“The Alien”

By Ron Stultz

 1974

I am sitting alone in the living room, listening to music with my eyes closed and it is late, very late at night.  I should be in bed but I need this time to relax, to quiet my mind from the day’s work. As I listen to the music, my mind quiets until there is nothing: no thoughts, nothing and I am simply floating in space as I sometimes can do. And then out of nowhere comes the image of an alien creature and he is motioning to me. He wants to meet me, to talk with me. I am surprised at the image and open my eyes and there, pressing his “face” to the backyard window of the living room is the alien and I almost jump out of my skin in fear. It cannot be, I tell myself, now in the living room once again mentally. And yet, I can see him, make out his face, image, and I can hear him talking to me in my mind. “Open the door and let me in. I will not harm you. I have come a long way.” 

I draw my arms and legs up until I am in a tight ball of fear. This has got to be some psychotic dream I am having I tell myself and look away from the window, hoping when I look back, the alien will not be there, but when I do look back, he is still there motioning to me. 

Then, I almost overcome my fears and begin to think about getting up and walking to the door and actually opening it and letting him in. I begin to wonder what wondrous things he could tell me? I wonder where he is from? I wonder why he is here with me? Why me? Why now? But as I watch him continue to motion to open the door, I cannot get over my fear and shut my eyes. “Go away”, I say in my mind, hoping he will hear somehow. “Go away.  I just can’t open the door. I am sorry but I am not ready.”  

Then surprisingly, my mind becomes quiet again and the fear I was feeling disappears and I am calm once again. I open my eyes and the alien at the rear window is gone. I sigh in relief and immediate condemn myself for not having the courage to invite him in, to meet him. What if this is a first opportunity for the human race to meet another species of the universe and I have just missed it out of fear? I try to go back to just listening to music but my mind will not settle down as thoughts of the alien come to visit me keep invading.   

And so, I must apologize to you and the whole human race for not making that first contact. I don’t think there is anything special about me as to why an alien tried to make contact with me and I wish he or she or whatever would have picked someone more prepared, less afraid. 

And now, as I write this, I wonder if he or she will ever come again to me. I wonder if I will ever be ready to open that door and let the alien in for a visit? I would like to but then again, I would have liked to back then and couldn’t.   

Perhaps one day, an alien will come to visit you and if he or she does, try to overcome your fears. It might mean so much to you and the human race.