone who spends so much time surfing the net. Where would you be if the Internet disappeared,” he laughed a bit after asking.

  “What can I say, I love surfing the net.” Kyle laughed, “I’ve learn so many cool things in just a few hours. I learned how to build toy rockets, world history, geography. I’ve even watched videos from conspiracy theorist talking about aliens and secret societies,” he said with a smile.

  “Oh great” Bobby laughed “Your computer is going to turn you into a crazy person”

  “No way” Kyle said “I’m not gonna become a crazy guy, but you know what I am gonna be, is famous. I’m gonna star in movies. And not those long boring dramas either, I mean cool action movies. I’m gonna drive fast cars, shoot guns, save the world from evil terrorist and by the end of the film I’ll save the girl” he stopped on the sidewalk for a second and posed like an action movie star with a serious look in his eye and with his hands on his hips.

  The other boys laughed.

  “We all want to be famous,” Sam said as they got closer to the massive crowds who filled both sides of the sidewalk on either side of the road.

  Timmy spoke up “”Well, I’m gonna race cars when I get older. Last weekend I was in the city and raced in a go-cart on a huge track”

  “Oh yeah” Bobby said “I remember last month you mentioned you were planning a trip into the city with your parents. How was the go-cart racing?”

  “Amazing.” Timmy quickly said with a smile “You need to try it out. You’ll love it. It’s so cool. I drove around the track like lighting. You should’ve seen me out there. I had a giant silver helmet on and I was strapped in the car like an astronaut. I fired around the track with my foot down on the petal. I was rock n’rolling out there. I was as cool as a cucumber. I had no fear at all. I’m ready for my driver’s license. I can drive anything” He reached his hands forward as though holding a steering wheel with an intense, crazed look in his eyes. He started imitating the sound of a racecar’s engine firing up and he took off running down the sidewalk.

  The three other boys started laughing.

  When he reached the end of the block he turned around and came running back still acting as though he were racing in a car. “Not only can I drive, but I can fly anything as well” Timmy yelled out as he ran passed the others with his arms out like wings of a plane.

  The other kids laughed more.

  “All this just from a riding a go-cart one time?” Bobby called out while laughing.

  “Oh yeah, I’m ready now. Bring it on. If you guys ever need someone to drive a car in an emergency, call me” Timmy yelled out half a block ahead.

  Sam called out “Just be careful when crossing the street thought. Have to watch out for cars driving out of control like they did when you were in the city”

  Timmy came running back and lowered his hands and went back to walking with the others. He looked over to Sam “You have no idea how right you are. That was a crazy moment when I was almost hit by the car while I was in the city.”

  “What?” Kyle yelled out “Almost hit by a car? What’s this story? I never heard anything about you almost being hit by a car”

  Timmy nodded “It happened on the third day while I was in the city. I was walking along the sidewalk headed to the movie theater; I reached the end of the block and had to cross the street. My light was green so I started walking across and out of nowhere some nut though he had the right of way came flying through the intersection like a mad man.”

  Bobby looked shocked “How did you avoid getting hit?”

  Timmy shook his head in disbelief “I don’t know how to describe it. I thought for sure I was going to get hit. I closed my eyes and braced for the hit, what else could I do. Then, out of nowhere what felt like a magical hand pushed me back onto the sidewalk.”

  Kyle looked over to Booby with an odd look on his face. He looked back to Timmy “A magical hand? That doesn’t make sense. It had to be something else, something that can be explained ”

  “Maybe the strong wind?” Sam commented.

  Bobby nodded in agreement with Sam “Sounds like it was the wind, not a magical hand from above”

  “If you felt what I felt, you’d know it couldn’t be the wind. This felt like a strong hand pushing me. Like when a child is on a swing and a parent pushes them.” Timmy said, “Who knows what it was, all I know is, I thought I was going to be hit and before I knew it, I was back on the sidewalk, safe and sound”

  The other three boys looked at each confused. None of them could explain what saved him.

  “Timmy’s story reminds me of something that happened to me not to long ago” Kyle said “I was walking along Hudson Street and pass under the flower store being renovated when some bricks fell off the top of the building almost hitting me.”

  Sam quickly pointed over to Kyle “Oh, I remember you telling me about that a few weeks ago.” he said “That had to have been terrifying for you. It would’ve freaked me out”

  “Tell me about it” Kyle joked, “I didn’t even know what was happening. I was on my way home from school walking along the sidewalk daydreaming away when I passed under the building under construction, all of a sudden some construction worker on top of the building yells out to me to watch out. I heard a woman across the street scream; I closed my eyes not having a clue as to what’s happening. Next thing I knew, the bricks were hitting the sidewalk beside me. I looked down at the bricks thinking wow, that was close, they almost hit me. But the woman came running over to me, asking how did I manage avoid being hit by the bricks. I looked at her and asked her what
did she mean? They landed beside me. She said they were coming straight down towards my head, but somehow at the last second they moved away from me. I looked at her and said, it could’ve have happened like that, it’s impossible, but more and more people who saw the whole incident came running over saying the same thing. The bricks should’ve landed on my head, but somehow they didn’t.”

