Fiction: The Ones They Took

By Gabriel Bates

 

The beings were back. They came for him almost every night. But the last time they did, they told Doug that they'd have to take his two children next time. He couldn't let that happen.

 

He lay in bed, pretending to be asleep. Then a blinding light appeared in his window. He knew that was the ship. He felt himself levitate off the bed and found himself caught in a tractor beam. He looked over and saw his son and daughter already trapped in the beam as well.

 

"Daddy, help!" one of them cried.

 

He reached them at last, but he was helpless. Suddenly, Doug began to drift back down the tractor beam. He clawed desperately at his kids, but he just couldn't reach them. They were going up.

 

He hit the grass with a thump and looked up to see the ship powering up. It floated slowly for a moment before zipping off at an impossible speed. Doug just sat there panting, reaching out to the stars and saying, "Wait, wait. Don't leave me behind.”

 

 

 

 

 

Gabriel Bates is a writer living in Pittsburg, Kansas. His work has appeared in several publications, online and in print. Keep up with him at Facebook.