  Silver Sun It started a long time ago. She knew of it every since she was a young child, barely able to stand. Their ships had flown down, gleaming underbellies glaring in the hot sun. Naive young civilians crept out of their houses and cramped apartments, curious as wide- eyed children.
They played music and marched gaily in the streets. Visitors! They cried with jubilancy. From another planet! Another cry rang out. Warm, stiff July breezes rose swirling dirt around the landed rockets. Too many to count, like silver sardines lined up in a row. Alice was there, just like all the others, pigtails curled up with red and blue ribbons, eyes glowing and streamers in hand. That had been many years ago, the streamers and ribbons and music all swept away by the July wind.
They doors had opened up. Great steel fortresses pried their mouths open, leaving gaping black holes. The music and giggles died down as steamed hissed from deep within the shining metal rockets. They stepped back, slowly at first and then a stumbled run, panic flew through Alice as they emerged. Gaunt, tall skeletons, lean and musclular. A dullish rubber sheen to their skin was dulled in comparison of their rockets. Their eyes were insect like, and clicked and hummed. They twitched their heads, rotating them and moving their joints like newly oiled machines. Their limbs were long and thin, but strong like wire pulled taut. They wore no clothes, baring smooth strong skin. They raised their hands to the people, fingers outstretched and long. The humming and clicking grew louder, and more metallic.
Her mother gripped her hand tightly and whirled to run away. A stinging metal shot fired through the air, hitting Alice's mother square in the back. Alice felt the impact and was pulled down with her mother. She screamed as her hand was pulled from her mothers. More metal zings followed, and Alice watched in horror as neighbors and teachers and former gardeners fell to the ground, gasping for life.
She ran, ducking and dodging the falling bodies, blocking out the screams and chaos. Her streamer was torn from her hand, trampled by boots and heels. She tripped and fell, knocked to the ground by a falling body. There she lay trapped, for many hours until at last, all was silent. Alice lay crying, and for a child of five she lay very still and was very good. She knew that her mommy would be proud of her, and would maybe even take her down to the soda fountain that next afternoon. So she lay there, very quietly and very good. The stars crept out, shining merrily and twinkling down on the little town, that lay so quiet and still. 