  Bobby looked over to Sam “Now that sounds strange” he said stretching the word strange by a few seconds.

  Sam nodded “How can anyone explain such a thing? Reminds me of the time I almost fell down my stairs at home. I slipped off the top step and was about to fall when something pushed me back up onto the staircase. Who knows how badly hurt I could’ve ended up”

  Timmy looked to Sam “You see, sounds just like the same magical hand that saved me, helped you out as well”

  Sam shook his head “It can’t be a magical hand, if we investigated these incidences deeper we would find a logical explanation for all of them”

  Bobby look confused “But so many weird things have happened to us. How can it be explained? Whatever it is, it must be out of this world”

  They all looked at each other in confusion with no answers.

  They walked for a few more blocks. Getting closer to the massive crowds now waiting on the sidewalks at the top of Main Street chatting away to each other under the afternoon sun.

  “On another note, we have no problem winning over the seniors with our show today” Sam said.

  Bobby nodded “Yeah, the show went well” he said but sounded a bit disappointed “I just wish one day we can perform for our own class at school at some point, but its next to impossible. Everyone in our class thinks we’re losers. Always laughing and picking on us. So what if were not good at sports, that shouldn’t mean anything. It would be nice to have everyone in school like us instead of calling us geeks all the time. Yeah, so what if we like video games and movies, least were not hurting anyone”

  Kyle looked over to Bobby “When we’re movie stars they’ll love, all the girls in class will want to hang around us then. We’ll be living in mansions in the city”

  The others quickly agreed.

  Sam spoke “I just hope when we are rich and famous I’ll be finally be able to look Sandy in the eye and speak to her. I felt like such a geek a few minutes ago talking to her. I could’ve invited her to the Fly by Night rock concert, but no, I got too nervous.” He shook his head in disappointment.

  “We’re all gonna become famous one day” Bobby said “Twenty years from now we’ll be guests on a popular talk show, talking about how much money we’re made and the cars we drive. All the different countries we’ve visited while traveling around the world and living in fancy hotels. No one will call us geeks anymore”

  The other boys laughed and nodded in agreement.

  They reached the top of Main Street and stood within a sea of people on the sidewalk, everyone eagerly looking in the direction of Forest Road, the only road in and out of the quiet town that lead to the main highway. It ran for about a twenty-minute car ride through heavy, dense forest. Tree branches hung over the road with such intensity making it feel like a dark tunnel. Anyone new in town felt creped out while driving through it. Everyone said the same thing about the forest “Felt as though something was inside it watching” By what, no one could say. They only would feel better once they reached the highway and the sun came back out.

  The average driver on the highway however, would end up driving right passed the small cut off road to Forest Road and would never have known the town was there.

  The sidewalks were packed with everyone from town, hoping to be the first at spotting any approaching military vehicles.

  Sam looked at his watch he knew the arrival was just minutes away. He could feel the buzz in the air. It had been running through town like wild fire all week.

  Little kids stood with their parents holding their hands. The noise level from all the chatter built minute by minute as everyone else glanced at their watches, waiting in excitement.

  “Look at the crowds.” Timmy said in amazement. He had to speak loudly; the noise level was too great to speak in a normal tone. “Everyone in town is standing here and like us, none of them can wait for the army to show up.” he looked at the other three boys “One day we’ll be this famous, I can feel it. Crowds like this will be waiting for us in every city we travel to. We’ll have countless fans standing on the sidewalks just like this wanting our autographs. I can picture our faces on movie posters staring in summer blockbuster movies. Then, no one in class will pick on us”

  Kyle nodded “I’d love that. We’ll make millions of dollars. If I had a million dollars I’d go skydiving all the time. Ride dirt bikes and live in a big mansion”

  The other kids eyes lit up and they started daydreaming about having a million dollars.

  “Oh cool, a million dollars,” Timmy said, “I’d visit every amusement park with that kind of money. Ride roller coasters and race sport cars all day”

  Sam cut in “I’d buy a thousand books on science and astrology with a million bucks. Visit museums all over the world”

  Bobby nodded “You know what I’d do. I’d buy all the comic books in the world”

  The other kids laughed.

