E.T. waddled down the sidewalk with Elliot leading him along by his left hand and Gertie by his right one. They were now headed towards what they called a Mall, which E.T. had never heard of, although the name did remind of some other distant planet he and his companions had visited once long ago. He was wearing a bright red hooded jacket which Elliot had loaned him, and a pair of dark blue boots which Gertie had loaned him, and a pair of thick long-fingered green gloves which Michael had loaned him. Over his big blue eyes he wore a pair of big sunglasses with dark lenses.
As they walked along he looked out of the corners of his big sunglasses and noticed all the things and creatures along their way, and he couldn't help noticing how different everything looked from his previous visit to Earth. There were streams of rainbow colored lights glowing around nearly every building they passed by. He also noticed many decorated trees, which were mostly set in corners. He saw signs pasted onto windows and doors of some buildings. He could barely read them, though he could decipher the words "Buy one, get one free!" and "Happy Holidays!"
He once noticed a figure standing in front of a store which looked a lot like the Santa Claus whom Elliot had told him about, he was dressed in red and white with a long curly beard and he was ringing a bell as he was saying "Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!" He smiled as he saw him. Then a minute later he saw another Santa Claus figure standing on a corner with a golden pot in his hands!
"Here we are, E.T.," said Elliot when at last they reached their destination. The Mall was the largest building he had ever seen. As they entered he noticed so many new things.
Firstly, he noticed the many human beings of this native planet, They were all so different from one another, unlike on his own planet. They varied in all shapes and sizes, and some had hair on their faces, and some just on their heads, and a few had none at all. Some also had different skin colors ranging from light, dark, and very dark. Most were tall and straight, while others were built more like he was with their bellies bulging out. While most were two or three times taller than he was, he also noticed a few tiny ones here and there which were being carried on the shoulders of the tall ones, he easily figured out these must be what those on his planet called the saplings.
He truly had never seen humans like this before. It was like looking at them in a completely new perspective. He remembered very well when he had first heard about humans from his Captain. He was a young student at the time, and he was learning about space travel, and how to collect plant samples from foreign planets.
"Our next mission is on planet Earth," said their Captain. "Now remember, we'll all stay close together but if some kind of emergency occurs, or if one of you should lose your way, give out the internal signal from the light of the heart." Here they all turned their heart-lights on. "Also if you are ever in trouble call out the distress call," here he demonstrated the call.
They all listened carefully to the Captain's speech, especially E.T..
"Now, are there any questions?" the Captain asked.
E.T. promptly lit his finger for attention and spoke the first of many questions he had. "Is it true Earth is called the Blue Planet for it's oceans?"
"It's true," said the Captain. "Earth is the bluest planet in its galaxy, next to Neptune, of course."
"Is it also true the creatures on the Earth, known as human beings, are the only beings in the Universe who have no knowledge of space travel, or of other universal life?" asked E.T.
"I'm afraid it is true," replied the Captain.
"But why?" E.T. asked very curiously. "Why are they so ignorant?"
The Captain sighed as he lowered his neck. "I don't really know. But I suppose it is because they are so absorbed with themselves and obsessed with their own superstitious ways of living they never even bothered to learn about the treasures of the universe or even of their own planet."
"How awful!" exclaimed E.T. "Why can't we just meet with them and try teaching them what they ought to know now?"
"I really wish we could, I really do," admitted the Captain sadly. "However I'm sure it is for the best we never come in contact with any human beings, at least for a very long time."
"But why?" E.T. asked very confused.
