Lynn Combs

Before “E.T.” phoned home, before “Men in Black” cleaned up the mess—there was Victor Dane and the kids from Glenwood High.

When Victor transfers to Glenwood High, four friends—Eddie the dreamer, Shirley the skeptic, Danny the troublemaker, and quiet Maggie—can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. He talks like a machine, studies people like specimens, and vanishes every night into the fields beyond town.

One night, they follow him to the old water tower—and discover the truth. Victor isn’t from Earth. His mission is to decide whether humanity is worth saving. And what else can four small-town kids do but try to change his mind?

Now, they’ve got to prove Earth deserves to survive. Between jukeboxes, football games, milkshakes, and dances under the stars, they’ll show Victor what it means to be human—before a shadowy government agent catches up and his final report seals the planet’s fate.

This Story took First Place in the Space Journey Award Contest at the 2025 OCW (Ozarks Creative Writers) Conference.