Stories from random ingredients
Character: a flying worm Place: a secret panel/place
Object: a long ladder Situation: finding a flying saucer
Neville the Nematode
It had been as dark above ground as it was below when Neville the nematode crawled out of the moist soil of the potato garden and onto the dew covered lawn. The tickling sensation of the manicured grass distracted him as he wriggled absently forward, blissfully unaware that his peaceful world was about to be changed forever.
One moment Neville was contentedly writhing, and the next he felt himself being lifted skyward. The happy, safety of his garden home growing distant below him as he rose higher. It was all too much for poor Neville and so he did the sensible thing and passed out, certain that his end had come.
Neville opened his eyes and all was darkness. Not the comforting dark of his tunnels, but emptiness. "Is this the afterlife?" he thought. He nervously tried moving slowly around, finding that 'oblivion' consisted of a hard solid surface and four equally solid walls about twice his length across.
Suddenly a blinding light from above startled Neville, followed by a dull plopping sound as something hit the surface nearby and the light disappeared as quickly as it came.
Neville heard movement in the darkness and tentatively called out "H-H-Hello? W-Who's there?".
The movement stopped and a quiet little voice replied "Please, don't eat me. I'm just little Malcolm Maggot".
Neville and Malcolm began to talk and discovered that both had been snatched without warning and neither knew what was going to happen to them.
Sometime later the bright light returned, but this time it stayed. As their eyes adjusted they could see they were in some kind of containment, with pale blue walls blending into a floor of similar composition as if they were formed of a single piece. The open sky above them was soon obscured as a large pink creature with five grasping appendages reached in and snatched Malcolm away.
Neville was alone once more. He could tell they were still outdoors by the sounds he could make out, the wind blowing long grass, and water rippling and occasionally splashing. If it hadn't been for his confinement it would have been quite pleasant.
The peace was suddenly shattered as a menacing shadow fell on him and a loud "Caw!" drew his attention. A large, black crow peered over the wall, a hungry gleam in its beady black eye.
Neville watched, petrified with fear as the crow's beak opened and reached for him. He was certain he was doomed when at the last moment a large round object flew into view, striking the bird and scaring it away. A UFO! He'd been saved by aliens! Maybe they would rescue him from his imprisonment, he thought, visions of the flying saucer returning to hover above him and extending a long ladder for him to climb, slowly, to freedom.
Neville was ripped from his reverie as the appendage creature snatched him up and he felt a sudden stabbing pain somewhere near his middle. Then he was hanging, suspended in the air, before being suddenly propelled at speed through the ether. "Wow, this must be what it feels like to fly" he thought, just before he hit the surface of the pool and the cold oblivion ended it all.