More RATTLER’S TALE Stories
by Anthony North
for
Friday Fictioneers
Poets & Storytellers United
The Sunday Muse
in association with
KEYUDOS
PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio
LET’S GO HOME
The two android scouts disguised themselves in the engines and looked up.
All they could see was empty space in the hot air balloon.
Realising it wasn’t going to get into space, they looked again at the data.
Reports of early space exploration:
Early successes – Poe, Verne and Wells …
The aliens had sent androids to counter the deadly viruses that had got previous aliens.
But …
What a useless species, these humans, they decided.
No interaction, no touching, and definitely no hyperdrive.
They’re doomed.
And delusional.
And the virus still around.
They decided to go home.
HUNTER DEAR
It seemed crazy to hunt deer in a boat, but since I met him …
‘Not hunt; draw,’ he admonished.
I apologised. ‘Old habits.’
He sat in the boat with me, riding the waves, yet there was no wind in my sails.
‘How are we moving?’ I asked. ‘How can there be a deer down there?’ ‘Who are you?’
He replied: ‘Maybe we’re in a lake held up by its antlers. Or maybe by a bull’s horns.’
He claimed to be an artist yet he looked like a harlequin, or a woman in a wall …
… always with his head on his side …
I guess its just a crazy world.
‘How do you feel?’ he asked.
‘Wet.’
‘But the water’s dry.’
‘Drowsy.’
‘Then you’re finally wide awake.’
‘What’s that over there?’
‘Your leg.’
Then I remembered, and it seemed to me that at last I was in a sensible world …
… and I saw the deer and didn’t want to hunt … and …
The lake became my blood, the antlers the staves of the stretcher and tranquility exploded.
And the artist wore a soldier’s helmet and I asked: ‘Who are you?’ once more.
‘I’m the artist who created crazy, and people thought me crazy, and couldn’t get I was reality.’
And as I closed my eyes, and the pain flowed away, I joined Picasso in the eternal picture.
They’ve missed some of the data. Hyperdrive, tick. Dilithium crsytals, tick. Time travel, tick .
Well I reckon Data scared them off.
A sensible conclusion. Are they offering to take any passengers?
Now, Iain, you know we’re not allowed to visit other homes at the moment.
Nothing to see here…
Not at the moment.
We are Covid-free, maybe they should come to NZ 🙂
Yes, you’ve done well.
Take me with you!!! I’d take my chances on a new planet…
I think a lot are thinking that way.
Dear Tony,
You made me laugh and you made me cry…all in the same breath. The world is in a mell of a hess. Smart aliens, those. Good story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks for that, Rochelle, much appreciated.
That’s out-of-the-world 🙂
I have another one here-
A Whole New World – Anita
Thank you Anita.
Smart choice. I wish we could go with them, but we’d probably just mess up their planet, too 🙂
Yes, we most likely would.
Anthony, you and I saw this pic in a similar way. Good story. They do look like androids/ETs!
Thanks for that. They certainly do.
They do not seem very friendly. Surely they could have zapped the virus for us.🙂
Ah, if only 🙂
Well, I reckon I’m okay with them going home … 😉
Quite a few feel like that.
Too bad travel restrictions are still in place…
Yes, a shame.
I love your visualisation of the androids, perfectly noticed, congrats sir
Thank you, Dom.
They needed to see it up close but eventually got it right. It’s a good thing they didn’t see what’s going on here in the U.S. They may have recommended extermination.
Indeed. Strange times.
A few small issues with their data but still, they could have stayed and helped!
What? A story with a happy ending? Where’s the fun in that, lol?
they have a point. be safe than sorry. 🙂
Good advice.
I can’t say I blame them.
Me neither
A fun tale – any other planet must be confusing for aliens.
Thanks for that. Indeed.
Fabulous!
Thanks for that.
Love your artistic take on the deer image Anthony! It is a crazy world but your words trail to some depth that is lovely. Glad to see you at the Muse!
Thanks for that, Carrie.
