ZEON and The Solmax Destiny Part 1

Chapter 6: "Close Encounters"

At dinner, no one really said anything, other then that they were all glad I was alright and home safe and sound. I think they were just trying to give me some space and not push the matter anymore tonight.

     So after dinner, Dad's famously delicious meatloaf, his own recipe, I headed back up to my room to digest and workout.

     "497, 498, 499, and 500!!!" I love push-ups... They're effective and you can do them anywhere.

     I then grab my phone and jump online to see if anyone's actually reported anything weird yesterday afternoon, like something "Alien" falling from the sky.

     I type in Galaxy View NEWS and the search engine directs me to the town's news website... "Let's see... Huh?"

     There were some reports of a falling star yesterday afternoon, but when the witnesses were asked the location of where they saw it come down at, they couldn't remember.

     How can anyone forget seeing a spaceship blazing across the sky as it crashes into Earth on a clear sunny afternoon? Aside from that, there's nothing else. No other NEWS sites or Social media even mentioning any such event. "Conspiracy cover-up much? How much? Much too much."

     Well, my bag is packed with whatever I think I may need to... you know, retrieve a crash landed alien being from another world.

     I walk over to the terrarium that was placed snugly against the back wall of my bedroom neighboring my study desk. I look in as the large black and yellow Fire Salamander looks up back at me. "What do you think Path? Should I do this or should I just stay here and talk to you all night, huh buddy? Yeah, I should go... What's that? Oh, of course, here you go pal, dinner time."

     I drop some live crickets in from a smaller plastic cage for Path to eat. One lands right on his head. The large salamander is motionless, say for his bulging eyes looking at the juicy insect atop his brow. The cricket then twitches as it gets ready to jump off Path's head. Then with amazing speed, Path flips his head sideways, opens his mouth, sticks out his sticky tongue and snaring the cricket, pulling it inside his mouth and yummmm.

     Two more tasty morsels fall from the cage, landing further away from him. Path looks over at them, then back at me and doesn't move. I guess he'll hunt them down later.

     Next to Sean and Donna, Path rounds out the top three on my best friend's list.

     The story behind how I got this cricket muncher is as followers...

     It was five years ago, I was 13. My family and I were out hiking up in the trails along the mountain rang behind the town. And for some reason, I decided to wander off... I can't remember what caused me to do such a careless act.

     Regardless, I ended up getting separated from the group. They made it almost half a mile before realizing I wasn't with them! Rude right? I'll admit, I freaked out a little bit and started running back towards where I thought they would still be.

     But I ended up tripping on a raised tree root and falling to the ground. Slightly dazed, I got back up and began to run again only to find my foot stepping into a foot-sized hole that was hidden with some small branches and dry leaves. I found myself face down In the dirt again.

     I began to panic as I cried out, "Mum?!? Dad...?!?"

     As I laid there, trying to calm myself down, I felt as if I was being watched. I cautiously raise my face up out of the dirt to see if there was someone there, "Oh, hello there little guy." I say. Because just three inches from my face, I'm greeted by two tiny bulging eyes looking back at me.

     I get to my knees and continue to look at this larger than average black and yellow Salamander.

     "So... I'm kinda lost. I can't find my family. I don't suppose you could help me out?" The small amphibian then stands up on his hind legs like a squirrel. "Holy crap! I didn't know you guys could do that!" I leaned down to take a closer look at the creature's peculiar posture only to have it scurry away down a path. "Hey wait!"