Amazing Stories: Pimple-Face

"I will talk to my parents about it," said Rod.

We followed him into a room full of incredible, far-out stuff and sat on a flat thing that looked like a table but it had nothing under it to hold it up. Rod waved his hands over some glowing lights and a wall turned into a giant screen.

"This is my planet," he said, pointing at a beautiful round ball in amongst a million stars. "My ancestors settled there and built a civilization, until the wars. Then we set out to start new colonies. I came to this planet three years ago."

"Is that why your skin glows?" asked Bones.

"Yes," said Rod. "I have not yet adapted to the new environment. I become very sick without this suit... my skin breaks out in spots and I lose height."

"We noticed," said Bones.

"You were very fortunate to come here," said Rod, missing as usual the humor, "but now you must go. You may talk about what you've seen. No-one will believe you anyway. Humans are very skeptical when it comes to things they cannot see for themselves."

"We wouldn't tell on a mate," we said.

"Mate?" said Rod. "I don't deserve to be called that."

"Yes, you do," said Bones.

Rod led us back to the stairs and stood at the bottom as we climbed back out.

"See ya!" said Bones with a friendly wave.

"Have a talk with your Mum and Dad," I reminded him.

"I will," promised Rod.

The door slid shut, the light vanished, and we were back in a dark, musty room. We found our way out and pedaled home just as the stars were beginning to show through.

And man were we in trouble when we got home!

For three weeks, nothing happened. Bones and I thought that Rod must have gone. We went back to the old house a couple of times to see if it was any different. It wasn't. The same sheep were there, but the ground didn't hum. We even checked the floor in the kitchen to see if we could find the line where the door had been. There was nothing.