Hybrid

Keeping Cool

"Break!" We break the football huddle and set up for the next play. It's a really warm day - over 100 degrees - and the sun is beating down on us. The coaches have been feeding us Gatorade the entire time but we're all pretty lethargic from the heat.

"Hut, hut, hike," I call out. The center snaps the ball back to me and we run the play. One of my guys runs really deep, I line him up with precision and throw the ball - only I haven't thrown a football in a while. It's like a bullet heading right toward my guy. If he catches it, he's likely to be thrown a hundred feet or more. I have no other choice then to stop time and catch the ball myself. I touch my wristwatch and everyone freezes in place.

As I grab the ball, I look out over the field at the other football players and coaches and then at the cheerleaders. No one is moving ... except Emma. She stares at me. Shit, I say to myself. I walk over to her.

"Hey, I bet you're wondering what's going on?" My mind is racing about what to say. I wasn't expecting to have to explain anything just yet.

Emma is in shock. She walks over to the other cheerleaders, looks into their eyes and touches their skin. She pokes one of them - no reaction.

"How did you do this?"

"I stopped time."

"You can do that?" She looks out at the field. Everyone is still frozen. She looks at her watch on her wrist. The second hand has stopped spinning. 

"It's not difficult. We have figured out how to manipulate the space-time continuum."

"Oh yeah, that doesn't sound difficult at all. Who's we? Do you work for the government or something? The CIA? I've heard of the crazy research that's out there but I had no idea how advanced it's getting. This is ... unbelievable."

"I know you probably have a lot of questions for me. How about we finish up here and we meet up later tonight and I will fill you in on everything?"

"Wait, tell me who you are first."

"My name is Josiah. I've come to Earth in peace."

"You've come to Earth in peace? You're telling me you're an alien? Ha!"

"Why is it so hard to believe that there are life forms on other planets? You really think Earth is the only planet like it in the entire universe?"

"There's no proof of another planet like Earth or people like us living on other planets so why should I believe it? Or did I miss that announcement?" 

"So you need proof to believe it?"

"Pretty much. It's a fault of humankind."

Emma pushes one of the cheerleaders - she almost tips over. Emma catches her and puts her back upright. 

"It's hot out here. I really should keep the time moving or everyone's going to burn up."

"Can you change the weather too?"

"We can manipulate the jet stream."

"Then why don't you make it rain?"

"It will wreak havoc on the weather industry. I try not to wreak havoc when I don't have to."

"Fair enough. So why am I not affected by the space-time continuum?"

"Good question. That's something I'd like to figure out myself. We've seen it a few times. But it's rare. It probably has to do with your molecular structure. You might have an ancestor from another planet."

Emma busts out laughing. "Okay, I've had enough. You're messing with me. I bet you told everyone to freeze in place."

Emma runs up the stands and yells, "Joke's over. You can all stop playing with me. Kerry, are you here? Did you put everyone up to this?" Emma looks around. No one moves and there's no Kerry.

She looks down at Joe. "It's not a joke Emma."

The winds start kicking up and Emma sees dark clouds on the horizon racing toward them. Buckets of rain start pouring down over the field. Emma knows this can't be happening. It hardly ever rains in LA in August.

She walks tentatively down out of the stands. Her hair is soaked to her head. "You're totally freaking me out. Should I be scared of you?"

Joe reaches his hand out and gently touches her face. "No, I'm here to protect you."