The Treehouse Surprise

story & illustration © 2003 Bruce Van Patter
S
eeing an alien sitting in his treehouse, Brian Lee screamed. So did the alien, seeing Brian.
It opened its mouth, high above its eyes and a high neeeeeek came out. It waved its tentacles high in the air and ran around in circles.

Brian had never scared anything before in his life. He didn't like the feeling. He stopped yelling and climbed all the way into his treehouse and knelt on the wood planks.
"It's okay," he said gently. "I'm sorry I surprised you." The alien slowed, then looked at him carefully, tilting his head. It turned a dial on its shirt, then said, "Earth Boy, I have come to your spaceship to hide. Will you help me?"

"Space ship? This?" Brian asked. "You mean tree house. Sure, I'll help you if I can."

"Tree how-sa," the alien said slowly. "You will help me defeat the Mukows?"

Brian laughed. "Moo cows? You're hiding from the moo cows? Ha, ha. Yeah, I'll save you from the mean, nasty cows. Show me one, and I'll protect you."

The alien jumped up and down, very happy. "Thank you, Earth Boy! You can start now." It pulled Brian over to the window cut in the wooden wall. Brian looked down and his heart stopped. Below them, on the ground, strange creatures were moving. Each one slimed along like a snail, but had a pig snout and one large eye on the top of its head. The creatures came toward the tree, sniffing like dogs.

"What are THOSE?" cried Brian, turning to the alien.

"Mukows," answered the alien. "They have come to take me back."
It's Your Story - Jeepers, creepers! What will happen now?

Write an ending to this story. Can you write a way for Brian to stop those weird Mukows from getting the alien? Why doesn't the alien want to go back with them? Will the alien stay in the end? And... I've heard of pigtails... but pigsnails?

Have fun -- finish the story -- and be creative! If you want to, email me your ending!

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