The Fork in the Road WC 296

The Fork in the Road
WC 296

Dusk was setting in. The fork in the road loomed ahead; either way posed a threat.

“Now what, Professor Swayze?”

“Really?”

“Well, you are the teacher. You know everything.”

“About Psychology 101.”

“Say something, sir. Please!”

“Paul, this is all new to me, too. My mind's in overdrive.”

"You're the adult."

"I'm thirty-five."

"More than twice my age."

"This is chilling at any age, son."

“I wish we'd stayed with the class.”

“They were paralyzed with fear, Paul. They would've slowed us down.”

Professor Swayze and his student had ventured out on their own after the first alien craft landed on the football field. The other sophomores milled around trying to make sense of what was happening.


Paul and Mr. Swayze stopped at the split.

“Which way should we go, sir?”

“Let’s just go back, son,” the teacher said. Maybe we can meet up with the others.”

“I think they are all dead or have been taken.”

A deafening sound filled the air. A huge alien craft hovered overhead. There was nowhere to hide; there was nowhere to run.

“We’re screwed,” Paul said, his eyes welling up.

“Any thoughts, ideas, Paul?”

“Seriously, sir?”

“Final words, perhaps?”

Paul’s eyes were as large as saucers as he looked up at the hovering craft. “I was hoping you had some, sir.”

“The Lord is my shepherd—”

“Anything else, sir.”

“Professor Swayze cleared his throat. “Every sunset is an opportunity to reset.”

Strange green beings floated down from an opening in the spaceship.

“On another planet?”

“Perhaps, son. And every sunrise begins with new eyes.”

“On another planet?”

“Perhaps.”

Little green men approached.

“Let’s look at this as a field trip,” were Professor Swayze’s final words as the field trip commenced.