“But I did see it,” exclaimed Andrew, his youthful voice wailing across the uncounted miles as the duo trudged along a dusty dirt trail. As each pace took them a step closer to their goal, Andrew became more erratic.
“Oh, yes, and I s’pose that if we find this silly thing that a whole heap of Martians pop out and terrorise the world? So that we have to save it?”
James was certainly a sceptic, thought Andrew. Either he had no capabilities to believe in little green men, or he had no imagination. Probably, lack of imagination and adventure accompanied James’ personality. Andrew looked James as he strode ahead. He wore new shoes, phosphorescent white in the morning sun. His green shorts certainly clashed with the red t-shirt and blue fluffy socks.
 James had messy hair, which hung loosely over even-brown eyes. He always wore a sardonic smile, white teeth occasionally showing as he spoke.
They walked a few hundred metres further, then James stoped, bringing Andrew, head down, to falter into him.
“No further we go.” James seemed final. His tone indicated his rising temperature, even as the days heat was starting to set in. “Let me get this. You saw a bright light in the sky, which you think you saw fall somewhere out here in these horrible hills, then to add to the story, you assume that it was some spaceship full of little green men-”
“You were the one who made that up, not me, Jamie. I never said there were little green men in it. I only said that I saw some big bright thing fall from the sky which resembled a UFO.” Andrew cut in, exasperated with ‘Jamie’, as he called his older brother when teasing or explaing a point.
“I told you not to call me that! How would you like it if I called you ‘Andy’ all the time?” James retorted.
“I wouldn’t care. You do anyway.”
“I do not, but that’s away from the point. Look, I am going back, so are you. Mum will probably start worrying if you don’t come back with me and I will have to come out here and find you if you get lost.”
Andrew was annoyed, to say the least. “Mum can worry. Go back, coward.” He mocked, then added with a defiant zest, “I, alone, must conquer this quest. I must find the source of all this-”
“Well. I am not going to come out here again to find you when you loose your way-”
“I know my way around. It’s not like I haven’t been out here before. I know precisely where I am and precisely where home is.” Tension was high between Andrew and James. Far off in the black scrub, a long whistle, a bird adding a chilling tone to Andrews’ stern manner.
“Well. Hmpf.” And with that, James turned and walked away. Only a few paces towards home, he turned about his left shoulder and pointed at Andrew, mouth agape, as if to speak, then closed it, turned and departed.
Andrew had been gone for the better part of three hours, that was, from the time James had deserted him to the present.  James was still angry with Andrew- he had been a little fearful for his younger brother. Andrew, James surmised, had tendencies to a little odd sometimes. He tended to say thing only to spite others, to seek dominion- perhaps to gain attention and respect. 
Realising this, James started to feel more at peace with himself, just a little more relaxed. Andrew, he was sure, would be fine.
“James? Where’s Andrew?” Angela was the equidistant sibling of the three-child family. Her age was situated two years either way between James and Andrew. “Has he come back yet? Or did you leave him out there, alone and unwanted, to fend for himself in that dark and foreboding jungle?” She loved to be quite dramatic where her brothers were concerned. 
Angie, as she was commonly known, wore a misshapen outfit, its bright colours certainly ranked as an overstatement. Tiny red high top boots, skin tight green-and-white pin-striped track-pants, a deep blue t-shirt and an outrageous straw hat adorned with colours and miscellaneous jangly items.
“What happened to you? Look like a... a bargain shop with all those crappy fake gold chains and hearts stuck all over you like that.” Andrew had a certain lust for teasing his little sister. “And yes, I did leave him fend for himself, as you put it. He and I separated before we got there, wherever there was anyway. Do you think he’ll find his Martian friends?”
Angie paused, a split second as if deciding an idea. “Just imagine if he did?” She had a certain twinkle in her expression and tone, one, she was sure, that even her blockhead brother would understand.
James was unsure for a moment, then understood. Smiling, he queried, “If he did find his... ‘moon men’, then it would really make his day, wouldn’t you say? I mean, if he were to... accidentally discover two little green people or something...?” The two looked at each other and chuckled. “What do you have that’s green?”
*		*		*
Andrew was absolutely sure that he had heard a noise just behind that rock, and started to climb over it. It was only for a moment- he was sure that it was alien. It had to be! Nothing more could look like that! Tiny blue eyes, a yellow fur covering its body, and six feet. He tried to climb closer- 
What on Earth was that! Andrew jumped to his feet, surveying the densely treed landscape, searching for the source of the loud boom. At the edge of his vision he made out a tall human-like object, clad in multi-coloured green, but as soon as he had turned to face it, it was gone.
Another sound! The opposite direction! He spun, his heartbeat racing in fear and excitement, only to catch a glimpse of another similar creature before it vanished amongst the dark grey-green of the forest about him. The child’s’ mind spun a fantastic tale of Martians, creatures from other worlds with ray-guns and dreams to conquer the planet. Desperation took over, the crazed child took no notice of the two blue-blue eyes of the yellow furry creature as it sat in puzzlement of the strange creature running away before him. Andrew had one last image of the six-legged Martian, happily and patiently watching his fearful plight to safety. He could feel the ominous presence of the swarms of green men with their ray-guns and evil plans, ready to attack and kill him. Finally, after so much running and stumbling, he reached the small enclosure he called home.
“So, Andy, what did you find? Little green men or UFO’s? You were gone long enough.” James and Angie stood peering into Andrew’s room, where their small brother resided on his bed, reading, of all things, a spaceman comic.
“Don’t call me ‘Andy’. And, as a matter of fact, yes I did. I saw hundreds of them. They are planning to attack and take over the world. They were big green men with ray-guns, and there was a little one, a yellow dog-like thing with blue eyes and six legs.” Andrew recalled his brief encounter with the strange creature, a shiver creeping down his spine.
“Gosh.” Angie exasperated. “We better not go out there, eh James?”
“No, Angela.” James replied with an equal but suppressed sarcasm. “We might get disintegrated by the Martians.”
With that, James and Angie linked arms, turned and scuffled off chuckling, closing the door behind them. On the far side of Andrew’s bed, a small, yellow furry creature sat on two hind legs, with its four front legs entwined, as if crossed in a strange manner. When Andrew finally turned around to see it, their eyes locked. Two rich brown eyes stared calmly into two blue-blue eyes. They smiled.