He had been watching the stars since he was young. His mother named him Howard for this reason; “the watcher”. She admired his green eyes, reflective of the night sky. He always had the intent of going to the stars, but not for a short visit. He intended to stay among the stars. In 1952, that was an impossible dream.

“Can you see me too?,” he questioned the stars. His bright green eyes gazed into the night. The stars twinkled back at him as if they were contacting him in a secret language. 66 years had passed, his dreams were back in the shadows of the house he had constructed for his wife. His young grandson sat on his right knee bouncing up and down with excitement.

“Can I go to space, papa?”, the child begged. Howard frowned, returning his gaze on his grandson. His white and grey speckled beard brushed the child’s cheek. He grinned widely.

“You can do whatever you set your mind to. I am going up there soon, the men in the sky told me.” Howard’s daughter screeched, yanking her child away.

“Dad, you can’t talk about those crazy things with him! He’s too young to be fed nonsense.” Howard turned to look inside the house. The faint light coming from the television showed an old cartoon of a cat chasing a mouse. His daughter’s blue eyes casted a subtle glare in his direction. He sighed deeply, glancing down.

“I would never tell my grandson nonsense. Much less sit him in front of a TV so you can do who-knows-what--”

“I’m leaving. That was the last straw dad.”

Howard’s grandson wailed, his daughter sprinted to the front door, and he stared at the open sky. Stars spilled across the dark blue night, as if someone had accidently dumped them out of a bucket sporadically.

And that was the exact moment he decided. He would not wait.

Howard Malory’s house had long been occupied by his wife. In recent years she became fed up with the way he talked about the world, and decided it would be better if they were not together anymore. His wife packed up her things, leaving him with what little he had left. His car, his astronomy equipment and his journals. His dark green Infiniti was parked in front of his driveway. He figured it was too ugly and old to ever get stolen, so he kept all sorts of junk in his car. It was on this night, he decided to bring his car on an excursion, one which he did not want to return on. He moved his car from the driveway into his garage, and for the first time he drifted off to sleep, eager for the next day’s expedition.

A light haze filled Howard’s bedroom that night, seeping in through the windows, imprinting a strange green glow onto every inch of the room. The haze slowly eased its way onto Howard’s face, suffocating him. He lay in bed kicking his feet and desperately gasping for air. The mysterious haze flowed effortlessly into Howard’s throat, filling his lungs. The more he breathed in, the more it consumed him. The color of his skin changed from tanned to a pink sinewy color. All at once, his green eyes began to glow with intent.

“I will meet you at Tanda,” a voice said to him. Howard rose from his bed, quickly grabbed his navy baseball hat and ran out the door. His car could only take him so far, but the voice would guide him. He had been waiting for this moment his entire life. He would make it to Tanda.

Howard journeyed through countless towns on his way, his green eyes mirrored the never ending road. The voice accompanied him on his trip, explaining to him, “You will be at peace once you reach Tanda.”

“You will be home soon enough, watcher.”

“Home...” Howard repeated in a dream like state. His eyes fixed upon the glowing moon, growing larger as Howard neared his final resting place.

On his way, Howard had to make one stop. As he pulled into the gas station, he spotted a little girl was sitting with her mother.

“Look mommy! It’s Santa Claus!” the little girl shouted.

“Honey, that’s not nice to say, you don’t even know if he’s Santa Claus!” Howard chuckled and watched the mother force a smile as she pulled her daughter away, flustered. Howard neared them, watching intensely.

“Do you see the man on the moon?” the little girl asked her mother. She hid behind her mother’s skirt, shyly tugging on the end of it to cover her face. She had bright green eyes, just like his. They gleamed with excitement as her eyes darted over the sky.

“Nonsense, there is no man on the moon,” the mother said, her brown eyes were dulled, dark circles fell underneath them. Howard glanced at her shaking his head, then returned her gaze to the young girl.

“The man on the moon will help you get there. He has little helpers.” Howard smiled to himself, the girl could see them too. He wasn’t the only one.

“Sweetie, what are you talking about?” the mother said. Howard frowned, unsure if he should let the child know that she was not crazy, she could just see the way the world worked. Howard’s mother let him dream, but not all mothers were like his. She was unique, and doomed from the beginning.

“I can see the man on the moon too, honey,” Howard stated calmly as he waltzed away. This was the last encounter he had. Hours later, Howard Malory was presumed to be dead.

Eleven years later, Howard’s car had been found. His belongings were placed in the exact place where Howard had arranged them, but his body was nowhere near the car. His body was found 10 miles away, in an open corn field. There were no marks on his body, and his mouth was curled into a smile. An autopsy of his body was never done for reasons unknown.

Some have speculated that he had a heart attack while trying to look for help, others believe that he was murdered. Unbeknownst to them, Howard has guided lost souls to the stars, where they may be at peace eternally with the green men of the night.