Author's note: A story I had to write for my English class, we had to create a creation myth for an alien world, and this is what I came up with. Grade: A. The only one I've gotten in that class so far, go me!

Disclaimer: All character's are mine, one is me actually... all similariteies toany persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

Happy reading!

9 November 2005

Mǽrand and the Sisters of Creation

“My name is Mǽrand, What is your name?”

I was shocked that the creature before me had spoken in perfect English, but oddly enough the words I had heard seemed to emanate not from the creature, but from the very air itself. Finally I stammered my name back to the alien.

“N-Nicole.” The creature smiled, her five purple eyes closing briefly.

“I greet you Nicole of Earth. Please accept my apologies on crashing here, you are uninjured, yes?”

“I’m f-fine. You are… an alien?”

“I believe from my appearance you could ascertain such knowledge.” And this was certainly true. The Alien had four arms, a roughly human shaped torso, and a head shaped much like a birds. These factors, plus gray skin and having three short legs made my visitor an ungainly looking, and certainly foreign, being.

“If you would please allow inside your abode for approximately three of your hours, I shall be on my way on a ship due to rendezvous with me then,” the alien continued.

I stumbled to the door, which, in my haste to get outside was still open, and ushered my guest inside.

Soon after Mǽrand sipped at the lemonade that I had given to her, this was her third glass. In my curiosity I had ascertained that she was a female of her species and was on her way to visit family of hers near alpha-centari. We had been swapping stories now for nearly an hour, and it seemed that we had already become friends. After a time, I asked her how her world came to be (being the religion buff that I am, this was the best opportunity I’d ever get to learn an alien myth of creation!). Mǽrand blinked her five violet eyes, as if deciding whether or not to tell the story, and then grasped my hand in one of hers.

Instantly I saw the beginnings of her world, the images so vivid it was more like I was living the events, and not a projection of my new friends thoughts. In my vision I saw two sisters, one holding what appeared to be a paintbrush and was busily painting the sky the blue-black color we associate with night, the other molding stars into Galaxies and other celestial formations. Somehow I knew the names of these two creators, the painter was Arnok, while the sculptor was known as Drakao.

One day, though it could have been an eon, time seemed to pass slowly; Arnok and Drakao became bored with their hobbies. So Drakao suggested to her sister that instead of only making galaxies, she would instead create a small ball, and that Arnok could paint this instead of the sky. Arnok was elated with the idea and began mixing new paint for the occasion, this time not midnight blue, but yellows and reds. While she mixed her dyes, a bead of her sweat fell into the mixture unnoticed. When Drakao was ready, she plucked a small star from the sky and broke off a piece, molding it with care, creating mountains, valleys and the occasional lake and ocean.

When the sculpture was ready, Arnok dipped her paintbrush into the new colors she had created and covered the ball of matter that Drakao had lovingly shaped. But due to the sweat mixed in with the paint, something new happened, plants began to grow on the surface of the new planet bright red and yellow (what looked like) trees and bushes. Tall grasses grew in vast plains, the color of the sunrise on earth. Impressed with this joyous mishap Arnok suggested that she paint the other stars and galaxies that Drakao had created. Drakao agreed and left her sister to her work and set about creating other things, animals, birds, and a sculpture that looked like the alien sitting at my kitchen table. When Arnok returned from painting the stars she slept for a time exhausted from her exertions.

Drakao, jealous that only her could bring the sculptures to life decided to create her own paints to make life. She took many of her sister’s dyes and mixed them into one bowl, creating a hideous brown color, and painted some of her new sculptures, but none of them came to life. Angered and ashamed, she hid the sculpture and the paint away beneath the surface of the new world. When Arnok awoke, refreshed and excited to begin painting again, she decided to help Drakao paint her creations, for she could see that some of her paint was gone, but forgave her sister readily.

Drakao took to painting quickly, and soon, all the sculptures were painted. Though only some sprang to life, the others, rocks and other natural formations remained immobile and lifeless. The others became the animals of the world and one animal in particular, the one like my friend, seemed to transcend the others. The sisters, pleased with their work, slept. And they sleep to this day, waiting for inspiration to strike and awaken them so they can create once more.

I opened my eyes, my vision over and looked at Mǽrand.

“Thank you.”

Mǽrand glanced out the door before responding in her nearly omnipresent voice.

“You are most welcome, that particular tale is one of my favorites, though our theories of evolution have made the belief in such stories almost obsolete. Now my friend, I am sorry, but I believe that my rendezvous has arrived and that I must be on my way.”

“Do you really need to go?”

Mǽrand smiled sadly.

“Alas, yes. But perhaps I shall return to continue our exchange of tales on my return trip?”

“Of course.”

Mǽrand smiled again, this time widely, and disappeared in a flash of red light and a noise not unlike that of a Star Trek episode. I looked outside and noticed that my lawn had been repaired somehow, or had it ever been ruined? Looking back at the table though, I saw that not everything was as it should be; my new friend had absconded with my lemonade pitcher!