What she saw was a shimmering, transparent, apparition in the shape of a disk, hovering over the pool. There was nothing her mind could understand about it, Lanie stood paralyzed, staring. The more she tried to understand what she was seeing, the more the details of the disk would become clear. Covering a good portion of the back yard area, it was large. It appeared to have windows, but she couldn't see through them. Lanie's hand went to her mouth, and she took a few steps backwards. Behind her, she heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, blended with metal hitting against metal sound.
Her heart had stopped beating; she drew in a breath and held it. Spinning around, she saw a shadow standing in the doorway of her room.
Lanie heard her ragged breathing before she could form the words, "Who are you?"
There came no verbal answer, but the shadow bowed.
Turing her head to one side, she tried to decipher the action. "W-What do you want?" she asked barely above a whisper.
The shadow was a black mass as it stood covering the doorway. It was tall, maybe six feet or more, resembling a human, yet not. Appendages such as arms and legs seemed familiar, but other unseen blackness was out of proportion. It took a step forwards and an arm extended towards her, resulting in luminescence from the window revealing the intruder in more detail.
It was as if Lanie had an electrical shock pass through her body. Feeling faint, she leaned on a dresser beside her. Before her stood something not of this earth, she was inches from it, and she visibly trembled as her eyes traveled over the form, taking it all in from head to toe.
Her mind making something familiar out of what she was seeing, it appeared it wore an armor of some kind, including a helmet. Hoses ran from one unseen place to another. The being was totally encased from head to toe, and as her eyes moved up to the helmet, she stared into the darkened visor.
The arm it extended was still reaching out to her, her gaze dropped lower to see the hand on the end of it only had four gloved fingers. She glanced up quickly at the visor, and then down again at the hand, she placed her hand in the being's. It moved, as if adjusting its stance and it startled her. She tried to pull her hand away, but it clutched her tightly.
Fear rose in her throat, and she whimpered as she yanked her hand wildly, still trying to free it.
A soft male voice combined with a low static noise said, "Please, don't be afraid."
Shocked that the being spoke English, she stood still, and after a minute, she asked again, "What do you want?" A flash of light blinded her for a second.
Lanie realized she was no longer in her room. The transportation was instant, and she knew she was aboard the spaceship. He had released her, and she stood apart from him in a dimly lit room. Looking around, although the room was sparsely furnished, it was not what she would have expected. Nothing futuristic looking, muted colors, and simple pieces of furniture meant for sitting. Nothing hung on the beige colored walls. There were no specific odors, but the air was tempered perfectly, and the humidity of the warm summer night was gone. The only shock came when she looked out a window and saw the Earth spinning amid the surrounding stars, as if it hung on a Christmas tree.
"Are you taking me away? To your planet?" She asked, her voice was high pitched and shaky, as she gazed into the visor .
A click, and then the male voice said, "You will be returned shortly" He watched her as he removed the gloves from his hands.
Lanie wanted to believe he meant her no harm. She tried to calm herself. As his hands were revealed to her, she saw they were a bluish color. Her mind began to race, what other differences were there. Was there a hideous monster under all that armor? She found she was holding her breath again. Watching in amazement as he unfastened the bindings of the armor, he opened the breastplate. The same bluish skin covered his well-toned chest. He shrugged the armor off one bulky shoulder, then the other. He stood still for a moment, watching her, and then his hands went about removing the lower part of his armor.
Her heart had stopped beating; she drew in a breath and held it. Spinning around, she saw a shadow standing in the doorway of her room.
Lanie heard her ragged breathing before she could form the words, "Who are you?"
There came no verbal answer, but the shadow bowed.
Turing her head to one side, she tried to decipher the action. "W-What do you want?" she asked barely above a whisper.
The shadow was a black mass as it stood covering the doorway. It was tall, maybe six feet or more, resembling a human, yet not. Appendages such as arms and legs seemed familiar, but other unseen blackness was out of proportion. It took a step forwards and an arm extended towards her, resulting in luminescence from the window revealing the intruder in more detail.
It was as if Lanie had an electrical shock pass through her body. Feeling faint, she leaned on a dresser beside her. Before her stood something not of this earth, she was inches from it, and she visibly trembled as her eyes traveled over the form, taking it all in from head to toe.
Her mind making something familiar out of what she was seeing, it appeared it wore an armor of some kind, including a helmet. Hoses ran from one unseen place to another. The being was totally encased from head to toe, and as her eyes moved up to the helmet, she stared into the darkened visor.
The arm it extended was still reaching out to her, her gaze dropped lower to see the hand on the end of it only had four gloved fingers. She glanced up quickly at the visor, and then down again at the hand, she placed her hand in the being's. It moved, as if adjusting its stance and it startled her. She tried to pull her hand away, but it clutched her tightly.
Fear rose in her throat, and she whimpered as she yanked her hand wildly, still trying to free it.
A soft male voice combined with a low static noise said, "Please, don't be afraid."
Shocked that the being spoke English, she stood still, and after a minute, she asked again, "What do you want?" A flash of light blinded her for a second.
Lanie realized she was no longer in her room. The transportation was instant, and she knew she was aboard the spaceship. He had released her, and she stood apart from him in a dimly lit room. Looking around, although the room was sparsely furnished, it was not what she would have expected. Nothing futuristic looking, muted colors, and simple pieces of furniture meant for sitting. Nothing hung on the beige colored walls. There were no specific odors, but the air was tempered perfectly, and the humidity of the warm summer night was gone. The only shock came when she looked out a window and saw the Earth spinning amid the surrounding stars, as if it hung on a Christmas tree.
"Are you taking me away? To your planet?" She asked, her voice was high pitched and shaky, as she gazed into the visor .
A click, and then the male voice said, "You will be returned shortly" He watched her as he removed the gloves from his hands.
Lanie wanted to believe he meant her no harm. She tried to calm herself. As his hands were revealed to her, she saw they were a bluish color. Her mind began to race, what other differences were there. Was there a hideous monster under all that armor? She found she was holding her breath again. Watching in amazement as he unfastened the bindings of the armor, he opened the breastplate. The same bluish skin covered his well-toned chest. He shrugged the armor off one bulky shoulder, then the other. He stood still for a moment, watching her, and then his hands went about removing the lower part of his armor.