The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson

orange rays were lighting the tip of the jet’s tail. The evening air was warm and thick.
    The portable bathrooms were on the far side of the lot. They were halfway there when they entered a gap in the crowd. Before them was a giant clown. He had a white face and frizzy green hair. He seemed enormous, made of muscle, which seemed odd for a clown. Haley also noticed that, instead of wearing big clown shoes, he had on high-laced black combat boots. In fact, he had black pants on, too, and only seemed to be dressed as a clown from the waist up. It was not a very professional display.
    He held a bundle of multicolored balloons and was just giving one each to a pair of little girls when he spied Haley and stood. The girl he’d been handing a balloon to hadn’t quite grasped the string yet, and as the clown turned, the balloon leaped into the night, jerking up and away as if hooked by a fishing line from the sky.
    â€œMy balloon!” she wailed.
    The clown glanced back at her with a blank but serious and not very clowny look. “Share,” he said in a low voice.
    The girls’ eyes grew wide and they fled.
    He looked back at Haley and held out a balloon for her.
    â€œThat wasn’t very nice,” she blurted out.
    The clown continued holding the balloon toward her. It was lavender and bounced on the light breezes made by people walking to and fro.
    â€œTake it,” he said in that same unfriendly but authoritative monotone. “Please.”
    â€œHow much?” Haley asked.
    â€œFree.”
    â€œOoh, a balloon.” Jill had appeared beside her. “How much?”
    â€œThey’re free,” said Haley.
    â€œHow nice.” Jill reached out, took the balloon, and passed it to Haley. “Come on, kiddo, we don’t want to be stuck in a Porta Potti when those fireworks start.”
    â€œRight.” Haley eyed the clown again. He looked back at her blankly.
    â€œBye,” she said, thinking, He’s weird .
    â€œBye,” he replied.
    She began to turn when she noticed that there was a small square of paper hanging from a loop at the base of the balloon. Haley turned it up. A hand-scrawled note read:
    If this balloon starts to change color, look at the moon.
    Haley glanced up. A slim crescent of moon was midway up the evening sky, between the powder blue and the darker purple.
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
    â€œIt’s part of the show,” said the clown, his voice flat like pavement.
    â€œUm, sure. Okay . . .”
    Haley turned and stalked off. She thought about just letting the balloon go, but Liam would like it, and a consequence of her high-strung day was that she’d snapped at him nearly every time he’d gotten within a foot of her. This would be a good peace offering.
    They emerged at the long line of blue bathrooms. Only one had its handle turned to green. Haley handed Mom the balloon and went first.
    When she came out, Mom gave her the balloon back. “Be right out.”
    Haley stood, holding the balloon, people jostling around her.
    â€œLadies and gentlemen,” a female voice announced over a loudspeaker. “The fireworks will be starting in a few minutes.”
    Haley felt a vibrating in her pocket. Her phone was ringing. A flash of worry shot through her. Who would be calling her? She pulled it out and checked the caller.
    Oh, no. It was Keller. Haley silenced the call and watched the name flashing until it stopped. There was a second of silence. Then a message that she had a new voice mail.
    Haley just stared, frozen, at the phone. Then, it vibrated again. A text appeared, from Keller as well.
    This is Alex. Debit card records indicate you are in Memphis! Please contact me. New developments and you are in great danger. I’ve sent someone to assist. Please contact ASAP!
    Haley felt like she was shrinking in on herself. She’d been caught. But even more than that: What new developments?