Black birds flew above me

As I put a can in each can

Sitting and now leaving the park.

An old friend pulls up on me

After a few moments of catchup

I find myself walking home

Thinking how some things never change

Im still walking all around the neighborhood

I'm still respectful

I still wonder things like

"what does a single person

(As in, a party of one)

do at a Hooters

at 8 am, get breakfast?"

While I commute to work

Theres a pastor on the corner

Like there was 10 years ago

The same corner

Like the last pastor, he's out here yelling

This pastor's got a message of merciful judgment, though; the good word.

Last pastor only told us that end times were coming

They both preached from that corner, even in the rain

“What in the… what is that?”

“Well Moe, if ah knew ah woulda told ya.” James was just as confused as Moe. That strange oblong stone was certainly no property of his. Why was it in their field?

The stone was a smooth and dark purple, nearly black. It was shaped like a flattened egg, the perfect shape for rock skipping. Along the side of the stone, there was a line of etchings.

“Ya think it might’ve came from them Millers? Yunno, down the street?” Moe was using his brain again. James always had to stop him before he started rambling. “Why the hell ain’t they say anything? The nerve of that damned Jeb-”

“Moe, ah don’t think this came from the Millers. Yunno, that whole thinking thing aint yer strong suit, ‘specially with that temper o’ yers.” James studied the round rock’s runes and immediately knew that the Millers had nothing to do with the stone. “Jeb Miller woulda been stumped trying to figure out what this stone was doing in Flakersville in the first place. Moe, ah don’t think this was even manmade. C’mere, lookit.” He gestured Moe over to look.

Moe didn’t notice the etchings at first. “Ya mean to say this thing might be like, an alien testicle or sumthin?”

“An alien--?! No. Moe, stop reading so much of that alien stuff online. This thing has like, those whatchacallums scratched into it. Like you see in Egypt.” James started tracing the line of etchings from the top of the stone. When his finger reached the end of the runes, they started glowing. Within seconds, the entire stone started to glow.

“ What’d ya do now, Jimmy? Why’d ya rub it?! Now you’re gonna have to raise alien babies, and we’re not ready for all tha-”

“Dammit, Moses shut the hell up and help me!” James’s hand started to turn the same color of dark purple. “Ah think it's eating my hand!”

Before anything could Moe could do anything, the rock started to liquify, and was moving along the rest of James’ body.

“Jimmy, what’s happenin?”

“Ah, ah dunno. Look, Moe. Listen to me. Something’s wrong. There’s a pistol in the kitchen drawer. It’s a 22 caliber. Blue steel handle. If I don’t make it outta this, shoot me dead. It feels like something is taking over me.”

“Close,” A mysterious voice interjected. “More like someone.” Moe and James glanced at each other anxiously. “I’ll be taking this body. I’m glad to have found a vessel so quickly. Let’s see what we could do here...”

James’ body started to disintegrate right before Moe’s eyes.

“Teleportation.” The hostile voice explained. I’m just testing the radius. I’ll be back for you later, human.”

James’ body soon disappeared into thin air. When everything started to sink into Moe’s head, he dashed into the house, looking for the 22.