(I am currently taking education class at the local community college and one of the assignments was to manipulate an image and then write a story about it. The image is that of the instructor and he’s featured in the lower right of the attached image. Enjoy!)

The light was so bright that it woke me as it seeped through my eyelids. Just as the searing light dazzled me I felt the heavy shackles slam home, restraining my movement and preventing me from cover my dilating pupils adding frustration to the eye strain. Then almost as suddenly my legs were bound and straps seemingly with a life of their own floated across my chest, pinching off any possible movement I should effort.

“Let me up, let me outta here damnit. Where the hell am I?” My shouts echo in the small room I’m in. I know it is small, the echo is fast. It had to be a metal or concrete room too; the sound had that sharp return. “Come on, let be up.”

A soft groan to my left told me there was someone else in the room. I turned my head and there she was, just barely visible to my maladjusted eyes. Adorned in a rose pink flowing silk gown, she had golden blonde hair and slender long gams, the kind that could stop traffic or make a sot drop his drink. She stirred and sat up slowly, stretching, displaying her feminine beauty.

“Who are you?” I asked.

She looked at me with the face of a goddess smiled and said not a word.

“Who are you?” I asked again.

She smiled at me again and said in a dulcet voice, “I am Whitley Schreiber. Are you a smart human?” Slowly and before my eyes her features changed and were becoming those of a recluse writer. “Have you met my friends, Clatoo, Nictow, and Baradas? They’re hungry…”

I looked around. Left. Right. I realized that they must be above my head and I heard faint rustling from there. Looking up slowly a huge green forehead came into view. The smooth green skin was riddled with pulsating veins. Slowly I became aware of the alien hand, it was about to touch my head with it’s clawed finger tip. My heart was pounding; I knew they meant me harm. I squirmed against my bindings but it was no good, I could not lash out against the monstrosity as it approached my head. They were going to suck my brains out and I would be one of the zombie hoard left on earth, just another brainless hulk lumbering around searching for my own brains to suck on from some other unsuspecting victim.

The clawed appendage touched my pate and I screamed…

“MERRRROW” hissed my cat Jake as I awoke suddenly and sat bolt upright in bed. Jake was sitting on my pillow now purring and licking his paw. He must have licked my head. Still, I was breathing hard and disoriented. My wife Wendy touched my arm and I jumped again. I felt my head; it was still in one piece.

“Honey, those old SF movies are giving you bad dreams. Turn off the TV and go back to sleep…”

I reached for the remote and as I did I could hear the British Announcer say “Reports are coming in from all over the Empire—from all over the world. The Government has not yet issued a statement, but there seems to be no question that there actually is a large, unidentified object circling the earth at incredible speed.” The start of The Day the Earth Stood Still was showing, continuing the SF marathon. I shut off the TV and flopped back onto bed, Jake scurried away.

As I looked at the dark ceiling above I had to wonder if when I awoke next it would be as a brain sucking zombie. I decided against it and rolled over, making the sure my blanket was all the way over my head.