Submission (#6621) Approved

P.s. I'm sorry if there are any mistakes. English is not my native language. There 584 words

Witness, a tall, pumped-up terra with long black hair, stood at the top of the cliff, staring up at the night sky. It seemed especially mysterious tonight, with cold stars twinkling above, and a nebula blurred with silver light shrouding the horizon. But that wasn't what was most unusual. A few days ago a huge spaceship had appeared in the sky, flying over Terrah, and since then strange things had begun to happen.

The disappearances, at first glance, seemed insignificant: a few items had vanished from terra homes - ordinary things like books, kitchen utensils, children's toys. However, there was something more behind it; there was some pattern to it. Witness couldn't escape the thought that this wasn't just a coincidence, and that the ship everyone had seen had something to do with these disappearances.

The top of the Terrah, as usual, brushed off the speculation of the commoners. "It's not our level," - the leader would say, leaving them to deal with their own anxieties. But Witness was not one to simply accept it.

That evening, standing on the cliff, he sensed the ship again. A huge black silhouette, sailing slowly over the horizon like a ghost shrouded in darkness. Witness squinted, and he thought he saw a flicker of light in the sky - lights as if searching for something, scouring the terrain below. He clutched in his hand a communications device given to him by a friend working at the orbital station. This was his chance.

- Okay, let's see what you are," he muttered, activating the device.

The connection to the ship was, oddly enough, instantaneous. An image of a strange creature appeared on the screen - tall, almost as tall as terra himself, with smooth skin the color of copper. The creature looked at terra with interest.

- Who are you?" Witness asked, trying to hide his surprise.

- My name is Tarrak, and I am a researcher,- the creature replied calmly. - My team is studying your planet. We have taken some items to analyze, they will be returned soon.

Witness clenched his fists. "Explorers, then..." he thought. - "You steal our stuff and you think it's okay?

Tarrak frowned, his face remaining impenetrable. - "We mean no harm," - he replied. - "We need to understand your civilization. The return of the items has already begun."

Witness couldn't believe his ears. "They think they can just barge into our lives like that, take anything and walk away?" - the thought of it boiled up in his head. In spite of his anger, however, he decided to act differently.

- Look,- Witness began, softening his tone,- If you want to study our planet, why not do it openly? We could cooperate. But you can't just steal from us like thieves in the night.

Tarrak hesitated for a moment. Something like understanding flashed in his eyes.

- Perhaps you are right,- he said at last. - We didn't realize it would make you feel this way. I will suggest your idea to our leaders.

Witness exhaled slowly, feeling the tension leave his body. It was only the beginning, but he knew he had taken the first step toward not only recovering the missing items, but also making contact with those who had come from the distant space.

The ship, emitting a low rumble, slowly began to rise higher into the sky until it disappeared over the horizon. Witness looked at the device in his hand. Perhaps a future awaited them in which the terras could stand side by side with those once unknown to them.