Alien20Resonance.txtALIEN RESONANCETom EastonBox 2724 RFD 4Belfast ME 04915207-338-1074a novella of about 25300 wordsIAlec Strange balanced on a lichen-covered boulder. Other boulders lay to rightand left rounded humps and tilted slabs set in a matrix of sand and gravel andbroken sticks. The heavy boughs of balsam firs swayed at his back saplings ofbirch and maple thrusting up among them. Sunlight striking through new growthbathed him in cool soft green.He faced a deep pool set about with granite and shale its waters darkened bythe juices of rotting leaves. Glints of sun soaked into the brook glowingbrown. Dabs of foam drifted on the current. Shadows marked the bottom and ahollow fell away beneath a steep-sided rock.When Alec cast his fly over the pools deepest spot a gray-green shape spedfrom the dark below. His heart began to race. He grinned his hand tensed on therod and a moment later he held an eight-inch trout in his hand.Then he moved on stepping from his boulder to another savoring the crunch oflichen the cushion of moss the brush of fir across his cheek. He moved up thestream following a redstart as it soared bright