Perennial

Beautiful Creature

The trees were almost never ending. Perennis jumped from branch to branch, her feet gliding delicately with each step. She was traveling to the nearby lake to view the setting sun, a truly stunning sight on planet Asteraceae. The trees were big and sometimes difficult to navigate, but Perennis has done this far too many times to count. The leaves glistened a bright green with the occasional hues of blues and purples. A most unusual scheme of colors, yet still easy on the eyes.

Once she reached the end of the treeline she leaped from atop and landed gently on the rocks below. There, at the edge of the shimmering water, she sat patiently and waited for the light to disperse. She gazed at the cool water in front of her. Groups of algae lined the rocks and pale yellow flowers floated stationary. These flowers contained energy beyond belief and were often harvested by her people. The Wake flower's bright petals glowed with wisps of flashing light. As the sky began getting darker the more prominent they became.

She smiled at the show in front of her, sitting comfortably on the water's edge with her hands resting on her knees. The great orange orb lowered into the water below and turned the sky a wonderful array of orange and purple. It wasn't long after when the sun disappeared over the horizon and the sky became black. Perennis looked up at the thousands of stars now in the sky. At that moment, she pondered if she would ever experience what space is like. The empty black abyss... Yet, at the same time, it was full of light and life.

The darkness didn't frighten her one bit, she could simply light the way back with a ball of fiery energy. As she stood to make her way back a flicker of white light in the distance caught her attention. She squinted her eyes quizzically. No one should be out this far but her. She made her way around the rocky lake and gazed across the meadow trying to get a better look. The light was coming from the trees on the other side of the clearing. She made a fist, turning off her energy light.

She let her curiosity take over and dipped into the grass as if she were a wild animal stalking prey. The closer she approached the less and less the light looked natural. A large black, oval object was emitting the light. It was a truly terrifying sight to see. Smoke crept into the sky from a rather large crashed ship, a small freighter to be precise. Shouting voices made Perennis's heart skip a beat. She immediately ducked down further into the tall grass, eyes wide with shock. Strangers had crash landed on her planet. A million thoughts began running through her head. Most importantly, should she run now and tell her people? Outsiders were far too dangerous, so she had heard. With this thought in mind she stayed hidden and crept forward still squatting below the line of sight.

The freighter was badly damaged and many people in full black uniforms were scurrying about trying to stop the smoke. Trees were toppled over and a line of exposed terrain showed the path of the crash. Worried that someone would soon spot her, Perennis made her escape practically crawling back through the grass to the treeline.

A man looking for a missing part scanned the surrounding terrain and noticed a creature moving in the foliage. Curious to learn more about the planet he took off to take a glimpse. For extra measure he unholstered his gun, pointing it at the ground. He jogged over to the gigantic trees. Looking around at the edge of the mysterious forest he found no signs of anything around. Disappointed he promptly turned around to leave.

Perennis found herself nervously taking shelter behind a sturdy tree trunk. She had noticed the man following her and was absolutely terrified. Her breathing heightened so she tried holding her breath until he was gone, placing her hand over her mouth. Once she had finally felt safe, she released all her trapped air in a big huff and leaned her head back against the tree. She turned around the trunk to head home when she practically ran into the man's chest. She was blinded by a bright piercing light above his weapon. Like a deer in headlights she stood there in shock. Panicking, she then threw herself onto the tree, climbing it in seconds.

The man was stunned at what he had just witnessed. This was no creature, but a beautiful woman. Her eyes glowed canary yellow and her hair was white as snow. He had never seen anyone like her and he had been to numerous planets. Her figure bounced through the treetops in the distance, and just like that she was gone.