Through the eyes of an alien [Jan2014]

Dear Diary,

This is my first entry. I decided to record my life because there is so much going on and I need a way to express myself. I am pretending that you are an alien, looking into our world because I know, looking from the outside in, our way of doing things and the many unnecessary rituals would seem so strange.

First of all, let me introduce myself. I am a ooglaang. We call ourselves this because in our ancient language "oog" means "great" and "laang" means "people". Our ancestors were extremely powerful and we have carried this name throughout the ages. We are a biped species, very tall with long arms and legs. Our skin is slightly blue, and most of us have red hair with our eye color being red. Our world is cold. Everyone is distant from one another, we live in groups with our immediate family. We may see another family while outside, but it is considered a taboo to talk to a stranger. We live by rules which makes our lives seem distant and the gray skies and snow makes it depressing. At one point, we did have sunlight, we did have warm weather and clear skies, but those days which are written in the ancient texts are considered a mythology, seeming unrealistic to us.

we get together for the celebrations. We are a very ritualistic people. We have many celebrations to honor our gods. We do not know where they came from, but it is said, that they are bearers of wisdom who helped our ancestors to become strong. During this time period, we plan a celebration for the new year. The belief here is that, in order for something to be obtained, a sacrifice must first be given. If we do not want to be destroyed by The Gods in a winter apocalypse, we must offer a life to show them our devotion and gratitude for their protection. These are the beliefs we hold on to, despite never actually seeing these gods ourselves. We get together in a crowd, and a person is randomly selected to be the 'gift' of The gods. It is dedicated in the name of a being who we call "Kaarton" because he is our defender who gives us great luck and he is said to be the most powerful.

Many people run away because of the fear of being selected. This year, I am one of the few who escaped. I left behind my family. Everything I ever knew is gone. Now, I am far away. I am freezing in a cave. I look outside, and there is nothing but snow falling. I'm not even sure which direction I'd walk if I were to leave. There is nothing but snow falling, there is no one in sight, no place in sight. Could it be, that the god is punishing me? Could it be that I was the one he would have chosen through his priests? Now that the snow is up to my stomach, I wonder if the world really is ending, or if it is just all in my mind...

interesting. is this your first draft? have you written a backstory for this race of aliens in terms of how they got where they have by not talking to each other? some history science an arts an culture?

reply to post by taoistguy


Yes, I just made this story.
I didn't think about any social history of this alien species.

reply to post by arpgme


I think it is an awesome story. Had me enthralled until the end when it was over