Void Creatures of Alpha Centauri

It started on a night just like any other. My friends and I had decided to sneak out to the old observatory, the one that creaked and groaned with every gust of wind, perched on the outskirts of our sleepy little town. The stars were especially bright that night, like pinholes in the fabric of the universe, and I felt a strange pull, a thrill of anticipation that I couldn’t quite explain.

"Come on, Max! We’re going to miss it!" Jenna’s voice cut through the evening air, her flashlight bobbing wildly as she hurried ahead. Her excitement was contagious, but a knot of unease settled in my stomach. It was just the four of us: Jenna, my best friend David, the quiet but perceptive Claire, and me.

We reached the observatory just as the last hues of twilight surrendered to the black velvet sky. Inside, the place was musty, filled with the scent of old books and forgotten memories. I could almost hear the whispers of astronomers long gone, their hopes and dreams still echoing in the dim light.

"Look at this!" David exclaimed, pointing at a dusty telescope in the corner. "If we align this with Alpha Centauri, we might see something incredible!"

The thought thrilled me. Alpha Centauri was a distant star system, one of the closest to Earth, a mere four light-years away. I felt a shiver of excitement and dread as we gathered around the telescope, each of us taking turns to peer into the eyepiece.

When my turn came, I placed my eye against the cold metal. At first, it was just a blur, a swirl of stars. But then, something shifted—a dark shape appeared. I blinked, adjusting my focus, and there it was: a colossal shadow, darting between the stars like a predator stalking its prey. My heart raced. "Guys, come look at this!" I shouted.

As they crowded around, I felt a surge of exhilaration. But as they took their turns, I noticed something odd. Each of them gasped, eyes wide with horror, before stumbling back, shaken. Jenna shuddered, her voice barely above a whisper. "What… what is that thing?"

I looked back through the telescope. The dark shape had morphed into something grotesque—tentacles writhing, an endless void where a face should be. A feeling of dread washed over me. I blinked again, trying to convince myself it was just a trick of the light, a figment of my imagination. 

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t. Claire clutched her arms, whispering, “I don’t like this. Let’s go.” But the curiosity had gripped me tight. What were we looking at? Could it be a new life form? 

Ignoring her protests, I took another look. The creature seemed to be moving closer, its tentacles stretching outwards like hands reaching through the cosmos. My breath caught in my throat, and I felt a sudden chill sweep through the room. 

David stepped back, panic flashing across his face. "It looks… alive. And it’s watching us!"

Before I could respond, the lights flickered and went out, plunging us into darkness. Jenna shrieked, her voice echoing through the silence. “Max! What’s happening?” 

“Just the power, it’ll come back!” I tried to sound reassuring, but my own heart raced. I fumbled for my phone, the light flickering weakly as I scanned the room. 

That’s when I noticed something strange—a thin line of darkness seeping in from the edges of the room, creeping towards us like fog on a cold morning. My skin crawled as I realized it was moving with purpose, coiling around our legs, cold and clammy. 

“We need to get out!” Claire shouted, and in that moment, her voice snapped me into action. We stumbled toward the door, but the darkness closed in, wrapping around our ankles, pulling us back. 

I fought against it, desperately grabbing for the doorknob, but it was too late. The shadows engulfed us, swirling in a vortex of blackness. I felt my mind fraying at the edges, the last remnants of sanity slipping away. I screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the abyss.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the darkness receded, and I found myself standing alone in the observatory, the stars twinkling innocently outside. The telescope stood silent in the corner, and my friends were gone. 

“Guys?” My voice echoed in the empty room. Panic clawed at my throat as I searched frantically. They had to be here! 

But all that remained were the memories of their terrified faces, each staring into the void, just like me. 

As I turned back to the telescope, a chill swept through me once more. I peered into the eyepiece again. The vastness of space greeted me, but this time, something new flickered in the dark—a constellation, unmistakably shaped like my friends, forever trapped among the stars, the void creatures of Alpha Centauri.

I stumbled back, realization crashing over me. I was still here. I was the only one left. As the shadows whispered my name, I understood that curiosity had a price—and now, it was my turn to become part of the void.