Off Course
Simon Haynes
Copyright (c) 2011 by Simon Haynes
Smashwords Edition
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It was an overcast day, mid-week, and the golf course was almost deserted. Three elderly men had reached the seventh tee, where Jack and Rex were watching Tom, the third member of their group. He was hunched, frail, and his hands shook as he held the worn grip on his driver. He addressed the ball for a moment, then wound the club back with a slow, jerky back-swing. There was an audible creak at full stretch, and then a whoosh as the club came down.
Crack!
Tom turned his back on his companions and slotted the driver into his ancient golf bag. A grin spread over his face as he heard the others cursing.
"Goin' all the way, you old bastard," muttered Jack.
There was a short silence as the men pulled their golf buggies onto the fairway, heading for the distant flag.
"Bugger's still got a grin on his face."
"Watch him three-putt for a bogey," puffed Rex. They all looked up as something rumbled overhead. "That's all we need. Lightning."
"Never stopped us before," called Tom. "Hey, do you remember the joke about the one-iron?"
The others groaned.
Suddenly the roar got louder, and the men craned their necks to stare at the leaden sky. Their mouths fell open as a silver shape the size of a small house dropped through the clouds and landed neatly on the green, snapping the flag in two and pressing Tom's ball into the smooth turf. A rectangular crack appeared, and a section of the ship's hull folded out. The end thudded down, biting into the turf alongside the closely-cropped green.
A figure appeared in the opening, tall and well-built. It could have been human, except for the pallid green skin and silvery eyes. The creature lifted both hands to its head, ran its fingers through its hair and then looked at the approaching trio of golfers. Then it raised both arms, stepped onto the platform and spoke with a bellow. "Greetings, humans! I come in peace!"
"Nick off!" shouted Tom. "It's seven years since I hit this bloody green, and you just landed that stinking contraption right on my ball!"