SHINY LITTLE EYES_ by Andrea Pozzoli

After years of research and attempts, the astronauts had finally landed on the Martian soil.
They had immediately begun to drill the ground, because they knew there was a net of underground rivers just beneath the surface. But none of them was prepared to what they saw the minute they reached the first underground cave.

They found a system of tunnels full of ice, a type of ice that didn’t melt easily. It was strange because there were brooks of water: why didn’t it freeze in such a low temperature? How could it flow? The astronauts couldn’t find an answer, but the captain said: ”Questions for later. We haven’t got any time to waste. Right now our goal is to see as much as we can. So keep on walking. I think we’ll have much to report to our base on Earth.”

The astronauts resumed their exploration. Some passage were blocked by ice, and they had to look for other ways because they couldn’t open those, it would have taken too long.

In the end, they found something unexpected, something alive, something like…a reptile! It was like a lizard, but bigger, with three little eyes on the sides of his head and six legs. But the greatest oddity was his skin. It was constantly changing color. An astronauts tried to catch it, and realized that the lizard was hot. He managed to hold the creature for no more than a few seconds, because it wriggled strongly, until it managed to turn around and bite the man. The astronaut immediately let go of the reptile, blood dripping from his torn spacesuit. The lizard quickly ran away, disappearing in the darkness of an underground cave.

“Follow it!” exclaimed the captain. The astronauts rushed after the creature, but in a few minutes they were surrounded by lizards. They were of many colours, and every color was mirrored in the ice. The lizards looked menacing, and they were closing in.

“We have to get out of here!” cried the captain. The lizards were getting closer and closer. A firearm shot, burning a lizard. The creature sent a shrill cry of agony, that echoed in the caves. More lizards came, and they crept on the walls and ceiling of the cave, until all around the astronauts there was nothing but colored skin, shiny little eyes and pointed little teeth. Thousands of extremely pointed little teeth.