End or Beginning

Grandmother stirred the soup, as it just started to simmer.1

She poked at the coals, and the fire sprang to life. Star2

wandered around the corner. "Smells great, Grandma."3

"You always say that" grandmother laughed. 4

"And it's always good." Star replied.5

Grandmother ladled soup into a cup and handed it to Star.6

She got herself a cup and sat down on the bench next to her7

grand-daughter.8

"I'll be glad when the potatoes get bigger." Grandmother said.9

"I like them tiny like this" Star said stabbing a potato with her fork and holding it up for observation. "You don't have to peel em."10

"Well, if we don't get more rain, we won't have to worry about it." Grandmother said looking at the garden with concern.11

"It has been awhile" Star replied, reflecting the concern. "I kind of miss the old days, when the trucks brought the water,12

but I don't miss the traffic!" 13

"Me either." Grandmother agreed. "You remember the trucks? You were so young."14

"I was three when the end came grandma, I remember well."15

"So you've said before." Grandmother replied.16

"But I do grandma."17

"I know child, I just wish you didn't."18

"Tell me again, grandma, what was it that happened? and why did only some of us survive?"19

"Well it was what was meant to be, I guess." Grandma replied, with a far off look in her eyes.20

"We knew that Earth was being visited. Or most of us did. Just because the government pretended that Roswell didn't happen way back in the forties, and just because they laughed away UFO reports, many of us still knew. And we were pretty sure they were watching us. Some of us thought of them as our creators...It was all theory, mind you, but we believed it."21

"You weren't afraid, were you grandmother?" Star asked knowingly.22

"No, not afraid, not at all, fascinated was more like it. The way the ships swooped in, blanketing all the major cities. Taking over all the airwaves...it was well...like the second coming...in a way...it showed us, once and for all that we were not alone, and now, there was no disputing it. The whole world was involved. They started us over. But not the way anyone thought would come." Grandmother laughed, thinking back. "A lot of people couldn't take it. They killed themselves and others. Other people thought it was a ticket to loot and rob, since there was no rule any longer. We heard stories at first. Then when everyone stopped traveling, the stories stopped too, now we can only guess. Only true survivors made it through, I'm afraid."23

"But we are survivors, and that's why we are here, right? grandmother..."24

Grandmother laughed "Yes, we are survivors. And as I have always said, "things happen for a reason." Grandmother paused,25

"I'm not sure we always get to know the reason...but...it's there."26

"They took away our technology because we were using it wrong." Star stated.27

“Who told you that?” Grandmother asked with a puzzled look on her face. Most of what Star knew, had28

been taught to her by her grandmother.29

“Ryan” Star said. “He said his folks told him that the gods took away technology because we were using it wrong. He said they think we are selfish. That we don’t care about the Earth. But those of us who do, those of us who grew our own food, and didn’t rely on technology for everyday life, well, we get to survive, he says his parents call it the rapture…only we don’t go anywhere, we just get to stay on Earth, once it becomes the Garden of Eden again.”30

“Well that is interesting” Grandmother said, careful not to condemn anyone else’s opinion. “You know I don’t like the term “gods” for the visitors, I think they are friends, not gods. I know a lot of people want this to coincide we their interpretation of the Bible. But that’s not exactly how I see it. But to each, his own.”31

“So grandmother, tell me again. How do you interpret the space ships, and the three messages?”32

“Well, I think about it everyday. I change my mind on what makes sense, off and on, but not much. Basically, I think the visitors may be the ones who seeded us on the planet. They may also be the “god” or “gods” in the bible and other ancient texts, I’m not sure. All I know is, if they have the ability to keep all33

airwaves clear, all communication shut off, and are able to send us messages, telepathically, they probably have the ability to annihilate us. It has been seven years, and that hasn’t happened. We know our little community here, is doing well, but we were lucky. People who live in the cities probably aren’t fairing so34

well. I’m guessing that’s why they won’t let us communicate. It’s sort of everyone for themselves. You can’t be bothered or worried about what’s going on elsewhere, especially halfway around the globe. It’s nice, in my opinion. But I am curious, as to what their goal is.” Grandmother stopped and looked up.35

There was nothing to see, but she knew they were there.36

“What do you mean grandmother, their goal?”37

“What they want to happen, before they go away, or take their next step.”38

“What do you think they want?” Star asked.39

“I’m not sure” Grandmother replied, “but we know from their messages, that they want us to take care of each other, and the planet….and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.” Grandmother hugged Star “More40

soup?”41

“Yes, please” Star said with a smile. “I love you grandmother.42

“I love you too, child.”43