[Very Short] The Flames of Outer Space

No Moon, No Stars

She is easily the most dangerous alien I have ever seen. Hopefully she does not think of me as a threat as long as I don't get too close. Never have I seen a creature from the stars capable of setting herself ablaze.

Whenever an alien comes to visit (although it appears that she didn't mean to come here) I like to paint them on the far wall of my cave. I have a collection of little green people, weird animals with too many limbs, and eyeless beings. My new extraterrestrial is quite unique. She is human-like in stature, a bit shorter than me, with black scales, long and messy dark red hair, no nose, sharp teeth, enormous wings with dark red eye markings that perfectly matched her own eyes, a long thick tail, and two horns that pointed upwards.

As I paint her horns with my black paint, I hear a made-up language in my mind. The aliens do this sometimes, attempting to communicate with me by sending me messages in my head. Most of the time, I cannot understand a single word of it. I don't understand her at all.

My stomach growls like a wild animal. I put down my paints, grab my spear - a long, sharpened tree branch - and walk to my usual pond to fish. The sun beats down on me.

Right before I push aside the bushes that encircle the pond, I see a familiar set of ebony horns. I place my spear in the grass and crouch behind a bush to take a peek. She sits on the same big rock I sit on to fish. She looks into the shimmering water - at her reflection, or the fish? - I wondered. I wonder if she has ever seen fish before.

The tip of her tail slips into the water. Upon contact, the water boils and fish float to the top belly up. She gasps in surprise. She picks one up and opens her mouth to smell it.

She debones the fish with her claws (with little mess I might add) and starts to eat. She quickly debones two more cooked fish and devours them hungrily. How long have you been in that meteorite? I think to myself. Then she turns her head to face my hiding bush. Uh oh.

She spreads her wings and steps off the boulder. The grass underneath her feet immediately burns to a crisp. That could be me. I thought. I have to go. NOW.

Now she is standing directly in front of my hiding place. She stretches her neck to look at me. She tilts her head at me with curiosity and closes her wings to avoid burning the bushes.

I blink at her. She blinks twice, turns around, and flies away with steam rising from her wings. I sighed with relief. She sees me as a curious animal I suppose.

I walk over to the pond. Gingerly, I dip my foot in the water and cry out in pain. It is still hot. I am puzzled as to how the alien did that. Does everything she touches burn? The boiled fish definitely looked like an accident. But they didn't burn in her hands...

Free cooked food for me I suppose. I spear a couple of fish and take them home with me.