The News: Briar

Aliens.

You know, of all the non-human creatures I'd thought I would meet, aliens did not top the chart.

I woke up in the middle of the night, couldn't sleep. So I poked my head outside, and a strange, echoing voice yelped - I'd nearly knocked him off the ledge that led to my front door.

"Sorry about that," was the only sane thing I could manage. I'll need to put up a railing to prevent the possibility of killing future guests.

His eyes. I remember his eyes most of all - they were huge, black orbs, holding all the knowledge of the universe. I wonder what secrets he could share with me.

We only spoke a short time - he couldn't very well keep his existence secret from the humans if I had a UFO sitting out on my front step - but it was surprising to know that I could make even a creature from beyond the stars laugh. At least, after his communications device made the necessary translations.

We're not so different. That's - actually kind of nice.

I planted the seed of an idea in his head - I wanted, very much, to do an interview with this alien.

That would be the first step towards proving that, at the very least, the world isn't as simple as humanity had once believed. That things we didn't yet understand are out there - waiting for us.

I've been making good progress at the news station, and I think I'll be running the place soon.

They've had me doing all kinds of things - I even got to do a stint as the weather man over the radio.

Snow, snow, more snow, snow for the forseeable future, and possibly some sleet later on.

Since there's no such thing as TV anymore, only the other people at the station - and the strangers I run into at the park - know what I look like, how different I really am.

It hurt to fork over all of my earnings to the crooks who run this town - but I had no choice.

After all, they're pulling all of the strings - mine included.

I've done a few news articles - positive spins on the things the criminals do. I feel sick about it - but with a gun at your head, what would you do?

Someone has to do something about - well, everything. The weather, the magic, the frothing lunatics - everything. I know I'm not going to be able to do anything great in my lifetime - I can feel myself getting older by the minute, and the scant sunlight that peeks through the clouds is just not enough to really sustain me.

But ... could I - is it possible - would I be able to create new life? This is an awful world to bring a child into. I know that. Still ... if I could leave more behind than my dead and rotting corpse, wouldn't that be something? To have a legacy?

I've never thought of the idea, not seriously. I certainly hadn't thought of being a father before I'd turned into a plant, and afterward, the idea seems ... well, ludicrous to say the least.

Maybe. I'll have to look into it.

There was that one blonde girl. She'd taken a liking to me.

She'll do.