The Visitor

The boy appeared in the Spring of 2245. It was April 1, 2245, to be exact. He was found by a couple standing in a field on their farm in Kansas. He was about eight or nine, but his age was never quite pinned down as he was only there for a short time. At first, Doris and Samuel Merritt thought the boy was lost. They tried to find where he was from, but the child refused to speak. He just stood in that field staring. Doris welcomed the boy to come out from the cold, but the child firmly stood in place.

After a few minutes, dawn had finally revealed the sun, and its heat began to heat up the land ever so slightly. Doris was waving to Samuel for him to come closer. He did and when he was near, she whispered, "He looked up into the sun." It was the first sign that the boy gave any indication that he was aware of his surroundings. Then it happened. The boy looked at both of them, smiled and said, "Welcome to your new home."

What if we really are not alone? What if there came a day when all our probes into the deepest reaches of the universe are received? The Visitor explores that exact possibility. Beware of sending messages into space, you never know who might be listening.

Terence McSweeney is a retired middle school teacher of English and Social Studies with a BA in Political Science from Boston College and an MS in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University. When he is not writing, Mr. McSweeney works in his studio painting impressionistic oil landscapes.