I open my eyes as my inner clock buzzes; so many years of waking up at the same time to do the same work will do that to you. I suppose it's alright though. The work is fun and it pays enough for the family to have a good life back home... too bad they're fifteen-thousand finzengos away. Oh, if you're not aware, that's our measurement. It's a little bigger than light years. I think that would constitute a long distance call...1
I look out at the sun coming up over the horizon. I miss our red giant sun back home on planet Kazinga. This stupid yellow star is much too bright. Looking farther to the east I can see the planet earth shining in the distance. Sure, Mars is nice, but it really has no color. It's just rusty ol' red.2
Pulling on some clothes, I quickly check to make sure I'm presentable... even squarns care about appearance, y'know. My brown hair is mussed, falling in front of my brown eyes. I splash some water on my face, and look again, much better. This station was set up here to keep the squarns happy. You see, once every seven years a squarn enters its mating season and, unfortunately, they don't mate with other squarns. They only mate with human cows. In fact, a shipment is due to arrive quite soon.3
The squarns are restless today, as they're all searching for mates that aren't there. Thankfully, they don't produce klim (a liquid product consumed on our planet) during their mating season. It'd be a hell of a job to get them to calm down enough to squeeze it out.4
The squarns are really odd creatures, actually. They resemble a human buffalo, but they also have long bushy tails. At birth, their fur is a fiery orange color and their hooves are an opaque black. An odd trait of these animals, however, is that they can change color whenever they please. Each animal has their own preference.5
I fill each of the food bins with the squarns' preferred food: crystals (mined directly from mountains back home). The crunching of the crystals make a racket that I just can't stand, so after saying hello to my favorite squarn, Cora, whose fur is a bright pink hue, I leave to go back to the house.6
It's just then that I hear another loud noise. A ship is landing out in the fields. The large door opens, and a few dozen dazed cows emerge. At this sight my jaw drops and I run towards the entrance.7
"Will you just shut up and let me live a little? You act like they're gonna chase us up here or something..." an annoyed voice says from behind the ship.8
"It's not that I don't want you to have fun, but destroying their fields like that is just plain rude!" A second voice responds, whining.9
"Oh, lighten up Sarah... they don't even know what it means!"10
Two Kazingans walk out from behind the spaceship, and the female, to which the second voice belongs, gives an angry glare at the male. He adopts a grin on his carefree face and shakes his head, pretending not to notice.11
"What's going on here?" I ask.12
"Mark!" the girl says loudly, "Cam wrote the ◘ word in someone's field with the ship's vaporizer gun! Those poor farmers... it's bad enough that they lost their cows!" The girl's big green eyes widen as she continues to glare at her companion.13
"Calm down, Sarah..."14
She gives me a reproachful look, pushing her shoulder length hair from her face, and huffs off towards the barn, herding the cows to follow. Cam follows, not saying anything, but his tall, blonde-headed figure saunters along. Before entering the barn after Sarah, he turns on his heels, giving me a sly, troublemaking-type look, adding a wink of his pale blue eyes for effect. I decide to stay far away from the barn for awhile. I'm sad to see the mating season will be coming to an end. That means I'll have to begin the planting and harvesting portion of the job, along with continuing the ranch work.15
The worst part of the planting and harvesting is that I don't get to deal with the plain old tomatoes, oh no, I have to deal with Janovials. Sure, they're still vegetables and all, but once you pick them... you better have a shovel ready to smack them around. If not, well, they'll be on you quicker than a Kor on a Sandoby. For the record, that's pretty damn fast!16
Finally, I look out over the planet to see the sun slowly disappearing. Today was a fairly easy, but productive day. Soon Sarah and Cam will be the best of friends again; those two are always squabbling. I head to my room and lay down in bed, reflecting on my life. 17
Working on a farm is hard work,yes, but I really do love it.
