The Visitor

“Barry are you still asleep? It’s getting so late in the morning.”

I guess there’s no harm in him having a sleep in, he doesn’t have to go to work since it’s Saturday.

He must have been up all night listening to his ham radio again. He says he can hear the voice of the world over that thing; important messages, maybe even from beyond the stars. He told me yesterday, he’ll be the first to welcome the outer space visitors; he meant that as a joke I’m sure. Sometimes I wonder about him though, the way he listens to that thing. I can’t even talk to him properly lately. He comes home from work, sits down at the kitchen table and on goes the radio. It’s like he’s not even here anymore.

Well the housework is certainly here, so I’d better get started. My work doesn’t stop on the weekend, that’s for sure. Sometimes I just don’t know where all the crumbs on this kitchen floor come from.

That’s strange, here’s green slimy stuff on the floor. Where on earth did that come from? Surely Barry wasn’t eating jelly last night. There’s more of it, a whole puddle. It’s horrible. So thick and sticky. I’ll have to go and get the mop, it won’t come off with this cloth.

“Barry! Wake up and come and tell me what this stuff is”

“Mary, are you there?” “I don’t feel too well. Come here Mary, quick”

“I’m coming Barry. But there’s this green slimy stuff all over the floor.”

“Don’t touch it Mary!”

“But Barry I’ve got to clean the floor.”

“Mary, don’t touch it.! Oh come quickly! I feel so terrible.”

“Well okay, I’m coming. I don’t know how I’m going to clean this slime off the floor though.” “Let me pull up the blind, it’s so dark in here. What ever is wrong with your stomach! It’s all swollen. What have you been eating?”

“He came last night Mary. The man from outer space, like I told you he would. I knew he’d come here first because I’d sent out a welcome message, over the radio. He didn’t say anything, just stood and looked at me with these strange dark eyes that were round like circles, like black holes. He stood there for what seemed like hours, just looking at me. He glowed brighter than our kitchen light, sort of a green glow, so bright I could hardly look at him. He dripped all this stuff on the floor; slimy stuff. I got it on my hands and couldn’t get it off. I think it got in my mouth. ? It hurts so much. My stomach feels like it’s going to burst. What am I going to do Mary?”

“Oh, Oh, Barry your stomachs getting bigger! The skin’s stretched so tight.”

“I love you Mary. Don't touch the slime.”

“Oh God, I think it’s going to burst.”

"Barry, oh no! Slime's gone everywhere! It's all over me! Barry, it tastes so horrid."