"Well," the Captain began slowly. "They are, as I've said before, not the most universally refined species, and they have also been very slow in evolving. You see, I myself first encountered them twenty million years ago and at the time they looked a little like us, they had long arms and flat faces though they also had a lot of dark hair on their bodies except for their faces, hands, and feet. Then about ten million years ago I was visiting Earth again and saw they had changed a great deal, they were taller and straighter with less hair and had acquired a protruding nose, and they wrapped themselves in the furs of the animals they killed for food. Then I remember when only a millennium ago I was passing over the Earth on one of my first missions as a Captain and I saw them battling one another, there was war going on nearly everywhere on the planet I could see and I remember thinking to myself 'these must be the most vicious creatures there are in the universe'. I had noticed how much their appearance, ways of living and clothing themselves had changed, though I wasn't sure if it was a good thing at all for they didn't seem much more evolved in their brains and consciousness than when they were mere animals. Now they are gradually becoming more civilized towards one another, but alas they are ruining the beautiful planet they live on by deconstructing whole forests and species of plants, animals, and polluting the very air they breath with gases, toxins, and other poisonous substances which harm their atmosphere which is now almost lethal to our health if we stay there for a long amount of time I am afraid."
E.T. and his companions listened to the Captain's speech with wide eyes and their mouths slightly opened in shock. For a moment all were silent, and then E.T. asked hesitantly, "Are... Are they all doomed to destruction?"
"I don't know," admitted the Captain candidly. "I just hope they will someday be able to evolve to a higher understanding of themselves, their world, and the universe. Then maybe we will all be able to properly meet with them. Right now our main concern is for their plant life which we will collect samples of from the rainforests on our first mission."
His Captain may have been quite right about everything he had said to them, and now E.T. had new information for them about the human race. The children were far more able to care for outsiders than the bigger ones, and with his adventure on Earth with Elliot and his family he felt more confident of the Earth's population evolving to a higher intelligence and understanding of the universe.
He remembered the words of his Captain when he had related to everyone about his experiences, "My young friend, you shall someday go down in history for I have never met anyone more worthy of leadership."
His memories were suddenly halted when his human companions stopped in front of a display of Christmas wreaths and Michael announced, "Alright, we'll all go our separate ways now and we'll meet back here at the end of the day."
Then he watched Michael and Gertie head into a different area as he followed Elliot into another.
They went into a room with a large disc positioned on the top of the doorway. Once inside, E.T. saw hundreds upon hundreds of shiny discs in shiny cases on dozens of shelves everywhere. He could also hear a mysterious string of music coming from somewhere...
Welcome to my Christmas song
I'd like to thank you for the year
So I'm sending you this Christmas card
To say it's nice to have you here
I'd like to sing about all the things
Your eyes and mind can see
So hop aboard the turntable
Step into Christmas with me
As E.T. looked around, wondering where it was coming from, a man in pressed suit standing behind a counter spoke to Elliot.
"Hello, young man, and merry Christmas. May I help you find anything?"
"No thanks," replied Elliot. "I'll just look around."
"Is the little fellow there your brother?" the man inquired, looking at E.T.
"Well, yes of course he is," said Elliot.
E.T. followed the sound of the music which became clearer as he went into the center of the room.
Step into Christmas
Let's join together
We can watch the snow fall forever and ever
Eat, drink, and be merry
Come along with me
Step into Christmas
The admission's free
He approached the source of the music, which was a small clearing in the center where a large red metal box with white stripes down the side and a green ribbon at the top was positioned on a turntable, and the music he could see was coming out of a patch of tiny holes in the side of the box.
Take care in all you do next year
And keep smiling through the days
If we can help to entertain you
We will find the ways
So merry Christmas one and all
There's no place I'd rather be
Than asking you if you'd oblige
Stepping into Christmas with me.
The song ended and E.T. was awestruck and very curious as a new one began.
Try to Imagine, a house that isn't a home
Try to imagine, a Christmas all alone
That's where I'll be
Since you left me
My tears could melt the snow
What can I do, without you
I've got no place, no place to go.
This new song was much more melancholy than the first one, and it gave E.T. a sudden mysterious wave of loneliness, like the way he felt when he watched his spaceship fly away and leave him behind on Earth and the light of his heart went out instantly. But he also knew he shouldn't feel this way now, for he was with Elliot and his siblings and they were like a second family to him, and also he knew his companions would return to Earth for him in a few days after he spent this holiday here with Elliot.
It'll be lonely this Christmas
Without you to hold
It'll be lonely this Christmas
Lonely and cold
It'll be cold, so cold
Without you to hold
This Christmas
The lonely song continued though E.T. couldn't bear to listen to it. He wanted intensely to turn it off, or to change it, so he lit his right forefinger and aimed it at the air holes in the metal box. Then there was a tiny click as the sad song vanished and a new one began.
