Night Lights

Question

K. Reiter

The cool summer breeze blew Joni’s hair this way and that as Marshall cruised down the road, his hat pulled down just covering his bushy eyebrows. Cruising in the red jeep with the top down had become one of heir favorite evening activities. The music blared, causing the seats to vibrate with every beat. Joni and Marshall bobbed their heads as they drove through the neighborhood.

The sun had started to set, and the sky darkened. The moon overhead hid behind the dark clouds, and the stars twinkled from afar. As Joni and Marshall sat idly at the stop sign, Joni gazed up at the nebulous sky out of the open rooftop of the jeep. Her mind began to wander when out of nowhere, she noticed that the lights above were moving. Was it an airplane? Or a shooting star? Was it Amelia Earhart?

“Hey, Marshall. Do you see those lights moving?” Joni asked.

“It’s just an airplane,” Marshall responded in a way that let Joni know he thought she was crazy. He brought the jeep to a stop and gawked up at the sky.

“Wait, there’s more,” Joni said excitedly as she pointed into the sky. The bright lights were equally spaced apart and moving at a rapid speed, much faster than an airplane. An eerie haze had settled, and the moon’s glow was barely visible.

“What is the world?” Marshall pondered as he tossed his hat in the backseat and tilted his head until his nose was high in the air. Joni and Marshall began to count the strange lights as they reappeared from behind the dark clouds, only to disappear again. They counted eight in total that were strung across the sky like Christmas lights.

“I think we’ve just witnessed an alien invasion,” Joni stated as her eyes widened. She stared at Marshall as he continued to peer into the mysterious sky. When the lights had completely disappeared from their sight, Marshall continued to drive slowly down the street. Joni sat in silence, the hair on her arms still standing on end.

“That was wi..,” Joni started to say when she noticed the lights out of the corner of her eye. But this time, they were lower in the sky and seemed to be trailing them. Marshall stepped on the gas and tried to lose them, but they were in hot pursuit of the jeep. Marshall jerked the jeep around the corner. He felt like he was in an Indy race.

“I have a plan,” Marshall whispered as if the lights were able to hear him. “Follow my lead.” He brought the jeep to an abrupt stop and leaped out. Joni did the same. Both started to sprint towards a big tree. They took shelter behind it. The strange lights soon disappeared

Answer 1

from view, and the duo pressed their backs against the rough bark of the tree, their breaths coming in short, excited gasps.

“What do we do now?” Joni whispered, her heart racing. She could still see the faint glow of the lights dancing in her mind, like fireflies skirting along the edges of her awareness.

Marshall peered cautiously around the tree, his earlier bravado evaporating. “I… I don’t know,” he said, glancing back at her with wide eyes. “Maybe they’re just drones or something? You know, people taking summer night pictures?”

“Drones don’t move like that, Marshall. They were too fast!” Joni argued, her voice a mix of fear and exhilaration. “And they were all in a line! Like some kind of formation.”

As they huddled behind the tree, Joni’s imagination spiraled into overdrive. What if they weren’t just lights at all? What if they belonged to extraterrestrial beings watching, studying them? She bit her lip, a mix of fear and awe buzzing in her mind.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound came from the bushes nearby, making both of them jump. Joni peered cautiously toward the sound and gasped. "What if it’s them!” she exclaimed, gripping Marshall's arm tightly.

“Shh!” he hissed, his eyes darting nervously. They strained their ears, attempting to discern any other noises as the tension in the air thickened. Was it just the wind, or something else?

After several tense moments, a figure emerged from the bushes— it was just a raccoon, its eyes wide and bright in the dim light. Joni let out a relieved laugh, but Marshall remained on high alert.

“Okay, we need to get back to the car and go home,” he said, determination stiffening his resolve.

“Are you sure?” Joni hesitated, glancing back to the spot where the lights had vanished. “What if they come back? What if we miss something amazing?”

Marshall shook his head. “The amazing thing right now is that we’re alive and un- abducted. Let’s not push our luck.”

They darted back to the jeep, which sat silent under the still darkening sky. Marshall jumped into the driver’s seat, and Joni hopped in beside him, glancing nervously over her shoulder as Marshall revved the engine. He rolled out onto the road, leaving behind shadows and whispers of what had just transpired.

As they cruised along, they stayed quiet, each lost in their thoughts. The music from the jeep’s stereo was drowned out by the sound of Joni’s racing thoughts. What if they weren’t alone? What if things were changing— not just in the world around them, but in themselves too?

Finally, Joni broke the silence. "What if those lights were a message? Something beyond us? What if we’re meant to find out what they are?”

Marshall was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly. “Then we need to be careful. But also… curious.”

Joni smiled, feeling a spark of adventure igniting within her. “You’re right. Curiosity is what makes life exciting.”

As they sped through the darkened streets, the stars began to peek through the clouds again, twinkling bright and mischievous above. The remnants of the evening’s mystery hung in the air like the fading warmth of the summer night, intertwining with anything that was yet to come. The thrill of uncertainty shimmered between them, and Joni couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was just the beginning.