Excerpt: Like Jello...

He was startled the first time a vehicle came whizzing by him, but he soon became calm around them. The more he stood still, watching, the more facinated he became. What an interesting way to travel!

He wretchedly pulled his eyes away from the traffic and began to walk. He became incresaingly frustrated as he came in contact with no people. How disappointing!

Finally, after a good fifteen minute walk, he saw a pedestrian. Across the street was, he had to admit, a stunning girl of about eighteen. She had stark black hair that waved down to the middle of her back. She was strolling rather slowly down her stretch of sidewalk, seemingly lost in thought.

Merriewether's heart skipped a beat. A native! Granted, he could not probe her with his usual list of questions, being incognito, but he could surely hold a pleasant conversation with her. That would definately be interesting!

He ran across the street, not even bothering to look for the dangerous form of traffic he had oringally been so enthralled with. There were several honks, and one red vehicle was forced to swerve out of his lane to avoid the eager historian, who hardly noticed at all.

After nearly escaping death unknowingly, Merriewether reached the other sidewalk and promptly stopped in front of the daydreaming girl. Shocked, and only a little annoyed, she pulled odd white wires out of her ears, draping them lazily acorss her bare shoulders. Merriewether scrunched up his face at the odd ---music?--- escaping from its tiny buds. The girl looked at him impatiently, expecting some form of reaction from him, but Merriewether just stood there, ignorantly waiting for a greeting. The girl rolled her eyes loftily.

"Hello?" Merriewether beamed, his smile reaching its full stretch.
"Hello!" he replied cheerfully.
And then he stabbed her in the stomach.
---

This was most definately not what he had expected to happen.

To make up for the pathetic amount of information available about Earth, Merriewether had returned to studying his own planet again. It was half inspired by Earth anyway. Some of the traditions of his planet's beginnings had to be similar. Right?

Merriewether had only dredged up one formal way of greeting besides the semi-traditional handshake--- stabbing the newcomer in the stomach.
The other half of his planet's history came from a planet of gooey shapeshifters. Because of this composition, while the new species could not shapeshift, their insides were, indeed, gooey. Sharp objects could easily pass through any body part with no harm whatsoever to one's body. Therefore, allowing someone to stab you in a seemingly vulnerable area (very personal and close to the center of one's body), was a sign of trust. Although there was always the occasional hothead--- or phobic--- who would wear a chest plate that would damage the sharp blade and prevent the greeting. These sorts of people were usually austracized from society.

To Merriewether, this widely popular tradition would be the most successful in being welcomed on Earth. He always tried to be formal; he wanted to make a good impressions.

But this was most definately not what he had expected to happen at all.

The girl had instantly dropped to the ground like a stone. Her white wires, attatched to a red square thing, had flown into the now empty street. He body was flopped over, limbs sprawled and hair thrown across her face like a shadow.

And from her stomach, where he had stabbed her, a thick, dark red liquid was oozing out, creating a puddle in which she now lay. Merriewether stood flabbergasted--- his mouth agape at the fallen girl. What was going on? Did he hurt her? The memory of his government echoed in his ear: Don't attract attention.