Hark the Herald Angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on Earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
E.T. listened to the first verse of this new song and felt deeply disgusted for it reminded him of the old myths of the universe being ruled over by a god who would reward, punish, and pawn the cosmos as he pleased. Of course his home planet hadn't believed in it for billions and billions of years, but unfortunately the Earthly beings of this planet still held onto the myth out of stubborn pride and foolish fear. When would they learn! The universe had no governing behind it, how could it? It was all a random process of mixed cosmos which just came and went with no regard whatsoever to the meager little beings inhabiting the planets of either his or this one.
Promptly, he re-lit his finger and zapped the frustrating song off and a new one instantly came on.
I don't want a lot for Christmas
There's just one thing I need
I don't care about the presents
Underneath the Christmas tree
I just want you for my own
More than you could ever know
Make my wish come true
All I want for Christmas is
YOU!
While this song was considerably better than the last one, it wasn't much more bearable to listen to because of the unreasonably high pitches put into the lyrics which wrecked havoc on E.T.'s delicate eardrums. Trembling, he reached out his lit fingertip again and zapped onto another song.
People making lists, buying special gifts,
Taking time to be kind to one and all
It's the time of year when good friends are here
And you wish you could give more
Than just presents from a store
Why don't you give love on Christmas day
Even the man who has everything
Would be so happy if you would bring
Him love on Christmas day
No greater gift is there than love
This song had a very enticing feel to it and E.T. loved it for it reminded him of why he had come to Earth again to spend Christmas with Elliot and his family. His heart light glowed a bright red as he tapped his wobbly little feet to the music.
People you don't know smile and nod hello
Everywhere there's an air of Christmas joy
It's that once a year, when the world's sincere
And you'd like to find a way
To show the things that words can't say
Why don't you give love on Christmas day
The man on the street and the couple upstairs
All need to know there's someone who cares
Give love on Christmas day
No greater gift is there than love
What the world needs is love
Yes, the world needs your love
Why don't you give love on Christmas day
Every little child on Santa's knee
Has room for your love underneath his tree
Give love on Christmas day
No greater gift is there than love
What the world needs is love
Yes, the world needs your love
Give love on Christmas day...
The song ended and E.T. was left smiling with his heart-light glowing bright and filling his body with warmth. However, he was completely unprepared for the song which came on just then.
Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day, you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special!
This song was so loud it seemed to knock E.T. out with a big WHAM! He fell over backwards and his right arm shot into the air and as he zapped off the explosive song he accidentally knocked over a small tower of CDs which were stacked right beside him with a loud clang.
"Ooh... Ouch..." he moaned as he lay fallen on the floor with a dozen shiny cases containing CDs laying scattered around him.
He listened as a gentle song about walking in a winter wonderland began playing, and suddenly his right forefinger connected with a CD case which was right beside of it and his fingertip began to glow again. He slowly sat up again as he picked up the CD case and smiled as he somehow seemed to be dissecting all of the music contained on the little disc.
Carrying the CD with him, he waddled out of the music store as he felt overwhelmed at discovering how amazing the variety of Earthly music was.
As Michael entered into the boys section of the clothing store in the mall he met with Greg, Steve, and Tyler, his three good buddies who had been with him when they outran the government agents to rescue E.T. and take him to his spaceship in time.
"Hey fellas! How's it going'!" he greeted as they all gave each other their high fives.
"It's going' great, Mike," said Tyler. "I was just wanting to invite you to the Christmas party at my house on Friday."
"What kind of party is it gonna be?" asked Michael.
"We'll all eat Christmas goodies, and play Christmas Monopoly and Dungeons and Dragons, and tell stories, and dance to the latest Christmas rap; and you don't have to take a date really by the way, and we'll also exchange cards and a few gifts."
Michael smiled broadly. "Hey that sounds like a lot of fun. Sure, I'd love to come, guys."
"Great!" said Steve happily. "Remember the party starts at seven and it lasts until eleven."
