Izzy and Eliza

  …an alien tale

  Nikki Ferguson

  Copyright 2013 Nikki Ferguson

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  See a Preview of BOOK 2 in the Izzy and Eliza series

  Information about the author

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  This book is dedicated to Jamie, Marc and Alex. Most of all, this book is dedicated to the reader. Remember to keep an open mind, because that is where the best ideas are born.

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  Izzy and Eliza

  …an alien tale

  ~~BEFOREWORD~~

  A girl lay on her back, watching the stars through a hole in the roof of her dilapidated tree house. As she peered into the night's universe, she felt very small.

  She also felt as if she were being watched. It was eerie and uncomfortable to be watched by something that she could not name or even see for herself. Even so, curiosity lured the girl back night after night.

  "I am the only one out here tonight," she muttered to herself, "but I am not alone."

  It was an intriguing concept for the young girl, and it was a feeling she could not shake.

  "Who are you and why are watching me?" She waited for an answer she knew would not come. No one ever answered back.

  "You have no right to spy on me. Either make your presence known, or leave me alone," she said with conviction.

  Many moons away, in a different space, someone observed the girl. He spied using an abnormally large, complex telescope. The being had a considerably round head, shaded with a greenish tint that almost glowed. His eyes were like shiny marbles of obsidian, staring down at the girl. Soon his transformation to human shape would be complete and very few traces of his true form would remain. Even though he knew the girl could not hear his voice, the being spoke aloud.

  "See you soon, Eliza Allready, sooner than you think."

  Even farther away, in an even different space, someone else observed the shape shifting boy, watching the girl. This being sat in a cozy, plaid recliner. With feet propped up, she stared at several projection screens. She called herself Yarn, and was quite possibly older than dirt, although probably not that old. Yarn remained in her own form, having abandoned the youthful follies of shape shifting centuries ago.

  Even though she knew neither the boy nor the girl could hear her, she spoke nevertheless.

  "This show is about to get good."

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  *PART ONE*

  ~~MEET YARN~~

  Our adventure begins beyond earth, deep in the stars, on a small plot of rock called Klesia Moon Prime. Klesia Moon Prime is actually the prominent moon of a larger planet, known as Klesia. The planet Klesia and its smallish moon reside just beyond earth's telescopes and satellites and various other magnification technologies.

  You wouldn't have heard of it; yet. As it turns out, this may very well be the first time anyone on earth will learn anything about Klesia or its moon.

  This may also be the first time a story is told with the name Izzian Klowosky or Eliza Allready. For certain our two heroes of this tale embark upon a journey full of phenomenal escapades; maybe running from the bad guy or deflating a bully here and there.

  Perhaps our characters learn of the more wondrous aspects of life such as; exploring new planets, encountering unknown creatures or dare I say…falling in love?

  Even if somebody falls in love along the way, this is still a story worth telling; for there will surely be enough adventure and exploration to make up for all the oversentimental bits and pieces.

  Who am I to be so sure of myself, one may ask? Just know this: I have unique abilities as a storyteller and have a lived a long, long time.

  My name is unimportant as I have gone through a few hundred different ones in my lifetime. You may call me The Watcher. No, that sounds too creepy and rather unsettling. You may call me an old lady, but I'd rather you not.

  Yes, I have worn many names and toiled at many careers; some worth remembering and others, not so important. Once I was Natasha, a purveyor of oddly unique antiques, circling the globes, searching for the next rare treasure and my long lost love Vladimir. Perhaps if I had remained as the fierce Natasha, I'd be immune to the cold weather and would not have to turn the heater up so high.

  On the other hand, I have correspondingly taken on less glamorous employment: I was a manure farmer on a planet consisting mainly of large Shilka Beasts. It was a nasty job, but somebody had to do it.

  It is important to emphasize that I am addicted to spying on wondrous escapades such as Izzy and Eliza's. While I laze away the day on the observation deck in the relative safety of Leon, my own SpacePod, one might question my motives.

  Why not join in or go out and create my own adventures? Well, the time has passed for me to be jaunting around the universe, planet hopping and such. I am too old and for some reason, I can never be warm enough anymore.

  So now I study the young ones and watch their stories unfold like a Spanish telenovela. Sitting here in my comfy plaid recliner that I filched from a street corner in New York City, I watch these little social experiments with a spirit of wonder and awe.

  I also have more practical uses. When it comes to life on other planets, there will always be a need for explanations. Without my expertise, an earthling might never understand how a Klesian student travels to earth on a comet, or where the Famien Constellation resides.

