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If my suspicions all added up, something terribly out of the ordinary was going to happen today and possibly for the rest of the 5th grade. I would never forget this moment. I wished it wasn't happening but things never go my way and I try to accept that. I saw Enolieson, a little boy in my class who was transferred to the 5th grade from the 4th grade and always was ignored by the kids but always got A's on his report card; he was observing this moment as well. I would close my eyes if I could but it was impolite. Today was the day we found out what had happened to our teacher, and about her replacement.
"Mrs. Pupett disappeared this weekend and hasn't been seen again. We are all so sad; we haven't heard from her but before she left she sent a relative to take her place. Her name is Miss Zeharranna, you can call her Ms. Zeharra if you like," the assistant principal said, and left the room.
Ms. Zeharra was strange and made me feel cold and scared. Her skin looked as though it was close to a light shade of green and her eyes were such a shade of brown that they looked red. I wondered how she could be related to Mrs. Pupett who was so plain and boring. She had a big wide smile on with a twinkle in her eye. She then turned her head towards me. I was hoping she wouldn't look at me but she stared into my eyes and for a second I was hypnotized but I blinked and snapped out of it. She gave a bit of a frown.
"You, Rachel Mennings, will get an overload of homework tonight!" she yelled, and started laughing an evil laugh. She stopped. "It was only a joke, dear, no homework at all tonight." I was scared by her. How could she know my name - it wasn't on my desk and no one could have told her. She must have read my mind by looking in my eyes. She gave a look that said "I'll try again later, just wait" and then started talking to the class about how there is probably life on other planets. I looked at Enolieson who looked just as surprised as I was. Then Elena Patterson looked over at me with lovey eyes as if I liked him. She was the meanest and most popular girl in the 5th grade and everyone thought she was perfect and kind but she was only that way to popular girls, not me, not my group. Most of the class listened to her but my friends didn't. In my own group I was in the middle, I didn't need to be popular. As long as I had my friends I didn't care.
"I know that's how you feel about Enolieson; I didn't think you'd share that thought with us, Elena." my friend Kazeena said, in a perfect comeback. "Uh!" Elena grunted, and then was silent. At that moment I knew Kazeena was one of the best friends I'd ever have. However Ms. Zeharra seemed to be fascinated with this conversation and was right behind Kazeena. "May you now learn a lesson, Elena", she said. No teacher had ever done that; they would blame me even if I was across the room. I bet she wanted me to like her. Was that good or bad? "I'll give her a chance," I decided.
Oh yes, finally time for recess! At this very moment I was walking outside into the perfect temperature of the atmosphere around me. I was breathing it all in when I saw something strange out of the corner of my eye. I saw Ms. Zeharra sitting at the outside tables alone, staring at what I first thought was me but then I noticed she was looking straight at Elena and smiling. It was an evil smile which was showing her teeth, and her eyes glimmered with a look which seemed to be saying something like "I'll get you, you're next, watch out." It scared me as I looked at her pupils, which kept switching from a normal shape to a skinny snake shape. Was I watching too much TV or reading too many science fiction books or was I going crazy? I would rather be crazy than be right. "Want to play four square? Or go on the swings, play on the bars, go on the domes, play kickball or something?" Kazeena tapped my shoulder and asked me.
"No! She wants to play tag with me! She doesn't need to be with you, you rot her mind. Come on, we can read a book, write a story or play tag and write a novel about it!" Ryoni said to me. As they were arguing, Elena's basketball hit my leg and almost knocked me over. Elena ran over to me and yelled at me for touching her ball. Ms. Zeharra called her over, and Elena walked there as Ms. Zeharra stared into her eyes for a long time. Then Ms. Zeharra broke the silence when she told Elena to apologize. Elena came up to me and said "I'm so sorry, come with me, we can go to Ms. Zeharra's house and play with her science tools, she'll let us, she's nice." I looked at her as though she was crazy, I didn't want to go so I told her I'd ask my Mom first. But I would secretly make sure my Mom said no.
I came back from school and dragged myself into the kitchen where Mom was. "Mom, a girl invited me to Ms. Zeharra's house who is, you know, the new teacher, but I don't think I should go." I said, hoping her response would be to agree with me. To my surprise she didn't!
" I think you should go welcome your new teacher and give her homemade apple pie too. You shouldn't be shy, you'll make a friend and you'll like your teacher more."
I couldn't believe my ears; Mom never says anything like that. Has she been hypnotized too? Everyone seems to be acting differently. My Mom wants me to go greet a stranger in her house. Elena was being nice. Kazeena wasn't being shy as she usually is, and she and Ryoni are fighting about me, I am going crazy!
"Don't forget the pie, dear." Mom said. Oh great, now I had to go. I took a slice of apple pie and put it in a snap lid container. I then took my homework to do it there and went out the door before my Mom could act any weirder than she already was. I was scared, what would happen next? The word "doomed" floated around inside my head.
It was a long walk, well, at least it seemed that way. I read the address again (919 Oceanscape Avenue). I looked at the directions and then saw the number 919 on a house. It was dark and scary looking, a kind of sci-fi look that I know because I am a big fan of science fiction. The house had a poster on it that said "I love Earth". I bet she did that to be unsuspected, I thought. I was too smart for her. A shadowy figure appeared in the window, and all of a sudden I heard a motor running. I peeked in and saw Ms. Zeharra with a machine that looked peculiar. It stopped. Elena got up from the chair and yawned; "That was fun", she said. I knew I must ring the doorbell. I told my hand to push the doorbell but I just stood there sweating. I finally got my hand to touch the doorbell and as soon as it did the door was open with Ms. Zeharra and Elena right in front of me. Smiling. I stepped inside and handed Ms. Zeharra the slice of pie. I couldn't speak. I tried to say "Hi" but I just stood there, doomed.
