2763. Vaporization © Bruce Goodman 23 June 2023

Leslie was thought by some to be a little strange. When he was inside at night and the curtains weren’t pulled across, he would often stand at a window and wave. Only a little wave; a bobbing up and down of the fingers on one hand. It wasn’t a full-armed wave like he was on a wharf farewelling passengers on an ocean liner. The reason he waved – so he said – was because he believed extra-terrestrial aliens were all over the place but they had the means of making themselves invisible. “Nothing beats being friendly,” said Leslie. “You never know when one might be looking through the window wanting to say how-do-you-do?” Of course he didn’t believe there was necessarily an alien at every window. It’s just that one never knows when on might strike it lucky. A strange man indeed. A believer of fairy stories. One evening Leslie disappeared. There wasn’t a trace of him anywhere. No one could find him. Ever. He had waved. He had been vaporized by a terrified alien. Contact Author Back to Index Next Story Previous Story