” and …
The lake became my blood” — great pivot!
Thank you, much appreciated.
This is like watching the birds between the houses–swoop and dive, humor and float, then a stoop toward the ground. Dizzying and marvelous.
Kind words, Chrissa, thank you.
“What a useless species” lol I second that.
I love the line “The lake became my blood, the antlers the staves of the stretcher and tranquility exploded.”
Thanks for that, Marja, much appreciated.
Sensible fellows, those astronauts.
Indeed.
Clearly you are an optimist to think that other advanced creatures might be more intelligent than us. However they might just think we are edible!
As the author of a book on UFOs, I don’t speak as an optimist, but rationalist. In getting here they would have successfully passed a stage of tech in which they could have blown up their planet. As they didn’t do so, I would argue they’d come to terms with themselves. But your last point is valid. Would they class us as sentient?
A person could do much worse than to join with Picasso. I mean, it could have been Mussolini!
Not in my work, lol
To be in a sensible world and not wanting to hunt deer would be an awakening of sorts. Your poem made feel like I had walked into a dream and the deer was actually a guardian to a world that is slowly drifting away.
Thanks for that.
I don’t blame the aliens one bit! Outer space is looking pretty good to me too. 😀
I think I’m with you.
Poetry beyond surreal …. and quite enjoyable. Cheers.
Thanks for that, Helen, much appreciated.
That’s a cool interpretation of the photo prompt, Anthony.
Many thanks, Sherry, very kind.
What a creative take on the image. Too many favorite lines to point out just one. It does read like a painting ..if that makes sense. 🙂
Thanks for that, Susie. Well, it certainly makes sense to me 🙂
A fascinating hunter story….wild and crazy. Loved it!
Many thanks, Vivian.
We are truly a disappointment…
It does often feel that way.
“‘Not hunt; draw,’ he admonished.
I apologised. ‘Old habits.’”
The politeness adds to the delight of this Gulliver Travels tale leading from the height of the stag’s horns to the company of Picasso. Perhaps you joined him in the middle of Guernica? I rested in the middle awhile, quite taken with your form and ideas. If only reality made that much sense. I like the title, too: “Hunter Dear.”
Many thanks for the kind words, Susan.
Happy Sunday Anthony. Thank you for dropping by my sumie Sunday.
I enjoyed all your tales today. The alien androids madd me chuckle😊
Much💖love
Many thanks, and you’re welcome.
It’s a busy write, Anthony, I would like to go wild some days but always I find a solid place to crash. On reread I will jump off someplace if I find one that suits me. I am afraid there won’t be, things are crazy now-a-days.
..
They are indeed, Jim.
Smart visitors. I can’t say that I blame them. I suspect the human race’s current welcome mat reads, “Run… or start screaming!”
I think you could be right.
Once again, two fascinating and compelling reads …. wonderfully rendered. You give pause … with the direction you take your writing in.
Many thanks for that, Wendy.
i love the twist. haha. nice write. thanks for the entertainment and humor. well done.
And thank you for visiting.
They did the right thing, Anthony. Going home was the best option – I think I’d join them, given the chance. I liked the irony in the way the android scouts found themselves in a hot air balloon and identified it as early space exploration, especially the early successes.
Thanks for that, Kim. Glad you liked it.
How do you feel?’ he asked.
‘Wet.’
‘But the water’s dry.’ – loved that!
Many thanks. Well, it is a painting.
Clever aliens!
And
The poem is thought provoking and sends a message so subtlely. Enjoyed the words
Thank you and welcome here.
I liked this flash story. Yeah, I would leave too. Useless to make a stop.
Thanks for that, and welcome here.
I love the idea of reality, where no one wishes to hunt deer. The water is dry as the land may become.
Many thanks Sara.
I think aliens would never land here unless they understand irony and sarcasm. Otherwise there is much too much to misunderstand.
I’m in a detente with the deer on my land except for the three-legged deer. She’s welcome.
You come up with some interesting tales, Anthony.
Thank you Joel, much appreciated.