Daria: Artie’s Encounter
7 January 1996
Lawndale
Somewhere in the essence of suburbia that was Lawndale, a Pizza had just been delivered. Artie Walker walked away from the old white house with the weird lawn ornament and the loud discordant music that seemed it could become grunge if the quartet would learn to play. He shook his head as the image of the tall lanky teen girl with short dark hair came unbidden into his mind. ‘She’s too young,’ he thought.
He was about to get into his car when he saw strange oscillating lights at the western end of Howard Drive. Mesmerised, he walked towards those lights...
He awoke in a strange chamber that smelt of a damp cave. (The last time he’d seen a cave was at the old quarry after his prom.) He sat up ramrod straight. “Where am I?”
A form appeared covered in some sort of brown and splotchy concealing suit that covered everything. Artie noticed a single eye like iris thing at the ‘snout’ of the ‘head’ It emitted a musical tone before saying. “You’re awake. Good.”
“Where am I?”
The music sounded again “No need to know. Who are you?”
“Artie Walker.”
More music “Who are you?”
“A human!”
“Who are you?”
“What do you want?” Artie asked, wondering what this alien was going on about.
The alien form remained silent.
“Well? What do you want?”
The alien form became angry sounding. “Never ask that Question!”
“What have you done to me?”
“Genes, added.”
Artie didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you want?” he asked, hoping for a better answer.
The alien was definitely angry this time. “Never ask that Question!” Lightning crackled out from the suit.
Artie screamed.
Artie awoke. He was no longer in the alien room. He was in the forest, near the western end of Howard Drive, where he had delivered the pizza just before his abduction. He also noticed that it was morning. He had lost at least 12 hours. He ran towards his car, where it was still parked in front of the weird house...