~ A True 250 Word Story ~
Surrounded by them in the lobby, he held his popcorn and soda steady while explaining again what it was like on Mars.
All laughing, it was obvious they weren’t laughing friendly.
Nonplused, he repeated his experiences while stranded there so they might understand better. How he and Colonel Dan had to emergency exit the mothership and land in escape pods. How he found Colonel Dan’s pod crashed, him dead and Mona alive. How Mona helped him find water and food, and how he extracted air to breath from burning rocks.
“Hoppy, you been short of air since you got stuck on the way outa yer momma’s womb.”
More mean laughter.
“Tell us agin, how you got yer monkey to lead you to water and food?”
“With a salty cracker,” he replied. “Followed her to the cave when she got thirsty.”
“And you saw Colonel Dan again when you started going crazy?”
“Uh huh. He came to me, but wouldn’t talk.”
“And you had to blow up your mothership because…?”
“So the slaver aliens wouldn’t find me.”
“But someone found you there, right?”
“Uh huh, the slave in black bracelets. Friday.”
Their laughter grated in my eight-year-old ears, actually hurting.
The owner, George, came over to the group and gently took the man just back from Mars by the arm–leading him back down to his favorite front row seat in the dark cavern of the theater before the feature started playing again.
“Pay no attention to them, David.”
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