"Ms. Zeharra gave me a makeover, do you want one?" Elena asked. After 30 seconds of thinking, I said "No thank you." It was then I observed the inside of the house, painted green and nearly empty. She mustn't have finished unpacking all her things, I told myself.
"Elena, be a darling and bring us some food from the kitchen as I show Rachel my favorite room." Ms. Zeharra told Elena, and took my hand to lead me to the room. It was so dark in the room, I could barely see. I wanted to go back but I couldn't. Ms. Zeharra's red hair shone like a light. The room had pictures of glowing planets at the top, and a computer on a table. She sat me in a chair in the dim light, and all of a sudden the chair wouldn't let me move. Metal walls were closing in around me and the chair, and I could only see through a little window where I could see Ms. Zeharra next to her computer, smiling. She had trapped me here, vulnerable and scared, truly doomed. Doomed to what? What would she do to me?
She had been planning this the whole time, leading me into this trap. Then an alien face appeared on the computer's face, green skin, red hair, antenna, and red eyes. She spoke to it.
"Greetings my leader, I have captured the earthling successfully, should I experiment on it?" she said to the alien on the screen.
"Whatever you need to do to get enough info on the humans and their planet before the final elimination ceremony. If it is a bad planet, let me know. It will be invaded and destroyed if you think it is a threat to the Arie people." the alien answered her.
"Yes sir, goodbye sir." she said, and did a salute of some sort. I was nearly scared to death after hearing this news. I was scared for my country, my planet and all living beings on it. I got myself to stand up to her, what else could I do trapped in a metal chair?
" Our planet is a good planet. We may fight sometimes, and not all of us are as serious as you; we don't have your technology and all that stuff. But we are living beings like you. We deserve to live, breath, and feel life on our planet. A lot of people try to make things better here, even though not all of us do. No one is perfect, but who can be? Please don't destroy us. If you plan to after all this I may as well get out of here and show you our martial arts! If that's what it takes to keep my family and friends safe, even Elena. And please don't hypnotize me." I said. She looked into my eyes for a while, but to my surprise, not to hypnotize me. Perhaps she was reading my thoughts, or my eyes. My eyes filled with tears of fright. She had now made her decision, I was ready to hear it, whatever it was.
"I am from planet Arie. I do not wish to harm you. I see how great earthlings can be, so daring and brave. If you can care enough about saving this planet to risk your life for it Earth must be worth keeping. I know humans like Elena and others may seem pitiful, but not all of you are like that. I know I'm doing the right thing to say your planet is safe. Not to mention its resources," she smiled.
"I'll give you a gift of my own. Someday Earth will have horrible conditions with poisons spreading around the world, and you will need another planet to live on. Here is a device that will let you get there. You will use it on June 20th in the year 2030. You shall share it with all human beings responsibly, but I'm giving it only to you at this time." she explained.
"How do you know all this?" I asked. "You see, I am from the future as well as from another planet," she explained. "In our past one of my people captured you and questioned you and then decided to destroy Earth even after your speech. I came back not to do the same thing but to save Earth instead, because in your future we discovered we needed resources on Earth even with all the poisons. Also, I had a friend here who was on it at this time. Earth's doom date was scheduled for 2031 so I already knew by that time about the conditions on your planet. Nothing can stop those conditions, but perhaps you can use the gigantic space craft for which I have given you the controls to take humans, animals, bugs, food, air etc. and travel to Osie, a planet next to mine where by that time there will be enough space for you. Try to preserve as much as possible of your planet, it will be needed," she told me.
"But why are you helping us get to safety." I asked. "And why me, I'm just a kid?"
"Earth will be one of Arie's allies, but that doesn't stop Zeeta from destroying it in 2031. So be careful. I'm telling you because in the future you are a great scientist and astronaut, I will meet you on Osie, but if you excuse me I must go now with my spaceship which is actually this house, transformed. I will freeze time and leave. Before that, any other questions?" she asked.
"Who will be our teacher? What happened to Mrs. Pupett?" I asked. "You will get a new one; Mrs. Pupett has gone home. You didn't know it yet, but she was Zeeta, the one who would have destroyed your planet. Tell everyone I enjoyed my stay. Goodbye and good luck, oh, and this is our secret until 2030, ok?" she said as she pushed a button. I have to admit I was terrified; this was so unexpected. The next thing I knew I was next to Elena, who sneered at me and walked away. "Well, something is normal, at least", I thought.
"Why am I here in an empty lot next to you, of all people?" she said and walked away. She was definitely normal again. I walked home with so many thoughts in my head. What would happen next? Would life be normal? Would I really save lives in 2030? What a great adventure it sounded like. Was I that brave? How does time travel work? How will I finish all my homework by 11:00 PM?
I went back to my normal life. I had lived the greatest sci-fi experience ever. I would write science fiction and make great stories like this for a hobby.
I did become a famous scientist, just as Zeharra said I would. I married Enolieson. Everything she said happened; the resources and allies and all that. I was wrong, however, about it being the best experience ever. Life on Earth became horrible before the end, and moving the race and all we depended upon was an awful and dangerous ordeal. Through space to Osie, getting settled and having to face evil aliens of other planets. Well, I shouldn't tell you too much. There will be more stories for that, after all, danger and mystery, hardship and privation. The very heart of adventure, is it not?
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