Random Fiction #1 – 112818

“What did you just say?” Pete asked.

“Which part?” Diane replied. “About the crazy fat rhino with the pink horn rampaging through the savannah in a dead sprint that's about to take us out?”

“No, the other part,” Pete said.

“Oh, you mean the fact that there's a round object the size of a McMansion about to land between us and said rampaging rhino?”

“Yeah, that's it,” Pete replied. He managed to take his eyes off the rhino just long enough to see the dull gray object land in the knee-deep grass ten meters away. He shielded his eyes with his forearm, dust and debris caking the sleeve of his blue chambray workshirt. At least the damp fabric cooled his eyelids.

The savannah grew still as the craft hovered a few meters above the ground. The only sound was the whistling as the tall grass twisted below it.

“Diane, hold my calls,” Pete joked. “I think we're about to have our first close encounter.” He couldn’t take his eyes off the strange ship settling in before them.

“Well, at least we're getting what we paid for,” Diane said. “The zebras and lions and tigers and rhinos were cool, but this is what the tour guide promised us.”

They turned to face Seenu, the driver of the beaten down Land Cruiser, and their tour guide for the day. He turned to them in the back seat and smiled; his iPhone XXIX pressed to his ear.

“You want me to put it on speaker?” Seenu asked. He glanced over the phone and pressed the display for the speakerphone. A soothing British accent came over the line. “Hold on, Charlie, I'm putting you on speaker.”

Pete and Diane looked at each other, breathing a sigh of relief. They gripped their hands as one and stomped their feet like little children getting word that they get to go outside and play in the mud after a rainstorm.

“As I was saying,” Charlie repeated, “I'm terribly sorry for being late. I got caught up on a supply run to the Constellation. The Commander there is a bear about paperwork. It took me forever to get all of it signed and documented. It looks like I arrived just in time to save you from a rhino attack. He looks pissed.”

They looked back toward the ship and could see the rhino on the other side, digging a front hoof into the ground, head down, as if still contemplating charging forward.

“Hold on a second,” Charlie said. “I'll just give him a little stun zap since he doesn't seem to want to run along and play with his other rhino friends by the watering hole over there.”

A blue beam pulsed from the far side of the space ship, striking the rhino in the left shoulder. As it fell over on its right side, a small puff of dust filled the air around it.

“Now that our little fella there is taken care of, how about we all finally meet?” Charlie asked. “This is always my favorite part.”

Diane smiled as Pete opened the back door and hopped out. He turned to hold Diane's hand as she took a small step to the running board and then the rest of the way down.

Pete took Diane's face in his hands and gave her a quick kiss. “Thank you, honey! This is the best birthday present ever!”

Copyright © 2018 Chad V. Holtkamp.

All rights reserved.

Nareeta Martin