Punching the Moon
Encountering the unknown isn't so hard to master
R.J. Bloom
6/10/2026
Punching the Moon is a short story about encountering something or someone foreign to oneself. What centers you when you meet someone alien to yourself or move to a new land? Subscribe below to read the full 809-word short story examining these unknowns.
And now, here's an itty bitty preview of Punching the Moon by R.J. Bloom:
‘Proximity breeds empathy’ played over and over in her mind as she tried to ascertain whether they came to simply live in this space or to get rid of the beings already in this place. ‘Proximity breeds empathy’ was the slogan she saw luminated a billboard advocating for love and peace. She tried to believe in her heart that proximity breeds empathy but she knew seeing the motives of the Others would be a hard one to master, especially when the Other was completely and utterly foreign and alien to yourself.
For years, the Others had failed at attempted launches and landings; plans thwarted by distance, budget, ego and such. She knew one day soon those failings would turn into winnings. She and her people pondered, debated and eventually planned for the coming tide.
Approximately 33 lunar days ago, she and her people were baptized in tears. The Others had landed with a heart-stopping boom and fuss while simultaneously ignoring and flooring all of Us.
