NOW What?

PHOTO PROMPT © Na’ama Yehuda

Learning how Earth People lived was an endless puzzle. Zing and Zang never stopped being surprised at the things they saw.

Zing looked at Zang in utter confusion. “We’ve seen something like this before, but much bigger. Remember? People put their garments in there with soap and water, and then they put them in a machine that dries them. But this? This is too small!”

Zang was also confused. “Right. And look–there’s a man and a woman, and they’re hugging. She’s all dressed up in white. My word. Earth people do have strange customs.”

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What is It?

PHOTO PROMPT © Fleur Lind

“What is it?” Zang was troubled as he examined the picture.

Zing was, too. “No idea. There’s one of those primitive cell phones on the edge. I think that’s a wine glass in the–bowl? Sink? Plate? And a set of seasonings.”

“Is it a secret code? A puzzle?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, what do you THINK?”

“Zang, I don’t KNOW! Just get a photo of the photo and send it to headquarters. This is beyond us.”

The Trellis

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

“Well, that’s something new!” Zing was puzzled.

So was Zang. “What’s it for? It’s not plugged in to anything.”

“Well, it leads to that balcony. Maybe it’s an outside entrance?”

“Too small for humans, though. They’d get stuck. Let’s go up and take a look.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. Go invisible and teleport up.”

When they neared the top, they heard, “Hey, Don, did you remember to water the tomatoes?”

“Doing it right now!” The balcony door opened. A bucket was tipped into the trellis, showering Zing and Zang as it flowed to the planter below.

What on Earth!

Zing and Zang sat on a porch step, gazing high up into the sky.

“What on Earth!” Zing exclaimed.

“No idea,” replied Zang.

“Earth people are weird,” said Zing.

“Got that right,” said Zang.

“Well, after our latest narrow escape, I guess we can’t say much. Good thing we can teleport. That was a MESS when the Leaning Tower crashed!”

“Yup.”

I’m back, but I don’t know for how long. Things are a bit hectic around here, with my son and his wife staying with us. Finding quiet time to write is difficult. They went South this week to be with J’s mom for her birthday, so I have a little more time to myself. I’ve missed being here! I think this is the longest I’ve been away since I started with this prompt several years ago. Good to see you all again 🙂

The Tower

PHOTO PROMPT © Anne Higa

Zing and Zang had wandered all over Rome and Florence. They marveled at the sculptures and paintings they saw. No artists lived on Zukor, their home planet. All were scientists or government employees.

They journied to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower. Teleporting was quickest; within seconds they stood on the grassy area surrounding the Tower.

Suddenly, Zang grabbed Zing, dragging him away. “It’s falling! The giant’s mouth is wide open! He’s yelling at everyone to get away! Oh, his eyes are terrible!”

“Zang, it’s been like this for hundreds of years. That’s not a ma. . . .”

Primitives

PHOTO PROMPT © Douglas M. MacIlroy 

Zing and Zang loved technology. They had a deep interest in the projects over which Earth people labored. The projects seemed primitive to them, but they had to admire the dedication Earth’s scientists had for creating their antiquated machines.

“Zang, what do you think this is going to be? It looks to me as if it’s nearly finished.”

“I’m not sure,” said Zang. “Looks as if they’re trying to find ways to bring light into their buildings, but what a complicated way to do it!”

“For sure. I wish we could help them.”

“We can’t.”

Guiding Light

@DaleRogerson

Zing and Zang had been away from Earth, called back to their home planet of Zirkon to be debriefed and enjoy some Zirkonian R&R.

They rapidly descended toward their old neighborhood.

“Ugh!” exclaimed Zing. “It’s still winter, and it’s going to be SO cold! They could have waited a bit and sent us back when the weather was better!

“Don’t start! You’re always complaining! At least they left a light on for us, and it will be warm in the house.”

In silence, they came to rest and went inside.

“Maybe you should request a new partner.”

“Maybe I should.”

Practical vs. Pretty

PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio

Zing and Zang stood transfixed, watching the contraption slide slowly earthward. The bulging balloon canopy obviously worked like a massive set of brakes to slow the descent. The whole structure was just enormous, and compared to what they knew on their home planet, seemed rudimentary.

“Why don’t they just use reverse blasters?” wondered Zang.

“I guess they don’t know about that yet,” replied Zing. “Sometimes I can’t believe how backward they are. They seem somewhat intelligent.”

“Well, it’s colorful. I don’t know what it’s for, but it’s pretty.” Zang paused. “Practical isn’t always pretty.”

The Box

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Keeping their distance, Zing and Zang circled the box. “What do you think it is?” questioned Zang.

“How should I know?” Zing was irritated,

“What should we do?”

“Why do I always have to have the answers? I don’t know! What do you think?”

“Uh–I don’t think we should touch it.”

“Duh, Bright Boy! I’m sending images to Zirkon’s headquarters. They’ll direct us.”

Suddenly, the message came to them both: “Under NO circumstances are you to touch that box. Return home RIGHT NOW!”

Don’t Be Normal!

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

“Ahh, very pretty place,” sighed Zing. He and Zang had just entered the elegant dining area in a posh hotel. The snow outside made the room seem even more cozy.

“What do we do now?” asked Zang. Nervous, he tugged at his collar and wondered why humans put up with such confinement.

“We sit at a table and wait for someone to bring us food.”

“Really? Then maybe we should make ourselves visible, or we’ll be hungry all day!”

Zang laughed. “Right. And try not to speak normally. They’d think we’re space aliens or something!”