Zoo

PROLOGUE EARTH The crisp autumn sunlight bathed the landscape in a gentle yellow hue. The summer had been long and warm, its heat melding seamlessly into the latter stages of the year. Cars traversed the small village of Belbroughton, slowly heading along the country lanes as children climbed slides and laughed as their parents pushed them on swings in the communal playground. Mums sat chatting on wooden benches, coffee cups in hands as they kept an eye on the little ones who were foraging and finding adventure in the gated play area. As the morning headed into the afternoon, a stout man unlocked the front doors of his public house, the carved pumpkins that adorned his frontage a welcoming sight for the dark nights that were to follow. A young family stopped to look at the seasonal decorations, two little boys pointing and exclaiming at the macabre sight as their parents looked on adoringly. All was calm in the cosy village, with its butcher’s shop and the scattering of pubs that lined the sleepy streets. At the far end of Belbroughton, a large field stood empty, save for a few locals that had begun work on the annual fete. Two scarecrows stood motionless at the entrance to the grassy expanse, keeping watch over the comings and goings. Their eyes gazing blankly ahead, looking for trouble. Sometimes though, trouble does not appear straight ahead. Sometimes, it comes from above. From the stars.