  An individual could easily confuse a Chulupean with a Junipean without my help, or never understand what or who a Poo might be. That is where I come in, and I'm sure Leon and I will have a few adventures of our own, as well.

  In any case, it is important to have a name, so for this tale, you may call me Yarn. I'll weave you through our tale, a single consistent thread running from one end to the next. There will surely be ups and downs and loops and turns, but eventually, the end will come.

  Now I will move on to the bones of this story. Our young man hails from Klesia Moon Prime, the moon of Klesia that I mentioned before I started rambling about comets, Junipeans and my temperature preferences.

  The HumanSpeak version of his name is Izzian Klowosky or Izzy, as his friends like to call him. Either way, the kid's gonna have a tough time with that moniker following him around every day.

  I do not have the appropriate font to support the language of Klesianeese, so we will stick with the Humanspeak version and hope for the best, even though Izzian Klowosky might not be the most earth-friendly name ever uttered.

  Our boy's story is the result of an annoying little thing every middle-schooler on any planet must suffer through. It's a maddeningly frustrating irritant for Izzian in particular. You guessed it; I'm talking about good old Efuevaclcluaia. Translated to HumanSpeak, I'm talking about homework.

  One might imagine that an advanced society like Klesia Moon Prime would have long ago abandoned such an archaic tradition as homework. Unfortunately, one can travel to the stars and beyond and still be stuck doing math, page 119, problems 1-32; even. Although it bears mentioning, the homework assignments of Klesia go a bit beyond your basic math worksheets or a simple English class crossword puzzle.

  As a matter of fact, it is this very cursed homework assignment that ends up bringing our young Izzian Klowosky to earth in the first place. I don't want to bore myself or Leon silly with too much talk of homework.

  For now, let's just say that Izzy must travel to earth, study and befriend Eliza Allready, a teen earthling, a girl; thanks to
an all-important homework assignment required on Klesia called the Goodwill Project.

  First, travel with me if you will, far away from where you may currently be, sitting in your favorite reading spot; snack at hand, warm cup of cocoa steaming, and settle into our story.

  Imagine me, Yarn, as a young girl, living in the Lagrinia System. My bones have not yet calcified and my teeth are still vividly white, but my eyes see wonderment in the ordinary.

  I step outside after a snowstorm. Perhaps I am not the only one to imagine I might have stepped into another world, a new existence.

  The frozen piles glisten like sugar as the reflection of the moon dances off each individual snow crystal. I do not recognize the place. I might still be asleep, because the once ordinary village square transforms into a magical dreamscape.

  As the snow settles, every normal thing morphs into unrecognizable forms. The snow shapes itself into unfamiliar mounds that might be the propane grill off to the side of the porch; or that prickly old shrub in the corner by the fence. Even something as simple as a garden gnome takes on an alien form and resembles a Slimerot Slinker.

  If only I could reach just beyond the snow covered fence and walk a few more steps, I might uncover another new place, a different galaxy. On the other hand, I might just freeze my toes or pinky finger clean off my body.

  It's a chance I take, a decision I make, on that snowy night in the Lagrinia System, years ago. I will always search for new places and discover alternate existences. Now I invite others to do the same.

  Think about that unfamiliar dreamscape in your backyard that happens after a late night snowfall. Imagine that just beyond that back fence, lies Klesia. It's there, trust me. However, as the moonlight shines, turning the world to blue, imagine if the moon cast a more greenish tint. Ah, that's more like it.

  Now take another look at the propane grill and the hedge and imagine what or whom those smoothed domes may contain. On Klesia, they are homes, schools and grocery stores, offices, art galleries and movie theaters.

  If the disguised garden gnome actually happens to be a Slimerot Slinker, then you'd have nothing to fear. On Klesia, Slimerot's are thought of as the family pet.

  On our beloved Klesia and Klesia Moon Prime, there are hovering highways and AutoPods, just as you might imagine. There are flashing signs advertising the awesomeness of a new household cleaner or a political slogan featuring President Boojum Twoeyes.

  Izzian's planet is not terribly different from your own, but it is noticeably uncommon to an earthling unschooled in the habit of space travel. For one thing, most every being on each planet, rock, crater and constellation in Izzian's neck of the universe knows that intelligent life exists all over the place. Earth just happens to be out of the loop, so now you know.

  As a matter of fact, those planets that are "out the loop" are easily recognizable to the alien culture. If a planet name does not begin with a capital letter, that planet is not aware of alien life in the universes, such as earth.

  As I believe I've said before, this story is about to get good. And, if you think the stuff I just told you is crazy, well stick around cause things are about to go nuts.

  And remember to keep an open mind, because that is where the best ideas are born.

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  CHAPTER 1

 
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