Free The Battle by Jennifer Torres Page B

the small window.
    Emily jumped back when she saw it.
    It was a squiggly, wiggly, squishy looking thing—almost invisible—and it was moving around right outside the window.
    â€œThat’s called a jellyfish,” Luke said. “There are a lot of living things in the oceans here on Earth: fish, sharks, dolphins, and whales—wait until you see one of those—you will definitely freak out.”
    â€œThat’s just weird,” Emily said with a frown. “Yuck.”
    â€œGet used to it,” Canary called to her. “It’s just one of many new and different things about this planet—wait until you see the bugs.”
    â€œYum, bugs,” Max said. “I can’t wait to eat some real food again.”
    Canary’s stomach gurgled at the thought.
    â€œHey look, what’s that?” Emily asked.
    â€œWhat is what?” Rusty responded.
    â€œIt has eight—um—legs and a big head.”
    Rusty looked out and saw nothing like what she had described.
    â€œIt sounds like you might be talking about an octopus, Emily, but I don’t see one.”
    â€œBut it’s right over there,” she said pointing straight ahead.
    Rusty grabbed a pair of binoculars and held them up to his eyes.
    â€œWow,” he said with surprise. “There is an octopus out there—but I can barely make it out—even with the binoculars. How are you seeing that?”
    â€œIt looks really close to me,” she answered.
    Rusty made his way back to the cockpit and guided the vessel into what looked like an enormous underwater cave. Once fully inside, he brought the ship to a halt.
    â€œNow, we wait,” he said.
    â€œWait for what?” Max asked.
    â€œNot for what, but for who,” Rusty replied with a wink.
    Suddenly the ship lurched upwards, as if a giant hand had just grabbed it from underneath and was lifting it up, up, up.
    Tim could see they were indeed rising, like being on a supersized elevator.
    After a few moments, they came to a stop, and the water around the ship began to lower.
    â€œThey’re here,” Canary said as he turned to Rusty.
    â€œWait . . . Rusty,” Max whispered. “Do they . . . um . . . do they look different from us?”
    â€œWell, Max, I do have to mention something very important,” he replied. “Whatever you do, don’t look at their third eye. It’s actually a laser beam that can turn you to mush.”
    â€œWhat!” Max yelled out.
    â€œHe’s kidding with you,” Luke said with a laugh. “Man, you are so gullible.”
    Canary turned to Max and gave him a playful push on the shoulder.
    â€œThey look just like you—ugly as sin.”
    Rusty walked to the hatch and began to enter some sort of code.
    They heard a loud banging coming from the outside.
    â€œCome in,” Canary jokingly called.
    Tim felt a wave of panic rising in him. After all, he didn’t know anything about these people. What if it had been a mistake to come here?
    A few bells sounded, and the hatch began to rise slowly.
    Luke stood in front, alongside his father and Canary.
    Instinctively, Tim, Max, and Emily all reached for each other’s hand.
    As the door rose higher, Tim could see there were at least ten people outside it.
    They were all dressed in white, clinical-looking medical jumpsuits that covered their heads. The whole suit actually covered their entire body.
    â€œThey’re dressed that way for safety,” Luke said in a hushed voice as he turned to look back to his friends.
    â€œWhose safety?” Tim whispered back. “Theirs—or ours?”
    Before Luke could answer, one of the men boarded the ship.
    â€œWelcome, everyone,” he said. “Welcome to Earth.”
    This is going to be a huge shock for them.
    â€œWhat is?” Tim asked as he looked at the man.
    â€œI’m sorry young man, what did you say?”
    â€œYou said, ‘this is going to