Campfire Songs
Luke strummed his acoustic guitar as his face was warmed and illuminated in the campfire. It crackled, spitting embers into the cool October air. Saba smiled at his simple, sweet melody. It was a pleasant calm after a busy week of work in the city. Now it was just the two of them.
As he switched chords, the fire burned even brighter.
Then Saba's focus shifted away from him to a small dot of motion just beyond the firelight. She squeezed his knee hard.
"Ow, are you okay?" he asked, as he continued to pluck the strings.
"There's something there," she whispered, her voice trembling.
He looked at her face. Her eyes were wide and fixed on something he couldn't see.
Luke put down the guitar and moved to stand. She clutched his knee harder, digging in her nails.
"Don't go," she stammered. "I don't want to be left alone."
He followed her gaze and saw something, a silhoutte of a small figure, peeking out from behind the large trunk of an oak tree. Though it was the size of a child, its limbs were way to long and slender. Its hands seemed to be four-fingered claws.
"Hello?" he croaked.
It was an alien, unmistakably so. Luke grew frightened.
"What do we do?" Saba pulled her hand away to cover her mouth. She sounded as scared as him.
"Can you understand me?" he asked, holding his guitar in front of him like it was a shield.
The alien tilted its head but didn't respond. It was just watching them.
"I have an idea," Luke whispered.
Slowly he raised his hands. His fingers trembled as they strummed the guitar. He played a simple major scale. Immediately the alien took a small step forward. Then a seconds. Its fingers twiched and it let out a soft purring.
"It seems enchanted," Saba remarked, feeling a bit more relaxed.
The creature crept closer, drawn in by the music. As it came into the light, they got a better sense of its alien form. Its huge eyes reflected the flames as it continued to purr and Luke continued to play. It seemed curious, peaceful even.
"I guess no matter what planet you are from, we all understand the language of music."
Eager to test the limits of this first contact, Luke's fingers slid down the neck and shifted into a melancholic Am chord.
Instantly its purring turned into a high-pitched hiss that gave Luke a splitting headache. Suddenly its posture changed. Its mouth, which they hadn't seen before, split open to reveal sharp teeth and a deep maw. Standing straight, it now seemed as tall as a person, or taller.
Before Luke could put down the guitar, and before Saba could scream, it launched itself over the flames. The last thing they heard was a wet shriek as they were swallowed whole in an indifferent forest.