  “That’s so true” Timmy said, “I can see you buying all the comic books to add to the thousands you already own. Who cares about racing cars, you just want comic books”

  Bobby smiled “That’s right. I love my comic books. The only thing I’d love more then comics is for Megan Williams not to laugh at me for reading them ”

  “What are you talking about? You mean the girl who sits across from you in class” Timmy called out while being surrounded by countless other kids who arrived.

  “Last Friday I tried talking to Megan after school, she told me to take a hike because she doesn’t waste her time talking to little boys who still read comic books. What’s her deal? Comics are amazing. They’re just like a novel, but with pictures”

  Kyle nodded “Girls are silly like that. You have to ignore them. Just hang out with the ones who treat you nice. If Megan doesn’t respect you, then move on” he peaked down the street hoping to see a military jeep.

  Bobby agreed “But girls only hang out with popular guys. Where just the geeky guys who get ignored” he shook his head while looking down.

  Timmy jumped in “Less talk about school and lets focus on how cool the next few days will be. I think its safe to say this weekend will be amazing. We have the military arriving within minutes. The General from the military will be speaking at a school assembly tomorrow, fireworks and a musical concert at the bandstand in the park later that night with music group Fly by Night and if that wasn’t enough there’s just happens to be the annual variety talent show on Saturday afternoon. Now let me ask you, can this weekend get anymore cooler?”

  Bobby’s eyes lit up “We’ve never had the military here before. In fact we’ve never had anybody visit our town for that matter. I was shocked when it was announced a few months ago they were coming.”

  “You were shocked” Kyle said, “Everyone in town was shocked. Can’t imagine why the military would choose our town. You’d think they would choose some place bigger, at least a town on the map.”

  The other boys laughed. They knew all to well the jokes everyone made about Springbrook Gardens being the most forgotten town in the world. Seems as though no one outside the town had ever heard or seen it. Most maps don’t even have it listed, as though it never exist.

  The afternoon sun shined down on everyone as they waited on the sidewalk. Some tapping their foot in anticipation, as others held cameras in hand with their restless finger on the button.

  Main Street had been closed off to traffic hours before. Clearing the way for the military vehicles to slowly roll down. The sidewalks on both sides of Main Street were now full for blocks on end.

  Kyle’s looked away from the road briefly and glanced over his shoulder d
own the sidewalk and his eyes lit up, he quickly looked back to the three others “Guys, you know how the newspaper hired a new reporter a few weeks back?”

  They looked at Kyle, nodded and quickly looked back down the street.

  Kyle continued “I thought I saw him at the seniors home during our performance. Well, now he’s headed straight towards us” he pointed over his shoulder towards him. “I think he might be wanting a interview with us. This could be it; all of our hard work for the last few months could finally pay off. If we get into the newspaper the girls in class will finally talk to us”

  Sam took a peak over his shoulder into the sea of people and saw the reporter moving their way. He quickly looked back towards the other boys “Oh wow, Kyle might be right. He really is headed straight towards us. Ok guys act cool. Act as though we don’t see him coming this way and being interviewed is no big deal. We can’t come across as desperate”

  The others nodded and pretended to watch for the military’s arrival while actually watching the reporter over their shoulders.

  A young kid in his early twenties wearing a brown fedora made his way through the thick crowd and walked up to Sam.

  “Excuse me young follows. My name is Charles King. I work with the local newspaper and I would like to get an interview with you about the skits you perform at the senior center. I heard you guys call yourself the cry wolves gang”

  The four boys causally turned around pretending to be surprised to see him.

  Kyle smiled “Hello Charles nice to meet you, how can we help you on this fine day?” he hoped he sounded calm and relaxed.

  Charles opened up his notebook “I was standing at the back at the senior center and caught your show and had to grab an interview. Hopefully I can get one before the military arrives”

  All four of the kid’s eyes lit up. “Sure” they all said at once. They quickly relaxed and went back to acting calm, as though they had been interviewed many times.

  Sam knew this was it. All these months of hard work were now going to pay off. Being in the paper would go a long way of making them look cool and have everyone in school respect them.

  Charles looked to Sam “Can you tell me who each of you are and how the group of you got started? And a little bit about what your group is all about?”

  “Well, my name is Sam Wilson, this is Timmy Dalby , Bobby Oliver and Kyle Red.” He pointed to each of them as they nodded when their names were said. “We grew up here in the town of Springbrook Gardens. Were in grade seven at the grade school here. We’ve known each other all of our lives, met each other in the early grades. We enjoy acting. Were looking to become movie stars one day. Hopefully we could become famous…”

  “Wait stop” Charles cut in and stopped Sam. “Sorry, one second I didn’t press record on my