Author notes
Sosuke: Ummm in this story sometimes I didn't directly say some things. I'll make them clear. The story takes place on mars. Squarns mate with cows to create more squarns. The narrator isn't a squarn bvut he wants to look presentable for them. Anyways, Don't forget to check out ch. 2 if you liked this.
Comments
1 - 26 of 26
-
Pretty good, but I, like gerifitzsimmons, was a little lost. Perhaps instead of explaining in your authors notes, you should explain them in the story itself.
Your story was written rather well; in fact, I could find any mistakes.
I almost feel like this should be a prologue to a much longer story (is it?) because you just got started and it's already ended.
Thank you for entering and good luck. -
Squarns mate with kidnapped cows and become what?
I must admit you have a good gift of language, a knack for putting humor in mundane scenes with out writing actual comedy.
There are some good hooks to draw a reader into your tale. Still, I think this opening needs some work.
All right, I admit it, I’m a bit lost here
. At the beginning I felt that some alien farmers were camped out on Earth. Then you mention (This stupid yellow star is much too bright. Looking farther to the east I can see the planet earth shining in the distance.) So we are not on Earth?
Then you led me to believe the narrator is a Squarn. ( Pulling on some clothes, I quickly check to make sure I'm presentable... even squarns care about appearance, y'know.)
But apparently he isn’t because later we learn the Squarns mate with kidnapped cows and become what?
Some grand ideas here I would like to see you develop.
beginning: 3, plot: 5, ending: 3, characters: 3.
-
How interesting, I thought he was a squarn at the beginning, and laughed really hard at the whole "cow" thing until I re read the opening. Still fun though.
-
I like the word klim xD it's backwards milk. that's awesome
-
great!
hah!!! i really like this. like the person before me said - great imagination. it explains the crop circles and why cows get abducted (err i remember hearing something about that..?) either way - loved it. great job!
-
GJ!
That was great nice Imagination! -
Squarn! So original, where did you think of that name?
-
-
off the top of my head xD
-
-
I wanna squarn...I would name it Mimi!
Anyways! I liked the idea of this story and I really hope you do continue it! It has a unique feel to it
-
*explodes laughing*
Tremendowsly funny. I like your innovative writing and wild imagination -- keep up the great stuff!
-
lol, nihehe, that's really creative ^-^
Hehe! Once when I was a kid I drew a picture of two aliens arguing because one of them wrote a bad word on the farmers fields, too X) Well, you didn't draw it, you wrote it, but stiiillllll.... Nihehe! You used Sarah's name! ^-^
Well, I don't think I saw any mistakes. Good jobie
♥ Lawliet ♥
-
-
Is not my name. Is me!
And there better not be mistakes. Editing was intense. ;D -
-
lol, yes it was X)
-
-
She insisted. Thanks =]
-
-
Sarah's an alien! I knew it all along o.O
-
-
-
I liked this. It was well written, and I'm definately becoming a fan of the outer space stories. Great job, mundane in an interesting way.
-
It's really good, I can't wait to read more of it *hint hint* so you better get writting! You really used ur imagination on this one!!! Awesome job!
-
... Am I one of those talented friends? =] jking lol, anyway:
You're right; this is one of your best peices. It was excellently written and the story line promises to be interesting. You really let your imagination run wild on this lol.
Great work ^-^
-
Hmmm... and Interplanitary farmhand? Interspecies mating?vegetables that attack you? interesting. Loved the description of the squarns. I need one for the farm, so make sure you send me one.
-
Pretty Good
This is interesting, the way that it's a whole nother world and all. But where is it going? -
Mehehe.. Sarah.
I love the squarns.. Though the names are kinda.. ionno.
Can I have one? But mini? They sound cute. (=
I really like this. It's sooo cute.
Continue it, please.
G'luck in the contest, kitten. <3
-
Need help? I'm always happy to lend a hand.
-
-
Nah. I want the story to be a surprise. I have the basic plot but need an ending. I have many talented friends who can help out with the basic ending and I'll fill it in =D Thanks though ^^
-
Adding your comment:
1 - 26 of 26
