This is a short story created by the brilliant mind of Piper Palmer. A girl full of spunk, adventure, and creativity. Please enjoy!

Harper missed her parents.

It was possible that they could be alive, although unlikely.

Before the incident, they had all lived happily in a well furnished mansion with their butler, Freddy.

Throughout her entire childhood, Harper had rarely seen her parents. They had always been strong advocates for space leading them to travel often. However that didn’t change the fact that upon their sudden absence a rather large hole now occupied her heart.

Harper could still remember the day vividly.

The mansion had a spacious library, comfortably furnished. Harper had read the majority of books in the library, most of which were on the topic of space and travel. While captivated in her reading of “The Universe & Everything In It” by Professor Jay Robertson, the doors had burst open and Freddy came running through.

“Harper, come quick there has been an accident.” Freddy gasped.

As they rushed to the front door she could hear the sound of sirens. When she pushed the doors open the bright white headlights of police cars engulfed her

The next thing Harper knew she was at the police station with Freddy.

The police told them that while her parents had been gone on one of their expeditions something had gone wrong.

Smoke had been sighted on the coast of Panama and on further investigation the police discovered a gently smoldering camp fire at a camp site previously inhabited by Harper’s parents.

When the police had completed their search the only evidence found was the still burning fire, a single tent, and a photo of the family.

That evening the police searched the mansion for any evidence of her parents, of which none was ever found.

That was six months ago.

Now, while sitting on the end of her bed with her feet touching the cold tile, she took a deep breath preparing for another day at the orphanage. But, today was a bit different. It was the day she would meet her new family.

A few hours later Harper sat waiting in a small barely furnished room.

Eventually, a tall man and a short women walked through the door. The man had black hair, a voluptuous mustache, and bowler hat on his head. The women had long blonde curly hair and heavy makeup, making her appear younger than she was.

The man appeared to be in his thirties while the women in her twenties.

After signing the last of the legal documents the couple escorted Harper out of the orphanage and into a black limousine, with her few belongings.

After a thirty minute drive, they arrived back at Harper’s old home. Because Harper was legally the primary inheritor of the property, she was able to claim and inhabit the land.

In one sweeping motion, as they arrived and walked into the mansion, the man took off his mustache and the women wiped away her makeup.

Smiling they said, “Welcome home.”

Shocked Harper stood dumb founded with eyes wider than Cygnus X-1, a stellar-mass black hole and x-ray source that lies some 6,500 light-years away.

Standing in front of here were her parents, smiling brightly and very much alive!

That night over hot chocolate, soylent, and cookies her parents explained everything.

Their six month absence had been caused by a dreadful scare.

From what was a rather long journey, they summarize the events to best answer Harper’s pressing questions.

When Harper was born they had discovered a distant meteor on course to collide with the earth in a few years. They dedicated much of their time researching to determine the best course of action to deflect the impending collision. Thus, the reason for their frequent absences throughout her childhood.

When they heard news of the meteor breaking the atmosphere six months ago they had traveled to Panama where they had taken a small space craft to divert the meteor from hitting earth. The craft was filled with explosives so when they aligned the route to collide with the meteor they fled in an escape pod. Leaving the meteor as drifting remains in the atmosphere.

The only recollection of it is now captured in the newest edition of “The Universe & Everything In It” by Professor Jay Robertson.

And after that, the family lived happily together, all very much alive.

The end.