The stranger under the willow tree

We aren't alone.

"Bring me to your leader," the alien demanded, pointing a strange, glowing device at me. I stared at it in horror, wondering what kind of weapon it was. "You're talking to her," I replied, trying to sound confident. I was the commander of Earth's first line of defense against alien invasion, but I had never expected to meet a real-life extraterrestrial. The alien looked at me skeptically, as if trying to decide whether or not I was telling the truth. "Your planet is in danger," it said finally. "We have detected a rogue asteroid on a collision course with Earth. We need your help to stop it." I felt a wave of relief wash over me. This was a problem I knew how to solve. I quickly assembled a team of scientists and engineers, and we worked around the clock to develop a plan to deflect the asteroid. It was a risky plan, but we knew it was our only chance. When the day of the asteroid's arrival finally came, we launched our spacecraft and made contact with the asteroid. It was a tense moment as we activated the deflection device, but when we saw the asteroid change course, we knew we had succeeded. As we returned to Earth, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. We had saved the planet from certain destruction, and we had done it together. As for the alien, it disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived, leaving us to wonder about the mysteries of the universe.