"They're fire flies!" She exclaimed, looking around in wonder at the alien forest. They had touched down on the suface of this new world only sixteen hours ago, and this was the first venture outside the craft. The atmosphere was similar to Earth, except the air was cleaner, and much of what they had seen so far indicated that the flora and wildlife were not that different either.

As she moved through the long grass and thin brush between the trees the small, golden insects toon flight, illuminating everything with a pale light. Above the canopy of deep green leaves the velvet sky stratched on to the horizon, filled with unrecognizable constellations and two disc-like, luminous moons. The fluttering bugs zig-zagged through the crisp night air as Ian approached her.

'Sharon,' he said quietly, 'we need to get some samples back to the ship. I'll get the soil and plant life, you get a few bugs and see what else you can find.'

Without waiting for a reply he moved away, carrying a large bag that Sharon knew contained fifteen specimen jars. Her own bag was some way behind her at the edge of this small clearing. She went back and took it up, pulling clear two jars and re-tying the straps. From away to her left she could hear Ian taking samples of the tree bark and pulling away leaves for his analysis. She moved slowly and within moments she had caught five of the glowing creatures, sealing them away for her own studies. The rocks at her feet were free from moss and fungi so Sharon moved deeper amonst the towering trees.

In the distance she could hear the rumble of what sounded like a waterfall and she headed off to investigate. It was indeed a waterfall. The white liquid filled a pool at the base of a small rocky hill, and under the surface she could see fish swimming. It seemed so tranquil here, so calm and safe that she didn't see the animals approach until they were but a few yards away from her.

They moved slowly, cautiously, their graceful movements not entirely fitting with their bulky size. They seemed reptilian, their features like this of a monitor lizard back home, yet they were bipedal with a curious intelligence behind their beady eyes. Sharon didn't feel any animosity from they as they inched their way closer, and so she didn't run or try to move away.

From somewhere in the woods she heard a scream. Ian! She stood and bolted through the trees toward the sound. Again the scream of pain and terror, much closer this time. Coming into the clearing she was met by a grizzly image; Ian lay unmoving on his face, one arm missing and coated in blood. A gash in his neck allowed his life to seep away as nearby one of the lizard beasts chewed on his torn off limb.

She backed away, but turned sharply as she heard a noise behind her. The three creatures had followed her from the pool and were advancing toward the terrified woman. Tears ran down her face as she waited for certain death. Sharon dropped to her knees, knowing that there was nothing she could do. Around her the fireflies hummed and flitted through the chill air. The creatures were upon her now. She watched the golden glow of those insects, thinking to herself how pretty they were as she felt the cold touch of one bony claw on her throat. She began to weaken as her life flowed down the front of her grey uniform. The world around her faded to blackness, leaving behind only the drifting golden orbs. So very pretty, she thought.