LITTLE LIEUTENANT VERMONT

Every time I look into the sky I think of Little Lieutenant Vermont and wonder where he is and what creatures he is talking to.

One dark night 30 years ago, we were out on manoeuvres in the countryside around Castle Cove. Johnny and I were on watch while the rest of the battalion were snoring in their tents.

Johnny and I sat under a tree and talked about all the places we would go and all the countries we’d conquer when we had gained enough experience.

I looked up at the sky and talked about the stars and how one day I’d like to go up there and stick the flag on a planet and claim it for Sunset Cove. Johnny didn’t have too much to say and I thought maybe he’d fallen asleep.

When I looked round at him, he was standing in the middle of the field, waving his arms around and calling to the moon, “Little Moon Monkies, come and get me!”

Sure enough, a flash of lightning shot out of the sky and quick as an ant, Johnny was whisked up into the air like a feather and whooshed out of sight.

All I could hear were his words on the wind, “Moon Monkies”.

I must have fainted then because next thing I knew, I was lying on a hospital table with a bright light hovering over my eyes.

I tried to sit up but something held me back. It was then that I noticed 14 green tentacles wrapped around my upper body and cold green goo was running down my chest.

I started to scream but no sound came out – my tongue had been tied to the table!

I began to sweat and the more I wriggled, the tighter the tentacles got until I could hardly breathe.

Then without any warning I was blasted off the table at the speed of sound and landed with a bump back in the field I had started out in.