Leading the other boy around to the back of the metal object, Josh climbed the rungs on the side of it, which led to the top. He reached out a hand to Tyler to help him up, but Tyler brushed him off and climbed the ladder on his own.

The two stood on top of the metal, together.

Josh sat, legs crossed, then looked to Tyler, as if waiting for him to do the same.

After a moment's hesitation, Tyler did just that, sitting across from Josh. He noted that the metal felt cool under his touch, and he absentmindedly rubbed the metal with his thumb, liking the strange feel of it. He looked back up to Josh.

Josh blinked. Tyler did too.

"Well?" Tyler said, finally. "Explain."

And so, Josh did.

He told Tyler he was from a planet a few light years away. A black hole had been found nearby, and the planet had been drifting towards it. As soon as the news broke, everyone had begun to panic, fleeing to their emergency vessels and escaping. 

In all the rush, Josh had been separated from his family, but was able to escape in an extra vessel at the last second. He didn't know how to pilot a vessel, being so young, nor even where the rendezvous point was, so he became horribly lost.

Finally he spotted Earth, a beautiful blue, green, and white planet among the typical brown and gray. He tried to land there safely, but had crashed, though he thankfully suffered no injuries.

Tyler just sat there, listening as Josh finished his tale. The alien boy's empty black eyes stared directly into Tyler's brown ones.

"Do you believe me?"

Tyler didn't know what to say.