Morning Flight

Max stretched her white wings wide as the morning sun painted Corn Ear Farm in golden light. The feathers caught the breeze as she practiced her turns above the chicken coop.

"Show-off!" called Ben from below. He was feeding the pigs their breakfast, his red hair messy from sleep.

Max laughed and swooped lower. "Just warming up!"

She loved these early flights before the farm got busy. The sheep dotted the hillside like fluffy clouds, and the dogs chased each other through the corn rows. Everything felt perfect and safe.

A strange humming sound made her pause mid-flight. Max turned her head, scanning the blue sky. The noise grew louder, like angry bees but deeper.

"Do you hear that?" she called to Ben.

He looked up, shading his brown eyes with his hand. "Hear what?"

The humming stopped. Max shrugged and dove toward the barn, her ponytail streaming behind her. Whatever it was, it was gone now.

The Silver Visitors

Max landed near the barn and folded her wings against her back. The morning air felt cooler now, and she noticed Ben had disappeared from the pig pen.

"Ben?" she called, walking toward the farmhouse.

A low thrumming sound filled the air again. This time it was much louder, coming from directly above. Max looked up and gasped.

Three silver machines hovered in the sky like giant metal hummingbirds. Their wings beat so fast they blurred, creating the strange humming noise. Each machine had a clear dome on top where she could see figures inside.

"What are those?" Max whispered.

One machine descended toward her. A beam of bright blue light shot from its belly, surrounding Max in a glowing cylinder. She tried to step backward but couldn't move her feet.

"Help!" she shouted, but her voice sounded muffled inside the light.

The beam lifted her off the ground. Max flapped her wings frantically, but the light held her like invisible ropes. Higher and higher she rose, the farm shrinking below her.

Through the clear dome above, she saw a woman with short black hair watching her with intense brown eyes.