"Alright guys, and I hope then you'll also be able to see the little squashy guy at my house," said Michael with a grin.
All three of them looked stunned suddenly. "You mean... He's come back?" Greg said with his mouth agape.
"Yep, he has, to spend Christmas with the family," Michael said proudly. He knew they would remember E.T., for the little alien had changed all of their lives for the better. "I'm also hoping I'll see my dad again on Christmas day," he added softly.
"I hope you will," said Steve kindly. "I remember how hard it was on you when your parents divorced. Of course I don't really know what it's like as mine have been divorced since I was two years old."
Michael nodded understandingly. "Yep... Well, merry Christmas guys. See you at the party," he tried to smile again.
"Merry Christmas to you Mike," said Greg as he gave him a pat on his shoulder and the four of them went in separate directions.
Later as Michael was coming out of the clothing store and heading into another department, he stopped suddenly as a certain someone caught his eye.
There, standing about ten feet away from him was Hailey O'Rourke. She was a tall and skinny girl of fifteen years and had long reddish blonde hair and green eyes. She also had borderline autism which isolated her at times from other girls, and boys. She was very different from a lot of people, and that was the reason why Michael liked her.
He thought she looked a bit lonely, and so he walked up to her and smiled as he greeted "Hello Hailey. Remember me? I'm Michael Taylor." Hailey smiled shyly in response.
"Can I help you find anything?" asked Michael politely.
"No thanks," said Hailey. "I'm just browsing around."
"Well, would you like to go with me to the Christmas party at Tyler's this Friday?" he asked slightly nervously.
Hailey seemed suddenly melancholy. "I... I don't know."
"It'll be alright," he assured her. "You don't have to talk to anybody there, just have fun, and I'll be right there with you and I'll make sure no one lays a hand on you."
Hailey smiled warmly and said "Okay then I'd love to come."
Michael smiled broadly in a way which said this meant a lot to him. Hailey smiled also, and after hesitating a few moments she quietly asked Michael, "May I ask you something kinda weird?"
"Okay?" Michael said, somewhat confused.
Hailey leaned close to him and muttered, "I sometimes feel like there are other beings out there watching us."
Michael smiled as if he understood. "I know what you mean," he said. "So do I, more than you'll ever know."
E.T. waddled his way into the department which was filled to the brim with toys. He had learned about toys who lived in homes on his last visit, he didn't know about department store toys, yet.
As he was looking around, trying to decide which ones he would like to speak to first, he suddenly felt himself being picked up by a pair of strong arms and set onto a shelf lined with a series of individual figures who looked a lot like him with big sunglasses, red jackets, boots, and gloves, the only difference was the noticeably more human head behind the sunglasses. He easily figured out he had been set onto this shelf because he had been mistaken for one of these figures.
"Hello," he said telepathically to the one nearest to him. "I'm E.T. from the Green Planet. Where are you from?"
"I was made in Japan, as were many of us here," he said. "My name is Elmer, and these are my brothers, Murray, Freddy, Gary, Teddy, and Jack. We are called the Hyper-Ski Lift Brothers."
"Hmm... Why are you called Hyper-Ski Lift Brothers?" asked E.T. curiously.
"Because we have a special battery in us which programs us to hyper ski whenever we com in contact with snow, which is why we have on these plastic skies," said Elmer.
"We hope to be bought soon, before Christmas comes," said Murray.
"We wish to be with the children who want to play with us, for then we will be able to do what were were built and programed to do which will give our lives meaning," said Freddy.
"Many of our other brothers have already been bought and sold," said Gary. "We miss them."
"I know just how you feel," said E.T. sympathetically.
"Toys and dolls are always arriving and leaving all the time," said a new voice.
E.T. concentrated his telepathic energy towards the source of the voice and focused on a shelf a few feet away which was lined with a series of green plush frogs with masks tied over their faces in red, orange, blue, and purple cloth which was also tied around their arms and legs.
"Hello," said E.T. to them. "What are you called, and how long have you been here?"
