By Mehwish Jafri

“WE are going to study about space today. So all of you take out your books and start reading the chapter,” said Mrs William, our science teacher, as she started the class.

Space was my favourite topic so I loved reading about it. After reading the chapter, we had a lengthy and great discussion on space and planets other than our Earth.

When it was time for the school to end for the day and the bell rang, Mrs William said, “You are all supposed to make two drawings related to space as your homework.”

I grabbed my bag and rushed outside. My school was not far from the home, so I always walked to and from the school. On my way, I felt something under my foot, it was hard and thin. I looked down and found a pencil, a very different one. It was bluish-white and very fascinating.

“I haven’t seen this type of pencil before!” I whispered to myself and quickly put it in my pocket.

When I entered the house, I found no one at home. I threw my bag in a corner and took off my shoes. When I entered the kitchen I saw a note on the refrigerator which read:

“Dear Sam,

I am going for some urgent work. I’ll be back soon. Your lunch is in the fridge. I want you to be asleep when I return!

Love, mum”

I grumbled, “That’s not fair!” however, I reluctantly took my lunch out of the fridge, heated it in the microwave oven and took it to my room. After finishing the meal, I left the plate on the side table and lay on my bed. But I was sleepless.

Then I remembered my homework and jumped out of the bed, took my notebook, a pencil and some colours. I decided to make two things: a spaceship and an alien.

I started drawing. After some time when both the drawings were ready, they looked so awesome! But as I was now very tired and sleepy, I fell asleep quickly. Soon I began to hear strange noises. I woke up with a start. I quickly get out of my bed and looked around, there was nothing unusual.

However, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I was so frightened that I couldn’t even shout. When I gathered my strength and turned around to see who it was, my eyes opened wide and my jaws dropped at the sight of…

“Aaah!” I shouted like mad. “Who are you? Get away from me!” I jumped back seeing a tall, green creature with two antennas on his head. “Calm down, I won’t hurt you. I am a friendly alien!” he replied.

“Aliens, but aliens don’t exist! That’s what I have always heard!”

“No, I am really an alien and I have come to befriend with you!”

“Befriend with me, why? Where’s my mum? Has my dad reached home? And how’d you come here? Have you kidnapped my parents?” I fired a chain of questions in front of the green alien. “Oh, you’re too inquisitive, aren’t you? Your mum and dad are not home yet. And I am here to offer you a ride with me to my world because I know you love space. I am the same alien that you have drawn in your notebook. And the pencil you found today is also mine!” the green alien replied. “By the way, I also drew a spaceship. Is it also here? How we are going to get there and will I be back home again?” I was confused.

“Yeah, the spaceship is here,” he clapped and the spaceship landed in our garden — it was exactly like the one in my drawing book. The alien assured me that he would bring me back home before my parents’ arrival.

After we sat in the spaceship the alien said, “Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, I am Beefy.” During the journey he told me about his home, parents and the world he came from. And on the way I saw the sun, planets, stars and everything in space — it was stunning!

The spaceship finally landed to a planet called Aliena. Beefy introduced me to other green aliens; all of them were very friendly. There were strange colourful illuminated houses, colourful trees and also unusual animals.

After spending a lot of time around the strange looking buildings on the planet, Beefy said, “Time to go home, Sam!”

I set again in the spaceship, but alone this time. I was sad when the spaceship took off and just then I remembered that I still had Beefy’s pencil with me.

“Beefy! Beefy! What should I do with this pencil?” I shouted as loud as I could. Beefy wasn’t able to hear me. I shouted even louder this time, “BEEFY!”

“Sam! Sam! Wake up!” A familiar voice woke me up. I opened my eyes. “Honey, come on, getup now,” said mum.

“Mum, where is Beefy?” I asked innocently.

“Beefy? Oh, Sam, you must have been dreaming, now come quickly, your dad and I have a surprise for you in the lounge.”

I looked around the room and then I wondered, ‘So it was just a dream … more like an adventure that I can’t forget my whole life!”

In the lounge I saw that my parents had bought me a gift. I quickly opened it and couldn’t stop myself from hugging it – it was a green alien stuff toy with two antennas on its head, just like Beefy!