John Doe

Who are you then, James Bond?

"It's all over the news." I heard my mother say from the living room crouch, where she sat spread out across its cozy, red cushions. I rolled my eyes as I carried a plate of cheese and crackers over to the wooden coffee table. She had the flatscreen on and was staring wide-eyed at a news broadcast currently displayed. 

I sat beside her with a sigh. "What, mom?" I asked, with a lack of interest as she sat mesmerized by the story. She was perched on her knees, legs folded beneath her, hair sprawling down just below her shoulders, mouth slightly agape with awe. 

"Oh, Jenny. I do worry about you. You really must get out more." My mother huffed with desperation as she turned her head at me for a split second and then back to the screen, her light blonde hair twirling. I shut my eyes in frustration. 

"They are saying there was a UFO crash landing!" My mom exclaimed with a grin and a wiggle. 

I let out a chuckle, propping my legs up underneath me, and grabbing a cracker with cheese. "Mom, there's no aliens. It's probably just a hoax." I sighed and took a bite, but my mother just shook her head. 

"Nope, can't be. I've heard rumors that even the government, like the president, is out there searching for it." She swallowed, looking far more interested in the story than I thought she'd be.

"They haven't even found it yet?" I asked with another chuckle of disbelief.

"Found what?" My mother replied, her mind fixed on the TV.

"The UFO, mom!" I laughed slightly.

"Oh, no." She responded, squinting at the reporter on the screen.

"Then there are definitely no aliens." I shrugged and reached for another cracker, part of me believing I was only trying to convince myself.

In the corner of my eye, I saw my mom point at the man speaking on the television. "He's a good looking one, ain't he?" She smiled at me with delight. 

I rolled my eyes and stuffed cheese into my mouth. 

"Oh, come on, Jenny! You need to get a man in this house!"

I choked on my snack and quickly tried to swallow it down. "Mom," I muttered, "Can we not talk about my social life?"

She sighed and nodded slightly before turning back to the TV.

"Don't make me wish I hadn't invited you over." I giggled and winked at her.

"Ah, I better get home anyways now. Your fathers probably destroying the house in search of something to eat," She joked and flashed me a wide grin.

I followed her politely as she popped up from her seat on my crinkled, old couch and headed for the mahogany door, grabbing her black leather purse on the way out. We exited the house and stood out on the barren wood of my cabin's small front porch, illuminated by lanterns of a bright, dulling orange. I found that my mother was staring up at the sky, for a reason I wasn't sure.

"Mom?" I asked sincerely.

"Jenny, don't you ever wonder what could be out there?" She said, her tone of voice curious, and unfamiliar, "Despite the ridiculous conspiracy theories and persuasive news reporters." 

I shook my head with a somewhat suspicious laugh and approached her. "I suppose."

"Billions and billions of stars, Jenny. Planets, solar systems, universes. Somewhere out there, there has to be someone." She sighed gracefully, her mind obviously off in another world itself. 

"Sure, mom. Billions and billions of little green men with giant heads, and oval black eyes!" I snorted with sarcasm, raising my hands up and wiggling my fingers to emphasize some sort of magical science fiction effect.