"We are called the Fantastic Fearless Warrior Frog Foursome, and we've been here for over a month now," said the first of them. "We were told at the factory where we were made we were based on characters in a movie which is named after us, though we haven't seen it yet, and it just came out last week."
"I just hope we're good guys," said the frog beside the first one, "and we teach the kids who will own us soon good moral values, and about playing fair."
"As far as we go," said a different voice, "we just like to be loved and cuddled."
E.T. turned his attention toward the direction of the new voice and he saw on a shelf just across from him a row of small round furry creatures with pointed ears, tiny beaks, fluffy tails, and large eyes.
"We are the Furbies," it said. "Me Coco."
"Me Tyloo," said another with white and black spotted fur.
"Me Tytyle," said another one with brown and white fur.
"Me Gnola," said another one with pink and yellow fur.
"Hello," said E.T.. He liked the Furbies, they reminded him of creatures on a planet he had visited long ago.
"We just go for love and nurturing," said the bright blue Furby named Coco. "So we hope to be adopted by girls."
"So do we," said a very soft and feminine voice which belonged to a doll with long blonde hair in a box with Barbie written on it. "My name is Barbie, and so are all the others on this shelf," she said. "We were all made especially for girls, to teach them how to like who they are and feel confident to be girls."
"Sometimes we also teach them about love," said another Barbie doll with long brown hair. "I just hope when someone buys me they will also buy my Ken, I couldn't survive without him."
"I don't mean to brag," said a metallic voice from across the shelf, "but I can teach girls and boys so much more. In fact, they won't have much need for school once they have one of me in their position. You see, I am the smartest toy robot in the world, and also the funniest for I have over two-hundred-thousand jokes stored in my memory bank."
E.T. was just about to ask the toy robot more questions, when suddenly he heard a very, very well known voice enter his energy wave.
"E.T.! Here you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" exclaimed Elliot as he stood up onto a small stool nearby and picked him up from the shelf he had been set onto a while ago.
E.T. was very glad Elliot had come for him, though he was also sorry to leave the toys for he was learning so much as he was talking with them.
Gertie stood in line, waiting for her turn to sit on Santa's lap. As she came closer and closer to the moment she grew more and more excited to tell him what she wanted for Christmas, and then suddenly she thought of something else... What would E.T. want for Christmas? How could she give E.T. the right gift for Christmas which would show him how much he meant to her? If she could think of something, could Santa possibly deliver it? How did he make so many deliveries in one night anyway? She was so preoccupied with these questions she hardly noticed when it was suddenly it her turn.
"Ho ho ho!" Santa chuckled merrily. "Come on up here little one!"
Gertie smiled and blushed as she stepped up and sat down on Santa's right knee.
"Now tell me, what do you want for Christmas?" he asked gently.
"I want a Strawberry Shortcake doll, and a paper-flower-maker," she said, and then she leaned into him as close as she could and whispered into his ear, "What would the Man in the Moon like to have for Christmas?"
Santa looked surprised for a moment and then he began to laugh again. "Ho ho ho! Why, I'd think he'd want to come down to Earth to celebrate Christmas!" he chortled.
Then he slowly stopped laughing as Gertie looked at him very seriously. "I really mean it," she said. "What would he like? What could I give him?" She looked at him inquisitively. "How do you give away so many gifts all in one night? How do they all fit in your sack? How can you carry it with you on your sleigh?"
Gertie smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the secret," she said.
Then the elf dressed employee at the front of the line set the camera for the picture to be taken. Gertie looked straight ahead and smiled.
It was just then Elliot came in line while holding E.T.'s hand. E.T. extended his neck so the hood of his jacket fell from his head, and he removed his sunglasses to see clearer, and so he got a good view of Santa as he held Gertie on his lap.
"Santa!" E.T. called out.
"Wha!?" Santa looked in the direction of E.T. and caught the sight of the benign alien face which was smiling so big.
Then there was a audible click as the picture was taken.
"Step into Christmas" - Elton John
"Lonely This Christmas" - MUD
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Mariah Carey
"Give Love on Christmas Day" - Solid Harmonie
"Last Christmas" - WHAM!
