The Immigrants

PHOTO PROMPT Copyright – Marie Gail Stratford

The ships burned cigarette holes into the blanket of blue satin sky.

The people gazed skyward, displaying digits tattooed into their hyper-extended necks.

The numbers meant that they’ve been chosen, that they’ve killed to earn their limited tickets to salvation.

They’ve trimmed the population down to half for the chance to dwell in the new world created by superior species.

The chosen’s bodies lifted into the air. The earth spun like a giant baggage carousel.

In every corner, screams pierced the air in innumerable shades of intensity, as each extraterrestrial immigrant scanned the digits and claimed their designated flesh suits.

25 thoughts on “The Immigrants”

Flesh suits – nice terminology for a human race prepared to kill to enter the new world. Superb KZ. 🙂

They’ve been duped. Wonder if any humans are left to fight against the invaders.

Ah… my aliens were a kinder sort.. but alas the result was the same.. very good and horrid as to be expected… 🙂

Nice work. Gave me goosebumps!

Wonderful spin on the prompt KZ..I just had to say that!

Those bottle-bottoms do look like alien lights from a spaceship (or what we’ve been told to think they look like!) Creepy skin thing, though. Well done, KZ

KZ, I especially like your first line and your description of the earth spinning like a baggage carousel. I guess this is another proof that you can’t believe what aliens tell you!

janet

well written piece as usual. i enjoyed reading it.

Good to take some time and read you again. Sorry it has been so long!
Scott

I love the term “flesh suit”! Since they’ve killed to get where they are, I have to say it serves them right.

Dear KZ,

This is how the world will end…not with a bang, but with ‘screams piercing the air’. Love this story. Bleak, dark, plausible, deserved, inevitable and well imagined.

Aloha,

Doug

Dear KZ,

I’d rather like a new flesh suit. This one’s getting kind of worn out. 😉 Your descriptions are vivid and imaginative. The earth as a spinning baggage carousel is particularly clever.

Shalom,

Rochelle

Goes on to show there is no such thing as a free launch. Horribly imaginative.

You’ve got some wonderful metaphors here. I like your sense of ironic justice, that people willing to kill for a new life, end up killed by others looking for a new life.

What Doug said! What a way to go…..!

You have some great visuals here, KZ. The digits on their necks, the flesh suits, and the earth as a giant baggage carousel. Disturbing and you really pull me in. Excellent, KZ.

Dear K.Z. This is fantastic and so believable – Yuck, depressing but something like it will probably happen one of these days. Excellent story! Nan 🙂

Superb story and writing K.Z. I loved your descriptions.

Hyper-extended necks was my favorite description. I could just see the aliens back on the other planet shopping on-line for a new flesh suit. “Oh, Marge, model 832-4A would look great on you. It’s very slenderizing and would make you look 200 years younger.”

Well, “Stephanie Spielberg,” looks like you got a story here! 😉
The descriptions are excellent and I could see it happening, narrative is clear, etc. I’m glad you stayed away from horror aspects this time and gave us something a bit fresher, cleaner. This is good! You got out of the comfort zone (not totally, but you know what I mean)! Good work this week!
I love the new look of your website! Way cool! Very “uptown,” as we say in the States. 😀

K.Z., Great description and well written as usual. The aliens have captivated by offering salvation. You can’t always believe an alien. Well done. 🙂 —Susan

EEEKKK!!! There is something rather other-worldly about the light coming through those bottles, isn’t there? I had rather hoped it wasn’t someone after a new flesh suit, but one can’t fault the ETs for wanting bodies that work better in the local environment.

Cheers!
Marie Gail