Flash
The strange light sparkled up in the sky. It moved erratically over the pitch-black lake, barely lit by the cloudless night. The light dashed over the tree line. Then it was back over the lake as fast as it had dashed behind the trees, and it disappeared completely, as if nothing had ever happened.
I squeezed my finger over my camera’s trigger and took picture after picture as I watched the light dance through the finder, and when it disappeared, I gasped. I had come here to find out if the reports of strange lights were true, not expecting to find anything. Just stories of people up too late, but here they were at the exact time the other had said.
I had always believed. Always thought we couldn’t be alone in such a vast universe. Now, now… I wasn’t sure what to think. There was this suffocating feeling inside my chest—a squeezing fear accompanied by nausea at the thought that everything would change from now on.
I took deep breaths and waited for the light to return. They didn’t. I turned my flashlight on and began my hike to my Toyota. My mind was swirling fast, unable to think about what all this meant. If the pictures came out right, I would have proof that UFOs were real. I was already preparing what to write on my blog and what to say on my podcast. My readers would go crazy over the proof. There was no doubt that my readership would multiply, but I couldn’t care less about that. All I cared about was the truth.
My mind kept racing over all the details and all the books I would reference. So much so that I didn’t hear or notice the rustle coming from the woods until it was too late. Something dark and big stood in front of me just outside the view of my flashlight. I panicked and swirled around to run back to the lake.
Something was coming behind me. Its feet thudded against the ground, snapping branches in half.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, I thought. I tried to keep my running steady and not slip on the stones and roots, slick from today’s rain. But I did. Before the path took a sharp turn to the lake, I went flying down, landing on my forearms, and almost banged my head against a protruding rock on the trail. I swirled around, feeling a sharp pain in my lower back.
That was the least of my worries. A huge, alien-like creature came at me at high speed on all fours. Its four long limbs worked together like a spider’s. I reached for my camera and turned on the flash. I let out a rabid fire of shots, not even bothering to adjust the view and just trying to get something before I died.
The flashes lit the whole forest in harsh, fluorescent light, hurting my eyes and making the alien barely visible.
The creature let out a screech, and before it reached me, it dived into the woods. I listened as its thudding feet faded before I got up.
All the way to the car, I listened for even the slightest change in sound, jumping at every creak and moan the trees let out, keeping my camera and flash ready. My hands shook when I got to the car, and I fumbled for the keys to my black hybrid Toyota. I was sure that the alien would be back, and I would die. When I got into the car, I didn’t wait for the engine to settle; I sped out of the parking lot past the map stand and the mailbox.
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More paranormal things! I’m in the mood for all things strange and weird. Partly because of the season, mostly because I have always been fascinated by these stories, and of course because I’m currently reading the Stranger Times series and Miéville’s The Rouse. The random number generator was kind to me today and gave me the good stuff. I got a voice-driven action story about overcoming a monster, written in the first person. All a girl could hope for.
I’m toying with an idea for a book set in a small town, with a protagonist who has a podcast about all things strange. Nothing new there story-wise, but I think it would be fun to write. I grew up watching The X-Files, 3rd Rock From the Sun, Dreamcatcher, and all the rest. It would be fun to write something in those lines.
Thank you for reading! Have an even stranger day, and see you tomorrow ❤
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