The air was thick with the scent of summer, the trees on both sides of the two-track offering only faint relief from the heat as we walked. The dusty road stretched ahead, twisting through the forest, leading us farther away from Andy’s house. My gut tightened, a sense of urgency pulling at me, like something inside me was telling me we had to go this way. But even so, I still couldn’t fully explain why. It didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t shake it.
We’d been walking for a while now, the sound of our boots crunching against the dirt blending with the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. Up ahead, I could see the slight rise of a hill. In the winter, this was where we would ski or sled down, laughing all the way. But now, in June, the view was different. The hill descended into a clearing, and beyond it, I could see a distant pond reflecting the fading sunlight. The hills beyond were layered in shadow, stretching far into the horizon. Something about that place felt important.
Bobby was walking ahead of me, his pace faster, like he wanted to get this over with, but I knew he didn’t want to be out here, away from Andy’s house. He kept glancing over his shoulder like he was ready to turn back.
“Why are we doing this, man?” Bobby muttered, his voice tinged with frustration. “We don’t even know what’s out there. We should be staying put. This whole thing’s getting too weird.”
I stopped, and he kept walking for a moment, not realizing I’d paused. He turned back, his face grim.
“I know you think we have to go. But I don’t get it. What makes you so sure?”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as I struggled for an answer. I wasn’t even sure what was driving me anymore. But I couldn’t ignore it. The pull of something out there, just beyond that hill.
“I— I had a dream last night,” I finally said, my voice steady even though I felt anything but. “Maybe it wasn’t just a dream. I don’t know.”
Bobby raised an eyebrow but didn’t interrupt.
“I— I was on a spaceship. There was this alien, Tsatso. He was different, not like the others.” I hesitated, then added, “It smelled... nice. Like cinnamon, or something warm. And he wasn’t scary. I... felt safe with him. He spoke to me so peacefully, like he wanted to help. But there were other aliens. They were probing me, and I was on a white bed, completely exposed.”
David stopped walking behind me, his eyes wide, listening intently.
“It was strange, but... I think it was real. I don’t know how to explain it, but I think it happened. And I think that ship, the one in my dream, is close. It’s over that hill. I can feel it.”
Bobby looked at me like I’d lost my mind, his face unreadable. “You’re telling me you’ve been abducted by aliens? And now you’re saying we should go find them? You think that’s the plan?”
David, though, stepped up beside me, his expression thoughtful. He believed me. He always believed me, even when I had doubts myself.
“Maybe it’s the only way to figure this out,” David said, his voice quiet but firm. “If the aliens are after you, we need to find them before they find us.”
Bobby crossed his arms, shaking his head. “You guys are nuts. Seriously. This is crazy. We’re just supposed to go walking through the woods because of some weird dream?”
“We’re not just walking through the woods,” David countered. “We’re looking for something. Something important.”
The sound was faint at first, like a hum or distant rumble, but it grew louder. The faint sound of something powerful, something metallic, reverberated in the air. My heart skipped a beat.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered.
Bobby stiffened, his eyes narrowing. “No way... That’s the ship. It’s out there.”
He paused, then sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
I smiled faintly, feeling a rush of relief. He wasn’t completely convinced, but he was with us now. We’d walk to the hill, follow the sound, and see where it led us.
We had already passed Andy’s house and walked down the forest path, a narrow, worn-out track that led us farther into the woods. Just beyond here, we’d connect to a two-track behind the baseball field, its trail winding deeper through the trees. The woods felt dense, the air heavy, as we approached my favorite spot, the hill at the top of the two-track. It’s a place I come to think, to relax, to just... be. Sometimes, I come here and look out over the pond to the left, the water shimmering in the distance. Beyond that, hills roll into the horizon, hills Bobby, David, and I have all climbed.
Looking north, the hill before us led to Sandy Merkey's and Aunt Mary's place, though we couldn’t see their houses from here. Our house was to the west, hidden by the thick woods. There was another two-track at the bottom of the hill. If we went left, it would circle around the pond, but the track south, worn down from disuse, was more secluded.
But it was the hilltop we were aiming for, where the ship awaited us. Well, I wasn’t sure what awaited us yet, but the dreams... the cinnamon smell... It was calling to me, even now. Tsatso had been there, on that ship, the warmth of his presence a strange comfort in the midst of everything else.
The hum grew louder. Every step felt more urgent, like we were getting closer to something inevitable. Something important.
Bobby gave a reluctant nod, and we started walking toward the hill, the distant hum growing louder with every step.
“Let’s just hope this doesn’t end with us being probed again,” Bobby muttered under his breath, but there was no humor in his voice.
I grinned, the sound of his joke almost comforting in the midst of everything. We were doing this, no matter how strange or insane it seemed. The aliens were waiting for us.
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