Critique:
"The Helper"

This piece is a different way to look at "the third mass" from the "Source" -each of which, readers discover, are respectively the "Earth" and the "Sun." Readers also discover that the titular helper is not a "human" but rather a form in space so unique and unfamiliar, it refers to "atoms" as different than itself, to space as its non-named home, and to "a little boy" as a life form taken on by this being to study "humans."

A great deal of the beginning of the piece sets this up. This reader (me) feels the first paragraph could be dispensed with altogether, and the mystery and semi-scientific POV of the third-person narration is still set for readers to understand.

I think too much exposition about this alien and very tiny being's POV before it becomes interested in energy on Earth might discourage readers from continuing the story. Readers will quickly understand that the being might be "absorbed" and is considered "unstable" by like-beings because of its interest in humans. A few sentences about this seems enough.

I very much like the idea behind this. It seems an excellent way to see human activities... (not to mention that of trees and cats -a very fine touch is used for those- it's lightly and quickly done) ...from a foreign being... a very foreign being. This being could be described more briefly to keep attention.

Any choices to change anything in a piece is always up to the writer, of course, but I suggest not using any part you have in brackets. It becomes repetitive to a degree that's a bit uncomfortable for readers when this being keeps defining everything in those brackets: "rain" - "home" - "umbrella" - "family" and more. A little goes a long way in this case.

If a being is already on Earth long enough to not define much about a tree or a cat, why does it keep defining other things, things so much a part of the shape the being takes, like that of a little boy? Readers know what a house, tin, lid, etc. are, and the brackets become a liability, in my opinion.

I like the ending quite a lot. This being, in its shape as a little boy who carries pants (are you sure you noted the picture you wrote this about enough- is there enough about pants? I'm not sure) now goes into a house (thankfully not defined again) and does what it/he does as it/he sees a human do. The ending makes a world.. (yes, I use that word on purpose, *laughing*) ..makes a world of difference, bringing the being/boy to a reader's level, no matter one's age or interests.

Again, everything is up to you as the writer. This critique is just the way I see it. To answer the questions I recall (I can't see them from this Critique Box) -I think it might be interesting to add dialogue of some kind, even inner dialogue this being has (avoiding too much science and too many definitions). I think you might get away without any dialogue as well, depending on edits.

Your character's personality is a bit in danger of being lost in "entanglements of the third kind" (sorry, couldn't avoid a bit of humor) but I think you can easily solve that with cuts here and there. No additions are needed that I see.

A good job on a difficult collaboration, one worthy of a little more work, mainly to see what can be left out and why. Oh, and a few too many passive verb forms are used (at least for me), identified (as you know) by the word "had," when you can simply use a past tense verb without the "had."

Thank you for letting me critique a very interesting story.